Here is a move-in ready tri-level home offering 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms in Centerville Ohio's beautiful Black Oak Estates neighborhood.  During the last two years, this home has been almost completely updated!

The kitchen received new white cabinetry, granite countertops, and new flooring!  Several walls were removed to create an open floor plan to be enjoyed by everyone. The kitchen is large and open to another large casual dining area which is open to the family room with a fireplace!

The home offers two dedicated home office spaces which have become so essential with so many people working from home during the last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The first is located on the lower level of the home with half-sized windows.  The second previously was the formal dining room which was converted to a home office when two barn doors were added in order to provide privacy.  This space has been converted back to a dining area in preparation for the home to be sold.

The large recreation room has so much potential for use.  Plenty of room for a large sitting area with game tables and a bar!  

So much great space in this house for entertaining!  The large screened-in porch and flat yard provide outdoor entertaining areas as well.

Call Centerville real estate agents Don & Cyndi Shurts of Keller Williams Realty at 937-241-2124 or 937-604-5194.

Property taxes!  No one likes to pay them and we hate to see them increasing as property values go up, but they are necessary to support our local government and infrastructure.  For farmers or owners of acreage that can be used for agricultural purposes, the state of Ohio has a program that can provide savings on your tax bill.  The Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) program offers savings for land that is used for agricultural purposes rather than taxing the acreage at the rate that it would for its highest and best use, such as a building lot. 

For owners with acreage, the savings can be significant.  Here are the key points of the program.  The acreage must be used exclusively for any type of commercial farming, including crops, timber, nursery stock, livestock, or conservation.    If there are less than 10 acres of land, the annual income from the farming activity must be at least $2500.  To take advantage of the program, you must fill out an application with your county annually, usually toward the beginning of the year.  The property is inspected to make sure that the parcel in question qualifies for the program.   You must file every year and have the property inspected every year to continue in the program.

Something to be aware of if you are purchasing a property or selling a property that has a CAUV currently in place; the CAUV savings do not automatically follow the property or stay in place.  If the purchaser of the property does not want to continue to farm the land or decides to use it for other purposes, the land will revert back to non-agricultural use.  The county will levy a recoupment charge in the amount of the tax savings for the last 3 years. 

The Dayton Area Board of Realtors purchase contract allows the purchaser to indicate if they are planning on continuing to use the land for agricultural purposes.  If they check the box that they do intend to use the property for that purpose, the new homeowner will be responsible for filing the appropriate paperwork with the county for the CAUV benefits.  If they fail to do so, they may be assessed with the recoupment charge.  If the purchaser decides upfront that they do not want to continue to use the property for agricultural purposes, per the contract, the seller is responsible for the recoupment charge.  

If you are thinking about purchasing a farm, mini farm, or acreage of any kind, please give Cyndi Shurts a call at 937-604-5194 and let my knowledge and expertise work for you!

Many of our clients have high school-age children who are preparing for college so we want to share this information with you!  River Valley Credit Union participates in the Ohio Credit Union Scholarship Program which makes three scholarships available to awarded students in the amount of $5000, $2500, and $1000.

To apply for the scholarship students must prepare a 1 to 2.5-minute video answering the question "How do you envision the credit union of the future?"

According to the website, the video "can be edgy, funny, bold, simple, serious – or anything in between. Entries will be judged on the accuracy of information presented, effectiveness in addressing the scholarship question, and originality."

Students interested in applying for the video scholarship must present the application and video by April 30, 2021.  More information and the application are available on the OCUF Annual Video Scholarship website.

This scholarship program is made possible by the Ohio Credit Union Foundation.  The OCUF also provided several other programs and grants to financially empower individuals.

River Valley Credit Union has several branches throughout the Dayton Ohio area including banking branches in Beavercreek, Huber Heights, Miamisburg, Springboro, and Middletown.

We love selling homes in the beautiful Washington Trace neighborhood in Washington Township, Ohio.  This neighborhood offers many awesome amenities to its residents.  Homeowners in Washington Trace enjoy a beautiful clubhouse with 24-hour fitness room and banquet room.  Outside the clubhouse, there is a resort-like swimming pool and basketball court.  Other great features that are widely used by the homeowners include walking trails and three playgrounds!

If you would like to sell a home in Washington Trace or would like to be put on our list of buyers looking for a home in the neighborhood just send us a text to 937-241-2124 or email us at info@miamivalleydreamhomes.com.

We have all heard of the Air Force, but did you know that the National Museum of the United States Air Force is right here in Dayton, Ohio. The museum offers many things to do during a visit.  Admission to the museum is free! It is the world’s largest and oldest military aviation museum. The museum has several giant hangers filled with aircraft that are iconic to our country's history. 

Take the day and visit the museum and learn about the Wright Brothers, Space, and War that our country has used aircraft in. There are planes from wars like World War 2 and The Korean War.

After learning a little bit about our country's history. You will come across Presidential planes. Yes, planes that the presidents have stepped foot in, like the “Air Force One” Boeing 707 that served every president from Kennedy to Clinton. How cool is that! There is also a Space Gallery, where you can learn a little about how to be a pilot.  Or you can check out one of the walk-in space simulators. 

Who doesn’t want to spend the day in space adventures and stepping foot on a plane that presidents have been on!

Dayton Area Homes That Receive Updates or Remodels Increase In Value

You don’t need to gut and remodel your entire space to increase your property’s value. By making upgrades to focal points of your home as well as to your home’s systems, not only will your property value increase, but your energy bills will decline, and you will notice a significant change in how you enjoy your home.

Current remodeling trends focus on durability and sustainability, reducing carbon footprints while simultaneously reducing energy costs.

Deck Building & Patio Upgrades

Installing a brand new deck or upgrading your existing deck is a prime way to enjoy your backyard. A deck adds a touch of class while creating a relaxing space for you to enjoy while being outside in your yard. While the vast majority of decks will add value to your home, the quality of your deck matters. Consider features like hidden deck fasteners to protect bare feet, as well as comparing wood vs. composite decking before building your deck, as well ensure that your measurements are entirely accurate. A mismeasured deck can be dangerous (as well as a waste of time and money!) Utilize a deck calculator during the planning period.

Your front or back patio can be a great place to relax after a long day. By upgrading your patio, not only will you boost your home’s curb appeal, but increase the overall value of your property. Fixing any damaged eaves, broken handrails, or exploring some patio ceiling ideas are all excellent ways to maximize your front or back patio’s potential. 

Synthetic Countertops

A popular trend in custom home remodeling is using durable, long-lasting surfaces in place of typical surface choices. One popular design choice is quartz countertops, which are moisture and damage resistant. A lasting surface in any room of your home will increase your property value - but especially in a high-traffic room, that’s prone to moisture like the bathroom. 

Another growing trend in countertops is plywood design, which is a cost-effective and durable building method for under cabinets and shelves. 

New Doors & Windows

Installing new doors and windows can instantly boost your home’s curb appeal, value, and aesthetic. Choosing double hung vinyl windows, energy-efficient window types, and doors lower energy costs as well as improve your home’s appearance. 

The more energy-efficient your windows, the less your HVAC system will have to work, which is part of an overall care plan for your HVAC.

Energy Star Appliances

Energy-efficiency is more than a buzzword these days - it’s becoming the new standard! Dishwashers, laundry machines, ovens, thermostats, and even refrigerators are advancing with technology. Investing in energy-efficient appliances not only lowers your energy bills considerably but reduces your carbon footprint while increasing your home’s property value. Look for appliances with the “Energy Star” rating to ensure that you are getting the best value for your money. 

Upgraded HVAC

An upgraded HVAC system is one of the best things you can do to increase property value as well as the overall functionality of your home. An old or outdated HVAC system is not only a significant fire hazard, but it’s estimated that up to 40% of the air that is supposed to be piped into your home is escaping through leaks! Having your HVAC system upgraded and regularly serviced is very appealing to potential buyers, as the HVAC system is one of the home’s biggest and most expensive systems. 

Whether you are a homeowner looking to sell your home in the near future or ‘eventually,’ ensure that the investments you make in your home are worthwhile by opting for durable, high-quality, and sustainable building and design methods. 

Skylar Ross is a contributor to the Innovative Materials blog. He is a content writer for the construction and home improvement industries with an interest in landscaping, outdoor remodeling, and interior design. Skylar is focused on educating homeowners, contractors, and architects on innovative materials and methods of construction that increase property value, improve sustainability, and create a warm and welcoming ambiance.

If your house is going on the for-sale market, one of the first questions you should ask is, "Is my house ready for professional photos?" 

Let me help you with that by asking you this question - "What have you done to get ready for your photographer?"

Some of those overlooked things, that you see every day, stand out to other people.  Believe it or not, many of the kitchen items you use every day can be a distraction in the sale of your house!

The refrigerator is one of those items. I know everyone loves their pictures and memories placed on the frig with magnets. But during home showings, those things can make the kitchen look cluttered and actually smaller than what it is to a potential buyer.

The pictures below of the before and after below show how dramatic the difference can be. Kitchens are a huge part of the reason someone chooses to purchase a house.  You should do everything within your ability to make your kitchen shine!

Doing some simple picking up and organizing can change someone’s complete focus when they walk in the kitchen. 

I would even remove the towels from the stove.  Any little thing that you can do visually makes your space look newer and larger, and allows the buyer to picture themselves using this kitchen.

Apply the same thought process to the bathrooms and the bedrooms. The tops of all of the furniture, dressers, countertops. You want the buyer to be imagining their items in the spaces as they’re walking through. Your personal items - although you love them, distract buyers from seeing how your house is the perfect one for them. Who knows, you may love it so much, that you adopt the habit for your house in the future so you get to enjoy it yourself!

If you would like our list of items to check in your house before the photographer arrives, request the list in the comments below.

Real estate transactions are not always easy or issue-free. Having an experienced real estate agent helping you through the process of buying or selling a home is a must for an enjoyable experience.  Kyle Phelps and his family offer this video testimonial of their experience of selling two homes, building a new home, and purchasing their dream home in the woods!  They have used the Realtor services of Don & Cyndi for 5 years now.  

Here is was Kyle had to say...

"Hi Don & Cyndi, I hope you guys are doing well and 2021 is going great for you guys just like us! I wanted to send my testimonial videos to you guys from using your services during the last 5 years and hopefully, give some potential clients some idea of what you guys provide as far as services and how we’ve used your services in our lifetime. 

So go back to 2016, my wife and I were living in Kettering in a small Cape Cod home. We decided it was time to grow our family and we wanted to sell that home. During that process of trying to find a Realtor, we were able to find Don and Cindy to work with for the sale of that home. Within the same process, though, we use their services also to help construct our Ryan home in Bellbrook. Don was able to help us walk the process of things we could add on to our house, different services that Ryan would put into the home. And he was an awesome person for advice to talk to, talk through purchases or add-ons or things we could add on later for a better value for our family. So Don was very helpful in that process walking us through the construction of that home. And again we've never had that experience and it was helpful to have someone there that had been through it a few times. So Don with awesome to walk through that process with. And we built a beautiful home that we were very happy with it.

In 2019 we welcomed our son Jordan to our family and we decided we'd like to move again out of the Bellbrook area, and we wanted to land in Xenia Township with a little more acreage in a nice ranch-style home out in the middle of nowhere.  Which we are currently living in, and love, love, love this place. It is beautiful! 

The services again we're looking for were selling at home in Bellbrook and also purchase our home in Xenia Township and we are lucky enough to work with Don again with the sale. Their process kind of helps us out with staging homes. They have a service where they'll hook you up with a person to stage your house. And we thought that process was very helpful.  We also used that staging process in our Kettering home. We truly believed going that extra mile with staging our home really upped our value of our sale and we got top dollar for sale last April.

Then within buying house in Xenia we ran into a few obstacles as far as giving our septic system checked out and purchasing our home during a pandemic was an interesting process to go through. Don was right there with us, attending any meetings we had to check out the home. Home Inspections - Don was always willing to show up and ask questions that we may not be familiar with, but he knew the right questions asked and asked them to who.  And if we didn't get an answer he was always willing to follow up with that company and made sure that we got the best answer possible for our home. But also the best value too. 

Don sincere sincerely works his tails off for his clients, taking calls at all hours a night, meetings, anything you need in texts. He's very responsive. And also working with Cyndi too, she's there helping a long way as she helps out of Don, and they help each other. And it's an amazing tag team! 

So we were very lucky to work with Don & Cyndi during the purchases of homes and also sales of homes. And if we have to move again in the next year or so, I don't know we'll see, we'll definitely be calling Don & Cyndi.  So we appreciate it guys. We love the friendship we have with you.  Hopefully we won’t be selling a home anytime soon, but maybe you can come out and visit! Have a good one guys! Thank you!"

The excitement fills the air every time one of our listings closes!  New owners get the keys and sellers are free to move to their next property!  This one was especially rewarding!  This is the childhood home of a lady we have known since she was a teenager in our church's youth ministry.   She is married with children of her own, and her parents were ready to downsize.  She recommended us to her parents and now their Centerville home is sold after just a little over a month from first listing it for sale!

This Centerville home sat on 7/10ths of an acre and offered four bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. The spacious kitchen offered Corian countertops!  Bathrooms had been nicely updated. 

If you are looking for your next home in the Centerville/Washington Twp area check out the latest listings of Centerville Ohio Homes For Sale right here.