Columbus Ohio real estate

Central Ohio home sellers do the bed bugs convey?

"Convey" means stay with the real estate.  Fixtures are part of the property.  Personal property sometimes conveys with the sale of real estate.

Bed Bugs are an issue in Central Ohio. Did you know there is a Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force?   Made up of people from the bug industry.

This is the last of a four part series about bed bugs (or is it bedbugs?)

Central Ohio bed bugs... recommendations to REALTORS®

bed bug contingency....

Central Ohio WHO inspects for bed bugs

Bed Bugs are not a sign of poor housekeeping or being poor...look at the ZIP code map on the Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force site.  Bed Bugs have been treated in some of Central Oho's finest ZIP codes. 

Central Ohio home sellers do the bed bugs stay?

In writing a contract to purchase a home, the buyer tells the seller what stays and what goes. Or what they want.  The fridge?  The range?  Window coverings?  The bed bugs?  Not so much.... Seller and buyer agree about what stays with the property, "conveys."

Would the sellers bed bugs remain with the real estate or would the seller take his bed bugs with him? I am certainly not talking a particular seller... this is "make believe seller"... with "make believe bed bugs" for illustration purpose only.

Central Ohio home sellers do the bed bugs convey? 

The seller in most cases would be removing personal property from the home when it is sold.  The book cases, TV's, couches, chairs, mattresses, headboards, etc.  are moving with the seller to their new home.  Anything living in the couches, chairs mattresses etc. would move with the sellers... in most cases what is living in the couches, chairs, mattresses would be dust mites.   As unatttractive as those dust mites might be... dust mites are pretty routine... I believe.  I am not an entymologist and don't play one on TV or on this blog.... not playing attorney here either... just an  itchy blogger... from my understanding dust mites are an organism... much smaller than a cat or a dog... smaller even than a bed bug or a flea... but there is not yet Central Ohio Dust Mite Task Force... the seller is taking his dust mites with anyway...  they are in the furniture.

The sellers bed bugs? You might assume any  seller would be packing up any bed bugs onto the moving truck too.  The bed bugs do NOT convey with the real estate.  The buyer does not want the bed bugs to stay.

The bed in bed bugs?

"Though bedbugs are frequently found in mattress seams, they’ll also hide behind draperies, headboards, hanging pictures and dressers as well as in living-room chairs and cracks and crevices in any room, Jones said. “It’s really a misnomer to call them bedbugs.” the quote is from a Columbus Dispatch article by Kathy Lynn Gray titled:

Could some bed bugs stay?  Yes.

Central Ohio home sellers disclosure?

It is important that couches, chairs and mattresses be removed from a property when it is sold.  Not that the couches, chairs and mattresses have bed bugs... but the purchase contract does have a clause that the sellers personal property has been removed.

Removing all window coverings could become more common in the future.  Not that they have bed bugs if the house does not but just to be sure...  Window covering are personal property...  the rods and attached hardware stay...

If a seller had bed bugs and knew they had bed bugs I would think they would have to disclose that to a buyer.  Wouldn't you?   There is a residential property disclosure in Ohio. 

Personally I think the single family home is the perfect offense (offense as in football... offensive rather than defensive) move against bed bugs.  I am no bed bug expert but I  believe bedbugs are more common in apartment living...

Columbus home sale prices are up...  

OK I really am only looking at a micro area...  in July 2010 Columbus Ohio 43214 average home sale price was up 16.4% from July 2009.  That graph is for a slice of Columbus north of North Broadway up to the Worthington city line.  The Colmbus Ohio 43214 ZIP code includes neighborhoods like  Beechwold,  Old Beechwold, Sharon Heights, Tremont Gardens, Chaseland, Delawanda Park, parts of Clintonville and more.   Yet a pretty small area when you come right down to it.

Columbus Ohio 43214 home sale prices are up

Real estate is really, really local.

The graph shows list and sale prices for single family homes in the Columbus Ohio 43214 ZIP code for the past 15 months, home prices were up 16.4% from July 2009.

Columbus Ohio home sale prices are...

Macro?  Homes in the City of Columbus School District?  ooooh ick prices down 19.5%.

Macro er...  a bigger area the entire area served by the Columbus Board of REALTORS® MLS sale  prices of single family homes were up .6%

"All counties 0.6%"  remember this is single family homes only, not all residential.

I believe all homes in the Columbus Ohio 43214 ZIP code are in the Columbus City School District.  Best to check for each address what school district the home is in.

Closings in July 2010 were homes sold during the tax credits?  Since the tax credits?  A mixed bag?  August will be interesting. September even more so.

Columbus homes for sale - SEARCH

Columbus home sale prices are up or down....   it kinda depends

By ZIP code change from July 2009:

• Columbus Ohio 43054 average home sales price was down 1.9%
  
• Columbus Ohio 43085 average home sales price was up 4.8% 
• Columbus Ohio 43202 average home sales price was up  1.2%
• Columbus Ohio 43214 average home sales pirce was up 16.4%
• Columbus Ohio 43220 average home sales price was up 1.2%
  
• Columbus Ohio 43221 average home sales price was up 18.5%
• Columbus Ohio 43229 average home sales price was down 2% 
• Columbus Ohio 43230 average home sales price was down 12.3%
  
• Columbus Ohio 43235 average home sales price was up 4.6%

ZIP codes are just mailing routes.

By school district change from July 2009: 

• Columbus schools average home sales price down 19.5%
  
• Dublin schools average home sales price up 11.1%
• Gahanna Jefferson schools average home sales price up .5%
  
• Grandview Heights schools average home sales price up 52.6%
• Hilliard schools up 14.1%
• Plain Local schools up 10.4%
• Upper Arlington schools up 26.5%
• Westerville schools down 10.9% 
• Worthington schools up 4.3%

Above are all single family home prices.

The moral of this story?  If there is a moral to this story... I supppos it is that it's tough to buy a house if you don't know the market.

Back to Columbus Ohio 43214 home sale prices ...in July 2010

• Average active price  $221,000
• Average sale price $220,000
• Median sale price $195,000

This post brought to you by a home in the Delawanda Park neighborhood in the Columbus Ohio 43214 ZIP code priced at $114,987,  301 Girard Rd. Columbus Ohio 43214

Columbus Ohio 43214 homes for sale 

Columbus Ohio 43214 demographics

Published based on data available from the Columbus Board of REALTORS® at the end of July  2010.   Trendgraphix reports presented are based on data supplied by the Columbus Board of Realtors.  According to Trendgraphix neither  CBR nor their MLS (multiple listing service ) guarantee or are in anyway responsible for it's accuracy. "Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed."   Therefor there is no guarantee from me either.

If you use the Columbus Ohio 43214 homes for sale link you will search the online inventory of Central Ohio homes on the Real Living HER site.   You will be offered the opportunity to receive listings directly from the Columbus Board of Realtors MLS (multiple listing service)  in real time. You are able to know the true status of those properties you are interested in.

A six year old home... Past is Prologue

Before you jump to any conclusions about who the Central Ohio builder is .... who did a bad job in installing the trim on this 6 year old home realize these home inspector photos are from out of state. 

This is not a Central Ohio home.  It could be.

Past is Prologue is a Re-Blog of a post from Jay Markanich in Virginia. 

Jay inspected this home when the present owners bought it four years ago. Jay writes: "This was something my client was told four years ago that he needed to handle immediately." 

If you bought a house in Central Ohio in the last year or four or five and the inspector told you to take care of some things... did you?  Dig out the report now... Past is Prologue...

Indian Springs Elementary School received a designation of "Excellent with Distinction" from the State of Ohio Department of Education for the 2009- 2010 school year.

Is "Excellent with Distinction" an A+ ?  It is the highest designation.  The six designations for schools in Ohio:

• Excellent with Distinction
• Excellent
• Effective
• Continuous Improvement
• Academic Watch
• Academic Emergency

The elementary school in the Columbus City School District is located at  50 E. Henderson Rd. Columbus Ohio 43214.  Map

Neighborhoods that attend Indian Springs Elementary School include: *Beechwold, Delawanda Park, Indian Springs, Old Beechwold and Tremont Gardens.   Indian Springs Elementary School attendance area

This post brought to you by 301 Girard Rd, Columbus OH 43214, a listing in the Delawanda Park neighborhood and the Indian Springs Elementary School attendance area.  The link above provide current information on that listing.

The skinny on Columbus Ohio 43202... the Zip Skinny...

43202 is the ZIP code for Clintonville... kinda. 

North Broadway is in 43214?  I had a faux pas a few weeks ago...I thought surely North Broadway had to be in 43202.   It seems the next road south is 43202. 

Clintonville, Crestview, Glenola Heights, Indianola Highlands, Indianola Terrrace, Old North Columbus, University City, University District, Wallhalla Park Place and Walhalla Ravine are some of the North Columbus neighborhoods in the Columbus OHio 43202 ZIP code.

Search  Columbus Ohio 43202 homes for sale

Without further ado there is some info about the demographics in the Columbus Ohio 43202 ZIP code from Zip Skinny:

All will be updated soon of course, this is 2000  census data. And remember a ZIP code is just a mail route, not an area.... really. Click on the widget to go to the Zip Skinny site.

Columbus Ohio 43214 -   The skinny on the ZIP code north of the 43202 ZIP code, the Clintonville ZIP code... part of Clintonville is in the 43214 ZIP code too.

Columbus Ohio 43202 home prices

More flooring information from Debbie Gartner who works in New York   I have Re-Blogged Debbie's flooring posts for Central Ohio consumers before, look for posts about bamboo, laminate and wood floors. 

Thanks to Debbie for allowing her flooring information to be Re-Blogged.

There are 166 Real Living HER Open Houses on the list this week.*  The list is the Real Living HER Open House List.

A little less than the last few  Sundays... Central Ohio kids are back to school. Or most... seems like one Delaware County School went back late...

Last Sunday "there are 208 homes on the list NOW"

August 15, 2010 "The Real Living HER Open House list  says there are 203 properties on the list this week."

Next weekend is Labor Day so there will probably be less open houses on the Real Living HER Open House List than usual.

Is Columbus a buyers market?  It is a good time as a buyer to look at homes.  It's a buyers market in most Central Ohio communities... not all.

The Real Living HER Open House List

The one and only Worthington home on the Real Living HER Open House List at this point is my listing at 1344 Snowmass Rd. Columbus OH 43235.  That could change though...  the Real Living HER Open House List is in real time.  Someone could list something new and that could change.  An agents Sunday plans could change and the number could go up.  A house could sell before the scheduled Open House and the seller and agent could say "Hallelujah" and cancel the open house.

September 12, 2010 will be Real Living HER's third Second Sunday Open House... for some reason that reminds me of our Fifth Third Bank. 

*The number of Real Living HER Open Houses is subject to change.  The Real Living HER Open House List is not an archive.  If you look at it always has the current open houses, rather than history.  The list is in "real time."

The link to the Real Living HER Open House List (above)  is to my website, MaureenMcCabe.com  I am not hosting all the Real Living open houses, but it will say presented by Maureen McCabe on my website.  The list provides you contact info for each Open House, if you need to contact the listing agent or host for that properties open house.

Just about every Real Living HER agent in Central Ohio should have the Real Living HER Open House List displayed on their website.

This a Re-Blog of a post from Sally Dunbar, a real estate agent in California.  Have you had an FHA mortgage?  Check if HUD owes you money. 

Thanks to Sally for allowing her message for consumers to be Re-Blogged.

Open Sunday 1344 Snowmass Rd, Columbus OH 43235

Open House -   Sunday,  August 30, 2010,  2 to 4 at this Worthingview home.

1344 Snowmass Road Columbus Ohio 43235 

• 4 bedrooms
• 2 1/ 2 bath
• screened porch
• fenced yard
  
• Fireplace with gas logs
• basement
• 2 car garage

Columbus Ohio 43235 homes for sale - a market report

Worthingview nieghborhood school information:

Elementary - Bluffsview

Middle -  McCord

High School -  Worthington Kilbourne

The Worthingview neighborhood and the home at 1344 Snowmass Rd. Columbus OH 43235 are in the Worthington City School District.  School report cards are out and Bluffsiew Elementary School got the highest grade possible, Excellent with Disctinction.  McCord Middle School received an "Excellent" grade. This home was in Perry Middle School attendence area during the 2009 -2010 school year, that school which is now closed receieved a grade of "Effective."  Worthington Kilbourne High School received a grade of Excellent for the 2009 - 2010 school year from the State of Ohio.

WHO inspects for bed bugs?  (Cimex lectularius)

Dogs!

I am not calling home inspectors... or pest inspectors "Dogs."  I read about canines doing bed bug inspections first in New York Times article.  I read about bed bugs being a growth industry  before... but I had never read about canine Bed Bugs inspectors. It can take humans a long time to find bed bugs.  Dogs are quicker.   New York City has a big bed bug problem.... a New York Times article about bed bugs.

A New Breed of Guard Dog Attacks Bedbugs  The New York Times article is written by Penelope Green

The Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force site now  says there are four bed bug sniffing  dogs in Ohio. I only see three canine bed bug inspectors listed on the Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force site.  None of the bed bug sniffing dog's  phone numbers is a 614 or 740 area code. None looks to be in Central Ohio?  

Gotta wonder if my sweet mutt would like to start a new business late in life?   It's a growth industry...

Central Ohio WHO inspects for bed bugs? -  real estate agents?

You would almost think looking at the Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force's words that we as real estate agents inspect for bed bugs.  Their site says to "realtors":

"the responsibility of discovering bed bug infestations is in your court"

Really? 

I don't inspect for wood destroying insects, raccoons in the chimney, bats in belfrys.  As the listing or selling agent I don't discover radon either... discovering defects is up to inspectors.   Am I going to strip the sellers bed and inspect the crevices for bed bugs?  No.

As a buyer your purchase contract with the seller will allow you to do inspections and tests on the property.Do you want a dog to inspect or a human?  Is there a reason to inspect?  Touchy subject...

Central Ohio WHO inspects for bed bugs?  -  pest inspectors human or canine...

HISCO - Does not inspect for bed bugs,  I wish they would for a fee.  I would feel more comfortable with HISCO inspecting because HISCO does not treat for bugs.

Ohio Exterminating* does Bed Bug Inspections for FREE, according to their site.  I am sure other Central Ohio exteminators inspect for bed bugs as well.

Would Pest Inspectors inspect for free for the sale of a home?  I doubt it...  Does a human spend hours searching for bed bugs, for free? I doubt it. 

Would they... could a pest inspector / exterminator say to a home buyer... "This home is Bed Bug Free?" What if the seller goes to NYC and stays in a hotel there after the home inspection but before closing? What if a Bed Bug hitches a ride back to Columbus in a suitcase?   Or even a local bedbug is introduced to the Central Ohio home after the inspection but prior to closing?

Central Ohio WHO treats for bed bugs? Exterminators

Do pest inspectors need to spend hours inspecting for bed bugs? Probably not if the home's occupant  thinks they have bed bugs.  If they've been bitten?  I bet it does not take hours to convince the occupants of a home or apartment who have been bitten to fumigate for Cimex lectularius.

The Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force recommends getting three estimates for treatment.

Michael Bergin a Northern Virginia real estate agent  was my muse for this series...  Michael wrote: " Yuck! Bed Bugs are Back! " the link to the NYT article above in his post is where I first found out about dog inspectors.  Thanks Michael.

More about the topic on DiscoverColumbusOH.com - Columbus real estate:

bed bug contingency

Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force ...Realtor Recommdendations    The .pdf document directed at Realtors also has the info about canine bed bug home inspectors you can get to that link above or from the first post in this series. 

*An owner of Ohio Exterminating is on the Central Ohio Task Force as the representative from the Ohio Pest Management  Association.