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Even downtown, buyers can find outdoor spaces. Pictured is the yard and deck of a home on Milton Street.
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Cincy Home
The Downtown Shift MILLENNIALS AND BABY BOOMERS ALIKE ARE MOVING INTO THE CITY By Corinne Minard
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oving downtown may be popular now, but Denise Guiducci of Guiducci Group Realtors of Coldwell Banker/Metro Link Office has been encouraging people to move downtown for 21 years. “I saw how there was so many cool urban centers with downtown housing [throughout the country]. Why don’t we have nice downtown housing?” she says of the housing environment 20 years ago. It took some time, but people are finally understanding the appeal of downtown
People moving downtown are looking for historic remodels that have open spaces with older details. 100
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living. “To be able to just walk out your door and go see a great play, go to Music Hall, go to a restaurant” she says, “it’s such an incredible opportunity that you can walk to it or take the streetcar to it no matter the weather is something that doesn’t exist in any other neighborhood.” Walkability is the No. 1 draw, Guiducci says. However, with the increased demand for downtown accommodations, it can be difficult to find what you’re looking for, especially for those with smaller budgets. “[People] really like historic remodels. A lot of people, they want that blend of contemporary with the cool old details. The original fireplaces, exposed brick, they’re wanting that blend of the two and you can’t reproduce that well with new construction because it’s just too expensive
to do,” Guiducci says. She says that some new construction is starting to invest in those details, but it does not come cheap. For those with more money to spend, though, single-family homes are available. Guiducci points to West Ninth Street as an area rich in those types of homes—it’s a historical residential neighborhood that includes what was previously Boss Cox’s home. While convenience is certainly a factor in choosing to move downtown, Guiducci says people are surprised by some of the other things they gain. “It’s a nice community neighborhood feel that you have downtown and I don’t think people understand that. They may not be living in the suburbs anymore, but you still have community, you still have a neighborhood that you feel close and safe in,” she says. n
This historic home, which previously belonged to Boss Cox, is one of the single-family homes on West Ninth Street. w w w.
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A Changing Market CINDY CAHILL OF REALTY EXECUTIVES SAYS YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO BUY IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY By Corinne Minard
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icensed to sell real estate in Northern Kentucky since 1990 and a broker since 2005, Cindy Cahill of Realty Executives has seen how the real estate market south of the river has changed over the years. “People’s expectations are so much different than they used to be. Everybody wants everything right now, and that
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doesn’t always fair well in real estate. I always say patience pays off in real estate, especially when you’re in the negotiating process,” she says. “We have to work through things and sometimes you don’t push buttons with emotions because we end up paying for that.” While Cahill works with buyers of all ages, 40-45 percent Buyers are looking for houses with character, like of the market now consists of this one on Burlington Pike. young people, many shopping of things. It took a little time for them to for their first home. “They saw the downside of the market, gain the confidence to come back out in so they got a little inhibited and they’re the buying market,” she says. “The hard scared about buying a home because they side for them is this is the first time ever in saw people in their circles go through some my 28 years in the business we have such very difficult times with their homes, losing a limited supply of housing. It’s getting their homes, and job losses, those types very difficult for the first-time homebuyer
to find nice houses that they don’t have to go in and put a lot of money into, which of course they don’t usually have.” Because of this, in Northern Kentucky, homes priced up to $175,000 often have multiple people vying for them. And the more character a home has, the better. “Anything that is unique and different is really hot. Cookie-cutter houses are little bit of a thing of the past,” she says. That means that anything out of the norm— from A-frame houses and log homes to contemporary, open houses—are going quickly. While character is important, Cahill says younger buyers are also looking for places that require little-to-no work. “They don’t want to redo houses, they want to enjoy their time in their home as their comfort time, not their work time,” she says. In fact, she says they’ll often choose new construction over an established house if the price is more than $200,000. “I tease that if you don’t have stainless steel appliances you’re not going to sell a house,” Cahill says. While a lot of information is available on the internet, Cahill recommends that
Cahill also helps buyers design custom homes, like this one for former Bengals Defensive Head Coach and current Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer. younger buyers look into getting assistance from an experience real estate agent. “It’s one thing to be raised in a home—you never think about all the specifics of a home. They should understand some of that. They should understand the importance of a furnace that’s 5 years old
versus 25 years old because that’s a major investment when you have to replace it. They do need to understand how location does affect pricing,” she says. “You need to take some of the emotion out and think through it logically when making a home purchase.” n
Luxury | New Construction Professionals Cincinnati | Northern Kentucky DEBI MARTIN & JON BERBERICH Phone: Email:
513.313.9390 Debi 859.757.5873 Jon dmartin@dmartinsells.com jberberich@kw.com Websites: www.dmartinsells.com www.relocatecincinnati.com Contact us for a free copy of Cincy Rating the Burbs
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