Labor Day weekend is here and there are several events in Central Ohio that are worth taking a look at. Among the many retailers holding sales at Polaris Fashion Place and Easton Town Center, there are several festivals as well. If you are lucky enough to be in the Columbus, Ohio area this weekend, you may want to check out the following activities:

• The Greek Festival – September 3-6This festival highlights traditional music and dancing, as well as tours of the beautiful mosaic-filled Greek Orthodox Cathedral. For further information, click here to visit their website or call 614-224-9020.
• 28th Annual Labor Day Weekend Powwow – Septemeber 4-6:  Enjoy watching dancers in Native American attire and enjoy activities including arts and crafts, raffles, food vendors, and on-site camping. For pricing and additional information, click here to visit their website or call 614-443-6120.
• Ohio Cup Vintage Baseball Festival – September 4-5: Known as the largest gathering of vintage baseball clubs in the country, featuring 25 teams squaring off as well as plenty of fun and food for the whole family. For further information, click here to visit their website or call 614-297-2300.
• Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival – September 6: Browse through the works of 200 juried artists at this end-of-summer tradition in the northwest suburb of Upper Arlington. This free event includes children’s activities, art lessons, as well as live entertainment! Click here for more information or call 614-583-5310.

Central Ohio is a spectacular place to live or visit. If you are interested in purchasing a home in the Central Ohio area, please contact us today.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Central Ohio real estate buyers have a lot to gain from the historically low interest rates that are available today.  The Columbus Board of Realtors recently published an article that took a look at mortgage rates over the decades.  In the 1970s mortgage rates averaged 7%, ten years later mortgage rates averaged in at 12.19%, 30 years later interest rates are averaging right around 4.5%.  The lesson in looking at rates historically?  It could be decades before rates this low are available again.  The other aspect of these low rates is that it truly is a buyer’s market in Columbus Ohio and across the country.

In addition to low mortgage rates there is a large inventory when it comes to Central Ohio real estate.  The variety of available Central Ohio homes means that there is a home for every type of buyer.  If you would like to schedule an appointment to discuss Central Ohio real estate please call our office today.

Click here to read the article on mortgage rates from the Columbus Board of Realtors.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Agent, Hugh Price, and the Price Makes a Difference team recently joined Real Living HER after working with Coldwell Banker King Thompson for 7 years. Price and team members Nancy Price and Kelly Frey have developed a strong residential real estate market presence in Granville, Ohio as well as the surrounding Licking County area. Under Real Living HER, the Price Makes a Difference team will continue to service this area with innovative technology, tools and a new exclusive office location in the heart of downtown Granville.

“We are excited to take advantage of all the tools and resources Real Living HER has to offer,” said Hugh Price. “Real Living HER’s long-standing real estate tradition within central Ohio made it an obvious choice for our transition to another company. We believe we’ll be able to better serve a larger group of local buyers and sellers now and in the future.”

“Price is a charismatic individual with a high level of real estate knowledge and professionalism,” said Ed Caldwell, regional vice president of Real Living HER’s southeast region. “He will be an incredible asset to our region.”

Price has served in many capacities for the Licking County Board of Realtors over the years. Some of his prior positions include: Board of Directors (2004-2009), Vice President (2006), President Elect (2007), and President (2008). As a Licking county native, Price is also involved in the Newark Rotary, Kairos Academy, Granville Lacrosse Club, Licking County Courthouse Lighting Committee, Newark Granville Symphony Orchestra and more.

About Real Living HER
Real Living HER is the largest brokerage in the Real Living family of companies, and operates local offices in Columbus and the Greater central Ohio region. Real Living HER has over 800 licensed associates in over 40 local offices. For more information, visit http://www.reallivingher.com.

About Real Living

Real Living is a full-service real estate brokerage franchise company with a comprehensive and integrated suite of resources and services for franchisees and their sales professionals, as well as the consumers who work with them. The Real Living brand and its innovative concepts were recognized as one of the best by Entrepreneur magazine; won the Inman Innovator Award, and was named “The Most Promising New National Brand” by the Swanepoel TRENDS Report. Real Living is an affiliate of Brookfield Residential Property Services, a leading global provider of real estate and relocation services, technology, and knowledge.  For more information, visit http://www.realliving.com.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Contact us to sell your home!

The July issue of Columbus Monthly has hit the stands. Inside, you’ll discover a wealth of information, including a report of the recent real estate sales in Central Ohio.

In the past three months, The Raines Group listed and sold three out of the top four real estate sales in the greater Columbus area, including all of Franklin County and part of Delaware and Fairfield counties. Additionally, on this list you’ll find that The Raines Group sold four out of five, or 80%, of the top retail sales in the New Albany Country Club. Statistics for the article, found on page 48 of the July issue, were supplied by CompuName of Westerville.

These statistics are further evidence that the professional team at The Raines Group knows how to get your home sold.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

This weekend marks the annual Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival in Gahanna Ohio.  Friday through Sunday nationally known musicians will be playing at Creekside Plaza.  Great for the whole family there will be multiple stages, food, and fun.  Special events of the festival include Jog for Jazz, a fun 5k walk/run, Sunday Jazz Brunch, and the Rising Stars Contest.  Headliners include Tab Benoit, Jimi Vincent and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra to name a few.

Central Ohio is alive this summer and the music festival is yet one highlight to enjoy and Creekside Plaza is a lovely outdoor venue.  Gahanna Ohio will be alive with music this weekend, if you are in town the Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival is not to be missed.

Click here to visit the website for the Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Contact The Raines Group: New Albany Experts

The Top Producers report has been published with data current as of May 31, 2010. The Raines Group ranks number one again in many Central Ohio communities, including New Albany, Gahanna, and the Plain Local School district. Just in New Albany, as of May 31 The Raines Group has closed over 12.2 million in sales volume, while the second place team has only closed about half of that. These stats are solid proof that The Raines Group is the team to choose if you are considering buying or selling real estate in New Albany, Ohio.

The Top Producers report is based on data supplied by the Columbus Board of Realtors, and information is deemed reliabe.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

The statistics are out and The Raines Group is the number one real estate team in Columbus, Ohio so far this year in sales volume. As of April 30, 2010, The Raines Group has closed over $19.5 million in total sales in Columbus. In Franklin County, The Raines Group has closed nearly 30% over the second place team. Within the Plain Local School District and in New Albany, specifically, the statistics are even more impressive. The Raines Group nearly doubled the second place team’s sales volume. The Raines Group also ranks number one in Gahanna, Ohio.

These amazing numbers are evidence of a hard working team that knows real estate – from helping people find and purchase their dream homes, to helping sellers list their homes competitively and get them sold, even in what many feel is still a tough market. To date, The Raines Group has over 100 homes closed or in contract in Central Ohio. The Raines Group is known for their attention to detail and has a reputation for results and exceptional service.

For more information on the Central Ohio real estate market contact us today. Our brokers are well versed regarding Central Ohio communities, and can help find the best property to suit your needs.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

The annual Founders Day Celebration began in 1976, as part of the nation’s bi-centennial celebration. Funded by community donations, this event celebrates the founding members who developed the Plain Township/New Albany area. The village was founded in 1837, and has dramatically developed in the past two decades. For further information on the Village of New Albany, click here.

The Founders Day Celebration this year will take place on Saturday, May 15 from noon-5pm. A parade will begin at 11am, and other activities include a mechanical bull, photo booth, face painting, inflatable obstacle course, costumed characters, climbing wall, and much more. Local vendors will also be there, as well as a bake sale. There’s no limit to the fun you’ll find, be sure to join in on the fun celebrating this wonderful community! For further information, click here.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

The Raines Group Sells Homes - Fast!

The statistics for April 2010 have been revealed, and The Raines Group once again has shown that they are number one in the New Albany Country Club. Of the eleven units sold, The Raines Group had nearly half of those listings, proving that they know how to get listings sold.  Even more amazing is that two of the listings were on the market for less than a week before going into contract, two of them were over one million dollars, and all listings sold for over 92.8% of the lising price.

The Raines Group had similar results last month for areas outside the New Albany Country Club. Within the Plain Local School District, The Raines Group claimed over 20% of the listings, one in contract after just one day on the market, and all sold for over 97.5% of their listing price.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Missed out on the tax credit? Contact us today.

The home buyer tax credit has now officially ended. The original end date was in early November, but it was extended to April 30th. All homes in contract must close by June 30, 2010. Many people in Central Ohio are wondering what this will mean for the real estate industry, and those looking to buy or sell a home.

It has been speculated that sellers may need to drop their price to accommodate for the lack of a tax credit, and that buyers may be slower to purchase without a set “deadline”. Statistics will tell what effect the tax credit has had. The Raines Group has placed an estimated 100 homes in contract/sold so far in 2010, and have already nearly doubled their amount of sales volume for the first six months of the year.

If you missed out on the tax credit and are still looking to buy a home in Central Ohio, contact The Raines Group today. Our trained agents can help you negotiate a deal on your dream home!

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.