Things To Check Out in Columbus This Month!

Are you stuck in a rut this winter? It’s easy to hibernate inside once the cold weather hits, but Columbus has so much to offer this month that you’ll drop your Snuggie and remote control and head out on the town. Whether you’re looking for a fun time with the family, a date night or a night out with friends, Columbus has something to offer. Below are a few events we’re looking forward to in February – we hope you’ll enjoy them as well.

·         Columbus Coffee Tour: Feb. 1, Columbus Aquatics Center, 9:30 a.m. – Are you a coffee lover? Or are you looking to see what local options Columbus has instead of hitting up Starbucks? This tour will take you to three local coffee venues where you can learn more about coffee roasting and try some free samples. The cost is $50. More information is available here.

·         Disney on Ice: Feb. 5-9, Nationwide Arena – You’ve watched the movies with your kids dozens of times, so why not take them to see the real thing? Watch your favorite Disney characters whirl and twirl on the ice for a great time with the whole family. Tickets are $16-51 and can be purchased here.

·         Ohio State Shakespeare School Tour-As You Like It: Feb. 7-9, Lincoln Theatre – If you’re a fan of the Bard you’ll enjoy this rendition of As You Like It put on by the OSU Department of Theatre. Tickets are $15-20. Head to their web site for more information.

·         Family Friday Night: Feb. 28, 5-9 p.m., COSI – Bring your kids out for a fun night filled with learning! COSI offers extended hours and a reduced admission price for families. Check out all of the permanent exhibits, a movie in the Extreme Screen theater and a variety of educational hands-on demonstrations. Admission is $10.95. More information can be found here.

·         Columbus Symphony Masterworks-Romeo and Juliet: Feb. 14-15, Ohio Theatre – Looking for a date idea for Valentine’s Day? Celebrate with your loved one and Shakespeare’s famous star-crossed lovers by listening to selections from settings of the story, presented by the Columbus Symphony. For more information, visit their web site.

Are you thinking of attending any of these events? Do you know of another exciting happening going on in Columbus? Let us know!

Maintaining Your Home This Fall

Is your home ready for winter’s frosty temperatures and severe weather?

We all know about “spring cleaning”, but it is just as important to clean and prepare your home in the fall-before winter is here. This checklist, from Better Homes and Gardens, covers all the necessary maintenance for your home and will help homeowners prepare and protect their home this winter.

• Inspect and clean gutters and downspouts to protect exterior surfaces and keep water out of the basement
• Seal any gaps or cracks around windows and doors with weather-stripping and caulk to reduce drafts and to keep the heat in
• Inspect roof for damaged or curled shingles, corroded flashing, or leaky vents-putting this off can be detrimental and disastrous (it’s much harder to find and fix the leak when its under snow and ice)
• Repair damaged sidewalks, driveways, and steps-look for cracks more than 1/8-inch wide, uneven sections, loose railings on steps, disintegration of asphalt, or washed-out materials on loose-fill paths-these may not seem dangerous now but when it gets cold and icy out they can be hazardous
• Drain and winterize all outdoor faucets and irrigation systems-it’s easier than dealing with a busted pipe later!
• Clean or replace dirty/old furnace filters-filters that are clogged can make it harder to keep your home at a comfortable temperature and can increase your utility bills during the winter months
• Have a professional inspect your HVAC system
• Check fireplaces for build-up; hire a professional chimney sweep (better)-accumulations in a flue or chimney can result in a devastating chimney and/or house fire
• Inspect any gas-fired room heaters-an improperly maintained gas heater can spew poisons into the air of your home, which can be very dangerous
• Inspect wood stoves before firing up-cracks in wood-stove-stovepipes can release toxic fumes into your home,  so check for corrosion, holes, or loose joints often
• Test smoke and CO monitors and replace the batteries
• Inspect (or install) fire extinguishers-there should be at least one fire extinguisher in your home
• Review fire escape plans
• Rid your home of old newspapers and other fire hazards

Be sure to do regular cleaning and maintenance along with the specific chores on this list to ensure that your home and your family are prepared and protected this winter. For more great tips from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, click here!

10 Things You Need To Know Before Buying A Home

Thinking about buying a home? Check out these important tips to help you get started...

1. Do some research

Sounds obvious right? But so many buyers go into it blind. Although there are many professionals that will help you along the way, you will only help yourself if you do a little research before and during your home buying process.

So what kind of research? Use the internet to...

• Search for neighborhoods
• Research home styles
• what you might like or dislike in your next home
• school districts
• neighborhood features
• different activities in these areas

2. Have an idea of what you are looking for

After you do some research, make 3 lists...

List 1: What you HAVE to have

This is everything you can not live without. For example, if you have 3 children you might HAVE to have a 4 bedroom home.

List 2: What you would LOVE to have

These things are not necessarily a deal breaker, but would be nice to have. For example, an inground pool or a finished basement with a movie theatre.

List 3: What you DO NOT want

This means if a home has anything of these features, you will not purchase the home. For example, right next to the freeway or train tracks or maybe it has a pool and you don’t want the hassle.

Having these lists will not only make your life easier, but it will allow your real estate agent to show you the homes that best fit your wants and needs. Even the most experienced real estate agents are not mind readers, show them and tell them what you want so they can help you find the perfect home.

3. The Cost

There is more to buying a home than just the purchase price. Closing Costs, Inspections, Appraisal, Moving Fees, Homeowners Association, Homeowners Insurance, and other fees are often a surprise to unprepared buyers.

Closing Costs - Before you get the keys to your new home, a title company needs to complete a few tasks. Tasks like making sure the title is free and clear of all liens, order a survey of the property, record the new deed, and more. Closing costs depend on the terms of your purchase, the state and area you live in, etc.

Inspections - After your offer is accepted, typically you have a negotiated inspection period where you can inspect the property for any damage or repairs needed. Typically a Home Inspection, Pest Inspection, and Radon Test are completed. After the general Home Inspection you might have a specialist inspect specific elements that need further investigation such as the foundation, lead base paint, etc. Inspections can run you $250 and up, just depending on what inspections you have done. We highly recommend you have a home inspection before purchasing any property!

Appraisal - Even though your real estate agent will pull comparables of the property before you write the offer, after the offer is accepted an appraiser is hired by the bank to determine the properties value.

Moving Fees - Seem obvious, right? Obvious but often forgotten, make sure you factor in expenses for a moving truck, taking off work, hiring painters or getting new carpet. Give yourself an estimated budget and plan to save that chunk of money for your moving expenses.

Homeowners Association - If the home you are purchasing has a Homeowners Association, make sure you know what the fees are and if they yearly or monthly? Make sure you check to see if there are any transfer fees or “new owner” fees. Sometimes there might be a transfer fee from one owner to the next.

Homeowners Insurance - This is obtained before closing, but it is an expense you need to have on your list. Talk to your insurance agent and get quotes from several companies to find the best fit for you.

4. Build a move in fund

Okay, you have found the perfect home and it’s time to start decorating! But you just spent a good chunk of your savings on your down payment, inspections, closings costs, celebrating at an expensive restaurant, and you don’t have much money left. Don’t let this be you! Make sure you budget and save a good amount to help you hire a moving crew, paint, buy furniture, and for those unexpected things that could happen after moving in.

5. What a Loan Pre-Approval gets you

Typically when you write an offer on a home, you will present your loan pre-approval letter. This means you have spoke with a lender and they have ran your credit score and information to determine that you are pre-approved for a home loan. You will not be fully approved until a loan application is filed and processed. This does not happen until your offer has been accepted on a home and you go into contract.

So what will a pre-approval get you? You will be able to learn about your options when it comes to choosing a loan and how much money you need to bring out of pocket. This is your time to do some research to make insure that you choose the right loan for you.

6. Know the programs (203k, OHFA)

Are you a first time home buyer? Do you want to get a loan that will help you rehab your next home? Are you a resident fresh out of college, in debt with school loans?  Whatever your situation, make sure you know your options. When it comes to buying a home, hire a lender and a real estate agent who know how to help you with your unique situation.

HUD 203(b) loan - FHA will provide 97% of financing, and most closing costs can be  included in the loan. Contact a lender for details and restrictions.

HUD 203k loan - Offers a solution for a typical fixer-upper where you can roll costs of fixing up a home into your loan. Contact a lender for details and restrictions.

“Doctor” loan - If you are graduating medical school, chances are you have a lot of school loan debt. To lenders, debt like this will never let you buy a home. However, with this “Doctor” loan program, you can still buy a home! Contact a lender for details and restrictions.

OHFA - A program offered in Ohio to help First Time Home Buyers. You must be a first time home buyer and meet certain criteria. It offers down payment assistance opportunities and more. Contact a lender for details and restrictions.

7. Foreclosures and Short Sales

When buying a home, you will likely come across a Short Sale or a Foreclosure (Bank Owned, REO).

Foreclosure - A home that is owned by the bank after the previous owner stopped making payments. These properties are typically listed at or under market value based on the the selling price of other homes in the area and the condition of the home. Foreclosure do not take as long as short sales and are almost always sold at an ‘as-is’ condition. You can still have an inspection but the bank will typically not make any repairs.

Short Sale - A home that is in or close to foreclosure, and the homeowner is trying to sell the home to a new owner for less than they owe on the property. This is where the term “Short” sale comes from. Typically a short sale can take up to 6-12 months to close. This is a long process because the homeowner is negotiating with the bank to take a loss of the property in order to avoid foreclosure.

You can get a great deal on some foreclosure and short sales, but make sure you are aware of the timelines and the terms.

8. School districts

Whether school districts are important to you or not, this is a huge resale point. Take school district rankings into consideration when searching and purchasing your next home.  You can go to the Ohio Department of Education’s website, www.ode.state.oh.us to get the most recent score and evaluations of every school district in the state. Living in a great school district can make the area more appealing to more buyers. Living in an area with a low scoring school district may or may not deter buyers. Talk to you real estate agent to get  the details.

9. Know who is representing you

Anytime you start working with a real estate agent in Ohio they will present you with an agency relationship document called a “Consumer Guide”. This document explains what Buyer’s Agent, Seller’s Agent, Dual Agency, and more mean to you during the home buying process. Make sure you understand these terms and how they affect you. Having a real estate agent representing you means they are looking out for your best interests and have a fiduciary duty to you and only you.

10. Understanding Market value

When it comes to purchasing a home, your real estate agent will help you determine the market value of the home. In other words, what the home is worth in today’s market. Market value is constantly changing. What your home is worth today may not be the same a year from now. You can see what the market value of a home is by pulling what is called a “comparable market analysis”. This is where the sale price of comparable homes are pulled and compared to the home of interest. This should be done by your real estate agent before you write an offer on a home. The true value of your home is determined by an appraiser. The appraisal is ordered after you go into contract on a home during the loan process.

6 Quick Ways To Stage Your Home To Sell

When you put your home on the market, your ultimate goal is to sell it quickly and get the price you’re asking for. Staging a room, or rooms, gives the buyer a great visual that they would like to see in their new home. If you’re planning to put your house on the market this spring here are six home staging tips to make a potential buyer fall in love with your home just like you did.

Clear Out Clutter

A buyer might be turned of if there are toys all over the living room or papers all over the office. Throw away things you don’t need or begin boxing things up for your move. Getting rid of the extra clutter will clear up any space and allow the full potential of the room to show.

Rearrange Furniture

Rearrange your furniture to make your living room a conversation area. Use a coffee table in the center of the room as a focal point and work outward from there. Top it off with a rug and matching throw pillows to create a warm and inviting space.

Use Your Junk Room Wisely

You might have an extra, unused bedroom in your home that has become the ‘junk’ room over the years. Clear it out and add inexpensive furniture to show how functional of a space it can be.

Style The Dining Room Table

A bare table can often look uninviting. Create a cheap, colorful centerpiece with flowers in a vase and set the table with plates, glasses and silverware. Make that formal space come alive in an inviting environment that a potential buyer is sure to love.

Utilize Storage Space

Believe it or not, storage space in a home sells! Don’t pack your closets full of stuff just to get it out of the way because people are going to look in there anyway. Keep your closets clean and organized, and leave the door open if that’s an option.

Keep the Walls Neutral

This is important for all of the rooms throughout your house. You want your home to appeal to both men and women, so neutral colors are the best way to go. You can add pops of color with pillows, throws, lamps and other accessories.

Home staging is the easiest way to show buyers the true potential of your home. Whether you’re completely dressing up the space or making it appear more functional, a buyer will appreciate it and be able to picture how they can use the space.

For more tips on how to stage your home for a showing, visit here.

Pretty Techie for a 50 Year Old Chick!

Yesterday was supposed to be my 1st day back but a transformer blew so our office had no network, no electric, no lights, no phones, no computers etc... almost all day long! What I did do was use pencil & paper and called or emailed clients from my smart phone. It reminded me of the "olden days" back in 1988 when I first got my real estate license and you typed a contract with 3 pieces of paper and 2 pieces of carbon paper between! Then we had to DRIVE a contract over to the listing agent's office (Even if the house you were selling was in Worthington but the agent's office was in Pickerington... you drove to Pickerington-it was horrible!!) in a sealed for privacy, over-sized enveloped! We had no fax machines yet so that's what you did. You didn't know anything else.

In today's world I have Seller's I have never met or spoken to! They email me from out of town, mail me the key or have a relative/friend drop a copy off to me. I email them pdf attachments that they sign, initial, date, scan and send back to me! They are FedExed the closing papers that they have to sign in front of a notary and once their signed paperwork is back, the Seller's proceeds are wired to their bank account, with their permission, of course! It's amazing how much my industry has changed and how I've had to change with it! Pretty cool for a pretty techie 50 year old chick!

Real Estate Success, Darla ;-)