It’s a common theme that has echoed in many real estate markets across the nation: It’s a buyer’s market.

This means that – generally speaking – both home sales and home prices are down.

But there are still plenty of things that home sellers can do to ensure a successful outcome on the local housing market.

Continue reading to learn more about these tips and see how they can help you as a New Albany home seller.

Things to Do Before You Enter the New Albany Real Estate Market

Get Your Home in Top Condition. Seller’s face a lot of compeitition in a buyer’s market because there are more home sellers on the market than home buyers. Thus, it’s important to make your home stand out above the rest. You can do this with some easy-to-do improvements around the house, such as giving your home a fresh coat of paint, cleaning the entryway to your home and trimming overgrown bushes and shrubs out front. All of these things will increase your home’s curb appeal, which will likely attract more home buyers.

Prepare an Aggressive and Comprehensive Market Plan. The best marketing plans use an array of media to reach the largest audience possible. They also play up your homes best features. An experienced New Albany real estate agent can help you create the right marketing plan for you and your home.

See if your company offers relocation assistance. If you’re moving to another city for a job, you may want to check with your employer to see if they offer any sort of help to make selling your home easier. Check with your human resources department for more information.

Set the Right List Price. As we mentioned in a previous New Albany real estate blog, setting your home’s list price too high in the beginning could create substantial problems for you as a home seller.

DeClutterize Your Home. By removing unnecessary furniture and knick-knacks from your home, you’ll make the home appear both neater and bigger. This will, in turn, make your home more attractive to prospective home buyers. Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you haven’t used the item in more than 6 months, it’s probably time to get rid of it.

Stay In-The-Know About Market Activity. In this kind of economy, the New Albany housing market is a constantly changing and evolving arena. To ensure that you don’t get left behind as a home seller, make sure you stay on top of market activity. Our ***** can help you with this goal.

Sell Your New Albany Property Today

For more information on the best way to navigate the New Albany real estate market as a home seller, contact us, Kate & Tony Thomas, today.

As experienced Central Ohio REALTORS, we’ll tell you about other things you can do to ensure a successful outcome on the market.

We’ll also provide you with a number of helpful (and FREE!) home selling tools, such as:

• Preparing Your Home for Sale
• Selling Your Home
• How Much is My Home Worth?

Until next time,

Kate & Tony

The home inspection process is frequently a stressful experience for New Albany home sellers.

After all, the results of the home inspection could make or break the sale of their Central Ohio home.

The good news is that there are ways in which a New Albany home owner can prepare for the upcoming home inspection.

Continue reading to learn more!

New Albany, Ohio Properties for Sale

As most home sellers know, many home buyers will hire a professional home inspector to look over the home before closing on their new purchase.

Sometimes, if a problem is found during the home inspection, it can delay the closing for weeks.

Luckily, there are certain preventative steps that home sellers can take to ensure that the home inspection goes smoothly.

One of the most important steps they can take is to make repairs to the following areas before an inspection ever occurs. That’s because these areas are known to cause the most concern among home buyers:

• Mold & Mildew: Home buyers are very cognizant of the health issues associated with these two growths, especially toxic black mold. If it’s present in your home, you may receive a less-than-ideal offer on your home. Thus, make sure you remove any before an inspection.
• Water control issues in basements and crawlspaces: Generally the smell of mildew in one of these rooms is an indication that it’s too moist. To reduce moisture levels in your basement, consider covering any areas of exposed grown with plastic. You may also consider checking out your drainage system to make sure it’s not exacerbating the problem.
• Problematic Roofs: This is a huge area for home buyers and can certainly prove costly for home sellers should a home inspector discover a problem. The most common issue related to roofs is deteriorated shingles as well as rotted materials underneath the shingles. Make repairs on this important part of the home before the home buyer schedules the inspection.
• Plumbing Issues: Leaks can wreak havoc on a home and cause considerable damage. The home inspector will do a number of things around your home to locate any potential leaks, including checking water pressure in the bathroom and running the dishwasher. They will also check the septic system. Thus, make sure to get these issues addressed well before the inspection occurs.
• Electrical Problems: Home inspectors are looking for inadequate electrical panels and circuit breaker configurations. Make sure that your electrical system is fully functioning.
• Miscellaneous Inspection Areas: Additional areas that the home inspector will check are the heating and air conditioning systems, the home’s foundation and the home’s various appliances that would come with the house.

One more thing about home inspections for now: Your contract should tell you which systems are expected to be in good working order at the time of closing. This will help you even more to prepare for the closing.

We Can Help You Sell Your New Albany Home in a Timely Manner!

We understand just how important the home inspection process is. That’s why we are always happy to share with interested Central Ohio home sellers like you our expert advice on how to pass a home inspection.

Contact us, Kate & Tony Thomas, today to learn more about how we can help you reach a favorable outcome on the New Albany real estate market as a home seller.

Until next time,

Kate & Tony

Determining the right list price for a New Albany home for sale is probably the single most important thing a home seller can do.

Here’s why: If the price is too high, buyers will not likely even take the time to consider your home.  If the price is too high, a Realtor may use your home to sell a similar but better priced home.

And since you have the most number of showings during the first couple of weeks after being listed, you won’t get those buyers back if you end up dropping the price several months down the road.

On the flip side, you don’t want to set your list price too low because then you may lose some of your potential profit.

As your New Albany real estate experts, we understand how important it is to set the right list price on your Central Ohio home and are here to help you find the best possible list price for your home.

Continue reading to discover our tips for getting your list price right the first time around!

Central Ohio Homes for Sale

The common mistake that many New Albany home owners make is setting their list price too high.

Home sellers will often feel justified in setting a high list price because of any one of these reasons:

• They’ve invested in a number of home upgrades which they feel adds significant value to their home
• They are trying to recoup their original price regardless of any change in the market.
• They want that extra room to negotiate down the price if necessary

Unfortunately, by setting their list price too high, home sellers often end up shooting themselves in the foot.

Here’s what happens when your home’s list price is too high:

• You won’t get an offer within the first few weeks of listing your home, which is the best time to sell your home
• After a couple of weeks of being on the market, your home will get fewer and fewer showings because buyers will view your home as a stale listings. Thus, it will be that much harder to sell your home.
• You will miss home buyers searching in the price bracket that your home really belongs because you set the price too high, causing your home to fall in a different bracket.
• You’ll help your neighbor sell his home before you sell yours. That’s because buyers may look at the two comparable homes and see your neighbors home as a bargain next to your over-priced home.

Even when you decide to lower your home’s list price, you may be disappointed to find it doesn’t generate the interest you’d hope for.

That’s because buyers are more drawn to “New Listings” alerts than “Recently Reduced” alerts.

In fact, for some buyers, “Recently Reduced” alerts may say to them that something is wrong with your home, decreasing the chances that they’re willing to buy your home.

On the other hand, here’s when you know you’ve set the right list price on your New Albany property:

• You sell your home quickly and with relative ease
• Your home immediately gets a lot of scheduled showings, giving it more exposure
• Plenty of Realtors call to gather information about your home for their home buyers
• Your sales price is very close to what your original asking price was.

List Your New Albany Property for Sale Today!

Determining the right list price on your New Albany home can be a difficult thing to do, especially if you’re not working with experienced Central Ohio REALTORS like us.

So if you would like to sell your home in as little time as possible and for the best price possible, contact us, Kate & Tony Thomas, today.

While you’re at it, make sure to check out all of the incredible home selling resources we offer to sellers online, such as:

• Preparing Your Home to Sell
• Selling Your Home
• Market Snapshot
• How Much is My Home Worth?
• And more!

Until next time,

Kate & Tony

Are you an interested New Albany home buyer who’s ready to start searching the Central Ohio real estate market for your dream home?

If so, then you’ve come to the right place!

Today, we’re going to tell you about the important questions that you as a home buyer should ask throughout the New Albany real estate transaction process.

Continue reading for these invaluable home buying tips! (more…)

Central Ohio home buyers often ask us, what are the benefits to working with a New Albany agent like you versus doing a For Sale By Owner?

From marketing expertise to knowledge about the ins and outs of the housing market, there are plenty of reasons to work with a REALTOR when searching for your dream home.

Continue reading to discover some of the top reasons why so many New Albany home buyers turn to us, Kate & Tony Thomas, for help.

New Albany, Ohio Real Estate Experts

Here are just some of the benefits that you as a home buyer will enjoy when you work with New Albany real estate experts like us, Kate & Tony Thomas:

• Real Estate Experience. While it’s true you can learn a lot about the real estate transaction process from the Internet and books, you’re not likely to learn everything that we have during our many years of working on the New Albany real estate market. That expert knowledge can prove invaluable as you comb through the New Albany real estate market searching for a great deal on your next dream home.

• Knowledge About New Albany Neighborhoods. Although real estate agents are prohibited by law to disclose information on schools, crime and demographics, we can tell you about where you can find that information as a prospective home buyer. Plus, we can provide you with a comprehensive report on what homes are selling for in a neighborhood. This will ensure that you’re in a reasonable price range when you make an offer on a home in that neighborhood.

• Knowledge About New Albany Market Conditions. Every month, I provide home buyers with a full report on New Albany housing market conditions, including the average list price as well as the median sales price on area homes. This information governs what your offer price will be on your dream New Albany home.

• Professional Network: From home inspectors to interior decorators, we have built a network over the years with professionals who often work with new home owners. When you work with us, we’ll be able to put you in contact with these preferred vendors, who have built a reputation for quality and efficiency.

• Closing Experience: As New Albany REALTORS, we have extensive experience negotiating for a great sales price for our home buyers. We know the ins and outs of the housing market and will use that to your advantage in order to get you the best deal on your New Albany home.

• We Make Home Buying Hassle Free: Home buying can be a tedious process, especially given all the paperwork that it involves. As your New Albany real estate experts, we’ll make the home buying process as easy for you as possible by explaining the various legal forms to you and answering any questions you may have. We’ll also make sure these forms and documents get where they need to go for you!

Investing in a New Albany Home for Sale

If you’re thinking about investing in a New Albany home and would like the expert guidance that only a REALTOR can provide, then contact us, Kate & Tony Thomas, today!

We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, let you know about available listings and provide you with a number of home buying resources, including:

• Planning your move
• Moving with kids
• Request a relocation guide

Until next time,

Kate & Tony

The last few weeks of 2011 proved to be a rather successful time for New Albany area home sellers, as evident by the most recent real estate data from Trulia.

Continue reading to learn more about the latest market trends in New Albany, Ohio and how it may affect you as a home seller.

New Albany Properties for Sale

Here’s an overview of the current state of the New Albany real estate market:

• Currently there are 115 resale and new homes on the market, a historic low in New Albany School District.
• Between October and December, the median sales price for homes in the New Albany School District was $422,800 which is up from the same period last year.
• Here’s how nearby cities stacked up during that same period in terms of average sales price:
• Gahanna Jefferson: $190,000
• Westerville:  $178,500
• Olentangy: $323,000
• Dublin: $311,300
• Upper Arlington:  $297,000
• Bexley: $78,800
• During the year ending December 31, the average listing price for New Albany homes was $554,500.

New Albany Homes for Sale

Knowing what homes are being listed for and what homes are selling for is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to housing market activity.

For a more comprehensive overview of the current state of the New Albany real estate market – as well as where it’s headed in 2012 – contact us, Kate & Tony Thomas.

We’ll be happy to provide you with our expert advice on how to navigate the market as well as answer any questions you may have.

Until next time,

Kate & Tony

Last time, we shared with you some of the advantages and disadvantages of owning a new construction New Albany home.

Today, we’ll continue the series by telling you about the pros and cons of owning a resale home on the New Albany real estate market.

Investing in New Albany, Ohio Real Estate

Although it may seem that buying a new construction home would be the superior investment, there are actually plenty of reasons why home buyers choose resale homes instead.

Here are some of the advantages of buying a resale home:

• You’ll be able to enjoy a yard with lush landscaping and established trees immediately.  When you buy a new construction home, you’ll likely have to invest in the initial landscaping yourself.  Not only can that be costly, but it can also be years before you can fully enjoy the fruits of your investment.  If you prefer to live somewhere that already has a canopy of trees overhead and lush landscaping, resale homes are the way to go.

• You may inherit some appliances and window treatments from the previous owner.  Often times, home buyers successfully bargain with sellers to throw in the fridge or washer and dryer with the purchase of the home.  You may not have that bargaining option with a new construction home.

 New Albany Resale Properties

Yet, home buyers should be aware that there are also some drawbacks to buying an existing property.

Here are some of the disadvantages that you should know about before entering the New Albany real estate market:

• You may be investing in an outdated floor plan. Like anything else, the trends that dictate the housing industry change over time.  Dated floor plans may prove to be less convenient or efficient than more modern layouts.

• You’ll have to pay to get your home inspected. Because you aren’t the only person who has ever lived in the home, you’ll want to invest in getting your home inspected for mold, plumbing and wiring issues and more at some point.

• Eventually you’ll have to buy all-new appliances.  While it’s great that sellers will often throw in their appliances with the purchase of the home, those appliances will eventually get to old to use.  That means that at some point down the road, you’ll have to foot the bill for all-new appliances.

Your New Albany REALTORS

We hope that you have found our series on new construction versus resale homes helpful as a home buyer.

After all, the sooner you can narrow down the search for your dream New Albany home, the more time and money you’re likely to save in the process.

When you’re ready to take that next step toward investing in New Albany real estate, contact us, Kate & Tony Thomas.

As your Central Ohio real estate experts, we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have and offer you such invaluable home buying tools as:

• Making an offer
• The closing process
• Relocation resources

Until next time

Kate & Tony

CNN Money recently published its Top 10 Home Buyer Checklist.

Since we found the list quite helpful and relevant, we wanted to share it with you.

If you’re a New Albany home buyer, continue reading to discover what every home buyer should know before entering the Central Ohio real estate market.

Investing in New Albany Real Estate

Here are some of the facts that CNN Money said every home buyer should know before investing in a New Albany home:

• Plan to Stay in Your New Home for at least a Couple of Years.  Given the cost of buying and selling a home, it may not be cost effective to own New Albany real estate if you just plan on leaving after a year or so.  Thus, plan on living there for at least a few years to get the most out of your investment.

• Make Sure Your Credit is in Good Standing.  Unless you’re independently wealthy, you’ll likely have to take out a mortgage to buy your next home.  You want your credit to be good to ensure you get the best rates possible.  Consider requesting a copy of your credit report a few months before you enter the housing market to make sure all the information is accurate.

• Start Looking in the Right Price Range from the Get Go.  By being realistic about the price range you can afford early on, you’ll ultimately save yourself a lot of time and heartache.  One general rule of home buying is to only look at homes that are 2.5 times your annual salary or less.

• Even if you can’t put 20 percent down, you may still qualify for a loan.  Many public and private lenders out there will offer low-interest mortgages for down payments as small as 3 percent.

• Consider Which Schools Your Neighborhood is Zoned For.  Even if you don’t have children, it’s important to pay attention to the schools for which your home is zoned.  That’s because this will help determine how easy it is for you to resale your home down the road.  In addition, quality schools in the area help to increase home values.  Check out which New Albany School information by checking out our New Albany School Report Card.

Your New Albany REALTORS

Join us next time as we reveal the second half of CNN Money’s Top 10 List of Things Every Home Buyer Should Know.

For more tips on how to effectively navigate the New Albany real estate market, make sure to contact us, Kate & Tony Thomas.

As your New Albany REALTORS, we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have as well as offer you our expert real estate advice.

Ready to start searching for your dream New Albany home today? Check out some of our user-friendly search options:

• Search New Albany homes under $200,000
• Search homes between $200,000 and $400,000
• Search homes between $400,000 and $600,000
• Search homes between $600,000 and $800,000
• And more!

Until next time,

Kate & Tony Thomas

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 development in the community.

Living in New Albany

The organizations said New Albany has done a great job of attracting business and development to the area with infrastructure and business incentives.

While other central Ohio communities have received this award in the past, it’s special that New Albany received it this year given the sluggish economy.

Experts say that this award signals that New Albany is committed to development and progress, even in the face of a less-than-ideal economy.

According to some estimates, the city has invested about $24 million in infrastructure to attract development to the area.  It’s also invested $3 million to create a comprehensive fiber-optic network in the city to help new businesses stay connected.

In all, the various projects throughout the city have created 3,500 jobs in the city since 2009.

New Albany Real Estate

All of the development in the area benefit New Albany residents in multiple ways.

In addition to creating jobs and amenities throughout the city, these developments have spurred a lot of activity on the local housing market.

Just check out the most recent real estate data for the New Albany Plain Local School District:

• Between 2010 and 2011, the average sales price rose from $339,048 to $377,381, a 11.3 percent increase.
• The inventory of home sales dropped, from 282 homes to 197.  This caused the supply to drop from a 10.6 months supply to 6.1.
• Year-to-date, the number of closed sales has increased from 262 homes in 2010 to 318 homes in 2011.

Your New Albany REALTORS

As we noted before, this is an excellent time to be a New Albany home seller.  Recent market data suggests that more home buyers are entering the market looking for their dream home.

As demand for Central Ohio homes increases, the supply of homes will likely decrease.  This gives home sellers an advantage in when it comes to setting their price.

If you’re interesting in listing your home but want help successfully marketing it on the New Albany real estate market, contact us, Kate and Tony Thomas.

We’ll answer any questions you might have as well as provide you with a number of home selling tools, including:

• Market snapshot
• How much is my home worth?
• Special Report

Until next time

Kate & Tony Thomas

The New Albany, Ohio real estate market saw a lot of changes during the last couple of months, according to the most recent data from the real estate website Trulia.

Evidently, both home sales and home sales prices have been on the rise lately.

Continue reading to learn more about the latest trends on the New Albany housing market, and how they may affect you as a New Albany home buyer.

New Albany Homes for Sale

Here’s an overview of the current state of the New Albany real estate market based on recent market data:

• Currently there are 286 homes for sale.
• Between August and October 2011, the median sales price for a New Albany home was $305,000, which represents an 18.4 percent increase when compared to the same period last year.
• Last year, the median sales price was $257,500.
• During the week ending on November 2, the average price per square foot for a New Albany property was $157, which represents a 33.1 percent increase when compared to last year.
• During that same week, the average listing price for homes was $394,553, which is a 1.8 percent decrease when compared to the week before.
• Here’s how nearby markets stacked up in terms of average listing prices during that same week:

- Gahanna, Ohio: $195,597
-Westerville, Ohio: $246,323
-Pataskala, Ohio: $188,683
-Whitehall, Ohio: $109,092
-Reynoldsburg, Ohio: $138,261

This recent market data suggests that now is a great time to be a New Albany home buyer.  As the number of home sales continues to rise, so will sales prices.

Thus, if you’re looking to get a great deal on a New Albany property for sale, then we recommend you enter the market soon.

Investing in Real Estate

As your New Albany real estate experts, we believe that knowledge is power.  That’s why we work hard to provide interested home buyers with the most up-to-date market information each month.

That way you have a realistic and comprehensive view of the current state of the market, which will ultimately make you a savvier home buyer.

If you’d like to learn more about how we make navigating the market easier for New Albany home buyers every day, contact us, Kate and Tony Thomas, today.

We’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have as well as provide you with such helpful real estate tools as:

• New Albany home finder
• Relocation resources
• Buying a home
• And more!

Until next time,

Kate & Tony