I wrote this post to give thanks to those that have given me inspiration.

Over a year ago Maureen McCabe invited me to join Active Rain. At first I was a little leery as to what the heck is Active Rain. Not being a techie I was overwhelmed as to what all this blogging stuff was all about. As I became familiar with the rhythm of the rain I felt more comfortable with all the blogging jargon because many rainers have kindly provided their knowledge thru their posts. Thank you Maureen for your invitation; I have learned a lot. As you well know Maureen was recognized as one of the Top 10 Women Real Estate Bloggers in 2006. Maureen has been a Columbus Ohio blogging pioneer.

Maureen also invited Elaine Reese to Active Rain; she took to blogging quite naturally since she is very talented. Elaine was awarded 1^st place for her website at the Ohio Association of Realtors Convention in 2007; thank you Elaine for helping me with my technical difficulties.  

 

I admire Maureen and Elaine for their web passion they have created SEO magic. 

Because I have learned so much from Active Rain I would like to offer a special invitation to another agent that I admire. Eve Holland opened a Real Living HER franchise office a few months ago in Clintonville Ohio. Eve had to do a lot of prep work to get her office up and running. Eve and her team had an agent open house to show us her new digs. She inspired me to take a movie interview that I have embedded in this post.  I thought that Eve would benefit from joining Active Rain, as I have. I think that Eve could create a blogging niche that would compliment her location.

 

One of my goals in the New Year is to get a personal blog up and running. Not being real techie I could never start from scratch so I have been reviewing various blog providers. It has been a little overwhelming as to what will be a good fit for me. If anyone has a good success story I would appreciate a comment. 

 

 

One afternoon a few weeks ago I was on my way to a real estate appointment. Traveling west towards the zoo on Powell Rd. to my destination on Riverside Dr., I came upon a very interesting twist to Powell Rd. I was wondering where I was headed for the old two-lane Powell Rd was closed. I was traveling on a new four-lane road (to see map please click on the four-lane road); I marveled at what I was seeing.

 

 

 

The Safari Golf Club along with the Columbus Zoo now has new entrances off the relocated Powell Rd. The Safari Golf Club looked so beautiful from the new Powell Rd. I had to investigate further; I drove into the club to see how the golf course has changed. The relocated Powell Rd. was constructed over a few of the old greens; those greens were replaced with 4 new holes. The clubhouse has been renovated and there now is a very nice pro shop that carries golf equipment and clothing. There is also a casual dining restaurant with a patio area. The Safari Golf Club is owned and operated by the Columbus Zoo; all the Safari Golf Club proceeds benefit the Zoo.

      

                                                         

 

After my tour of the clubhouse I traveled west on the relocated Powell Rd and noticed that there was a new zoo entrance, the old Riverside Dr. entrance is now closed.

 

 

I could see the construction of the Zoombezi Bay water park. The old water park Wyandot Lake has been renamed and now has a Powell Rd entrance. The new water park named Zoombezi Bay was chosen from a contest entry; the winner was a lad from Dublin, Ohio. The water park is scheduled to open in 2008. If you click on this Zoombezi Bay link you will be able to view a drawing of what the water park will offer; looks like outrageous fun to me. Off the relocated Powell Rd will be a newly constructed zoo ticket entrance. The Columbus Zoo will be undergoing further renovations in 2008.

 

If you are a Central Ohio resident or an out of town web surfer who came upon this post, do please plan to visit the new and improved Safari Golf Club, the Columbus Zoo and the Zoombezi Water Park. Watch for new zoo updates in my Powell area future posts.  

                                                                                                                                                                            

What a difference a good coat of paint along with a thorough cleaning makes. A few weeks ago on the day before my vacation, a prospective seller called to list their home. Now my suitcases were not packed and it was getting late in the day. I mentioned to the sellers that I was leaving for vacation; they needed me to come as soon as possible for they were moving out of town in a few days. I did a detailed market analysis and prepared a marketing plan that I burned to a CD for easy computer viewing. I rushed from my open house to meet with these sellers; they liked my presentation and signed on the dotted line.

 

 

Before the house was ready for market a substantial amount of prep work needed to be completed. I was not sure what the carpets looked like because there were boxes from the floor to ceiling with only a small walking path thru each room. What I could see of the walls they needed to be painted. The seller did not have time to clean, their new jobs started midweek. The sellers asked me to contact a service to clean the carpets and thoroughly clean the home. The exterior trim needed to be painted along with most of the interior walls. Before I left for vacation I was lucky to touch base with a cleaning service, painters and landscapers to cut the grass and trim the bushes. The agent that was covering for me while I was on vacation let the carpet cleaners into the home; she sent me an e-mail of concern the carpets were quite dirty and the walls needed to be painted.

Now this home has great amenities, cathedral ceilings, solid panel doors, a den and a loft, a nice floor plan. The lot is huge with an in-ground pool and play area. A very nice home which truly needed cosmetic work;  if this prep work was not completed before the home was listed on the market the seller may never get their home sold in our current market. If they were lucky enough to receive an offer it would be drastically under market value for buyers always think that painting and cleaning costs 2 times more than it actually does. If the home is not in top condition today's buyers will not be impressed. It took a few weeks to get the home ready for the market. The carpet cleaned up beautifully. Oh what a difference a fresh coat of paint made. The exterior and interior front door was painted which makes a great first impression. The whole house now just sparkles along with a fresh clean smell. Many of the neighbors have commented how the curb appeal has improved. The bushes were trimmed; fall mums were planted and the flower beds were re-mulched.  

The sellers have now turned their home into a very inviting listing at a small investment that most likely will produce a more profitable sale.There are buyers in the Central Ohio market but they are very choosey; they are looking for a home in great condition that is priced right. If a home is going to sell quickly in our current market the house must be in the best possible condition priced at what a buyer is willing to pay. Buyers are always looking for the newest and best listings to purchase. If the home does not sell within the first 30 days the home could be on the market for well over 180 days. The seller's minimal monetary investment increases the value of their home plus it made it more saleable.  All the prep work can be done by the seller if professional services are not within the seller's budget. As the old saying goes no pain no gain; in today's market elbow grease could produce an offer with better terms than a home that has sat on the market for a long period of time.

  

I invited the agent that let the cleaning service into the house while I was on vacation to see the improvements that have been made. I wanted to take a photo of her facial expression; she made the comment that the house looks wonderful and was ready for today's real estate market.                                   

This past Saturday (August 18-07) I visited the farmers market in downtown Worthington Ohio.

This quaint town was founded in the1800's and has New England roots which is reflected in the towns colonial architecture. The farmer's market is held on the sidewalk in front of all the towns' shops. 

It was a beautiful day in the 70's with a nice breeze. I love to browse all the produce that the vendors have to offer. August is my favorite food month; there is nothing better to eat than fresh tomatoes just picked from the vine and the corn on the cob is the sweetest it will ever be.

 

As I walked thru the market I was delighted to see many beautiful Ohio grown vegetables and fruits. There was also a good selection of meats, eggs, and jellies to purchase. Oh so beautiful were the cut flowers and perennials that could be planted in your garden. I was surprised to see a large pumpkin at one of the vendor's vegetable stand. The conversation I had with the vendor was that the pumpkin patch has developed early this year and could be due to our hot summer with the rain that came just at the right time.Yes fall will be here before we know it. I am sure if I stop back at the farmers market I will have plenty of fall fair and pumpkins to choose from.

 

Our doggie friends were even thought of at the market; I purchased a gourmet treat for a friend's dog that is very special to me.

 

 

 

The Farmers market is held every Saturday in downtown Worthington, May thru October, 9:00 a.m. to noon. The streets are packed with shoppers. If you live in the Worthington area or are just visiting you must stop at the farmers market on a Saturday morning; you will not be disappointed.

 

 

Directions to downtown Worthington Ohio:

About 10 miles north of downtown Columbus Ohio

Destination Routes to downtown Worthington 315, 71, 161, 270

 

Scenic route: N. High St thru the Short North, Ohio State University District, Clintonville, Beechwold to downtown Worthington.

The Home Goods store... Before every closing I like to browse at my favorite store that sells quality home decor items at affordable prices. I like to take a thank you gift to the closing, something that is unique and special.

The Home Goods store I frequent is located in Lewis Center Ohio just a few miles north of my real estate office. One day as I was shopping at the Home Goods store I noticed a large sign in the window. The sign was very attractive the headline intrigued me. Being a real estate agent the words "discover OpenHouse" made me read more. Was I surprised to find out that "discover OpenHouse" is a blog about decorating and entertaining written by Home Goods customers. I was very curious to see just what this blog had to offer. I found the blog to be visually appealing and fun.

There is a short description about each of the five customer bloggers; Deb is from St Louis a mom of grown children, Cathy is an interior decorator in Southern California, Janice is from New Jersey and is looking forward to decorating her new home she is building, Betty is a part-time interior decorator from Maryland and Alli is a real estate agent from North Carolina.

The Home Goods Openhouse blog encourages readers to participate.The readers of the Openhouse blog are able to view the photos of customer's purchases they have made and how great they look in their homes.

The Home Goods store blog got me thinking--will every business be adding a blog in tandem with their website. Is the blogging venue the wave of the future just as websites have become so popular?

 

I received an e-mail from a past client a few weeks ago requesting that I stop by to give her a few tips on how to get her condo ready for market. I was thrilled to hear from her; we have kept in touch with each other for 10 years now. I must admit that I feel privileged to have the opportunity to list her condo. 

When I first met this particular client she was a very young professional. Being young and working long hours a condo was a good fit for her lifestyle. Ten years ago in Columbus, Ohio and the surrounding suburban areas there were not many condos to choose from especially in the south end of Columbus where her office was located. Currently the Columbus and suburban markets are saturated with re-sale and newly built condos. My client only had a few possibilities that were available at that time and she purchased a really fantastic condo in Dublin a northwest suburb of Columbus.

The condo being just a few years old at that time was in great condition with many quality features. She thought that the pool and clubhouse were nice community amenities that would allow her to get to know her neighbors. Ten years later I am now in the process of compiling a market analysis for this sweet client. As I am reviewing the MLS listings that are currently for sale I am starting to get concerned. The current values are not where they should be. I decided to preview all the competitive listings currently on the market in her community.

Boy was I surprised what I saw. Condos with really great amenities were devaluated by their interior condition. A few bruised apples are spoiling the bushel.  Dirty dishes in the sink, clothes all over the floor, computer cords in the middle of the room. I just could not believe the interior condition of the majority of the condos that I previewed. Such a shame these condos are devaluating the community. Even the best condo that is currently listed was not completely staged. There were magnets all over the refrigerator, clutter on the countertops and newspapers on the table. The way you live in your home is not the way you showcase a home when it is on the market for sale.

 

After reviewing all the statistics the seller chose a very aggressive list price. This client has maintained her condo very well over the years; I only had a few suggestions for improvement. Her condo was listed a few weeks ago. I have implemented an extensive marketing plan that will provide assistance in obtaining the quickest possible sale as the current market will bear. For more information about condos please visit my website KarenGorski.com. Thank you for reading this post. 

 

 

Happy 4th of July to the High-Green Meadows community which is located in Orange Township within the Powell Ohio 43065 mailing zip code.

For many years l have been lining the High-Green Meadows community streets with American flags. Residents always comment to me that they really appreciate them and that they add so much to the celebration. I must admit that all those flags fluttering in the wind are really a beautiful sight!

 The fun always begins with a parade.

 

The community children decorate their bikes and wagons. There are floats and fire trucks. On occasion the Real Living HER calliope has made an appearance in the community parade. After the parade there is a potluck picnic. The best community fun raiser is the selling of raffle tickets, which gives all residents a chance to win many wonderful prizes.

 

 

My contribution to the festivities is the moon bounce. The kids love to get all that energy out. For the first time the Orange Township fire department demonstrated many of their fire trucks. A huge ladder was lifted over various homes in the neighborhood. Firefighters talked with the neighborhood children about the equipment that they wear to help keep themselves safe. The hit of the show was one of the firefighter's dog a Dalmatian named Flash.

 

This year's celebration was held on Saturday June 30 due to the Orange community business association sponsoring a huge holiday event on the 4th of July. We live in such a great country and we are blessed to have the freedoms to celebrate our holidays anyway we choose.  

 

 

Orange Township fire department demonstrated many of their fire trucks   

 

 

                4^th of July Fun!

  

 

Happy Birthday America!

To cruise or not to cruise! In Columbus Ohio it has been bitter cold! Brr it's been almost too cold to show houses, below zero for days. Door handles are frozen what is a Realtor® to do.  A cruise to the Bahamas at this time of the year is an intriguing incentive.

The buyer I have been working with reviewed a number of listings that I e-mailed to her. Sure enough a listing with a buyer and Realtor® incentive was on her list to see. The incentives were as follows: Buyer will receive a certificate for 6 months of house cleaning. The selling Realtor® will receive a 3 day cruise certificate.  

As we pulled in the drive of the house with the incentives the buyer was getting excited. This well priced house was very attractive from the exterior. What would the interior be like? The sellers have been struggling to sell their house for more than 256 days.

As the buyer and I entered the house, we were amazed, it was in pristine condition, quality carpeting, huge kitchen with center island, 3 nice bedrooms, 2.5 baths, the lighting fixtures were really cool! A quality house, the buyer was impressed.

As we left the property we laughed about the incentives. The buyer mentioned to me that maybe she could get a nice price reduction in lieu of the cleaning service and I said that I would relinquish the Realtor® incentive hoping the buyer would be able to purchase the house at a great price. (Relinquish the Realtor® incentive! It's been below zero for days now).

After looking at many other houses at the end of the day the buyer decided that she wanted to write an offer on the house with the incentives. No the incentive was not why she wanted to purchase this house it was pure and simple it was a very nice house at a very good price.

We proceeded to write an offer that was well under the list price and what the sellers initially paid for their house. We notified the sellers that we are not interested in the incentives. What a surprise when the seller's response came back. The seller accepted the buyer's initial offer and the incentives have been paid for so the buyer will have a house cleaning service for the next 6 months and I will be going on a cruise.

The moral of the story is it's a buyer's market in Columbus Ohio. The buyer purchased a great house at a great price and the seller was happy that their house has sold.

To all Central Ohio buyers, now is a great time to purchase a house! Interest rates are great, there are so many houses to choose from so don't miss out on an opportunity of a life time.

 

   

Love to shop, eat and have fun, Lewis Center is the place to be! Lewis Center Ohio is located in Delaware County within Orange Township about 20 miles from downtown Columbus Ohio.

It is believed that Lewis Center was named after the William L. Lewis family that donated land for a railroad station. The Lewis Center zip code 43035 covers a very large area in Orange Township. In the late 1980's and early 1990's some of the Orange Township land was annexed into Columbus and Westerville. With the annexation of this land into Columbus this area exploded with growth, which now includes many office and retail venues such as the huge Chase/JP Morgan office complex and the Polaris Fashion Place.  

                                                             

 

Other well-known retail stores and restaurants are also located in this area. The surrounding Orange township land changed dramatically after 1990, which caused a huge increase in the Orange Township population. Housing developers scooped many Orange Township farmlands up.  As per the 2000 census the Orange Township population grew to 12,464 residents. The average age of Orange Township residents range from 32 to 44. The Orange Township residents are able to enjoy various parks within the Townships boundaries, which include the North Orange Park, Orange Township Hall Park and Ro Park at Glen Oak. The North Orange Park includes paved walking trails, nature trail, soccer fields, basket ball courts, a playground with many ADA accessible features, a shelter facility, sledding hill and the North Orange Aquatic Center with two water slides.

                                                                                                                                                              

There are many different single-family home styles in Lewis Center along with a good selection of condos. The average price of a single-family home that sold in 2006 was $279,000.  Homes and condos located in Lewis Center are within the Olentangy School district.

Lewis Center residents are just a few miles away from the Worthington and Westerville communities that hold historic roots from settlers that came here from New England in the early 1800's. The downtown districts of both these communities are characterized by quaint New England style storefronts. Both Worthington and Westerville offer many enjoyable amenities for residents and non-residents alike. These include community centers, libraries, numerous parks, public and private swimming pools, great shopping, and restaurants.

Lewis Center nature lovers enjoy the close proximity to the Highbanks and Sharon Woods Metro Parks, Alum Creek State Park, and the Hoover Reservoir.

You can see why Lewis Center residents love the location in which they live and the many amenities it offers including shopping and dining with easy freeway access.

Shops Westerville, Polaris Fashion Place &Worthington

 

Homes and condos located in Lewis Center are within the Olentangy School district.