New Albany Ohio Real Estate

And you need an experienced guide

It is with great fondness that I remember the days of putting a New Albany home into contract, and pretty much being assured that I’d soon be joining the happy Buyer and Seller at the closing. Well, maybe some time in the future those days will return, but for now, its a jungle out there!

Now more than ever, you need an experienced Realtor…Kate and Tony Thomas, happen to come to mind… to help guide you through the jungle from contract to closing.  Here’s a few of the hazards that can you can avoid if you have an experienced and intrepid Realtor guide.

“Mauled” a wild inspection

That great home can look like the money pit depending on whose inspecting it and how the report is interpreted.  We just had a home where the inspector marked “poor condition” for an entire gutter and downspout system because one downspout was not connected to the ground drain.  “If one thing is wrong we mark the entire system as poor” was this inspector’s answer to our query. Methodology like this is provocative and creates unnecessary fear and concern on the part of the Buyer.

“Bitten” by appraisal

The Seller and Buyer have agreed upon the price, so it’s a done deal, right?  Wrong!  The Appraiser, the bank underwriter and / or the loan officer can scuttle the deal.  To further undermine the situation, the bank can no longer select the appraiser.  While this “firewall”, helps eliminate the possibly of coercion and collusion between lender and appraiser, the unintended consequences are that you can end up with a appraiser that is completely unfamiliar with the area and valuations.

Mired in transaction “quick sand” pits

There are many details touch points (68 in our system) to bring a contract to a successful closing.  If the Realtor does not have the experience, systems and foresight to avoid the transactional pits, the deal can quickly become mired and sink.

An experienced professional “guide” is a must

It doesn’t matter if you are wearing a Buyer’s or Seller’s hat, a professional Guide is a must.  Kate & Tony Thomas and New Albany Realty have the experience, systems and support in place to ensure that your trip through the “Jungle” is a successful and safe one.

Until next time,

Kate

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I subscribe to a blog written by a decorator friend of mine, Colleen Lora and I like what she has to say.  The following article is one she has written for our readers.  Thought you’d enjoy a different “voice” for a change!-Kate

Common Decorating Mistakes

I am often asked, “What are the most common decorating mistakes?”  So, I’ve compiled a list – now some of these are simply my pet peeves while others are based on sound elements of design.  The good news is, that most of these mistakes cost little to nothing to fix.  Here are my top 10, for more please log on to my blog at www.decorandyoucolleen.blogspot.com

Wimpy Lamps                                Misplaced Mirrors                       Missing Window Treatments

• Wimpy table lamps. If you are sitting in bed, the light should flow from the shade to the top of your shoulder.
• Lining your room with furniture. Furniture is best in groupings that float in front of your focal point.
• Ignoring a room’s focal point. That means don’t place the big screen TV in front of your fireplace, how sad.  Same with having a beautiful picture window with no soft window treatments.
• Improper lighting. Every room should have three types of light: overhead, task and accent.  If all you have is an overhead fixture you are in essence, lighting nothing by lighting everything.
• Art hung too high. Take a cue from art galleries where the center of the art is hung at or just above eye level.  For above a sofa, art should be hung 4-8 inches above the back.
  
• No window treatments – or just blinds. Enough said, it’s like getting all dressed up and forgetting your earrings, it just looks unfinished.
• Matching suites of furniture. That is so 1960’s.  Furnishing your space should not look as though it were done in a day.  Matchy-matchy lacks originality and does not reflect your personality.
  
• Mirrors hung over beds. Mirrors should only be hung where they reflect something worth seeing or to expand a small space.  As seen in the photo, the mirrors hung over the bed do not reflect anything pretty and should be replaced with artwork.
  
• Little knick knacks. Choose fewer accessories that are larger in scale and group together in odd numbers.
  
• Forgetting the floor. Area rugs are art for your floors and anchor your seating arrangement – that is now floating away from the wall.  (Yes, you can put area rugs over wall to wall carpet.) The area rug should be at least the length of your sofa.  You never want your walls, ceiling and floors to be all the same color.

If you found these tips helpful, I now have a FREE monthly e-newsletter full of such design tips and inspiration.  If you wish to receive my newsletter, simply email me at clora@decorandyou.com and type “newsletter “in the subject line.

Colleen A. Lora, CID is a nationally-recognized and award winning interior decorator and owner of Décor & You, located in New Albany, Ohio.  To experience the Décor & You difference, Colleen encourages you to contact her at 614-855-1700.

Until next time,
Kate

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July is the first month in 2009 where unit home sales in New Albany Ohio were equal to the number sold in 2008. 30 homes sold in New Albany this July, the same as was sold July ’08. At the end of the 1st quarter this year, unit sales were off the 2008 pace by over 50%. Through July, 2009, unit sales are off 25% – a marked improvement over 1st quarter.

As you can see in the chart below, TY/LY unit sales year to date vary tremendously by neighborhood. In the Plain Local school district, 127 homes have sold year to date this year compared with 170 homes sold through the end of July last year.

Inventory levels in the New Albany Plain Local School District are 18% lower than they were at this time last year. 2008 home sales and inventory numbers are available in our August 2008 Enewsletter. There are definitely opportunities for sellers in neighborhoods with depleted inventories. If you want information specific to your New Albany neighborhood (or Greater Columbus), please contact Kate & Tony Thomas

We hope the news continues to be good – we’ll keep you posted!

See you soon,
Kate

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