Monthly Archives: October 2009

Visitors Are Moving In

Posted on 10/29/2009 | 4 Comments

Have you noticed it’s that time of year when unwanted guests are trying to move in with us for the winter?

If you live around an area with lots of trees, you’re apt to be plagued by the orange Asian lady beetles. Their official biological name is Coccinella transversalis. They were imported to help farmers with aphids on crops, but as so often happens, they have now become a pest. Plus, they stink and they bite! They’re just not desirable like the little red spotted ladybugs.

I was showing a home one time that had a mass of the Asian beetles in the basement near an incoming pipe.The cluster was about 14″ wide and a couple inches thick. There must have thousands of the beetles in the mass.

squash bug

I found this other odd looking bug near my back door. I definitely didn’t want it to make its way into my home. Talk about UG-G-L-Y!

It’s a squash bug or also called a leaf-footed bug (coreidae). To me, it looks like a bug in a tuxedo with FlashDance-style leggings. Or else it’s dressed up like Lady GaGa.

I think I need to spend the next sunny day going around my house to caulk all potential holes.

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

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Posted in Central Ohio, Delaware County, Fix-ups, Homes

Tagged insects, lady beetle, squash bug

Should I vote ‘yes’ or ‘no? Taxes ‘up’ or ‘down’?

Posted on 10/28/2009 | 2 Comments

Next week we have an election for local issues and/or levies. We’re all too familiar with issues being written such that a ‘NO’ vote is really a ‘YES’ vote. It can be so confusing.

Today we had a meeting with the Franklin County Auditor’s staff giving us a presentation on the new features of their web site. During one of the slides, he showed us the tax estimator page which allows residents to see the dollar change the levy or issue would have on future taxes. As we were reviewing the information on the web page, we noticed an inconsistency to what the language of the proposed levy said versus the impact on the property tax.

The Proposed Levy Says It’s A Decrease

The proposed levy is promoted as a “replacement levy” that will be a “decrease” in taxes. The old levy that expires was a 3.15 mill levy. The new replacement levy – if voters approve – will be a 3.10 mill levy. OK, that’s a decrease.

HOWEVER, levies can only collect a maximum amount of money. If property values or the number of households/businesses increases, then the millage per parcel may actually be lower than millage that was voted in. That’s what happened to this original levy. Even though voters originally voted for the 3.15 mill levy, it’s actually being collected at a rate of only 2.010197.

The Proposed Levy Will Actually Be A Increase

If voters approve the 3.10 Replacement Levy, they may actually see an INCREASE to their taxes since instead of collecting at the 2.010197 rate, taxes may be collected at 3.10 mill rate. So that will be an increase, not a decrease.

Using a Hilliard home as an example

Using a Hilliard home as an example, the Auditor shows an assessed value of $149,800. The annual tax payment for this home is $3497. Using the Auditor’s tax estimator, if the replacement levy passes, instead of paying $7.69 for the current levy, the new replacement levy would collect $11.85.

So that’s how a Replacement/Decrease levy can result in an increase to the tax you may actually pay.

While I’ve used a particular Franklin County levy as an example, the discussion can really apply to any county and any levy. The key point is that rather than just accepting what the levy ballot language is, do a little checking to see how it differs from what is currently being collected. You can be sure that the proponents of this replacement levy aren’t going to mention that households may pay more. They want to put a positive spin on the levy so voters will pass it. Plus, they are correct in that it is a decrease … you just may not see that decrease when your property tax bill arrives in the mail.

BE AN INFORMED VOTER … THEN VOTE!

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Posted in Central Ohio, Commentary, Franklin County

Tagged central ohio real estate market news, property taxes, real estate property tax rates

Snowbirds … buy a condo before you head South

Posted on 10/24/2009 | Leave a comment

luxury condo It’s the time of year when snowbirds are beginning to make plans for their trek south to warmer climates for the winter. Some go there at the first hint of cold while others wait till the holidays are over. Ohioans seem to favor Florida or Arizona for their winter havens.

Because these empty-nesters are on-the-go, active people they are prime candidates for trading in the “family” home for an easy-care condo. A condo is perfect for people who spend 6-months here and 6-months “there”. That way there are no worries about finding someone to mow lawns or clear snow while they’re gone.

If this lifestyle is appealing to you or if it has been part of your retirement plans, now might be a good time to purchase your northern condo. Since it’s the end of our buying season here, you might be able to get a better deal than if you wait till next spring. Sellers know that their season is ending, so they may be a little more willing to negotiate.

Right now there is a really good selection of condos in all price ranges, especially under $400,000. Here is what is on the market in southern Delaware County as of this morning:

Under $200,000: In the Powell area there are 40 condos with an average size of 1584 sq ft and an average price of $171,000. In the Lewis Center/northwest Westerville area there are 56 condos with an average size of 1473 sq ft with an average price of $160,000.
In the $200′s: In the Powell area there are 27 condos with an average size of 2155 sq ft and an average price of $239,000. In the Lewis Center/northwest Westerville area there are 21 condos with an average size of 2196 sq ft with an average price of $250,000.
In the $300′s: In the Powell area there are 32 condos with an average size of 2658 sq ft and an average price of $348,000. In the Lewis Center/northwest Westerville area there are 7 condos with an average size of 2577 sq ft with an average price of $349,000.
Over $400,000: In the Powell area there are 7 luxury condos with an average size of 3182 sq ft and an average price of $529,000.

If this lifestyle is in your plans, give me a call to review your next steps and to discuss what the options are that meet snowbird your specific needs and criteria. There is time to buy and move into your new place before you cast aside your winter coat in favor of those Jimmy Buffet shorts you have in the closet.

Oh-no … my eyes … my eyes!

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Posted in Buyers, Central Ohio, Condos, patio homes, Delaware County, Golf course communities, Golf Village, Kinsale, Home buying process, Homes, Homes for sale, Lewis Center Ohio, Powell Ohio, Scioto Reserve, Wedgewood

Tagged central ohio real estate market, luxury condos, winter snowbirds

What constitutes a real estate expert?

Posted on 10/23/2009 | 7 Comments

There are a number of people on the Internet who profess to be real estate experts. A lot of them have never sold a home. They’ve never sat across the kitchen table with people planning to sell their home. They’ve never shown a home to buyers looking for a “champagne home on a beer budget”. Yet, they make a substantial income holding seminars to tell us (Realtors®) what we need to do to do it RIGHT.

Yesterday I attended such a class at our Board. In this case, the presenter actually was a real estate agent. His topic was Social Media Marketing, which means marketing ourselves and our listings, using such venues as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. He also spoke on the importance of photography and video in our marketing.

Because I’ve been using social media for over three years, much of what he said wasn’t new-news to me. I didn’t agree with everything he said, but I’ll allow that each market (and agent personalities/goals) are different so we adjust as needed. I DID like how he is executing and editing the making of videos and plan to incorporate that technique.

In following up with some of the information he gave us, this morning I checked out his web site and blog. There are several online analytical tools that I can use to measure the effectiveness of having my sites be crawled by Google, such that when someone performs a search for “homes for sale around Hoover Reservoir“, they find my blog on page one of the search results. At least that’s what I strive for.

Guess what! Both my web site and this blog outperform his web site and blog by a fairly wide margin. Also, Google hasn’t crawled his blog for a week, whereas Google crawled this blog today already. So does this make me an EXPERT? Should I go on the speaking circuit? Nah! I’m just glad to know that my marketing efforts are working, and that it’s helping to sell my listings and provide buyers and sellers with the info they need to make informed decisions.

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Posted in Advertising, Buyers, Central Ohio, Delaware County, Galena Ohio, Home buying process, Home selling process, Internet, Realtor® selection, Sellers, Technology

Tagged central ohio real estate market news, Hoover Reservoir home for sale, real estate expert, social media marketing

Are You Missing The Market?

Posted on 10/20/2009 | Leave a comment

Over 80% of the home buyers start their home search on various Internet sites. Sellers select their Realtor® based on how many Internet sites the agent displays the home. Conscientious agents make sure the home is featured in the best way possible by making sure the photos are as best as they can be. Now what happens when the most basic of information about the home is WRONG or MISSING?

Recently, I was pulling info for a specific neighborhood. I knew every home that was for sale in this particular community. However, when I did the computer search a full 25% of the homes were missing from the search. WHY?

I did some digging and found that there were errors or omissions to the original data entry into the MLS system that was incorrect and/or missing. That’s why it is important for an agent to actually print out a hard copy to make sure the spec sheet looks as we intend. Let’s face it … typos happen.

So, Sellers, ask your agent to show you the MLS spec sheet. Is all the data correct? Are there missing search fields and if so, should those boxes be blank or not? You can’t afford to miss showings in this market because of certain errors, so be proactive to make sure your home can be found by Internet buyers who might be searching for a home just like yours.

Buyers, as you are sitting in your jammies doing your home search, consider that your perfect home may not be showing in the search. That’s why it is important to work with a Realtor® who knows the area or knows how to search the data to override the chance that some homes might be missed by a typical computer search.

As the saying goes …GIGO … garbage in, garbage out. Computers only work as well as the agent who input the data.

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Posted in Advertising, Buyers, Central Ohio, Delaware County, Home buying process, Home selling process, Homes, Homes for sale, Internet, Sellers

Tagged Internet search for homes for sale

My Crystal Ball Tells Me Fall Home Sales Will Be …

Posted on 10/19/2009 | Leave a comment

How will homes sales be the next three months now that the time has passed for the 1st Time Home Buyers? That’s what a lot of Realtors® are wondering. Will it be a “normal” fall period? Will it go into a slump as happen mind-reader ed after the “Cash for Clunkers” program ended?

Wait a moment while I get out my crystal ball.

The Oct-Dec period is normally slower because people are busy with holidays. However, the buyers that are shopping are SERIOUS buyers ready to make offers. Even though the weather may be less than ideal, the homes inside often look very attractive with minimalist holiday decorating.

Buyers are eager to get in their new home by the year-end holidays. Sellers are eager to have their home sold prior to the cold months of Jan-Feb. So it can be a great time for negotiations.

I checked to see how the Delaware County market did last fall (Oct-Dec) and compared that to homes currently for sale. Actually, quite a few homes sold last year, which is a positive sign for sellers. The caution for sellers is to consider last year’s average SOLD price, and perhaps adjust their price now for a greater opportunity to go into contract.

Delaware County Fall Sales
School District	# Sold Fall ’08	Avg $ Fall ’08	# For Sale Now	Avg List $ Now
Olentangy SD	175	$325,195	674	$496,204
Big Walnut SD	26	$211,417	146	$492,658
Buckeye Valley SD	37	$177,049	109	$344,355
Delaware SD	72	$151,390	156	185,026