Columbus, OH

The good news there are open houses in Central Ohio, this Sunday July 5, 2009.... if you really, really want to spend your weekend that way.... but not a lot of them.

The Real Living HER Open House List has 69 scheduled open houses as of late on the third.

Nothing is open Sunday in Worthington, nothing in Clintonville.... no homes for sale in many of the northern Columbus neighborhoods I usually highlight are open, or very few.

Last week there were over 200 open houses on the real Living HER Open House List....

Anytime you visit my website each home on the Real Living HER Open House List is "Presented By" ME. I am not holding all the houses open. This week I am not holding an open house at all! The same open house list is on each Real Living HER agent's website.

Each listing on the list of open houses tells you who the listing agent and office is, or whom is holding the property open if you need that information. The open house list is NOT archived. If you look at this post in the future the link will go to the current Real Living HER Open House list.

For all home buyers

The Real Living Peace of Mind program started on June 1, 2009 for Central Ohio home buyers. Real Living will pay your mortgage if you lose your job.* One year insurance protection for buyers who buy through a Real Living agent and finance the mortgage through Real Living Mortgage. Buy a Real Living listing and you get a second year free, limited time, restrictions apply

FREE... Peace of Mind Mortgage Protection

MyRealLiving.com is for you Central Ohio

Buying a home in Central Ohio should not be scary

Central Ohio Open House Advice from Real Living

For first time buyers

First Time Home Buyer Credit - income limits

The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

Have a wonderful safe holiday weekend!

Maureen McCabe Real Living HER Worthington

The image at the top is a Real Living 4th of July ecard. Happy 4th of July... have a happy 5th of July too!

Will I see you at Red, White & Boom... probably not even if you go huh? We may go down early this year... we used to go to Front Street but we have been on Spring St. near North Bank Park looking at the Columbus skyline the past couple of years.

What's on your agenda for this weekend?

Red, White & Boom on Friday?

A parade on Saturday? Dublin? Gahanna? Hilliard? Upper Arlington? Westerville? Or the Doo Dah Parade in the Short North?

Need help finding fireworks near by for your family? Also has celebrations, festivals, and parades listed... except my favorite parade, which is not really for kids:

Fireworks throughout Central Ohio - KidsLink.com "Find out when and where your Community Celebrates the 4th of July"

Red, White & Boom 2008

Red, White & Boom 2007

Population has continued to increase in Central Ohio unlike other Ohio cities but Columbus dropped from the 15th largest city in the US to the 16th.

Columbus dropped from 15th to 16th thanks to Austin Texas growing faster...

Not just the City of Columbus is growing though... Central Ohio as a region has grown, according to the Columbus Dispatch article about the census. Where is Central Ohio growing? Lithopolis (Fairfield County, not my market area), Powell, New Albany are growing in addition to the City of Columbus... The article in The Columbus Dispatch written by Erin Dostal Census; Central Ohio keeps growing and this newspaper article is not about putting on weight in separate breaking yesterday Columbus is the 10th most obese city? Or maybe it is merely overweight not obese....we moved up from 17th to 10th in a year? That may be City of Columbus and the suburbs. Back to growth of the Central Ohio cities not their citizens...

Dostal wrote quoting Nancy Reger, a demographer for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.

"Natural population growth is likely the reason for the numbers in Lithopolis, Powell and New Albany, because people there tend to start families, she said.

Columbus, on the other hand, grows by attracting people from elsewhere. And unlike Ohio's other large cities, which either flat-lined or lost population in the past year, Columbus added people. The Census Bureau said the city had 754,885 residents through July 1, 2008, about 1 percent more than the year before."

Reger says people move to Columbus for jobs. People in Powell, New Albany have babies... Generalization? I know people who have moved to Powell and New Albany from outside the region for jobs and people who live in the City of Columbus who have had babies....

People are moving to the region for jobs.

Maureen McCabe Real Living HER Worthington

Home Inspection

"The American Society of Home Inspectors" is a professional organization for home inspectors... it is sometimes referred to as ASHI.

I have information on the home inspection page on my website about home inspectors who are ASHI. I also have info on NAHI and NIBI (other home inspector professional organizations) as well as a local company which is not affiliated with any inspection organization.... one of my favorite local home inspection companies...

The Inspection page on my website.

Here is some home inspection advice from Real Living:

"Real Living suggests that buyers select an inspector who can provide proof of membership in the American Society of Home Inspectors. Home inspection is presently a comparatively unregulated industry in many states, and ASHI-certified inspectors meet stringent requirements and abide by a sturdy Code of Ethics."

Enough small talk, (there's is at least one clue above) and this is of course an open book and Internet quiz... or puzzle

Home Inspection Puzzle

Across

4. The home inspector may tell you if your water _________ is low

6. The home inspector will look at the homes downspouts and gutters, the roofs ________ system

9. If the kitchen _______ are staying the inspector should check the oven, the stoves burners, run the dishwasher, etc.

12. The home inspector will open the _________ service panel and look at the wiring for you. ***DANGER*** DO NOT DO THIS YOURSELF!

14. An ________ clause allows you to have professional(s) look at the physical condition of the home you have a purchase contract on

16. Radon _________ is when the level of radon is reduced to a safe level in the home.

17. The home inspector inspects the homes structural components including the __________ and framing.

18. ASHI is a home inspection professional organization, others are NIBI and NAHI. ASHI stands for _______ Society Home Inspectors

19. Home inspectors are not ________ in the state of Ohio

24. The inspection clause in your purchase contract is a __________, because there is language like "contingent on home inspection"

25. A pest inspector can look for signs of subterranean ______ eating the wood parts of your future home

Down

1. If the house was built before 1978 the seller will do a ______ paint disclosure, and you may test for it's presence, during the home inspection period per your contract

2. _____ is an odorless naturally occurring gas that you may want to test for during your home inspection period

3. Mold grows because there is ___________

4. When the home inspector looks at the pipes that is the _________ system

5. The pipes in your home may include copper, PVC, ____________ and more.

7. The home inspection is a ______ inspection of the home and it's systems.

8. Your home inspector will be looking for components and systems within the house that need repair or ____________

10. Your home inspector may suggest you get a mold inspection based on water _________

11. Some home inspectors are __________

13. In the winter months, often your home inspector is unable to test the air ________ unit for you because it is too cold

15. An ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors) member follows the ASHI ________ of Practice and Code of Ehtics

18. __________ ants or bees might be discovered by your pest inspector, the insects have hammers and wear an itty apron with pockets <---- just a pest joke... your pest inspector can tell you how they know 'em when they see 'em

19. The wiring in the home and the electrical service to the property may be _______ or copper

20. Your home inspector is going to look at the ________ and tell you whether there are defects and if it is going to keep you toasty warm in the winter

23. Your home inspector is not doing a ______ inspection, that is done by a municipal inspector on new construction or remodeling

Home Inspection

Ohio House Bill 257 Failed

I like Home Inspectors with small shoulders

Here Flashing, Flashing, Flashing....

Maureen McCabe Real Living HER Worthington

Columbus and Central Ohio have a pretty Jazzy July coming up....

July 1 -Try to find a friend at the Condo at Northbank Park Day - for the view for Red, White & Boom

July 3 - Red, White & Boom - Downtown

July 4 -The Doo Dah Parade - Short North and Victorian Village

The Upper Arlington Parade and Celebration The theme: "UA...There's No Place Like Home" Grand Marshall Cameron Mitchell

Worthington Family Picnic - Worthington Calendar of Events

COSI Spider Man Appearance

Fireworks throughout Central Ohio - from KidsLink.com "Find out when and where your Community Celebrates the 4th of July"

Gallery Hop - Short North

July 5 - Worthington Ice Cream Social and Music - Worthington Calendar - The Village Green

July 11-26 - BIA Parade of Homes 2009 - Tartan Ridge in Dublin

July 13 to July 17 - Restaurant Week Columbus Throughout Columbus

July 17 - Wex Drive-In: American Graffiti

July 18 to July 25 - Franklin County Fair Franklin County Fairgrounds - "The Best Family Fare Ever"

July 24 - JazZoo: Jazz Party at the Zoo

July 24 to July 26 - Jazz & Rib Fest Arena District/North Bank Park

July 25 - LaNavidad Christmas at the Santa Maria

July 25 - The Grandview Hop

July 26 - Downtown Powell Street Market

July 29 to August 9 - Ohio State Fair Ohio Expo Center

July 31- Motown JazZoo: Memories at the Zoo

July 31 to August 2 - Dublin Irish Festival

Central Ohio Events Throughout the Month of July 2009

July 2 to August 2- Actors' Theatre Company: The Tempest

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium events including JazZoo

COSI events including Spiderman on July 4th, the Egypt in Columbus Exhibit (through September 7)

Columbus Clippers Schedule I think I am going finally in July....

Columbus Landmarks Foundation - 2009 Village Walking Tour Series Continues

Columbus Metro Parks

Columbus Symphony - Picnic with the Pops and Popcorn Pops

For more detail and additional events visit Experience Columbus' Calendar of Events