January 21, 200520 yr Author As for getting a better job, where would you work if you were a 28 year old black woman with only a high school education? I have a college degree, and I still have a hard time getting a job that pays over $10 an hour. I would say to run down to the enlistment office and sign up for one of the great military programs, she better hurry because 28 is the cut off age for active duty. In the military she will get health care, learn a good trade and serve her country. The only thing she would have to do is sign her kid over to a gaurdian (mom or dad) while in the first 6 months of her enlistment so she can go to basic training and a tech school to learn her trade. As an E-1 under 4 months she will make $1,142.70 a month and $1,235.10 after 6 months. In two years she will be an E-3 making $1,547.70 and that is base salary. She will also get around $700 a month tax free month for housing and around $240 a month for food allowance. She will have zero health care costs and zero deductables. She will get to see parts of the world she never has and when she seperates in 4 years, she will have a solid trade under her belt as long as she didn't become a bomb loader or something that doesn't transfer to the civilian life or even better she could make a career out of it get her degree while she is in, earn her commision and as an O-1 with a prior enlistment of 6 years make $3,148.80 a month not encluding all her allowances for food and housing. Don't tell me it can't be done. While I didn't have a kid, I went the miitary way and turned my life around. I am tired of excuses, life does hand some people a bad dreak but many never try. Anyone from any way of life, hood, ghetto can make the money I make. I didn't have mommy help me, I did it on my own. I AM TIRED OF EXCUSES. While I voted for Kerry, I do not like the democratic platform when it comes to welfare. As for the suburbs sharing the burden, I will say it... I don't want section 8 housing near my house. Yeah I will say it, I know many home owners think it. I don't live in some rich neighborhood but I have lived near section 8 housing before and not only does it hurt your property value, but it only reaffirmed my stereotypes of the whole program. Especially since all my friends in high school were from that income bracket and they were the main reason for the crimes in the towns. While I because street smart, it reminded me that I wanted more out of life and their crimanal records were taken them no where. Now I will say that I think City West in the West End is a great thing, for one they are not forcing people to live in projects and second they are not forcing higher income areas to build or allow additional section 8 housing. I hope it is a success. But there are some down falls. Some people will never change, and they will move into other areas and cause the same trouble that they caused in their previous residence. Price Hill and Westwood are dealing with the downfall of Laurel Homes and several other projects that were torn down and crime has risen in those areas because of this.
January 21, 200520 yr Author I mean, hell, capitalists commit an awful lot of fraud and they abuse the system too. Should we abandon capitalism? Please man don't come at me with this bull. You should prosecute these bastards to the full extent of the law too.
January 21, 200520 yr ^ Well, I was just applying your logic to another circumstance to show that it doesn't work. I agree they should be prosecuted.
January 21, 200520 yr Monte, I'm glad you were able to turn your life around....it's definitely admirable. But I wonder what separates you from the MANY, MANY people who are unable to achieve upward mobility?? Somewhat better circumstances? More motivation? Something natural or genetic? I'd be interested to hear what you think it is. My point is just that we live in a country where barriers for certain people can be borderline extreme. They are concentrated in ghettos (and suburbanites refuse to allow deconcentration!!)...well paying jobs are very hard to come by (with the apparent exception of the military)...kids only have one parent, and that parent is usually away at work...they are put in a school system that essentially tells them from the get-go that they are failures....drugs are fairly cheap and a constant temptation...drug dealing pays 5 times as much as a job at Popeyes. I don't think we can call all of these things excuses, and then leave these people to fend for themselves. Some of this is the result of YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS of discrimination, from slavery, to sharecropping, to jim crow, to housing and school segregation. Yes, I agree with you that personal responsibility has a role to play, but so does changing a screwed up, corrupt system!!!
March 21, 200520 yr Uh...from the 3/18/05 Cincinnati Business Courier: Section 8 rent drop worries some Plan would concentrate poverty, races Dan Monk Courier Senior Staff Reporter The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority wants to slash rents in its Section 8 housing voucher program, a move experts say will increase poverty concentration and racial segregation in Cincinnati's most troubled neighborhoods. "It's going to hurt the transitional neighborhoods like Price Hill and Westwood," said Elizabeth Brown of Housing Opportunities Made Equal, a nonprofit advocacy group that promotes the development of mixed-income neighborhoods. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2005/03/21/story1.html
March 26, 200520 yr Condos top demand for city living By Bob Driehaus Post staff reporter Those wondering how a city the size of Covington can fill 80 luxury condominiums in a planned high-rise near its riverfront only have to peer across the Ohio River to see the potential, according to veteran downtown developers. Huff Realty has sold 93 of 112 Park Place at Lytle condominiums in the former Polk Building at 400 Pike St. in downtown Cincinnati. The condos, priced from $185,000 to more than $1.5 million, are moving briskly even though none will be ready for occupancy for six months, said owner Jim Huff. "We could talk all day on the phone about our opinions, but (Park Place) is the best market study. The market was there. When we put it to market, it sold," Huff said. The ever-quickening pace of condominium development on both sides of the river has reached new heights with Corporex Cos.' "The Ascent at Roebling's Bridge," a 21-floor condo complex designed by Daniel Libeskind, an internationally acclaimed architect who also designed the replacement project for New York's World Trade Center. Construction on the $40 million project is slated to begin this summer and be completed in summer 2007. Corporex has not disclosed the status of financing or the asking prices for the condos, which will range from 950 square feet to a 7,000 square-foot, three-story penthouse. The building will also feature a plaza with sculptures and fountains, an outdoor pool and deck, guest suites and other recreation areas for entertaining. Riverfront development proponents like former Covington City Manager Greg Jarvis have long said the downtowns of Covington, Newport and Cincinnati have more in common than any of those cities' suburbs, and the spate of new condo projects, punctuated by Corporex's new high-rise in Covington, is proving their assertion. Dan Dressman, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Northern Kentucky, said the new high-rise is part of a much larger trend of aging Baby Boomers who are snatching up condos. In 2004, the number of condominium construction permits more than doubled to 245 from 119 in 2003 in Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties. Some 214 of the permits were issued in booming Boone County, but the market is developing in Covington, Newport and other river cities, Dressman said. "There are more and more empty nesters who are moving back to the urban core. The schools are not as big a concern (as for parents with young children)," he said. Read full article here: http://www.cincypost.com/2005/03/26/butl032605.html
March 26, 200520 yr Wonderful. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
April 23, 200520 yr There is a report from city manager Valerie Lemmie floating around city council about new development including (as a percentage) affordable housing. The motion has been filed and no current action seems to be occurring. This report is from 1/26/05. To summarize: * The motion was for a study of what other municipalities have done to require developers to include a minimum number of affordable housing units when receiving city subsidies. * STATEMENT: The City has an impaction ordinance that has the purported goal of encouraging mixed neighborhoods in favor of concentrations of poverty. One good way to disperse the concentration of low-income housing and encourage mixed neighborhoods is to requiredevelopers who receive city subsidies for projects in low-poverty areas to make an certain number of units available to low-mod families. This type of policy would be consistent with the Housing Advisory Council Recommendations, the First Suburbs Consortium in Southwest Ohio, and the survey results of the County's Community Compass effort that reflects the desire of Hamilton County residents to live in more eclectic neighborhoods. There are many good models currently in place across the country, and it is worth considering the merits of these various policies before taking action locally. * Research did not indicate many municipalities using this approach. Minneapolis is one, and it requires 20% of city projects with 10 or more units to be affordable to those making 50% or less of the metro median income. * Most cities promote affordable housing in an ad hoc manner. * Inclusionary zoning is used by over 130 cities and counties to de-concentrate low-income neighborhoods. Once the exclusive domain of suburbs and exurbs, it is increasingly being used in major cities. Locally, it has been used in the East End. Nationally, cities such as Cambridge, MA and Oakland have used it. * Four conditions can maximaize a developer's participation in inclusionary zoning: 1) Meaningful incentives or compensatory benefits; 2) Strong local market; 3) Uniformity of regulations across the local housing market; 4) An effective market for affordable units. * The loss of revenue to the developer caused by the reduction of sales or rents below market has to be made up if the development is to remain financially viable. This is true also in the cases where the City is providing a subsidy, especially if that assistance is based on a financial gap analysis. The City assists market rate developments because the cost of producing a unit of housing with a reasonable rate of return exceed the revenue from the sale or rents that can be attained in the marketplace. To require these developments to include low-income units the City would have to increase the financial gap and therefore the level of the City subsidy. The full five-page PDF is here: http://city-egov.rcc.org/BASISCGI/BASIS/council/public/child/DDD/11754.pdf
April 29, 200520 yr This recent report argues that requiring developers who receive TIF to dedicate 20% of their developments to affordable/low-income housing faces two major concerns here: 1) Generally, cities who have this requirement have a higher median home value than Cincinnati due to higher demand. 2) Madison and Portland have this program but also have growth boundaries, which inflates home values there. In short, City Manager Lemmie argues that "any policy adopted by Cincinnati needs to be carefully crafted so as to incent the development of affordable housing and not be so onerous so as to exacerbate suburbanization, which in the Cincinnati metropolitan area is not controlled." http://city-egov.rcc.org/BASISCGI/BASIS/council/public/child/DDD/12788.pdf
May 4, 200520 yr I found this interesting article in the 4/21/05 UC News: Study Pinpoints Cincinnati’s Hot Spots for Housing Vouchers A new study by University of Cincinnati planners pinpoints more accurately than ever before just where Section 8 housing-voucher recipients reside. Many voucher families live in areas with high concentrations of poverty and high numbers of racial minorities. Date: 4/21/2005 By: Mary Reilly Phone: (513) 556-1824 University of Cincinnati planners David Varady, a nationally respected housing researcher, and Xinhao Wang, an expert in geographical information systems (GIS), recently published research regarding which Cincinnati neighborhoods are most likely to attract residents using Section 8 Housing vouchers. (These housing vouchers, provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, provide rental assistance to low-income residents who are free to use the vouchers with any landlord – who passes HUD housing-quality standards – willing to accept them in lieu of cash.) By applying a very precise technique – called “hot-spot analysis” – to a HUD database containing 6,000 Section 8 participants in Hamilton County, the researchers examined Cincinnati’s neighborhoods street-by-street rather than relying on broad census-tract information. They found that the areas most likely to attract Section 8 residents begin near downtown and then extend west and north, especially along the I-75 corridor and along the Mill Creek Valley. Their findings show that the eight communities with the highest hot-spot density of voucher recipients are • Mt. Airy • Westwood • Columbia Township • Springdale • Avondale • Roselawn • Bond Hill • East Price Hill Secondary hot spots, clusters that may become more problematic in the future, are located in • Springfield Township • Northside • Forest Park According to Varady, professor of planning, and Wang, associate professor of planning in UC’s top-ranked College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, the distribution patterns of precisely where voucher recipients live within the above neighborhoods varies. In some neighborhoods, voucher use is widespread while in others, there are high levels of concentration on a few streets or in a handful of apartment complexes. “Residents in some of these areas complain about the threats that concentrations of voucher use pose to neighborhood health due to higher crime and lower property values,” stated Varady, adding, “Recent research, including a sophisticated study in Baltimore County, Md., seems to confirm that, sometimes, these fears are realistic.” That’s one reason that Varady and Wang set out to study just where Cincinnati’s Section 8 voucher recipients reside, recently publishing the work in the British journal, Housing Studies. Public officials, in Cincinnati and elsewhere, could respond to Section 8 clustering by developing programs to disperse voucher recipients as widely as possible and by developing programs to assist voucher families at new locations. As it stands now, if residents are choosing to settle in already vulnerable neighborhoods or in areas experiencing increasing poverty, then they are not experiencing all the benefits envisioned by the program, explained Wang. “It may mean,” he said, “that other support for low-income families such as additional school programs or other poverty-fighting programs should be offered in order to make the housing-voucher program effective.” “It’s important to know where voucher recipients are choosing to settle. If they choose to settle where there are already concentrations of poverty or in older suburbs where demographic changes are only beginning to occur, it may prove a precipitating factor for decline for an already fragile neighborhood,” explained Varady. Both researchers are certain that the use of vouchers will continue both locally and nationally as demand for vouchers is very strong. Stated Varady, “When Oakland, Calif., announced that it would accept applications for housing vouchers from residents, the local municipality had to rent out a stadium for the day. That’s how keen the demand was.” In addition, both said they hope to continue their hot-spot analysis of Section 8 housing vouchers in the future. Explained Wang, “This method tells what is happening inside neighborhoods, street by street. This is a complicated subject, and the difference in voucher use and neighborhood perceptions on one street can be very different from the next one. We’d like to look more closely at the tax incentives and rental practices that promote voucher use and how they might affect voucher diffusion vs. concentration of use.” http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=2622
May 4, 200520 yr The list said "Sprindale"..isnt that in the suburbs near Tri-County mall? It’s important to know where voucher recipients are choosing to settle. If they choose to settle where there are already concentrations of poverty or in older suburbs where demographic changes are only beginning to occur, A question now arises as to if there is "choice" in the voucher holder's selection of places to live. Is there a form of de-facto "redlining" going on, where landlords refuse to rent to voucher holders? The question of suburban voucher clusters. If they are in apartment complexes in "good neighborhoods" or school districts is that a bad thing? In a sense tho the complex itself might have a concentration of poverty the kids are going to good public schools and the parents are probably closer to job opportunities as alot of these are in the suburbs to begin with.
May 4, 200520 yr The list said "Sprindale"..isnt that in the suburbs near Tri-County mall? Yes, it's the suburb that Tri-County Mall is in. A question now arises as to if there is "choice" in the voucher holder's selection of places to live. Is there a form of de-facto "redlining" going on, where landlords refuse to rent to voucher holders? I believe that absolutely is so. Voucher holders are continually steered to areas where there are already large amounts of voucher holders--mostly apartment complexes or older homes in certain neighborhoods or inner-burbs. I see many ads in the newspaper for homes that clearly spell out "No Section 8". And these places sure aren't in Over-the-Rhine, Westwood, or Bond Hill. I wish I knew more about the true inner workings because I find the subject fascinating.
May 5, 200520 yr A landlord friend was completely open to the idea of accepting Section 8 vouchers - to his mind, it was a much more guaranteed payment, where 80% of the rent or so was coming from the government - plus the renter has a lot of incentive to come up with the rest of it, and not to trash the pad, because he faces losing his vouchers. Everyone is incentivized appropriately, and things should work fine. But the reason he didn't do it was primarily horror stories he'd heard about the onerous inspections. He doesn't keep slumlord housing or anything - he's got 50 to 80 year old single to three family homes in East Walnut Hills, they rent in the $700+ range, and he keeps them in great shape - I've lived in one of his units. But to be Section 8 approved is much harder than FHA approved, and supposedly if there's any chipped paint anywhere in the house - in a door jamb, or in a window frame - you've got to get tested for lead paint. Given the ubiquity of lead paint before 1978, it's not unlikely that it's in there somewhere. And given the ubiquity of lead in gasoline for so many years, it's possible that there's plenty of lead, even without lead paint. And once lead is discovered, you've got to remediate it, Section 8 or not, and that can get excessively costly. If you're working on a margin near break even in the first years of an investment property, dropping $10K or more on lead paint remediation is a deal killer. And then the other ticky-tack fixes add up too. I don't know how much of this is true - this is second hand, and not based on research, just based on horror stories - but it is the reason that at least one very good landlord decided against Section 8. Anyone know if there's any validity to these worries?
May 7, 200520 yr Edgecliff Tower Apts. Becoming Condos Reported by: Tom McKee Web produced by: Mark Sickmiller "Going condo" are two words upsetting many long time residents of East Walnut Hills. That's because the Edgecliff Apartments along Victory Parkway are being converted from apartments to condominiums. The 26-story Edgecliff was built in 1968 and some people have rented there since then. Now, the building has been sold and occupants of the 156 units have to either buy their unit or move. Right now, 25% have decided to buy, 25% plan to move and the rest just haven't decided yet. Joan Reis has called the Edgecliff home for twenty years because its convenience fits her lifestyle. Read full article here: http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/05/06/edgecliff.html
May 7, 200520 yr I find it amazing that someone has lived there for 36 years(enquirer article) and paying rent and now will buy it?? That's like renting your house to yourself and gaining no equity.
May 22, 200520 yr Check this out. They have the condos on sale and one is going for $999K (hell, why not just make it a cool mil?): http://www.huff.com/web/search/SearchDetails.asp?mls=920826&prop=1070736
May 22, 200520 yr The news story says 26 and Skyscrapers.com as well as SSP say 24. So I don't know for sure.
May 27, 200520 yr Condos beckon buyers to enjoy urban living Downtown, surrounding areas sprout classy modern units By Cliff Peale Enquirer staff writer Chris Pfeiffer likes to spend a Saturday afternoon with his rambunctious chocolate Lab, Rosco, wandering from his renovated condominium in Over-the-Rhine to Sawyer Point. Pfeiffer and his wife, Jessica, moved to the condo in late 2003 from a Fort Thomas duplex. They love the architecture in their 1,800-square-foot unit on Main Street. "We realize it's probably not forever, but we're enjoying it while we can," said Pfeiffer, a downtown architect, who does not have children. The Pfeiffers are not alone. Developments and sales of condominiums in downtown Cincinnati and surrounding neighborhoods are skyrocketing, according to a report commissioned by Downtown Cincinnati Inc., which promotes downtown. Out of 864 units that have come on the market since January 2002, 516, or 60 percent, have been sold, some even before they're ready for occupancy, the DCI study showed. The study cited February 2004 figures from the National Association of Realtors that show condo sales grew about 12 percent in the Midwest and Northeast compared to the previous year. And for the first time, the price midpoint for condos in the final quarter of 2003 topped that of detached single-family homes, the association said. And the trend is only now taking off. The DCI study, prepared by the local firm Property Advisors Corp., showed the number of condos available for sale will nearly triple in the next several years, with more than 1,700 units either planned or under construction. In Over-the-Rhine, where the Pfeiffers live, more than half of the 141 available units have been sold, and 166 more are expected on the market by mid-2006. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050527/BIZ01/505270358/1076/rss01
June 5, 200520 yr From the 6/5/05 Enquirer: Program nurtures home ownership By Steve Kemme Enquirer staff writer WEST END - Two years ago, home ownership seemed like more of a pipe dream than part of the American Dream for Brenda Bailey. The single mother of four rented a house in Northside through a federal housing subsidy program for low-come people. She worked full-time and was going to college. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050605/NEWS01/506050390/1056/rss02
June 30, 200519 yr From the 6/29/05 Cincinnati Business Courier: Cincinnati wins housing award Cincinnati is one of 14 cities being honored today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for "reducing regulatory barriers to affordable housing." In a ceremony in Washington, D.C., this morning, Cincinnati joined Austin, Texas; Chicago; Orlando, Fla.; and 10 other towns as a winner of this year's Robert L. Woodson Jr. Award. http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2005/06/27/daily30.html
July 1, 200519 yr From the 7/1/05 Cincinnati Post: Citizens' group targets Fay Apts. By Megan Cotten Post staff reporter A local citizens' group is trying to get the Fay Apartments housing complex in Westwood declared a public nuisance. The nonprofit Neighborhood Support Center is trying to force the landlord of Fay to implement a zero tolerance policy toward criminal behavior. http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050630/NEWS01/506300349/1010/RSS01
July 6, 200519 yr At the 6/29/05 city council meeting, Sam Malone and Chris Monzel made a motion to reorganize and to merge the city's Section 8 program with the county's Section 8 program. This is to increase efficiency, since both programs receive their money from the same source and work under the same guidelines put forth by HUD. This was sent to the Neighborhood & Public Services Committee for study. For the record, I think this is a great idea.
July 13, 200519 yr 'bout time, this is a good thing. This will open up some prime land in area that needs it. <b>English Woods to be razed</b> By Kevin Osborne Post staff reporter THE COMPLEX The English Woods apartment complex in North Fairmount is 60 years old and has 717 units. The Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority has sought the its demolition since spring 2003. Cincinnati's public housing agency has won a two-year legal battle to demolish the sprawling English Woods apartment complex in North Fairmount.
July 26, 200519 yr Home sales through the roof Demand strong as local mortgage rates remain low By Jeff McKinney Enquirer staff writer Sales of existing homes in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky kept up the pace in June toward a fifth straight record year, and new government data suggest that the housing bull market extends to new construction as well. Despite moves by the Federal Reserve to raise benchmark interest rates, mortgage rates in the region have fallen, keeping buyers in the market. According to a survey by the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors, 30-year fixed mortgage rates average about 5.83 percent, down from 6.08 percent a year ago. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050726/NEWS01/507260356/1056/rss02
July 26, 200519 yr Cincinnati is not a town to make a quick profit on in real estate, at least not in residential. Like they sad it's great for buyers, but bad for sellers.
August 6, 200519 yr Landing their dream houses meant making many moves More families are buying homes for $500,000 and up By Chuck Martin Enquirer staff writer In Greater Cincinnati, the number of single-family homes priced at $700,000 or more jumped from 141 in 2001 to 283 in 2004, according to the Multiple Listing Service of Greater Cincinnati. The MLS of Northern Kentucky says the number of homes sold in the price range increased from two in 2001 to 13 in 2004. So far this year, 19 homes priced above $700,000 have sold in Northern Kentucky, while 186 have been sold in Greater Cincinnati. "I am continually amazed at how much house people are able to afford," says Alan Young, a Realtor with Comey & Shepherd in West Chester, where many of the pricey homes sell, along with the northern suburbs of Mason, Deerfield and Liberty townships, and in Union and Richwood in Northern Kentucky. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050806/NEWS01/508060373
August 6, 200519 yr From the 8/6/05 Enquirer: Hamilton Co. housing aid stops for criminal checks By Kimball Perry Enquirer staff writer Hamilton County has stopped accepting applications for federally subsidized housing until it can implement a program that requires criminal background checks for applicants. Commissioner Pat DeWine believes applicants shouldn't be allowed to rent subsidized housing if they have criminal histories. http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050806/NEWS01/508060368/1056
August 6, 200519 yr I wonder how many have acutally built equity in the houses and did "trade up" as mentioned in the article; and how many are up "to their eyeballs" in debt
August 7, 200519 yr ^ Do you pay attention to bankruptcy and foreclosure numbers? Of course you do! That's why you posed that question.
August 24, 200519 yr Interesting last line regarding the Power Building going condo in a few years....... Condos bring premium prices Urban dwellings attract affluence By Cliff Peale Enquirer staff writer Apparently plenty of people in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are ready and willing to spend a quarter of a million dollars or more on a new condominium. That's what developers of the proposed SouthShore complex in Newport hope, after unveiling their plan Monday night to build up to 200 condos on a parcel just east of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. Developer Alec Bastos of Capital Investment Group Inc. said he doesn't know prices yet, but they'll probably be at least $200,000 a unit. "Our objective is to come out at an attractive price point. We need to find out where that is," he said Tuesday. Within a couple of miles of the Newport site in several directions, developers are probing different price points, trying to find the most profitable part of the market. Read full article here: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050824/BIZ01/508240322/1002/BIZ
August 24, 200519 yr There is already a deficit of downtown apartments. When the Power Building goes condo (which is fantastic, IMO), there will be even more of a gap. It's time for more downtown apartments!
August 31, 200519 yr Urban renaissance, condo style Big announcements this past week have only intensified the luxury-condo frenzy enveloping the riverfront and surrounding downtown areas in Greater Cincinnati. Dozens of projects in various stages are bringing hundreds of units onto the market, most selling for hundreds of thousands to a million or more dollars. The projects run the gamut from ground-up developments like the Ascent at Roebling's Bridge, a 72-unit glass tower in Covington designed by world-famous architect Daniel Libeskind, to smaller apartment-to-condo conversions like the just-finished rehab of the Fort Washington Hotel in downtown Cincinnati. This past week, Covington developer Corporex Cos. announced that about 200 potential buyers had signed forms to reserve condos costing $400,000 to $4.5 million in the Ascent, even though ground hasn't even been broken on the project. And Newport has given initial approval to the just-unveiled $165 million SouthShore condo-office-marina project, which eventually will bring up to 200 high-end condos in three towers east of Newport on the Levee. Meanwhile, all 112 condos have been sold in the Park Place at Lytle rehab project in Cincinnati and construction is continuing on the 38 condos in the first phase of the Harbor Greene project in Bellevue. The Bluffs apartment complex overlooking the river near Covington's Devou Park is being turned into condos, as is the Hannaford apartment complex in Newport and the Parker Flats building and former McAlpin's department store in Cincinnati. City officials and those involved in business and real estate are cheering the signs of urban renaissance, brought on by new retirees, young professionals and those whose children have grown. Read full article here: http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050829/NEWS02/508290361/1011/RSS02
September 1, 200519 yr I talked to Jeff Rupard from Huff Realty for about 10 or 15 mintutes today about the condo developement downtown. My wife and I are possibly looking into the Parker Flats. He told me about 14 of those units are already sold. He also said the earliest for completion would probably be Dec. of 06. Ground breaking will also start next month for the PF's. We were talking about the demand, and he said their are a lot of people that are interested in condos downtown, but they don't have the availability to fit the demand. He said a big problem is, the buildings that could be potential units are asking too much, therefore the condos wouldn't fit the price range of the buyer. He also comfirmed the serious possibilty that the grocery store on the Montgomery Inn center is still in the works, for those that are interested (God, I hope so). If you have any questions that I did not cover, feel free to ask!
September 1, 200519 yr I must have looked right past it, I could have sworn I glanced at everything. MY BAD! Don't worry, I've done it before too. Cincy-Rise...thanks for the updates, esp. re: Parker Flats.
September 1, 200519 yr I talked to Jeff Rupard from Huff Realty for about 10 or 15 mintutes today about the condo developement downtown. My wife and I are possibly looking into the Parker Flats. He told me about 14 of those units are already sold. He also said the earliest for completion would probably be Dec. of 06. Ground breaking will also start next month for the PF's. We were talking about the demand, and he said their are a lot of people that are interested in condos downtown, but they don't have the availability to fit the demand. He said a big problem is, the buildings that could be potential units are asking too much, therefore the condos wouldn't fit the price range of the buyer. He also comfirmed the serious possibilty that the grocery store on the Montgomery Inn center is still in the works, for those that are interested (God, I hope so). If you have any questions that I did not cover, feel free to ask! Not to discourage anyone from buying downtown - I love it here. However, I would stay as far away as possible from MED (the company developing Parker Flats). I've had a terrible experience with them.
September 2, 200519 yr I think Mark has had on going problems with his condo from Middle Earth. He gave us updates on the progress of his condo. There is a thread someone on this site, but damn if I can find it. I think there was a square ft issue. He got less than what was advertised. Also, I think they are very slow in addressing problems/concerns. I have high hopes for Parker Flats. I hope MED has improved. It sounds like MED hasn't resolved issues with his condo, which I'm sorry to hear.
September 2, 200519 yr Mark, can you explain? Moonloop pretty much summarized it. I'm a fairly easy going guy, and not that hard to deal with - but honestly, the business practices of MED are just horrid. They'll make major changes without notifying you (saying it falls under the 'minor change' portion of your contract allowed by the developer). I've been moved in for 2 months, and my security system doesn't work. The intercom for the building is defective, and still hasn't been replaced (it's never worked). Additionally, the whole project still isn't completed and the original completion date was June of '04. Now that the COA is being transferred from MED to us, we've found that the estimated COA fees were completely unrealistic and that the COA is in debt. In general, communication is non-exihistant. During the sales process, they said that their would be a rooftop garden (never happened) that the halls would be contemporary (nope, they put in hideous dropped ceilings and can lighting). In other words - don't believe the realtor. I recommend that if you buy, you have a lawyer go over the contract and change everything you may be unconfortable with. Put down everything that may be promised. Now, from what I understand, they are hiring a third party to manage the Parker Flats project, since it's new construction. If you don't actually have to deal with MED during contrstruction- then things may not be as bad. That being said - I am reasonably happy with the final product, though it was HELL to get here. You have to watch them every step of the way. The positive - the building, now that the COA has taken over, will be awesome. My neighbors are great and as an investment, it's really working out well as it's worth a good deal more now than I paid for it. If someone decides to sell at Graydon (actually 201 is for sale, and it is privately listed, so let me know if you want more information) I wouldn't hesitate to buy as at this point, most of the problems have been resolved and these units are very unique... Hope that helps - I don't want to be negative, because I love it downtown, it's just one company I'm not overly pleased with.
September 2, 200519 yr If someone decides to sell at Graydon (actually 201 is for sale, and it is privately listed, so let me know if you want more information) Mark, I'm interested. What is the price range on this unit? I think that this location is prime, especially with the Fountain Square rennovation.
September 2, 200519 yr If someone decides to sell at Graydon (actually 201 is for sale, and it is privately listed, so let me know if you want more information) Mark, I'm interested. What is the price range on this unit? I think that this location is prime, especially with the Fountain Square rennovation. I'll email the owner and find out for you...
September 2, 200519 yr My husband and I are buying one of the units in the McAlpin building. We currently own a house in Pleasant Ridge, but we decided that we really want to live downtown. Now is probably the best time in our lives to do so. I will have a three block walk to work, and my husband will have a two block walk. We're even selling one of our cars, too. :) I like hearing about all the new condo projects going on downtown.
September 2, 200519 yr He also comfirmed the serious possibility that the grocery store on the Montgomery Inn center is still in the works, for those that are interested (God, I hope so). A reliable source told me that the grocery store for that project is unlikely to happen. Six separate grocery companies have declined to sign on.
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