Why Do Landlords Charge Application Fees?
I understand the hesitation around paying rental application fees—it can feel like spending your hard-earned money without any guarantees. So, why is this such a common practice, and why do landlords prefer it? Let’s break down the reasons behind it. 1. Application Fees Cover Screening Costs The fee you pay likely doesn’t go into the […]
Rental Applications with Financial Challenges: A Guide
Are you looking to secure a rental but worried about how your financial situation might impact your application? You’re not alone. Many renters face similar challenges, especially in today’s fluctuating economy. The good news is that there are several steps you can take to enhance your rental application and increase your chances of approval. In […]
The City of Canton Community Reinvestment Area has been expanded

The city of Canton is expanding the Community Reinvestment Area Program to now include the whole city. A Community Reinvestment Area is an area of land in which a property owner can receive tax incentives for investing in real property improvements. The CRA provides temporary tax abatement of increased real property taxes on qualifying residential […]
OHFA Lending offers down payment and closing costs assistance

If you are looking for a loan program that will help you cover your down payment and closing costs on your real estate purchase, you’re in luck! There’s a grant from an organization funded by the state of Ohio that can do just that. OHFA Down Payment Assistance allows homebuyers to choose either 2.5% or […]
Mortgage Interest Rate Update
As of 3/11/19 mortgage interest rates did tick up a little recently, but are still low (slightly under 4.5%) compared to December’s high (almost 5%) (see chart below). The important thing to note is that the market did react negatively to the rising interest rates in the last quarter of 2018 and did cause a […]
February 2019 Stark County Real Estate Market Update
As 2019 President for Stark County Association of Realtors, the staff and I write articles for the newspaper section of the Canton Repository every Friday for this year. If you’re a subscriber to the Rep, be sure to check out my monthly market updates. Here’s February’s update: As our first quarter of 2019 enters its […]
Voted 2018 Best of the Best Real Estate Agent/Team
Market Status Update Q1 2018
MORTGAGE INTEREST RATES One factor for the buying/selling decision this quarter is the mortgage interest rates increasing. The mortgage rates have been increasing rapidly this year, and are not expected to decrease or level out in the immediate future. The charts below show the conventional mortgage rates for the past 10 years and the past […]
Active Buyers Spring 2018
Here’s a list of some of my current active buyers looking in and around Stark County for homes for sale. Do you have a home you’d like to sell that might meet someone on this list? Let me know. Email Me: Joey@whipplerealestate.com Call/Text Me: 330.412.2221 Facebook Message Me: Joey Marino Facebook This list was updated […]
Market Status Update 1st Quarter 2016

Throughout the nation and even here in Stark County we have a record low number of available listings, as this first chart for Perry Twp shows you. The amount of buyers in the current market is increasing because today’s buyers know that this is their last chance to have these interest rates and lower prices. We’ve […]
E-Pro Certified

Joey Marino III is certified as an E-Pro from the National Association of Realtors. Click to view his e-PRO Profile “Tomorrow’s Agent Today”, Joey is a true-blue technophile and strives to provide excellent service to his clients through his caring and enthusiastic attitude, as well as his technology and marketing expertise. Sellers: Joey’s technical […]