Ohio Fence Law Changes

Many landowners of Highland County real estate are not aware of the new fence law that took affect September 2008. You can now write your own fence agreements with your neighbors. You can agree to choose the type and kind of fence and who is paying for it. The old fence law of "equal shares" is all but gone. Changes have been made to the law when a despute occurs. To read more Click Here.

Rocky Fork Lake: ODNR Denies Request

I believe waterfront homes with access to docks at Rocky Fork Lake just became worth more. With ODNR continuing to hold off the Rocky Fork Golf Course project, it makes a statement to me that those who own waterfront homes with docks own something very special that there might not be any more of...at least in the near future. Only a half dozen or so waterfront homes sell each year now and most of those have limited views of the water with no access to a dock. If you own one...who knows what it might be worth? Click here to read more.

Watson-Luman Closing on YouTube!

See our newest YouTube video:

Free Money

There is only four months left to recieve an $8,000 tax credit for purchasing a new home! You must have your home closed by November 30, 2009 when the tax credit expires! To close by November 30 you need to go on contract to buy a home no later than September! Call us for details!

Pending Home Sales Rise

Maybe the world is not as bad as the media would have you to believe?? Signed contracts to purchase homes rose according to Washington AP. Home prices are now believed to be more affordable than they've been since at least 1970 the article reads. With interest rates in the 4%'s and an $8000 tax credit available, now is the time to buy! Read more click

$8000 Tax Credit

Hot off the press!
Your government, through the new stimulus package, is offering an $8000 Tax Credit if you buy a home before Dec. 1, 2009! This is like the government giving you an $8000 down payment to buy a home at the time you file your taxes. Tell all friends and family members to check this out!
We are excited help families take advantage of this new offer!
To read more visit these websites:
IRS - US Dept. of Treasury
Homebuyer Tax Credit Chart
First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit FAQs

School District Report Cards Released

Lynchburg-Clay school district has received an "excellent" rating from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) on its district report card. Three other districts, Hillsboro City, Fairfield Local and Bright Local have all received "effective" ratings. These ratings are produced annually by the ODE based on the progress the schools have made on four measures, adequate yearly progress (AYP), performance index, state indicators and value added. Information about district report cards can be found at the ODE website, type in "district report cards" in the search box.

School district information is important when making a home buying decision. As an added benefit, we include the school district report card in our Homebooks for all of the homes we have for sale. To view available homes, click here.

Homebuyer Tax Credit

H.R. 3221, the “Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008,” passed the House on July 23, 2008, by a vote of 272-152. On Saturday, July 26, 2008, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 72-13. The President signed the bill on July 30, 2008. The bill includes the following provisions:

Homebuyer Tax Credit - a $7500 tax credit that would be would be available for any qualified purchase between April 8, 2008 and June 30, 2009. The credit is repayable over 15 years (making it, in effect, an interest free loan).

Click here to read more! Please call The Dickey Group if we can help you in purchasing a home!

Is the Real Estate Market as Bad as the Media Says?

The National Association of Realtors has reported that sales of existing homes rose by 2.9 percent in February. Economists were caught by surprise as they had been expecting another decline. To read more click here.

State of the Highland County Market

When someone asks me how is the real estate market, let me answer the question this way. It's not as bad as the media would indicate! Locally in the Highland County, houses are selling! Interest rates are at record lows and great loan programs are available, which means that if you are going to borrow money do it now! You can buy more house for the money now than 10 years ago! Inventory levels are high which means there are plenty of quality homes to pick from and some really great deals to be had! Listen to a video by a Realtor friend of mine Sam Miller, in the Mt. Vernon area. Click here.

Repossessed Homes

Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward states in a local article that a steep rise in Highland County foreclosures and sheriff sales beginning in 2001 when an average of 75 sheriff sales per year increased to more than 200. The count for 2007 was 366 new sales. To read more click here.

Ohio adds military status as new protected class

A new law, recently signed by Gov. Strickland will provide greater protections and benefits to members of the Armed Forces beginning March 24, 2008. To read more click Here.
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Highs and Lows

The Cincinnati Business Courier has written an excellent article stating that the greater Cincinnati area which includes us in their statistics now stands as one of the financially safest places to live. The greater Cincinnati area ranks in the lowest risk category for housing price declines, with a prediction of a less than 5% chance that home prices will slide below their current levels by 2010.

Click here for the full story as featured in the Business Courier. To find out more about Highland County real estate statistics visit our website.

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Administration tells Congress it is dealing with rising mortgage foreclosures

The Bush administration assured Congress on Friday that it is aggressively working to deal with a rising tide of mortgage foreclosures in the country. Officials, however, said homeowners threatened with the loss of their homes must do their part by actively seeking help to avert foreclosures.

Many Democrats have been highly critical of the administration’s efforts. They have been contending that they are too dependent on the industry and offer too little in terms of government assistance to stem what could be an estimated 2 million home foreclosures in the coming two years.

For full article, click HERE.

Housing slump likely to worsen

The problems in housing have been a serious drag on the overall economy - slashing more than a full percentage point off growth in some quarters. This major slump began in late 2005, and isn't expected to get better for another year or so.

The Joint Economic Committee estimates there will be 1.3 million foreclosures from mid-2007 through 2009 in sub prime mortgages. These loans are provided to borrowers with weak credit histories. Those foreclosures will wipe out an estimated $71 billion in housing wealth directly and another $32 billion indirectly....

To read the full article, click HERE..

Home expo coming up Oct. 13 at SSCC

Do you have questions about the home buying process? If so, then don't miss out on the Home Expo, which is geared toward helping the general public in the home buying process. It is being held at SSCC and is free for anyone to attend. There will be popcorn and soft drinks provided at the seminars. There are several people from other counties also expected to be in attendence.

In addition to seminars, there will be several realtors available to answer any questions about home buying or selling. There are also door prizes that will be given to people who enter a drawing.

Click here for the date and times of the Home Expo.

If you are unable to attend, and you have any questions about the home buying and selling process, then don't hesitate to ask us. You can contact us at Jeff@TheDickeyGroup.com.

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Highland County Mortgage Rates Decline

Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey reported a decline in mortgage interest rates this past week The first drop in rates in the past five weeks. Rates on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.69 percent, down from last week's 6.71 percent.

A drop in interest rates is always good news for Highland County home buyers, but it is especially good news during the spring/summer selling season when inventories are at their highest levels of the year and when the majority of buyers are looking to buy.

Thinking of buying a home? You can get a list of Highland County homes for sale as they hit the market. Simply, click here!

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Sale of City Property Being Explored

The Hillsboro City Council met recently to discuss the possibility of selling some of the city's property. A bus garage being used by Hillsboro City Schools and 14 acres of property on Homestead Avenue are sites that some council members feel could generate some profit to be used by the city. This project is in the exploration stages as many legal issues could be involved with the sale of these properties.

To read more, click here.

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Home Repair Loans Available to Local Residents

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development has announced they are accepting applications for their home repair program for 2007. Many programs are available. For information, call the Hillsboro area office at 937.393.1921 or visit the website.

To learn more about available homes in our area, visit our website or call our office today 937.393.7222!

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New Home Sales Statistics

Statistics about new home sales trends can be very beneficial in learning about the current real estate market. New home sales combined with the sales of previously owned homes reflect an even greater picture of our country's economy.

To learn more about the most recent history of new home sales statistics, click here. If you are interested in buying or selling, click here.

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