Ohio State Fair Time!!

A long standing tradition across America is the County or State Fair. What a great way to spend time with your family enjoying the sites, sounds, food and displays! No surprise to those that know me the animals are ALWAYS where I start my fair visit!! It never ceases to amaze me the creativity people have when I go through the art exhibits, quilting and baking. So much pride and commitment!

So before you say goodbye to summer make sure to stop at your local fair!!

For more information on the Ohio State Fair visit:

http://ohiostatefair.com/

Is It Time To Buy a Home?

Sorry I don't have a crystal ball that looks into the future. What I can say is this - the economist are telling us prices will continue to rise both for homes and for rents. They have also said we will see a slight increase in interest. What that means to you as a buyer the higher the interest rate the less home you will be able to buy and ditto for the rise in home prices. 

So is it time to buy - it may be if you are financially ready and emotionally ready. There are some really great deals out there and some homes ready for a new owner's imagination to freshen up things. 

If you decide you are ready here are a few initial steps you should take. 

Gather your financial documents and create a financial resume. Your lender will ask for paycheck stubs, tax returns and anything that plays into your finances. Call a few lenders find out what loan products they offer, interest rates, loan costs and how long does it take to process a loan. It is imperative you get a pre-approval prior to looking at homes. Get a Real Estate Agent - preferably a Realtor. Your agent is a very important resource - they can help line you up with a lender too. Agents know the market, they will represent YOU and most of the time their pay will come from the seller. Having someone to negotiate on your behalf, help with inspectors, title, and generally coordinate all the parts of your transaction is so important. 

Lastly get an idea of where you want to live, what your must have features are and what will be a deal breaker. If you are not sure where you want to be drive through different areas and see what amenities they provide, work on figuring out what you want from your neighborhood. Then call your Realtor and start your search.

Shut Up! The Front Door Was What color?

Oh the psychology of color.

Without realizing it color often affects our moods or motivation. So can you affect potential buyers of your home – while the wrong color won’t make your home unsalable, a complementary color that helps reflect the style of your home and is well balanced with the exterior component will definitely help buyers get excited about seeing your home!

Picture a typical formal colonial, now picture that colonial with an over the top art deco style door painted neon orange. Ok so that’s bit crazy, but you get my point. Door styles need to fit in with the home to create a harmony. If you have a more rustic setting with a ranch a more rustic door is going to be better visually than a stately door with rod iron. A more contemporary style home needs a door that is not elaborate, clean lines and a currently popular color.

So what does color say? There are many articles about colors and their meanings and many different opinions of what a color says. However, most will agree yellow is a happy color, a red door is welcoming, looking for a cool sophisticated look? – black is your color, blue is calming and a brown door feels very grounded. Set the tone with your front door color and make sure the flowers and foliage you choose carry the same tone- the results will give the buyers a feeling of a well cared for home.

You Had Me At The Front Door

Are you thinking about selling your home in the near future? If so, I have a confession to make. Last fall my husband and I were touring open houses. We identified a few areas, knew our budget, open to different styles but getting down to the nitty gritty we wanted something we could snag under market. There were certain conditions we did not want to correct. We targeted neighborhoods where market conditions of homes were good to excellent and values were headed up.

We had our route set for the day and we headed to our first neighborhood. What luck there were three advertised open houses in our price range. As we drove down the first street we noticed two additional unadvertised open houses. I pulled both up on my phone, one was in our range and was obvious it needed work; the other was out of the price ranges we had searched.

We decided to look at both just because we were there and had the time. The home that needed work, REALLY needed work I felt totally overwhelmed from the moment I walked thru the first level.  So, on we go the higher priced home. Wow! I knew the moment I hit the front steps this home could be the one. The house was creamy tending toward yellow siding with not quite brown, not quite green trim and a purple door. Here comes the confession; that door was such a turn off, the color was wrong, the condition was suggested the home wan not well maintained, the storm door was a disaster and it told me right away the seller’s had put no thought into their curb appeal and I could get this house well under their asking price.

Too often sellers do not take into consideration their front door. When you pull up to a home you immediately, often unconsciously, scan the front of the house for the front door. Keeping in mind how you live in a home and how you sell a home are two different life styles. While a purple door is not inherently a no no. For this house it threw off the whole entry. The color did not complement the style, the brick or any of the exterior. The condition of the door and storm door led us to believe the home had not been loved - made it feel like it was lacking in maintenance, style, and generally unkempt. As we walked through the home my negative first impression of the house played a role as I evaluated the floor plan, condition and what I would offer. Lesson one is start your buyer’s tours on a high note and then keep meeting their expectations and end that tour with an offer!

Party At The Columbus Zoo!

One of my favorite places to go is the zoo. When I travel I try to visit the local zoo and I have seen some really wonderful zoos. So it makes sense that one of my favorite fundraisers is ZOOFARI, held every June at the Columbus Zoo. After an all day rain that soaked the entire central Ohio area, Saturday night turned into a beautiful summer evening!

One thing that impresses me about this fundraiser is they try to make it better every year. Last year the crowds were a bit overwhelming - a tribute to how popular this event is. So this year they seemed to have spread everything out a bit more easing the crowding. The food was a usual plenty and delicious.

What is this even you ask? Well the zoo is opened up to adults only for entertainment, animal viewing, area restaurants, beverage, companies, and retail food establishments showcase a dish or two from their menus. A ticket, for general admission, cost $85.00 (included 3 drink tickets) and you can eat till your heart's content. We feasted on Hawaiian tacos, meatballs with a spicy marina sauce, red white and blue pancakes,pepperoni bread,  wings - you name it they had it! The vendors are spread throughout the Zoo so you walk enjoy an adult beverage or 2 eat and listen to the bands.

A big thank you goes to the many people that volunteer to work the event, the vendors - this is a huge undertaking for them and the people that I am certain work hard all year round planning and preparing. It was a great night - for more information check out the Zoo's web page www.columbuszoo.org.

Home Selling Tip - Don't forget to Invite in Buyers!

Buyers Welcome!

Buyer’s interest levels are often determined from the moment they pull up to a home. Does your home say welcome? While the obvious is to have the landscaping well maintained and the area neat and clean, take one step further.  To put into context when the Realtor is unlocking the door, your potential buyers are looking around and passing judgment. What does your front entry say about your house?

Don’t let staging end at the interior front door. Make sure you stage your front porch. Start with the light fixture is is clean? Is it dated – for big paybacks change it if the condition or style warrants it. Make sure you consider your homes style and what finish hardware is on your front door. The fastest way to look like you threw new things in is to have mismatched hardware. Add a new welcome mat, some flowers or tasteful seasonal decoration and don’t forget the door!

What does your door look like? Is it faded and weathered? Does the color complement the other exterior components of your house? If not time to put some thought into your door and make sure buyers are excited to go in and tour your home.

If you‘re thinking of changing the door, consider the style of your home and choose a door that makes sense. Putting a gingerbread door on contemporary home would look out of place. Wild bright colors are great if you want your personality to shine through, but you want the buyer to see themselves in the home so a more neutral color that works with your roof, siding, stone work or brick is in order. Also consider how much sun the door will get – don’t turn off buyers by having a dark color door that absorbs the morning sun making it hot to the touch – the first thought will be “how much will it cost to cool this place?”

Well balanced neutral colors, clean matting, well placed planter with real flowers and foliage can make for a very welcoming front entry. Mulch is a nice finishing touch for your newly trimmed bushes and edged beds. Keep in mind while the agent opens the door the buyers will look around for clues about your home. 

Cityfied Living

Did you know Columbus ranked #15 in the Spring of 2015 Largest U.S. Cities poll? Have you been downtown lately? If not there is an abundance of events to attend, restaurants to dine at, shopping and just a really positive vibe to move to!

Recently I attended Columbus Underground's "Urban Living Tour 2015". This self-guided tour had 30 stops designed around introducing you to all downtown has to offer - rentals, amenities, and condos. What a jewel downtown Columbus is! Easy to walk around and each area has a different flavor - German Village, Victorian Village, Italian Village, Arena District, brewery District, Short North and the middle of it all downtown area.

Columbus Commons is right in the heart of it all - offering free fitness classes on the weekends, movie nights, a merry-go-round for the kids and lots of events. A short walk from there is the Scioto Fountains - a great for cooling off on a warm day and for relaxing in front of in the evenings. A short bus ride away is Short North with shopping, Pubs and galleries.

Some of the hottest properties can be found in downtown, Hip retrofitted buildings offer a variety of space with great city and river views. For condos MyColumbusCondo.com is the premier site to learn about downtown living options. The Columbus Underground Urban Living Tour was a great way to experience the rich lifestyle Columbus has to offer!