CincinnatiInPhotos.com

All Aboard!

I love Cincinnati. There are so many little nooks and crannies with small unique shops and restaurants all around, you just have to look for them. This is a real fun spot near the center of greater Cincinnati in Madeira. It's called Choo Choo's. Well named because the railroad tracks run alone side.

      

You can stop by for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They have something for everyone and you will not break the bank to fill up at this fun eatery.

Once inside you will not be board. It is decorated to the hilt with old school memorabilia. On nice days you can choose to sit outside on the patio and watch the goings on downtown Madeira.

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.

What are the Seven Hills of Cincinnati?

Cincinnati has really grown over the past 100 years. It was originally settled in 1788 as part of a charter granted to John Cleves Symmes to develope the land between the Great Miami and  Little Miami River's.

The history of Cincinnati is fasinating and I suggest you go to this web site The History of Cincinnati to learn things many of us citizens of Cincinnati didn't know.

But what are the seven hills we so often hear said in radio and TV commercials describing our fair city?

Legend has it that Cincinnati, like Rome, was built on seven hills. The fact that there are more than seven hills has caused considerable confusion as various citizens seek to identify the "original seven." These are the hills most frequently listed: Mt. Adams, Mt. Auburn, Walnut Hills, Fairview Heights, Clifton Heights, Vine Street Hill, Price Hill, Fairmount, Mt. Lookout, Mt. Hope, Mt. Echo, and Mt. Storm.

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.

The Cut in the Hill

I love working in Northern Kentucky. It is really beautiful...in most places. However traffic can be a challenge sometimes.

We have an area called the Cut-in-the-Hill. That is a stretch of Highway I-75 located in Covington between Buttermilk Pike and the Brent Spence Bridge.

 

Shortly after I-75 opened in 1962 it was nicknamed "Death Hill". By 1968 a total of 23 people died in crashes on the hill so a concrete wall was installed to separate northbound and southbound traffic. The wall helped reduce fatal crashes but accidents continued, and in 1977 the hill averaged 583 automobile accidents per year.

As a result of a fatal accident involving a tracktor trailer killing a Northern Kentucky University student in 1986 Governer Martha Lane Collins banned most northbound tractor-trailer traffic from the hill. From 1989 until 1994 $50-million in reconstruction was spent to straighten the hill's S-curve and add a fourth lane for southbound traffic, and in 1995 the truck ban was lifted.

In 2006 the hill and the Brent Spence Bridge saw 151 crashes in the northbound lane and 121 crashes in the southbound lane, totaling 272 in all. To help reduce the number of accidents a flashing "Steep Grade" sign was installed, and a Kentucky State police trooper was assigned to patrol just the Cut-in-the-Hill.

In 2007 there were eight radar speed signs installed to remind motorist to drive a safer speed.

The Cut-in-the-Hill was originally designed to carry up to 80,000 vehicles per day, but in 2006 it carried 155,000 daily. Kentucky officials are reportedly working to raise more than $2 billion to replace the section of highway, but as of 2008 no construction is planned.

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.

Milford Ohio...has a long history and heritage

I drive through many towns, villages and cities as a realtor. I always have my Nikon D70 ready to shoot. And shoot I do a lot of to share with you. This is a particularly beautiful building. Not sure what it is other than it is found somewhere in Milford.

 

The city of Milford was founded as a Village back in 1802 as a grant and was sold to Philip Gatch for $970.00. Mr Gatch never came here but sold part of his land to Ambrose Ransom who in turn sold part of his land to John Hageman the first settler in Milford. He named it Hageman's Mills in 1806.

                                        Click on The History of Milford for the rest of the story.

 

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.

Rumor Has It...

The hopes of The City of Cincinnati to reduce the number of abandoned and vacant buildings has proven the opposite over the past 12 - 15 months. In fact the number has risen to well over 3,000, a 45 percent jump from just last year.

The 3,200 plus buildings on the City's list are primarily a result of the increase in local foreclosures and speculators buying on the cheap side and stepping up the code enforcement through City efforts such as the Neighborhood Enhancement Program.

The city needs to help investors be able to purchase these properties and fix them up to make them worthwhile or tear them down and do something reasonable with the property.

 

This report inside this link is a report of all abandoned and vacant buildings  within the City of Cincinnati.

Here is a Housing Code Violations for complaint report.

This is the explanation of the Different Complaint Status Levels.

This is a major problem. These buildings are not just taking up space but can be a serious hazard to the neighborhoods and our City. What can we do?

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.

Cincinnati Skyline and Cincinnati "Skyline Chili"

Mary Jo and I just helped a couple moving from Dallas Texas to Cincinnati. She (the new Doctor) begins her internship at Children's Hospital this June 1st. They had exactly 3 days to find the home of their dreams and head back to Texas.

It's hilarious to explain to out-of-towners that they flew into the Greater Cincinnati International Airport and landed in Kentucky. Then to get to the Mt Washington/Anderson Township area you need to cross the Ohio River from Covington to Cincinnati, head East on Fort Washington Way and take I-471 across the Ohio River a second time through Newport, Ky and up to Southgate, Ky to I-275 and back across the Ohio River a third time to Ohio once again. It is the absolute shortest route. WOW what a trip. 

It was also interesting how they absolutely fell in love with the Cincinnati Skyline as we drove through the cut in the hill on I-75 from Covington Ky heading towards Ohio. Then I really put Cincinnati to the test. I asked them if they had heard about Cincinnati Chili...they said "Yes, we have heard it was different". So we went to Skyline Chili for lunch and I was a hero. They really loved it. So we have new converts to Cincinnati Chili.

This couple wanted a move-in condition home, with at least 2 baths and a two car garage. It needed to be within 20 minutes of Children's Hospitol and between $140,000 - $160,000. We found a few in Delhi, Bridgetown, Deer Park, Reading, Mt Washington & Anderson Twp. In Northern KY we found a few in Erlanger, Ft.Thomas and Villa Hills.

Their first choice was a home in Delhi. Well, the market is not as bad as the media is telling us because we were into a 3-way multiple offer. We went from a Skyline Three-way to this and lost. Yep, the sellers took one of the other offers and rejected ours. It is a good thing we had a very close second choice. A home in Mt Washington. We immediately got that offer to these sellers on Sunday morning and got it accepted before they flew out of CVG for Texas.

So the moral of this story is ...you cannot believe everything you read in the papers about how BAD this market is. Buyers are buying and sellers are selling. This is a good thing. So if you are actively in the market to buy a home don't think you have plenty of time to make your offers and think you can low ball the seller and expect to get it. That isn't so in the greater Cincinnati area. If the home shows well and is priced well, someone will buy it. Will that be You? You need to act on it and act reasonable. Don't be silly or you will loose.

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

When your alone and life is making you lonely you can always go...Downtown!

                                                                                                                   I took this photo at Tall Stacks on October 3, 2006 around 9:00 p.m. from the riverboat we were on.                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                   This is a great photo of our beautiful city at night. There isn't much happening downtown after dark but with the Bank Project underway maybe that will revitalize the downtown area and spark it up a little. I remember when Mary Jo and I were dating back in the late 60's there was always something to do downtown.

My daughters get together with their friends and go to Newport. WOW what a change. That was definitely not the place to hang out when Mary Jo and I were dating. Everything changes like Newport. It offers a lot of things to do on a date. Cincinnati is heading back in the right direction.

I am working with a couple moving to the Cincinnati area from Texas. They are coming in town next Thursday and will have 4 days to find and buy their new home. That is a fun challenge for me. They are interested in both sides of the river, Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky. I have to be honest... N.KY has a lot to offer. Taxes are typically a little less and home prices can be a savings. However, it will cost you more to own a car in N.KY. You have to pay an annual property tax each year...Ouch!

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

Take me out to the ball Game

OPENING DAY at The Great American Ball Park             

This photo was taken September 2, 2007 on the banks in Northern Kentucky during Riverfest just before the WEBN fireworks.

I have never attended the Opening Day celebration yet. Maybe someday. But I do love to go to the Cincinnati Reds ball games. There is nothing quite like it. Here are some of the people that make the Reds game exciting and fun. 

                                                                                                                       Click on the thumbnails to enlarge photo's.                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                             From the food service vendors, the Umpires, the cheerleaders, the Chill vendors, the tee shirt pop gun operator, the TV camera operator, the players and the fans young and old.

We all come together for one purpose..."One, Two, Three strikes your out at the ole ball game"

                                                                                                                                               I had a clients that closed on their very first home this morning. Then they went to their very first opening day game at the ball park this afternoon. Now that's a real Home Run.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               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