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Amazing Grace

"Amazing" Grace
Marie Rossignol-Dillon

 

Our mother Grace Marie Rossignol-Dillon who was "Amazing" (her whole life to those who knew her) and a resident of Birchwood retirement center had been very ill. She was resting comfortably when Mary Jo and I left to come home at 2:00 a.m. Thursday morning.  I took a call from Susan the nurse at Birchwood at 3:00 a.m. and she said mom was leaving now. We jumped into my van and headed back. Mom passed just moments before we could return. The hospice nurse Judy, bless her heart, said mom peacefully stopped breathing.

 

She is now out of pain and at peace with Our Lord, my dad Gerard and step dad Dick.

May God bless the soul of Grace Marie Rossignol-Dillon who was a living saint to many. An absolute Angel on earth!

 

Gary & Mary Jo Rossignol

Theresa Fields

Janel & Tina Rossignol 

 

P.S. Grace loved the West Chester Symphony Orchestra and BlueStone Ivory. She would attend most of our concerts at Keehner Park until she physically couldn't come any longer. I always took her copies of our videos and recordings so she could see and hear each of our concerts.

 

Visitation will be held at Hodapp Funeral Home, 8815 Cincinnati-Columbus Rd. (Rt. 42), West Chester, Monday from 5 to 8 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial, Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. at St. Michael Church, 11144 Spinner Ave., Cinti, Oh 45241.

Donations may be made to Hospice of Cincinnati or St. Michael Church.

If you prefer to send flowers may I suggest calling Lutz Flowers 513-921-0561

 

 

Ohio Real Estate Trivia

I thought it would be fun to kick off the week with a little real estate trivia.  Real estate is local and is regulated on the local level through the state department of commerce so this may not apply in  other states.  In Ohio if a person plants crops and then sells their property they are entitled to come back and harvest the crops.  They own the crops. 

 

Crops that can be harvested are considered personal property. Crops that cannot be harvested during the time of acquisition are considered as part of the realty, and are appraised (as in the case with perennials, trees and shrubs).They are sold with the property unless specified that they are not included in the sale.  Not a good idea, or even legal to sell your home and then decide to take the hostas and grandma's rose bush with you when you move, they are all attached to the property and are part of the sale.

For sellers who want to take grandma's rose bush with them when they move, and it does happen, all they have to do is specify that the rose bush is not included in the sale.

Had a seller once who had a Japanese Maple tree that was given as a wedding gift three years ago.  They wanted to keep the tree so we put on the sellers disclosure and in the MLS listing that the tree was not included in the sale.  The seller gave the new buyers a gift certificate for the local nursery for an amount that was slightly more than the value of the tree.

There are other items that are automatically included in the sale of a home.  Anything that is attached or built in and that includes light fixtures, cabinets, doors, and the kitchen sink.  I once had a seller try to take the built-in dishwasher. 

Here in Ohio appliances like stoves and some times refrigerators, washers & dryers are sold with the home although considered personal property. They must be listed on the contract to purchase as personal property being included with the sale or the seller has no obligation to leave them...even if they are listed on the MLS listing. If they are built in like a wall oven, cook top, dishwasher or garbage disposal they are considered as part of realty.

God Bless You and pray for all of our troops to come home safe and for our Country leaders to make the right choices to help us get through this turmoil.

"The buyers are knockin'...Cause My houses are Rockin"

Did you know I have my license in both states, Ohio & Kentucky?...So Please call me the Rock-n-Roll Real Estate Agent.  My listings Rock because they are priced to sell, show to sell and the owners are motivated to sell. Call me and I will make your house Rock.  513-777-2402 email Gary@GaryRossignol.com.

Also, My Video Newsletter is loaded with up to date Real Estate News and Advice. Some of its features include: Current Interest Rates, National Real Estate News, Mortgage Advice, Question & Answers. Plus much more. It is "real time" and changes each week.

What are neighbors for?

Back when I was a kid, neighbors were people you could count on - whether it was to feed your dog while you were on vacation or whether it was to let you borrow an egg or a garden tool. Neighbors are different today - sometimes we live for months, even years, in an area without knowing the names of our neighbors(much less without borrowing an egg or two. Moving into a new neighborhood, by definition, creates many opportunities for new neighbors. And new friends.

I think I have the best neighbors in the world. Dorothy next door is great to chat with when we are both in the yard working. Bill and Sue across the street are always friendly and helpful. Bill takes care of all our driveways in the winter with his snow blower.

Don and Marilou, also across the street is the source of local news and government gossip. He has friends in higher places and always has a great story. He is also helpful with whatever you need, like keeping an eye on our home when we are gone.

Last week my riding mower died. Don came over and tried to help get it running. It was a bigger problem than the two of us could solve. So Don drove up the street to a neighbor he knew would be willing to come over and look at it. As it turns out this neighbor Pete, who lives about 2 min for my house stopped by, suggested he load it onto his trailer and let him take it to his work shop and find the problem and fix it. He said for $70.00 he would clean, service and sharpen the blades for me. The commercial service I normally use charges $150.00 for the same service.

Pete found my problem in the matter of moments, the fuel pump was not working. So he took it with him, cleaned, service, sharpen the blades and replaced the fuel pump for $175.00. That was a deal for me and he is coming by this Tuesday to get my two walk behinds to service them. This work would have cost me almost twice.

So get out there and borrow an egg or two from your neighbor. While your at it get to know one another a little better. You'll be glad you did.

 

God Bless You and pray for all of our troops to come home safe and for our Country leaders to make the right choices to help us get through this turmoil.

"The buyers are knockin'...Cause the houses are Rockin"

Did you know I have my license in both states, Ohio & Kentucky?...So Please call me the Rock-n-Roll Realtor  My listings Rock because they are priced to sell, show to sell and the owners are motivated to sell. Call me and I will make your house Rock.  513-777-2402 email Gary@GaryRossignol.com.

Also, My Video Newsletter is loaded with up to date Real Estate News and Advice. Some of its features include: Current Interest Rates, National Real Estate News, Mortgage Advice, Question & Answers. Plus much more. It is "real time" and changes each week.

Buyer Agent Bonus...Is it a benefit?

As Realtors we seem to always want to have it both ways.  On the one hand we say that we are buyer or seller advocates and yet we are sales people too and some times those two roles can conflict with each other.  One good example is the idea of offering a buyer’s agent a bonus.

Sometimes sellers or listing agents will give the buyer’s agent a bonus for finding a buyer for a home.  That seems harmless but I have a problem with that practice.  The implication is that an agent will "sell" a home to a buyer because if they do they will make more money. That goes against one of the largest fiduciary responsibilities we owe our buyer client to promote their best interest.

We have to disclose our commission to the buyers.  Commissions for Realtors who work with buyers are listed on the MLS with the rest of the information about the home. The seller pays the buyers commission and most agents accept that as pay for working with the buyer.  The buyer doesn't see the agent bonus on the public MLS it is listed under agent remarks for members only.  Buyers usually don't know or care what the average payout for a buyer’s agent is so even when it is disclosed they may not recognize it as a buyer’s agent bonus.

We work with buyers and they choose the best home with our help. We don't or should not "sell" a buyer a home because there is a bonus in it for us. It is a conflict of interest. 

Are we acting in a buyers best interest if their is a bonus involved for us?  Each time a buyer buys a home there is something in it for us which makes sense because we can't work for free. If a buyer makes an offer we are required to disclose the commission but since the average buyer doesn't know what it is supposed to be they may not know that the agent is getting a bonus.

There are some listings in our MLS that have a very low payout and there are some with high payouts to buyers agents.  I believe it is unethical to base our decision on which home to show a buyer based on the payout.  It would be best if there was no such thing as a buyer’s agent bonus and if all buyers agent payouts were the same but they are not. So it is up to us individual Realtors to try and level the playing field. That is exactly what I try to do with each buyer client I work for. I explain how and how much I get paid and make sure that my buyer knows that if there is a Buyers agent bonus that will go to the buyer, not me.

God Bless You and pray for all of our troops to come home safe and for our Country leaders to make the right choices to help us get through this turmoil.

"The buyers are knockin'...Cause the houses are Rockin"

Did you know I have my license in both states, Ohio & Kentucky?...So Please call me the Rock-n-Roll Realtor  My listings Rock because they are priced to sell, show to sell and the owners are motivated to sell. Call me and I will make your house Rock.  513-777-2402 email Gary@GaryRossignol.com.

Also, My Video Newsletter is loaded with up to date Real Estate News and Advice. Some of its features include: Current Interest Rates, National Real Estate News, Mortgage Advice, Question & Answers. Plus much more. It is "real time" and changes each week.

Mason All-Stars networking Group

The Mason All-Stars is a networking group of professionals who meet together every other Thursday morning for the purpose of learning how to help each others business to grow.

This Linkedin group supports our members and is used to share schedules and information about our business activities. Membership is by invitation and is limited to one member from each business sector or discipline.

Today I am privileged with the spotlight of doing my 5 minute presentation to the group this morning. I would like them to see two videos. The first is the rehab project I did in Sharonville at 11191 Maple Street. I am quite proud of this project. It was the very first total rehab project I have attempted on my own.

The second video is of BlueStone Ivory performing a Patriotic song "God Bless the USA" in Fairfield. I am particularly proud of this video. It was recorded & produced by my friend Jim Rupp.

 

I would like to invite everyone to come out and hear BlueStone Ivory at Carlo & Johnny this Saturday night. It is a Jeff Ruby steak & seafood joint. Good Atmosphere, Great food and super entertainment.

God Bless You and pray for all of our troops to come home safe and for our Country leaders to make the right choices to help us get through this turmoil.

"The buyers are knockin'...Cause the houses are Rockin"

Did you know I have my license in both states, Ohio & Kentucky?...So Please call me the Rock-n-Roll Realtor  My listings Rock because they are priced to sell, show to sell and the owners are motivated to sell. Call me and I will make your house Rock.  513-777-2402 email Gary@GaryRossignol.com.

Also, My Video Newsletter is loaded with up to date Real Estate News and Advice. Some of its features include: Current Interest Rates, National Real Estate News, Mortgage Advice, Question & Answers. Plus much more. It is "real time" and changes each week.

 

 

A real Antique

This R2D2 looking contraption is an old Ruud water heater from a century ago. This is not the first time I have seen this particular old model. They must have been plentiful in the day.

In fact I recently listed a home at 1521 Wittekind in North College Hill. It is a great home on a very nice street. The only concern I have is the water heater.The seller swears by this water heater.

He has owned the home for over 30 years and admits that when he first walked into the basement and saw this contraption he was ready to leave. But didn't and became of big fan of the tankless water heater and says he will not have anything but ever again.

As old as this water heater is there is virtually no maintenance. You need hot water? Simply turn the faucet and you have it. It's that simple.

The great thing about these water heaters is they will save you around $300.00 per your in utility bills by not keeping 40 or 50 gallons of water hot 24/7.

 

Tankless Water heaters is a great resource for information about the various brands and styles. Here is a great video describing all about the various types and styles.

So, the next time you are faced with a water heater replacement call me for a recommendation or google it. The tankless system may be exactly what you are looking for.

God Bless You and pray for all of our troops to come home safe and for our Country leaders to make the right choices to help us get through this turmoil.

Did you know I have my license in both states, Ohio & Kentucky?...So Please call me the Rock-n-Roll Realtor if you need help around the house or maybe to buy a new home. I will gladly say THANK YOU! Gary Rossignol, the Realtor with integrity. 513-777-2402 email Gary@GaryRossignol.com.

Also, My Video Newsletter is loaded with up to date Real Estate News and Advice. Some of its features include: Current Interest Rates, National Real Estate News, Mortgage Advice, Question & Answers. Plus much more. It is "real time" and changes each week.

Icicles, Pretty...scary

They are pretty, but nothing to be proud of. These are hanging from a roof near my house. Actually they are everywhere in this weather. They are caused when one part of the room is warmer than another and heat is leaking out through the roof. As pretty as they look they can cause damage. Water can back up and get under the shingles and cause leaks into the house. Usually this problem can be solved by adding more insulation.

I look at a lot of houses. Yes, even in this weather. I usually look at the roof when I pull up the driveway. With all the snow you cannot see the shingles. Well, you are not suppose to anyway. If you do that isn't a good sign. The roof may be fine but chances are the home doesn't have enough insulation. If the roof is covered with snow and there aren't any ice dams or maybe a little ice here and there then chances are the home is insulated. Maybe the roof is covered with snow except for one bare spot. That is an area where there isn't enough insulation and heat is leaking out.

If the roof is covered with snow you need to rely on the residential property disclosure to see if the seller has disclosed any problems, or previous leaks with the roof. I like to open closet doors and look at the ceiling because that seems to be a good place to find water stains. An old stain on a ceiling doesn't mean that the roof needs replacing. I  recommend having a professional home inspection done and most of your inspectors will try and make their report subject to a return visit when the snow is melted and they can thoroughly inspect the roof. If time permits.

One more point about icicles. Be careful, they can be dangerous. Several years ago my daughers were knocking them down with a stick. One large icicle flew straight down and hit my youngest on her head causing a large enough cut that required a couple of stitches. Ouch!!!

God Bless You and pray for all of our troops to come home safe and for our Country leaders to make the right choices to help us get through this turmoil.

Did you know I have my license in both states, Ohio & Kentucky?...So Please call me if you need help around the house or maybe to buy a new home. I will gladly say THANK YOU! Gary Rossignol, the Realtor with integrity. 513-777-2402 email Gary@GaryRossignol.com.

Also, My Video Newsletter is loaded with up to date Real Estate News and Advice. Some of its features include: Current Interest Rates, National Real Estate News, Mortgage Advice, Question & Answers. Plus much more. It is "real time" and changes each week.

 

Now you see it, Now you don't

A few weeks ago we got a notice from Farmers Insurance Company that we needed to remove our trampoline or they were forced to cancel our home owners insurance. It was just a matter of a few days we received a check in the mail for $511.78 from the insurance company with the notice of cancellation.

Don't get me wrong. Farmers is a very efficient company and our agent Gary Rasmussen is the best. They just didn't give us enough time to take it down. The instructions were to remove it. Take photos of before with it in the yard and photos of our yard without it.

We decided to be efficient back and made this video. It turns out being a memorial for a great friend that we had for more than 14 years. A lot of fond memories were made from this large yard toy. All three of our daughters, their friends and our friends, our grandkids and many of our relatives have all enjoyed many, many hours on this trampoline. It was bitter sweet having to disassemble and pile it up for the trash heap. It was for the best. The springs were all rusty as were the legs. It had lost its elasticity of many years ago. It was going to break down on its own soon. 

Here you go Farmers Insurance. This is absolute proof that the dreaded trampoline is gone for good. Just another sign of many ongoing changes in our society. At least we have the memories.

 God Bless You and pray for all of our troops to come home safe and for our Country leaders to make the right choices to help us get through this turmoil.

Did you know I have my license in both states, Ohio & Kentucky?...So Please call me if you need help around the house or maybe to buy a new home. I will gladly say THANK YOU! Gary Rossignol, the Realtor with integrity. 513-777-2402 email Gary@GaryRossignol.com.

Also, My Video Newsletter is loaded with up to date Real Estate News and Advice. Some of its features include: Current Interest Rates, National Real Estate News, Mortgage Advice, Question & Answers. Plus much more. It is "real time" and changes each week.

 

Sounds simple...but is it?

Being a buyer, any buyer (first time, second or third) isn't as easy as it used to be. Most of us know that selling your house in todays market is a real chore. Therefor if you are a buyer it should be a piece of cake. Right?

Finding the house is not a very big problem. They are plentiful in most area's of Greater Cincinnati. Sellers are really willing to negotiate too. They will pay closing costs, negotiate well below the known market value and leave items of personal property not usually included in most sales. Recently one of my buyers asked for the huge screen high definition projection TV and the entire surround sound system and got it on the first round of negotiating. WOW!

   
This photo looks so simple and serene doesn't it? That is the way some purchase deals look today. You would think if you are coming to the table with a high credit score of lets say 760 or higher, have 10% down payment you wouldn't have a problem getting a loan. Not so...

I have a buyer purchasing a home for $170,000. They have 770 credit score, and putting 10 % down. Their financing is an 80-10-10. 80% first mortgage, 10% second and 10% down. The second mortgage investor rejected their application and denied the loan. They didn't have enough active credit line. Car paid off and no credit card dept. You would think that was a dream buyer. At least I did. As it turns out if they had a car loan and a couple of credit cards with balances they would have gotten the second mortgage without a hitch. Go figure!

It is about knowing the rules of the game and playing within the rules. Call me, I know the rules and I love to play the game.

God Bless You and pray for all of our troops to come home safe and for our Country leaders to make the right choices to help us get through this turmoil.

Did you know I have my license in both states, Ohio & Kentucky?...So Please call me if you need help around the house or maybe to buy a new home. I will gladly say THANK YOU! Gary Rossignol, the Realtor with integrity. 513-777-2402 email Gary@GaryRossignol.com.

Also, My Video Newsletter is loaded with up to date Real Estate News and Advice. Some of its features include: Current Interest Rates, National Real Estate News, Mortgage Advice, Question & Answers. Plus much more. It is "real time" and changes each week.

Give until it feels good!

We have all heard the saying "Give until it hurts"...most of us know that real giving feels good doesn't it? We all have an opportunity right now to help those more unfortunate than most of us in America. If you listen to the radio, watch TV or read the news in the paper or on the internet, we are all aware of the dire need for our help in Haiti. This is an extreme tragedy totally out of anyone’s control. We are all powerless over the destruction that has occurred to the poor people in Haiti.

We can keep them in our prayers and when and if possible send them any financial support possible.

This is so heart warming:
One of my ministries at my parish St Michael in Sharonville is serving as an usher at 11:30 mass each Sunday. As usher I am responsible to help take up the collection. After mass a few of us gather in the sacristy and organize the collection, put it in the assigned packets and then into the safe. Yesterday we had a second collection to be sent to the folks in Haiti through Catholic services. Among all the $20's, $10's, hundreds of $1's & $5's and checks for everything from $10 up to several hundreds surfaced this most heart warming donation.

 
This envelope was full of coins. This child obviously emptied her piggy bank and brought it to church for the second collection. How innocent and giving was this gesture from such a small child. She even wrote a note on the envelope "Sorry about your house". She must have heard they lost their homes.

It is moments like this that makes you think. Makes you want to cry. Makes you want to smile. Makes you want to hug somebody and pray that the hurt goes away.

 God Bless You and pray for all of our troops to come home safe and for our Country leaders to make the right choices to help us get through this turmoil.

Did you know I have my license in both states, Ohio & Kentucky?...So Please call me if you need help around the house or maybe to buy a new home. I will gladly say THANK YOU! Gary Rossignol, the Realtor with integrity. 513-777-2402 email Gary@GaryRossignol.com.

Also, My Video Newsletter is loaded with up to date Real Estate News and Advice. Some of its features include: Current Interest Rates, National Real Estate News, Mortgage Advice, Question & Answers. Plus much more. It is "real time" and changes each week.k