The city of Gahanna held its 10th annual Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival which has always proven to be successful, last weekend between Friday evening on June 20th 2008 and Sunday afternoon on the 22nd of June 2008. The event was its usual success and drew thousands to the city’s recently opened Creekside Park and Plaza.

The weather this year was fine as the festival experienced mild temperatures with lots of sunshine with only a couple of showers. The city of Gahanna itself announces the festival in advance on its website (you can see by clicking here) and the event organizer "Gahanna Events Inc" whose website shows that there are a couple of new items on the agenda this year, including a Jazz Brunch on the sunday!

If you are considering purchasing a home in Gahanna or the surrounding area then please contact the Raines Group for more information, if you would like to search for properties in the area you may use our complimentary MLS Search tool.

Selling your home is an emotional experience and when you have the right agent the process tends to go alot smoother than trying to learn along the way! This goes without saying for any real estate market, even this one!

You have to treat the transaction as a business transaction and not get too involved emotionally, - of course it is your home so this will be hard! - however there are 11 areas which if not handled properly could not only cost a few hundred dollars but worse, an entire deal.

1. REFUSING TO MAKE PROFIT INDUCING REPAIRS

2. NOT CONSIDERING OTHER FINANCING TERMS

3. PROVIDE EASY ACCESS FOR SHOWINGS

4. PRICED TOO LOW/PRICED TOO HIGH

5. RELYING SOLELY ON TRADITIONAL METHODS TO SELL YOUR HOME

6. MARKET TIMING/SEASONAL SELLING

7. REFUSING TO MAKE COSMETIC CHANGES

8. WASTING TIME WITH AN UNQUALIFIED PROSPECT

9. DON’T TEST THE MARKET

10. BELIEVING YOU ARE POWERLESS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

11. BELIEVING ALL REALTORS ARE THE SAME

Follow this link to a downloadable PDF where you will be able to see each of these areas covered in detail. Your home sale is too important not to take an interest,.

If you need assistance with selling your home please contact thte Raines Group for professional Real Estate advice as well as a free home valuation.

With the recent publicity about energy efficiency and a growing awareness of our environmental impact many homebuilders are looking for ways in which to incorporate energy efficiency into the homebuilding process to save homeowners money as well as saving the planet.

Dave Smith of OS Homes, which he founded in 2005 is going to parade its green building techniques in the Building Industry Association Parade of Homes from Saturday through to the end of this month in Gahanna.

Dave Smith admits that it is not just using energy efficient heating and cooling systems and appliances but that it is the design of the home to maximize natural heat/cooling & light which also make a big difference. Trading cathedral ceilings for 9 foot ceiling as well as using thicker concrete walls to maximize insulation. Similarly when chosing a method of water heating trading the water tank for the new tankless models which heat water on demand are ways of saving some extra dollars as well as helping towards cutting down the homes carbon footprint.

If you are considering purchasing a home in Gahanna or the surrounding communities then please get in touch with the Raines Group for professional Real Estate advice.

With the Columbus Metro area experiencing a strong economy due to unprecedented growth it is no wonder that shopping areas are required! New Albany itself has many boutique stores however the Easton Town Center Shopping Center is not far, just 2 exits south off of I-270. 

The Easton Town Center Shopping Center is a one million square feet plus shopping complex - one of the largest Columbus has ever seen! -  plus housing and office complexes and more! The development is a well designed and architecturally pleasing venue with two anchor stores - Norstrom & Macy’s. It is spread across a 90 acre retail site in a 1300 acre overall development. Phase one opened in 1999 and the complex is continually being developed and added to and with the current expansion will hopefully be the opening of the upscale Tiffany & Co.

30 of the stores are new to the Columbus metro area and it is widely regarded that the development is a boost to the economy with over 30,000 jobs created through its development from early on in its construction. It’s design is a true "downtown" away from downtown! Sometimes outdoor and sometime indoor it is really a town in its own right!

If you are considering purchasing a property in the New Albany area generally or are considering a specific development such as Jefferson Mews, a community which is a mere minutes from Easton Town Center and the rest of the Metropolitan Columbus area. Please contact The Raines Group for professional Real Estate advice.

New regulations from Congress are aimed at stabilizing the housing and mortgage markets for future buyers. With property being available at the moment and pricing being very much in the favor of the buyer lawmakers want to ensure that they are protected.

In addition to the Foreclosure Prevention Act politicians are creating a "Housing Package" to aid buyers and in the respect of mortgage, aid borrowers to make it easier for them to get qualified by extending the availability and guidelines of government backed programs - including FHA.

These moves are some of the most radical shake ups to the industry in years and have been widely supported by the National Association of Realtors. 

When going looking for property it is important to know how much you can afford and in that case a prequalification for a mortgage is a must! On our website you will see more information on getting pre-qualified!

If you are considering purchasing a property in the New Albany or metro Columbus area then please contact the Raines Group today.

Now here is a Central Ohio Village with history! Worthington was settled in 1802 by a group of New England families looking for a new life on the med-western plains the town has a distinct New England feeling about it. It features a trademark central square with homes coming off in all directions in blocks.

This place has bucket loads of charm today as it did in years past, visitors and residents can walk amongst 100 year old homes and yet still be just minutes away from the modern amenities of the Columbus metro area.  For the keep fit fraternity there is a ton of activities to stimulate the body, including part of the 12.5 mile Olentangy Multi-Use Trail as well as a modern Community Center with gym facilities and a swimming pool.

There is an active artistic community also where the local Arts council arrange entertainment, such as plays,art exhibits and musicals to name but a few! This is truely a place for everyone to step back in time and see a little slice of New England in Ohio!

If you are considering purchasing property in the Worthington or metro Columbus area then please contact The Raines Group for professional real estate advice.

Click here to search the MLS for properties for sale in the area.

Click here to see a video of Worthington courtesy of Inman.

The National Association of Realtors says that last year around 80% of people turned to the internet when looking for a new home - this is great news as it allows Realtors to showcase property in more ways than ever before so the buyer can find out more and more about a property before viewing it!

US News Online suggests "Six Secrets of Internet Home Buying" however this is very broad and perhaps buyers could consider the following 6 steps:

1. Get preapproved for a mortgage! - This is one of the most important steps, yet many buyers start looking for property with a Realtor and online without planning for the financial side.

2. Find the right tools for your home search - Contact The Raines Group for real estate advice, arm yourself with a good mapping tool - Google Maps for instance as well as utilizing The Raines Group’s detailed neighborhood infomation pages.

3. Use the tools together in harmony - HOWEVER! Remember that the best way for up to date local information is to speak with your Real Estate professional - they will always be on hand to answer questions.

4.  Use the MLS Search effectively, get involved in the search process with your agent!

5. Manage the flow of information - Why go hunting for information on an area, utilize features such as RSS feed subscriptions (which are free) and this blog has one! (This way you get regular updates to you!)

6. Find a blog (but you have already found us, so one less thing to do!) blogs are a great way of learning about the area that you are searching for a home in as well as a great resource after you have purchased for local news and events.

If you are considering purchasing a home in New Albany or any of the other local Central Ohio Village Communities? Then please contact the Raines Group for professional and timely real estate advice.

With a lot of different news flying around at a national level about the Real Estate market for the country getting the facts right is of paramount importance. What needs to be kept in mind is that all Real Estate is local! Think of the generalization of the national housing picture as comparing a condo in Miami to a townhome in Detroit - both are completely different properties in different markets.

The Columbus Area Realtor Association, under the motto: The Grass is Greener Here, has therefore decided to combat the rumours in the media and has launched a new website http://www.columbushousingfacts.com/ which shows that in the Central Ohio Housing Market it is a great time to buy, interest rates are low and the market is stable and healthy. All great reasons to invest in Central Ohio property.

If you are considering purchasing a home in the Columbus Metro Area then please contact Sandy Raines at the The Raines Group today for professional Real Estate advice which will help you secure that dream home!

The New Albany Ohio Chamber of Commerce has published its 2008 Community Guide about the village. This booklet (which is available online in electronic format) is truely a guide to what is going on in 2008 in the area as well as a general information source on the town.

The categories are as diverse as follows; Culture, History, Health & Wellbeing, Businesses etc! However, one of the most interested sections is Real Estate. The guide notes that in the area there are a range of Real Estate options available to the buyer, from apartments to stately homes sprawling across large lots. It is interesting to note that it comments about how well planned the communities in New Albany are to compliment to local geography and natural environment in an aesthetic manner. Including the addition of central gathering places for residents and walking trails linking the different areas.

Of course one of the largest developments in the community is the New Albany Country Club, this of course does not escape a mention, noting that there are homes from the $400,000’s upwards past $1 million.

All in all it summarizes that New Albany has the convenience of being accessible to the metro area of Columbus yet being far enough out to feel like a rural retreat.

If you are considering purchasing a home in the New Albany area then please get in touch with the Raines Group for professional real estate advice.

Everbody dreams of a perfect small town to live in. In Johnstown, this, is it!  With a central town square, a main street with the hardware store, grocery store, library and bowling alley you cannot get better than this! Johnstown is located in Licking County 15 minutes North East of New Albany at the cross roads of state route 37 and US Route 62.

This pretty town is one of many central Ohio "villages" which are within commuting distance (around half an hour) of the Columbus Metro area including the Columbus International Airport. The town features a variety of Real Estate to suit all budgets, from $100,000 to $2 million!

The Village also features along the route of the T.J. Evans Recreational trail which is ideal for biking or walking fanatics who can take advantage of its thirty six miles of mostly paved sidewalk - what a great facility to make use of  as a way to keep fit and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

If you are interested in looking at Real Estate in Johnstown or the surrounding area then please contact The Raines Group.