Blog Headlines

Cincinnati’s Housing Opportunities Made Equal organization celebrated the 50th anniversary of the fair housing movement with a celebration banquet at the Renaissance Hotel on April 19, 2018.

The evening included speakers and video from past and present H.O.M.E. board members and supporters. Jeniece Jones, Executive Director, shared her excitement for the 50th anniversary and strides made by H.O.M.E. Deb Jetter, H.O.M.E.’s Director of Education (and long-time fair-housing instructor for Sibcy Cline), also shared thoughts about her 40-year career with the organization. It was a memorable evening that reinforced the importance of  the nation’s fair-housing laws.

Sibcy Cline attendees to this event included: Marc Cameron (H.O.M.E. board member), Helena Cameron, Carrie-McIntosh Owens, Denise Taylor, Jeff Rosa, Jennifer Shinn, Amy Goodman, Sandy Butler and Susan Knabe.

It is important for first-time home buyers to know the best ways to navigate the mortgage market. Taking time to better understand the real estate sales process and how to qualify for the best possible mortgage terms will go a long way in reducing stress. Plus, getting the right type of home loan could save a buyer tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the mortgage.

Get Pre-Approval
One of the smartest things inexperienced home buyers can do to make themselves eligible to buy a home as quickly as possible is to get pre-approval on a mortgage. Your loan officer will be looking for the best type of mortgage loan to meet your needs with the lowest rate possible. A pre-approval helps the first-time home buyers better understand the true cost of homeownership: beyond the mortgage payment there is the cost for mortgage insurance, homeowner’s insurance and property taxes. Plus, with pre-approval, an offer on a home is taken more seriously by the home seller. 

Down Payment
The larger the down payment buyers can put together, the better off they will be going forward. This will not only increase chances of qualifying for a mortgage in the first place – and in doing so, getting a better rate – but also reduce their payments going forward, making homeownership more affordable. In some cases, it will also eliminate the need to pay private mortgage insurance altogether.

Work on Your Credit Score
It is also important that potential buyers make sure their credit is up to snuff before they even think about actually applying for a mortgage. The higher an applicant’s credit score, the more likely to get approved and lock in a low rate. However, that may mean months of work to improve the financial conditions that go into a credit score, including paying down outstanding credit card balances and keeping up with all payments. (When you are buying a home it is really important NOT to make large purchases such as furniture, appliances or a new car. These type of purchases are reported to credit bureaus and can add a blemish to your credit.)

Save Money
At the same time, it’s important for new home buyers to make sure they’ve put aside additional savings to help cover closing costs and other expenses that typically crop up after moving into a home such as additional furnishings and unexpected repairs. Keep in mind that property taxes can rise. 

Talk to a Loan Officer and Real Estate Agent
Be sure to meet with a loan officer and real estate professional for guidance and valuable advice on how to proceed in the market and get the best possible deal out for your home purchase.

Brought to you by HMS Home Warranty. HMS is an industry leader with over 30 years of creating success for clients and providing peace of mind for customers. Learn more here.

Looking to a buy a home? Plan on attending an open house or two during the Sibcy Cline Super Open House Weekend on April 21-22, 2018. There will be some great homes to see throughout Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio; Northern Kentucky; and Southeastern Indiana.

Look at homes for sale.

Why buy and sell a home now?
Home values have risen. Mortgage interest rates are low. Now may be the best time for you to sell your old home and find a new one to meet your needs!

Sibcy Cline conducted its annual listing and sales contest for 2018 from January through mid March. Agents who acquired at least 75 points were invited to a special celebration breakfast on April 11th at the Manor House in Mason.

Highlights of the contest:

• Springfield had a majority of their agents qualify to attend the breakfast
• Agents had 1,156 listings and 2,202 sales during the contest period
• 1,189 open houses were held
• 72 outgoing referrals were sent

Agents accumulating the most contest points:

• Becky Orth – Campbell County – 861 points
• Terry Blakley – Beavercreek – 974 points
• Julie Back – Hyde Park – 1,205 points
• Sue Lewis – Northern Hills – 1,180 points
• Tim Cottrill – Northern Hills – 1,349 points

Top 5 Listing Agents:

• Judy Recker – Kenwood – 16 listings
• Becky Orth – Campbell County – 18 listings
• Julie Back – Hyde Park – 19 listings
• Sue Lewis – Northern Hills – 24 listings
• Tim Cottrill – Northern Hills – 25 listings

Top Sellings Agents:

• Teresa Durbin – Fairfield – 17 sales
• Brad Sanders – Florence – 17 sales
• Laura Sanders – Florence – 17 sales
• Sue Lewis – Northern Hills – 19 sales
• Lisa Goris-May – Centerville – 20 sales
• Julie Back – Hyde Park – 22 sales
• Terry Blakley – Beavercreek – 29 sales
• Tim Cottrill – Northern Hills – 29 sales

Top 5 Listing Offices:

• Montgomery – 82 listings
• Northeast – 84 listings
• Kenwood – 85 listings
• Northern Hills – 88 listings
• Anderson – 125 listings

Top 5 Sales Offices:

• Hyde Park – 155.5 sales
• Kenwood – 155.5 sales
• West Chester – 164 sales
• Florence – 170 sales
• Anderson – 180 sales

Agents who earned 75+ points during the contest were in the running to win $10,000.  All agents’ names were placed into a hopper earlier this week and 100 names were pre-selected for the final reverse drawing.

During breakfast, those 100 names were on display. This year, to add a bit of fun, 10 of those final names were hidden until announced. Oh, the suspense…

The raffle began – who would win the $10,000 cash? Names were drawn and removed. For every tenth name drawn, that person came on stage and selected a random cash envelope for $100 to $500.

Cash winners were:

• $100 – Ruby Heisler – Fort Mitchell
• $100 – JoeEd Liska – Anderson
• $200 – Barbara Klein – Anderson
• $200 – Bri Briggs – Western Hills
• $300 – Helena Cameron – Northeast
• $300 – Beth Onthank – Hyde Park
• $400 – Marcia Greenwald – Milford
• $400 – Gary Keeshan – Northeast
• $500 – Terry Blakley – Beavercreek

When it came down to the final 10 possible winners, those agents were invited to head to the stage to discuss options. They could continue with the raffle or take $500 each. This group decided to play until there were five left.

And now there were five agents left on stage. This group conferred with each other and decided to share the winnings of $1,500 each. 

The final five contest winners were:

• Connie Juillerat – Kenwood
• Larry Thinnes – Northwest
• Becky Poast – Hyde Park
• Kathy Smith – Northwest
• Tammy Dittmer – Western Hills

Western Hills agents wore their super hero shirts:

More photos of our agents:

The Opening Day Findlay Market Parade is a long-time tradition in Cincinnati. For the first time, Sibcy Cline participated in this parade with our own float – and we won a third-place honor! We love our Sibcy Cline “red” and we love the Cincinnati Reds.

The Sibcy Cline float was organized by Amanda Duncan, Sibcy Cline’s Social Media and PR Specialist. Sibcy Cline Branch Managers shared their enthusiasm throughout the parade!