Dayton Fun Fact - The Pull Tab was Invented Here!
Do you remember these? The old style soda and beer can pull tabs? You’d need to be drinking soda or beer prior to 1980 to remember them. Did you know the pull tab was invented right here in little ol’ Dayton OH? That’s correct, Ermal (Ernie) Fraze was on a picnic with family and friends and had forgotten an opener for his beer. He ended up using a car bumper of all things to open cans. He thought, there must be a better way! Well, it just so happened he founded and owned a company downtown known as Dayton Reliable Tool Manufacturing. He started the company in 1949 with an 800.00 loan from his wife. You might recognize it now as DRT. Back then he started out milling metal novelties for Cracker Jack boxes. He put his engineering mind to work and came up with the idea of a tiny rivet to hold a ring on the perforated can top. It was an instant hit but there was one problem. Most people would discard the pull tab on the ground creating litter or drop the tab back into the can which created a choking hazard. Environmental pressures through the 1970’s ushered in the modern non-removable StaTab we see today on beverages. As a lifetime Daytonian and longtime Dayton Ohio Realtor - I enjoy sharing some of Dayton’s rich invention and manufacturing history with you!
Carpenter Ants in the Home?
Carpenter ants don’t actually eat the wood like a termite does but they use it for shelter and bore tunnels through it and can hollow it out. Both carpenter ants and termites swarm in the spring and are often confused by people as to which is which. There are a few body characteristics to keep in mind to help you easily distinguish one from the other. Ants have: A defined waist Bent or elbowed antennae If winged, they will have 4 wings with the 2 up front being longer than the hind Often seen in the daylight Termites have: No waist - straight bodied Straight antennae If winged, they will have 4 wings that are all the same size Avoid daylight The ants’ preference is for moist and or decaying wood. There are a few things you can do to make your home less enticing. Eliminate sources of moisture and repair any water leaks. Do not store firewood near the house or allow decaying wood/stumps to remain close to the home. Trim branches back off the house because ants can use these as a ‘sidewalk’ in. Seal all cracks and gaps you can find in the walls, around windows, foundation etc. Feel free to reach out with any home ownership or buying related questions!
July 2023 Dayton Housing Stats
The July 2023 Dayton housing numbers are in! For our purposes I’m not concerned about Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland etc, just what’s happening here in Dayton OH. As you can see New Listings are down almost 15% over July of 22. There are a number of factors causing this but a big one is that a lot of sellers are afraid to put their homes on the market for fear of not being able to find a suitable replacement. This vicious cycle has been going on for some time now. Overall home sales, single family and condo, are down over 22% vs this time last year! When inventory gets that low it drives up the price of the homes that are for sale, more buyers chasing fewer homes. This has resulted in a seller friendly 6.76% average sale price increase. These stats are for the entire Dayton OH area but if you want to know what it looks like in your specific neighborhood in Dayton just reach out, I’m always happy to discuss!
Categories
Recent Posts
