In the wake of last weekā€™s heat wave, most likely attributed to the steam pouring out of Montgomery county residentsā€™ ears after receiving their recent correspondence from our county auditor friend, Karl Keith, I wanted to connect with all of my fellow Montgomery county residents and hopefully provide some insight and some context for whatā€™s going on with our property valuations. For those of you outside of Montgomery county, your turn will come in the next couple years as the surrounding counties also go through their valuation updates. 

Every six years the county is required to do a full re-assessment of all properties within the county in order to update their values to better reflect how the market has changed since the last re-assessment. At the mid point of each six year cycle, the county also does whatā€™s called a triennial, or mini re-assessment, in order to keep the market and county values from getting too out of alignment during the six year span. Either that, or because Karl just likes having pen pals (just kidding, all counties do triennials).

Presumably, everyoneā€™s aware that real estate has been on fire for the last 3 years, so it probably wonā€™t be too terribly shocking to hear that the state of Ohio has recommended a 37% increase to property values in this current update, which the county uses as a guidepost for their updates. The next, logical (or possibly, horrifying) conclusion most of us will come to is that a 37% increase in property values will also yield a 37% increase in property taxes. Luckily though, this isnā€™t the case.

Probably anticipating the deluge of strongly worded letters they were likely to receive, the Montgomery county auditorā€™s office has done a pretty good job of making information and FAQā€™s accessible on their website in order to discourage angry mobs from forming educate and inform their residents about the process and what effects they will likely feel. One of those such resources is a page on their website that explains the relationship between tax valuation and property taxes (FOUND HERE). If nothing else, that web page should help ease your fears that you wonā€™t see percentage for percentage increases to each number. To be fair, your taxes will go up, but not quite as cripplingly as the initial shock might lead you to believe.

With all of that said, you do still have the option to challenge your appraisal value. If youā€™re interested in filing an appeal with the Board of Revision (link HERE), weā€™re glad to help provide whatever info we can, including comparable sales in your area that might help support your case. You can also schedule an informal review (link HERE) where you can schedule a Zoom call with a county appraiser. I have to say though, I havenā€™t had anyone go through one of these informal reviews yet, so Iā€™m not exactly sure how thorough they are, or how helpful they will be. Remember too, when you ask for a review the resulting changes arenā€™t only one direction. Your value can actually INCREASE during review, so make sure that you know your stuff before you finalize the decision to file a review.

On the other hand, if fighting that battle with the county doesnā€™t sound like your cup of tea, feel free to just call us and we can probably find an alternate solution to staying pen pals with olā€™ Karl. I hear all of the counties surrounding Montgomery are lovely this time of year.

 

Minion One, Minion Two, Minion YOU at Movie Party in the Park!

Join JPG and CWPD for games, crafts, activities, giveaways and all things minions before the Movie! Grab dinner from a food truck or bring a picnic blanket dinner. At sunset, we will gather around the big screen for a showing of Minions: The Rise of Gru!

When: Saturday, August 19th at 7pm
Where: Forest Field park at 2100 E. Centerville Station Rd.

We have a ton of great prizes ready to giveaway, including a Solo Stove Mesa & Smores kit, movie night basket, gift cards from local restaurants and MORE!
This year there are TWO ways to win!!!
#1 ā€“ Fill out the form below to be entered to win local restaurant gift cards!
#2 ā€“ Visit the Jeff Probst Groupā€™s tent at the event to enter to win one of many prize baskets, including a Solo Stove Mesa, home movie night basket, gift cards and MORE!

Weā€™re also collecting school supplies and donations for Crayons to Classrooms!
Bring school supplies to donate to this event for an additional entry to our giveaways. Crayons to classrooms distributes schools supplies at no cost to teachers of students in need, ensuring every student has the tools needed for success! You can also drop off donations at our KW Office in Miamisburg  Aug 7th-35th or online anytime at https://bit.ly/JPGStuffTheBus23 
Office Address: 2835 Miami Village Dr. Miamisburg, Ohio 45458

We canā€™t wait to see you at the party in the park!
Preregistration with CWPD is requested for planning purposes: Click here to register!

File:2021 Facebook icon.svg - Wikimedia Commons Join the Facebook event to make sure you stay updated on the event activities, giveaways, and more!

A rain date is scheduled for Saturday, August 26 if needed!

Enter to Win - Movie In The Park

Enter to Win

Not sure what to bring to this yearā€™s Thanksgiving lunch or dinner? Weā€™ve got you covered! šŸ‘‡šŸ¼

♦ Braided Herb Bread ♦

 

 

In large bowl combine 1 1/4 cups of flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, 1 1/2 tsp of fine herbs and salt. Heat water milk and 2 tbs butter until very warm (120-130 F). Gradually add to dry ingredients; bear 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer; scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 mins at high speed. With spoon, stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth, about 4 minutes. Divide dough into 3 pieces; roll each to 24 inch rope; braid ropes. Place braid on greased baking sheet. Form into ring and pinch ends to seal; cover. Place large shallow pan on counter; half-fill with boiling water. Place sheet over pan. Let rise 15 minutes.
Bake 400F for 25 mins or until done. Melt remaining butter; brush on ring. Sprinkle with remaining fine herbs. Remove from sheet; cool on wire rack. 

 

Cranberry Jalepeño Dip  ♦

 

 

Use hand food chopper to chop cranberries. (Best not to use a food processor to chop these as they liquify too much). Chop green onion, jalapeño peppers and cilantro. In a medium sized bowl, add chopped cranberries, green onion, cilantro and jalapeños. Add sugar, lemon juice and salt on top of cranberry mixture and stir gently until blended. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight. Take cranberry mixture out of fridge and stir all ingredients together. Strain all liquid using a colander with small holes. Whip softened cream cheese with hand mixer until smooth (about 2 mins) and spread cream cheese over bottom of a pie plate of 9Ɨ9 dish. Pour cranberry mixture atop cream cheese and keep in fridge until ready to serve. Use a spoon to spread over Ritz crackers and enjoy! 

 

Insta-Pot Mashed Potatoes  ♦

 

 

Add potatoes, water, and a generous pinch of salt to an instant pot. Place lid on Instant Pot and and set to manual, high, and set time for 12 minutes. When finished, turn valve to quick release. Drain any remaining liquid and transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Use a potato masher to mash until smooth.
Meanwhile, in a small pot over medium heat, melt butter with milk until warm. Pour over mashed potatoes and stir until creamy. Stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper.
Transfer potatoes to a serving bowl and top with a pat of butter. Season with more pepper.

 

Sweet Potato Casserole  ♦

 

Filling:

Topping:

Special equipment:
2-quart baking dish

 

For the sweet potatoes: Add 1 3/4 pounds peeled and cubed sweet potatoes to a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool. Mash the sweet potatoes.

 

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Whisk together the butter, mashed sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

 

For the topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium bowl until moist and the mixture clumps together. Stir in the pecans. Spread the mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes in an even layer. Bake until mostly set in the center and golden on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

 

Stuffing  ♦

 

 

Preheat oven to 250°. Butter a 13x9x2-inch baking dish and set aside. Scatter bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about 1 hour. Let cool; transfer to a very large bowl.

 

Meanwhile, melt ¾ cup butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add onions and celery. Stir often until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add to bowl with bread; stir in herbs, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in 1¼ cups broth and toss gently. Let cool.

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk 1¼ cups broth and eggs in a small bowl. Add to bread mixture; fold gently until thoroughly combined. Transfer to prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of dressing registers 160°, about 40 minutes.

 

Continue to bake dressing, uncovered, until set and top is browned and crisp, 40–45 minutes longer.

 

 

Harvest Party Punch

 

1/2 gal. apple cider
1 (750 mL) bottle Prosecco, chilled
1 c. vodka
12-oz non-alcoholic ginger beer
3 apples, sliced
2 oranges, sliced
Ice
Add cider, prosecco, vodka, and ginger beer to a large punch bowl or pitcher and gently stir. Add apple & orange slices. Sit back & enjoy!

 

 

Smoked Turkey

 

Turkey

Smoked Turkey Brine

Turkey Seasoning

Basting Liquid

 

Dutch Apple Pie

 

Crust

Filling

Topping

 

In medium bowl, mix 1 cup flour and the salt. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of small peas. Sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons more water can be added if necessary). Gather pastry into a ball. Shape into flattened round on lightly floured surface. Wrap flattened round of pastry in plastic wrap, and refrigerate about 45 minutes or until dough is firm and cold, yet pliable. This allows the shortening to become slightly firm, which helps make the baked pastry more flaky. If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly before rolling.

 

Heat oven to 400°F. On surface sprinkled with flour, using floured rolling pin, roll pastry dough into circle 2 inches larger than 9-inch pie plate. Fold pastry into fourths; place in pie plate. Unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side and being careful not to stretch pastry, which will cause it to shrink when baked. Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate. Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate; flute as desired.

 

In large bowl, toss Filling ingredients. Pour into pie plate, mounding apples toward center.

 

In medium bowl, use pastry blender or fingers to mix butter, 1 cup flour and the brown sugar until a crumb forms. Sprinkle evenly over top of pie. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon granulated sugar on top.

 

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until pie crust and crumb topping are deep golden brown and filling begins to bubble. Transfer to cooling rack to cool.

Join us for an egg themed scavenger hunt throughout Centerville and Washington Twp!

Click HERE to Register!

Things look a little different this year so weā€™ve switched up our annual Easter egg hunt! We love our community and the people and small businesses that make it so special. Weā€™ll ā€œhideā€ egg signs throughout Centerville and Washington Twp in the windows or front lawns of small businesses and community resources. Follow clues to find all the egg signs and submit your answers to win ONE of MANY amazing prizes!

Prizes include a PLATINUM family membership to the Cincinnati Zoo, covering admission, parking, and unlimited train & carousel rides for two adults and their kids/grandkids PLUS 4 free guests per visit! We also have hundreds of dollars in gift cards and prizes from local businesses ā€“ weā€™d tell you which businesses but that would ruin the hunt!

šŸ„šRegistration is required. 

šŸ„šParticipants will receive an email at 9am on Thursday April 1st with instructions and the clues to help you find all the locations.

šŸ„šGet your family and friends together anytime between April 1-4 to crack the clues and find all the egg locations!

šŸ„šSubmit your entry before midnight on Sunday April 4th.

šŸ„šWinners will be announced on our Facebook & Instagram pages, so make sure to follow us!

šŸ„šYou must be 18+ to register and receive prizes.

Register at jpghunt.eventbrite.com

It’s time to take some myths and make them go Kaboom.šŸ’£

MYTH: I know that my home is worth $X šŸ’°šŸ’° because Zillow says so, and they just, like…get it, man.šŸ¤·‍ā™‚ļøšŸ„“

TRUTH: Ah, the Zestimate. The longest 4 letter word in a realtor’s vocabulary. The reality is that Zillow doesn’t, in fact, actually really get it (or you) at all, man. Zillow’s admitted margin of error on Zestimates is somewhere between one and ten percent, depending on a bunch of variables. šŸ˜³ Do the math on 1-10% and you’ll quickly realize that $20k on your $200k house šŸ  isn’t exactly all that close, and that’s just the STANDARD margin of error. It gets worse. The former CEO, someone who you’d certainly think would be invested in the accuracy of his product, famously had one of his own properties sell for ā€¼ļø40% below its Zestimateā€¼ļøa few years ago.

In reality, Zillow only knows your house as well as their computers can do math. In order to come up with wildly inaccurate Zestimates for so many properties across the country, they use aggregated data and algorithms to extrapolate value across areas.šŸ“Š That means that bad data, recent improvements (or deferred maintenance) to your house, or any number of other factors that can’t be quantified by an algorithm can skew the Zestimate results.šŸ“ˆ

Still don’t believe me? Well, try remodeling your kitchen tomorrow and see if your Zestimate changes.šŸ¤·‍ā™‚ļø

It’s no secret that Dayton is thriving with good local eats and fun things to do around town, but it’s easy to fall into the same old date night rut. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you’ll score big points with one of these well executed plans (don’t worry, we’ll let you take the credit!). Without further ado, here are JPG’s top five date ideas:

Rise & Shine
Who else loves a day date?! Start the morning off by perusing 2nd Street Market and check out some of Dayton’s best local vendors. Grab a cup of coffee from Caffeine Carl, pickup fresh produce from Garber Farm and treat yourself to a beautiful arrangement from The Flowerman. Wrap up a perfect morning with brunch just down the street at Table 33 ā€“ be sure to try the chicken and waffles!

Explore the Oregon
The Oregon District is a hub for fine dining and live music, creating the perfect night on the town. Start off with dinner at local favorites like Salar, Roost or Thai 9 (the JPG team debated fiercely over personal preferences!). Then, check out a live band at Blind Bob’s or head over to Yellow Cab Tavern to see local artists at one of the best spots in town. Just be sure to check their calendar first!

Libations and Laughter 
Pay homage to the history of distilling in the Miami Valley with a tour and taste at Dayton’s own Belle of Dayton, or if something on tap is more your speed head over to one of the many breweries downtown (Warped Wing, Toxic Brew Co, or Dayton Beer Co. to name a few). Be sure to grab something to go because it’s BYOB just down the road at Black Box Improv Theater, where you’ll laugh until you cry listening to the area’s best local comedians perform on the fly. Shows run nightly from Wednesday to Saturday.

Walk on the Wild Side
Try something new together and get adventurous at Wild Axe Throwing in Beavercreek. Reserve one hour time slots on their website and learn from an axe master, then take turns perfecting the best throw. Loser buys dinner just down the street at the Submarine House ā€“ JPG recommends the teezers!

Right on Par
Head just south of town to West Chester for an evening of comfort food with a modern twist and signature cocktails at Cozy’s Cafe. Afterwards, get your game on at TopGolf where you can put your competitive spirit to the test. Be sure to top the night off with their signature injectable donut holes.

 

Weā€™d love to provide you with more relevant local info and ideas! Sign up below to get our monthly newletter, upcoming event information, or for help with your real estate goals!

Weā€™ve already eaten all the Halloween candy in the house, the first snow has fallen, everyone is bundled up like Randy in the Christmas Story, and in less than a week it will be Thanksgiving! While weā€™re thankful for quality time with family and friends, we are especially thankful for stretchy pants and the mounds of food that will be on our table.

We’re assuming that everyone’s got a favorite bird preparation to fall back on, but in order to help round out the menu a bit, weā€™ve compiled another JPG Top 5, this time featuring our favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

 

♦ Apple Sausage Stuffing ♦

1 large loaf dense bread
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
6 T butter
2 tart apples, cored and chopped into large pieces (may leave skin on)
1 lb pork, turkey or chicken sausage (may use any mild flavor)
2 t. chopped parsley
2 t. rosemary
2 t. thyme
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. pepper
2-3 cups chicken broth

 

Cut bread into large cubes and let dry out for a couple of days. May also use 1 lb stuffing cubes.
Melt 2 T. butter in large skillet. Crumble sausage and cook till done. Remove from skillet.
Melt the remaining 4 T. butter in skillet. Add celery and onion and cook until they begin to soften. Add apple, parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until apples begin to soften. The vegetables should not be cooked until they are soft because they will continue to cook when baked.
Combine bread cubes, sausage, vegetables, and apples together in large bowl. Add chicken broth a little at a time to add moisture to mix. Add just enough chicken broth to make the mixture moist, but not so the bread cubes are saturated and break apart.
Put mixture in greased 3 quart casserole dish and bake uncovered at 350 for 60 minutes. Check baking at 45 minutes. If top is getting too brown, cover with aluminum foil for remaining 15 minutes of baking.

 

♦ Sweet Potato Souffle with Pecan Crumble ♦

Souffle Ingredients:
3 large sweet potatoes, cooked and whipped
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs beaten
½ tsp salt
½ cup evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pecan Crumble Topping Ingredients:
½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ stick butter, softened
½ cup pecans, chopped

 

Preheat oven to 325 F. Peel and cook potatoes until tender. Drain potatoes and whip. Add Sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix well and put in a greased 1.5 Quart casserole dish.
Mix together flour and sugar in a small bowl. Cream softened butter into flour/sugar mixture. Mix in pecans. Sprinkle topping evenly over casserole. Bake at 325 F for 25 minutes.

 

♦ Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Almonds ♦

Ingredients:
Kosher salt
3 pounds green beans, trimmed of stem end
1/2 cup skin on sliced almonds
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large onions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

 

Fill a large high sided skillet with some water, adding enough to be just shy of the rim of the pan by about 1 inch. Place over high heat and bring up to boil; add a big pinch of salt and the green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes, the beans should still be crisp. Drain the beans and then run them under some cold water to stop them from cooking. Reserve the beans while you start the onions.
Return the skillet you cooked the beans in to the cook top over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast stirring every now and then until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the almonds from the skillet and reserve. Return the skillet to the heat and add the butter and olive oil and heat until the butter has melted. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook stirring frequently until the onions caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the thyme, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cooked cooled green beans and almonds, and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

 

♦ Pear Cranberry Sauce ♦

2-1/2 cups cubed peeled ripe pears (about 3 medium)
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches), broken in half
1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
1 to 1-1/4 cups sugar

 

In a large saucepan, combine the pears, water, ginger and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in cranberries and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until the cranberries have popped and sauce is slightly thickened, stirring several items.
Discard cinnamon sticks. Mash sauce if desired. Cool. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

 

♦ Bourbon Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars ♦

For the Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar granulated
1/2 cup butter unsalted, melted

 

For the Cheesecake
16 oz cream cheese at room temperature (2 pkg, 8 oz each)
3/4 cup sugar granulated
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

 

For the Pecan Pie Layer
1 cup light brown sugar packed
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter unsalted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup bourbon, give or take depending on your preference.
2 cups pecans chopped

 

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Line a 9Ɨ9 inch baking dish with parchment paper, spray it first with some cooking spray so that the parchment paper will stick to it. Set aside.
For the Crust
In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers with the sugar until fine crumbs form. Add in melted butter and pulse until well combined. Press this mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. You can use your fingers, but I find it easier to just use the back of a spoon to make sure itā€™s pressed evenly. Set aside.
For the Cheesecake
Add the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and salt to the bowl of your mixer. Mix on medium using the whisk attachment until smooth, should take about 5 minutes. Pour this over graham crust and smooth it out as much as possible with a spatula. Set aside.
For the Pecan Pie Layer
Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, butter, salt and vanilla extract to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue cooking for 1 more minute the remove from heat. Stir in the chopped pecans. Pour over the cheesecake layer, and smooth it out with a spatula if necessary.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 40 minutes, the pecan layer should start to get golden. Cool completely then cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Cut the cheesecake into slices before serving.

As you may or may not know, we the folks here at JPG don’t typically tend to run short of opinions on things. Whether it’s food, movies, music, business, or how many spaces there should be after a period (it’s two, obviously, but I’ve been out voted), if there’s a subject, we’ll find a way to debate it. Apparently we should have been attorneys.

Nevertheless, one of the few things that tops our penchant for debate is our love for our LOCAL businesses and some of the hidden gems that the Gem City has to offer. In that vein, we thought that it might be a good “two birds, one stone” kind of deal for us to pick a category every few months and put together our TOP FIVE Dayton hotspots that fit the topic (after a healthy debate, of course). Gives us a chance to pump up the local Dayton scene even more, and maybe give you some new things to try along the way. So, without further ado, here we go with the first edition of our newest feature, for our favorite peopleā€¦

PIZZA – We love it. You love it. Nuff said.

  1. Old Scratch

This one was a pretty easy choice for us, and one that we actually all agreed on. Probably because good Neapolitan Pizza is as close to culinary perfection as it gets (in our opinionā€¦but seriously, it’s also a fact), and this is the best Neopolitan in Dayton. The toppings are creative but still make sense, the dough is the perfect blend of both crispy and chewy, the beers cold, and the lines are usually long.  If you haven’t been, check out the original downtown by MV Hospital, or hold out for the new location coming soon to Centerville!

  1. Wheat Penny

If there’s one thing that’s true about hipsters, it’s that they typically have high culinary standards. That holds true in this case too, on both accounts. The food is amazing and runs a wide gambit of styles and tastes, the cocktails are unique and well crafted, but the pizza is pretty much the runaway star in our book. Oh man the pizza. They’re all good, but Tarte Flambe and Tomasso FTW.

  1. Dewey’s

Okay, so yeah, this isn’t local, it’s a chain.  It IS however just utterly delicious and worth the trip. If you’ve somehow never been before, or if you’re just otherwise indecisive, I’ve got two words for you.  Porky. Fig.

  1. South Park Tavern

One of our favorite local spots, they’ve got a great mix of everything with great atmosphere, a killer beer selection, local music, good food, and a unique selection of outside the box pizzas. Not in the mood for open face? They can also turn any of the pizzas into calzones! Definitely worth the trip if you haven’t been, and as a bonus, it’s right down the street from Tank’s, so you can make a pit stop on the way home for french onion dip and an omelet the size of a Volkswagen.

  1. Marion’s

EASILY the most polarizing entry on the list, the extreme reactions/opinions that people have to Marion’s is something that has undoubtedly torn families apart at the seams. Real Hatfield/McCoy stuff here. Love it or hate it though, Marion’s is a Dayton tradition that just can’t be ignored. It may not be traditional “pizza” to some, but you have to try it at least once. Sometimes being unconventional can be a good thing.

Just missed the cut (but you should still try, because pizza is delicious): Beavercreek Pizza Dive, Troni’s, and Milano’s.

It’s been a while since we’ve taken a trip on the education express to architecture town, so saddle up and get ready to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about TUDORS!

Part Medieval cottage, part fairytale palatial estate, the Tudors that we mostly think of today are actually (fun fact) not really Tudors at all! They’re mock Tudors that are really just throwback versions of the English cottage style built during the Tudor dynasty in the 15th and 16th centuries. I know, impressive branding by those Tudors.

Anyway, this style was largely popularized from the 1910’s to 1940’s with all that prohibition era money being tossed around, because having a Tudor was apparently kind of a status symbol back in the day. They were unique, asymmetrical (which always adds to construction cost), and often times extremely large. Although you can still find Tudor elements into construction much later, Tudors lost a lot of their popularity after World War 2, when affordable housing became more important than blowing the budget just to show off to your friends.

For reference, there are looots of Tudors in Oakwood and west Kettering, largely because that’s when a lot of those areas were developed.

Exterior features:
-Asymmetrical facades
-Steeply pitched roofs with strong lines
-Usually at least brick or stone first floors
-Lots of gables and dormers
-Half-timbering (this is probably what you immediately visualize when you hear “Tudor”, and refers to the exterior horizontal and vertical mock frame boards with stucco or stone in between, see the picture above)
-Tall, narrow, multi-paned windows
-Often times have arched doorways and heavy wood doors
-Elaborate chimneys
-Cantilevered second floors (second floor overhangs)
-Lots of blacks, browns, and creams
-If a house has a slate roof, there’s a good chance that it’s a Tudor. *There’s also a good chance that you should ask the owner of said slate roof to borrow some cash, because those puppies are not exactly cheap.

Interior features:
-Dark wood trim and paneling
-Central (usually stone) fireplace
-Plaster, plaster, and more plaster everywhere
-Faux beam ceilings
-Arched doorways
-Lots of smaller, cozy rooms

If I’m being honest, I’ve never been a huge fan of Tudors, but I can certainly appreciate the style and craftsmanship. What say you?

Weā€™ve partnered with Centerville-Washington Park District for an evening of entertainment! The evening will start with bounce houses, games, crafts and fun on the playground. Claim a spot in the grass with a picnic blanket dinner, or have the professionals from a local food truck cook for you. Then as the sun sets over the park, settle in for a movie under the stars with popcorn & snow cones. More info here

Date: Saturday, August 24, 2019
Time: 6:30 – 10:00 p.m.
Place: Forest Field Park, 2100 E. Centerville Station Rd.