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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.

Home Sweet Home ...in the woods.

Buyers dreams...building a new home, a log home or buying a home on acreage with woods surrounding them for privacy. Dennis and Kris are among these whose dream is about to come true. We found them their dream lot and home all in one.

          

This home sits on over 7 acres of woods and hills. The single lane gravel driveway is about 400 yards from the main road. It is a total cedar sided home with 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, finished walk out basement, 2 car attached garage and an over sized 3 car detached garage. There are walking trails and lots of woods.

While there one afternoon I saw 3 deer roaming around the side yard.

This is a photo of one posing for my camera. WOW, what a shot.

Dennis loves nature and privacy and yet he will be within 20 minutes of his office. This is exactly what he has dreamed of for months and months.

Along with the woods and nature comes the little critters. With this all cedar sided home the down side is Carpenter Bees. 

John Woods of Complete Termite and Pest Control, the best darn bug man in the Greater Cincinnati Area told me about carpenter bees. Basically they look like bumble bees, don't sting but will burrow a perfect 1/2 inch hole deep into wood to lay their eggs. Then the pesky Wood Peckers will dig into the siding to get to the eggs for a snack to eat.

This creates a major problem if not caught in time and kept in check. The only way to avoid major problems is to keep regular yearly maintenance program to eliminate the carpenter bees. And that is something John Woods of Complete Termite and Pest Control can do very well.

If you have any critter problems call John Woods at 398-3340.

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.

This is an antique

  As a Realtor I get to see a lot of houses. Not all buyers are searching for a newer or even slightly less than newer home. I am often able to go through some very old homes with my buyers.

Most of the older homes on the market have updated mechanics (Heating, A/C, Plumbing, Electric, and Water heater). Every once in awhile I run across the left over antiques that were used in the yesteryear.

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.

This website Water heater Rescue pictures many old antique water heaters and also will give you good info on your modern water heater questions.

I have a friend that has been doing without hot water for about 2 weeks saving up enough money to invest in a tank less water heater. Based on the research that is the most economical way to go. Just think about it...why keep 40 or 50 gallons of water hot all the time. Many hours go by when you are not home and your water heater tank is keeping those gallons of water hot. That costs a lot of money. Instant water heaters will deliver hot water on demand and will never run out. YES!

The downside to the tank less water heaters is the initial cost. They start out about $900.00 and go up from there compared to $350.00 for a 40 gallon tank. However you will save about $300.00 per year in utility cost with a tank less water heater. That makes the most sense.

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.

How much is that Birdie in the Window?

The day before Christmas I was back in my office working. It was a gorgeous early afternoon day outside with but a cool chill in the air. Mary Jo was walking from the kitchen to the living room and all of a sudden I heard this very loud crash as if something large and glass was just dropped. Mary Jo let out a very loud blood curdling  scream. I immediately stopped whatever I was doing to run to her rescue.

When I entered the living room I found broken glass covering our black leather sofa and most of the carpet on the floor. Lying in the middle of the glass covered carpet was a very large bird just laying there sort of stunned. It was a hawk that had just flown through our front picture window. How cool was that?

Well, my first reaction was to get it out of the living room before it gets up and starts flying around the inside of our home. Then I would never catch it. So I just reached down with both of my bare hands, picked him up and threw him back out the 12 inch hole he made in our window.

I watched as he spread his wings and began to sore across our yard and over our neighbors yard then circled around and over our other neighbors yard and I'll be darn if he didn't fly back to our front porch and landed on the window sill right outside the broken window he just flew through. He seemed to just sit there and gloat proudly at what he had just done. Daring me to take these photos for prosperity.  

Well what do I do on Christmas eve with a 12 inch hole in my front picture window? I call the local glass company for emergency service. So I googled glass companies and finally got hold of someone and they were going to send out an emergency crew to replace my glass window.

They had the crew and the time. The problem was they didn't have a piece of glass that large to fit. The emergency service call was going to run me $250.00 plus the cost of the glass for holiday emergency service. When they told me they didn't have the glass they suggested they come out and board it up with wood. "How much will that cost?" They said "$250" plus the cost of the wood.

I decided to go to Lowe's Home Improvement and purchase a large piece of plexiglas and a role of clear packaging tape. That worked superbly enough to hold us for several days till my favorite window guy Larry Short of Larry's Glass and Window Company (859-356-8549) could come out and replace my picture window.

His total charges were $120.00. That was definitly worth the wait.

So anytime you have a window problem call Larry. He is the best window guy in town. Plus he will save you money over hiring the big commercial window companies.

God bless you and pray for our troops.      

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 Daily Interest Rates, National Real Estate News, Mortgage Advice, Question & Answers. Plus much more. It is "real time" and changes daily.

Safe and secure...Glass block windows

If you have a basement and want top notch security and comfort you need to consider Glass Block Windows. What exactly is Glass Brick or Glass Block you ask?  It is A window type formed by a compilation of small translucent cubes of glass.

Glass block comes in many sizes and shapes. Can be used not only to produce maximum light with great amount of security for your basement window alternative. They can be used in bathrooms, kitchens, entry ways, offices, patios and the possibilities are endless.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Here are a few other glass block projects I have run across over the past couple of years.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 There are many companies that will compete for your glass block business. I personally recommend the Glass Block Master...Thomas J. Sawyer of Carthage Glass Block. You can call him at 513-319-6879 or 513-821-1217. Tom is a dear friend of mine and the best darn glass block technician in the Greater Cincinnati area. He did mine and many of my friends and clients. So call Tom and he will give you a free estimate. Be sure and tell him I referred you.

                                                                                 

                     

                                                                                                                                                        God bless you and pray for our troops.     

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.                                                                                                                           

The grass is always greener on the other side of the...

                                                                    I took this photo over looking the roof tops in Covington Kentucky with the Cincinnati skyline in the background. The forground is the excavated dirt around the new condo developement of the Views. WOW what a beautiful view.

Looking at this photo got me thinking about spring and all the grass I have to cut at my home. I am glad my mowers are in good shape because it will not be long and I will be rolling them out of the barn and firing them up to do my first cutting or 2008. I always think ahead when it comes to my yard equipment.  I love to cut my grass. I love to trim and prune the yard. I love to till the garden and plant all my vege plants. But I do not change the oil or sharpen the blades.

This is something my dad always did when he was alive. But not me. I leave that to the professionals at Mower Mobile Maintenance.

All I do is call Diane Meiners at 793-1313 and they bring the entire workshop and park it in my driveway. Within an hour or so my riding yard tractor, self propelled walk behind and small trim mowers have oil and filters replaced and blades all sharpened. So in thinking ahead what I mean is I have them stop by at the end of the year just before putting them up for the winter. Now when I go and fire them up they are ready for most of the summer. Of course Mower Mobile Maintenance will need to stop by mid summer for another blade sharpening.

See I like to spend my extra time playing with my yard TOYS especially when my Grand kids come over. Andrew just turned 6 years old and loves to ride on Papaws tractor. Of course Brianna who is 8 has to drive the tractor too. They are always fun to have around especially in the summer.

Did you know I have my license in both states, Ohio & Kentucky?...Brianna & Andrew say if you need help around the house or maybe to buy a new home. Call my Papaw, the Realtor with integrity. 513-777-2402 email Gary@GaryRossignol.com

April Fool on me...

When I think of water my mind begins to drift back to the trip Mary Jo and I took last January 2007 to Pigeon Forge. This is the river that runs down the road from Gatlinburg, Tenn. I took many beautiful pictures that afternoon. This is one of my favorites.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Nature plays tricks on you and when you least expect it BOOM something breaksdown. My April Fools joke happened Saturday night I went to the sink and the tap water was sculding hot. Unusually hot. I opened the basement door and knew I had a problem. Water was running across the concrete floor. My water heater was leaking like a sieve. What can I do on a Saturday night?

I contacted my plumber at Feichtner Brothers Plumbing on his cell phone Sunday afternoon and he assured me he could have someone install a new water heater by noon on Monday. Then I started thinking about... tankless water heaters. I have heard them advertised on Paul Harvey news casts on 700WLW. Why pay the gas bill to keep 40 gallons of water hot 24/7? You only need hot water when you need it, not when you don't. So I started investigating the possibility of buying a tankless water heater. What they do is instantaniously heat only the water you need heated when you need it. REMARKABLE IDEA. The downside is the cost. My 40 gallon water heater cost me about $750.00 installed. The tankless water heaters would cost between $2,500 - $3,500 depending on a few variables. If you do purchase a tankless water heater you would save approximately $200 - $250 a year in utilities. Therefor it would take about 8 - 10 years to see the savings.

I found the leader of the industry is Rennai. The one Paul Harvey talks about. You can go to Toolbase Resources for a lot more information on cost and savings. I will be honest. If I were planning on living in this home for another 8 - 10 years I would have invested in a tankless water heater. But...I'm not so I didn't.

If you have any further questions on traditional or tankless water heaters, please call me. I will be happy to share everything I know and refer you to the professionals that know everything about them.

In the mean time 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