Columbus Ohio real estate : real living

More Real Advice Tax Credit Income Limits

Who is eligible?

Single buyers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 are eligible to receive the maximum tax credit.

From the National Association of Realtors

"If the Buyer(s)’ Income Exceeds These Limits, Can He/She Still Get a Credit?

Yes, some buyers may still be eligible for the credit.

The credit decreases for buyers who earn between $75,000 and $95,000 for single buyers and between $150,000 and $170,000 for home buyers filing jointly. The amount of the tax credit decreases as his/her income approaches the maximum limit. Home buyers earning more than the maximum qualifying income—over $95,000 for singles and over $170,000 for couples are not eligible for the credit."

More information on the first time home buyer tax credit for Columbus home buyers

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit - the chart.  Also from the National Association of Realtors.

New OHFA Incentive to lend Up to 3% of the Sales Price in Anticipation of the 8,000 Federal Stimulus

Buying a home in Central Ohio

Buying a home - It's about time

No Time To Waste On Short Sales Buy Something You Can Close in 30 Days

First Time Home Buyers Find Your Central Ohio Home

The image is an e-Card from Real Living.

Search Central Ohio Homes Maureen McCabe Real Living HER Worthington

Real Living's Advice to Buyers on Open Houses includes this question:  

Q: I've heard that visiting an open house without my buyer's agent means s/he can't represent me in my home purchase. Is that true?

A: Perhaps.

Understand that Real Living is a company with brokerages from the east coast to the west coast and one size does not fit all.  Laws vary state to state and customs vary market to market.

Maybe rather than "Perhaps" it should be "Depends."   Real Living goes on to say (I corrected the spelling) of Realtor:

"Real estate rules of representation may prohibit you from being represented by your buyer's agent, under certain circumstances, such as, if you visit an open house without your agent or without immediately disclosing that a Realtor is representing you. Since your agent knows your particular set of circumstances, and is working to represent your interests, it's best to arrange your home viewings with your agent. Doing so should not only save you time, but it will also ensure your interests are protected."

Depends on our agency relationship and what you are looking for...

Resale

I tell clients you are relatively safe visiting Open Houses on your own.  There is NOT a threshold rule... you aren't married to the person who carries you over the threshold. 

You have the right to representation.  If the person at the open house is the listing agent, they have a fiduciary responsibility to the seller.  If they are willing to work with you as a disclosed dual agent they don't represent you or the seller in the transaction.

If we have a buyer agency agreement you should be OK. You should still have representation in the purchase of the home. 

We can schedule an appointment to see the home together too, before or after the open house.

New Construction  

This can be a different matter.  Let's try to visit together, or set it up to make sure you will not lose your right to representation. 

Like I said "Depends"

Central Ohio Open Houses Presented By Maueeen McCabe - Real Living HER Worthington

Free Online Tools to Find your Columbus Ohio Home

Creeping Real Estate Acronyms  & a glossary of R. E. Terms

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Today at  1:30 p.m. students from Colonial Hills Elementary School will gather with community members to plant a tree in honor of Earth Day.  Earth Day 2009 and Arbor Day info from the City of Worthington .PDF

The tree will be planted in Selby Park in the Colonial Hills neighborhood, 358 Selby Boulevard South.

Worthington's Colonial Hills Neighborhood

Worthington's  Colonial Hills History

The image is an Earth Day ecard from Real Living.  I am a real estate agent with Real Living HER in Worthington Ohio.

Important information about the economic stimulus package.

• Lesser of 10% of cost of the home or $8000 tax credit
• All principal residences (single family, condo, fee simple townhouse) are eligible
  
• Refundable
• Income limit of $75,000  ($150,000 for couples)
• First time home buyer (someone who has not owned a principal residence in 3 years)
• Can use local or state revenue bond financing as well, MCC OHFA
  
• No repayment (homes purchased after January 1, 2009)
• Recapture (if home is sold within 3 years)
• Ends December 1, 2009
• Effective January 1, 2009

Central Ohio is very affordable.

The image is an ecard from Real Living.   I am an agent with Real Living HER Worthington

See any good ones?

This is a Real Living eCard.  I'm an agent with Real Living HER

P.S. This is  positively pointless.

The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit was signed by the President today as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  It modified the program that went into effect in April 2008. 

• Lesser of 10% of cost of the home or $8000 tax credit
• All principal residences (single family, condo, fee simple townhouse) are eligible
  
• Refundable
• Income limit of $75,000  ($150,000 for couples)
• First time home buyer (someone who has not owned a principal residence in 3 years)
• Can use local or state revenue bond financing as well
• No repayment (homes purchased after January 1, 2009)
• Recapture (if home is sold within 3 years)
• Ends December 1, 2009
• Effective January 1, 2009

This is a national program but there are some great Central Ohio homes for “first time buyers” (a first time buyer is someone who has not owned a home in three years.)

Home Search

Sign Up to buy a home

OK  I 'll play along... I am re-blogging Paddy Pizappi.  Paddy wrote "I chose to hang my hat at my broker for many reasons - here are my top ten."

Hmmm the Top Ten Reasons I Enjoy Being An Associate With Real Living HER... this was done very, very quickly so cut me some slack ...

Top Ten Reasons I Enjoy Being an Associate with Real Living HER 

10.  Real Living HER is awesome company... I've said it before and I will say it again.

9.    Stability - HER's been around for decades. I learned just yesterday, Real Living has no debt: "Tell them your firm, Real Living is free of any/all bank debt and building for the future."

8.   Pride in the community - Involvement in The Ohio State University Fischer College of Business real estate program - scholarship

7.   The Look the logo's, the websites, the attention to the details of the brand

6.   The History  The HER cookbooks, the story of how Harley E. Rouda Sr. founded the company in his basement

5.   Fun... what other real estate brand has a  calliope?  Wish I could find a photo of the HER calliope

4.   The people - the agents, the management, the instructors, the office staff, the guy who does rounds between the Central Ohio offices, guy who puts up the for sale signs...

3.   Technology - the websites, the HELP!!! Desk,  Real Time Listings, MyRealLiving.com, Real Living blogs, Real Living tweets

2.   Vision  -  Real Living and Real Living HER are willing to try.  Lots of first locally and beyond...

1.   Real Living HER is the number one real estate company in Central Ohio.

I am Maureen McCabe - and I work where I am happy...

Other real estate agents why do you choose to hang your hat at your brokerage. Sometimes brand loyalty can get ugly but there's nothing wrong with being proud.

Happy New Year Columbus   

This is a Real Living ecard.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

the image is a Real Living ecard

Today in the Columbus Dispatch... an article about City Center the downtown Columbus mall that the city wrestled away from the company that was mismanaging the mall a year ago.

When I moved to Central Ohio in 1990 I loved City Center.  I lived in northwest Columbus just inside 270 and tried Northland and Westland and for me the only place to shop in Columbus was City Center.... I am not much of a mall shopper anymore... I was at Macy's at Polaris last night but did not make it out into the mall from the department store.  

In May I went downtown for the Real Living Convention (Momentum 2008)  for an oversold continuing education class the first day, paid for valet parking and spent the morning roaming around downtown Columbus killing time. I did a little shopping in the museum shop at the Statehouse.  I bought some things at a CVS.  I thought it was odd that Real Living would invite people from all over the US to a conference in a downtown with no shopping but they pulled it off. 

I go downtown for Red, White and Boom, usually First Night Columbus (I skipped it in 2007) and a few other events. I occasionally go to COSI... I go to the Short North occasionally for a Gallery Hop.  I showed homes in the German Village area earlier this year.  I live and work on the far north-side of Columbus, Worthington, Polaris, Westerville.... north outer-belt.

I walked through the mall a couple of times in 2007.  There is a list in the Columbus Dispatch article of who the remaining tenants are.  Fast food, a Dollar Store....

There is housing in Downtown Columbus now... and there's more housing in urban areas contiguous to downtown than there has been in decades. It's just ironic that there is no shopping to speak of in downtown Columbus.  There will be something at City Center in the future... The Columbus Dipatch article says:

"A major factor in the mall's decline was the opening of several suburban retail developments. Georgetown Co., the developer of the most successful of these -- Easton Town Center -- has been brought in on the City Center revamp."