Dayton Fun Facts: Birthplace of the Cheez-It

In 1897 a cracker company called the Green and Green Company started small scale on Dayton’s North Main Street. They were making a cracker known as Dayton Crackers which were sold over much of Ohio. The company grew and needed a larger factory.  They built a then state-of-the-art 5 story building that had  electric light, ventilation, a laundry room, restrooms, elevator and a glass door entrance. It was located in Dayton’s historic Edgemont neighborhood at the corner of Cincinnati St and Concord just north of UD arena. The product line evolved and on May 23, 1921 the Cheez-It was born and just two years later they were producing 4400 crackers a minute to meet demand!  The company was bought and sold several times over the years and is now made by the Kellogg Company.  America’s iconic orange cracker is now over 100 years old and is another Dayton, Ohio invention known worldwide. As a lifelong Daytonian and local Dayton area realtor, I enjoy sharing our interesting past with future clients looking to make Dayton home

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Real Estate Title Insurance

Title insurance provides protection from defects in a real estate title. So, you are getting ready to close on a home and the title search you paid good money for shows the title is clean with no issues. Your lender is requiring that you also ( as part of your closing costs) pay for title insurance to cover them. Why? The title is clean? Is this just a money grab for the lender and title co?   Title searches are not infallible and the lender knows it and won’t take the chance of not being covered. Even the best, most comprehensive title search in the world can’t uncover certain issues that can cause problems later. Suppose someone forged a document or deed on a prior sale. That could never be detected by a title search but if a lawsuit is filed because of it, you are left to cover the cost of defending your interest in the real estate on your own dime. You’ll have no luck recovering from the title company in this instance. Fraud, clerical errors, boundary disputes, undisclosed heirs and a number of other issues is where the right kind of title insurance can kick in to protect your interest.     Title insurance that covers the lender is aptly named Lender’s Title Insurance. This does not cover the buyer. There is Owner’s Title Insurance for that. It’s an extra charge but at a reduced rate if you are already buying Lender’s Title Insurance. Title companies here in the Dayton, Ohio area will allow you to consider Owner’s Title up to 30 days after closing at the reduced rate.  After that, a new title search will have to be done as well. The cost of this insurance is state mandated so the price is the same everywhere. The fee varies depending on the price of the home and loan amount, there are multiple online calculators to plug and chug if you want to know the cost.  Feel free to reach out with any and all real estate related questions that come to mind!

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Realtor Tips: Mold Testing and Real Estate Sales

Mold is a four letter word when it comes to real estate sales. If you want to get a mold test when purchasing a home there are a couple of things to keep in mind.  Mold spores are pretty much everywhere and the real estate sales contract we use in the Dayton OH area makes reference to that fact. Secondly, there are no state or federal standards regarding results of samples. There are no recommended exposure limits so the lab will provide feedback on what’s considered ‘elevated’ levels or ‘normal’ levels. Most people are surprised by this lack of definitive thresholds when testing for mold in a home.   Instead, mold samples are taken outside the home and compared to those samples taken inside. Results from inside the home should yield a lower concentration of spores than outside and be of the same types. Finding either higher concentrations of spores inside or spore types different than those found outside may point to a source of mold within the home.   When I’m selling homes in the Dayton area I typically see two types of mold testing done. Air samples and tape/swab samples. Air sampling involves a special pump that draws a metered amount of air across a cassette to be analyzed. Tape or swab involves physically touching/wiping an area to be analyzed in the lab. Expect to pay in the vicinity of $300 - $500. I’m always happy to assist and advise when this issue arises, just reach out to me. 

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