Delicious Real Estate » Real Estate

Moving in Columbus? Are BINS Better than PODS?

May 18th, 2010 Categories: Real Estate

If you’re moving to Columbus, moving around Columbus, moving from Columbus or if you just need a way to de-clutter your home before you put it on the market and you can’t imagine where you’ll put all those nick-knacks you simply can’t part with, maybe you’ve heard of BINS. They’re like PODS, but…

They tout….. 1) Translucent Roofs–2) Reusable, recyclable–3) Built-in tie downs –4) Stored in temperature-controlled environment–5) Secure & private–6) BINS placed at ground lever with NO ramps–7) No truck rental, fuel or driving–8) Cost effective
5′ X 7′ Bin ~ $99
10′ X 7′ Bin ~ $129
16′ X 7′ Bin ~ $159

Change to Realtor Code of Ethics – sexual orientation

May 17th, 2010 Categories: Real Estate

In the ‘well it’s about time’ news for today, This week, the “Board of Directors passed a change to Article 10 of the NAR Code of Ethics barring REALTORS® from denying equal professional services on the basis of sexual orientation or from discriminating against any person on the basis of sexual orientation. Standard of Practice 10-3 was amended as well to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in any advertisements for selling or renting property. The Code of Ethics change must still go before the NAR Delegate Body for approval at NAR’s annual conference in November.”–NAR

Clintonville Real Estate – Market Update in a post-tax-credit era

May 10th, 2010 Categories: Clintonville, Real Estate, buyers, sellers

This 3bed, 2bath, 1853sf home on Brevoort sold for $267,900 last month after 16 days on market.

Homes on the market: 147 Active Clintonville homes for sale.

Averaging 1,662 sf,

$245,932
$148/sf and
87 days on market.

Currently, there are 77 Clintonville Homes in Contract

–contingent on financing/inspections as of today:67

Averaging 1520 sf
$208,869
$150/sf
53 days on market

Clintonville Homes Firmly In Contract passed inspection period as of today: 10

Averaging 1452 sf
$197,390
$138/sf
17 days on market

Clintonville Homes Closed in April, 2010: 43

Averaging 1510 sf
$215,527 avg List but a $208,338 Sale price or 97%
$149/sf
47 days on market

Clintonville Homes Closed first quarter 2010 (Jan-March 31): 61

Averaging 1453 sf
$205,218 avg List but a $197,820 Sale price or 96%
$146/sf
81 days on market

Clintonville Homes in contract with escape clauses: none

Clintonville saw a busier than normal Winter market, thanks to the tax credits and remains a solid Columbus housing market neighborhood. While Clintonville almost always does well year round, the expiring tax credit has more homes currently in contract than sold the first three months of the year. While I continue to believe that for many first time home buyers Clintonville prices are too much of a reach, the homes keep moving from the shelves and it’s certainly not all move-up buyers.

One reason Clintonville did do well during the tax credit era was that 1st time buyers are now saving up more money than the mid 2000’s and can afford more house because of it. Also, the $6500 tax credit to sellers helped encourage sellers, especially on the fringes, to move up-albeit slightly-from their smaller Clintonville homes to larger ones.

Joe Peffer is a Realtor who works in Clintonville, Beechwold and other Columbus Neighborhoods.

Would you like me to break it down by 43214 vs 43202 or Northmoor vs Beechwold? email me and I will be glad to

Columbus Taxes, Suburban Schools – Columbus School Board extends “win-win”

May 7th, 2010 Categories: Real Estate

Great Architecture at the newly refurbished Southwood Elementary

Every once in a while, I will have a buyer who specifically is looking for a home that has Columbus Taxes but is located in an area where the children go to a School System that is not Columbus– for example, Westerville, Hilliard, Dublin.

As I write this, there are at least 135 such schools actively for sale. One nuance that some would-be homeowners might miss is that the school assigned to some of these areas might be the poorest performing school in that suburban district. The paranoia regarding Columbus Schools is sometimes just that but this decision ensures that there will be these pockets around town for years to come.

“…On May 4, the seven-member Columbus Board of Education voted 5-1 with one member abstaining to pass a resolution saying that the board will allow the Win-Win agreement to automatically renew at the end of the month.

The Win-Win resolution puts to rest speculation that Columbus might have pulled out of the 24-year-old agreement, which could have put in jeopardy the ability of some newer areas of Columbus to continue being part of nine suburban school districts.

In an effort to cut costs, Superintendent Gene Harris instead proposed that the board eliminate 92 percent of its high-school bus stops next school year, meaning those students would have to get to the nearest school building to catch a bus. ”

To Cut Costs, School Board May Eliminate 92% of High School Bus Stops…..

“At its next meeting in two weeks, the board might decide on the proposal to reduce the number of high-school bus stops to 120 from the current 1,466.

Although the state requires bus stops to be no more than a half-mile from the homes of students through eighth grade, there are no rules for high-school students because districts aren’t required to bus them, Vargo said.”

Read more from the Columbus Dispatch here.

Inside the Walls of an Historic Columbus home with Character

April 30th, 2010 Categories: Real Estate, buyers, olde towne east

Working primarily in first ring suburbs like Bexley and Grandview and along the High Street corridor running from Merion Village to German Village to the Short North, Campus, Clintonville and Worthington, I see many old homes. I happen to have a passion for older homes and I love nothing more than uniting homes with character with people of great character.

When it comes to fixer uppers, I love seeing them post-rehab but I love seeing them in the raw even more. I love to see behind the scenes, I love to see the during and I love to see the ‘after’ – especially after someone has lovingly restored an historic Columbus home and called it home for some time–as opposed to a quick flip.

Rarely do you get to see inside the walls of an historic Columbus home, behind the plaster and lathe to see what lurks there and how its made. In just such a home in Olde Towne East recently, I had an opportunity to shoot a quick look at what lurks behind the walls of a serious fixer upper.

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