Speaking of dryer vents...

We were speaking about dryer vents on ActiveRain Sunday morning... or dryer vent cleaning franchises anyway.

This is a  Chicago area blog post my friend Gene Molloy wrote:  "What's in your dryer duct?" on his RealTown Blog... a couple of years ago. Me? I call it a dryer vent. 

I don't know if we have  codes on new construction about aluminum  dryer vents in Central Ohio. I have worked with clients moving from other areas of the country who are amazed the seller (resale property) has a plastic dryer vent still. Want to be safer? Replace the dryer vent. Yes dryer vents get a build up of lint, pet hair and more...

I have to tell my dryer vent story... we kept walking in through the garage and saying "ooooooooh what's that smell?" in the utility room.

We blamed one another...

We blamed the dog... "Buddy!"

We noticed when Buddy my beagle mix started taking a real strong interest in the dryer...scratching.  We thought some dog food had rolled under the dryer but when Buddy tried to jump INTO the dryer's drum and was giving his hound dog hunting yips (the precursor to the howls) we knew something was going on.  We were perplexed... then we pulled out the dryer from the wall.

Do you know how scary opossums are?  Have you ever seen opossum teeth?  Opossum eyes? Have you heard a opossum growl? Luckily I got to be the one in charge of getting the dog out of the utility room, not the one trying to persuade the stinky opossum to "back up!" 

He did not play possum.

Mission accomplished the opossum was persuaded to go back out into the cold cruel world.  There is an opossum proof grate on the vent outside now.

Photo credit Opossum photo compliments of Animaldetector on Wikipedia.  The photo is licensed with a creative commons license.

Really want to see what an opossum looks like? Animaldetector has a video close-up of an opossum

Finance is my weak point when it comes to real estate blogging and it is so important right now.  Here's current events from an expert in the Worthington market. 

Although Michael is with Guernsey Bank in Worthington I have never met Michael.  This is a Re-Blog of content from ActiveRain member Michael Reeve:

The first section of Colonial Hills was platted in the 1920's.  The first section of Colonial Hills was built in the 1940s. 

Colonial Hills  was not in the Village of Worthington when it was platted or built, it was in an unincorporated area.  Colonial Hills was built as a rental community for executives at a defense plant near the Columbus Airport. 

The Worthington Historical Society's Neighborhoods says the neighborhood was built in 1927 to 1941 by "WWII Defense Homes Corp"  I think it was Defense Homes Corporation and they were built during WWII.  Defense Homes Corporation became part of FHA in the 1940s.

The plat maps and a lot of what I know about the history of Colonial Hills is  from the entry about Colonial Hills on Wikipedia written by George Campbell a Worthington / Columbus historian which says "Colonial Hills was built in an assembly line fashion that predated Levittown by five years."  I knew there was a defense plant and that was why the houses were built but I did not know a lot of the details prior to reading the history on Wikipedia. 

There were nine styles of homes that were built "prefab" elseswhere and delivered to Central Ohio. The 1941 Plat was built first. 

Colonial Hills had alleys when it was platted and built.  The alleys in Colonial Hills were vacated, divided and deeded to the homeowners at some point.   The homes in Colonial Hills were sold after the Second World War, many to investors so many homes remained rental property for many more years.  

Today Colonial Hills is a thriving Worthington Ohio neighborhood.

Image credit both images, 1927 Plat and 1941 Plat are from George C. Campbell and according to Wikipedia are in the public domain.  "This work has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder. This applies worldwide."

The new CVS is open in Old Worthington... well the new CVS is a couple of weeks old but I had a chance to stop there yesterday.  I am a big CVS shopper...but I go to one of two others, that I pass by just about every day.  I have driven by the new CVS on the corner of High St. and North St. a number of times  since it opened but never had a chance to  stop. 

The new CVS is a big spacious bright modern store inside, a bit more open and bright than my ususal CVSs... or just more lights???

Outside on the street I love the look, of the business being on the street with the parking behind.

I had followed all the articles in the This Week Worthington and the Worthington Suburban Newspaper about the Worthington Planning Commission and the Architectural Review Board's  oversight of the plans and progress of the construction of the new CVS. 

I am sorry that CVS made an offer  the Super Dooper Grocery Store on that corner could NOT refuse because I thought it was great to have a store that was in walking distance for those who live and work in Old Worthington and contiguous neighborhoods. 

The first office I worked in, when I first moved to Columbus was in the building just south of the grocery store... it was an IGA then.  We (Coldwell Banker) shared the parking lot with the IGA.  When the Super Dooper went in and was so successful we had to move because of parking problems.

The open space behind and south of the new CVS building surprised me.   More so when I got out and walked around trying to take photos with my cell phone... excuse the quality of these.  It seems to me as if the lot that Super Dooper was on grew.  Or was another building south of the Super Dooper demolished and I am just not seeing it.

There is space to lease in the building south of the CVS store. 

The new "old Worthington" looking buildings sure make the store fronts on the north-east corner and across High Street look dowdy... if store fronts can look dowdy. \

The image to the right is along High St. looking north toward the Dairy Queen.

Countdown 10, 9, 8, 7, 6,  5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Saturday, August 30 Youngstown State Columbus, Ohio 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 06 Ohio Columbus, Ohio 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 13 USC at Los Angeles, Calif. 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 20 Troy University Columbus, Ohio 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 27 Minnesota  Columbus, Ohio TBA

Saturday, October 04 Wisconsin  at Madison, Wis. 8:00 p.m.*

Saturday, October 11 Purdue  Columbus, Ohio TBA

Saturday, October 18 Michigan State at East Lansing, Mich. TBA

Saturday, October 25 Penn State  Columbus, Ohio 8:00 p.m. Homecoming

Saturday, November 08 Northwestern  at Evanston, Ill. TBA

Saturday, November 15 Illinois  at Champaign, Ill. TBA

Saturday, November 22 Michigan  Columbus, Ohio TBA

Central Ohio football blogs include

Around the Oval
Buckeye Banter
Buckeye Commentary
Men of the Scarlet and Gray

*Disclosure

I am a Badger!!!  2007 Buckeyes vs. Badgers Game with the lyrics to "If you want to be a Badger."

Image Credit this graphic is a Real Living ecard.  I am a Real Living HER agent.

Worthington Square is undergoing a remodel.  Stores at Worthington Square include the Talbot's collection (Petites, Kids, Accesories, etc.), Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body,  Ann Taylor, Chico's, Crabtree & Evelyn,  Jos. A. Bank, Pendleton,  Godfry's and White House Black Market... 

The Kroger store has been expanded and remodeled, it is on e of Kroger's  "Fresh Fare" stores.

Map Worthington Square

I walked through the mall Sunday, there is lots of empty space. 

Caribou Coffee is gone, Larson's Toy Store is gone, Acorn is gone. Godfry's is moving to Polaris soon. 

I still love Worthington Square, the fountain, the skylights...

The real reason I did a double take when I noticed the United States Post Office on the corner of Lyra Drive and Polaris Parkway is that I have never before seen a United States Post Office with a beer drive through.

Polaris Area - Columbus Ohio 43240

See for yourself... Parked behind the Post Office a matching Beer Drive - Thru.  How is that for progressive?  Postage stamps and a 6 Pack of PBR?

I was wondering where the Polaris Area Post Office was recently...

I was at the Wendy's at Polaris (map)   when I noticed a post office across the street.  I took a couple of photos of the Post Office...  because it was kind of puzzling to me... that it was there in plain sight... in an area, I am pretty familiar with but I had never noticed it.

I tried looking up officially if the Post Office I saw on Polaris Parkway was THE Post Office for Columbus Ohio 43240, or if what is described as a "Contract Unit" on the sign was something else... it is in a gas station / Tim Horton's /  little store full of Buckeye stuff and more. 

Map - United States Post Office Contract Unit ZIP - 43240

I was not sure what "Contract Unit" means on the sign.  I tried looking it up on the official USPS site, no luck. 

I was able to find this on Wikipedia:

"A contract postal unit (or CPU), a station or branch operated by a contractor, typically in a store or other place of business."

If you ever want to see the greatest map for looking at where a ZIP code is check out USPS ZIP  Code Map, which offers this disclaimer: 

"The USPS considers zip codes to be delivery routes instead of areas. There may be differences between this depiction and actual zip code mailing address.  Point zip codes (PO Box, single buildings, etc.) may not be depicted as areas but should still be displayed near their proper locations. This is the most accurate free USPS zip code map available online! 41,533 zip code locations. "

I still love that site for looking at where Central Ohio ZIP codes are. 

Want to know more about the Polaris Area?  The 43240 ZIP code?  Here's the scoop:

Parts of the City of Worthington are subject to the Architectural Review Board... important parts of Worthington, Old Worthington of course, but also High Street. 

Dublin Granville Rd? 

Here's a map  (pdf) of areas subject to review... I don't see a legend but the peachy areas are subject to the Architectural Review Board?  They are the Architectural Review District... looks like more areas than I realized. Looks like I answered my own question about Dublin Granville Rd.

The architectural review board is the five member Worthington planning commission plus two people "one of whom must be a resident freeholder of the Architectural Review District" according to the rules.

An agent in my office was on the Architectural Review Board when I went to lend moral support to  clients who were summoned to talk to the Worthington Architectural Review Board about changes they had made to their Old Worthington home without asking permission first. Someday I may write about that night.

The Architectural Review Board meet on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Worthington Municipal Building at 6550 N. High St.  I believe both the Planning Commission and the Architectural Review Board take the month of August off.

Blogging about finance and mortgages has always been the most difficult thing for me in real estate blogging.  Really. Read any of my blogs.  Scour them for anything about finance that makes any sense.  OK I have one FHA post that gets a lot of traffic.

Tim is up in the Cleveland area but this ought to apply to Central Ohio... he says "Buyers in Ohio" and of course we have the OHFA program.

Without further ado Tim Bradford...