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The McKeon Report

YOUR SOURCE FOR HOME BUYING, SELLING & LIVING IN CLEVELAND OH

     Smart Move.     April 2023

A Minute with Eileen

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Eileen's Pick of the Month

NEW on market today!

3162 Huntington Rd. in Shaker Heights

  • A rare first-floor owners suite in the Onaway area
  • 1925-built English Tudor Colonial
  • Sharp remodeled kitchen
  • Shaker roof
  • Mudroom and attached garage
  • Lush private gardens and flowering trees
  • Air Conditioning


See House Listing Link Here.

See more homes...

The McKeon Group at Howard Hanna is one of Cleveland's favorite Realtor Groups, led by Mike and Eileen McKeon. Since 2001, the Group has advised and advocated for hundreds of Clients to "make a move" with confidence, strategic expertise, and exceptional attention to detail and service. 

It's a smart move with The McKeon Group.


Meet the Group

SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT

COLLECTOR'S CORNER:

THE TUDORS/ ART AND MAJESTY IN RENAISSANCE ENGLAND

ARTIST'S DATE with the Group!


Our team's Spring field trip found us at the world-famous Cleveland Art Museum and the "Tudors" exhibit. Rich with history. Regal with formality. And exquisite silk and wool woven tapestries and costumes.

Runs through May 14th.


Like our new listing on Huntington Road, we sell many, many 1920s Tudor Revival homes in Shaker and Cleveland Heights. It was fun to be immersed in the era and history of their reign and all the accoutrements of the day! Tudor architecture, design lines and influences all evident here.


Don't miss it Clevelanders!


PS Showtime's The Tudors is also recommened for Anglophiles...



Visit Cleveland Musuem of Art for more information.

REAL ESTATE LINGO: DEFINE IT!

point-of-sale inspection

noun

Many cities have ordinances requiring a point-of-sale inspection every few years or prior to a home being listed for sale. The purpose is to keep the housing stock looking good and manage any health and safety issues or code violations. These inspections benefit the city, not the seller or buyer, but are limited, and not to take the place of a buyer's private home inspection. The checklist is typically standard code violations of electrical and plumbing codes, trip hazards like unlevel sidewalk blocks or health concerns like carbon monoxide or lead paint testing. Some cities are extensive and general in their scope of potential violations, while others are limited and specific.


The "POS" is an interior and exterior visual inspection of the property usually conducted by an inspector from the city's building department. The homeowner is tasked with making the repairs in a timely fashion or if in a real estate transaction, prior to a title transfer. If repairs cannot be fixed due to weather or an 'as is' sale, buyer may assume the violations and the city typically requires funds held in an escrow account to cover the cost of the repairs and buyer fixes them after closing. Once the property is cleared of violations, a Certificate of Compliance is issued. It can be complicated, depending on the community, so be sure to know the local laws and nuances of your city's POS process.


If you have any questions regarding this or other lingo, email us themckeongroup@gmail.com

HOME MAINTENANCE Spring Lawn Care

Spring lawn care will help you get the most out of your lawn, so you can enjoy a beautiful yard as the warm weather approaches. But it’s not always easy to know what to do. If you’ve properly aerated and seeded your lawn in the fall (and even if you haven’t), the following spring lawn care steps will carry you through to the peak of the season.






  • Rake any thatch that accumulated over the winter, dead leaves and fallen branches or twigs
  • Check hoses for function and damage
  • Service the lawn mower to ensure it is ready for the first mow
  • Assess trees and call arborist to remove any dead branches or thin out canopies

FINANCING/ FACT OR FICTION?

Exploring Loan Options:

Buying and Selling at the same time!

Many people want to make a “right-size move” whether that is to a bigger house, or a smaller house, or a lateral move to a house with a better layout. To buy first, then sell? Sell first, then buy? Most homeowners have equity in their current home and prefer to sell first; however, in this competitive market, sellers want the cleanest, easiest, risk-free offer on their home so a 'home sale contingency' will not be considered. So, how does someone buy before selling and tap into the equity in their current home?

 

There are a few options. First is to connect with your Realtor (The McKeon Group, hopefully!) and bring in a strong local mortgage lender (ask us for our favorites!) to strategize the options:  

  1. The lender advances you the equity from your current home enabling you to be in a position to make an offer and buy first.
  2. You can buy a house with as little as 3% down payment, still a conventional loan, and when your house sells, the proceeds are applied to the new loan, and the lender “recasts” the mortgage, adjusting the loan amount and bringing down your monthly mortgage payment. This is not the same as refinancing-- the lender can explain.
  3. Take advantage of being a seller! On your purchase if you are able to negotiate a 60 day+ closing timeline, you should have enough time to get your house on the market and sold with a 30-45 day closing period. Most sellers have the leverage to ask for the closing date they need and a rent back from the buyers. So it is possible to close on your current house, before your new one! No double payments!


Contact our Howard Hanna Mortgage Officer for more info

Around Town: Poppy/ a SALT restaurant


Did you know that poppies begin to bloom in April? Well, luckily for Cleveland, we’ve had Poppy (the newest Salt+ family concept) in our foodie garden for a few months now!

Poppy replaced the former Felice restaurant on Larchmere, which left some pretty big shoes to fill. It had been a community staple for several years, and we think the owners of Poppy really understood the assignment. 


Poppy offers quite a diverse menu, making it easy to dine with people of all culinary or dietary preferences. We especially loved the wedge salad, which offered an unassuming twist with a delicious dressing. The ricotta dumplings? A must try. All of their plates are shareable (if you are good at sharing- we don’t judge) and compliment one another well. Use the bread from one dish to soak up all the flavors from the other type of vibe!

As for dessert, the pot du créme is a need. Perfect cherry on top to a great meal and a delicate balance of sweet and salty. 


Their outdoor patio/bar, Etta’s Place, should be debuting soon and we cannot wait!

Felice’s patio was always the best ambience and made the list of "top patios" list for years!


To make a reservation, visit poppycleveland.com. They are also open for lunch Monday-Friday!

THANK YOU FOR READING...WE HOPE YOU LEARNED SOMETHING!

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