So we had an unexpected visit from Animal Control today. Officer Don Griess stopped by to check out the area, apparently he met with our neighbors yesterday. We learned some interesting stuff.
1> It's illegal for our neighbors to run their clothes washer outside from a hose and dump the waste water out into the street. (Yes, they actually do this.)
2> 90% of the raccoons, red foxes, possums and bats in the area are turning up rabid.
I had no idea that rabies was so bad in the area. So just an FYI from Don and the kind folks at Animal Control: stay away from the critters. Especially if you see them in the daytime... these fellas are supposed to be nocturnal, and if they're out and about in the day... they're really sick.
btw: Don told us about this video someone in Covington made of him catching a beaver on the banks of the Ohio, down near Duveneck Park.
Damn that's a big beaver.
Towards the end you can see it was so heavy it broke the pole.
DH Addendum: This is Don's ringtone on his cell.
Welcome to those who came here from Hooked on Houses Bog Party
Showing posts with label Covington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Covington. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
This Old House Loves Covington!
This Old House' honors
By Mike Rutledge
mrutledge@nky.com
"Houses here are beautiful, solid and cheap," touts the television program's Web site. "
Covington Historic Preservation Officer Beth Johnson prefers the word "affordable" rather than cheap, because the homes - many of them constructed with bricks, and many 100-plus years old - were built to last, with both flair and sturdy craftsmanship.
"You can go down a street and see large amounts of intact historic fabric," Johnson said. "You can go block for block and see another beautiful Italianate, then you see a Queen Anne, then you see a
Another big thing is "the people who fill the houses," Johnson said, and the active neighborhood associations "that automatically make you feel welcome, because they're out there talking to you."
You're not just buying a house, she said: "You're buying a neighborhood, and you're buying a great place to live."
"We have a lot of historic buildings, and I think we're beginning to become more and more recognized for that," said Aaron Wolfe-Bertling,
Wolfe-Bertling lives in
http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090624/NEWS0103/906250349
While we're at it, don't forget you can Buy This House!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Seminary Square Holiday Tour
Technically, we're two doors away from Seminary Square, but they're still our neighbors. Check it out. Wonderful homes.
COVINGTON -- Nine homes, one garden and a converted church that is now used as an office building in Covington's Old Seminary Square neighborhood will be open for the second annual Old Seminary Square Christmas Walk, 5-8 p.m. Dec. 7.
The neighborhood features Victorian architecture - from townhouses to sprawling mansions.
Members of the Holmes High School Choir will be performing Christmas carols through the evening.
Tickets, $15, will be sold at the rear of 1018 Russell St., which is at the southeast corner of Robbins and Russell streets.
Parking will be available at John G. Carlisle School, Banklick and Robbins streets, a half-block west of the ticket office.
COVINGTON -- Nine homes, one garden and a converted church that is now used as an office building in Covington's Old Seminary Square neighborhood will be open for the second annual Old Seminary Square Christmas Walk, 5-8 p.m. Dec. 7.
The neighborhood features Victorian architecture - from townhouses to sprawling mansions.
Members of the Holmes High School Choir will be performing Christmas carols through the evening.
Tickets, $15, will be sold at the rear of 1018 Russell St., which is at the southeast corner of Robbins and Russell streets.
Parking will be available at John G. Carlisle School, Banklick and Robbins streets, a half-block west of the ticket office.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Great Property
One of these properties is quite close to ours and I have been through it. I think it's a good house, with a yard and off street parking. In fact, I tried to buy it.
This home is two doors from Seminary Square Historic District. Close to Mainstrasse but far enough away so that noise isn't an issue. I-75 is only 5 blocks away which means again, close but far enough away from the noise. This is not many blocks from the river, and just a stone's throw from shopping, dining, and entertainment. One can walk most places one might need to go.
Don't take any of these prices as gospel either. It's often not a matter of how much, but a matter of "who." Make them an offer that makes sense to you and see what happens.
Covington Properties
| Roger Bell or Rhonda Wood | |
| 859.292.2188 | |
Contact Roger Bell at 859-292-2188
If you are looking to buy and renovate and LIVE IN a great property at a great price in a great, happening neighborhood, check out 226. The city is all about creating owner occupied properties out of sound brick derelicts. And some aren't even derelicts. Many are much smaller projects than ours.
There are some financial incentives available, too. $6000 CARD Grant, Possible city financing help, and of course the $8,000 in federal money for first time home buyers.
These are better than foreclosures and could be fantastic investments. Plus, this is a great, convenient neighborhood.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Copy Cat?
If what we're doing sounds like fun, you might find a project for yourself in our very happening area. You can follow our lead.
Here's one great resource Covington Properties.
Of course, just driving around Covington can give you some options too.
There may be financing incentives and low interest loans for owner-occupied properties. I suspect that prices are negotiable in the current environment, too. In fact, I'm confident that many properties can be purchased for less than one could build them.
If you need a contact person, just ask.
Oh, and note well, many of the properties are in better shape than ours was.
If you're looking for step-by step guidance, you might want to start with our Rehab Manual entries.
Here's one great resource Covington Properties.
Of course, just driving around Covington can give you some options too.
There may be financing incentives and low interest loans for owner-occupied properties. I suspect that prices are negotiable in the current environment, too. In fact, I'm confident that many properties can be purchased for less than one could build them.
If you need a contact person, just ask.
Oh, and note well, many of the properties are in better shape than ours was.
If you're looking for step-by step guidance, you might want to start with our Rehab Manual entries.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Credit Where Credit is Due
When this project got going, it had all the earmarks of a potential disaster. First, you have a conservative bank, negotiating with a city bureaucracy, mix in a non-standard loan requirement and a set of riskier rehab loans, and then top it all off with the worst mortgage crisis that this country has seen since the depression.
What do you call it? Fiasco Flambe'?
As a matter of fact, no. Every step of the way, our banker, Mark Koenig and our contacts at the City, Roger, Rhonda, Archie, Tom, and Ashley have managed to be responsive and flexible. I would have bet you dollars to dough nuts that given what problems arose, we'd have failed to put this deal together.
I would have lost that bet.
We are now owners of a rehab project.
It was simply amazing, to my mind. If you have a rehab project that you want to get funded in Covington, call Mark Koenig at Advantage Bank at: 859-363-2820.
I don't think you'll find a nicer, more ethical, more thorough guy. No smoke up your skirt from that guy, and nothing but the straight dope. Advantage Bank, too, is very committed to redevelopment in Covington. They've priced their loans and fees very competitively. They also hold much of their own paper, which at this point is a major advantage given the banking and lending mess.
What do you call it? Fiasco Flambe'?
As a matter of fact, no. Every step of the way, our banker, Mark Koenig and our contacts at the City, Roger, Rhonda, Archie, Tom, and Ashley have managed to be responsive and flexible. I would have bet you dollars to dough nuts that given what problems arose, we'd have failed to put this deal together.
I would have lost that bet.
We are now owners of a rehab project.
It was simply amazing, to my mind. If you have a rehab project that you want to get funded in Covington, call Mark Koenig at Advantage Bank at: 859-363-2820.
I don't think you'll find a nicer, more ethical, more thorough guy. No smoke up your skirt from that guy, and nothing but the straight dope. Advantage Bank, too, is very committed to redevelopment in Covington. They've priced their loans and fees very competitively. They also hold much of their own paper, which at this point is a major advantage given the banking and lending mess.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Rehab As it Should Be
Last night, we took a perusal of "The Brooklyn Townhomes". This is a set of recently renovated town homes, here in Covington. One block from The Ascent at Roebling.
These are sexy and they honor the history of the buildings. They're also BIG. 3,000 square feet. Big foot prints. Rooms that a man can move around in. Wonderful wood. Also a lot less than high-end housing elsewhere.
Check out the listing here:
The Brooklyn Townhomes
If you're looking for low maintenance, high sex-appeal living, walking distance from Cincinnati, and with a $1,000,000 view from the roof, this is IT.
M
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Toughest Job in Town
I've been speaking with the city's historic preservation officer, Ashley recently. Ashley is nice, dedicated, and very smart (recently competed on Jeopardy!--I think she wuz robbed). I also think that Ashley has to have one of the toughest jobs in town.
"Huh? How hard can being the historic preservation officer be?"
Well, think about this: Ashley's job is to PRESERVE the historic integrity of this wonderful city. How does one do that?
By saying, "No"
That means when people get a permit to "improve" their home in a historic district with glass block windows, she has to tell them that they can't. As it turns out, in a historic district, there's a lot that one can't do. Basically, if you are replacing something, you have to do it with original materials in most contexts. That can be expensive, sometimes prohibitively expensive. Also, it may well be counter to what the homeowner envisioned.
So, Ashley, all too often gets to be the "spoiler". She has to be the bad guy. What kind of fun is that?
In every other business, if you do a good job, for the most part people will be happy with you. Maybe folks will even praise you. Probably not Ashley, though. I imagine that she gets mostly resistance, anger, frustration, outright obstruction, and accusations of bias and unfairness.
And I understand how folks must feel. It's their property, after all, and one usually buys property because one wants all the rights of ownership--not to be told what they can and can't do. Also, folks have to often think it's terribly unfair to be picking nits over the muntins on the windows, when the neighbor is an ugly pre-fabricated pawn shop or a nasty crack house with no gutters at all, let alone wooden box-gutters.
The thing is, the historic preservation officer only gets to "preserve" in certain instances. New construction in historic zones, major renovations in historic zones, and when city or HUD money is being used on a historic property (and probably one or two other instances that I'm not aware of). They have to use every window of opportunity to try to save the history and integrity of the wonderful architecture of this town, and there aren't that many chances.
The good news is that longer-term, those seemingly horrific intrusions into your property rights have some nice pay-offs. I've seen what happens when the history is preserved in a neighborhood. Drive up and down the Licking Riverside district. In my memory, this area was once pretty scary and it had to have seemed crazy to expend much effort to preserve the history back then. But now, it's still here and mostly restored, and it's a draw. It's beautiful, and it's tougher and longer lasting than many realized. Folks come here just to see the history. Property values are "robust" and that rewards the long suffering home owner. Additionally, often the quality and wisdom of the original materials and design are far superior to anything it might be replaced with.
Also of note, home owners and prospective home owners and rehabbers would be well advised to research their property's status. Is the property in a Historic Overlay Zone? Are there restrictions? Will there be any city or HUD money used? If so, it will make a lot of sense to get in touch with the historic preservation officer. Find out what can be done and what can't be done FIRST, before commitments and plans are made. When you know what you're getting into, it's a lot easier to work with the preservation officer instead of feeling like you're at odds.
And Ashley, there will be legions of future homeowners who will be eternally grateful that the 120 year old, old growth, irreplaceable windows and sashes were saved and preserved. They will have heard their neighbors cursing the cheap vinyl windows that are failing after 10 years and be glad you were here, fighting the good fight. I know I am.
"Huh? How hard can being the historic preservation officer be?"
Well, think about this: Ashley's job is to PRESERVE the historic integrity of this wonderful city. How does one do that?
By saying, "No"
That means when people get a permit to "improve" their home in a historic district with glass block windows, she has to tell them that they can't. As it turns out, in a historic district, there's a lot that one can't do. Basically, if you are replacing something, you have to do it with original materials in most contexts. That can be expensive, sometimes prohibitively expensive. Also, it may well be counter to what the homeowner envisioned.
So, Ashley, all too often gets to be the "spoiler". She has to be the bad guy. What kind of fun is that?
In every other business, if you do a good job, for the most part people will be happy with you. Maybe folks will even praise you. Probably not Ashley, though. I imagine that she gets mostly resistance, anger, frustration, outright obstruction, and accusations of bias and unfairness.
And I understand how folks must feel. It's their property, after all, and one usually buys property because one wants all the rights of ownership--not to be told what they can and can't do. Also, folks have to often think it's terribly unfair to be picking nits over the muntins on the windows, when the neighbor is an ugly pre-fabricated pawn shop or a nasty crack house with no gutters at all, let alone wooden box-gutters.
The thing is, the historic preservation officer only gets to "preserve" in certain instances. New construction in historic zones, major renovations in historic zones, and when city or HUD money is being used on a historic property (and probably one or two other instances that I'm not aware of). They have to use every window of opportunity to try to save the history and integrity of the wonderful architecture of this town, and there aren't that many chances.
The good news is that longer-term, those seemingly horrific intrusions into your property rights have some nice pay-offs. I've seen what happens when the history is preserved in a neighborhood. Drive up and down the Licking Riverside district. In my memory, this area was once pretty scary and it had to have seemed crazy to expend much effort to preserve the history back then. But now, it's still here and mostly restored, and it's a draw. It's beautiful, and it's tougher and longer lasting than many realized. Folks come here just to see the history. Property values are "robust" and that rewards the long suffering home owner. Additionally, often the quality and wisdom of the original materials and design are far superior to anything it might be replaced with.
Also of note, home owners and prospective home owners and rehabbers would be well advised to research their property's status. Is the property in a Historic Overlay Zone? Are there restrictions? Will there be any city or HUD money used? If so, it will make a lot of sense to get in touch with the historic preservation officer. Find out what can be done and what can't be done FIRST, before commitments and plans are made. When you know what you're getting into, it's a lot easier to work with the preservation officer instead of feeling like you're at odds.
And Ashley, there will be legions of future homeowners who will be eternally grateful that the 120 year old, old growth, irreplaceable windows and sashes were saved and preserved. They will have heard their neighbors cursing the cheap vinyl windows that are failing after 10 years and be glad you were here, fighting the good fight. I know I am.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Covington Rocks
Actually, not just Covington, but much of the rest of Northern Ky, too.
To start, the DMV Rocks! I know, you think I'm nuts. I'm a former Ohioan. I would have thought I was nuts too. But let me tell you, the folks at the Kenton Co. Clerk's office are wonderful. First, they are thorough. When you call and ask what is needed to transfer a title or get new plates, or whatever, they tell you EVERYTHING. Secondly, they are efficient. I never wait for more than a minute or two to get my tags. Not in 7 years. Thirdly, they are all about "customer service". They're polite, nice, willing to go out of their way, and they have such niceties as a phone with every major auto insurance company AND a public fax so that you can have your proof of insurance faxed to them. And never a frown. I don't like paying tax and the various license fees, but they never add insult to that injury. Those folks are everything civic servants should be. BTW, they're pretty great to work with when you get a marriage license too.
Next up is the City of Covington. Now, these folks are bound by the same silly politics that every other city has to deal with, which is unavoidable, but I have to say that they really try hard to get out of the way of businesses and to make Covington a great place to locate. Things get DONE here. Cincinnati is still talking about the Banks after years and a billion dollars, but the Ascent went from a concept, to ground breaking in a matter of months and is now virtually done--and it's amazing (http://www.yourascent.com/ ).
I'm not saying this local government is perfect, but I've seen an awful lot of successes and I've personally watched the City Commissioners and Mayor put in long, long hours listening to concerns, dealing with the boring, annoying and unavoidable minutia, and getting important things done, regardless. Now, maybe I'm wrong, but to a man (or woman), regardless of party or politics, they all seem to deeply care. Frankly, one look at this town and it shows. And, by the way, it's not just the big guys--the folks that are "on the ground" clearly care quite a bit. They seem to be coordinated around the shared vision of a vibrant community. Without going into too much detail, I just want to say that there are some typically under-appreciated folks working for the city who ought to be very proud of their work. I'm impressed.
But wait, there's more!
The folks at the Northern Ky. Area Planning Commission have managed to get almost everything a builder, business person, or homeowner might need under one roof. In fact, you can even get a permit on-line! On-line! http://www.nkapc.org/ Not only that, but from our experience so far, the folks down there ALSO share the same responsive attitude.
It just seems like all the things that local governments seem to screw up for folks in other areas, don't get screwed up over here. The necessary functions of government seem to occur with a minimum of inconvenience to the citizen. In fact, it sure seems like the only times that there are hassles, it's where the state or federal government regulation interferes with the local operation.
So, maybe these guys aren't perfect, but they're very, very good and they deserve a serious "atta" from us. They kick the stuffing out of anywhere else that we've ever lived and they are succeeding in turning this area into a place that anyone would want to live, work, and play.
M
To start, the DMV Rocks! I know, you think I'm nuts. I'm a former Ohioan. I would have thought I was nuts too. But let me tell you, the folks at the Kenton Co. Clerk's office are wonderful. First, they are thorough. When you call and ask what is needed to transfer a title or get new plates, or whatever, they tell you EVERYTHING. Secondly, they are efficient. I never wait for more than a minute or two to get my tags. Not in 7 years. Thirdly, they are all about "customer service". They're polite, nice, willing to go out of their way, and they have such niceties as a phone with every major auto insurance company AND a public fax so that you can have your proof of insurance faxed to them. And never a frown. I don't like paying tax and the various license fees, but they never add insult to that injury. Those folks are everything civic servants should be. BTW, they're pretty great to work with when you get a marriage license too.
Next up is the City of Covington. Now, these folks are bound by the same silly politics that every other city has to deal with, which is unavoidable, but I have to say that they really try hard to get out of the way of businesses and to make Covington a great place to locate. Things get DONE here. Cincinnati is still talking about the Banks after years and a billion dollars, but the Ascent went from a concept, to ground breaking in a matter of months and is now virtually done--and it's amazing (http://www.yourascent.com/ ).
I'm not saying this local government is perfect, but I've seen an awful lot of successes and I've personally watched the City Commissioners and Mayor put in long, long hours listening to concerns, dealing with the boring, annoying and unavoidable minutia, and getting important things done, regardless. Now, maybe I'm wrong, but to a man (or woman), regardless of party or politics, they all seem to deeply care. Frankly, one look at this town and it shows. And, by the way, it's not just the big guys--the folks that are "on the ground" clearly care quite a bit. They seem to be coordinated around the shared vision of a vibrant community. Without going into too much detail, I just want to say that there are some typically under-appreciated folks working for the city who ought to be very proud of their work. I'm impressed.
But wait, there's more!
The folks at the Northern Ky. Area Planning Commission have managed to get almost everything a builder, business person, or homeowner might need under one roof. In fact, you can even get a permit on-line! On-line! http://www.nkapc.org/ Not only that, but from our experience so far, the folks down there ALSO share the same responsive attitude.
It just seems like all the things that local governments seem to screw up for folks in other areas, don't get screwed up over here. The necessary functions of government seem to occur with a minimum of inconvenience to the citizen. In fact, it sure seems like the only times that there are hassles, it's where the state or federal government regulation interferes with the local operation.
So, maybe these guys aren't perfect, but they're very, very good and they deserve a serious "atta" from us. They kick the stuffing out of anywhere else that we've ever lived and they are succeeding in turning this area into a place that anyone would want to live, work, and play.
M
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