About Franklin County, OH

Worthington News on Facebook. I have a Worthington "Page" on Facebook.

I am not real good with Facebook... Wall, a Page, your profile, a group....

I understand Facebook is changing again. I started a page about Worthington, so become a Fan of Worthington News if you are a fan of Worthington Ohio. Much but not all of it is what is on the Worthington Old and News blog.

If you are in Central Ohio and have a "Page" let me know...

With tax time rolling along, I find there are a lot of questions surfacing about the Schedule M, or Making Work Pay Credit. This is a new credit for 2009 which allows for a $400 or $800 credit if you have earned income on a W-2. The Making Work Play Credit can be claimed on Schedule M on your 1040 or 1040A tax return.

The credit is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, effective April 2009. It provides a maximum credit of up to $400 per single filers or $800 for working married couples. The credit is only available for individuals or couples that had earned income, which means they actually worked in 2009. Retirees and disabled will receive a $250 check but are not eligible for the Making Work Pay Credit, unless they received earned income in 2009. The form can be accessed on the IRS website at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sm.pdf.

The credit is 6.2% of your earned income and can be reduced if:

You're single and earned more than $75,000

You're married and have a combined income of more than $150,000

You are a government retiree and receive a credit

You received the $250 economic recovery payment for certain social security, SSI, railroad retirement, veteran's disability or pension benefits

Those individuals that received a pension and have questions should contact their plan administrator. A two page instruction sheet on completing the Schedule M can be obtained at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sm.pdf

Zillow.com - good news for Columbus home sellers brought to you by Maureen McCabe of Real Living HER

Recently Zillow.com published a white paper about foreclosures. I Re-Blogged the information shared by Sara Bonert a Zillow employee, Foreclosures sell at 72% of market price nationally

Columbus is one of the markets in the report. There is a table showing figures for Columbus and other national real estate markets.

Zillow.com good news for Columbus home sellers / bad news for banks / good news for buyers

• Only 19% of Central Ohio sales were foreclosures
• Bad news for sellers (the seller is a bank... remember the foreclosure is owned by the bank) but the foreclosures in Central Ohio (Columbus) sold at 62% of market according to Zillow's study.
• Good news for home buyers that are want want to buy foreclosures.
  

Zillow.com - good news for Columbus home sellers

There are two distinct markets! The good news is if your home is not a foreclosure, appraisers should NOT be using foreclosure sales to value your property. There are two distinct markets according to Zillow.

In her post Sara wrote:

"These findings show that it is inappropriate to include Foreclosure sales data when appraising non-Foreclosure homes. Adjusting for the condition of recent Foreclosures, as well as the Seller's motivation in the Foreclosure situation, sounds great in theory but is ultimately complex in practice. Especially given the Appraiser has likely not been inside the homes being used as comparables for the subject home."

Get a low appraisal? Is the appraiser using foreclosures to value your home? Challenge it.

Search for Central Ohio Foreclosures

Good news for Columbus buyers

The Zillow white paper has nothing to do with Zillow's Zestimates. The values used by Zillow.com in this white paper are sale prices of homes that are not foreclosures and sale prices of homes that are foreclosures (sometimes referred to as bank owned or REOs.)

Annehurst Westerville Ohio Homes

There were 12 homes sold in Annehurst Village Westerville Ohio within the last 6 months ( August 8, 2009 to February 6, 2010 ) according to the Columbus Oh MLS. The average selling price per square foot for Annehurst Westerville Ohio homes sold during that time was $93. The highest selling home during that time sold for $204,000 on Arundel Ave.

A year ago during that same time, 6 homes had sold with an average selling price per sq ft of $95. Those homes sold within 78 days on average. Annehurst Subdivision is located in Westerville Ohio 43081 off of W. Main St. by Sharon Woods and the Westerville Sports Complex.

If you know of anyone thinking of buying or selling a home in Westerville Ohio, please have them contact Sam Cooper with Real Living HER, a top selling real estate agent in Central Ohio.

WestervilleOhHomes.com Search for homes for sale online in Westerville Ohio.

Happy 206th Birthday to St. John Episcopal Church in Worthington Ohio.

Somewhere I have a picture of the historical marker at St. John Episcopal Church in Worthington Ohio.... found it! In Worthington and Parts Adjacent the historical marker pictured says:

"On February 6, 1804, the Articles of Agreement establishing St. John's Church of Worthington were executed"

Articles of Agreement executed is the same thing as a birthday? Isn't it? The historical marker goes on about that the church was planned in New England. St. John Church was the first Episcopal Church in the Northwest Territory.

Ohio Channel about the historical marker with a picture of it you can read.

This photo was taken last March. Spring.... it is going to be spring soon!

If I took a photo of St. John Episcopal Church today it would be a beautiful snowy "New England" scene. I heard on the news last night 7" of snow but it snowed more overnight. I was out already this morning... but not in Old Worthington. Maybe later today I will run over and take a photo of the church on it's 206th Birthday. The church is right on the Worthington Village Green. St. John Episcopal's address is 700 High St. Worthington OH 43085

I believe the birthday is for the church, not the building... but I'd be taking a photo of the building of course.

Happy Birthday to St. John Episcopal Church in Worthington Ohio

More about Worthington Ohio

Worthington Ohio this day in history

Worthington a New England village in Central Ohio

Old Worthington News