Featured Home:

36293 Derby Downs Drive, Brunswick | $367,900


Welcome to 36293 Derby Downs Drive. Step into the beautiful entryway that has vaulted ceilings and a gorgeous chandelier. Follow along into the vast living room with full-length windows. Cross into the dining room that features another stunning chandelier. Visit the eat-in kitchen, that has shining marble countertops, oak cabinetry, an island, and the appliances that stay with the home. The kitchen also has sliding glass doors that open onto the deck. Make your way into the family room, with a gas fireplace, vaulted ceilings, built-in wet bar, and sliding doors that open onto the deck. The first floor also contains a laundry room, an office, and half bath. Make your way upstairs to the large master bedroom with a connected sitting room, and a customized master bath. The master bath contains his and hers vanities, a giant jacuzzi tub, and a large shower. This floor also has 2 large guest rooms and a full bath. Unfinished basement great for storage. 2 car attached garage. 1-year home warranty included for peace of mind.








Good News for Brunswick: Low Rates and Stabilizing Home Prices

For a long time, market conditions in Brunswick have been excellent for sellers – and not so great for buyers. Selling your home fast and for a high price is wonderful but not if it means being stuck without an affordable replacement home. With this concern, many homeowners have held off on selling, prolonging our low inventory problem for more than a year.

But then something happened. About three months ago, prices had climbed so high that many Brunswick buyers left the market altogether. This reduced demand, and fewer bidding wars ensued. As a result, by September, we started seeing some price reductions and longer sales cycles for homes in certain areas. Prices are still very high, but buyers are getting relief from a better balance of supply and demand coupled with historically low mortgage rates.

In October, the median sale price of a home in Brunswick was $188,000. To put that in perspective, about this time five years ago, the median sale price was just $134,000! Over the last seven years, homeowners have enjoyed enormous gains in equity and as a nation, we have been enjoying a booming economy and job market. Since 2016, buyer competition for mid-sized homes has been through the roof. The cost of purchasing a home has outpaced increases in per capita income, shutting many families out of the housing market. Instead of prompting homeowners to sell, high sales prices have made many of them reluctant to move. But the good news for buyers (including sellers worried about buying another home) is that if we have not already hit a price plateau, it will not be long before we do. 

Consider that the median sale price in Brunswick in August was $194,000, the record-breaking highest price of the decade. Compare that to the median sale price in August 2017 of $171,000 and you’ll see that the year-over-year increase in home values last summer was over 13%. However, the fall months this year tell a different story, and point to a trend toward price stability. In October of 2017, the median sale price was $188,000, which means last October there was a zero percent change in value year-over-year. 

In addition to better home prices for buyers, mortgage rates in Ohio are excellent. The mortgage interest rate in Cleveland (and throughout the state) on November 18, 2018, was 4.73%, down a full eight basis points from the previous week. The current 15-year fixed mortgage rate in Ohio is even lower, averaging just 4.11%.

This is all good news! Buyers can lock in a great long-term fixed mortgage rate and have a good chance of finding a home within their budget. Sellers are still getting great offers, especially those with professionally staged and aggressively marketed homes, and they too can take advantage of low rates on their replacement home. 

Whether you are looking to upsize, downsize, or buy your first house, right now is a great time to make a move. Here at Bold Real Estate Consultants, we have decades of experience helping buyers and sellers in Brunswick. Give us a call today at 440-879-7260 to talk about your next move!  

Family-Friendly Events in Brunswick

Dinner & Show:
A Christmas Story: Dec. 19
To celebrate the holidays, the Cleveland Play House, 1407 Euclid Ave., will be hosting a family-friendly evening of dinner and a live theater production of the classic movie, A Christmas Story. Dinner and show will be from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dinner options will include fried rice, stir fried beef and broccoli, spring rolls, pot stickers, orange chicken, ginger salad, duck lo mein, signature drinks for adults, and more! Tickets will be $75 per adult, $35 per child and $199 for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children). For more information or to make reservations online, visit www.Clevelandplayhouse.com.

Browns vs. Bengals Game: Dec. 23
Come join die hard Cleveland Brown’s fans and watch one of the biggest games of the year at Sidelines Sports Bar and Grill. Sidelines is a sponsor of The North Coast Browns Backers Organization (NCBB). Sidelines has salads, sandwiches, wings, beer and an assortment of draft beers along with a full bar. There is also a children’s menu for the younger Browns fan. Sidelines is located at 1165 Pearl Rd., Brunswick, Ohio.

Bread for Brunswick: Dec. 30
Tis’ the season for giving! This is a great opportunity to teach children about helping others and to offer much needed support to local families right here in Brunswick! Starting at 9:30 a.m., local residents can bring items to the welcome desk in the lobby of the Polaris Christian Church, 3289 Laurel Rd., in Brunswick, as the church will be collecting food and supplies for their monthly bulk delivery to the Brunswick Food Pantry. Suggested items include peanut butter, jelly, chicken broth, cereal, pasta, tuna, rice, flour, sugar, canned fruit, or any other sealed and non-perishable food items. Personal hygiene items such as toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant are always greatly appreciated as well! For more information, visit www.polarischristian.com.

Chili Cook-Off
in Brunswick: Jan. 12
Come sample a variety of chilies and desserts during the 20th Annual Relay for Life of Medina County Chili Cook-off! The event will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Brunswick Recreational Center, 3637 Center Rd., in Brunswick. Entrance is by donation with all proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. There will also be unlimited chili samples while supplies last. For more information or to participate, contact Morris at 216-570-1376 or visit the Brunswick Recreation Center’s website at www.medinacountylife.com.

Cleveland Boat Show:
Jan. 17 to Jan. 21
Not just for boaters, The Annual Cleveland Boat Show this year will be boasting a large variety of exhibits and activities that are fun for all-ages and interests! Activities include power boat simulators, kayaking, rowing, lessons on casting fishing lines from various types of water crafts, kids can make their own model sailboat, take a free scuba diving class, ride a water-taxi, watch Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel wakeboard around a mini lagoon and more! Located at the IX Center in Cleveland, 1 I-X Center Drive in Cleveland, the show will be open everyday beginning on Thurs, Jan. 17 and ending on Monday, Jan. 21, with varying times each day of the show.  Tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and children 12 are free. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit

Pricing to Win in Brunswick’s Market

For about a decade, home values have been increasing in Brunswick, Strongsville, and most of Cleveland. When the economy began to recover (and then expand), the number of qualified buyers began to outpace the number of available homes. Homeowners know they have the upper hand in today’s “seller’s market,” and many are eager to cash in on their added equity. We don’t expect the rally to last much longer, and lately, affordability has become a real problem for buyers.
But while we are still in a “seller’s market,” it’s tempting to think that the environment for sellers is all around positive, no matter what. In general, it is—but the truth is that each and every home sale has its own considerations. For example, a seller may receive a great offer, but depending on how the real estate near it has recently performed, the appraisal may stop the sale from moving forward. 
Although demand is high, a particular home may or may not receive a cut of the demand depending on a myriad of factors. Prior to going on the market, a home should be carefully analyzed by an experienced real estate agent who then develops a game plan specific to the home. Over the years, I developed a system to analyze a home pre-listing order to get the most money possible. I’ll summarize the most important strategies to maximize price, especially in today’s market. 
There are three critical phases when listing a home: pre-listing preparations, marketing, and negotiating. These phases are always important, no matter how favorable conditions for sellers happen to be, and no matter how housing market conditions are expected to change.

Pre-Listing preparations
Selling a home at the top of the market in Brunswick requires a little work on the front-end. For example, before listing a home, I document areas of the home that would be worthwhile to improve—even something as simple as a coat of paint on the cabinets. Then, I leverage a team of contractors to complete those improvements as quickly as possible. I then work with the seller to stage the home so that it is camera-ready, and the target buyer can “visualize” themselves living there.

Marketing
Once a home is ready to list, the next critical phase is marketing. A “seller’s market” alone isn’t enough to entice multiple buyers to make an offer—they need to see professional photographs of bright, tastefully decorated rooms. Buyers also need to be drawn to the listing; an MLS profile isn’t enough. To maximize exposure, I market listings across nearly a dozen platforms, including websites, social media, print, and email. When choosing an agent to list your home, ensure their marketing plan is sound and exhaustive.

Negotiating
The third phase of a successful sale is a successful negotiation. This begins with pricing. Overconfidence in pricing can be a death sentence; instead, a home should be priced slightly less than its highest market value (after factoring in that it has been strategically prepped and vigorously marketed). An attractive home with a fair price, when marketing effectively, will get a lot more excitement from buyers than a home that is just placed on the MLS. If enough buyers compete for it, they will demand fewer concessions and may even bid beyond the asking price. To effectively execute this strategy, it’s critical to have a thorough understanding of the housing market. The agent you choose should be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of local conditions and trends. 
The best defense against overconfidence in today’s market is to ensure that your agent has a proven strategy to minimize stress and get you the best price.

If you’d like to discuss listing your own home or have questions about the real estate market, call our team today at 440-879-7260.  

Brunswick Real Estate News: November 2018

Click here to read the November edition of the Brunswick Real Estate News!

November is a busy month for families, and here in Brunswick it's also a busy time for home buyers. As a homeowner, you'll want to check out our cover story about the benefits of selling your home this holiday season. We also encourage you to read "Pricing to Win in Our Seller's Market" on Page 3, where we share the strategies we use to maximize home sale prices.

This month, you'll also find some fun, family-friendly events happening around town, a Q&A with Sajag about estimating the value of your home, a spotlight on high-tech home appliances, and more. Our November recipe is from Wolfgang Puck's kitchen - a delicious Chicken Piccata dish - and we included a special feature on the power of play in your child's development.

We hope you enjoy reading this edition of the Brunswick Real Estate News as much as we've enjoyed creating it!