Columbus Homes Blog

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

March Madness - Let the Selling Begin in the Columbus Real Estate Market
2008-03-20 18:36:00
Since about the second week of the year I have been talking about how the market is on an upswing. Over the last couple weeks, buyers seem to be coming out of the woodwork and sellers everywhere seem ready to prepare their home for the market.  In the last two weeks I have had an ...
More About: Selling , Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Market , Market

What it costs - Commercial Real Estate for sale in Midtown Columbus
2008-03-16 14:03:00
The first couple months of the year, I have been paying much more attention to commercial real estate than I had been.  Part of this was my involvement in a potential move by a local arts organization to a downtown Columbus location but that has yet to materialize and probably won’t for some time.  I’ve ...
More About: Commercial , For Sale , Estate , Real Estate , Downtown

Are we a Great City? Highlights from the State of the City Address
2008-03-15 19:38:00
Highlights relating to real estate in and around Columbus, job creation and quality of life which also feeds a desire for housing locations from this week’s State of the City address… “….we’ve listened to young professionals who want more affordable housing options downtown. They want to live downtown, but can’t afford many of the 5,000 Condominiums now ...
More About: Great , Highlights , Address

The State of The City - How does the Mayor?s Speech effect South East Colum
2008-03-15 02:30:00
The Short Answer is: Not Much. Every year the President, the Governor, and the Mayor have a State of the….address.  Mayor Coleman’s State of the City speech last night, as it always has, garnered much attention locally.  From neighborhood cameras to bike trails, to a plan to actually pay for a streetcar, a “Town Square” for ...
More About: East , South , Effect

What the Heck Does a Title Company Do?
2008-03-14 17:38:00
            What is a title company?  Every buyer and every seller of real estate in Columbus, Ohio eventually ends up sitting at a table for a closing.  At that table will be a representative from the Title company.  In Central Ohio, it is customary for the Seller or the Seller’s real estate agent to choose the ...
More About: Company

Columbus gets 20 Inches of Snow — And I Show Homes During a Blizzard
2008-03-10 20:39:00
              I often tell people moving to Columbus that it rarely snows here.  And when it does, it doesn’t snow very much but Columbusites still freak out and the News still sensationalizes what snow we did get.  Well, according to official measurements at the Airport, we got 20 inches of snow Friday and Saturday — the biggest snowfall ever in Central Ohio.  Ever. I had a buyer-couple coming in From Houston this weekend.  This is the weekend they HAD to put an offer on something.  They had been here another weekend a few weeks back but that was when we thought Husband’s company was going to purchase their Houston home and we were looking at completely different homes than we did this time.  We saw about 20 homes Friday and Sunday during snow, sleet and ice pellets falling from the sky.  The vacant homes were the worst since no one had bothered to shovel a path to their doors, we had to guess a...
More About: Show , Blizzard , Snow , Homes

Is this Columbus Neighborhood Safe? - finally, a convenient answer for home
2008-03-04 22:56:00
I get asked about the safety of neighborhoods all the time. “What do you think about this neighborhood?is it safe? Would you let your kids live here?” In general, I answer with a few sentences about how everyone has a different comfort level in regard to their surroundings and give a vague ...
More About: Answer , Home , Finally , Columbus , Safe

Downtown Columbus Condos - February Update - For Sale-Sold
2008-03-04 21:38:00
I had to check three times to make sure, but every time I found ONE condo that sold last month in downtown Columbus .  Yeah, the market is a little slow. The honor belongs to a 1700 sf 21st floor Miranova Corner Condo with three walls of glass, nice finishes and fantastic views.  The 2 bed, 2 bath ...
More About: For Sale , Downtown , Sale , Update

The Real Super Tuesday - Columbus Ohio Can Make a Difference on March 4
2008-03-02 09:00:00
Ohio and its Capital City have found themselves right back in the thick of political importance as the country once again holds its breath and waits to see what those crazy Ohioans will do next.  If, like me, you’re particularly interested in the candidates’ thought on home ownership and the mortgage crisis, read on. Barack Obama ...
More About: Ohio , Super , Real , March , Make

Single Women Continue to be a Big Part of Columbus & National Home Buyi
2008-03-01 07:49:00
Every few months, it seems, I run across an article in print or online that talks about single women home buyers being an enormous demographic and that these single women are buying not just more homes, but starting at an earlier age than single men.  Apparently I blog about it every  couple of years too. I ran across one again today that said, “Single women are the fastest-growing group of home buyers in the U.S. They totaled 22% of all buyers in 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors. That’s up from 14% in 1995. What’s more is single women are the second biggest category of buyers behind married couples. Single men represent 9% of all home buyers.” The Street.com article also mentioned some Realtor’s opinion that first time single female buyers, “do a lot of homework ahead of time. They know what they want, which areas they want to live.” I find that among my clients who are first time home buyers, single wome...
More About: Women , Home , Part

Speaking of Main Street - Why is this Box Building OK in Eastmoor?
2008-02-28 02:29:00
Since the city has finished up the South of Main Sewer project in Eastmoor, I’ve been driving by this soon-to-be auto parts store (and one-time site of Columbus’ last Skyline Chili) almost every day and wondering why in the world it’s OK to build the equivalent of a giant pole barn on East Main Street in Eastmoor. I’ve recently had a good number of buyers interested in the Eastmoor area.  Eastmoor is a fantastic community with great homes, decent $/sf and a sense of pride.  They have a strongish civic association but the lack of checks and balances at City Hall allows ugly projects like this to built this close to the city center.  I can’t imagine this eyesore is what the city of Columbus had in mind when they, almost a year ago, approved the Eastmoor Main and Broad Corridor Revitalization Plan in an attempt to guide the redevelopment of those critical commercial corridors.   When I drove by the other d...
More About: Building , Speaking , Main Street

Can Save A Lot Save Main Street?
2008-02-27 19:23:00
      A while back, Columbus Compact had announced that Save A Lot, the country’s 5th largest supermarket, was coming to Main Street .  Then, about a year ago, they announced they were not coming to Main Street .  In part, that decision was made because Wal Mart opened up in Whitehall on Main Street.  Well, it appears Save a Lot is back, in the same location at 1179 E. Main — the old Kroger/Salvation Army site. Expected to open some time this summer, it’ll be about a 16,000 s.f. store offering standard supermarket fare of fruits, veggies, fish, butcher cut meats, dairy, canned foods, dry goods, frozen foods, etc.  They have high buying power and low prices. Jon Beard of Columbus Compact has said they expect the store to generate between 2,500 and 3,000 shopping trips a week.  I agree with him that those numbers are the type of customer traffic that helps other retailers to thrive, and could be instrumental i...

Where in the Short North is Harrison West?
2008-02-25 20:56:00
I recently learned that the Harrison West Society expanded the boundaries of Harrison West to include the Tivoli Apartments, the Giant Eagle mall, Thurber Manor and Alexandria Colony East.  Harrison West now includes everything in the highlighted square below from Buttles Avenue South to Goodale and From Neil Avenue West to an imaginary extension of Harrison Avenue.  ...
More About: North , Short North , Short

Finally, I can walk to a coffe shop. King Lincoln Bronzeville Welcomes Urba
2008-02-21 17:25:00
Twelve years ago when I bought my current home, I envisioned ice cream shops, dry cleaners, restaurant, bars, coffee shops, galleries – everything I could ever hope to walk to — going up and down Long Street, Broad, Parsons, Oak, maybe even Hamilton Park. Well, as of Tuesday, I’ve got a coffee shop.  A big welcome to Urban Spirit coffee shop and gallery and to it’s driving force, Charity Martin-Via.  The shop is on the corner of 17th and Long Streets, in the gorgeous building that Peter Loscocco bought and painstakingly and lovingly restored.  We need to spend our local money in this local coffee shop because we need to encourage other budding entrepreneurs to try their hand on the near East Side of Columbus. The coffee comes from Crimson Cup, a local coffee roaster whose point-man, Greg Ubert is not only an expert in the field, but a nice guy as well.  I learned this morning that Charity’s sister is planning on putting a new real...
More About: Lincoln , Shop , Finally , King , Walk

Columbus in 2030 - Will the Economy Remain Strong?
2008-02-19 21:34:00
If you’re considering buying a home in Columbus or around Columbus, you probably have a vested interest in how our fair city will move along, economically speaking, over the next 22 years or so of your new 30 year mortgage. According to research by the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission, by 2030 Columbus will: Add 65,345 new residents ...
More About: Economy , Strong

Giant Home Related ?Shows? are all over Columbus this month
2008-02-16 01:55:00
If you have never been to any of the Greater Columbus Home Shows, you’re in luck.  February is Home Show Month in Central Ohio.  Last weekend, you may have visited the Home Improvement Show at Veteran’s Memorial or maybe the Sports, Vacation and Boat Show at the Expo Center.  The Central Ohio Home and Garden Show, at the ...
More About: Giant , Related

Nothing Says I Love You Like a New Home
2008-02-14 21:37:00
When I say new home, I don’t really mean a new, new home.  Not necessarily.  Really, any home can say I love you.  Love knows no age limits.  So this year, forget the flowers and chocolates, let’s find that love of yours a place to call home. Share This
More About: Home , I Love You

What kind of Power do Buyers Have in this Columbus Buyer?s Market.
2008-02-13 22:11:00
Not as much as you may think.  Just because the snow is flying and kids are having fun with snow days, don’t think that there isn’t anything going on in the Columbus Real Estate Market .  The Columbus Market is very active right now. I’ve been busy with buyers and sellers over the last couple weeks. Since February ...
More About: Power , Buyer , Buyers

Tornados Have Left Thousands Homeless
2008-02-08 17:32:00
      Can you imagine a massive tornado bearing down on your home, destroying everything in its path?  Can you imagine becoming suddenly homeless, everything you’ve worked for scattered over miles of devastation? Me neither.  While in my personal life I have many pet causes, most of them local, I don’t talk about such things here on ...
More About: Left , Homeless

Clintonville Homes for Sale - Sold January 2008 update
2008-02-07 22:23:00
Oddly Enough, there wasn’t one Clintonville Home Sale West of High Street in January .  There were 15 sales all told 2 of them were in 43202–-one on Crestview and one on Medary.  The Medary home was tiny but nicely updated and the Crestview home was typical south Clintonville 3 bed, 1 bath that sold for $170,000. The ...
More About: For Sale , Update , Homes

More Long Street Corridor Improvement Coming
2008-02-03 10:46:00
This recently vacant apartment building at the corner of 17th and Long just began a major rehab.  The building has been owned, for nearly four years now, by the city of Columbus and was part of the city’s land bank program.  Official records haven’t been changed yet to reflect the new ownership but I can tell you they have a big crew working on the tear-out of this building.  Move to Bronzeville now, while you still can get in at a great price.               see also: Dirt Cheap Homes and $1 Land Leases   Share This
More About: Street , Improvement , Corridor

My Columbus Groundhog
2008-02-02 10:00:00
Just because we live in the City of Columbus doesn’t mean we don’t get some occasional wildlife.  Raccoons, possums, snakes, hawks, owls and —a couple years ago— even a deer have all been spotted on our street, two blocks from downtown Columbus. As a family, we often travel down the stretch of Nelson Road between Main and Broad Streets.  The Railroad tracks are to the West, Alum Creek is to the East with Wolfe Park just beyond it and the Cleo Dumaree Rec Center smack dab in the middle adjacent to Clowson Field-the home field of Capital University’s baseball team. It’s in this field next to the river where my kids and I look, nearly every day, to catch sight of our groundhog friend.  He doesn’t have a neat name like Buckeye Chuck or Punxsutawney Phil, but he is our groundhog and during the Spring and Fall months we see him quite regularly.  Sometimes, we even spy what we imagine to be his family, having seen as many a...

Is this Country Big Enough for 15 Cities Named Columbus?
2008-02-01 16:47:00
Search results for “columbus”: Columbus , GA (pop. 185781) Columbus, IL (pop. 112) Columbus, IN (pop. 39059) Columbus, KS (pop. 3396) Columbus, KY (pop. 229) Columbus, MS (pop. 25944) Columbus, MT (pop. 1748) Columbus, NE (pop. 20971) Columbus, NM (pop. 1765) Columbus, NY (pop. 931) Columbus, NC (pop. 992) Columbus, ND (pop. 151) Columbus, OH (pop. 711470) Columbus, TX (pop. 3916) Columbus, WI (pop. 4479) Share This
More About: Country , Cities

The Gateway Building at Long & Hamilton Park gets a Floor & a Tenan
2008-01-30 19:33:00
While it’s old news that HomePort is moving into some of the retail space in this Bronzeville Building , the current news is that it finally got a concrete floor.  Though the developers promised a neighborhood restaurant, maybe a bank or some other commercial or retail establishment, they are inserting Homeport which is the Real Estate arm of Columbus Housing Partnership.  Homeport does good things and I hope they become an active, one stop shop for a renewed interest in the Near East community. From their site: “Founded in 2004, Homeport builds communities that provide buyers with the blend of urban sophistication and suburban style.  Our commitment is to provide quality homes at an affordable price. Our specialty is helping first-time home buyers get the most value for their hard-earned money.  We partner with you to help you realize your dream of homeownership.” Share This
More About: Park , Gateway , Long , Hamilton

A Trip to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Weekly Real Estate Auction
2008-01-29 20:31:00
Every Friday, the Franklin County Sheriff auctions off foreclosed properties.  The owners, for whatever reason, have abandoned their homes and stopped paying the mortgage.  Every week many, many homes are on the auction block.  Anyone can go and bid on a property.  Here is where you can find out which properties may be at the next few auctions. Click on Civil Real Estate Sales. In a nutshell, the auctioneer stands at a podium and reads the address of the property and throws out a number—this is typically an amount at which the bank is agreeable to buying the property back.  In about 90% or more of the cases, the sole bidder for a property is a representative from the lender.  Things move very quickly this way. You cannot view the inside of the property beforehand — unless you’re brave enough to peek through the windows.  You cannot bid on a property unless you’ve brought the required down-payment with you to the auction...
More About: Real Estate , Auction , Trip

You Have to Walk Around Your Potential New Columbus Neighborhood to Get a R
2008-01-26 19:38:00
You’ve narrowed down your favorite Columbus Neighborhood s in which you’re considering buying a home.  You love spending weekends just driving around those neighborhoods and looking at the architecture, going to open houses, checking the mileage to the school, church and park.  Don’t just drive around!  Stop the car and get out and WALK around your ...
More About: Walk

Can?t See the Housing Market Through the Trees? 2007 Columbus Real Estate i
2008-01-25 17:05:00
Lots of bad news in the headlines and on the airwaves about “The Real Estate Market ” over the last couple days.  Remember that most media stories are greatly effected by larger east and west coast markets and that all Real Estate is Local.  Here are some facts and figures on our market, here in Central ...
More About: Finance , Mortgage

Bad Economic News means Good News for Home Buyers
2008-01-24 22:15:00
Global Markets sinking?  Stock Markets Plummeting?  Is the R-Word getting tossed around in Washington? Then the annual percentage rate you receive on your mortgage is probably going down.  Locked your rate already this month because you didn’t think it’d go any lower?  Check again. This morning mortgage brokers and lenders at banks weren’t even sure what the ...
More About: News , Finance , Home Buyers , Home , Good News

Bonus, Bonus, Bonus - Columbus Realtors and Home Buyers can Clean Up
2008-01-23 21:52:00
It seems like every other listing has some kind of Realtor Bonus attached to it.  MI Home s is plopping down an extra $3,000, many listings talk of $1,000 bonuses or $1,500 or $2,000.  A quick search revealed a $7,500 home on Cleveland Avenue with a $1500 payday for the selling Realtor plus a $1000 bonus. Same boat for buyers, $3,000 in closing costs here, 40–something inch plasma TV there, a year of condo fees, a new security system and one year of monitoring, free $30,000 of upgrade credit on new build spaces, the list goes on.  I have never really understood the idea behind Realtor bonuses.  I’m not going to talk my buyer clients into one home over another because you’re offering me free money.  Offer it to my clients.  Give them a Disney Cruise, free airfare for two, get creative. Price your house right, keep it uncluttered and clean, buyers will like it. Share This
More About: Realtors , Home Buyers , Clean

Is Columbus, Ohio the Vanity Liscense Plate Capitol of the World?
2008-01-22 22:58:00
Everyday, I am amazed how many people have vanity plates on their cars.  Yet, they all still have the dealer’s frame around the plate which advertises the dealership.  If only they all had frames that advertised me, I’d be swimming in clients referred from the back ends of cars. Maybe at all the summer festivals this year I could pass out Columbus HomesBlog.com license plate holders. Share This
More About: World , Ohio , The World , Vanity