The Return of Third Thursday Open Houses and why it works in Bexley
This home at 2465 East Broad Street will be one of a dozen or so open during March's Third Thursday open house event in the Bexley area.
A few years back, some of the Realtor associations inside I-270 had an idea about Open Houses. Holding an open house on a day other than Sunday wasn’t a new idea but all agents, working together across brokerages to promote an additional opportunity to showcase listings was new. It wasn’t an idea that orginated from the local Board of Realtors, but in the field.
Fast forward to a week from tomorrow, the third Thursday in March, and the only open houses will be in one zip code -43209- Bexley, Berwick and Eastmoor. In fact, the last I saw, there were 25+ homes (listed below but still time for others) in Bexley and Eastmoor open.
It didn’t stick in Clintonville, it didn’t stick in the Short North or in German Village or Upper Arlington. Why has the idea not only survived but thrived in the Bexley, Berwick and Eastmoor area?
- It’s a smallish area, approximately 9.3 square miles.
- Between Broad Street, Main Street, Livingston Avenue and James Road, a large amount of cars pass by the Open House signs every month.
- Affiliates of the local real estate association help to underwrite a full page ad in the Bexley News the week prior which details the homes to be held open.
- In Bexley, a relatively small number of agents have many of the active listings at any one time and they urge the homeowners to participate.
- I believe that the last informal tally I heard indicated that 12 homes sold in 2009 where the buyer first saw the home on a Thursday in Bexley, Berwick or Eastmoor. Success begets more chances.
From last count, these are some of the homes that will be Open Thursday March 18 from aprox. 5-7 PM.
| Property | Price | Beds/Baths |
| Bexley: | ||
| 2787 Bellwood Rd. | $124,900.00 | 3 / 1 |
| 2500 E. Livingston Ave. | $157,900.00 | 3 / 1 |
| 2611 Stanbery Rd. | $173,900.00 | 4 / 1.5 |
| 934 Euclaire Ave. | $189,900.00 | 4 / 2 |
| 139 N. Stanwood Rd. | $197,000.00 | 3 / 1.5 |
| 499 N. Drexel Ave. | $239,900.00 | 4 / 1.5 |
| 232 N. Stanwood Rd. | $310,000.00 | 3 / 2.5 |
| 164 S. Stanwood Rd. | $315,000.00 | 3 / 1.5 |
| 320 N. Cassady Rd. | $320,000.00 | 5 / 3.5 |
| 243 S. Cassingham Rd. | $339,000.00 | 3 / 1.5 |
| 2825 Elm Ave. | $364,900.00 | 4 / 2.5 |
| 2551 E. Broad St. | $369,000.00 | 4 / 2.5 |
| 2394 Sherwood Rd. | $379,900.00 | 5 / 2.5 |
| 366 N. Stanberry Rd. | $397,000.00 | 5 / 3.5 |
| 2575 E. Broad St. | $429,000.00 | 4 / 2.5 |
| 345 Northview Dr. | $429,900.00 | 4 / 2.5 |
| 2640 E. Broad St. | $482,000.00 | 3 / 3.5+.5 |
| 2722 Fair Ave. | $499,000.00 | 4 / 3.5+.5 |
| 2694 Bryden Rd. | $515,000.00 | 5 / 3.5 |
| 2491 Fair Ave. | $575,000.00 | 5 / 4.5 |
| 2456 Fair Ave. | $650,000.00 | 5 / 3.5 |
| 2465 E. Broad St. | $789,000.00 | 4 / 2.5 |
| Eastmoor: | ||
| 116 N. Broadleigh Rd. | $119,000.00 | 4 / 2 |
| 167 S. Broadleigh Rd. | $139,900.00 | 4 / 2 |
| Bexley: | ||
| 2787 Bellwood Rd. | $124,900.00 | 3 / 1 |
| 2500 E. Livingston Ave. | $157,900.00 | 3 / 1 |
| 2611 Stanbery Rd. | $173,900.00 | 4 / 1.5 |
| 934 Euclaire Ave. | $189,900.00 | 4 / 2 |
| 139 N. Stanwood Rd. | $197,000.00 | 3 / 1.5 |
| 499 N. Drexel Ave. | $239,900.00 | 4 / 1.5 |
| 232 N. Stanwood Rd. | $310,000.00 | 3 / 2.5 |
| 164 S. Stanwood Rd. | $315,000.00 | 3 / 1.5 |
| 320 N. Cassady Rd. | $320,000.00 | 5 / 3.5 |
| 243 S. Cassingham Rd. | $339,000.00 | 3 / 1.5 |
| 2825 Elm Ave. | $364,900.00 | 4 / 2.5 |
| 2551 E. Broad St. | $369,000.00 | 4 / 2.5 |
| 2394 Sherwood Rd. | $379,900.00 | 5 / 2.5 |
| 366 N. Stanberry Rd. | $397,000.00 | 5 / 3.5 |
| 2575 E. Broad St. | $429,000.00 | 4 / 2.5 |
| 345 Northview Dr. | $429,900.00 | 4 / 2.5 |
| 2640 E. Broad St. | $482,000.00 | 3 / 3.5+.5 |
| 2722 Fair Ave. | $499,000.00 | 4 / 3.5+.5 |
| 2694 Bryden Rd. | $515,000.00 | 5 / 3.5 |
| 2491 Fair Ave. | $575,000.00 | 5 / 4.5 |
| 2456 Fair Ave. | $650,000.00 | 5 / 3.5 |
| 2465 E. Broad St. | $789,000.00 | 4 / 2.5 |
| Eastmoor: | ||
| 116 N. Broadleigh Rd. | $119,000.00 | 4 / 2 |
| 167 S. Broadleigh Rd. | $139,900.00 | 4 / 2 |
Discussion: Join The Discussion!
Short North Real Estate Market Update including Victorian Village, Italian Village and Harrison West
Homes on the market: 159 Greater Short North Homes and Condos for sale today
- $255,953
- $189/sf and
- 279 days on market – see below
- CONDOS ONLY – 114 Listings, $$237,880 1259 sf, $201/sf, 333 DOM*
- HOMES ONLY – 45 Listings, $301,738 – 1901 sf – $159.63 sf – 142 DOM
*The current Active Short North condo market has many unsold, long-time listings From Harrison Park which skews both days on market and average list price. This is the first update since it was announced that Ibiza will be turned into apartments, not condos.
Greater Short North Homes in contract with escape clauses:
(1) A three bedroom three bath 1620 sf condo on Dennison Place is in contract contingent on the sale of a home. It is listed at $270,000. Because of the contingency, an interested buyer could conceivably swoop in and make an offer that would force the hand of the current buyers in contract with the home sale contingency.
(I’m surprised that there aren’t a few more of these, ala Empty Nesters in Columbus suburbs selling their homes and moving to be closer to the action. Maybe the Spring and the impending end of the $6500 tax credit will bring some more home sale contingencies-though Sellers aren’t generally accepting them unless the Buyer’s homes are in-contract and past the inspection period)
Greater Short North Homes in Contract contingent on financing/inspections as of today: 34
- Averaging 1360 sf
- $268,074
- $207/sf
- 97 days on market
- CONDOS ONLY – 26 w/ avg of $288,528, 1340 sf (!) $226/sf, 109 DOM – Most of these are in The Jackson
- HOMES ONLY – 8 with an avg of $201,600 – 1424 sf – $131/sf – 81DOM
Greater Short North area Homes in firm contract as of today: 4-all condos
- Averaging 1608 sf
- $303,350
- $181/sf
- 332 days on market 2 of them are in Harrison Park w/ 522 DOM, 1 on Summit, 1 on Brickel
Greater Short North area Homes SOLD in January and February, 2010: 30
- Averaging 1368 sf
- $233,617 avg List but a $225,125 Sale price or 96.32%
- $199/sf (up $34/sf over last quarter)
- 117 days on market – 2 weeks longer than last qtr
- CONDOS ONLY – 9 @$206,108, 1324 sf, $198/sf, 171 DOM
- HOMES ONLY – only 3! @ $302,933- 1931 sf – $183/sf –81 DOM
This 3 story home with 5 bedrooms at 122 W 2nd Ave sold for $356,500 just over a week ago after 3 days on market
The Most expensive home on the market at the moment is (still ) 1029 Neil which boasts 3,800 sq ft, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and is listed at $649,000. It has been active on the market a whopping 675 days.
Two of the least expensive homes in the area at the moment are both two bedrooms – 1071 North 4th came on the market about a week ago, a small cottage-y home in need of lots of love for $45,000 and 252 Detroit which has been on the market a year with 770 sf at $79,900.
Homes and Condos temporarily off the market – 3 all condos
71 East 5th Ave 1 bedroom at $89,000, 11 West 3rd, 1 bed at $249,000, 949 Neil 2 bed, $329,000
Joe Peffer is a Realtor who works in Victorian Village, the Short North, Italian Village, Harrison West and specializes in midtown Columbus Neighborhoods.
Would you like me to break it down by Victorian Village vs Italian Village or just condos? Call or email me anytime with questions or concerns and I will be glad to get back to you.
Discussion: Join The Discussion!
25 mph down High Street in Clintonville?
A push to reduce the speed limit on N. High Street and North Broadway through Clintonville could turn into an effort to make the entire neighborhood a 25-mph zone.
The Clintonville Area Commission says it will likely first ask the city to reduce the speed limit from 35 mph to 25 mph on High Street between Arcadia Avenue and the Worthington line, and on North Broadway between Rt. 315 and I-71, said Michael Folmar, a member of the Clintonville Area Commission.
“What we hear from residents in the neighborhood is High Street is still not pedestrian friendly,” said Mike McLaughlin, a commission member.
Reducing the speed limit on High Street is a good start, say members, who may bring it up at next Thursday’s commission meeting.
“I’d like to see 25 miles an hour in all of Clintonville,” said Folmar, a co-chairman of a committee that will study speed limits.
But it’s unlikely that city officials would approve a neighborhood-wide speed limit. They never have, said Rick Tilton, assistant public service director.
“The city studies one street at a time,” Tilton said. “It’s not a case of one size fits all.”
And the Ohio Department of Transportation must approve any speed limit change.
Clintonville residents and business owners say the city should consider the request.
Katie Palmer, who owns SoBo Style at 3282 N. High St., said that when someone parked in front of her store last week and opened her car door, another car zoomed by and tore it off.
“They speed through here,” said Palmer, who added that a slower speed limit would make High Street businesses more inviting.
Still, the city recently completed a traffic study supporting 35 mph speed limits on High Street and Indianola Avenue, McLaughlin said.
The city studied the stretches of High and Indianola between E. North Broadway and Weber, Tilton said.
The commission hasn’t taken a position on those studies as the committee continues to discuss speed limits, said D Searcy, chairwoman of the Clintonville Area Commission.
On the Northwest Side, residents were unsuccessful last year in getting the city to reduce the speed limit on Olentangy River Road from 45 mph to 35 mph between Rt. 161 and Bethel Road.
“We knew it wasn’t easy going in,” said Jennifer Adair, who leads the Northwest Civic Association.
Searcy said she knows the city is reluctant to reduce speed limits.
“I think we’re pushing a stone uphill to get that accomplished,” she said.
The Clintonville Chamber has not come out with an official position. But McLaughlin said a 25-mph speed limit on High Street would help Clintonville’s commercial corridor.
He said some businesses might be reluctant to locate there because of what he calls the “rush, rush, rush of High Street.”
High Street’s speed limit through the campus area is 25 mph, and it’s 30 mph in the Short North.
McLaughlin said the speed limits in successful commercial areas, such as E. Main Street in Bexley, Grandview Avenue in Grandview Heights and High Street in Olde Worthington, are all 25 mph.
McLaughlin said the commission would have to ask residents if they want the speed limits reduced on other streets, including Morse and Weber roads and Indianola Avenue.
“It’s one thing to get the speed reduced, More Here from the Columbus Dispatch
Discussion: Join The Discussion!
Clintonville Charmer! and the Lack of Originality in Columbus MLS Remarks
The Original Clintonville Charmer. 79 Acton sold in 1996 for $145,545
You’d be amazed how often I read the remarks on a new listing, check out the history of the listing in the Columbus MLS, and find the EXACT same remarks the previous agent used. It’s uncanny. Sometimes the remarks are in the entirety, sometimes it’s most of the old remarks with a few fresh ones thrown in or maybe it’s simply an obviously borrowed phrase from a past listing.
The whole idea simply proves my point about how unoriginal and lazy many real estate agents are — and I’m not even talking about maximizing views of the home in front of potential home buyer’s eyeballs (i.e. marketing).
Every once in a while you find a phrase that sticks through the years. “Clintonville Charmer” is one in particular. It was in the description of a home that came on the market today in the 500 block of Acton and it got me thinking about how over-used some descriptive phrases are in the Columbus MLS, “Charmer” being one of them.
The phrase Clintonville Charmer has been used to describe a home for sale in Clintonville 145 times since the inception of the modern Columbus multiple listing service. Most recently today. The earliest recorded use of the phrase seems to be on another Acton house -79 Acton Pictured Above- on the market 13 days in May and June of 1996 before selling for $145,545.
Anatomy of a Clintonville Charmer:
4 Active Clintonville Charmers averaging 1,728 sf listed at an avg of $154.25/sf
117 all time Sold Clintonville Charmers averaging 58 days on market and 1,455 sf
2 Clintonville Charmers that are in contract currently for $148/sf on average and both, coicidentally, on East Pacemont
I look at listings all day long and see some doozies. What descriptions of Columbus homes for sale have caught your eye over the years?
Discussion: Join The Discussion!
The Scoop on the New Good Faith Estimate
If you’re in the market to buy a new home this year, you may have heard mention of the new Good Faith Estimate that has been in use since the beginning of the year. There has been much written nationally regarding the new form. Much of the drama has revolved around whether or not it is actually helpful to consumers and much of the griping has come from lenders and title companies who’ve had to adjust their routines a little.
I think anything that clarifies what to expect going forward for the home buying consumer is a positive step for the industry. You know, complete disclosure and total transparency and all. So far this year, there’s been a little hand-wringing by both Delicious Real Estate Buyer’s lenders and title companies but no hold ups, real confusion or problems around closing time–having to do with this anyway.
So please note that there is a new form, it’s for your benefit, and you can find it right here. For all the discussion, it’s really pretty self-explantory. If you don’t think so, the two humorless NAR guys in the suits in this video will do their best to explain it to you. Remember, always compare apples to apples when judging one lender’s program with another lender’s program.
Discussion: Join The Discussion!
The Return of Third Thursday Open Houses and why it works in Bexley
A few years back, some of the Realtor associations inside I-270 had an idea about Open Houses. Holding an open...
Short North Real Estate Market Update including Victorian Village, Italian Village and Harrison West
This update includes all of the near North from Nationwide Blvd to approximately King Avenue and everything between the river...
25 mph down High Street in Clintonville?
I'm not sure what to think about this idea...a 25 mph speed limit on High in Clintonville and on North...
Clintonville Charmer! and the Lack of Originality in Columbus MLS Remarks
You'd be amazed how often I read the remarks on a new listing, check out the history of the listing...
The Scoop on the New Good Faith Estimate
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