Rocky Fork Lake Month of Cleanup

The Highland County Board of Commissioners established the month of April as Clean-Up, Fix-Up, Pick-Up Month for the Rocky Fork Lake area. Lead by the Rocky Fork Lake Community Alliance, the hope is that all residents in the area will continue the initiative up until the end of May. As part of the project, community corrections will go through the area and clean the ditches along the road on April 14, 21, and 28. A lake cleanup is also being planned where groups will clean litter and debris from around the lake. Cleanup and beautification is a major goal of the Rocky Fork Lake Community Alliance.

To read more about this topic, click here. To read more about the Rocky Fork Lake Community Alliance, visit RockyForkLake.com.

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Hillsboro Works to Curb Overflows

After mandates from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the city of Hillsboro is working on correcting the overflow problems within the sewer system. The first task is to find out from where the extra water is coming. This is being determined by utilizing a cleaning pipe followed by a camera crew and tank to "see" below the surface. This is a costly endeavor and the city is considering purchasing their own camera system to actually save money in the long run. These recent problems are something to be expected with the age of the system. The EPA has mandated that the city repair at least 4 miles of sewer line per year until the entire city has been completed. This process is expected to take at least 10 years to complete.

To read more, click here.

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Donation to YMCA

The YMCA has now ended its current capital improvement campaign due to a recent sizable donation by the Estate of Larry Rudolph. Leaving more than a quarter of a million dollars to the YMCA, Rudolph wanted half of the money to go toward funding youth programs at the facility and the remainder going to help improve the building. With special ties to the YMCA and no children, this was Rudolph's way of giving something back to the youth of this county.

Click here to read more.

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Vehicle Recycling Initiative Organized

The Highland County Recycling office has started a new program that will allow Highland County residents to dispose of their junk cars and unused mobile homes for monetary incentives! The county will now provide help and money to owners in order to recycle these items. April has been designated as Clean-Up, Fix-Up, Pick-Up Month for the Rocky Fork Lake area by the Highland County Commissioners. This is also a perfect time for all community members within the county to take steps to beautify the county. In order to take advantage of this program, applications are available at the Highland County Recycling office. Call the office at 937.393.4080 with any questions! Click here to read more!

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Annual Trout Derby

Today the Annual Trout Derby is being held at Rocky Fork State Park. There will be 15 fish worth $100 each and approximately 2,000 fish in all stocked into a netted area at the lake for this event. This event will also include shotgun shooting, archery shooting, laser shot simulator, door prizes, and refreshments! Last year, more than 700 youngsters participated in this fun event! This community event is held every year to enhance fishing opportunities for youth and adults - check it out! The Dickey Group hopes all participants have a great time! To read more, click here.

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G-Men Are State Champs

The first state appearance for the Georgetown G-Men was a memorable one! For the first time in school history, the G-Men were named Division IV State Champions. On Saturday, March 24th Georgetown came out victorious over Columbus Harvest Prep 75-66. We congratulate this local team for the amazing accomplishment!

To read more about the game, click here.

Congrats from The Dickey Group!

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New Walgreens Store to be in Hillsboro

Walgreens spokeswoman Carol Hively recently gave information about the new facility which is anticipated to be open October. The new store will be located on the corner of a shopping mall on North High Street. Currently, construction can be seen in the parking lot area of this location. The Walgreens store will offer many services in addition to a pharmacy, including a photo department and small grocery.

For more information about Walgreens, click here to read a recent article or visit Walgreens.com!

The Dickey Group welcomes this new business to town!

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Tigers Have Perfect Season!

As the local community gears up for spring, the schools are ending their basketball season. We would like to congratulate all the local athletes for a season well played! Special kudos to the McClain boys basketball team. For the first time in 20 years, the McClain boys basketball team has secured a perfect 20-0 season!

To read more, click here.

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Community, Jeff Dickey, Youth

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Bright Pupil Excels in Spelling Bee Competition

A local Bright Elementary pupil has recently received much recognition for his spelling skills. We would like to congratulate Tyler Roberts for advancing to the regional spelling bee!

To read more about this exceptional young man, click here.

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Open Enrollment Freeze Lifted at Fairfield Schools

A recent decision to lift the three year freeze on open enrollment will allow students outside of the Fairfield School District to attend school within that district. Public meetings for interested parents will be held to explain procedures.

Specific grade levels are currently full and will not be accepting applications for open enrollment, while others have some positions available. For more specific opportunities, please contact the school district.

To read more about this, click here.

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Community, Youth

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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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Plans for Old Washington School

As our community looks toward the future with the construction of the new elementary school, vacant buildings - evidence of the past - are being addressed. Plans for the the Old Washington Elementary building are under consideration currently. As reported in The Times-Gazette, Hillsboro City Council will seek to purchase the property for possible construction of a new safety building to house Hillsboro Fire and Rescue. These plans are just in the initial phases, with much work to be done before anything is finalized.

To read more about this, click here.

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Local High School Senior Nominated to All-American

Before Thursday night's game, McClain High School Senior Dante Jackson was presented with a certificate and basketball for the McDonald's High School All-American team nomination. Congratulations goes to Jackson and the McClain Tigers - No. 1 ranking basketball team in Division II boys basketball in Ohio!

To read more about McClain's recent victory over Miami Trace and Dante Jackson's incredible game, click here!

Information about all of the local schools can be found on their websites and HighlandCountySchools.com.

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Tips To Sell Your Highland County Home In February

Spring is the prime selling season, but buyers who are house hunting in the middle of winter are serious buyers. They may be transferring from out of the area and have a deadline to get settled and on the job or their lease is up and they need to move.

Whatever the reason, there are things sellers can do to make their home more attractive to this group of serious buyers.

1. Keep walks and driveways free of ice and snow. Buyers don't want to navigate treacherous terrain getting to your front door.

2. Don't skimp on the heat. Buyers like a warm and comfortable atmosphere. If your home is cold they will think the heat doesn't work properly.

3. Make your home as light as possible. Keep curtains and blinds open. Use the highest wattage bulbs and have all the lights on during showings. Hose off the outside of your windows to show your house is well cared for.

4. Set the mood. Play soft music and have a plate of fresh baked cookies out for the buyers. There is nothing like the smell of newly baked cookies and buyers get hungry looking at houses.

5. Ask buyers to remove their shoes. This conveys a pride of ownership and keeps the house ready for the next buyer going through.

For more information about how The Dickey Group can help you sell your home, please let us know! Visit our website for more information!

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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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Rocky Fork Lake Alliance

The Rocky Fork Lake Alliance, a newly formed organization made up of 12 directors, is examining the "potential" that is available at one of Ohio's most physically beautiful park resorts. The RFL alliance is looking into making this area more alluring so people want to use it more by building support for the economic and social value at Rocky Fork Lake.

This alliance is going to address many areas and concerns that are currently present at the lake. The goal is to improve opportunities in the lake region. Many homes are available at or near Rocky Fork Lake, to view complete listings of available properties, visit our comprehensive website. It would be our pleasure to help you become part of scenic Rocky Fork Lake!

To read more about Rocky Fork Lake, click here. To read more about the RFL Alliance, click here.

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2006 Third Best Year for Sales

The National Association of Realtors® reports existing-home sales eased but prices stabilized as inventories tightened in December, while 2006 was the third-highest sales year on record.

Total existing-home sales – Total existing-home sales – including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – eased 0.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.22 million units in December from a level of 6.27 million in November. Sales were 7.9 percent lower than a 6.75 million-unit pace in December 2005. There were 6,480,000 existing-home sales in all of 2006, down 8.4 percent from a record 7,075,000 in 2005. The second highest total was 6,779,000 in 2004; NAR began tracking home sales in 1968.

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Paying Points Doesn't Pay

FreddieMac.com reported interest rates inched up within the past few weeks. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was around 6.21 percent compared to previous rates of 6.18 percent.

When rates inch up, borrowers become more interested in paying upfront discount points to reduce their interest rate over the life of the loan. One discount point is equal to one percent of the loan balance and is paid at the time of closing.

A new study by MarketWatch.com indicates that paying upfront points rarely saves the borrower money. You must weigh the upfront costs against the long term savings and most borrowers over-estimate the amount of time they will pay on the loan without refinancing or actually own the house.

If you are thinking of buying a home and are weighing your options concerning paying discount points, contact me. I'm glad to discuss this with you and assist with you with making a good home buying decision.

Also, visit TheDickeyGroup.com to receive new Highland County real estate listings as they hit the market. It's fast, easy, convenient and FREE.

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7 Mortgage Tips for 2007

BankRate.com has just released it's 7 smart mortgage moves for 2007 whether you already have a mortgage or are considering getting one. Read the full article to learn about the benefits of making pre-payments to paying mortgage insurance rather than getting a piggyback mortgage.

Contact me if you would like to talk with a reputable mortgage lender. I can recommend a lender who will provide you with superior products and service.

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