Are you buying Central Ohio real estate? There are a few things to keep in mind to help make your search more complete.  Buying a home is an important purchase and approaching it with thought and consideration is important.  Make a list of criteria of what is important and what you are looking for in your new Central Ohio home.

Things to think about:

• Price.  Pre-qualify for a mortgage and know what you can afford.
• Size.  How many bedrooms?  Bathrooms? Square footage?
• Location.  Do you want to be near schools, shopping, medical facilities?
• Condition.  Do you want a new home?  A remodeled home? Do you want to build a home or remodel an existing one?

Using a Central Ohio Realtor can help make the process run more smoothly and avoid some of the potential pitfalls that can occur when buying a home.  Contact us at The Raines Group today to learn more about Central Ohio real estate and the process of buying a new 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.

Central Ohio real estate sales volume may have dropped in July, but there is a silver lining for prospective home buyers.  The silver lining is that home buyers have a large inventory of Central Ohio homes to choose from, interest rates keep dropping, and sellers who are serious about selling their homes have no choice but to negotiate.  In other words, this is an ideal time to be a home buyer.

Real estate sales volume across the country dropped nationwide, and Central Ohio is no exception.  This is tough news for people who have to sell Central Ohio real estate, but the good news is that while volume was down, prices were up, if ever so slightly, indicating a leveling of the real estate market.

If you would like to learn more about Central Ohio real estate please contact us today.  The brokers at The Raines Group have the experience and knowledge you need to get to know the neighborhoods of Central Ohio and find the ideal property for you.

Click here to read the most recent report on Central Ohio real estate sales 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.

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.

Columbus, Ohio has been noted as a top city for college graduates.  Bloomberg’s Businessweek Magazine recently published a list of the top cities for college graduates to live and find work, and Columbus was number nine on the list.  Last year, Columbus was in the number 10 position.  What helps Columbus Ohio’s ranking is its diverse employment.  Large employers in Columbus, Ohio include companies like Goodyear and Nationwide, as well as Limited Brands and the federal government.

Columbus, Ohio is the state’s capital as well as the anchor for Central Ohio.  Neighboring towns like New Albany and Gahanna provide excellent communities to live in for those who prefer not to live right in the city but nearby.  Columbus offers great entertainment, culture and nightlife for recent college graduates as well.

To learn more about Columbus, Ohio and the Central Ohio real estate opportunities that exist, please call us today.  The brokers at The Raines Group have the knowledge and experience you need to get to know Central Ohio.

Click here to see the list from Businessweek.

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.

New Albany Ohio real estate sales were up in July.  According to the real estate tracking website Trulia.com, home sales in New Albany for the three week period from July 7th through the 28th were up over 25% compared with the same three week period from a year ago.  The good news for home buyers is that home prices in New Albany have stayed low and have dropped slightly in the past year as well.

It is an ideal time to buy Central Ohio real estate.  With home values decreasing and mortgage rates remaining at historic lows, affordability is at a high.  The Columbus Ohio area displays a diverse economy, one which poses to exit the recession far better than most.

If you are interested in looking at Central Ohio real estate or examining the possibility of relocating to the Columbus, 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.

Columbus Ohio has gained a great deal from it economic diversity.  Columbus Ohio’s economy is spread across the government, insurance, manufacturing and educational sectors.  A recent article in USA Today noted that the Ohio capital’s economy being spread amongst an array of businesses is an aspect that helped it weather the economic storm brought on by the recession.  In fact it is the economy of Columbus that is expected to help its real estate market continue its uptick.

The expiration of the home buyer tax credit has had some worry about what may happen to real estate markets around the nation.  In the case of Columbus however, the economy combined with historically low mortgage rates and reasonable homes prices might help keep Central Ohio real estate much more stable than other areas.

Click here to read the USA Today article about Columbus Ohio.

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 values have been rising.  As headlines and news articles  spread the doom and gloom associated with recessionary real estate, the data does not lie.  In Central Ohio, real estate values have been on the rise for five consecutive months.  While the home buyer tax credit helped fuel real estate sales in Central Ohio and across the country, its expiration has had some guessing that real estate would head south again.

The increase in home prices , though modest, is encouraging.  Home prices appear to have stopped dropping and the steady, yet small, increase that has been seen this year is great news for Central Ohio.  At the same time, even with slight increases in price, low mortgage rates, which are hovering at just above 4.5%, are enticing people into real estate by keeping homes affordable despite the lack of a tax credit.

If you would like to learn more about Central Ohio real estate, data, statistics, and opportunities that exist here please call us today.  We have the knowledge that you need to get to know the Central Ohio real estate market.

Click here to read a recent article from the Dispatch regarding the increase in Central Ohio real estate values.

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.

If you are looking for a real estate deal in Central Ohio take a look at Franklin County.  A recent report shows that Ohio has some of the best foreclosure bargains available and within the state of Ohio, Franklin County’s bargains are even better.  The average foreclosed home in Franklin County sells for 42% less than a non-foreclosed home.

The upside of the recession is evident in Central Ohio real estate, if you are a buyer or an investor that is.  Imagine the option of buying one home for full price or the one next door for 40% less.  While foreclosure properties often have issues with them, and inspections are not a part of the deal, the drastic discount can often leave enough money to make improvements or fix what needs to be taken care of.

Click here to read a recent article from The Columbus Dispatch regarding foreclosed homes in Central Ohio.

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 Central Ohio real estate market may have some home buyers that are rejoicing the tax credit expansion.  The original deadline for the credit was June 30th, but the deadline was just extended, by congressional approval, to September 30th.  The tax credit will benefit Central Ohio home buyers who placed a home under contract on or before April 30th.  Many people were  having a hard time closing by the June 30 date for a variety of reasons.

Home buyers who put a Central Ohio property under contract by the April 30 deadline may have hit snags due to an over-abundance of homes going through the mortgage process, the slow process of closing a short sale or foreclosure property, or buying a new home that wasn’t completed in time.  Whatever the reason, there are surely a few home buyers in Central Ohio that are rejoicing the extension.

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.