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By mhogan on July 1, 2010

The Senate approaved the Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act (H.R. 5623) giving home buyers who were under contract on a home purchased by April 30th until September 30th to close and claim the tax credit. Without this extension approximately 180,000 homebuyers who had signed purchase agreements would have missed the deadline.

By mhogan on July 1, 2010

For those who wanted to take advantage of the tax credit but missed the opportunity, it may have paid to wait. Reports have shown that with fewer buyers since the expiration, sellers have had to lower their prices to entice them. Although it depends on your price point, some of the decreases in the sales [...]

By mhogan on June 11, 2010

While setting up a showing for a condo, the listing agent was giving me some information about the property. At the end of this conversation he said “The seller is M-O-T-I-V-A-T-E-D. Make an offer, no matter what it is, just make it, even if you think it’s really low.”
I was a little suprised that he [...]

By amurphy on April 26, 2010

In a recent analysis, the New York Times recommends that the rent ratio – the purchase price of a typical house divided by the annual rent of a similar house – shows that Columbus’ market favors buying a home over renting one.

The rent ratio for Columbus for 2009 is 16.9 and, as the Times states, “a number well below 20 makes a better case for buying.”

By amurphy on April 2, 2010

$172 million for Ohio homeowners facing foreclosure
Columbus Board of REALTORS®
On March 29, the Ohio Department of Commerce announced that the state will receive $172 million in federal assistance for Ohio homeowners facing foreclosure. The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) will receive the funds and will work with Save the Dream Ohio partners and organizations throughout [...]

By vahmed on March 27, 2010

If you are selling a home, your agent is supposed to represent your best interests — right?  I thought so too!  This morning I made some phone calls on behalf of a buyer who is looking for an investment-type condominium.  We were off to a great start, the agent answered her phone,  I explained that [...]

By emcmullen on March 17, 2010

Recently, while searching for homes in the central Ohio area, I was astounded to find such casual images of houses on the market. This is a tough time for sellers. The market is currently flooded with homes and sellers need to ask themselves “what makes their home special?” Buyers need to be lured in with [...]

By mhogan on February 23, 2010

If you like playing the waiting game in real estate then there is a strong possibility of missing out on a great opportunity when the market turns, and it will. Don’t be caught standing at the dock. Prices are right, rates are low and there are many fish in the sea, er, boats.

By cyoung on February 2, 2010

Story:  1)  Seller hires agent.  2) Agent shows house to potential buyer 3) buyer is interested and agent tells buyer to offer low.   Potential result – Agent screws seller because he wants deal done to get both sides of the commission.  He is certainly not going to call other potential buyers who have their [...]

By mnurre on January 14, 2010

Carpeted bathrooms are bathrooms that have carpeted floors instead of traditional floor surfaces, such as tile or vinyl. Despite their tendency to foster mold and bacteria, carpets are sometimes installed in residential bathrooms for aesthetic purposes. Carpets should never be installed in bathrooms in commercial buildings.