Patty Massare's blog

Forbes evaluated America’s 100 largest metro areas, factoring in median household income, cost of living, housing affordability, average commuting delays, crime rates, school quality, and the percentage of residents who own their home.

And go figure . . . Youngstown came in at #5!  Yeah Youngstown!

Considering just last year Youngstown ranked #20 on Forbes’ “Most Miserable Cities” list . . . I'd say we made a major move in the right direction!  Here are the top 5.

1. Raleigh, N.C.
2. Grand Rapids, Mich.
3. Ogden, Utah
4. Omaha, Neb.
5. Youngstown, Ohio

Read the report and get the complete list at Forbes.com 

Three more professional real estate agents have joined our staff, and we're pleased to welcome them to the Lakeside family.

Please contact them for all your real estate needs.

Jamie Bledsoe                    John Simoudis                      Karla Dee       

Over the past few months several great real estate agents joined our staff at Lakeside Realty.  We're taking this moment to welcome them all aboard, and express our appreciation for all their hard work and dedication.  Our team just keeps getting stronger and stronger.  Thanks everyone for your loyalty and trust.  We pledge to always do our best to help you achieve your goals.

FHA loans are mortgages that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which is an agency of the federal government within the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).  Because the mortgages are insured by FHA, protecting lenders against buyer default, lenders can offer FHA loans at attractive interest rates with more flexible and less stringent qualification requirements.  

Here are some facts you should know about FHA loans:

January 2014 real estate market numbers for Mahoning County, looking over the past 12 months, show little change from the previous 12-month period.

The most significant factor affecting the local market is low inventories.  The number of homes for buyers to choose from is at 10-year historic lows.

To read the full report with all the graphs, provided courtesy of the Youngstown-Columbiana Association of REALTORS®, click on the attachment link below this post.