Memorial Day: Remembering Our Fallen!

No matter what your stance is on the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, WWII or any other battle, where a soldiers' life ended, please take time this weekend to remember those who have died, so that you can be free to assemble, free to speak your opinions, free to go wherever you want at a moment's notice, and so much more. For all of those in this country and around the world, who desecrate our land, you don't need to live here. There's plenty of places to move to. We DO live in the greatest country in the world. Why else would people still want to come and live in our country over where they are now?

Also, remember all of the men and women, who are fighting right now to protect our freedom.

They are in 100+ degree heat, battling sand storms, fighting an enemy, who wants them dead. Think about how lucky you are right now in the comfort of your home, not having to worry about flying bullets, land mines, snipers and suicide bombers.

I served 4 years in the U.S. Army back in the early 80s. It wasn't during a time of any major conflict, but I was ready to fight. It takes a special person to sign up to protect their country and its ideals in the face of harm's way.

Please just don't have a cook-out this weekend and not think of the meaning behind the holiday.

My Childhood Home Is For Sale!

There's a lot of mixed emotions when selling the home you grew up in since the age of 5. We backed up to the 730-acre Sharon Woods park. What a playground!

A few thoughts of the past:

When it was time for lunch, my mom would go out into the back yard and ring her black cow bell as loud as she could. We'd either come running from catching crawdads in the creek, playing hide-and-seek in the woods or 'army' using milk pods found in the meadow.

On a summer's night, we'd have friends over and set up tents in our back yard to camp out listening to the sounds of owls, frogs & crickets, just like you'd hear in a forest.

At dusk, deer would come out to graze in the meadow. Sometimes just one or two. Other times, almost a dozen.

Every summer when the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra would play in Sharon Woods, my parents would have a big party and then everyone would walk through the meadow with their folding chairs and blankets to watch the "Concert in the Park".

In the winter and all bundled up, we'd take our sleds over to the sled-riding hill, which is still there today by the ranger station, and sled until our bodies were frozen, knowing that we'd come home to a roaring fire in the fireplace and hot chocolate to help thaw us out.

Hiking in the woods, on and off the trails, was so much fun. We'd collect water cress for our salads, fill up jugs of water from a natural spring by the 17th hole of the golf course.

That was the '70s. It's now 2006 and time for a new family to enjoy the wonders of wildlife in nature.

This property has so much more to offer than just bricks and mortar. It'll provide memories for a lifetime for you and your family.

Even though I don't normally adverise listings on my blog, I'm making an exception for my childhood home. Here's a brief description:

Picture Yourself in a Nature Lover's Dream Home Adjacent to the Award-Winning & Beautiful Sharon Woods Park......with Miles of Hiking and Running Trails, Lakes, Streams, Playgrounds, Picnic Areas, 18-Hole Championship Golf Course & with Abundant Wildlife in Your Back Yard!

This unique, 4 bedroom, 3 full bath, brick ranch overlooks a tranquil Sharon Woods meadow setting. Its large windows are ideal for your bird watching and wildlife viewing. You'll enjoy the cool, summer breezes across the 20x11 screened porch. The formal dining room and sunken living room are great for entertaining and feature a vaulted, beamed ceiling and floor-to-ceiling, brick fireplace hearth. the equipped, eat-in kitchen has a pantry, plenty of cabinets and lots of counter space. You also enjoy the first floor laundry room with closet, sink and folding counter. There's beautiful hardwood flooring in this home as well as skylights in the entry and kitchen. You have lots of closets and storage space in this home as well as an oversized, 2-car side-entry garage. The open-spaced lower level can easily be finished off with approx. 1,100 square feet. This home has a new roof, gutters and downspouts installed in Oct., 2005 and comes with a 1-year American Home Shield "Select" home warranty. You're in close proximity to the Sharonville Rec Center and pool, public library, St. Michael's parochial school and the new Sharonville elementary school being built. There's also an additional, single-family, buildable lot available for sale to the left of this home that backs up to Sharon Woods as well. It's a great investment for the future that allows you to have your own piece of paradise.

If you or someone you know would be interested in viewing this home, please contact me at 513-615-1890 for a private showing.

Lower Home Sales Expected

A lower number of home sales expected this year will create a more level playing field for buyers and sellers on the heels of a five-year sellers' market, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The national median existing-home price for all housing types is projected to rise 5.8% in 2006 to $220,300. The median new-home price should increase 5.4% this year to $250,200.

Existing-home sales are expected to fall 5.7% to 6.67 million sales in 2006 from the record 7.08 million last year. At the same time, new-home sales are forecast to decline 7.7% to 1.18 million from a record 1.28 million in 2005 - each sector would be at the third highest year following the tallies for 2005 and 2004. Housing starts are likely to total 1.98 million this year, down 4.3% from 2.06 million in 2005.

Fire Extinguisher RECALL!

Please take the time to check all of the fire extinguishers in your home!

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announces the recall of 50,900 Dry Chemical Fire Extinguishers by Strike First Corp of America of Front Royal, VA.

The fire extinguishers can fail to discharge properly when the trigger is activated, which puts consumers at risk of fire-related injuries.

For more information about the extinguisher's descriptions or serial numbers, log on to: www.cpsc.com or www.strikefirstusa.com.

Know Your "FLOOD" Risk

Homeowners and business owners who want to know about their properties' flood risk can turn to www.FloodSmart.gov, a new online resource provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) National Flood Insurance program. Launched in 2005, the web site provides numerous facts and statistics about floods and flood insurance as well as practical consumer tips. The site also features resources for finding an insurance agent, estimating premiums, filing claims and developing community programs.

FEMA estimates that nearly 4.7 million Americans have flood insurance, but millions more are unaware of their personal risk for property damage or know what their options are for protection.

From 1994 to 2004, flood losses in the United States averaged $867 million a year in payments to the insured.

Other facts about flooding include the following:

• Every year, flooding causes more than $2 billion of property damage in the U.S.
• Just an inch or two of water can cause extensive damage to property
• Floods and flash floods occur in all 50 states
• Everyone lives in a flood zone and has some level of risk
• Flash floods can bring walls of water 10 to 20 feet high
• A car can easily be carried away by just two feet of floodwater
• New land development can increase flood risk, especially if the construction changes natural run-off paths
• Most homeowners' insurance policies do not cover flood damage
• In many cases, it takes 30 days for a flood insurance policy to take effect
• The average premium for flood insurance is approximately $400 per year, depending on where you live and what type of coverage you choose.

Hotline Helps Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure

The Homeownership Preservation Foundation, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit organization dedicated to homeownership preservation and foreclosure prevention, has launched a toll-free, confidential hotline to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. When a homeowner calls 1-888-995-HOPE (4673), they are instantly connected to experts who work for counseling agencies certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counselors are specially trained to help homeowners resolve financial concerns, discuss available options based on their financial circumstances and establish a dialogue between the homeowner and the homeowner's mortgage company.

Based on the foundation's research, slightly more than 50% of the homeowners are uncomfortable contacting their mortgage company for help. The lotline was created to provide an alternative resource for homeowners and to encourage them to seek assistance before losing their home.

Foreclosures are costly. "Besides the obvious loss to the homeowner, the values of homes near foreclosed properties drop. A typical city may lose up to $33,000 per foreclosed home and an average foreclosure may cost a mortgage company $50,000 or more per home," said Walt Fricke, president and executive director of the Homeownership Preservation Foundation.

Over the last five years, nearly 2.9 million U.S. households have foreclosed, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. "With the rising number of foreclosures that have occurred over the past five years, providing a hotline for homeowners is long overdue," said Fricke. "We believe we can make a difference on behalf of the mortgage industry."

For more information, call the hotline at 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) or visit www.995HOPE.org
or the foundation's web site, www.hpfonline.org.