Invest in Vacation Property with Our Beautiful Indian Lake Cottages for Sale

Indian Lake is a very popular vacation spot. People come from all over the country for its exceptional campground, boating and swimming facilities. If you've visited the area, then you've likely seen some Indian Lake cottages for sale. Now, we don't normally think of vacation properties as investment opportunities, but they can be one of the best investments to make. Indian Lake cottages for sale can definitely be an investment to think about.

Advantages of Indian Lake Cottages for Sale

Apart from the obvious benefits of having a permanent vacation destination in a beautiful rural setting like Indian Lake, owning a vacation property has other advantages for savvy investors.

Tangible Use

A vacation property is an asset that has practical uses. Of course you can rent it out, but you can also use it yourself at your convenience. It's not just sitting there, unused. Rental income is always welcome, and less disruptive in a second home.

Rise in Value

Looking at Indian Lake cottages for sale, you can be sure that they will rise in value over time. Especially when the market is in speculation mode, the value increase can be phenomenal.

Potential Retirement Home

Many buyers are buying second homes early in life, and not waiting for retirement. If this is your plan, then you'll know in good time whether the area is where you want to retire. And you'll be comfortable with the location, not to mention that you'll probably have paid off the mortgage by then too. There are many benefits to retiring in Indian Lake, especially in an Indian Lake cottage of your dreams.

Buyer's Market

Bad news for sellers but good news for you if you're considering Indian Lake cottages for sale. Vacation property prices have been depressed, so the timing couldn't be any better. If you've thought about investing in vacation property, now is the time to start looking.

Risks of Buying Vacation Property

Like with any property, buying a vacation property comes with its own set of risks. Typically, vacation homes have wider price swings. During real estate boom times, vacation homes can shoot up in price much faster than residential property, and conversely it can fall much faster too.

There are also income tax considerations. The IRS has specific rules regarding vacation properties. The number of days that you occupy a vacation property for personal use is what classifies it as a vacation home or an investment property. This makes a difference on whether you can deduct mortgage interest and real estate taxes on your income tax return, or whether you can deduct all expenses.

Buying a vacation property in an appealing spot like Indian Lake can be tempting. There are many great homes for sale here,
and you're bound to find one you love. Keep the risks in mind and you'll make a great investment.

Speak with a qualified Indian Lake Real Estate Agent today
to get a tour of the available Indian Lake Cottages for Sale that might interest you!

Questions to Ask Your Indian Lake Ohio Real Estate Agent

You have a great home in Indian Lake that you're looking to sell. Your logical first step if you want to be successful is to speak with an Indian Lake Ohio real estate agent. What do you ask them? Most sellers don't go beyond asking how much will they get for the property, and what the commission will be. That should only be the first of many questions you should be asking any real estate agent, before you choose to list your property with them. Here are some questions to get you started.

Experience

This may seem like an obvious initial question, but surprisingly a lot of sellers don't ask agents about their experience in the market. When you first start talking to an Indian Lake Ohio real estate agent, go ahead and ask them how long they've been in the business, how many listings they typically handle. Selling your home in Indian Lake is an important and expensive transaction, so you should find an agent with enough sales under their belt to comfortably handle your needs. Choice Properties real estate agents are award-winning pros that have been in the Indian Lake market for years.

Marketing

Any agent you pick should come up with a marketing plan for your listing. Homes don't sell themselves, they need to be marketed. Ask your agent what their philosophy is for selling, and what steps will they take once they've accepted your listing. Don't be shy to ask about their previous marketing campaigns. Do they work with a professional photographer to take quality photos? How about a virtual tour? These things are increasingly important when buyers shop around.

Both Sides Of The Transaction

Some agents work with both the buyer and the seller, and others will rep either the buyer or the seller but not both. You can find out what the agent prefers, and what would happen if they repped both sides of the transaction. It's not always a conflict of interest, but clients can end up feeling like they don't know whose interest the agent is really looking out for.  Ask questions and be honest so that you develop a trustworthy relationship with your real estate agent.

Home Loans

Does your Indian Lake Ohio real estate agent have a good grasp of home financing issues? A buyer will likely need a loan and any issues that arise from the process of seeking financing can make or break a transaction. A good agent might be able to salvage the deal if issues pop up at the last minute.

At the end of the day, most sellers hire an agent on their gut feeling. And of course it's important for you to feel comfortable with your Indian Lake Ohio real estate agent. Taking the approach of treating your first meeting with them as an initial interview and asking all of these questions will help you reach the right decision on who to pick.

For more information about our award winning real estate agents at Choice Properties, give us a call!

How to Run a Logan County Ohio Property Search

When you're looking to buy a house in Logan County, there are some standard searches that you should perform to locate available properties. A good Logan County Ohio property search should be able to find out fairly easily what's on the market, whether there is a lien on the house you want, or if it's up for foreclosure or other special circumstances relevant to making an offer to buy. It may seem that this information is difficult to find, but in reality it's not.  Especially when your favorite Logan County real estate agents are here to help you out!

Researching Properties in Logan County Ohio

You can conduct a Logan County Ohio property search if you are interested in purchasing a home from a private owner, or a bank owned foreclosure property. It's also worth your while to perform a title search. A title search will verify who the current owner of the property is, and disclose any additional liens. Getting this information will help protect you, as the potential buyer, from purchasing a property that might come with additional issues attached to it.

The title search process is not as complicated as it sounds. As a matter of fact, all property records are public and anyone can run a title search. Your first step is to conduct a Logan County Ohio property search for the title is to go to the Tax Assessor's office. This will be where you can obtain specific information about the property you're interested in. The property tax record will usually include a description of the property and the lot number as well.

The next step in the process is to contact the County Clerk, which is where you'll find the title and deed for your prospective property. Here you can use the information from the Tax Assessor's office to look up the book and page number for the property.

Making title searches a part of your due diligence is important, as not only will you confirm the title holder, you can also check on liens. A lien on a house is a legal claim against the property. It gives creditors a stake in the home and a way to collect debts owed to them. There are two types of liens that can be placed against a property. A voluntary lien is a lien the homeowner agrees to — like a mortgage. An involuntary lien is typically placed on a property due to unpaid obligations like a tax bill or a home improvement invoice. As a buyer, you will want to know if the property has any involuntary liens against it. While a property can most certainly be sold with an involuntary lien on it, most buyers will not want to purchase it, and lenders will not want to offer loans for it either.

As you can see, running a Logan County Ohio property search can be revealing. You will want to learn everything you can about the home you eventually buy, and running the search will give you peace of mind you need to do so.

You can find the perfect property in Logan County by looking through the listings on offer at www.cprealestate.com.

10 Benefits of Living in the City of Bellefontaine Ohio

The City of Bellefontaine in Ohio is the seat of Logan County. For centuries before settlers founded the town, it had been the home of many Native Americans tribes including the Miami and the Shawnee. Bellefontaine was officially laid out on March 20th 1820 and has been the quintessential Midwestern small town ever since. Some of the numerous benefits of living in the city of Bellefontaine are:

Rich History

In the 1890s the city of Bellefontaine became a major railroad town, when the big four cities of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and St. Louis made it one of their main terminals. Bellefontaine hosted the largest roundhouse between New York and St. Louis during those days. Presently, it is the center of Honda's operations in the US and home to many Honda suppliers.

Small Communities

All over America small towns are prospering. Bellefontaine is no exception. There are charms to living in a small town, like knowing your neighbors and attending community events where a large portion of the town is present. It's got plenty of cute historical curiosities as well. For example, the city of Bellefontaine has the oldest concrete street in America, and the shortest street in the world at only 15 feet long. Living in a small town is like nothing else, and Bellefontaine personifies the experience.

Lower Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate in Bellefontaine is 4.10% as compared to the national average of 5.20. Job growth is positive and jobs have increased by 2.56%.

Lower Cost Of Living

Compared to the rest of the country, Bellefontaine's cost of living is 18.50% lower than the national average. This makes buying a home in Bellefontaine and raising a family more affordable. You can enjoy more of life's extras when the cost of everything is lower.

Low Crime Rates

According to recent statistics, Bellefontaine is safer than 11% of the cities in the country. The violent crime numbers are very low, and fatal attacks are at 0%.

Real Estate

Speaking of homes, the median home cost in the city of Bellefontaine is $90,000, while to rent a house averages out to $700, both lower than the national average.

Public Schools

Bellefontaine public schools spend $18,316 per student. Compare this to the average school expenditure in the U.S., which is $12,383. The students per teacher ratio is 16.3.

Education Levels

Approximately 47% of the residents of the city of Bellefontaine have a high school diploma, while 22% have an associates degree. College graduates with Bachelors degrees are at 12% and some 6% have Masters degrees.

Places To Visit

The city has numerous places to visit nearby like Piatt Castles, which has been a popular destination for over 100 years. There's also the Mad River Mountain Ski Resort, and the Ohio Caverns, which are some of the country's most visited destinations. Whether you live down the street or across the country, you will find something special nestled in the beautiful countryside around the city of Bellefontaine.

Proximity

The city of Bellefontaine is only about an hour away from Columbus and less than 3 hours away from Cleveland. So you have all the charms of small town living, with all the amenities of the big cities within reach.

...and if that isn't enough we also have some great restaurants in bellefontaine Ohio. You can read about some of them in this article.

If you're curious to explore the beautiful properties for sale in the City of Bellefontaine and beyond,

Consult with one of our award-winning real estate agents and let's get you and your family in a new home!