What is Behind 'DOM' in Homes for Sale

Real estate blogger Wendy Kunash talks about what 'days on market' actually means for a home.

How Much Are Homes Selling For on Your Street?

Look through our searchable database for sales and transfers in the Mayfield-Hillcrest communities and the rest of Cuyahoga County in December.

Want to know how much that home down the street sold for? Thinking of putting your house on the market soon?  See how much properties in your neighborhood are selling for by using our searchable database above. Close to 4,000 properties were sold or otherwise transferred during that time across all of Cuyahoga County.  The information in the database is for the month of December 2012 and was provided by the Cuyahoga County Fiscal office. You can search by city, zip code or street address. For the address, just type in the name of the street—you don’t need to include the suffix, direction or street number.

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Looking for a three-bedroom home in Highland Heights? Here's a pair to tour.

Take a YouTube video tour of these homes for sale.

Three-bedroom, 2.1-bath home at 1012 Oakview Drive, Highland Heights Three bedroom, three-bath home at 5539 Roy Road, Highland Heights.

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Cape Cod Colonial Updated with Theater in Lower Level

The newer home's elegant basement has been finished for comfortable living and entertaining.

According to the listing on AOL Real Estate, the sensational lower level has a theater, an exercise room, guest suite, full bath, and private workshop room. Built in 1992, the 5 bedroom 4 bathroom is on 2.82 acres of land. The asking price is $600,000. Located at 7910 Battles Road, Gates Mills, the home is designed with Cape Cod details including checkered and hardwood floors throughout. Jody Saks is the listing agent. Contact him at (216) 314-5862.  

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Coffered Ceilings in Neoclassic Colonial

The lavish colonial has magnificent coffer and vaulted ceilings.

According to the listing on AOL Real Estate, this neoclassic English Georgian colonial is set on 3.16 acres of manicured land. The 4 bedroom and 6 bathroom home is 4,900 square feet and is located at 1739 Chartley Road, Gates Mills. The listing price is $995,000. French doors, detailed wainscoting, coffered ceilings and wide-planked wooden floors are found throughout the first floor. The kitchen was custom designed by Faralli and features bay windowed eating area, an spacious island, limestone floors and high end appliances. The great room includes a stately fireplace, rich millwork and jewel toned décor throughout. Marcy A. Capadona of is the listing agent. Contact her at (855) 424-8867.

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Gracious Colonial Has Classic Front Porch

Situated on a hill the home combines elegance and grace.

According to the listing on AOL Real Estate, the front porch classic Gates Mills colonial exudes grace and charm. Nestled high on a knoll, it has panoramic views of Chagrin Valley. Located at 1249 Chagrin River Road, Gates Mills, the 4 bedroom and 5 bathroom home was built in 1910 and sits on 12 acres of land. The listing price is $1,790,000. Each room exudes grace, elegance and charm. An intimate library with a fireplace is included. The all white kitchen has a morning room. The master suite located on the second floor includes a private bathroom. The formal family room includes an elegant fireplace with exquisite crown molding. The property also includes a inground pool, pool house, entertainment pavilion and additional buildings. Adam …

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New Jersey-based Builder Takes Over 41 Lots in Highland Heights

K. Hovnanian Homes paid $1.6 million for six undeveloped acres and 41 home-site lots in Aberdeen golf course community.

Check Out Homes for Sale in Mayfield-Hillcrest Patch

Take a virtual tour of homes listed for sale on YouTube.

Here's a listing of homes for sale in the Mayfield-Hillcrest area this week: 666 Echo Dr., Gates Mills 692 Miner Rd., Highland Heights 454 Dornoch Lane, Highland Heights, OH 44143    

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Closing Costs: How to Avoid a Last-Minute Surprise

Closing costs are a standard part of every home purchase, but a good real estate agent can help you avoid any unpleasant surprises

Don’t let the term “closing costs” mislead you. You’d do well to think about them before you start house-hunting, not after you’ve made an offer on your dream home. There’s one good reason for this: You might have wiped out your savings with the down payment, leaving you with no cash to pay the long list of fees associated with securing your loan. Depending on your lender, closing costs can include fees for the loan application, costs of document preparation or appraisal, a credit report, wire transfers, a title search, title insurance, a property survey, municipal fees, tax stamps and many other charges, and they  add up quickly. Closing costs on a $200,000 house in Bankrate.com’s annual national survey averaged $3,741 in 2011, with New …

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Selling Short: Avoiding Foreclosure the Hard Way

Although it's not common in the Greater Cleveland area, short selling is often resorted to when home values fall and homeowners find themselves owing more than their property is worth.

Avoiding foreclosure is a good thing, right? The mortgage-holders save money; the homeowner saves face and maybe even some credit rating points; and the neighborhood escapes the stigma that foreclosure brings. The Obama administration has even encouraged lenders to avoid foreclosing on financially distressed homeowners by allowing short sales – meaning the lender accepts less for a property than the borrower owes. Lenders haven’t exactly jumped in with both feet, as the numbers show. From July through September 2011, foreclosures in Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Ashtabula, Geauga and Summit counties outnumbered short sales about 24 to 1. There were 478 short sales during that period, compared to 11,744 auctions, according to the Northern…

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