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Our response to COVID-19

March 22, 2020 by The Columbus Team

Clients and friends,

We value our relationships with our clients, friends, families, fellow agents, affiliates, and partners. We look forward to being part of the fabric of this great community for many years to come.

We just want you to know we are here to help and you can call or text us directly:
Sue: 614-419-3100
Patrick: 614-204-8084
Erin: 614-598-3121
Mary: 614-419-3929
Terry: 614-579-9141
Heather: 614-329-2651
Edie: 614-915-8657
Jeanne: 614-402-3065

Our hearts go out to our families with children with school shutdowns, our seniors in assisted living, our neighbors at the hospitals, our local businesses struggling and everyone impacted by the pandemic. We are immensely grateful for all of the heroes in the medical profession and all 1st responders who are working tirelessly to help during this global crisis.

Our team has many decades of experience that come to bear daily in our real estate business in Columbus and Central Ohio. The heart of our business is always about helping people and connecting people with resources. We are fortunate to have an extensive network of people who may be able to help you out for a trip to the grocery store, watching children or even getting bills paid.

There are so many good people in the Columbus area that are happy to be of service. Call us if you need anything. It does not need to be about real estate. It can be a personal issue and we’ll always work to assist you in some way!

We’ve been asked “How do I sell my home at this time?”

Homes are still selling. Our Federal Reserve just dropped their interest rate to near zero to keep money moving for people buying homes. It’s quite unprecedented.

We can video conference, if you prefer, instead of an in-home selling consultation. We’ll likely have enough information to list your property for sale with a quick tour on your phone, tablet or laptop.

We can even guide you to shoot photos, if you prefer, to keep our professional photographer out of your home. You may be surprised what we can do with our photo editing tools and an iPhone these days! We are taking extra measures to maintain social distance for home buyers looking at our listings as well including limiting showings to one showing at a time. We can even do a virtual showing for our buying clients with a live video tour or facetime call at a property. We are skilled at adapting to the situation at hand and will continue to evolve with the help of our tech tools to help you reach your real estate goals.

If we do need to show your home, we’ll be providing a hand washing station and anything else the CDC recommends to lower everyone’s risk of infection. Safety is our #1 priority.

Some of the top google searches now in real estate are “home prices dropping” and “home prices falling”. That’s not the case at this time. We’ll continue to keep you updated on this.

We are here to guide you and make fact-based, researched decisions if you need to sell your home (or buy one) since life must go on for those in situations who need to move.

This may be you or someone you know. Please know that we have your back.

We are here to help if you need anything. Stay in touch and let us know.

We are inspired by the resourceful and creative ways so many of our friends and family members are finding ways to endure the quarantine with young children. Some of the great ideas coming out of our network include:

Create a scavenger hunt for your kids that lead from room to room
Take a virtual field trip to a museum or zoo every day
Write letters to family members, friends or even 1st responders
Read a book aloud to each other
Start a cooking challenge
Download a free Geocaching app from your app store & join a treasure hunt

Remember these words from Mother Teresa: “None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”

Your Real Estate Team,
Sue, Patrick, Erin, Mary, Terry, Heather, Edie, Jeanne and Lisa

TCT Hotline: 614-888-6100
Email: Homes@TheColumbusTeam.com

How to Race a Bed

March 9, 2020 by The Columbus Team

Have you heard? The Furniture Bank of Central Ohio is holding a bed race as a fundraiser on May 2nd, 2020! Teams will be racing a bed on wheels, style counts, but speed rules. The Columbus Team is proud to once again be involved in the race! This year we’ll be sponsor the Kid Zone once again!

Why?

The Furniture Bank of Central Ohio uses donations to help families in need in our community. When a family becomes homeless, or experiences eviction, they often lose most of their possessions. When they begin to rebuild their lives, the Furniture Bank offers assistance. No child should have to sleep on the floor. Your help can insure that more children in need can sleep soundly in a bed of their own.

The Furniture Bank serves 80 families a week, 95% of whom earn $24,000/year or less, and the bank donates 1000 pieces of furniture each week. Beds are a big priority for them, as no child should have to sleep on a cold, hard floor. The Columbus Team helps clients find their dream homes every day, but once a year, we are honored to help families in need create a home of their own. Won’t you help us do that?

How can you help?

There are several ways to help! Here’s what you can do to help local families in need, and encourage participants to race their best.

Donate. A simple direct donation to FurnitureBankCOH.org is always needed and appreciated. All gifts are tax deductible.

Support a team. Donations through the bed racing teams are also tax deductible and benefit the charity, but add to the enjoyment of the fundraiser!

Race! Gather a team of 5 people, ages 13 and over (with one alternate), register for the race, and then use your very own fundraising page to gather support. Plus, you get to design and race a bed!

Volunteer! They are looking for volunteers the day of the race to help in all areas of the race. Find out how you can help “roll out” the day on the volunteer info page.

Cheer! Come enjoy the spectacle of the amazing bed race, cheer on your favorite team, and make it an annual event. We’d love to see you there!

Photo Credit

Passionate About Communities in Columbus & Racing Beds

February 18, 2020 by The Columbus Team

Sue preparing for the 2017 Bed Race! REALTORS with a Heart. We care about communities in Columbus!

What does home mean to you? What emotions does the word, home, stir up in you? For some people, those are loaded questions.

Our team meets with people all day long who describe what home means to them. We are passionate about helping everyone find a place that allows them to be themselves, build family units and relationships, and have an all-around good quality of life. Having furniture in a house is an essential ingredient to making it home. That’s why the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio has set out to help nearly 3,500 families and individuals struggling with poverty and other severe life challenges have a home filled with furniture and love. And we’re thrilled to partner with them to build better communities in Columbus.

Help us turn empty houses into homes, with furniture, for communities in Columbus by participating in this year’s Bed Race. It takes place on Saturday, May 2, 2020 at Easton Town Center. You can put together a team and race a bed, donate, or show up to support racers and the Furniture Bank of Central Ohio. You can also sponsor the Bed Race, like we are. We’ll be at the Kid’s Zone this year!

By participating in the Bed Race, you’re helping people create a home. This community event is an example of the types of communities in Columbus that we’re passionate about. Join us this year at the Bed Race and ensure that everyone in Central Ohio has a bed to sleep on.

Event Details

Date: Saturday, May 2, 2020

Time: 9 a.m.

Location: Easton Town Center

Click here to learn how to start a team.

Click here to donate.

Click here for sponsorship opportunities.

Why Relocate to Columbus?

February 10, 2020 by The Columbus Team

Why Relocate to Columbus? The Columbus area is thriving in all major life sectors!

Continued Growth

A recent article by Forbes Media shared some news: the PGA TOUR Superstore chain will soon open a new location in Columbus, adding to the over 40 stores is has in 16 states. Recreation opportunities abound in central Ohio, and golf is one of our favorite pastimes. With Dublin being home to the annual Memorial Tournament it’s a surprise it took them so long!

Job Opportunities

For professionals hoping to relocate here and build a new career, the outlook keeps getting better…

A recent search on LinkedIn showed over 37,000 current jobs in the Columbus Metropolitan Area. Of those, almost 33,000 were full-time positions. The industries ranged from healthcare to logistics, to marketing, and many more. Columbus’ economy is healthy!

Living Conditions

ABC 6 News ran a story on the results of a U.S. News survey on the 125 Best Places to Live in the USA. The survey looked at populous metro areas. The criteria included value, desirability, job market, and quality of life. Columbus not only made the list but did very well. We were named the 36th best place to live in the United States. Columbus was praised for many reasons, including:

A prosperous economy
A young and energetic atmosphere
Sports teams and nightlife

The city was also lauded for one of the best metropolitan areas to retire in!

Smart City

Here’s something to brag about, and a great reason to relocate to Columbus: The Intelligent Communities Forum announced that Columbus “is one of the seventh smartest cities in the world and the most intelligent in the U.S.” In fact, it was the only city in the U.S. on the list. Columbus won the Smart City Challenge in 2016 and received millions in funding to improve people’s quality of life, drive growth in the economy, provide better access to jobs and ladders of opportunity, become a world-class logistics leader, and foster sustainability. You can read more about the efforts on the Smart City website.

Recreation & Culture

In terms of lifestyle and culture, Columbus pretty much as a lot of everything! It’s what the moving comparison site Unpakt called a “foodie hub,” and one of the popular areas for food is the North Market. And the Short North. And downtown. We have to mention the food trucks too! Honestly, it doesn’t matter where you go in Columbus, we love good restaurants with delicious food, and it shows in the quantity and quality of choices available here.

There are so many reasons to love Columbus. There’s the renowned Columbus Zoo, rated one of the best in the country, a thriving and abundant art, and music community, and the fact that it’s a very family-friendly city with many activity options. There are always multiple events to choose from happening all across our city every day. It also has a relatively low cost of living!

Cost of Living

Speaking of the cost of living, Sperling’s Best Places gives Columbus an overall rating of 85.5 out of 100. Anything below 100 means the cost of living is less expensive than the U.S. average. Perhaps the best news is that the cost of living for Housing is ranked 68.2/100. The Median Home Cost in this survey was $157,700, compared to a national average of $231,200. Housing is the most significant factor in the cost of living difference for Columbus.

As you can see, there are many great reasons to relocate and live in Columbus! Are you thinking of relocating here? Do you need a partner to help you plan your path? The Columbus Team is here for you! Find out how we can help. Call (614) 888-6100. Or text one of our REALTORS on their direct line.

February Events in Central Ohio

January 20, 2020 by The Columbus Team

February 2020 Events

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and though our mixed bag of mild/cold weather will continue this month, you know spring is just around the corner. While you wait for the consistently good weather, take advantage of these February activities, many of which are free or budget friendly.

All Month – Adults and Teens – The Wexner Center presents a short film called Youngstown/Steel Town (2016), which examines “the evolution of an Ohio rust belt city.” This is a free event. For more information, see this Wexner Center web page.

February 1 and 29 (4-10 p.m.) – for Adults – It’s time for Short North Gallery Hop Saturday! Because this is a leap-year, the event happens twice this month. Galleries stay open late, there are street performers, vendors, shopping, food and drink. This great neighborhood experience buzzes with excitement every year! For more information, visit the Short North Arts District website.

Sunday, February 2 – Ages 13-18 – The Wexner Center presents a Creative Writing Workshop with Claudia Owusu – The Center’s first WexLab this month is a creative writing studio. Journals and all other needed supplies are provided. And while they last, there will also be free goodies to eat. Registration is required. See this Wexner web page to register.

Fridays – for All – Beginning on February 7 at the Old Worthington Library, come, cozy up to the fire with the family, and listen to great music that features some of our area’s most talented musicians. These weekly events run from 4-5 p.m. Musicians this month include Joey Hebdo, Stephanie Jeffreys, Dan Rowan, and Delyn Christian. The library is located at 820 High Street, Worthington OH, 43085. You can reach them by phone at 618-807-2626 or see their full calendar for month on this web page.

February 8 and Various Other Dates/Times – for All – Take a guided walk-in tour of the Wexner Gallery with knowledgeable docents. The tours are free with gallery admission, and gallery admission is free on Thursday evenings. This month the tours are available on February 8, 13, and 23. Please see this Wexner web page for exact times and more information.

February 14 – Please see our Valentine’s Day events post for all the possibilities. Be sure to book early!

February 17 – for All – Explore Ohio’s presidential heritage and enjoy various programs at Ohio Presidents Day, taking place at the Ohio History Center History Museum, located at 800 E. 17^th Ave. in Columbus. The hours are from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and this special day features rare objects from The Harding Collection, a presentation called Regiment of Presidents, and more. An educational and interesting day for the whole family. Additional information can be found on the Ohio History Collection’s website.

February 17 – for All – When is the last time you and your family went to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium? Would you like to go for free? On President’s Day, you and the family can do just that! You will need to pay $10 per vehicle for parking (if you’re a non-member). You may be surprised how many animals thrive in the cold weather, and what their natural habitats look like. More information can be found here.

February 25 – for All – Gaelic Storm, a Celtic band from Santa Monica, California, bring their traditional Irish and Scottish music to the Newport Music Hall in Columbus. Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are on sale now at $25. Please visit this Ticketmaster site for more information.

February 29 – for Adults – If you like wine and the idea of benefitting the CD102.5 for the Kids charity, make your way to the Columbus Winter Wine Festival on February 29. Costs for this event, taking place at Brewmasters Gate (495 S. Front St., Columbus), range between $15-30. The event is broken up into two sessions: 12-4 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. In addition to getting 10 wine sample tickets, you will get a commemorative wine sampling glass. What better way to gear up for the spring, than saying goodbye to the winter with happy spirits! Full information and tickets can be found on this Eventbrite web page.

This list was accurate at the time of publication, please check directly with the venue to ensure dates, times, and locations remain the same.