I thought I was the lucky recipient of an Easton Gift card.  Someone gave me an Easton Towne Center Gift card for my birthday a few years ago.  I do remember getting it and was excited about it because Easton is my favorite place to shop!!  However, somehow the gift card got lost in my purse and I forgot about it until now.

I recently bought a new purse which gave me an excuse to clean out the old purse and transfer my purse junk into the new purse.  So as I’m cleaning out my purse, I find this Easton gift card and I’m all excited because I had something I wanted to buy at a store in the Easton Towne Center.

However, I quickly became disappointed when I tried to use my gift card - which was originally worth $50.00 and now was worth only $2.00.  I knew I hadn’t yet used this gift card and couldn’t figure out why there was only $2.00 left.  The cashier said - did you read the small print on the back of the card?  Of course I didn’t read any small print on the back of a gift card.

Here’s what the small print says: Usable only for purchases at authorized merchants. Not usable for gratuities nor refundable or redeemable for cash or credit,unless required by law. Unless prohibited by law, a nonrefundable $2.00 maintenance fee will be deducted each month from the card balance, starting on the day after the first year anniversary of the date the card is purchased. Purchase or use of card constitutes acceptance of these terms and additional terms in the accompanying Cardholder Agreement (I don’t remember getting a cardholder agreement with this gift card).

Needless to say, I have learned my lesson and will now read the fine print on the back of any gift cards I happen to get.

So I’m recommending to all my friends and family members who might be tempted to get me an Easton Towne Center Gift Card in the future, to please think of something else.  I do appreciate the thoughtfulness, but would rather have something that I don’t have to worry about being devalued if I don’t use it right away.  I’m disappointed that the $50.00 is now gone to nothing and I didn’t get to spend it!!

I’m also sharing this story because I bet there are others who don’t realize that gift cards can lose value over time.  So you may want to consider reading any small print before buying your loved one a gift card.

There were a few Central Ohio school levies on the ballot on November 3, 2009.  School levies typically result in higher real estate property taxes, so you should be aware if you are looking to buy a home in any of these school districts.

Southwestern City Schools levy (Southwestern Schools serve Grove City and Southwestern Columbus)

Yes Votes = 19,591  (51%)
No Votes = 19,178 (49%)

Reynoldsburg Schools levy

Yes Votes = 5,420 (48%)
No Votes = 5,827 (52%)

Westerville Schools levy

Yes Votes = 9,876 (52%)
No Votes = 8,973 (48%

Worthington Schools levy

Yes Votes = 11,435 (59%)
No Votes =  7,936 (41%)

If you’d like to get an estimate on real estate property taxes you can go to the Franklin County Auditor’s website and use the tax estimator tool:  http://franklincountyoh.metacama.com/globalTaxEstimator.jsp.

If you’re interested in buying a home anywhere in Central Ohio, please contact Petra at 614-895-0496.  I am an Accredited Buyer Agent Representative who’s been a Realtor® in Columbus since 2001, with over $50 Million in real estate sales throughout Central Ohio and currently with RE/MAX Connection Realtors®, in Gahanna Ohio.

I’ll work hard to help you find your ideal home and negotiate the lowest possible price, while representing your best interests throughout the process.  Best of all, my services as your personal buyer’s agent are FREE to you!  I appreciate the opportunity to help you buy your ideal home or condo in Central Ohio.

Columbus Ohio Honor Flight Homecoming for World War II Veterans

When: November 7, 2009 8:00 PM

Where:
Columbus Int’l Airport
4600 International Gateway
Columbus, OH 43219

The final trip of Honor Flight for the season, Southwest Flight #8284 from BWI, will be arriving in Port Columbus carrying around 90 Ohio World War II veterans at 8:45pm. Honor Flight is taking them to Washington, DC for the day so that they can visit the WWII memorial, and other sites. For many of them, this is their first and only chance to see the memorial built in their honor.

We would love to have anyone who is able, kids included, come out around 8:00pm to be ready to greet the veterans for their homecoming. Meet us near the SWA ticket counter on the departures level.

Most of them came home from the war only to have a clerk hand them a small amount of cash and a bus ticket. This is our chance to make that right, some 60 years later. There is no need to RSVP.

To learn more visit:  http://www.meetup.com/The-Columbus-Ohio-Glenn-Beck-Meetup-Group/calendar/11749135/

This video just goes to show how crazy or should I say dedicated, Ohio State Buckeye Fans can be.  Since The Ohio State University is located in Columbus Ohio, game days should almost be a holiday because it’s like a ghost town here, everyone is either at the game or watching the game somewhere.  Nothing else much is really going on, on OSU Buckeyes game days.

I think this video says it all:)  GO BUCKS!!!

2009 COLUMBUS AND CENTRAL OHIO SUBURB BEGGAR’S NIGHT AND TRICK OR TREAT DATES:

If you live in or around the Columbus Ohio area, I’m providing the dates for 2009 Beggars Night or Trick or Treat in Columbus and all the surrounding suburbs. Halloween is a fun time of year for many kids in Central Ohio.  I know my son always looks forward to Trick or Treating to stock up on his favorite candy (since we don’t buy any candy in our home).

Since Halloween, October 31, 2009, falls on a Saturday this year, you’ll find Columbus and many central Ohio communities have scheduled beggars night/trick or treating, for October 29 instead.

Franklin County Trick or Treat Dates

• Bexley: 5:30-7:30 pm - Oct. 29
• Columbus: 6-8pm - Oct. 29
• Canal Winchester: 5:30-7:30 pm - Oct. 29
• Dublin: 6-8 pm - Oct. 29
• Gahanna: 6-8pm - Oct. 29
• Grandview Heights:  6-8pm - Oct. 31
• Grove City: 6-8pm Oct. 29
• Groveport: 5:30-7 pm - Oct. 29
• Hilliard: 6-8 pm - Oct. 29
• Jefferson Township (Gahanna): 6-8pm - Oct. 29
• Village of Lockbourne: 6-7:30 pm - Oct. 29
• Madison Township: 5:30-7 pm - Oct. 29
• New Albany: 6-8 pm - Oct. 29
• Reynoldsburg: 6-8pm - Oct. 29
• Upper Arlington: 6-8pm - Oct. 29
• Westerville: 6-8pm - Oct. 31
• Whitehall: 6-8pm - Oct. 29
• Worthington: 6-8pm - Oct. 29

Delaware County Trick or Treat Dates

• Galena: 6-7:15 p.m. - Oct. 31
• Genoa Township (Westerville) 6-8 pm - Oct. 31
• Lewis Center: 6-8pm - Oct. 31
• Orange Township: 6-8pm - Oct. 31
• Powell: 6-8pm - Oct. 31

Fairfield County Trick or Treat Dates

• Lithopolis: 6-8 pm - Oct. 29
• Pickerington: 6-8 pm - Oct. 29

Licking County Trick or Treat Dates

• Granville: 5:30-7 pm - Oct. 29
• Pataskala: 6-8 pm - Oct. 29

I hope you have found this information helpful for planning your Halloween activities in the Columbus area.  If you see any mistakes or want to add to this list, please contact Petra with information.   Happy Halloween!

Dublin Ohio Teen Driving Roadeo

If you live anywhere in Columbus and have a teenager getting ready to drive, here’s a fun event.  On Sunday, September 27th from 12:00 Noon to 6:00 pm at Ashland, Inc (5200 Blazer Parkway), the Kiwanis Club of Greater Dublin is putting on the 3rd annual TEEN DRIVING ROADEO.  This is an awesome event for all teen drivers with a permit or license.  The day is filled with opportunities for the kids to learn about and practice defensive driving skills.  They will maneuver their way through a driving skills course set up by the Dublin police, understand the dangers of impaired driving by wearing fatal vision goggles while driving,  and learn defensive driving in a skid car.  They will watch the “Jaws of Life” and Medflight in action and learn what they should do in the event that they are involved in an accident.

The day also includes FOOD, PRIZES, T-SHIRTS AND MORE!!!  And best of all…. this event is FREE!!!  It is a organized  by the Kiwanis in partnership with several sponsors and other participants in an effort to save just one life!

You can show your young driver a short commercial which will be shown at the Dublin high schools on YouTube at:

Once you decide to participate it’s easy:

1.)  Fill out the online registration at:   www.teendrivingroadeo.com/

2.)  Print off the permission form: teendrivingroadeo.com/pdf/liabilper09.pdf

3.)  Fax the permission form along with a copy of your child’s permit or license and proof of insurance to 614-766-8474

If you have any questions, please contact Contact Kar Shepherd at 889-9031.

This is a great opportunity for teenagers in the Columbus area to improve their defensive driving skills.

I had to go to my dog’s vet, Lifetime Pet Wellness Center, at 454 Lazelle Road, Columbus, Ohio 43240 yesterday to pick up some supplements to help with a digestion problem he’s been having.  I noticed a brochure entitled Lifetime Pet Wellness Center Pet Salon.  I was curious what they considered a “pet salon” so I began reading some of the services they offer.

There are the typical grooming, bath,  dematting, nail trimming, ear cleaning, teeth brushing, etc.  What really caught my eye though were the spa services.  Here’s what the **Spa Package** includes:

Blueberry Facial - tearless shampoo that brightens your pets face and leaves a fresh scent.  Uses aromatherapy that is calming as well.

Upgraded Shampoo of your choice
Whitening - Brightens whites and all other colors as well
Oatmeal - Best for sensitive flaky skin
Herbal: All natural shampoo for any coat

Conditioner - great for dry skin and coat.  Also great as a detangler

Revitalizing Spray - finishing spray that seals and protects your pets coat.

I thought this was so funny, so I asked the lady at the counter if people really do all this for their pets.  She very enthusiastically explained yes because it’s just so wonderful for the dogs.  She went on to describe how the blueberry facial makes their face smell so good and brightens their fur and the dogs really seem to like the smell too.  She said it was like aromatherapy for the dogs because she thought it helped to relax them. Inside I’m thinking - do people really do all this for their dogs?

While I’m sure I’d personally love it if my dog could smell like blueberries - I know for sure that my crazy dog is more into smelling stinky.  He actually just got groomed today and got his doggy bath and the groomer then sprays some clean smelling finishing spray on him - so he typically smells good for maybe two days.  Well usually the first thing he does after getting groomed is to come inside the house and roll around all over the floor - like he’s trying to wipe the clean smell off or something.  Well today right after he got groomed, he wanted me to let him out in the back yard.  He was out there for a while and I didn’t think anything of it.  When I let him back in the house, he smelled horrible - he had rolled in God knows what and now he stinks!!  So unfortunately for me, my crazy dog would rather stink than smell good.

So while I realize grooming has many other benefits - I’m a bit frustrated that my dog doesn’t enjoy his clean smelling self.

We really love our vet at the Lifetime Pet Wellness Center because they tend to take as non invasive approach as possible including prescribing natural remedies instead of drugs, whenever possible.  I always appreciate this approach because many drugs have side effects and I’ve found that many natural alternatives are effective with less side effects.  The Lifetime Pet Wellness is conveniently located on 454 Lazelle Road really close to the Polaris Mall, within about 15 minutes of the Worthington, Polaris (Lewis Center), Westerville and North Columbus area .   You can reach them at 614-888-2100.

Being a dog lover (yes I still love my dog in spite of his quirky behavior) I can totally understand how hard it is to find a good vet.  If you’ve recently moved to the Columbus area, have a dog or cat and are looking for a good vet, I highly recommend them.

A friend sent me this special song - kind of a tribute to man’s best friend.  I hope you enjoy it.

Columbus Ohio truly is a great place to live!  Columbus has the best real estate market in Ohio and also one of the best job markets around too.  I suppose they both go hand in hand. Columbus real estate offers something for everyone, no matter what your price range.

Columbus Ohio Real Estate Market

You can find homes and condos starting around $50,000 to well over a million dollars built anywhere from the late 1800’s to the present.  Quaint historic neighborhoods with some older mission, tudor and victorian style homes built in the early 1900’s can be found in one of my favorite areas, Clintonville as well as in the Short North, Victorian Village, German Village, Old Town East and Bexley.  You can find newer homes and new home construction in most Central Ohio suburbs and in some areas of Columbus like the popular Easton Town Center area in Northeast Columbus.

Modern upscale condos and lofts can be found, in the Short North and Downtown Columbus. Waterfront properties can be found overlooking the Scioto River in Downtown Columbus, Grandview and Upper Arlington areas, on the Ohio River in Powell and northeast in Westerville there are waterfront homes on the Hoover Resevoir.

Homes on golf course lots and communities abound in just about every area of Columbus and the suburbs with some of the most popular golf course communities being Muirfield in Dublin, Wedgewood in Powell, Highland Lakes Golf Course and Medallion in Westerville, Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City, Columbus Country Club in East Columbus, Heritage Golf Club and  Ballantrae in Hilliard, the Safari Golf Course by the Columbus Zoo and so many others.

The most affordable housing can be found in the city of Columbus and many of the Central Ohio suburbs including: Blacklick, Canal Winchester, Grove City, Groveport, Obetz, Reynoldsburg and few in Gahanna, Hilliard or Westerville.  The higher priced suburbs of Columbus include Hilliard, Dublin, Worthington, Powell, Lewis Center, Westerville, Gahanna and New Albany.

To learn more about Columbus and Central Ohio real estate, schools and community information visit:  ColumbusCastles.com/areainfo

Columbus Ohio Economy and Job Market

In August 2009, US News & World Report ranked Columbus, the Capital of Ohio, one of America’s best places to find a job in 2009. According to Bill LaFayette, Vice President of Economic Analysis for the Columbus Ohio Chamber of Commerce, when comparing  Columbus’s data to national averages, he says Columbus is doing a lot better than average.

Ohio State Capital Building

One thing that helps our economy in Central Ohio is that Columbus, is not only in the middle of Ohio, but also pretty much central to most of the country.  Due to Ohio’s central location, we have a strong transportation and distribution industry, which has grown by a third since 2001.

Central Ohio’s diverse economy also contributes to making our job market resilient.  Health care, hospitality, manufacturing and even the tech industry provide a variety of jobs.   Some of Columbus’s major employers include Ohio State University, Ohio Health, Cardinal Health, Ross Labs, Nationwide Insurance, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Bob Evans, Grange Insurance, Farmers Insurance, Safe Auto Insurance, Riverside Hospital, Ohio State University Hospitals, Verizon, Limited Brands and others. In addition, the City of Columbus, State of Ohio and the US Federal government provide thousands of jobs in Columbus Ohio. LaFayette explains that employment in information technology occupations is significantly higher than in comparably sized regions because “so many of our sectors are voracious consumers of data” and need top-notch IT infrastructure.

I’ve helped a lot of people relocating to Columbus, buy a home in Central Ohio.  While I’m not seeing as many people move to Columbus as I did a few years ago, I do still frequently get calls from buyers looking to move to Columbus Ohio and buy a home here.  I’ve even received inquiries from buyers who plan to move to Columbus, once they find a job.  In the mean time, I can email new real estate listing updates, in their price range, from the Columbus MLS (multiple listing service).  Most buyers find this FREE service a very helpful way to get educated about the Columbus Ohio real estate market and what they can get in their price range.

I also offer an extensive relocation package that I mail out to clients once they are planning to move here.  If you’re planning to move to Columbus Ohio and would like my FREE relocation information package or would like to receive real estate listing updates by email, please either CONTACT ME at 614-895-0496 or complete the form on my Columbus Ohio Relocation Page to get started.  I greatly appreciate the opportunity to help make your move to Columbus Ohio successful.

Get ready Columbus Ohio -  it’s Ohio State Buckeye’s football season. This is the time Buckeye sports fans look forward to all year.  Anyone who lives in Columbus Ohio will tell you, the whole city becomes focused on the Buckeyes, with tales of elaborate tail gate parties and celebrations of all sorts taking place in homes, sports bars and restaurants all around Columbus.

Buckeyemania seems to capture the minds and spirit of not just Ohio State University students, but most everyone young and old alike in Columbus Ohio, on football game days.

Below is another Gahanna real estate success story.   The key is properties that are selling quickly are properly prepared and priced for the current buyer’s market.  Foreclosures and short sales also remain popular with buyers who are looking for a bargain and are okay with making repairs and taking the associated risk with purchasing bank owned homes.

IS THIS THE RIGHT TIME TO SELL YOUR HOME?

If you’re thinking about selling your home and buying another, this is a great time to take advantage of the increased market activity.  While it is still a buyer’s market in the Columbus Ohio area, prices are still low and mortgage interest rates are historically low as well.  As I have been saying for a while, you may make a little less on selling your home, but you’ll make up for it in what you buy, if you’re planning to move up.  If you’re wondering if this is the right time for you to buy or sell your home, feel free to call me at 614-746-2115 to discuss your specific real estate needs.

Here’s the Gahanna real estate success story from Al and Tawny Whicker.  “In December of 2008, motivated by the low rates and falling house prices, we contacted Petra, Realtor with Remax Connection Realtors in Gahanna Ohio,  to ask if selling our Gahanna home of 10 years to step up to a bigger one was possible. She helped every step of the way. From recommending things we could do to make our home more appealing to buyers, to carefully pricing it and marketing it, she made the process much easier than it could have been.

What really blew us away was Petra’s marketing. She took fantastic pictures of the house, designed a beautiful flyer, created a virtual online tour with narration, and listed us on many web sites. The exposure was tremendous. In fact, as we searched the listings for our next home, it really showed how much better ours was marketed than most.

When it came to buying, Petra patiently listened, worked with our schedule, and took us to any home we wanted to see. She gave great input on pluses and minuses for each, including many things we wouldn’t have thought of, like future resale value.

In less than two months from listing, our home in Gahanna, we got an offer. Petra made sure the contract stipulated an extra week of possession after closing so we could have time to prepare our next home and move. There were no ideal homes on the listings for us that day, but one popped up the next day and we thought it would be perfect. That afternoon Petra met us there, and we were hooked at the front door. By the next day we had our offer accepted and were in contract to both sell the old house and buy our new home in Gahanna.

Petra was helpful and proactive every step of the way. We couldn’t have picked a better realtor, and are immensely thankful for Petra’s work and can-do attitude that made the whole process much easier than we expected. Thanks, Petra! We whole-heartedly recommend you for anyone buying or selling!”  Al and Tawny Whicker, proud Gahanna home owners!

I pride myself on providing the best marketing possible, for my listings.  You can view more on this recent Gahanna home sale at 414 Barwood Drive in Gahanna, Ohio 43230 and see the video on youtube below:

If you’re thinking about selling your Gahanna home, condo or real estate anywhere in Columbus and Central Ohio, I would love the opportunity to help you.  To learn more about the marketing and services I provide for selling your home in the Columbus Ohio area, please visit:  www.columbuscastles.com/sellers

Plus, if you are planning to sell your home and buy another home in the Central Ohio area, I offer special savings on the listing commission.   If you sell your current home and buy your next home with me as your buyer’s agent too, you’ll receive a 1% discount on the listing commission to sell your home in the Columbus Ohio area.  While there are some flat rate and discount mls services and for sale by owner MLS services who offer to sell Columbus Ohio real estate at a discount, you won’t receive near the level of marketing and service that I provide.  The extensive online marketing I provide really does make a difference in what you can make, when selling your home and I invite you to compare the services I provide when selling Columbus Ohio real estate to learn more.

Please call me at 614-746-2115, or complete visit:  http://www.columbuscastles.com/sellers_worth to get started.

I look forward to serving all your Gahanna and Columbus Ohio real estate needs!

Petra Hinterschied, Realtor with Remax Connection Realtors, 130 Mill Street, Gahanna, Ohio 43230, licensed since 2001 with over $50 million in Columbus Ohio real estate sales.