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My Solution for Political Ads

This really has nothing to do with real estate but I only have one blog...and it does prove that I'm a problem solver, which is what you really want in a Realtor, right?

Is anyone else as excited as me to not see political ads for another year or two?! I mean, does anyone really listen to these? And if they do, should they really have the right to vote in the first place?? The fact that _____(insert politician here)_____ voted a certain way on a bill does not mean that he is going to maime your toddler...or that your 112 year old grandmother is going to be abducted by aliens. The ads are ridiculous and have nothing to do with what the candidates have planned to help us but what the other candidate may or may not have done "wrong". How is that supposed to inspire a nation, state, or city? Without getting into politics directly, I'll get to the point. I have a thought and want someone (a politician, of course) to try it. I don't care who it is but I will vote for them.

Instead of spending their money on these goofy ads to bash others, give the money to charity. It would stop annoying everybody and their mother and more importantly, it would actually put their campaign funds to good use.

So, in my political utopia, here's an example of how we would make a decision for a politician:

And now, we get to make an educated decision based on what the candidate believes IN giving their hard earned money to...AND they're benefiting society instead of annoying it. I think more people might actually vote that way.

Let's face it. Most people don't even watch commercials anymore so the money spent is pretty wasteful. So why not try it? A lot of people aren't up to speed on the issues that they're voting on and if each candidate just put together a website and send out mailers directing us to look at them, maybe we would. America is online, after all.

If you agree, click the little button below to re-tweet, re-post, or forward to your friends via e-mail. Let's make a stand, damnit!!

Top 5 Reasons to use the Franklin County Auditor website

I recently took a class where the Franklin County auditor and his staff spoke about all of the cool tools that Franklin County residents have at their disposal. I thought I'd share a few of my faves (5 to be exact)!

1-Current Levy Info
It's elections season and as tired of the horrible campaign ads we all are, you might actually be interested in what the passage of a levy would mean to your pocket book. The auditor's got you covered! Checkout the "current levy info" tab (after looking up your property)

2-The "Me & My Pal Drawing Contest (Dog Licensing)
A cool initiative to promote dog licensing (also done through the auditor) and is taking place at all schools in Franklin county. Maybe you and your child(ren) can work on a picture together. Any time spent with your children is time well spent, right? But if your children ARE your dogs and you need to license them with the county, click here to find out how.

3-Board of Revision-Sure we all think our property taxes are too high! But some property values really have decreased significantly compared to their assessed value. First, lookup the assessed value of your home . If you think there's a significant difference in value, either contact me to lookup comps, hire an independent appraisal to assess the value for you (~$300-500), or checkout option #5. If there is a significant difference, then go to the auditors site, then go to the "Your property" tab and click on Board of Revision. There is a TON of information to get you on the road to contesting your taxes. It's a lengthy process but worth it if your assessed value is signicantly higher than the homes value. You can file to amend your taxes with the BOR from Jan 1-Mar 31st of any given year.

4-Tax Estimator
If you're thinking of Buying a NEW home and need to figure out if you can afford those pesky taxes in the new area, checkout the tax estimator tool

5-Area Sales Activity
Referring back to #3. You can run a search of comparable sales in the area to give you a good idea of what your neighbors homes are selling for. It will give you square footage and a sold date but you'll have to look elsewhere for more detail.

Trying to keep the list short but you can also:
-Pay your taxes online
-Find out about the Homestead Exemption (a nice tax reduction for the 65 and up & the permanantly disabled)
-Translate your search into 50 different languages
-search for unclaimed funds

September Home Sales Statistics for Columbus

Home values continue to rise which is good news for central Ohio. The average sale price for the first nine months of the year is $161,204 up 7.4 percent from the beginning of 2010 according to the Columbus Board of REALTORS®.

There were fewer homes listed for sale last month than is customary for September. Over the last five years, there was an average of 3,710 homes added to the market during the month of September. However, last month only 2,997 residential homes were added to the already elevated inventory in central Ohio.

Although slightly lower than August, the total residential listings in September (16,728) was still higher than it’s been since August of 2008 when the inventory level rose to 16,975.

“Inventory levels had come down over the last year and a half – which is what we were working towards,” said Sue Lusk-Gleich, President of the Columbus Board of REALTORS®. “When inventory levels are too high, the increased competition forces some homeowners to sell at prices that are too low which in turn often affects the values of other neighboring homes.”

“In order to re-balance the market, we either need the inventory to decrease or the number of buyers to increase. And since the tax credit incentives brought many buyers into the market earlier than we would have seen otherwise, we have a smaller pool of potential home buyers to absorb the inventory now.”

“When comparing sales figures to the previous year, we need to remember that home sales have been elevated since April of 2008 due to the tax credits,” adds Lusk-Gleich. “Even so, sales are still up four percent year to date.”

Home sales across Ohio were down 20.3 percent in September but are still up 1.5 percent for the first nine months of the year. The average sale price in Ohio last month was $129,572, down 3.5 percent from last September. Year to date (January through September), the average sale price was $134,318 which is down four percent compared to the first three quarters of 2009.

Nationwide, existing home sales - which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops- were down 19 percent. Distressed homes accounted for 35 percent of sales in September compared with 34 percent in August; they were 29 percent in September 2009.

The median sale price nationwide for all housing types in September was $171,700, down 2.4 percent from one year ago.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low 4.35 percent in September from 4.43 percent in August; the rate was 5.06 percent in September 2009.

Housing affordability is near an all-time record. Mortgage interest rates are almost half of what they were ten years ago and they’re about one-and-a-half points lower than the peak of the housing boom in 2005. At the same time, home prices are running about 22 percent less than five years ago when they were bid up by the biggest housing rush on record.

Click here for Ohio home sales statistics
Click here for the national home sales release

The Columbus Board of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway and Union Counties and parts of Champagne, Clark, Hocking, Licking, Fairfield, Knox, Logan, Marion, and Ross Counties.

Source: Columbus Board of Realtors

Trick or Treat Nights for Central Ohio 2010

Call it Beggar's Night, call it Trick or Treat but definitely call it fun for the entire family! Here's a coupon to help you stock up on candy to pass out to the little kiddo's in your 'hood. Have fun!

Franklin County Trick or Treat Dates

• Bexley: 5:30-7:30 pm - October 29
• Canal Winchester: 5:30-7:30 pm - October 29
• Clintonville: 6-8pm - October 29
• Columbus: 6-8pm - October 29
• Dublin: 6-8 pm - October 29
• Delaware: 6:00-8:00 - October 31
• Gahanna: 6-8pm - October 29
• Grandview Heights: 6-8pm - October 31
• Grove City: 6-8pm October 29
• Groveport: 5:30-7 pm - October 29
• Hilliard: 6-8 pm - October 29
• Lockbourne: 6-7:30 pm - October 29
• New Albany: 6-8 pm - October 28
• Obetz: 6:00-8:00 - October 31
• Reynoldsburg: 6-8pm - October 29
• Upper Arlington: 6-8pm - October 29
• Westerville: 6-8pm - October 28
• Whitehall: 6-8pm - October 29
• Worthington: 6-8pm - October 29

Delaware County Trick or Treat Dates

• Galena: 6:00-7:15 - October 31
• Genoa Township (Westerville) 6-8 pm - October 28
• Lewis Center: 6-8pm - October 31
• Orange Township: 6-8pm - October 31
• Powell: 6-8pm - October 31

Fairfield County Trick or Treat Dates

• Lithopolis: 6-8 pm - Oct. 29
• Pickerington: 6-8 pm - Oct. 29
• Lancaster/Carroll: 6-7:30 - Oct. 29
• Baltimore: 5-6:30 - Oct. 31

Licking County Trick or Treat Dates

• Granville: 5:30-7 pm - Oct. 31
• Pataskala: 6-8 pm - Oct 29
• Johnstown: 6-8 pm - Oct 30

Madison County

• London: 6-8 pm - Oct. 30
• Plain City: 6-8 pm - Oct. 30
• West Jefferson: 6-8 pm -Oct. 30

This is a conglomerate of info. If you notice discrepancies or have updated dates, please comment below.

NARdiGras Video Competition-My Final Words on the Topic

Ok, so I didn't win the video competition...having watched American Idol enough times, I get that the most qualified person doesn't always win. And as much as I was shocked & devastated, I did still come in 2nd and learned a lot about making videos and got to showcase my creativity (the brain that created the video is also the brain that comes up with marketing & business ideas).

The girl who did win was a big Twitter extroidinaire and with over 4500 followers, which may have had something to do with her win. Whatever the case may be, what's done is done. However, it would be really cool if something like this had happened:

You may sometimes notice my bit of jaded sarcasm in my writing. It's how I deal with disappointment and the curve balls that life throws. We all deal in different ways but I've dealt with enough to know that you have to pick up and move on...and stay positive. I have a lot to be thankful for...like the wonderful friends (and amazingly supportive bf) who voted tirelessly to try to get me to New Orleans. I sincerely thank you for supporting me and hope that you'll continue to support me in my new venture with Rare Breed.

Columbus Home Sales Statistics (August)

August home sales in central Ohio were higher than the previous month and the average sale price of a home sold continues to rise.

There were 1,605 homes sold in August which is 8.2 percent more homes sold than during the month of July. Home sales during the first eight months of the year are now 9.2 percent higher than the same period in 2009.

“We saw a lull in housing activity after the tax credit expired which was not surprising given the frenzy of activity attributed to the generous tax credits for both first time and repeat buyers earlier this year,” said Sue Lusk-Gleich, President of the Columbus Board of REALTORS®. “This upswing in sales is a positive sign that our central Ohio housing market continues to strengthen.”

The average sale price of a home has been inching back up this year from $145,993 in January to $169,959 in August. The average sale price year to date (January through August) is $161,645, which is 2,2 percent higher than one year ago.

There were 3,700 homes listed for sale last month bringing the total number of homes for sale in central Ohio to nearly 17,000 which is 16,5 percent more homes than were on the market at the end of last summer.

The Columbus Board of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway and Union Counties and parts of Champagne, Clark, Hocking, Licking, Fairfield, Knox, Logan, Marion, and Ross Counties.



Source: Columbus Board of REALTORS®

Ch..ch..ch..ch..changes

It's been a busy few months! I haven't been in touch as much as I'd like to be but the good news is I've been working on some exciting things that are sure to improve my skills as a REALTOR. Here's a list of some of the happenings (in nice and neat list form :)):

1-I've been working long and hard on a new and exciting concept. In a nutshell, it's Real Estate 2.0...easier/less stressful for the client, which makes everyones lives easier. More news coming soon. This has been a long process but I think it'll be worthwhile. So, instead of blogging/newslettering, I've been writing a website. If you're ever bored for an extended period of time, you should try it. Here's a sneak peak at the new logo

2-I've moved home addresses and have finally gotten to experience the torture that my clients go through when they're moving and are given a laundry list of items tackle (painting, staging, etc, etc.).

Bad news-I won't stop pushing sellers to do these things (I wouldn't be doing my job otherwise as it's in their best interest)

Good news-I can definitely empathize and am looking for ways to make it less painful for sellers to stand out from their competition. Because the competition is fierce!

3-I moved real estate brokerages. As most real estate agents know, it's tough to find the right fit for the office/company style, technology, and overall feel that you need. In moving to RE/MAX Impact, I'm confident that I found the office environment, support, and synergy that I need. Not to mention the tools, training, and technology that will help get my clients homes sold faster and for more money!

4-Selling Real Estate. I was laying low for a couple months (working on #1) but I'm back in the saddle. And not just the Buying saddle...but the Selling saddle too. Wee-haw!

5-I put together a video for submission in the National Association of Realtors video contest. It took a LOT of effort and if I win, I'll be sent to the NARdiGras 2010 (NAR's conference in New Orleans) in November, which promises to be a great source of information for me to hone my REALTOR skills even more. The video (a leave it to Beaver parody) is actually very good and we worked very hard to make it. Watch it if you'd like...but either way, please give me your vote (literally takes 2 seconds)! Here's the link: NARdiGras 2010 Video Competition.

It's been an exciting few months and at times I've felt like this mule...

but I thank you all for sticking with me and sending me your referalls during these busy and challenging times. I sincerely appreciate it.

5 Fast Fixes 4 Labor Day

Labor Day weekend is often an opportunity for homeowners to do some home improvements and/or adjustments to their homes. It's also the beginning of college football (Go Bucks!).
Here are some quick fixes and serets to save you time and probably some money. To make it easy for you, I've highlighted any materials that you may need.


Cracking Plaster

If you've got an old house with plaster walls, you know how hard it is to get rid of stress cracks. And they'll eventally resurface. The trick is to bridge the gaps with fiberglass tape. Steps:

1-Apply a thin layer of setting compound to the crack, preferably a powdered, mix-with-water variety. Use a wide putty knife or trowel.
2-Press the fiberglass tape into the wet compound and apply more compound over it.
3-Spread or "feather" the compound out on each side of the crack so that it blends in with the rest of the wall.
4-Oce it's dry, sand (with sandpaper) it smooth to match the existing finish (use that leftover paint in your basement or garge to match the colors but be sure to stir it up good first).

Scuffed Up Hardwood Floors

Get some extra-fine stell wood (grade 000) and rub the scuffs ever so lightly. You'll be surprised what a gleaming, like-new floor you have when you're done!

Squeaky Garage Doors

Don't use WD-40 or grease but DO lubricate the metal parts. Try a few drops of an all-purpose lubricant, such as 3-in-One oil. Use this on rollers, hinges, torsion spring (the big spring that help lift the door), and bearings alongside the door. Keep the tracks clean and dry so the rollers won't drag. If the problem still isn't fixed, disconnect the door from the opener and operate by hand to see whether the noises are coming from the door or the moving parts inside the opener motor. Once you've pinpointed the source, lubricate.

Loose Door Hinges
The most likely problem is not the screw itself but that the screw has torn through the wood that's holding it in place. Once you've determined which hinge is loose, repair the wood. Steps:
1-Prop the door open all the way and remove the screws from the loose side of the malfunctioning hinge.
2-Use a drill to round out the hole where each screw had been.
3-Get a wooden dowel of the same diameter as the drill bit you used.
4-Slide the dowel into the hole to measure how deep into the wood it will go and mark it with a pencil.
5-Saw it off at the line you drew, then slather the dowel with yellow carpenters glue and slide back into the hold you drilled.
6-Let the glue dry, then reinstall the hinges.

Note:You can use wooden toothpicks in place of the dowel. Just dip them in the glue one at a time. Once they're dry, use a utility knife to cut them flush with the door/frame and

Cracks Around Wood Trim

Whether it's a windowsill, door casing, or crown molding, movement due to seasonal temperature changes are going to happen...which creates cracking.
Fill the gap with caulk and then touch up with paint. The secret? Look for acrylic latex siliconized caulk (and a caulk gun if you don't have one). Unlike latex caulk, which is not flexible and silicone caulk that won't hold paint, this caulk (a fairly new addition to the caulking family) is both flexible and paint absorbent. What to do:

1-Cut off just the very tip of the caulk nozzle, giving the thinnest bead possible.
2-After applying a small amount, wipe the surface with a damp cloth leaving just a think layer of caulk.
3-Let the caulk dry then repeat.
4-Once it's dry, paint it to match and you're done.




Source: Readers Digest Book "Five Minute Fixes"
I make no warranties or representations about the effectiveness of these fixes.

What To Do In Columbus

Even before I took advantage of it, I've always thought Columbus had a lot to offer. From Theatre to the myriad of festivals, concerts, and sporting events to outdoor adventures, restaurants, and gorgeous parks galore, the city really has a wide variety of activities for the young to old and everyone in between.
If you aren't already overwhelmed by things to do in this great city, here are a few resources to keep you better attuned:

Columbus Underground or 614Columbus (For the Gen Y'ers)
Experience Columbus (More family focused)

Meetup (Anyone looking to meet people with similar interests)

About.com (A plethora of info)

Better yet, google your own interests and add Columbus (or your zip code) to the search and see what pops up! If you find something cool, let me know about it and maybe I'll feature it on my Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn pages or maybe right here on the blog.

What's more-The New York Times recently ran an article about Columbus. I'm pretty excited to see what our new tag line will be.

Home Stats Explained for July

Can you believe it's August already?! Housing numbers have remained pretty close to last months...except for the number of sold homes (do you think they went up or down?). We've got an 8.5 month inventory of homes on the market, which I would love to see reduced. Let's delve in...

Homes currently on the market increased 3%, which was a total of 409 more homes on the market now over last month. Since June's number fell by 12% that's still a 9% decrease overall for the past 2 months, which is wonderful. If you read last months article, you realize that this number has to continue to reduce in order for the demand to catch up to it (since active listings are the supply, of course).

Homes currently in contract stayed darn near the exact same #. The percentage didn't change but the # of homes in contract went down by nine. Interestingsly, all price categories saw a slight increase but the under $150K fell by 46 homes, which kept the percentage the same. Maybe that tax credit DID impact first time home buyers?!

Solds actually INcreased by 15%, which was the same amount that it had decreased last month. The fact that there were 15% more closings in July than in June was a bit of a surprise...but definitely a welcome one! I would imagine that some of these closings were still due to the tax credit closing deadline extension. Either way, for that number to have completely corrected itself is fantastic. Since the tax credit is now over and school is just around the corner, I do anticipate this number to start going down a bit but slow and steady would be a great way for this to happen. Either way, I'll be here to report the numbers to you. Until then, keep checking back here for some awesome news from Haley camp :)

Note-This is a snapshot of activity for Franklin, Delaware, Licking, and Fairfield counties as of 2-3 pm on Sunday, August 1st.

Got Junk?

Maybe you're getting ready to sell your house, move into a new one, or just need to "purge" your current diggs, many of us can relate to the couple in this comic. Before you throw all of that stuff out, think about turning your trash into another person's treasure and donate it! Not only will you help another family, but it's much better for our earth, AND it's a tax writeoff*. Did I mention, you may even feel warm and fuzzy inside about your good deed? Checkout the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio's website for more details about donating, how they operate, and who they help.

Essential Items Include:

• Matresses and/or Box springs
• Dressers
• Sofas
• Loveseats
• Stuffed Chairs
• Kitchen tables
• Kitchen chairs
• Washers or Dryers
• Refrigerators
• Stoves

They take plenty of other items (dishes, lamps, end tables, etc., etc.) as well but donating one of the above earns you a free pickup.

Also, if you're going to be remodeling or have extra "supplies" that the furniture bank won't take, donate those to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore. They have an even more extensive list (counter tops, sinks, lighting, tools, etc, etc). Check it out here. Think about a contractor or small business you know that might benefit from this information as well and send this info on to them. You may think it's a small difference but a lot of "small differences" can turn into a big impact!



*Consult with your tax advisor about your specific tax situation

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence day, everyone! I hope you're having a fantastic weekend. I've always loved Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and hope you enjoy it paired with a beautiful display of fireworks from Thunder of Louisville. As they might say in in the Vol, Be Safe Y'all! :)

Stats Unaltered-Columbus Activity Explained for June

It's the first of the month! Which means I've been analyzing figures from the MLS on what's currently on the market, in contract, and sold. Not surprisingly, all of the numbers did go down (which, unfortunately coincides with the number of times my cell phone rang). As all of the media outlets from around the country have been reporting today, the sky is falling. Truly, this isn't anything to be surprised about (most people in the industry expected a lag after the tax credit deadline passed us by). Anyway, here's what the numbers look like for Columbus.

If you're unsure of what any of the lingo means and/or want to compare the numbers, check out last months blog

Homes currently on the market took over a 12% dive from last month. It's good this figure decreased but in order for demand to catch up with supply that number is going to have to drop quite a bit more. I attribute a lot of the decrease to sellers who were "testing" the market while the tax credit was still active and have pulled their listings since it expired...anyone else wanting to jump on that bandwagon won't hear me complain. All categories dropped by between 11-13% except for the $500K, where there was only a 7% decrease.



Homes going into contract reduced by nearly 35%. The biggest hit price bracket in this category was the $150-300K range, which went down by 39%, whereas the other home price categories saw around a 32% decrease. I think this has something to do with the overlap in price range (many first time buyers purchase homes above $150K as well as the number of first time sellers who sold and moved into this price range). When the tax credit ended, the remaining buyers who missed out and still purchased may have padded last months numbers.

Solds went down by just under 15%, which tells me that there are a lot less procrastinators out there than I thought...and/or some of the deals that were supposed to be closing fell through or have been extended (I bet those Buyers are pretty stoked about the last minute extension to the closing date, which was just passed by the Senate)



Only time will tell what this means for us. It stands to reason that the numbers will stay down for awhile. The tax credit did invoke a lot of would be Summer buyers to buy before the April 30th deadline. But people are still buying and the numbers won't take near that type of hit again anytime soon. Either way, I realize it doesn't help Buyer confidence but I believe it was Warren Buffet who said the time to invest is when no one else is (because you don't make money off of what's popular). If you're able to, now is the time to buy a rental or investment property (before interest rates go up...unless of course you have cash and then you might want to wait until then). Oh and just to disclose-these numbers change by the minute. This is a snapshot of what was going on at 1 o'clock this afternoon.

What to do...2nd half of June

Today's steal of the day? A $5 fishing rod (checkout my Olentangy Trail blog for a good fishing spot and a link to get your license).

To follow up on June activities, this weekend is the Creekside Blues and Jazz Fest in Gahanna as well as the Gay Pride fest and Juneteenth festival.

Next weekend (25-27th) is Comfest, which is one of the most fun and entertaining (as well as free) events of the year! While you're downtown, head over to German Village's annual Hous und Garten Tour on Sunday to view some of the most beautiful gardens and historical home renovations that the Village has to offer. The Clippers will be in town the 25-30th as well and you're into Michael Buble, hit up his concert at Nationwide on June 30th.

There's also an ongoing Summer concert series that could make your Thursday's seem a little more like Friday's. From MojoFlo to the Reaganomics, you're sure to find someone you like!

No more complaining that you're bored, ok?

Making a Small Kitchen Work for You

With more people "going green" and in a still somewhat uncertain economy, also looking to save green, more home buyers are looking for less space. Here's a great video on how to maximize the space in the (arguably) best resalable feature of most homes:


And just in case the video gives you any issues loading, here's a link as well :)

REALTOR, real estate agent, and ethics...oh my!

I had a friend from New York e-mail me recently. She's selling her house and has been going through some major trials with her agent. The things her agent was doing (mostly lack of disclosure and not working in the best interest of the client) bothered me quite a bit. Probably because I get really tired of slackers giving the industry a bad rep.

First of all, there is a difference between Real estate agent and REALTOR (yes, it's supposed to be in all caps). REALTORS must adhere to the National Association of REALTORS code of ethics...real estate agents aren't required to.

That said, if you're working with a REALTOR who you think isn't treating you right, call them out on it. If they won't make it right, talk to their manager or broker. There's always the option of filing a complaint through your states "division of real estate" too. I don't mean turning agents in for a simple lack of "google-able" knowledge or honest mistake but if your agent is doing something outright unethical (or criminal), make them accountable for those actions. After all, it's one of the biggest purchases of your lifetime and it shouldn't be tainted. Or just fire your agent and call on me to help (even if you're not in Columbus and I can't work with you personally). Since I'm in the business, network with other agents, and am a solid agent myself, I know what to look for in others...and will do it because not only do I want you to have a good experience but I'm also compensated for the referral.

What to do...what to do?

First off, Today is National donut day...buy a drink, get a free donut at Dunkin Donut. Or forego buying the drink and just head to Krispy Kreme for the donut. I also ran across a special on those funky shaped rubber bands everyone is talking about...120 for $10 (today only).

Anywho, the reason for this blog. If you're thinking about moving to Columbus or already live here and haven't an idea of what to do this weekend, read on:

If you don't already know, there's a TON to do in Columbus...especially in the Summer! What you ask? Well, for instance this weekend, you could checkout the Memorial Golf Tournament or if gardening's more your thing, the Ohio farm bureau is teaching a class at the Franklin Park Conservatory called Growing your own food and going Green on Saturday. The Greater Columbus Arts Festival also beckons you. And you sports fans can head down to Crew stadium for the Rugby Collegiate Championship Invitational.

Next weekend is Columbus' City Hop. You can checkout either the tour of condo's on Saturday or go all out and enjoy the progressive dinner party or rooftop after party to really get an idea of what downtown condo living is like. If you're into doing a 5K walk, Easton's hosting the American Lung walk next Saturday too.

Stats Unaltered

People are always asking me "What's the market like right now?" So I thought, why not lookup some raw data from the MLS and share it with the people who do business with me. Because, if you're like me at all, you don't necessarily trust everything that comes out of media and/or advertising.

If this makes sense, no need to read the lingo: Homes for sale, being sold, and sold...broken down by price range...with pretty charts. What more could you ask for?

The Lingo:

Active listings = Homes that are currently "on the market (aka. "For Sale").

Contingent = Homes that are "in contract, under contract, or contingent. Meaning, the home was for sale and is now in contract and set to close (sell) as long as the contingencies in the contract don't blow the deal (inspection, appraisal, financing, etc).

Sold = Homes that have sold during the past 6 months.

Total Active Listings = 15,419

Total Homes In Contract = 4173

Total Sold (Past 6 Months) = 9725

Memorial Day

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day! I had the chance to visit the moving wall in Westerville on Saturday. It was a humbling experience and it really made me think about the sacrifices that have been made so that we can enjoy the priveledges of living in a free country. If you haven't had a chance to visit the Moving wall (a replica of the one in Washington), take a minute and check out the virtual wall.

Peace.

Columbus Asian Fest

The Columbus Asian festival is this weekend, which is fun for everyone! Whether you're looking for something fun for your kids, to pickup a cool art deco piece, or checkout one of the awesome food vendors, you'll be happy with this event (going on May 29-30 at Franklin Park). Find out more here.

Although he doesn't fare well, you have to give Mayor Coleman props for entertaining the idea of taking on a SUMO wrestler!

Mortgage 101

I found this refreshingly conservative article on mortgages. There is also a lengthy list of real estate terms (mostly mortgage related).

The information is quite general so if you're ready to buy a home, get in touch with me. Once I know your situation, I can recommend the right Mortgage company and loan officer for your situation. I refuse to write my own article on this subject because 1-It never fails...the information will be stale next week. 2-Although I know a lot about financing, a Realtor is not a lender 3-Each lender has different programs, portfolio products, etc. so "facts" often change from lender to lender.

I would, however LOVE to see some local lenders start to blog. After all, as good as your newsletters are, they eventually get deleted...blogs stick around forever! Oh, and consumers and Realtors are inundated with e-mails. Blogging allows the ability for your referral sources and clients to look this stuff up on their own time.

To Remodel Or Not To Remodel

The Cost Vs. Value report comes out every year and details the improvements that give you the most bang for your buck when remodeling your home. I wouldn't call it gospel but it's always interesting. When making improvements, you'll likely be personally benefiting from them as well as increasing the resale value of your home and are hopefully aware that you won't net 100% of the amount you put into the repairs...if not, take a minute.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get into what returns the biggest amount of your precious money back to you. Deck additions and siding replacement seem to net the most (percentage-wise). I'll always be a huge proponent of updating outdated kitchens and baths, which are pretty high on the ROI (return on investment) scale as well. Finishing basements and replacing inefficient windows are a good bet too. Take a look at Columbus's report here.

I included the National report as well if want to forward it on to someone out of town...or live outside of Columbus yourself. Check it out here.

It should also be noted that if any of these items in your home are resaleable now, save your money! In today's uncertain market, I would greatly discourage you from making unnecessary improvements in your home...even if you want to. If you have any questions, send me pictures of your potential project and I'll give you my opinion.

Olentangy River Trail

Part of my responsibility as a great Realtor is to stay informed of events, venues, etc. in and around Columbus, Ohio. It's not that every client needs this information but many times I work with home buyers that are relocating from another area or don't go out of their comfort zone on a regular basis. Plus it's just good stuff to know!

I'm embarrased to admit that I've lived in Columbus for 10+ years now and never knew what a stupendous resource we have in the Olentangy (pronounced Olen-tan-jee) Trail. Having been to several of the parks that the Olentangy Trail connects was definitely not the same as biking the trail that connects the parks.

For those who aren't aware, this park has a history. What is now the Olentangy

Village apartments was once an amazing amusement park.The depression put an end to that era but the park has thrived on a more natural beauty.

The scents emerging from the lilac and rose bushes are captivatingly energizing and the sights of ducks cleaning their ducklings and deer napping along the river were ones I will never forget. If you're more of a sports fan, stop and catch one of the baseball, soccer, or frolf games going on...or bring your tennis racket or ball of choice since there are plenty of tennis courts and green space to go around. There are jungle gyms around every corner for the kids and dogs are everywhere so don't leave Fido out of the fun. You can also head to Antrim's gorgeous lake to jog along the pedestrian only trail surrounding it or bring your fishing pole as this lake is STOCKED (make sure to get your fishing license first).

People watching is a most fun past time as well and Olentangy does not disappoint on that front either. We even saw Santa Claus on roller blades!

Here is a link to the bike trail map and here are a few links to parks that the Olentangy Trail will wind you through:

Olentangy Parklands (link is to the revitalization project details)

Antrim Park

Whetstone's Park of Roses

Lower Scioto Trail

There's no need to bike but for those of you who haven't checked out out some of these amazing natural resources our area has to offer, I challenge you to check them out this summer. I'd say "first times free" but it always is...and you'll be back!

Lead Based Paint Regs Change

Update (7.6.2010)-As reported in the Ohio Association of Realtors online magazine, "The EPA has decided to delay until Oct 1, enforcement of its new "Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule" in order to provide building professionals more time to receive training and certification in the removal of lead-based paint."

If you own a home or rental that was built prior to 1978, there are some new regulations that were set in place late last month. If you plan to renovate or repair and the work involves more than six square feet of painted surface per room (interior) or 20 square feet for exterior work, the owners and tenants (if it's a rental) must receive information on lead-based paint hazards prior to the renovation. Contractors performing the renovation must also be certified (meaning they've taken an eight hour course from an EPA accredited trainer). To find out more, visit http://www.epa.gov/lead/

Bike to Work Challenge

Despite this not being completely real estate related, I decided to share this as many of my friends enjoy biking and networking with other active individuals...and I love biking and keeping people informed. Win/Win!

The Columbus Bike to work challenge begins on May 11th. May is also Bike month so if you're into biking but not interested in the challenge, here is a list of events to pick and choose from.

The picture? You all know what a bike looks like...the cat is just cute!

Computer tip: Anytime you see a hyperlink on my blog, click on it which will take you to another resourceful website. If you want to keep my site up, right click on the hyperlink and click "open in new tab". You can do this in any site, of course and when I was told about it, I nearly fell out of my chair. I use it ALL the time!

Honest Advertising

I like this guy! Taking it to the limit, which has probably been quite effective for his local market

Maybe I should start marketing my real estate services this way! So if you want a home, call me...or don't. But don't come crying to me when something goes awry...

Hmmmmmm

Dating and Negotiating

Dating and Negotiating-Being 31 and still not married, I've become pretty awesome at the former (think what you want...I'm very picky), and have noticed a lot of similarities which has actually helped me help my clients quite a bit. Here are a few that I can share:

Don't be too eager. If you play all of you cards on the first date with a guy, he's either 1-not going to call you or 2-going to have all of the proverbial "hand" when he does. Real estate is no different. If the sellers know how much you love the neighborhood, yard, finished basement, and that your best friend Giggles lives just down the street, they will have all of the power during negotiations.

Keep your options open. There's nothing more attractive to most guys than a confident woman. One that will walk away if they're being a jerk. If a seller is raking you over the coals or being too possessive, walk away. If it's meant to be, they'll eventually come to reality. If not, there are plenty of other "houses in the sea".

Don't be desperate. This one goes without saying in the dating realm. If you're a homebuyer, desperation won't score you a good deal either. If, for instance you needed to move like yesterday, rather than be desperate for one particular house, you're much better off being a bit more analytical and lining up a couple houses that will work as backups just in case.

Don't fall for the commitment-phobe. Whether it's because of his emotional baggage or 5 children, some guys don't want a commitment. Some sellers may put their house on the market and go on dates (ie. showings) but when it comes down to getting an offer, they either refuse to come down to a reasonable price or may even take the house off the market altogether. It wasn't meant to be. Dust yourself off and let's go find "the ONE".

Make yourself attractive. You wouldn't go out on a first date in sweat pants and a tank top, would you? Then don't submit an offer (or even start looking at homes) until you've been pre-approved by a lender. It shows you've done some "primping". On top of that, make sure you're putting some earnest money deposit down as well. If you can't afford to, you’re probably not ready to buy just yet.

Be open minded. If he doesn't open the car door for you, maybe he's just nervous and forgot. If he doesn't buy dinner, maybe he's had a bad experience w/a feminazi who berated him for trying. Sometimes a duck is just a duck but not always. You never know what's going on in sellers minds either. Maybe they’re being forced to move or have watched their children grow up in this house and are emotionally scarred after seeing your offer for 10% under asking price on the home they value much more than the market does. Practice the golden rule when negotiating. If the sellers are negotiable on the price, but need some time after the closing to move out, give it to them. If they want to keep the refrigerator because their high school sweetheart gave it to them, let them. Everyone is happier with a win-win!

Everyone is different. Just like guys, every Seller has different emotions, history, and past experiences. In my 5 years as a REALTOR and 10+ years as a dating specialist, there's one thing that rings true for both: Timing is EVERYTHING!

I'm on the Move

I moved to Keller Williams, teamed up with a Sellers Agent, AND am now working exclusively with Buyers! It's been on my mind for awhile so it wasn't a rash decision but I feel like a 100 lb weight has been lifted off my shoulders so it feels like a good one already.

I think part the reason that many agents don't stay in the business very long is that they get overwhelmed with the different facets (financing, paperwork, staging, paperwork, inspections, paperwork, marketing (themselves and the homes they sell), and so on) involved in selling real estate. Even when you're good, there is only so much that one can focus on well. Yet we continue to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results (isn't that the definition of insanity?).

Buying and selling real estate is usually an emotional transaction for my clients. For most people it’s the most expensive purchase they’ll ever make so it makes sense. I’ve found that depending on the day, I may get to play marriage counselor, cheerleader, consoler, or some other role…and always an ally and educator. I never know which hat I’m going to wear but I like that every day is a new adventure. Because I like working with/for Buyers so much, I roll with the punches very well. Sellers are over my head. It's not personal. Sellers are good people. I'm just not interested in honing this skill right now. But I didn’t want to let my friends, past clients, and referral sources down so I had to find someone that was. And I did! It took a few months and several meetings with different brokerages but I finally got it right. Mic Gordon has been in the business for 18 years, sells a boatload of homes, and is the managing partner of the Keller Williams office that I joined. So when someone I know wants to sell their home, I can rest at night knowing that they are being treated fairly, are well informed about the market, and will still have someone to negotiate a win/win on their behalf. If you're a past client/friend, I'll probably help with the process too. But I'll leave the tough stuff to Mic :)

And my perfectionist personality can focus on being the best Buyers agent that I can be. The past few days have been an emotional roller coaster but I’m completely relieved and overwhelmingly excited about this opportunity!

Just an aside: I got an e-mail a couple days ago from a past client who wanted to refinance. It went something like this: “I just closed on my refi today at Union Savings Bank. No escrow, no pmi, and no fee for not escrowing. Cost me a total of $771 to close and my payments went down by $384 per month! God bless you” . I share this because nothing thrills me more than to be able to benefit someone’s quality of life. And now that I'm able to focus on one subset of the market, I’ll be able to keep up to date with lenders to find out the most recent changes the banks are making (and deals like the one I just mentioned), stay more abreast of Builders inventory, and develop even greater ideas for the Buyers I represent. So when someone says they're thinking about Buying a house, remember to give me a call. They'll be glad you did!