Historic Homes of Northern Kentucky, Boone County, Gaines House
January 25th, 2012 § Leave a Comment
The Christmas Tree Lot
December 13th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Everyone has a favorite Christmas tree lot. Sometimes it’s the guy in the corner of the parking lot with lights strung up with 2×4′s. It’s been many years but as a kid we used to trek through the hills the weekend before Christmas until we found the perfect tree. I remember one particular year that Mom, or maybe it was Dad, had the brilliant idea that we would dig one up and replant it in the yard in January. I must have been 5 or 6 years old but I clearly remember Dad loading the trunk with shovels, a pick ax, an old tarp and mom filling a thermos with hot chocolate and one with coffee. So Dad and I set out in the 1968 Oldsmobile Delta 88 on a Saturday morning adventure. Of course the frozen soil was has hard as concrete, a natural grown pine tree has extremely deep roots, and a 6 foot tree always turns out to be 10 feet when you have the root ball attached at the bottom. (insert scene from the movie Christmas Vacation here). It was way past dark, a full 6-7 hours after we found the perfect tree when we arrived back at home. Mom was ready to send out a search party and was none to happy until she realized that Dad was way past the point of totally losing his temper. Knowing fully, by this point, that the perfect tree was never going to fit in the living room unless we… yes, you guessed it. We took a saw and cut the roots off. I learned some new words that day that Mom was none to happy about. I think that was our last “live tree”. After that adventure it was quite obvious that paying the extra for a tree lot tree, cut or live, was worth every penny.
Those childhood memories were great for reminiscing but we’ve created new memories at a great little local Christmas tree lot where selecting a tree is easy, the folks are friendly as family and your shouldn’t have to worry about your toes being frost bitten. Our favorite Tree lot the Deaton’s Nursery and Florist in Independence, Ky, just north of Simon Kenton High School.
Independence Ky. Christmas Walk and Parade 2011
December 5th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
We had a wonderful time at the 2011 Independence Christmas Walk and Parade. Here’s a photo of our float
Northern Kentucky Household Hazardous Waste Collection 11/5/11
November 1st, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Event: Household Waste Collection Event
Time: 9:00 AM-2:00 PM
Date: Saturday, November 05, 2011
Location: Turfway Park, 7500 Turfway Rd. Florence, KY 41042
Description: The Northern Kentucky Solid Waste Management Area and the Northern Kentucky Household Hazardous Waste Action Coalition are joining forces to help you properly dispose of unwanted items. Residents of Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties can drop off select items on Saturday, November 5th from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Turfway Park in Florence, KY.
Collection details and restrictions are as follows:
Aerosol Cans – all aerosol cans will be accepted – excluding spray paint
Antifreeze – antifreeze only, no mixtures will be accepted
Batteries – all batteries will be accepted, including: Alkaline, Ni Cad, Lithium, Lead Acid, etc.
Bulbs – CFL bulbs, 4 ft. tubes and 8 ft. tubes will be accepted
Corrosives/Flammables – no ammunition, gun powder explosives or radioactive items will be accepted; fuel and kerosene will be accepted
Electronics – computers, TVs, laptops, cables, cameras, VCRs, monitors, keyboards, printers, cell phones, etc.
Ink Cartridges/Toner – any ink or toner cartridge that comes out of a printer, copier or fax machine will be accepted
Oil – used motor oil, hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid and brake fluid will be accepted
Paint – all types of paint will be accepted
Paper – documents to be shredded
Pesticides – 2 gallon/2 lbs. limit
Propane Tanks – only 20 lbs. tanks will be accepted
Appliances, fertilizer, mercury containing devices or tires will NOT be accepted.
All residents who plan to drop of items must complete a registration form and bring it on the day of the event. This completed form will help with the flow of traffic and will reduce your waiting time. To download a copy of the event flyer and registration form, please click here. This event will take place rain or shine.
HUD to offer $100 down payment houses in Kentucky
October 31st, 2011 § 1 Comment
This is one of the most aggressive economic recovery moves if seen come across my desk in 3 or more years. REALTORS could be selling houses if we could get buyers financed. Down payments are still one the biggest road blocks we’re facing. This is no fix but its a step in the right direction. Actually, there are not too many HUD properties to choose from in Northern Kentucky.
Now, if we could just get unemployment under control..
HUD Offers REO Homes for $100 Down in Select States
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Texas
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Utah
Atlanta Homeownership Center’s Jurisdiction:Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Illinois
Indiana
Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Caribbean
HUD’s $100 down payment incentive program can also be applied to an FHA 203k loan, which can be used to fund repairs and renovations on the home. The 203k program allows buyers to finance both the mortgage and additional money for rehabilitation needs with a single government-insured loan.Matt Martin, CEO of Matt Martin Real Estate Management (MMREM), says this is one of the most exciting features of the new incentive program and should drive a lot of exposure to FHA’s 203k offering.
MMREM is under contract with HUD to assist with disposition sales of its repossessed homes. MMREM handles properties throughout 16 states, or about a third of HUD’s REO portfolio.
With an FHA 203k loan, “buyers can find a property that needs some TLC, fix it up however they want to, and finance the whole thing for $100,” Martin explained.
“MMREM is excited to work with this recent initiative, in a way that it supports putting HUD homes back into the hands of homeowners,” Martin said.
In addition to $100 down instead of FHA’s typical 3.5 percent down payment, HUD says it will also cover up to 3 percent of the closing costs in most cases.
