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.

Share56

Be the first to join the discussion»

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.

Let’s face it, it remains a buyer’s market when it comes to Gahanna Ohio real estate.  Home prices are down over 6% compared with a year ago, but up slightly compared with a month ago.  The historically low mortgage rates are making the affordability factor for Gahanna homes even better, shaving thousands of dollars off the expense of purchasing a home over the lifetime of a loan.

The addition of more bank-owned real estate has continued to make Gahanna home prices more affordable than ever.  If you have been considering looking at Gahanna real estate, now could be the ideal time.  If you have a steady income, a down payment, and a good credit history, there couldn’t be a better time to secure a mortgage.

Give us a call today to look at all available homes for sale in Gahanna and learn more about the current state of the Central Ohio real estate market.

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.

Gahanna is a wonderful Central Ohio community to call home.  A suburb of Columbus, Ohio, Gahanna is a community that offers its residents an amazing quality of life.  Reasonable priced housing, excellent public education, and recreation are cornerstones for Gahanna.  Gahanna has its own economic viability as well, offering a place to work as well as to live.

Creekside Park is a focal point of the Gahanna community, a place for festivals and fun, celebrations and recreation.  Nearby Columbus is a venue for sports, entertainment and art, as well as shopping, dining and more.

If you would like to learn more about Gahanna and the real estate opportunities that exist there contact the brokers at The Raines Group 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.

Gahanna Ohio offers a place to enjoy winter and the holidays in Central Ohio

Throughout the month of December, Creekside Gahanna is a winter wonderland, offering a magical place for individuals and families alike to enjoy and bring out the holiday spirit.  With holiday lighting and a North Pole Village, the area is alive on weekends when Santa Claus makes an appearance for the kids on Saturdays.  Ice skating is another fun winter activity available at Creekside Gahanna.

Santa appears at Creekside Gahanna from 1pm to 5 pm on Saturdays; skates can be rented for $2 per pair per half hour on Fridays from 4pm to 7pm, Saturdays from 10am to 6pm and Sundays from 1pm to 5 pm.

If you would like more information on Gahanna, contact the brokers at The Raines Group today.  The Raines Group specializes in Central Ohio real estate and has the experience and knowledge you need to get to know the area and all that it has to offer.

Share

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.

Trails are a priority in Gahanna Ohio

Gahanna, Ohio wants to see its trails finished, acknowledging the importance of trails within a community.  Officials want to continue their Safe Routes to School program and are seeking grants to finish what was started. 

According to an article in ColumbusLocalNews.com, “Council members approved ordinances that will allow the city to apply for grants from the Ohio Department of Transportation to help fund projects for Lincoln and Jefferson Elementary Schools and Middle School East and West.”  Safe trails are instrumental to a community, and Gahanna seeks to improve the trails that children use to get to school.

If you would like to learn more about Gahanna, please contact the professionals at The Raines Group.  The Raines Group has all the tools you need to get to know the Central Ohio real estate market.