Staging is not hard or costly, but in reality many homeowners find it difficult because it is hard to see objectively when you love something. Staging does pay off however, as Sue Fitzgerald of New Albany, a recent successful seller with The Raines Group, can attest.

A few rules to live by when staging your home.

#1  Clean

To achieve the level of clean your potential buyers expect may require hiring a cleaning crew, consider this an investment. Get your windows cleaned inside and out as well.

#2 Fix

Anything you have put off getting fixed? You cannot put that off any longer. Cracked tile? Leaky faucets? Get them fixed.

#3 Kill the Clutter

Eliminate the clutter in your home by at least half. This is very difficult but cannot be underestimated, people buy homes they can see themselves in not the owners before them. Expensive stores have a very tidy and clean layout while cheap stores have stuff everywhere, keep that in mind.

• This is a place where a professional stager can come in very handy.

#4 Blank Canvas

Neutral colors allow buyers to envision themselves as the owners easier. Again, you are selling them their house, not yours.

#5 De-personalize

Remove personal items that buyers won’t be able to identify with. For example, political and religious items may turn off whole groups of buyers because they cannot imagine your home as their home.

A few extra pointers:

The Entrance

Make your entryway as light and as bright as possible. You don’t get a second chance at a first impression.

The Kitchen

Kitchens sell homes. The importance of making your kitchen appealing cannot be underestimated. Clean and de-clutter! If your cabinets are old consider resurfacing them. Facelifts can do wonders to a kitchen.

The Bathroom

Your bathroom should look like it is out of a catalog. Do not display any personal items. Get a set of new fluffy neutral towels and display them.

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.

Real Living, one of the nation’s most innovative national real estate franchisers, announced that 30 additional companies — along with their hundreds of real estate professionals and dozens of offices — have already selected Real Living this year, as the company’s national expansion continues.

“This year has started with a lot of momentum and we are excited to have these 30 firms join the ever-expanding Real Living national network of real estate offices,” said Real Living President Harley E. Rouda, Jr. “We are seeing companies from coast to coast embracing the Real Living brand as we continue to grow our network of offices.”

Rouda said the growth isn’t over. ”As we continue our expansion in 2011, we anticipate additional firms joining Real Living from markets of all sizes, including those we partner with through Area Development Alliances. Through our Area Development Alliances, we are bringing an innovative approach to the industry by sharing franchise fees with alliance partners. This is truly an exciting growth vehicle for us, and a fabulous revenue opportunity for franchisees.”

In 2010, Real Living maintained an industry-leading customer satisfaction rating of 96 percent based upon research by an independent research firm. 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.

Home sales are on the rise in Central Ohio. According to the Columbus Board of REALTORS home sales in March outpaced the previous month by almost 32% bringing the total number of homes sold during the first quarter of 2011 to 3,678.

1,487 homes were sold last month in central Ohio, up 31.8% from the previous month’s sales. While the year’s sales are behind 2010 by 7.9% that number is still 6.9% ahead of the 2,178 sold in the first quarter of 2009.

Homes put in contract saw an increase over last year as well, by 11.5% 2,512 to 2,252.

This looks like a trend of leveling off when you factor in the fact that this year’s average sale price for homes in central Ohio is down 3.7% from 2010, but also up 3.8% from the average sale price in 2009. Spring fever is working its magic however with the average price of a home sold in March being $144,975, up 2.1% from the previous month’s average of $140,770.

As trends in the market go it seems the supply and demand curves are working their magic. The total inventory of homes available for sale was down 22.3% from a year ago making way for this positive growth.

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.

1 Water's Edge, New Albany, headquarters of the Limited Stores, TS24, Bluemile, and Janova

Even despite the downturn in the economy over the past few years, New Albany has seen steady job growth.

Since Leslie H. Wexner transformed New Albany into a high end business community, it has become a magnet for corporate expansion.

The last 2 years have been no exception, during what has been deemed The Great Recession. During this time, the New Albany Business Park has lured companies of all types and added a total of 2,800 jobs.

According to Ed McMahon of the Washington-based Urban Land Institute “one of the attractions in a city like New Albany is that wealthy people have invested their own money in it.”

That investment has been put to good use in development of a state-of-the-art business infrastructure. Companies such as Bluemile that take that infrastructure to the next level by offering the latest computer and internet solutions available.

When all is said and done New Albany’s biggest asset is the same for the companies as for the top talent they are trying to lure. Good quality of life, attractive surroundings, lack of traffic congestion, and good schools.

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 past 4 years have done a number to the process of getting a home loan.

From the buyer’s perspective, the process should go something like this: you give your loan company your financial information, they package it and send it to the underwriter who approves it and sends it back to the loan company who ties up all of the loose ends and closes the loan.

Scott Miller, Mortgage Consultant for MetLife Home Loans gives insight into some of the current hoops one can expect to jump through in the process of getting a loan.

• Dealing with the underwriter: today’s average loan gets kicked back to the underwriter 3.8 times.
• Giving information you do not feel is pertinent to the process: for example you may be asked for the address of your credit bureau.
• Writing letters to explain something within your file: i.e. credit, income, or deposits.
• Not meeting the closing date: last year 26% of all real estate transactions did not meet their closing date.

In short, due to the in flux nature of securities like Fannie Mae one has to expect the unexpected.

Buying a house is a pretty big deal. Like being born, the end justifies the painful means.

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.

With the news about the market environment brightening sellers days a bit it is fitting to step back and recognize, it’s still very much a buyer’s market.

With foreclosures and short sales as well as the economy still driving prices down, buyers have a big advantage.

Even so, its not like you’re buying a cup of coffee here. This is a big decision, here are a few pointers.

• Be realistic: keep your offer in the 10% range of the listed price.
• If you are looking to buy quickly and not compromise on features look to newer communities.
• Do your homework: understand the market and the inventory that is out there.
• Understand negotiations: what have other buyers been asking for/ receiving in the area.

Her Real Living’s Chris Pedon pointed out in a recent interview for Real Estate Revival “The seller needs to be flexible because it seems as if we are negotiating 3 or 4 times instead of one, it isn’t like the old days where you put it in contract and move toward closing.”

Good words of advice to the seller, and a heads up to potential buyers.

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.

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The tradition of fox hunting is alive and well in Gahanna, Ohio

Fox hunting brings tradition, camaraderie, and fun to horseback riders in Gahanna, Ohio.  The fox hunting season formally opened on November 7, with the Blessing of the Hounds at the at the Rocky Fork Hunt & Country Club located on Clark State Road in Gahanna, Ohio. 

Fox hunting is a sport rich with tradition, more about the riding and skill of the hounds than for actually killing a fox. For those who love to ride horses in Gahanna and the surrounding areas, fox hunting joins people together to enjoy their passion.  During a hunt there are three main groups, field riders, jumping field riders, and hill toppers (for those that want to ride less aggressively and observe the hunt).  For more information on the Gahanna hunting group click here.

If you are searching for a horse property in Central Ohio, contact The Raines Group today.  The Raines Group has access to all available Central Ohio real estate listings and can help you locate the horse property that you have been dreaming about.

The Raines Group has established itself as the leader of luxury home sales in Ohio, ranked number one in the state by The Wall Street Journal and LORE magazine. Each home has features that make it unique, but a few homes listed over the summer are lovely equestrian estates.

One of the Columbus equestrian homes offered by The Raines Group is located at 5622 Clark State Road. This custom home offers privacy on a secluded lot, plus breathtaking nature views through a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows in the two-story great room. The gourmet kitchen showcases a center island with breakfast bar, ample custom cabinets, and gorgeous views that can be enjoyed from the adjacent casual eating space. The sumptuous owner’s suite is unlike any other with both indoor and outdoor balconies, and a magnificent bathroom suite that rivals a resort spa. With a huge walk-in shower, jetted tub, sky lights, and a walk-in closet you have to see to believe, relaxation is inevitable.

The home sits on over 9 acres plus 6.5 acres of pasture easement; continued privacy is ensured with deed restrictions stating no further development is allowed on the surrounding land. With a well-equipped barn, the pasture easement, and wooded trails, this home is a luxury home not only for people but also for horses. For more information and a complete photo gallery of this Columbus equestrian home, visit www.therainesgroup.com/5622clarkstate.com or call 1-800-498-1480 and enter code 2940 to schedule your personal showing today!