Katherine Slant, author of The Brand-New House Book, issued some design trends that coincidentally fit with some the homes I currently have listed.
She said that homes with both a master and a second bedroom on the first floor are popular because they appeal to young couples (2nd BR serves as a nursery); middle-aged couples may put an elderly parent in the 2nd bedroom; and older couples like the design if their sleep patterns differ, making sharing a bedroom more difficult. See my Worthington listing that matches this description, plus it has 2 more large bedrooms upstairs with dormers and skylights.
Another design trend on her list involves offices. She said the newest variation of the home office is a completely separate office space, connected to the home by a hallway or a breezeway. See my Galena listing that has this type of private office with an exterior entrance in addition to the connection to the home.
Per Slant, kitchens are getting smaller, but they’re connected to larger dining areas, often with a center island where family members can sit while they have an informal meal. My Worthington listing (see above) has this arrangement, as does my listing in Stratford Woods.
Oversized family rooms with high ceilings are giving way to smaller, cozier rooms with lower ceilings. Again my Worthington listing matches this as does my listing in Brookfield Village in Hilliard.
Slant says that home theaters have lost much appeal because people don’t want to watch TV in a separate area. TV viewing is more informal with people doing other things while the TV is on. My listing in Stratford Woods has this floor plan as well as a finished basement for “real TV watching”.
So if you’re interested in buying a TRENDY home, I’ve got you covered. Just pick the trend you want, and I can help you buy it. Of course, you knew I’d say that didn’t you!
Copyright © 2008. 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.
Categories: Buyers · Central Ohio · Delaware County · Delaware Ohio · Franklin County · Galena Ohio · Hilliard Ohio · Homes · Homes for sale · Worthington Ohio
Tagged: Stratford Woods, central ohio real estate market news, Brookfield Village, housing trends, Hoover Reservoir home for sale
Can you sell your home over the holidays and STILL handle showings PLUS enjoy the festive events with the family? Well, yes, but a little pre-planning may help you get through it.
First of all, communicate closely with your real estate agent to let him/her know what your schedule will be, such as when you have parties or dinners planned. The agent can adjust showing instructions to accommodate that schedule. However, this might be the year to not fill the calendar too full, so you don’t miss too many opportunities to have the home shown.
Don’t bring out ALL the decorations. Keep them to a minimum … the KISS system. You can still give the home a seasonal look, without adding to the clutter. If you typically put up a large tree, you might want to pass on that this year, since often the tree requires moving furniture closer together and may block a window view. Perhaps, you can instead buy a small (3-4 ft) tree to accent the area. You won’t want your rooms to seem cramped and small.
Another reason to keep your decorations at minimum is that you don’t want the buyer to get the impression that you’re ENTRENCHED until the end of the year. It’s mid-November now, so a buyer may want to move in BEFORE Christmas so they can spend it in their new home. Having a tree with some packages underneath, sends a silent signal that YOU plan to be in the home on Christmas morning.
Do buyers actually buy homes over the holidays? ABSOLUTELY, YES! The Friday-Saturday after Thanksgiving can be busy showing days. People planning to relocate from another area might be in town to visit family, and want to select a home during those days. Local people may have those days off work, so they can fit the showings into their schedule during their “vacation” days. The week between Christmas and New Year’s is often busy with showings. Many agents have stories about putting homes in-contract on Christmas Eve. One year, I spent the better part of New Year’s Eve presenting a contract to my sellers, writing up a counter offer, and getting the counter back to the buyer’s agent. We put it into contract by New Year’s Day afternoon.
Remember, buyers shopping over the holidays
ARE SERIOUS BUYERS!
Here’s another reason the buyer may want to actually close on the home before the end of the year. They may want the tax deduction for 2008, rather than risk changes to the tax laws with the new political regime, which is an unknown at this point.
The holidays can be stressful under normal situations. If you keep it simple, plan ahead, be flexible, you’ll get through it … and you just might get your home sold! Now, won’t that be a great present!
Copyright © 2008. 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.
Categories: Buyers · Home selling process · Homes · Homes for sale · Sellers
Tagged: Selling a home over the holidays
Let’s try another poll. This time you can register your opinion on what you think are the THREE MOST IMPORTANT traits/skills for an agent to possess. Think about the questions you would ask an agent, and which skills you would use to make your selection. There’s a box for you to add your own key trait at the bottom, if it’s not already listed.
This will be very informative for me as well as the other agents who read my blog. Be sure to click on “View Results” to see how your answer compares to others.
Copyright © 2008. 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.
Categories: Buyers · Realtors® · Sellers · Surveys
Tagged: opinion poll on real estate agents
I just received a phone call that really disturbed me. I often get calls from appraisers asking questions about the past homes I’ve sold. They make these calls to listing agents when they are doing comps for a lender who is in the process of approving (or not approving), a mortgage for a buyer. The buyer will be paying the lender for this appraisal and hopes that it is accurate.
This particular appraiser was asking about a luxury condo I recently sold in Golf Village (Powell). I began asking her questions, because I know these appraisals can be flawed. She mentioned that she was unfamiliar with the complex and builder of my sold listing. She said she was also unfamiliar with the builder and the community of the condo for which she was doing the appraisal.
So WHY is she doing the appraisal!
Here are the issues that are are going to impact the quality of her appraisal:
The more I spoke with this appraiser, the more troubled I became. To say she was “clueless” is an understatement. I told her that if she used my sold listing as a comp, that her BPO would be worthless and VERY unfair to the buyer. She said she didn’t know what to do because she couldn’t find other comps.
So why not just explain that to the lender rather doing an error ridden appraisal!
I’ve often wondered how appraisers are able to make an accurate judgement on the price/value of a home a buyer is wanting a mortgage for, because seldom have they been in the homes they are comparing. They have no knowledge how buyers perceive certain features/upgrades in the home because they don’t interact with buyers. This is also a concern for sellers who are refinancing because the same type of appraisal is done as part of that process.
If this appraiser doesn’t change her BPO, there’s a chance that the home being appraised won’t comp out because there could be up to a $100,000 + difference … not exactly chump change. If it doesn’t comp, then the builder or the real estate agent in the transaction will have to spend time disputing the appraiser’s ”findings” and trying to convince the lender to disregard that report or have another appraiser do a 2nd opinion.
Buyers, if your chosen home doesn’t comp out, don’t be afraid to challenge it!
Copyright © 2008. 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.
Categories: Buyers · Central Ohio · Condos, patio homes · Delaware County · Delaware Ohio · Golf Village, Kinsale · Golf course communities · Home buying process · Home prices · Homes · New home builders · Powell Ohio
Tagged: Bob Webb custom homes, North Orange Park, Orange township, Ohio
One of the inspections home buyers usually schedule in central Ohio is a test for radon. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. The test is done during the inspection phase of the Purchase Contract. The test will cost the buyer between $110 to $150, depending upon the company the buyer hires to do the test.
The inspector will place a small testing device (silver box in photo) in the basement for a 48-hour period. The device will periodically sample the air. At the end of the test, it will produce a graph of the readings, then average them for each of the two 24-hours periods. The overall average is then used to determine whether mitigation is recommended. The EPA suggests that people not have long-term exposure to radon readings at or above 4.0pCi/L. (non-scientific people shorten this to “4 pico curies”.)
If the reading suggests mitigation, then a company is hired that does such work. Costs vary according to the layout and size of the basement and the 
subsequent amount of materials required. The least expensive that I’ve seen a mitigation cost is around $1000.
In doing the mitigation, the company will seal the sump pump with a special cover, cover any crawl space with heavy plastic and perhaps, caulk cracks in the concrete floor. As shown in this photo, a plastic pipe will run from the pump to an exterior wall, then be extended to the exterior.
On the outside a fan will be installed that will be sucking out the air from the spaces that are likely to be contributing to radon entering the home. This is primarily the sump pump but a pipe may also be installed under the plastic in the crawl 
space.
The outside fan and piping is usually installed in a somewhat hidden location if possible. Sometimes there are options on placement of this equipment, so you want to discuss with the mitigation company what the location options are. Keep in mind that this fan runs all the time. While it’s not much louder than the fan on your furnace, you may not want to listen to it if it’s near your deck.
I’ve not included any of the scientific information on radon in this post. You can read to your heart’s content on this EPA page where there are many detailed articles. You can also view a U.S. map or an Ohio map (scroll down the page to see Ohio map) of radon concentrations.
Read more articles on home inspections.
Copyright © 2008. 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.
Categories: Buyers · Central Ohio · Home buying process · Home inspections · Home selling process · Sellers
Tagged: radon in central Ohio
With all the economical and financial news this past week, plus, some discussions of the have’s and have not’s, I was curious to see how higher priced homes were faring in sales this year. We know that the lower priced homes are facing more challenges to attracting buyers, but does the same hold true for the upper scale homes where “lack of money” may be less of an issue for potential buyers?
Normally the charts I prepare are for portions of Delaware County and Franklin County. I decided to use the ENTIRE MLS system for this review since some of the more expensive property may be located in outlying areas where ample land can ensure privacy. I also included condos … not just single-family homes … because there are some luxury condos being sold both in Powell as well as downtown Columbus high-rises. I wanted to know how buyers were spending their money regardless whether it was in a regular home or an easy-care condo or patio home.
This graph shows the NUMBER of homes SOLD by price range between Jan to today’s date.
Obviously, there are a lot fewer buyers buying this year than last, and remember this is for ALL the counties surrounding Franklin County where Columbus is located. Strangely the average price within each price range hardly changed from one year to the next. In other words, the average price in the $200-299K range was $241K for both years … there were just 62% fewer buyers.
Now back to the original premise of my purpose in doing this review. What’s happening in the luxury market? I think the graph shows that upscale people are having the same thoughts as the “common folk”.
If your home is for sale, this should be a wake-up call to make sure your home is in absolute top-notch condition and priced right because your competition is fierce for the much smaller pool of buyers. I could also say that your choice of a Realtor® is very important as well to make sure your home receives the most exposure with the best photos … but then I hope you already know that! 
Copyright © 2008. 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.
Categories: Buyers · Central Ohio · Columbus Ohio · Delaware County · Franklin County · Home prices · Homes · Homes for sale · Housing stats · Powell Ohio · Sellers
Tagged: central ohio real estate market news
THIS POST IS WRITTEN BY GUEST WRITER … THE MURPH.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are DOG HOUSES, then there are HOUSES FOR DOGS. The first kind are dank, cold, uncomfortable fixtures in the backyard. Heaven forbid, I’m not talking about THAT kind of “dog house”. The kind of dog house I’m writing about are the kind that we share with our humans. The warm kind with lots of soft furniture for us to rest.
In February, Mom wrote about homes that might not sell because they are NOT dog friendly. Well, my fellow 4-legged friends need to know about homes that would be great fun for US to live in. So here’s my review of the homes Mom still has for sale that are dog-friendly.
This first home has a yard that a little guy like me or a medium-sized dog would like. (that’s me in the photo) It has a sun room where we would have easy access to the back yard from the kitchen. The sun room would give us a chance to wipe our paws just in case we get them dirty.
If we get too dirty or when it’s time for baths, there’s a big laundry room with a deep sink and counters for drying time.
There’s a chair-height breakfast bar that is the perfect height for begging for human food. After coming in from the cold and after our tummies are full, we can plop down in front of the brick fireplace to warm our toes and chase rabbits in our funny dreams.
If your human likes to take you for long walks or runs, the Antrim Park is a short car-ride down Olentangy River Rd. At this park, you can walk, run or maybe take a swim if you’re so inclined. I’m not too big on that - my legs are too short. Read more of Mom’s stuff on this home.
Calling all goldens, labs, poodles, boxers, and almost any other kid-owning dog … this is YOUR home. There’s a big deck for lounging in the sun. The fenced yard is perfect for playing fetch or Frisbees. No need to worry about the kids running away while you’re babysitting them.
There’s LOTS of dogs in this neighborhood, and they take their humans for walks in the evening, so you’ll have ample opportunity to meet, greet, and sniff.
The upstairs of the home has 4 bedrooms so it will be an easy jaunt during the night to move from one bed to another. That way all your humans will feel privileged to be graced with your presence. Read more of Mom’s stuff on this home.
Big dogs and hunting hounds will be thoroughly entertained in this yard. It has something for everybody … like a Disney World for Dogs! With 3 acres of land, the big guys can run in the flat front yard or get their cardio exercise running up and down the ravines in the back. The hounds can follow their noses to track rabbits and squirrels and what ever else needs investigation.
There’s even a small stream (which sometimes has water) for the water-lovers. It’s the right size of water for guys like me with the short legs - no big waves!
There are 3 decks and 3 patios on all sides of the home, so lounging in the sunshine won’t be a problem. For the senior citizen who may not be as nimble, there are walking trails and steps from the home down to the ravine, making it easier for an older dog to still have fun and recall their sprightly youth.
During the cold weather, there is a wonderful wood stove in the 2-story great room that will toast your tummy in fine order. If your humans allow, there are soft built-in couches close to the stove to enhance your ultimate comfort. Also, there are 5 doors to the outside and numerous dog-height windows, so no matter where you are in the home, you can put your nose prints on some glass. Read more of Mom’s stuff on this home.
Now, go tell your humans you want to check out some homes today … just as soon as you get up from your nap.
Copyright © 2008. 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.
Categories: Buyers · Central Ohio · Delaware County · Delaware Ohio · Dog Tails · Franklin County · Galena Ohio · Homes · Homes for sale · Worthington Ohio
Tagged: central ohio real estate market, Antrim Park
Selling or buying a home can be a wonderful experience … or a troublesome one. It all depends on the parties involved. Naturally, having it be a wonderful, joyous, exciting time is the preferred outcome and that’s what happens in the majority of sales.
HOW TO BECOME A FRIEND
First of all both parties should rejoice in the fact that they share some things in common - they both like the house and they both want to move to a different home than where they are living now. Having a buyer choose a seller’s home is a complement to the seller. Likewise, having a seller trust the buyer enough to allow them to walk through the home and investigate its innermost corners during an inspection, is a complement to the buyer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Follow the GOLDEN RULE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Both parties should recognize that the Contract for the purchase of a home MUST be a win-win for both parties or it won’t become a Contract. The negotiation process to settle on the details of the Contract will attempt to find a common ground between the two parties. To some people, the closing/possession date is more important than the purchase price. To others the price may be more critical and they are more flexible on other terms. It’s a give & take to find which terms are acceptable to both parties. Keeping an open mind and looking for workable solutions during negotiations will result in both parties being satisfied.
What it really boils down to is having RESPECT for the other party. People that remember that the others are people as well - with feelings, emotions, and maybe some financial concerns - will usually do much, much better in the negotiation process. Often, when both parties work together and respect each other, good things happen. A seller may decide to leave something for the buyer that the buyer otherwise would have to purchase. The buyer may be willing to overlook some moving dust if events happen to cause the seller to run out of time during the moving process. I’ve even had sellers plan a neighborhood BBQ to introduce the buyers to their new neighbors. That’s wonderful!
HOW TO BECOME A FOE
WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE?
If you’re a seller and have friends in the neighborhood, do you really want the buyer telling your friends what an arse you were? Likewise, if you’re a buyer, do you want the seller to alert your new neighbors such they decide it’s best to not get acquainted with you or welcome you? Obviously neither is the desired situation. So go into your home buying or selling process with a positive attitude and you’ll eventually be so glad you did, when everybody has a great time at the closing table.
Copyright © 2008. 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.
Categories: Buyers · Home buying process · Home selling process · Homes · Homes for sale · Sellers
I’m sure people sometimes wonder what a Realtor® does all day long. Many just think all we do is open doors for buyers and then make a whole bunch of money. Yeah, right!
Well, one of the nice things about the job is that everyday is different. There are NO typical days. We may plan a “to do” list in the evening for the next day, only to have the day completely changed due to an early morning email or phone call. Getting a contract in on a listing can change everything, since contracts take priority.
Carole Cohen, Cleveland, wrote about one of her days recently.
Paula Henry, Indianapolis, ask a question about how far Realtors® drive when working with buyers or taking listings. Based on the comments, it seems that agents who work in downtown urban areas seem to drive very little distance from their home. Agents who work in more rural areas must drive far more miles.
Yesterday happened to be the type of day that I refer to as “errand travel” days. Those are the days that I plan to complete several real estate tasks and of course, with the price of gas, I plan my route accordingly. I often refer to driving from one side of southern Delaware County to the other. Well, yesterday I did that PLUS I had to go down the east side of Franklin County as well.
My day began with a visit to the Verizon store in Lewis Center because a piece broke on my bluetooth headset. Then over to a new development off Maxtown Rd (Westerville) to check the lot location of a spec home. Then to a listing in Galena to put an Open House sign strip on the yard sign. I took the scenic route south to Gahanna (through New Albany) where I had more investigations to do for a buyer client. Then further south to Blacklick to discuss the results of the investigations with the builder’s rep. I’m trying to get a price reduction on a new-build now that the builder has reduced prices on current inventory so I need FACTS.
Received a call that a security system was malfunctioning on a listing - so north to Worthington to look into that problem. The alarm was blaring while the poor showing agent was talking to me. I felt her pain as I did that ONCE. Problem solved, so next stop is to my office in Worthington to make copies of some paperwork for the office files.
Last on the ‘to-do’ list were some personal stops, the most important was to get The Murph more HeartGard medicine at his vet in Powell before they closed at 7:00. Gotta keep the little guy healthy!
Now wasn’t that day about as exciting as watching paint dry! Oh, BTW, I put about 75 miles on the WEENR-mobile and didn’t make $1.
Copyright © 2008. 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.
Categories: Buyers · Central Ohio · Delaware County · Franklin County · Galena Ohio · Home selling process · Lewis Center Ohio · New home builders · Powell Ohio · Real Living HER · Realtors® · Sellers · Transportation · Worthington Ohio
Tagged: Gahanna Ohio, Blacklick Ohio
When you go to the closing table, the person from the title company will be covering all sorts of important documents with you. One of those documents will be a survey plat of the property you are buying. It will show you what - if any - easements are on the property.
There are several types of easements with the most common being utility easements. These easements give permission to utility companies, (such as electric, water, etc.) to come on your property to maintain or repair their lines. They don’t need your permission to do this or to DIG! If your prize roses or a fence are located in this easement, count on having them removed if the utility company needs to do so.
Sometimes there are drainage easements or identified preserve areas. What you can or cannot do in these easements are usually governed (explained) by the deed restrictions.
In the diagram to the left, I have highlighted in yellow the various easements on a particular property. It has more easements than is found in many plats, but it does a good job of showing the restrictions this particular owner will need to keep in mind when landscaping or building a deck or patio.
To the back of the property is a 20 ft preserve and drainage easement. For this particular lot, the preserve easement states that the owner can’t do anything to that section other than look at it. No mowing, no picnic tables, no plantings. Look but don’t touch. This owner owns the land but can’t use it.
Along the sides of the property, there are drainage easements. This particular lot is sloped so that means that the slope must be maintained such that if there is a very hard rain, any excess water has a natural flow back to the preserve area, to prevent flooding.
It’s not uncommon to have one plat have an easement that the neighboring plat doesn’t. As a buyer, if you are concerned by what easements might be on the home you are considering, you can ask the seller for a copy of the plat survey they were given when they closed on the home. Or you can visit the county Auditor’s office where you can see the plats for neighboring homes as well, to see the BIG picture.
Copyright © 2008. 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.
Categories: Buyers · Home buying process · Homes · New home builders · Surveys
Tagged: central ohio real estate market news, easements, plat maps, survey plats
Elaine Reese
614-825-8860Real Living HER
Spectacular contemporary home on 3 wooded acres east of Hoover. Magnificent 2-rm home office.
$699,900.
Custom built 3500 SF home in Worthington with 1st floor MBR. Rich wood built-ins in Hearth room & upstairs BR's. Nice cul-de-sac. PRICE REDUCED $15,000 TO ONLY $329,900.
Spacious 4BR home in popular Brookfield Village in Hilliard with finished lower level and fenced yard at an unbelievable price of $194,900!
Lovely 3BR home with loft, finished lower level & fenced yard only $194,900.
New Home Builders
The Scotts Pro's Blog: Tips for a green thumb, plus, Lawn & Garden Q & A's
