Our beautiful community of New Albany has devoted time and resources to attracting economic development to the area and now national organizations are starting to take notice. According to a recent article, the city recently received an economic development award from the Ohio Chapter of the Commercial Real Eestate Development Association. The award is given to communities that are committed to promoting...

  It was a great month on the New Albany real estate market, especially if you’re a home seller. Evidently, home sales in Central Ohio are up while total home inventory is down. Continue reading to learn more about current market trends on this Central Ohio real estate market. Central Ohio Properties for Sale Thinking about selling your home? Be sure to check out the latest market statistics...

Are you a New Albany resident who is entertaining out-of-town family members for the holidays? Are you wondering how you’re going to entertain them throughout their stay? No worries! We’ve compiled a list of upcoming holiday events in the area that are sure to be fun for the entire family. Continue reading to learn more! Enjoy These Holiday Events This Week Here are just some of the many...

New Albany Country Club Homes Prices Hold Sale prices of homes in the New Albany Country Club community seem to have leveled out.  2012 prices remain equal to 2009 and 2010.  One of the gauges we use to evaluate sales trends is $ per Square Foot.  If you look at the past 3 years, the average sales price for real estate in the New Albany Country Club area has been ~$162/square foot.  While this...

National and Columbus Average Home Prices Drop 2nd Quarter 2011 The National Association of REALTORS® just announced that prices for existing homes fell an average of 2.8% nationally 2nd Quarter this year vs. the same period last year, with the average home selling for $172,000. The Columbus Board of REALTORS® indicate that average homes prices in the Greater Columbus market fell 3.6% for the same period. New Albany Ohio Prices Up Over 2011 New Albany, Ohio (Plain Local School District) average home sale prices increased 1.6% in the 2nd Quarter 2011, with the average home price at $443,000. Visit newalbanyohio.com to check out the latest market conditions in your neighborhood or contact us directly at info@NewAlbanyOhio.com.

Check your mail for your new home valuation! We know property values have fallen since the last county wide appraisals were done in 2005 but just how much? You’ll know soon. The Franklin County auditor’s office is mailing the new valuations today! It’s unprecedented and will be interesting to see what they look like. While the auditor reports that Franklin County property values are down 6.7% from 2005, I expect to see a deeper decline in the New Albany valuations. What if you don’t agree with the new valuation?

We had a great luncheon meeting with our lender partner, Scott Miller of Met Life Home Mortgage, and his team yesterday at their new corporate digs. The focus of the meeting was for our team to get a complete understanding of the new world of home loans and the process from application to funding. To quote an old song from my youth "It don't come easy" . There are lot's new steps and lots of different hand offs, gates and gate keepers. "Rushing" any deal these days is all but impossible as the banking industry is still reeling from the sub prime mess. Mac & Mae At the end of the day, 90% of all loans come through the federal entities Freddy Mac and Fannie Mae. So if you are going to get your loan through Acme Savings and Loan or Ginormous National Bank, at the end of the day the money and the thumbs up or down are tied to Mac and Mae. That's because Acme and Ginormous sell their loans to Freddy and Fannie, and while they once took in any 'ole kinda loan like a lost puppy, they are now very picky.

Every Realtor should have to experience selling their own home in order to fully understand and remember the challenges a seller faces when selling their home. Tony and I are in the midst of selling ours after 15 years in the same place! The listing process was painful – staging, cleaning, and frequently being the bridesmaid instead of the bride...

Hard to believe but true… There are simply not enough homes available for sale in the New Albany Plain Local School District. New Albany real estate inventory levels are at record lows – off almost 40% from this time last year. Prices are stabilizing and buyers are looking. I have to say, if you’ve been on the fence about selling, this would be the time to get your New Albany home on the market.

I had a phone call from a gentleman this week asking if I was the listing agent for a home for sale in New Albany. I replied that I wasn’t but that I could help him as a buyer agent to which he replied, “What’s that?” It made me realize that as Realtors, we use a lot of terms that may not be familiar to those not in the business. So I took a moment to explain to him what a buyer agent is along with explanations of other common terms. Real Estate Brokers – Real estate brokers have a real estate broker’s license and operate a real estate brokerage. New Albany Realty is the brokerage that Kate & I work for. Realtors® – A Realtor is a licensed real estate agent who is also a member of the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). We are members of NAR® and thus, are able to call ourselves Realtors. Listing Agents – Listing agents are real estate agents who represent sellers, market their homes and work to get their sellers the best price and terms. In Ohio, with written permission listing agents may also represent the buyers for their listings. Buyer Agents – Buyer agents are real estate agents who represent buyers, help them find homes that meet their criteria, and work to get their buyers the best price and terms. We have 2 Buyer Agents on our team – Bev Klein and Laura Kohler. Bev and Laura are available to assist you with your home search so don’t hesitate to contact them. Kate & Tony work with both Sellers and Buyers and would be happy to work with you!