Monthly Archives: October 2014

4 Things To Do In Central Ohio This November

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4 Things To Do In Central Ohio This November – November is here! We love this month because the weather is still warm enough to enjoy, plus the craziness of the holiday season hasn’t started. It’s time to get out of the house before the winter weather hits. Luckily, there are several fun and exciting events going on in Central Ohio during November. We’ve outlined a few of our favorite things to do below. Check them out and enjoy!

Here are our top things to do during the month of November:

  1. Worthington Farmers Market, every Saturday, 8 a.m., Downtown Worthington: Enjoy the last of autumn’s fresh apples, squash and more by visiting this weekly farmers market, located in scenic Downtown Worthington. See the city’s event post for more information.
  2. Hot Chocolate 15K/5K, November 16, The Arena District: Are you a runner? Chocolate lover? Both? If so, this race is for you. Run through Columbus’ Arena District and enjoy the post-race party, complete with plenty of chocolate, inflatables, music and more! See the race website for more details.
  3. Veterans Day Program, November 11, 11 a.m., Village Green Park: Honor and remember our veterans, both past and present, at Powell’s annual Veterans Day celebration. See the event’s page on the City of Powell website to learn more.
  4. Holiday Open House, November 30, 12 p.m., Downtown Worthington: Celebrate the beginning of the holiday season at this open house event in Downtown Worthington. Stop and visit Santa at the Worthington Inn, enjoy musical entertainment and refreshments, plus much more. See the city’s event page for more information.

What are your favorite things to do in November? Tell us by leaving a comment below!

5 Ways to Make a Small Living Room Look Bigger

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No one wants a cluttered home or to feel like they have a small living space, right? Especially if you are house hunting, you want more space for your money. If you have a small room in your home or want to make your rooms appear bigger than they are, here are 5 tips for you…

 

Floor To Ceiling Curtains

To make the ceilings appear to be taller, hang your curtains higher than the windows. By putting rod higher than the window itself, you give the illusion that the windows and ceiling are bigger and higher than they really are.

 

No Bulky Furniture

When furniture is too big for the space or there is too much furniture in the room, the room can appear smaller than it really is. Declutter and stick with appropriately sized furniture to keep the room spacious, light and bright.

 

Neutral and Light Colors

With a smaller room, it’s important to stick with light, neutral colors. If you put dark colors and accents in a small room it can close the space making it appear smaller that it really is. Let the light in and the space open up with the right color sceme.

 

Oversized Mirrors

A newer trend, this trick can make the room appear bigger than it really is by using the reflection of the light, neutral colors and the room itself. Strategically place the mirror on a wall that reflects the incoming light and also provides the proper illusion.

 

The Right Coffee Table

Whether it’s a coffee or end table, choose furniture that can also double as a storage space. Whether it has drawers or opens up to store extra pillows, blankets or even your TV accessories, choose your furniture wisely. In a small space this can dramatically declutter a room.

 

Staging Your Home To Sell: Secrets From The Experts

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Are you selling your home? You may want to consider staging it to attract buyers and allow them to imagine it being their home.

“Buyers can only imagine what they see, not what it’s going to be,” says Barb Schwarz, a broker who now focuses entirely on staging homes with her International Association of Home Staging Professionals. “If you don’t clean the carpet or don’t take down the flocked wallpaper or the teenager’s walls are painted bright purple, the buyer can’t envision it any other way.”

 

Staging a home can make the biggest difference in your selling process. Investing in staging can actually bring better returns on a home in the long-run!

 

Curb Appeal isn’t just a catchy phrase created to boost landscapers’ income. It’s a crucial first impression that can make buyers either wary of stopping to look or else eager to step inside. Make sure that your lawn and garden look great, trash cans and bikes are put away, house numbers are attractive and easy to see, the front door is spectacular (because you’ve replaced or painted it and perhaps updated the hardware), and you have attractive potted plants by the door.

 

First Impressions come the minute a potential buyer steps inside your home. Coats on a rack, shoes underneath and keys and other doodads in a dish on a console table may show that you’re a fabulous organizer, but this look is not the way to sell a home. Put the coats and shoes in a closet, the keys in your purse and a vase of flowers on the table.

 

Time To Clean! Or hire a cleaning crew to come regularly while your home is on the market, or at least for a one-time super-cleaning. Don’t skip windows (inside and out), behind the toilet, bathroom grout, under sinks. Actually move your furniture to vacuum behind and under it.

 

Rearranging Is Key. Arrange your furnishings to frame — not obscure — views, fireplaces and other architectural details. Put tall objects (furniture, vases, paintings or plants) against tall walls. Highlight, don’t block, the traffic flow. Grab a couple of sturdy friends and play with different ways to arrange your furniture. Pay attention to your friends’ opinions.

 

A Non-Client Testimonial

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With any short sale, there are obstacles to jump. When the short sale is finally approved it is a happy day for both the Seller and the Buyer. This is a testimonial from someone (not my client) who purchased a short sale I had listed. Thank you Shawn, for your kind words!

“Rita was wonderful and kept me informed every step of the way during a difficult short sale. Rita was the selling realtor and worked closely with my realtor and many times personally. She was very pleasant to deal with and often put my mind to ease, explaining each step in the process.”

Shawn Powers
Bought a home in Reynoldsburg, Ohio

3 Halloween Events To Attend in 2014

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Halloween can be such a fun time of year. What other time can you dress up and eat as much candy as you want? Here are a few events in the Central Ohio area you should definitely check out this year…

 

Boo at the Zoo

When: October 18-26th

Where: The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

The Zoo offers family friendly fun such as a haunted train ride and candy stations throughout the Zoo. Visit with the animals and also meet the fortune tellers and magicians while you are there.

 

Halloween at Franklin Park Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

When: October 25th and 26th

Where: 1777 East Broad Street, Columbus Ohio

Dress up and come to the Conservatory for fun activities, trick or treat, arts and crafts, and more!

 

North Market Halloween Party

When: October 26th, Noon – 2pm

Where:North Market

This annual event attracts many little goblins where they can enjoy trick or treating in a safe family friendly environment. Guests of all ages can participate in trick or treating and enjoy crafts, music and a special appearance from Columbus Children’s Theatre cast of Super Sidekick.

 

What’s your favorite Halloween event? Are you dressing up this year?

 

Home sold: 307 Deer Trail Rd, Reynoldsburg, OH

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“Due to circumstances beyond our control, we found the need to sell our house. With the changes in the market we had to do a short sale. After interviewing several realtors we found Rita Boswell. Not only is she knowledgeable but personable as well. We instantly become comfortable with her.

The short sale process is not easy and unless a realtor can show you that they previously have been successful at short sales then my advice is don’t use them. Rita brought to us the experience, the drive, the patience that we needed to make our short sale happen.

Not only did we have a short sale but we were in a situation where we had two banks to deal with. (As we had been told by others, getting a short sale accomplished with two banks is nearly impossible) but she was able to get it done. Communication is crucial and she knew that and was in constant contact with the banks. She checked on the status of our applications and always keeping us up to date on the status of communication. Even if it meant telling us it was in progress.

One of the banks was extremely difficult to work with and Rita stayed on top of them. She even went as far as to file a complaint with Freddie Mac, the lender as well as escalate our application several times.

Rita had to split the commission with the buyer’s agent. I know that even with the full commission she didn’t make what she is worth or the amount of money she should have for the time and effort she put into selling our home successfully. She made us feel as if we were her only client though she had many. She was always positive and always showed us she cared and was very compassionate towards our situation.

I would recommend Rita to anyone looking to buy or sell a house, especially if you find yourself in a short sale situation.”

-Katherine and John Mielke

Home sold: 307 Deer Trail Rd, Reynoldsburg, OH

Things to do in Central Ohio: October

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Things to do in Central Ohio: October- Happy October! It’s a great time of year to spend with family and friends – there’s gorgeous fall weather, plenty of fun events and activities, and Halloween fun. So head out and pick some apples, carve a pumpkin and plan your costume, but there are also tons of fun things to do all over Central Ohio this month. We’ve gathered a few of our favorites below for you to explore. Check them out and have a great October!

Here are our top things to do during the month of October:

  • Worthington Farmers’ Market, each Saturday, 8 a.m., Downtown Worthington: Enjoy fresh seasonal produce, flowers and homemade goods at one of the largest markets in the area. See the city’s website to learn more.
  • Family Fun & Photo with Snoopy, October 12, 11 a.m., Franklin Park Conservatory: Grab the kids and head to Franklin Park Conservatory to visit the glass pumpkin patch and take a picture with Snoopy! See the conservatory’s website for more details.
  • Halloween Spooktacular, October 16, 3:30 p.m., Dublin Community Recreation Center: Have some Halloween fun in Dublin at this kid-friendly annual bash! Activities include trick or treating, a haunted trail, hay maze, crafts, photo booth and more. See the event posting for more information.
  • Beggars Night, October 31, 6 p.m., Worthington: Turn your porch light on and take the kids out for trick or treating on Beggars Night! While most parts of Central Ohio change their trick or treat date based on the day Halloween falls, Worthington always celebrates Beggars Night on October 31.
  • The Lion King, beginning October 14, Ohio Theatre: The whole family will have fun seeing this Disney favorite come to life in this fun, awe-inspiring Broadway performance! Join Simba and friends on adventures and sing along to all the songs. Click here for information and to purchase tickets.

Are you planning on attending any of these events? Tell us your favorite things to do in October by leaving a comment below.