Preble County Living!...life, ramblings and real estate for Preble County Ohio.

Well, second time this winter in Lakengren and we're on a roll.  Second time for what you ask?  Second time that someone has run into a ditch right outisde MY house because of excessive speed.

Used to be that I had no issue with my children playing in the front yard.  The neighbor kids all enjoyed doing the same.  The biggest reason?  In my yard, and that of several neighbors around me, we have a big ditch.  So in the spring and summer unless its very dry, the ditch fills up with water run over from the lake and inlets.  LOTS of fun for the kids.   Running water, crawdads, mud, all that good stuff that kids like to get into.

But now, even in warm weather, I'm a little scared to let them step foot into the front yard at all.  Because for some reason, my section of Lakengren drive seems to be the Indy 500 practice course and people go past altogether too fast!

About a month ago, across the street from us, a lady ran her car into a pretty deep ditch.  Lucky for her, she ended up towards the end of the ditch where the water was shallow, and not the start, where the water is approx 3 feet deep.  She landed her car sideways and her car was submersed in the water.  Her legs got wet.  Had it been the deeper end, she may have had some trouble.  She had to climb out of the passenger side of her car, facing to the sky.  She took out my neighbors mailbox and fence.

Thsi morning, I go to take my son to the bus stop and what should we see?  This...

Security told me that the driver got lost and took a wrong turn.  Into my yard???

This has happened countless times in my yard and that of my neighbors.  So, this is a plea for the residents of Lakengren and the kids of Lakengren especially...slow the heck down!!!

Hopefully with a full-time sheriff on patrol in Lakengren, this will stop soon!

Funny...it seems like all of the sudden, my blogs about Neaton Auto, located in Eaton Ohio, are generating all sorts of attention.  I guess this is good, though frankly, I'm a little concerned.  Let me explain...

My husband works for Neaton Auto, and my first interest before anything else, is to protect his lively-hood, and that of my family.  To that end, HOPEFULLY you have noticed that while I do blog about Neaton, I always put SOMETHING in there stating that the blog is strictly "MY OPINION" and nothing more.

Seems though, that my blog is getting some press as being the "Neaton GRIPE (cant put the real word people are using!) blog. 

Well...not so much.  I've tried to stay pretty true to fact on what is going on inside plant walls.  But I don't work there, and I don't make the decisions.  What I DO have is, besides a spouse employed by Neaton, is several dear friends who have or currently Do work there.

So you are asking, is this a CMA (cover my eh...butt) blog?  Yes and no.  I am entitled to my opinions, same as anyone.  Whether that be about the weather, the Buckeyes, or Neaton.  And since I seem to be getting a lot of readers about the subject of Neaton, give me YOUR opinions about the place.  Keep it anonymous, I Don't care....I would LOVE some feedback.

I just dont want it to seem like I'm biting the hand that feeds me. 

The timeless question; which comes first?  The chicken or the egg?  I've been wondering that quite a bit myself lately. 

First of all, let's give some analogies to these words so this makes more sense. 

The chicken:  This is the buyer who has not talked to a bank about pre-approval, pre-qualification.  Heck, the chicken is the buyer who's maybe even never stepped FOOT into a bank.

The egg:  It's what we all want as agent.  The illustrious PRE-APPROVED buyer.  Ready to buy.  Knows what they are looking for, and maybe better still; what they can, and CAN'T afford.

I've been a full time Realtor for going on 8 years now.  My philosophy has always been to allow one showing to any and all buyers before I ask them to get to the bank.  I guess my take on this has been that if I get a call at the office from someone asking to view a property, I'll allow a gimme.  It's a good chance to establish rapport, to see the intentions and seriousness of the buyer, as well as not scaring off a phone call by insisting for pre-approval prior to viewing a home.  This DOES happen. 

But I'm wondering if I should be putting the chicken before the egg?  Case in point...I got a buyer thru a referral of a past client.  He wanted to see a foreclosed home.  So I agreed that we could meet up, take a look and then discuss specifics. We went to the house, and He LOVED it.  We discussed the ins and outs of bank foreclosed homes, and I gave him a couple of good suggestions for local lenders.

About a week later, he called me and wanted to take another look.  This time with family.  Here is where I should have insisted on the "golden"egg.  But no, we went out and I showed the house again.  I told the buyer that there had been a couple bids on this home already and that time was of the essence.  He SEEMED to understand.

A couple days later, the buyer calls me again and wants to know the water type for the home.  "Have you called the bank yet?"  I ask.  NO, says Mr. Buyer, but he will, soon.  So I go to the web site to research the property and guess what?  Bet you didn't see this coming from a mile away...the home has had an accepted bid.  It is GONE.

So I called the buyer and told him that a winning bid had been placed and the home was no longer available.  And the buyer it seems is mad.  At ME.  Now he won't return my calls.  Because the home he wanted, the home his family LOVES, is gone.

My fault?  In his eyes, yes.  So I guess I'm wondering...at what point should the egg be put before the chicken?  Do you require pre-approval BEFORE showing a house?  Do you give a few "gimme's, and then its lender time?  Typically I guess, at least in my neck of the woods, the chicken DOES come before the egg.

In MY case, I know now that I should have made sure Mr. Buyer got pre-approval before the second showing.  But I didn't.  I wanted to be nice.  I was the chicken.

I know that the general rule is to keep politics out of your social networking.  Politics are best kept discussed with family and close friends.  Because it is such a volatile subject, and every person has their own position and stance that may, or more likely MAY NOT, agree with your own.

But...I'm going to jump into the political water here for a moment to discuss the recent levy that passed in Lakengren Ohio, regarding having a Preble County Sheriffs car on patrol for the community.  I'm even going to go so far as to tell you how I voted on this issue.  I voted no.  Let me tell you why.

First of all, its not that I don't have concerns about crime.  Lakengren is a gated community.  That doesn't mean we are sheltered from crime or random acts of stupidity, not to mention speeding.  Somehow the road going right past my house has been unofficially declared the new "Indy 500 track".  I don't like it.  I don't like that my car, as well as my husbands, has been broken into.  I don't like that people have been robbed, or just had their property's messes with.  All of that is wrong, wrong, wrong.  So the thought is..lets get a sheriffs car in Lakengren to patrol and cut down on all of the hi jinx.  Fair enough.

But wait...Lakengren is part of Preble County.  Shouldn't our area be patrolled anyways?  WHY do I have to PAY for this service??

Lets take a closer look at this.  All of Preble County has the service of the Preble County Sheriffs department.  In one way or another, all of Preble County pays for this service.  But now, in order for me to have what should already be mine, I have to pay EXTRA?  OK, OK..I know its only $3.00 per month.  It's just the principal of the thing.

  Lakengren residents have been informed that when someone is ticketed in Lakengren, the money collected from the ticket does NOT go back to Lakengren, it goes to the County.  WHY?  Because Lakengren is a private community.  So when someone speeds in the Village of Gratis, the money collected goes BACK to the Village of Gratis.  Yet Lakengren doesn't get the same benefit, being a "private" community.   So the Village of Gratis gets this service for free.  And we now pay for the service.

Its no secret that Preble County Sheriffs Department has been running short-staffed for quite some time.  Matter of fact, did you know that the Preble County game warden is often called in for support from the sheriffs department, to serve warrants, for emergencies, etc?

Is it conceivable that the patrol car we now will be paying for might also be called out for back up to other areas of the county, all on our dime?

Not to mention that this is still only a service that will be provided 40 hours a week.  What about the other 128 hours of the week? 

It is my sincere hope that just the "idea" that a patrol car is in the Lakengren area will deter any future crimes, speeding and other hi jinx.  I just don't feel like this was totally thought through.  It's not the $3 bucks a month that's the issue at stake...it's the fact that Lakengren is paying for a service that should already be at our disposal, the same way it is for the rest of our little neck of the woods.

***By the way...I have NOTHING but the up-most respect for the Preble County Sheriffs dept.  I certainly DON'T drive a Buick Rendezvous, EVER speed, or heck...even live in Lakengren!  :)  ***

Neaton Auto looking to second buyout?

Well, according to the Neaton rumor mill (which we all know is 100% fact-based), Neaton may be offering another buyout option come November or December 2009.  Could it be true?

I think yes.  Lets see..back this summer they (Neaton) hired back in many temporary employees who had all been let go back in December of 2008.  Production was up, orders coming in higher than ever, and some departments even working Fridays again (woo hoo!).  Even those that weren't offered Friday hours have been lucky enough to get in a full 40-hour week from Mon-Thurs.

Then...yet another halt.  Temps are once again being let go.  Just last Friday a couple members of upper management were "let go" and word is the the fat-trimming isn't over yet.

Friday overtime is being scaled back considerably again.  Did Neaton get ahead of themselves this summer?  Did the temps get called back maybe a little prematurely?

I feel bad for the temps but then again, a temp is just that....TEMPORARY.  What of the buyout rumors?  What does this mean for the future of Neaton?  The way I see it is this...any way to get rid of the higher paid asscociates for the long term will benefit Neaton as far as bottom line is concerned. 

I see some benefits of the buyout for those who are considering it.  I also see a BIG disadvantage...NO INSURANCE.  If that doesn't scare the tar out of people, I dont know what does.  So I guess time will tell.  Lets hope Neaton can find some stable ground, and all the good folks putting in a hard days work there can continue to get a 40 hour work week, and feel good about the company they work for!

**Just a quick disclaimer to CMA...I am NOT a Neaton employee nor ever have been.  This is my blog, and MY OPINION only.**

Buyers nowadays have more choices than ever.  MORE homes to look over.  MORE options in how, when and where to buy that new home.  MORE places to search for homes.  MORE GOOD Realtors to assist them, as the market is weeding out the bad ones.  More financing programs and homebuyer benefits popping up weekly (did you get $8000 FREE from the government when you bought your first home cause I didn't!)  SO, what will it come down to to make YOUR home stand out of the crowd of more? 

Many things honestly.  But PRICE IS KEY.  Always has been, always will be.

Here are the facts...Overpricing the home will:

Reduce Realtor activity.  Professional Realtors see houses EVERY day.  We know an overpriced home when we see one.  I want my buyers to get the deal of the century, or at least the deal of the week!

Reduce advertising efforts and COST MONEY.  Ever had someone hang up on you when you quote the price of a home to them?  I have.  Potential buyers look for certain types of homes in a price range.  Today's buyers are SAVVY and well-read.  Overprice and you might just be skipped over, or hung up on!

Lose interested buyers.  Buyers pay for square footage.  They will feel they should be getting more for the price you are asking.

Help the competition.  A high-priced house makes the other houses look like a better deal.

Cause appraisal issues.  Appraisals are based upon recent sales of properties just like yours. 

Extends time on the market.  Most of the time the price ends up lower than it needed to be if had been priced RIGHT to begin with.

Inconveniences YOU.  I have a hard enough time getting my house clean for a get-together.  I perish the thought of having to KEEP it clean everyday on the hopes of a showing.  So don't.  Price it right.  Be done.  Move on.

Maybe a Gamblin' woman?  I dont profess to know much about gambling.  Last time I stepped foot in a Casino, I was 17 years old and on a family vacation in Vegas with my parents.  It IS a goal to get over sometime soon to check out the new Hollywood Casino, but the plan is to be cautious.

The reason I ask this question of you; if you are a gambling person, is because of something that sparked my interest in this subject recently.  A conversation I was a part of.

The subject was a seller and a buyer, trying to come to agreement about price.  It ALWAYS comes down to price.  The agent dealing with this was frustrated because the buyer and seller were only about $2000 apart, and she COULD NOT figure out how to get this deal together.  One of the owners here at Country Mile had a GREAT analogy, one that really resounded with me.

The sellers had a CLEAN offer of $198000.  They were argueing over $2000 bucks. 

So, lets say you went to the Casino.  You have $198,000 sitting in front of you.  Money in your pocket, ready to go.  Do you honestly think you would place that $198,000 back on the betting table in order to make $2000?  I doubt I would.  No, I KNOW I wouldn't take a chance like that.

Yet day after day, thats what people do.  Pride, emotions, memories, plans...it all gets in the way. 

It doesn't matter if the deal is $30,000 or 1 million.  Is it REALLY worth betting a sure thing in order to gain such a small amount, or worse yet, just as a matter of pride?

Would YOU bet $198,000 to prove a point?

A little off pace with my usual upbeat blogs, just to forewarn you.

I live in Lakengren.  We moved there in 2001 and I have to say that we have really enjoyed our years out here, overall.  I have friends and family that live in Lakengren as well.  I also sell real estate in Lakengren.  I have for years.  I'm not the "Queen" of Lakengren real estate...maybe I could be, but we already have a "King" of real estate, and honestly, how much royalty can one little gated community handle?

Here's what I DON'T Do though:

I DONT "BUY" LAKENGREN

My blogs about the community offer the good, bad and ugly.  I have never minced words regarding the goings-on in Lakengren, and dont plan to any time soon.

I refuse to put on a horse and pony show to the Lakengren community in the hopes that it will fatten my pocketbook.  That isn't my definition of true philantrophy.  In fact, here is the Wikipedia definition of that word:

Philanthropy derives from Ancient Greek, meaning "to love people". Philanthropy is the act of donating money, goods, services, time and/or effort to support a socially beneficial cause, with a defined objective and with no financial or material reward to the donor. In a more general sense, philanthropy may encompass any altruistic activity intended to promote good or improve human quality of life. One who practices philanthropy may be called a philanthropist. Although such individuals are often rich, people may perform philanthropic acts without possessing great wealth.

Give that one some thought....

I present Lakengren to my clients in true light.  I love the Lakengren community, and I truly believe it when I say to my buyers..."Give it a chance and you will be pleasantly surprised."  They almost always are.  I am not afraid however, to give them the cons of the the community, and YES, there ARE cons.  If you are looking for a shiny, glossy, rainbow colored picture of life on the lake, I may not be your gal.  You might want to talk to the King for sunshine and roses. 

I also refuse to butter up the powers-that-be for free advertising.  Maybe that makes me a fool.  But I can't even count now how many times I have approaced the "OFFICIAL" Lakengren website creators about adding a link to my blog, with me in turn extending the same favor back. 

No answer yet.  I suppose I know why.  My blog might be a little to "real" for Lakengren.  I dont have an "extravaganza" every other month to celebrate all that is Lakengren.  I DO live in Lakengren though, FULL TIME, as in ALL YEAR ROUND.  Its good enough for me to call home all the time.  I think it is for my clients as well.

Lakengren is a gorgeous community, full of wonderful people and a huge variety of great real estate.  But that I need to put on a super cape and pay my way into favor...I'm just not buying it.

Thanks for reading!

Kelley Weimer

a house "SOLD" name!

www.buypreblecounty.com

Professional real estate services for Preble County OH and beyond; including Eaton, Lakengren, Brookville, Germantown, Camden, West Alexandria and Lewisburg.

Preble County Ohio A-Z. "E" is for Eaton.

"E" is for Eaton, county seat of Preble County and the only official city of Preble County.  It's really tough to do a blog on Eaton to be honest, because there is so much to offer in this little city that I hesitate to write and inadvertently leave something out.  All the same, I'll start with some basic facts and data, and then I'll give you a little bit more meat and potatoes on what the appeal is.

Eaton was founded in 1806 by William Bruce.  Eaton derives its name from Gen. William Eaton (1764-1811), the U.S. Consul at Tunis, who led a diverse army in a harrowing march from Egypt to Tripoli to meet the U.S. Naval forces.  According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles and home to some 9000 residents.

Schools located in the City of Eaton include:

Hollingsworth East Elementary School (grades K-2)

William Bruce Elementary School (grades 3-5)

Eaton Middle School (grades 6-8)

Eaton High School (grades 9-12)

Churches in Eaton include:

Eaton Church of Christ, Eaton First Church of the Nazarene ,Eaton United Church of Christ, Evangel Assembly of God Church, First Baptist Church, First Church of God, First United Presbyterian Church, Saint Paul United Methodist Church, Gateway Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church.

The Eaton school's mascot is the Fighting Eagle and the colors are Purple and Gold.  Eaton includes Crystal Lake, Seven Mile Creek, the historical Roberts Bridge, Historical Fort St. Clair and Water Works Park. 

2008 cost of living index in Eaton: 78.2 (low, U.S. average is 100).  Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $115,486 (it was $83,600 in 2000).

So now let's get to the good stuff shall we?

When I moved to Eaton in 1988, this was a sleepy little town.  Over the years the City has experienced controlled growth, and now offers much more diversity, without becoming so big as to compromise the values and pace that the community is used to.

Retail growth has been a bit slow in my opinion, but I do appreciate that the City government wants to protect small business.  The problem with big business is that it has a tendency to push out the "mom and pops" of the area.  It changes not only the "small town" appeal, but the overall dynamics of the city, from the population to the architecture to the crime rate.  So although I do long for things like a shopping mall or some larger restaurants to come to town, I think the costs would ultimately outweigh the benefits.

I'm just going to take the opportunity to name a few of MY favorite things about Eaton.  If you would like to add anything, comments are welcome so have at it!!

Places to eat: 

Fiesta Charra Mexican Cuisine.  Located in the Five Points Centre on N. Barron St.  REAL, authentic, cheesy, saucy, hot, delicious Mexican food.  HUGE margaritas.  Salsa and fresh tortilla chips to die for.  Kick butt guacamole.  Best part?  Cheap!!

Sonic.  This just came into Eaton this past spring (2009) so I guess I'm still in the honeymoon phase.  But let's be honest; ice cold drinks, really good onion rings, big juicy burgers, ice cream treats...what's not to like?

Taffy's.  Located in downtown Eaton, on Main (SR 35).  Just east of the Preble County Courthouse is this little gem.  If atmosphere is what you crave, Taffy's has it.  Intimate setting, coffees, teas and chai oh my, fresh pastries, gourmet sandwiches, home baked desserts.  Plus live entertainment, Wi-Fi and more ambiance than 20 Starbucks.

Carmela's Pizza.  Recently established.  Great pizza and garlic bites to die for.

The Eaton Place.  This little place is the talk of the town and has been for as long as I can recall.  Simply put, it's a diner.  Only opened from 6am to 3 pm, and closed on Sundays.  Home cooked hearty food, the local watering hole, a good place for great food and interesting conversation.  A place you feel good taking the kids or company.

Jels.  THE sports bar of Eaton.  Full bar.  Cold beers.  Big screen TV's.  Burgers, steaks, fried mushrooms, and some delicious nachos.  Getting hungry just thinking about it!

Peking Palace.  Located in the Five Points Centre, a cozy Chinese restaurant.  Dark and comfortable.  Intimate booths.  Full buffet.  Bona fide Chinese cuisine. 

Places to play:

Fort St Clair.  Historical Park.  Beautiful wooded park, with paved walking/driving road, trails, playground, covered shelters for picnics and community events.  This is a beautiful park, and the "Whispering Christmas" is not to be missed.

Crystal Lake.   This lake ties into seven mile creek and offers picturesque spots to lunch, fish, reflect and feed the geese and ducks.

Eaton Soccer Park.  Ok, even if you aren't a soccer buff or have kids that play soccer, if you enjoy walking, are an avid runner, or just want to get Fido out for some fresh air, this park has a very nice walking path surrounding the whole area.  It also offers a great playground for the little ones.

 Lakengren.  Eaton's own gated community.  Offering lakes, lodge, security, pool, water sports of all kinds, plus spectacular real estate.  I've written many blogs about Lakengren.  Here is a link to one such blog.

Random places and things I enjoy:

Cato.  I'm a shopaholic.  This store I REALLY like.  Cute clothes, great prices.  Enough said.

The Preble County Pork Festival.  Held annually every third week in September, this event celebrates all things Pork, plus a craft fair that cant be beat.  Here is more info on this festival.

Just Teasin'.  This is where I get my hair done.  Located in downtown Eaton, this hair salon is contemporary without being pretentious.  They cater to women, men and kids of all ages.  My hairstylist, Rachel Sawesky is great, but I don't think they have a bad stylist there.

The Eaton YMCA.  Opened in February of 2003, the "y" boasts a six lane, 25 yard lap pool, gymnasium, fitness center, indoor walking track and a teen center.

There is honestly just so much more to the City of Eaton that I just don't have the space or time to mention.  I might just have to do a "Part II" on this one.  So if you have something, someplace or someone you would like mentioned, let me know!

Child care is a pretty important issue.  If you have little ones and you work, its probably always at the forefront of your mind.  I know it was for me.

In fact, a lot of times the thoughts of what type of care my kids were getting gnawed at me, day and night.  It didn't help that my daughter pretty much clung to my leg every time I tried to drop her off, and I would leave sobbing, feeling like the worlds worst parent.  And yes, she was fine a minute later.  It would take me however, half the day to shake off the guilt and the inner voice telling me I was a bad mom!!

My kids are a little bigger now and the daycare days are past.  But it is still on my mind a lot.  I have clients with little ones, and always seem to be meeting somebody looking for a "good, reliable" place to put the kids.  A place they can feel good about, and trust their most precious thing to.

So for the first time in a blog (I think), I'm going to plug just one place.  WHY?  Because this daycare really loved my kids the way I hoped they would be loved in my absence.

ST. Clair Academy

Just a wonderful child care center, located in Eaton Ohio.  One of my biggest concerns when I picked a daycare was that I wanted the ability to stop in impromptu, at a whim, just to visit my kids, or simply spy and ease my mind that they were OK.  And pretty much the first thing the director of the daycare told me was to drop in anytime.  So I was put at ease immediately. 

The daycare is divided into different sections and age groups.  Babies are well removed from older kids.  And the activities....well, I dont have enough space here to even come close to getting it all.

The rooms are set up with plenty of good toys, as well as great items for the older kids such as computers and video game centers, reading stations and such.  There are a variety of summer activities including bowling trips, daily swimming at the community pool, many field trips, and more.

Very flexible scheduling is allowed.  Part time needed?  No problem.  Half days, half weeks, every other week, as needed?  No problem.  when I say accommodating, I MEAN accommodating!

My kids really liked St Clair Academy and though my son was already in school and didn't get to do any of the preschool classes there, my daughter took full advantage of all of the specified units of study that St Clair Academy offered, and she even had a little "graduation" that was adorable!

So, the director is named Donna Sitloh.  She goes by "Micki", and is just about the swwetest gal you will ever know.  A Mom of 5 herself, this lady really loves kids, AND runs a tight ship.  Employee turnover here is essentially non-existent.  Continuing education is not only encouraged but expected.  The center is sanitary, and employees are well trained and very sweet.

Here's the info you will need in order to contact Micki:

St Clair Academy

116 W St Clair Street

Eaton OH 45320

937-456-6856

If you have any questions about this daycare or want suggestions for other childcare providers in the Preble County area, please give me a call!