Tag Archives: Geauga County

8 HOUSEHOLD USES FOR APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

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ACVYou’ve probably heard about all the benefits of apple cider vinegar in the beauty department – it can be used as a toner, a deodorant, and even a conditioning hair rinse. But did you know Apple Cider Vinegar can be used as a cleaning product? If you’ve been thinking of going non-toxic, replacing your current cleaners with apple cider vinegar is the affordable, easy way to do just that. Here are some of the household items you can replace and how to do so!

1. Fabric Softener

Apple Cider Vinegar is a great way to condition your laundry if you have sensitive skin. Just add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar in place of your fabric softener and stop all the itching caused by harsh chemicals.

2. Household Cleaner

Apple cider vinegar has a great deal of antibacterial properties so it works extremely well as an every day household cleaner. Mix equal parts water and Apple Cider Vinegar in a spray bottle and you’re ready to clean! While the vinegar smell will fade, you can add a few drops of citrus essential oil to leave a great smell once it dries.

3. Drain Cleaner

Instead of buying drain cleaner filled with dangerous chemicals, use safe items you probably already have! Mix 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour that down your clogged drain. Then, pour 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar. Let the products react for 1-2 hours and then rinse with warm water.

4. Window Cleaner

Using the same combination as the everyday household cleaner, mixing equal parts apple cider vinegar and water to create a smear-free window spray.

5. Stainless Steel Cleaner

Your typical stainless steel cleaner can get pricey. Instead, use apple cider vinegar straight out of the bottle to clean your stainless steel.

6. Sticker Remover

Sticker removal can be a giant pain. Soak the area where the sticker won’t budge with apple cider vinegar for about 20 minutes, and then scrape it off!

7. Weed Killer

We’ve all read the warning labels on weed killer found at local hardware stores, so it isn’t a surprise that we can be hesitant when it comes to using those products in the yard where our children or pets spend a great deal of time. Avoid those harsh chemicals and create an alternative, effective weed killer. Mix 1/2 gallon of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/4 cup of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of dish soap in a large spray bottle. Be sure to spray on each set of weeds individually and avoid spraying any plants you want to keep.

8. Mildew Remover

If you’re trying to get rid of mildew in your bathroom, use apple cider vinegar! For heavy mildew, use Apple Cider Vinegar on its own. For lighter stains, use equal parts Apple Cider Vinegar and water. You can add essential oils to this mix as well for a scent booster.

Looking to buy or sell or invest in real estate? Let Great Lakes Home Team help you with all your real estate needs. 440 299-5137 or greatlakeshometeam@gmail.com. Visit us at greatlakeshometeam.com.

Residential Property Disclosures

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Residential Property Disclosures

When selling your home, you’re obligated, by law, to disclose certain information about your property. Most states require that all sellers complete a written property disclosure form. Ohio is one of those states. Majority of the forms have a required set of questions that must be answered.

THE BASICS

Most states require sellers to complete this form when listing for sale. Nearly all of the questions are a basic yes/no/unknown response. The questions will address material facts, major defects, special disclosures, and federal disclosures. All forms vary by state and require different information.

MATERIAL FACTS

These include the age of the property, it’s condition, known problems, and defects. These are all of the information that would influence a buyer’s decision to purchase your home. These disclosures require you to address known defects, things that are reasonably apparent, to ensure you don’t knowingly hide a major defect.

MAJOR DEFECTS

All major defects MUST be disclosed. For instance, fire or flood damage. If your home’s electrical system isn’t up to code, and you’re aware of this, it must be shared with potential buyers. Repairs you have completed, as well as improvements and upgrades, should be noted as well.

Since all states have varying federal and special disclosure laws, it’s imperative that you reach out to a local real estate agent to get assistance with the sale of your home. Great Lakes Home Team with Keller Williams Greater Cleveland Northeast is here to help you through the entire process. Jody Finucan and Danielle Dooley are only a phone call away!

 

Active Listings In Geauga County Ohio by Month – Last 5 years

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Active ListingsThe chart shows the number of active listings on the market in Geauga County by month over the last 5 years.  Click on the link below to see the entire chart.  While the market is moving quickly, it is still a great time to buy. Interest rates are still very good!  The process of selling your home or buying a new one can be made easier with the experience of agent. Let me help guide you or someone you know through the process.  Here is a little snippet for month of December over the last 5 years.

Month of December:

2013 – 1016 number of active homes on the market

2014 – 921 number of active homes on the market

2015 – 873 number of active homes on the market

2016 – 724 number of active homes on the market

2017 – 673 number of active homes on the market

Number of Active Listings in Geauga County

I will be sharing Lake and Cuyahoga county as well. Or if you would like some statistics by a particular northeast Ohio city, please let me know?

Looking to find out what your home is worth, let me provide you a free market analysis for your northeast Ohio home.

Great information for buyers – check it out my e-book 10 Things buyers need to know before they buy.

Search for homes on the market. Most accurate information available to buyers.

Jody Finucan 440 221-6383 jodyfinucan@gmail.com

Cut Your Own Christmas Tree at these Northeast Ohio Farms

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Cutting Christmas Tree   Are you looking to cut your own tree this holiday season? Listed below in alphabetic order by city are many located in Northeastern Ohio.  Have Fun!
NORTH CORNER FARM
13800 Butternut Road, Burton Township
440-785-3692
northcornerfarm.com
Open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

SOBUSTA FARMS
11380 Thwing Road, Chardon Township
440-357-8568 or 440-256-1768
soubustafarms.com
Open Nov. 24 through the weekend before Christmas on Fridays from 1 p.m. until dark and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to dark.

SUGAR PINES FARM
9500 Mulberry Road, Chester Township
440-729-1019
sugarpinesfarm.com
Open beginning Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (and the day after Thanksgiving); noon to 5:30 Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and noon to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

KATHY’S CHRISTMAS TREES
6861 Williams Road, Concord Township
440-352-8779
Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

MOUNTAIN CREEK TREE FARM
7185 Williams Road, Concord Township
440-354-8928
mountaincreektrees.com
Open Nov. 18 through Dec. 24. Open Saturdays and Sundays and the Friday after Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays through Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays.

DIVENCENZO FAMILY TREE FARM
16101 Island Road, Grafton
440-926-3873
divichristmastree.com
Open on Saturdays and Sundays until Dec. 17, check the website for hours.

RHODES SISTER
12020 Clay St., Huntsburg Township
440-636-5498
Open starting Nov. 24 seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

SARNA’S TREE FARM
1137 E. Jefferson St., Jefferson
440-576-3450
Sarnastreefarm.com
Open beginning Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Monday. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays or by appointment.

BENDER TREE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
3381 Sheffield Road, Jefferson
440-944-5240
bendertree.com
Open Nov. 24 through Dec. 23 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

WILCOX TREE FARMS
17620 Diagonal Road, LaGrange
440-355-4027
wilcoxtreefarm.com
Open Nov. 24 through Christmas every day 10 a.m. until dusk.

EMERALD RIDGE CHRISTMAS TREES AND WREATHS
7000 Warner Road (Route 307), Madison Township
440-428-6132
ohiochristmastree.org/emerald-ridge
Open beginning Nov. 24 Fridays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays

WINTERGREEN TREE FARM
3898 Winchell Road, Mantua Township
330-221-3835
wintergreentreefarmohio.com
Open Nov. 24 through Dec. 19 seven days a week from 9 a.m. to nightfall.

PINEY PARADISE TREE FARM
1647 Snyder Road, Monroeville
419-668-9334
piney-paradise.com/index.html
Open Nov. 25 through Dec. 17 Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
677 S. Norwalk Road West, Norwalk
419-668-9334
Open starting Nov. 24 weekdays only from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

MANNERS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
780 Dodgeville Road, New Lyme Township
440-294-2444
Open seven days a week Nov. 24 through Dec. 23. Weekdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

KENNEDY LANDSCAPING & TREE FARM
320 Bowhall Road, Painesville Township
440-352-6769
kennedyco.com
Open starting Nov. 25 seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

GRAND RIVER VALLEY CHRISTMAS TREE FARM AND GIFT SHOPPE
3553 Laskey Road, Rome Township
440-563-1811
christmastreesohio.com
Open Nov. 24 through Dec. 23 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays

MCKOSKY TREE FARM
14740 Leroy Center Road, Thompson Township
440-298-1412
Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Nov. 24

SPENCER’S TREE FARM
2611 Chenango Road, Wakeman
440-839-3018
Open starting Nov. 24 on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

TREASTER’S TREE FARM
13184 Gore Orphanage Road, Wakeman
440-965-7411
Open starting Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. until dark Fridays through Sundays.

KURTZ CHRISTMAS TREES
22350 Quarry Road, Wellington
440-647-3507
kurtzchristmastrees.com
Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, starting Thanksgiving Day.

LOG BARN FARM
8711 Stanhope Kelloggsville Road, Williamsfield Township
440-293-7330
logbarnfarm.com
Open daily Nov. 24 through Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

GREIG CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
35900 Eddy Road, Willoughby Hills
440-487-7158
Open starting Nov. 25 on weekends 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekdays 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The secret to good gardening is . . . lasagna?

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If you’re considering putting in a new garden and want to keep it as environmentally-friendly as possible, you might want to consider prepping the ground this year and plant next year.

Creating a great garden space can’t just happen overnight. Getting the soil ready for planting a garden takes some time, work, and organic matter to make some garden lasagna.

What is lasagna gardening?

Building your garden soil through a process similar to composting lies at the heart of lasagna gardening. Made popular two decades ago by a book written by Patricia Lanza called – what else? – “Lasagna Gardening.”

Rather than bringing in yards of soil, Lanza reasoned, you build the soil from the ground up by adding alternating layers of nitrogen-rich (green) and carbon-rich (brown) organic matter. The green layer can include grass clippings, kitchen compost, coffee grounds and herbivorous manure. The brown layer includes fallen leaves, straw, newspaper and even shredded cardboard. Each layer should be at least an inch thick.

Making garden lasagna

This is the perfect time of year to start your soil for a new garden. It will take about a year for your soil to be completely ready. The process is simple.

  1. Mark off your garden plot.
  2. Using a shovel, turn over the soil about a foot deep and break up the sod.
  3. Rake all your leftover leaves from the winter into the spot. Better yet, mulch them to create your first brown layer. Save a week’s worth of newspapers and add a bale of straw and you’ve got a pretty good first layer.
  4. Ask your neighbors to catch their first mow grass clippings to add to your first green layer. You may have to buy a couple of bags of manure to get enough to make a good layer.
  5. Don’t compress the layers. You want to make sure your lasagna is getting enough air and water to aid in the breakdown.
  6. PRO TIP: Don’t add more green than brown; your soil will turn acidic.
  7. You can make as few or as many layers as you want.
  8. When you get to the last layer, cover it in brown matter or soil.
  9. Water it down to start the process.
  10. Walk away – for a year – and let nature take its course.

It’s perfectly fine to plant in the decomposing mulch in the first year. By next year, the soil will be perfect.

Looking to buy or sell your home, visit my remax website…and remember I am only a phone call away. Jody Finucan, REALTOR  440 221-6383

Serving Lake County, Geauga County and Cuyahoga County and relocation services around the world.

Which Tree is for You? Top Choices for Christmas Trees

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Do you have your favorite type of tree to use for a Christmas tree or do you just buy the first tree you see on the lot? It can be a difficult decision if you are looking for the perfectly shaped, fullest, most beautiful tree but it can be lots of fun for the family too.  Make a day of it and enjoy some winter fun in Northeast Ohio!      

 1. Fraser Fir

The Fraser Fir may be the perfect holiday tree. Its attractive 1″ needles are silvery-green and soft to the touch. Because there is space between the branches, the Fraser is easier to decorate than some trees. The firm branches hold heavier ornaments. The trees grow to almost perfect shapes, and as long as the cut tree is kept properly watered, the Frasier Fir has excellent needle retention.

 2. Noble Fir

The Noble Fir is deep green in color and has unusually lovely branch shape. Its branches are sturdy yet the needles are not too sharp to decorate easily. Like the Fraser Fir, the Noble’s branches have good spacing between branches so it’s easy to hang ornaments on them.

 3. Colorado Blue Spruce

A Colorado Blue Spruce has a nice pyramidal shape with strong limbs that can hold heavy ornaments. The Blue Spruce is known for its lovely blue foliage which can also appear silvery.

 4. Grand Fir

The Grand Fir has a glossy dark green color with needles that are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. This tree is soft to the touch and may not be able to hold heavier ornaments. It’s a pretty tree that grows as high as 300 feet and it’s becoming more popular for homes.

 5. Balsam Fir

The Balsam Fir is a beautiful dark-green color with airy, flexible branches that may not be able to hold heavy ornaments. It has an attractive form, it holds its needles well, and gives off a pleasant fragrance for your home.

 6. White Fir (or Concolor Fir)

The National Christmas Tree Association notes that “Needles are usually 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch long, pointed or notched at the tip, bluish-green when young turning dull green with age…. As a Christmas tree, white fir has good foliage color, a pleasing natural shape and aroma, and good needle retention.”

 7. Eastern White Pine

Branches from the White Pine are often used in garlands, wreaths, and centerpieces due to their long, feathery, soft needles. Though it is a beautiful tree, branches can be a bit too flexible to support heavier decorations. Its lush fullness also makes it difficult to squeeze in ornaments. The White Pine needles last a long time when properly watered.

 8. Douglas Fir

A Douglas Fir is beautiful Christmas tree with soft shiny green needles. It may be difficult to decorate if the branches have been sheared into a perfect conical shape, leaving too little space between branches to hang decorations.

 9. Scotch Pine

You’ll want to wear gloves when decorating a Scotch Pine, since its needles can be sharp as pins! Also, due to heavy shearing, there may be little space between branches for ornaments. It resists drying and if permitted to become dry does not drop its needles.”

 10. Norway Spruce

The Norway Spruce is a beautiful tree but does not hold its needles well, and should be purchased just just a week or so before December 25th. The National Christmas Tree Association notes that the “overall color of Norway spruce is fair to excellent, but needle retention is considered poor unless the trees are cut fresh and kept properly watered.”

 Click here to find where you can find a comprehensive guide to more than 40 tree farms in Northeast Ohio including, Lake County, Geauga County, Cuyahoga County and more.  You may want to call ahead of time to check on hours of operation and directions.  

 Have a real estate need or question?  I am only a email or phone call away.