Will I see you at Red, White & Boom... probably not even if you go huh? We may go down early this year... we used to go to Front Street but we have been on Spring St. near North Bank Park looking at the Columbus skyline the past couple of years.
What's on your agenda for this weekend?
Red, White & Boom on Friday?
A parade on Saturday? Dublin? Gahanna? Hilliard? Upper Arlington? Westerville? Or the Doo Dah Parade in the Short North?
Need help finding fireworks near by for your family? Also has celebrations, festivals, and parades listed... except my favorite parade, which is not really for kids:
Population has continued to increase in Central Ohio unlike other Ohio cities but Columbus dropped from the 15th largest city in the US to the 16th.
Columbus dropped from 15th to 16th thanks to Austin Texas growing faster...
Not just the City of Columbus is growing though... Central Ohio as a region has grown, according to the Columbus Dispatch article about the census. Where is Central Ohio growing? Lithopolis (Fairfield County, not my market area), Powell, New Albany are growing in addition to the City of Columbus... The article in The Columbus Dispatch written by Erin Dostal Census; Central Ohio keeps growing and this newspaper article is not about putting on weight in separate breaking yesterday Columbus is the 10th most obese city? Or maybe it is merely overweight not obese....we moved up from 17th to 10th in a year? That may be City of Columbus and the suburbs. Back to growth of the Central Ohio cities not their citizens...
Dostal wrote quoting Nancy Reger, a demographer for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.
"Natural population growth is likely the reason for the numbers in Lithopolis, Powell and New Albany, because people there tend to start families, she said.
Columbus, on the other hand, grows by attracting people from elsewhere. And unlike Ohio's other large cities, which either flat-lined or lost population in the past year, Columbus added people. The Census Bureau said the city had 754,885 residents through July 1, 2008, about 1 percent more than the year before."
Reger says people move to Columbus for jobs. People in Powell, New Albany have babies... Generalization? I know people who have moved to Powell and New Albany from outside the region for jobs and people who live in the City of Columbus who have had babies....
"The American Society of Home Inspectors" is a professional organization for home inspectors... it is sometimes referred to as ASHI.
I have information on the home inspection page on my website about home inspectors who are ASHI. I also have info on NAHI and NIBI (other home inspector professional organizations) as well as a local company which is not affiliated with any inspection organization.... one of my favorite local home inspection companies...
Here is some home inspection advice from Real Living:
"Real Living suggests that buyers select an inspector who can provide proof of membership in the American Society of Home Inspectors. Home inspection is presently a comparatively unregulated industry in many states, and ASHI-certified inspectors meet stringent requirements and abide by a sturdy Code of Ethics."
Enough small talk, (there's is at least one clue above) and this is of course an open book and Internet quiz... or puzzle
Home Inspection Puzzle
Across
4. The home inspector may tell you if your water _________ is low
6. The home inspector will look at the homes downspouts and gutters, the roofs ________ system
9. If the kitchen _______ are staying the inspector should check the oven, the stoves burners, run the dishwasher, etc.
12. The home inspector will open the _________ service panel and look at the wiring for you. ***DANGER*** DO NOT DO THIS YOURSELF!
14. An ________ clause allows you to have professional(s) look at the physical condition of the home you have a purchase contract on
16. Radon _________ is when the level of radon is reduced to a safe level in the home. 17. The home inspector inspects the homes structural components including the __________ and framing.
18. ASHI is a home inspection professional organization, others are NIBI and NAHI. ASHI stands for _______ Society Home Inspectors
19. Home inspectors are not ________ in the state of Ohio
24. The inspection clause in your purchase contract is a __________, because there is language like "contingent on home inspection"
25. A pest inspector can look for signs of subterranean ______ eating the wood parts of your future home
Down
1. If the house was built before 1978 the seller will do a ______ paint disclosure, and you may test for it's presence, during the home inspection period per your contract 2. _____ is an odorless naturally occurring gas that you may want to test for during your home inspection period
3. Mold grows because there is ___________
4. When the home inspector looks at the pipes that is the _________ system
5. The pipes in your home may include copper, PVC, ____________ and more. 7. The home inspection is a ______ inspection of the home and it's systems.
8. Your home inspector will be looking for components and systems within the house that need repair or ____________ 10. Your home inspector may suggest you get a mold inspection based on water _________
11. Some home inspectors are __________
13. In the winter months, often your home inspector is unable to test the air ________ unit for you because it is too cold
15. An ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) member follows the ASHI ________ of Practice and Code of Ehtics 18. __________ ants or bees might be discovered by your pest inspector, the insects have hammers and wear an itty apron with pockets <---- just a pest joke... your pest inspector can tell you how they know 'em when they see 'em 19. The wiring in the home and the electrical service to the property may be _______ or copper
20. Your home inspector is going to look at the ________ and tell you whether there are defects and if it is going to keep you toasty warm in the winter
23. Your home inspector is not doing a ______ inspection, that is done by a municipal inspector on new construction or remodeling
This is a Re-Blog of Jay Markanich's post... if you bought new construction in Central Ohio in the past 11 months you may want to get an "IR inspection" of the home.
Jay's recommendation:
"My recommendation: If you can get an IR inspection on a house, do it before the one year warranty walk through."
Jay's infrared photos in this post are of another home in the same neighborhood with water stains and "hot and cold" spots in the bedroom.... not good.
You don't need infrared photos in Central Ohio in the winter to see where the home builder did NOT insulate... Icicles... In the summer you may.... need something like an "IR inspection" to see where insulation was not installed in your home or where insulation is no longer in place to keep the hot or cold out...
Can I see what Jay sees?
Personally looking at the infrared photos is like looking at a baby ultra sound (sonagram)... for me. Sometimes I just can't find the baby... in these colorful "IR exam photos" I am not looking for a head, the baby sucking it's thumb or "parts"...but in the first one I just could not see the bed in Jay's picture at first... but it is there and worth looking for and noting that just above the headboard in this bedroom is 130° that's hot....
Infrared Inspection
Did you buy a new home in Central Ohio within the past year? Did you get all the insulation you paid for? Did you get all the flashing that was necessary? I can recommend local home inspectors who can do an Infrared Inspection of your Central Ohio home, if you need one to be sure you got what you paid for.
The Flashing, Flashing, Flashing post has already brought in business. Another person in the same neighborhood, impressed by my Superman ability to see non-existent flashing (cough!), invited me over to investigate this same flashing problem on their house. While there I also did an IR examination.
It seems that in addition to water stains, the bedroom also is hot and cold. Looking around with an infrared camera, it isn't hard to see why.
This is blown up larger than normal, and grainy, but you can still see what is happening. Part of the room has a pentagon shape, with a long attic space behind the bed.
You can see the bed at the bottom of this image.
The wall behind the bed is about 6 feet high. The attic space behind is quite hot.
The Max is the hottest spot in the image. It is 131 degrees.
Keep in mind, this is right behind the bed!
The area you are looking at represents the space between two studs, and no insulation below about 5 1/2 feet.
The insulation was never stapled and fell down.
Looking into the attic, it was resting right on the floor.
Keep in mind, this house is just over one year of age. That is how quickly insulation can slip.
Imagine what can happen on a tall balloon wall!!
The image to the right is along that same wall. It is to the right of the bed and in the corner.
The same situation exists - the insulation was never stapled, it has fallen and the Max hot spot you see is 135 degrees!
That will influence a room, just a bit...
This represents the 12th image taken in that room. There were more than two spots along that attic space wall. In that room alone, here were 23 pictures taken in total!
Imagine how hot and cold this room can get!
This is the cathedral ceiling in one alcove of the bedroom. It is the end of that same pentagon shape described in the first image.
The line in the middle is the center double stud from floor to the highest point. The height here is about 10 feet.
The insulation on both sides of that double stud was not stapled. The Max temperature there is 166 degrees Fahrenheit!
There is only air between this drywall and the outside of the house. This spot just happened to be in the sun on this particular day at the time I was there.
Even though the thermostat is in this room, and it has its own HVAC return, this room was uncomfortably warm. A ceiling fan does not help.
It probably is uncomfortably cold in the winter.
How can you control the environment there when it is so poorly insulated? There were 23 problem spots in this room.
I went to investigate one problem, and found a few others. This was not the only room with the hot/cold issues. There were many other spots in many other rooms throughout the house. It was a very long thermal image report.
This particular home represents one of the worst insulation jobs I have seen in a long time. They are out there. I had a previous post over a year ago entitled "What I Am Seeing Now," which identified insulation that is not stapled as being a big problem. You can see why. Despite what the builder says, the drywall does NOT hold it up over time. Insulation that is not stapled is simply poor quality, unprofessional work.
People love looking into the camera with me. It can be horrifying! It can also be fun...
I took a picture of a young lady a couple of months ago. She was five months pregnant. The baby's form was clearly visible! I am sure they framed the photo I emailed them!
My recommendation: If you can get an IR inspection on a house, do it before the one year warranty walk through. That way, issues like this can be corrected before your clients have to live with them.
Report Spam when you see it on your blog, another members blog, an abandoned blog. Don't worry about whether they could or will report the spam themselves....
Just do it.
It is so easy to do.
*** You get points... there is a bounty on SPAM***
Click "Report a Concern" at the bottom right on the comment. It is just left of the time the comment is left if you hover there it will appear. ActiveRain does the rest. Sometimes but not always a pop up opens up so it takes a second click.
"Are you sure you want to report this comment?"
You betcha.
The pop up tells you "Innapropriate content includes spam, third-party advertisements in comments, hate speech and slander."
Click OK if it is "Innapropriate content." Two clicks for 10 points? What could be easier?
Way easier than thinking up a comment and typing it in for 25 points.... or even cutting and pasting in a comment for 25 Points.
Way easier than writing original content for your blog for 225 Points.
I think I have over 300 points here for reporting over 30 SPAM comments.
Stay tuned to a crossword puzzle about Worthington "area" condos in a few days. This crossword puzzle all the condominiums are in the City of Worthington, those in the future puzzle are in the City of Columbus and the Worthington School District. .
Finding Tartan Ridge it is just east of Glacier Ridge Metro Park B. is the address from the BIA site, 7175 Glacier Ridge Blvd. Dublin 43017. A is my office, just click to get directions from your home or office. Tartan Ridge is bordered by Brock Road to the north, Jerome Road on the east, McKitrick Road on the south on Hyland-Croy on the west.
*Actually the BIA Parade of Homes blog was started for the 2008 Parade of Homes which was in Gahanna at the Village at Hannah Farms, not the easiest thing to find on the Parade of Homes blog or website.
Update on the residential real estate market in the city of Worthington for the last week of June 2009, mostly*. Sales are from Monday June 22, 2009 to Sunday June 28, 2009.
New listing
What's new on the market in Worthington this week? There was a new listing this week in these neighborhoods:
Clayton Place
Colonial Hills X 2
Davis Estate
Hidden Colony (condo)
Plesenton Place (not new listing new brokerage)
Ville Charmante (condo)
Worthington Acres
Worthington Estates
Worthington West
Price Reductions
Price reductions on Worthington homes this week ranged from $5,000 to $40,000. Price range of homes after the price reductions is $174,900 to $639,900. Average price reduction $15,820. The homes with price adjustments this week are in these Worthington neighborhoods:
Clayton Place
Colonial Hills
Old Worthington
Village Green Condo
Worthlynn (in Linworth)
In Contract - usually contingent on financing and home inspection: Worthington homes that went "in contract' this week the list price range $154,900 to $229,90. The homes are in these neighborhoods:
Colonial Hills
No name subdivision (Just east of Old Worthington legal description is Griswold hrs)
Olentangy Hills
Ville Charmante
Sold (Closed) Worthington homes reported sold this week range from $149,900 to $192,000 list price. Sale prices range from $147,000 to $185,000.
Worthinglen (condo)
Worthington Park (*not really... it was a closing from the 2nd week of the month that finally got turned in to the MLS this week)
Facebook has lots of quizes. I have to try really, really hard on Facebook NOT to do quizes... I don't really like Facebook much.... but they've got quizes. I belive I have only taken two.... I know which Mutant Ninja Turtle I am but I am NOT sure how that is going to help me in life..... professionally or socially.
Second Quiz I took on Facebook said I should be living in Alabama.
Alabama?
Nothing against Alabama.....
... but Alabama?
ActiveRain is an anwer on at least one of the questions on the NAR Magazine Quiz. This Quiz is on NAR so it's gotta be OK to play huh?
I am sad to say I got two wrong.... I am not giving out hints though because I would not want you to do better than me.... It told me:
Not bad... grumble, grumble, grumble....
I found it via a post on ActiveRain written by Jeff and Heather Rickert, Take this Social Networking Quiz I thought about Re-Blogging their post but decided they'd just cut and pasted in the questions... without adding anything to the quiz (like if they are using social networking sites, if they've taken the Mutant Ninja Turtle quiz...) anything personal.... any context. They cut and pasted content and slapped their contact info on it... I love quizes, I love to share quizes... I commented there... but just cut and pasted in my disappointing results...
I am not a fan of hijacking.... I just don't get it. Real live take over the comments kind of hijacking or the recreational "I'll hijack your blog then you hijack mine" kind of hijacking, never have been, never will be....
Real live hijacking a blog is wrong. Promoting yourself in the comments of another members post is against ActiveRain Guidelines...
Not that I think there is anything wrong with the recreational hijacking really... It has been popular with some members on ActiveRain since the beginning... it always reminded me of on-line chat c. 1992 except someone writes a blog post first???
Thanks but no thanks...
I just don't get it.
Do you have time or inclination to learn all the extra rules? There are posts about the rules for hijacking... C. Tann-Starr posted a long comment on a blog about hijacking (there's was confusion in the comments about what hijacking it referred to, what the definintion of hijacking is, comment spamming, answering questions or cross talk, the joy of hijacking.... that post was NOT about recreational hijacking with consenting partners being wrong...) It seems to be about real hijacking...but lots of the comments are about the joy of hijacking and the rules for recreational hijacking, if you want to play the game. It seems there are word that only certain people can use.
Joke?
I don't think social networking takes a lot of time or a lot of training, personally. Or should. I think there are some real basic rules that govern social networking...
Common Sense
the Golden Rule
Miss Manners etiquette kinda stuff... (which is based on common sense and the Golden Rule isn't it?... well once we got away from white gloves, the curtsy, and extending our pinkie...)
The community rules... ActiveRain, Twitter, Facebook etc. have terms of service.... ActiveRain has their Guidelines on the bottom...
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.