Although currently dimly lit and a little rough on the eyes, your unfinished basement still has a lot of potentials. With just a little love and the help of the following ideas, you can spice it up in no time and get some great use out of the space.

• Add a pop of color. Give your basement a whole different look without a big renovation by adding some color to space. Consider painting and sealing the floors, opening up the room by painting the rafters white or a light color, or creating a bold accent wall.
  
  
• Divide the space. Want to make your basement a multi-use room? Partition out the area by installing an inexpensive curtain system. This can be done either with a curtain track or a simple wire, some hooks, and curtains will suffice.
• Add foam mats. Whether you’d like to use the basement as a home gym to get a quick workout in or a place for the kids to play and rough house, adding some foam mats into the mix is a great and easy solution. They come in various colors and can quickly be picked up and tucked away if need be.
  
  
• Use a large rug. As an alternative to adding mats, find a large, eye-catching rug to be used as a focal point, and furnish the area around it.
  
  
• Add lighting. Basements often offer very little built-in lighting and few outlets around the room. Consider stringing café lighting across space from the rafters to give a nice ambiance and glow without any difficult electrical work.

This is a highly competitive market, so be prepared

Buying your first home can be exciting and daunting. Here are some tips to help you prepare for buying your first home:

CONTACT A REALTOR®

The buying process can get complicated if you don’t know what you’re doing. An experienced Realtor® will save you a lot of time and headaches by guiding you through the buying process.

GET PRE-QUALIFIED

It’s important to know how much you can afford before you start looking for your home. Your lender will be able to tell you what your maximum loan amount is and make suggestions on what price ranges you should stick to when you start looking. Your Realtor® will be able to give you several lender referrals.

SET UP HOME SEARCH

The amount of websites that list homes for sale and their prices are almost endless. Don’t make the mistake of searching through them yourself. Your Realtor® has access to homes that these websites don’t. Just let your Realtor® know what areas you are interested in and they will be able to provide you with listings in your price range in real-time.

TOUR HOMES

Be prepared to see homes as soon as they come on the market and to compete with other buyers. Because the market is so competitive, homes can go under contract within hours of being listed. This is why it’s essential to have a Realtor® who can help you negotiate offers, stay on top of the ball when it comes to fast closing times, and support you in your search for that perfect home. Don’t let your inexperience in real estate get in the way of finding your perfect home.

THE PURCHASE CONTRACT

When you have an accepted purchase contract, your Realtor® and lender will guide you through to a successful closing, or even help you know when it is wise to terminate a contract.

Shopping for and buying your first home is very exciting when you have the right Realtor to help guide you through the process. We at Ring Real Estate put our customers first and make sure our first-time buyers find the home of their dreams. You can reach us at 937.378.3800

Happy house hunting!

Jill C. Ring of Ring Real Estate is very proud to have earned the much-coveted National Association of Realtors® e-PRO® Certification. e-PRO® is the only technology certification officially recognized, endorsed, and conferred by the National Association of Realtors®.

With this certification, not only does Jill’s clients benefit from the most state-of-the-art technologies and resources available to help buy and sell properties but as a broker, she is able to mentor the agents of Ring Real Estate in how to connect clients and resources via the internet, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, web blogs and a myriad of other sources. This know-how is paramount in today’s fast-moving real estate market trends.

Jill is licensed in Ohio and Kentucky. She can be reached by calling or texting 937.213.3313 or calling Ring Real Estate at 937.378.3800.

Your moving day is set and it’s time to start preparing. As you’re making your lists and checking them twice, don’t forget to factor in your furry friends. Here are some tips for making sure the process goes smoothly.

Medical records. When moving to a different city or state, one of the main things you need to take into consideration is finding a new veterinarian that is the right fit for you and your pet. If you have family or friends in the area ask for recommendations or do your own research by reading reviews and news articles. Once you find one, contact your current vet to initiate a transfer of medical records. Then schedule a “get to know you” appointment shortly after your move. Transportation. Whether it’s a short drive or a long plane ride, your pet will likely need to be put into a carrier. For most pets, this is a foreign concept and they require time to get comfortable with it. Start acclimating your pet as early as possible and use comfort items like treats and favorite toys and blankets to make the experience a positive one for your pet. Acclimation. Pad your moving schedule with ample time to get your dog or cat acclimated to their new home. While the movers are still hard at work, keep them safely away from foot traffic to reduce stress. Once they’ve left, make sure to clear anything that could be dangerous and block off areas as necessary then let them free to get a lay of the land on their own.

Ring Real Estate is excited to announce that Rachael L. Jodrey has earned the Commitment to Excellence Endorsement from the National Association of Realtors®(NAR). The endorsement goes to Realtors® who have demonstrated knowledge and competency in ten core areas of real estate practice including trust and integrity, data privacy, and client service. 

Rachael’s goal is to make every client a client for life. This endorsement demonstrates that she takes the trust that clients place in her very seriously by showing her continued commitment to conducting herself at the highest level of professionalism and standards possible. 

Rachael has been licensed with Ring Real Estate for over 14 years and is a Director of the Southern Ohio Association of Realtors®. A background in finance and management provides a strong foundation to properly evaluate market conditions to determine the right course of action for buyers and sellers. Rachael can be reached by calling or texting 937.618.1846 or calling Ring Real Estate at 937.378.3800.

Whether you work full-time at home or occasionally need to conduct business in the evenings or on the weekends,
a home office a great way to utilize an extra room. A dedicated workspace in your home can be designed to increase
productivity and comfort. Here are 5 ideas to get you started.

1. Invest in a good office chair. Investing in an ergonomic office chair is essential. You may be spending
   anywhere from 30 to 50 hour a week sitting in it, so your back will thank you. Purchasing one with
   multiple adjustments is ideal so it fits you just right.
2. Switch up your lighting. Fluorescent lighting has been proven to be hard on the eyes. Make the
   switch to LED or halogen light bulbs in your home office and try to let in as much natural light
   as possible. Also, consider finding a desk lamp to reduce headaches and eye strain.
3. Keep essentials in reach and organized. Nothing says productivity like a clean, neat workspace.
   Select a desk with a lot of storage or install creative shelving to keep items like pens, pencils,
   extra batteries, calculators, notepads, and more stored within arm’s reach.
4. Decorate bright. Pick a color you love and use it to spice up the room. Use cheery yellow or red
   or relaxing tones like green and blue, instead of beiges and browns.
5. Aim for the view. If possible, place your desk so you are facing a window instead of a blank wall.
   Natural light can do wonders for staying alert and you can give yourself a short mental break
   when necessary by looking to the outdoors.

Congratulations to Ring Real Estate’s Broker, Jill C. Ring, who has earned the Commitment to Excellence Endorsement from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). This endorsement goes to brokers who have demonstrated knowledge and competency in 11 core areas of real estate practice including trust and integrity, data privacy, and client service. 

This endorsement not only demonstrates Jill’s dedication to the satisfaction of her clients by showing her continued commitment to conducting herself at the highest level of professionalism and standards possible, but to her entire brokerage, as she mentors her agents and guides them to be the best they can be. 

Jill is licensed in Ohio and Kentucky and serves as a Director to the Southern Ohio Association of Realtors® and is an active member of the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors®. She can be reached by calling or texting 937.213.3313 or calling Ring Real Estate at 937.378.3800.

With the start of the New Year, everyone is setting their resolutions for 2021. Maybe it is to declutter the house, exercise and eat healthy, or maybe it’s to purchase a new home this year. If buying a new home is your goal, here are a few tips.

Great Time to Buy: First, 2021 is a great year to buy a house. Mortgage rates are at all-time lows and there are many great zero and low-down payment options. 

Use a Realtor®: Although it can be tempting to skip using a licensed Realtor®, don’t! They are very knowledgeable in the neighborhoods, market trends, community, and can refer you to trusted lender/mortgage professionals.  Realtors are very versed in negotiating on your behalf and putting your best interests first. 

Get Pre-Approved: Getting pre-approved is vital to finding your perfect house. If you wait until you find a house to get approved, you may lose the chance to put an offer on your dream home while you are waiting on the bank for approval. If you think you may have credit problems, your lender can also help you resolve them or direct you to someone that can. 

When you are ready to get started on your New Year’s Resolution give one of our Realtors a call today at 937.378.3800 or click below.

The VA home loan program offers some pretty unbeatable benefits for active military members and veterans that definitely make the program worth exploring when searching for a home.