About Columbus Real Estate

Spring at Franklin Park Conservatory

Franklin Park Conservatory is a great place to go anytime during the year.  They always have something wonderful going on, but in the Spring (until September 3rd)  they have the wonderful "Blooms and Butterflies" exhibition which is an indoor garden, with a warm tropical climate, of exotic butterflies amidst plants and flowers, waterfalls and small ponds, Chihuly Glass sculptures and even a Pacific Island Water Garden.  The Emergence Center has hundreds of chrysales that you can watch hatch through the glass windows.  Butterfly releases are at 1 and 3 pm daily. 

There are other exhibits at Franklin Park Conservatory, as well as the lovely outdoor gardens where you can walk and enjoy the trees, plants, herb gardens and the flower and tulip gardens.

It's a Columbus area "must see" ~ go and enjoy it soon!

Gorgeous 3 Story Condo in the Desirable Neighborhood of

Falls at Hayden Run includes 2 Pools, 2 Fitness Centers

and a Club house! Close to schools, shopping, parks, and golf courses!

Warm and Welcoming, Shows Like a Model!

ØBright and Cheery – Lovely Open Floor Plan

Ø2 Bedrooms and 1.5 Bathrooms

Ø1588 Sq. Ft - 1,094 Sq. Ft. per Auditor plus another 500 sq. ft. in finished Lower Level

ØBuilt in 2007

Ø$123/month Condo Fees

ØTaxes $2,585 per Year (as of 2011)

Ø1-Car Detached Garage with Opener

ØGreat Room - 15’ x 21’5”, Neutral Carpet

ØKitchen - 15’2” x 10’10” - with Eat-in Space, Vinyl Floors, Stainless Steel Electric Range, Refrigerator & Dishwasher, Sliding Glass Door, Loads of Counter Space

ØMaster BR - 12’10” x 12’3” with Neutral Carpet, 2 big closets, 2 Windows

Ø2^nd Bedroom -12’ x 10’ with Neutral Carpet, 2 Windows

ØFamily Room - 15’ x 21’7” with Neutral Carpet

ØHalf Bath in Finished Lower Level

ØLower Level Laundry Room

ØPet-Friendly Community

ØPatio with Fenced-in Yard

ØVibrant Community includes 2 pools, 2 Fitness Centers, 2 Sand Volleyball Courts, a bar (The Goat) and a Clubhouse!

ØClose to I-270, Tuttle Mall shopping, Dublin Hospital, golf courses, and parks!   1/4 Mile to Giant Eagle Grocery Store!

www.5294BertholdPass.com

December's Season Of Celebrations & Sharing ~ Wildlights at The Columbus Zoo

From November 18th, 2011 through January 1st, 2012, the Columbus Zoo is having their annual Wildlights display.  They have decorated the trees, bushes, buildings and more with over 3 million LED lights.

The show is on Sundays through Thursdays from 5 to 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 10pm (closed Christmas eve and Christmas day).  There is an 8 minute music and light "extravaganza" presented every 30 minutes from 5:45pm to close. 

Plus there are choirs, sleigh rides, and lots of other events going on.  Check it out at the Columbus Zoo website.

Photos copyright by Roberta Kayne, Realtor & Photographer - All Rights Reserved
Specializing in First Time Buyers and Relocation Buyers
Central Ohio - Columbus - Dublin
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource (SFR)
Residential Relocation Specialist (RRS)
Re/Max Affiliates, 614-537-4564
Dublin, Ohio
homes@RobertaKayne.com
www.FindColumbusHomes.com
www.KaynePhotography.com

Franklin Park Conservatory Events ~ December's Season Of Celebrations & Sharing

The holidays wouldn’t be bright and merry without all of the glitter and sparkly, caroling and fun events going on at the Franklin Park Conservatory - aptly titled "Merry & Bright - Holidays at the Conservatory".

Professional Gingerbread Display
Start with the gingerbread creations of six professional bakers on view beginning December 5th.

Seasonal Foliage
Then enjoy the wonder of the Conservatory as it is transformed into a winter wonderland with seasonal décor and twinkling lights both indoors and out, including a display of over 1300 poinsettias of 50 different varieties, a 15-foot poinsettia tree, and over 60 evergreen trees.

Music Box Garden Railway
Take a stroll around the model garden railway, created by nationally recognized artist Paul Busse with structures from classic fairytales, including Cinderella, The Three Little Pigs, The Little Old Lady Who Lived in the Shoe, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Candlelight Nights
December 14, 21, 28; 5-9pm - Free with Conservatory Admission
From 5pm to 9pm enjoy the glow of candlelight and twinkling lights, with live music, café offerings including a cash bar, and special programs for all ages.

December 14 at 7pm - The Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus performs selections from their holiday songs.

December 21 at 7pm  - The Ohio Village Singers perform a concert of 19th century American carols.

December 28 at 7pm - The Magpie Consort sings traditional renaissance and contemporary songs.

And, of course, the Chihuly glass displays are fabulous! 

See more at the Franklin Park Conservatory website.

Photo by Roberta Kayne, Realtor & Photographer - All Rights Reserved
Specializing in First Time Buyers and Relocation Buyers
Central Ohio - Columbus - Dublin
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource (SFR)
Residential Relocation Specialist (RRS)
Re/Max Affiliates, 614-537-4564
Dublin, Ohio
homes@RobertaKayne.com
www.FindColumbusHomes.com
www.KaynePhotography.com

It's back to school time in Dublin -- School starts August 25th - Here are the websites for the high schools for Coffman, Jerome and Scioto. 

Don't know which school to register your child?  Look at the attendance maps or list of attendance by subdivision and apartment. 

Do you want to know more about how Dublin Schools ranks in the state?  Look at their State Report Cards

Want to know when to pick up your schedules? 

      For Coffman High School - Schedule -  Clubs/Organizations 

      For Jerome High School - Schedule -  Clubs/Organizations 

      For Scioto High School - Schedule -  Clubs/Organizations

For School Start Times  - Beginning in 2011-12, school days in Dublin City Schools will run as follows:

Elementary: 9:28 a.m.-3:58 p.m.
AM Kindergarten: 9:28 a.m.-11:58 a.m.
PM Kindergarten: 1:28 p.m.-3:58 p.m.
ELI 11:58 a.m.-1:28 p.m.
AM Preschool 9:05 a.m.-11:35 a.m.
PM Preschool 1:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m.
Middle School: 8:43 a.m.-3:23 p.m.
High School: 8 a.m.-2:54 p.m.

For more information on the schools go to the Dublin City Schools' website.  For individual school contact information go to the Dublin School website with the school's individual pages. 

Roberta Kayne, Realtor & Photographer
Specializing in First Time Buyers and Relocation Buyers
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource (SFR)
Residential Relocation Specialist (RRS)
Re/Max Affiliates, 614-537-4564
Dublin, Ohio

homes@RobertaKayne.com
www.FindColumbusHomes.com
www.KaynePhotography.com

Connect with me :
 

Columbus has many wonderful parks and a great Metro Parks system.  One of the loveliest parks, aside from Whetstone Park of Roses, is Inniswood Metro Gardens.  Inniswood is a 121 acre nature preserve, a part of which was at one time the 37 acre estate of sisters Grace and Mary Innis  

The park is a great place to commune with nature whether it is for education or inspiration, or to just enjoy the quiet, read a book or have a picnic.  What a delightful place to go for "plein air" painting or nature photography -- it makes for a fabulous backdrop for people photography too.

Inniswood is lush with over 2,000 species of beautiful flowers, including wildflowers, plants, herbs and many varieties of trees.  The "Sisters' Garden" was opened to honor the two sisters and to "nurture the nature of the child in everyone".

I was at Inniswood recently, and had the good fortune to capture a few bees busy at work - along with several other photos which I will share later.  If you are in the Columbus area, Inniswood Metro Gardens is most definitely a park to put on your list.

Photos by Roberta Kayne, Realtor & Photographer - All Rights Reserved
Specializing in First Time Buyers and Relocation Buyers
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource (SFR)
Residential Relocation Specialist (RRS)
Re/Max Affiliates, 614-537-4564
Dublin, Ohio
homes@RobertaKayne.com
www.FindColumbusHomes.com
www.KaynePhotography.com

Connect with me :

Yesterday, hundreds of Realtors and Affiliates in Central Ohio participated in Realtor Care Day.  It is a day where Realtors, along with many of our affiliate members (stagers, mortgage lenders, title company sales reps and builders reps, to name a few), go out and perform community service tasks, such as building a park, working in a cemetery, helping elderly homeowners mow, edge, paint, clear shrubs, trim trees, plant flowers, etc.   As President of the Greater Dublin Realty Association, I had the honor of co-chairing the GDRA Realtor Care Day event and an even better honor of participating and giving back to the community.  My vice president, Deb Collier, did most of the organizing. 

Here are a few pictures of us hard at work, and one picture of one of the groups with me in the wheelbarrow -- all of us nice and clean before we started - along with the homeowners.  We worked on a home of a lovely elderly couple who want to stay in their home, but cannot get all of the yard work done on their own anymore.

In Central Ohio, there were about 22 of these projects for Realtor Care Day, and although we all feel tired at the end of the day, we all feel very proud that we did something good to improve our community.  Thanks to all of the local Realtors and Affiliates who gave back yesterday!

Photos by Roberta Kayne, Realtor & Photographer - All Rights Reserved
Specializing in First Time Buyers and Relocation Buyers
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource (SFR)
Residential Relocation Specialist (RRS)
Re/Max Affiliates, 614-537-4564
Dublin, Ohio
homes@RobertaKayne.com
www.FindColumbusHomes.com
www.KaynePhotography.com

Connect with me :

I was recently in Hocking Hills/Logan, Ohio -- just southeast of Columbus, Ohio -- for a NAWBO Board Retreat.  One of the board members told me about some bald eagles that were nesting nearby, and I really wanted to see and photograph them.  So my partner, Martin, and I wandered down the path near the river, and we found a cluster of trees with eagle nests.  We did see an eagle and her baby in the nest.  I did manage to get this photo.

And if I zoom in using Photoshop, here is a close-up view.

Wow, do I wish that I had a longer lens!  

Someone did manage to take a few good close up videos of the mom and baby eagle - here is the link.

Whether it's photography or life, don't you sometimes wish you had a longer lens?  It would make things not only bigger, but clearer, less fuzzy. 

Although I don't work as a Realtor in Logan, I can take care of your real estate needs in and around Columbus, Ohio.

Photos by Roberta Kayne, Realtor & Photographer - All Rights Reserved
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource (SFR)
Residential Relocation Specialist (RRS)
Re/Max Affiliates, 614-537-4564
Dublin, Ohio
homes@RobertaKayne.com
www.FindColumbusHomes.com
www.KaynePhotography.com

Connect with me :

For the past few years, the Westerville Sunrise Rotary has put up 2500 flags to honor the veterans who are serving or have served in our country's armed forces.  This was my first time to visit the Field of Heroes, and I was really in awe of not only the work and pride that they put into the effort but also the beauty and magnificence of the display.  I took about 90 pictures and was able to whittle it down to about 30 of my favorites.  There were many people wandering through the aisles of flags, some looking for names of loved ones in whose honor the flag was dedicated, so you will see some people in the pictures. 

A big thank you from me to all of the men and women who give their time and some their lives to ensure that our lives in America are safe and our freedoms are protected.  We honor you and will never forget the meaning of Memorial Day.

Here are a few of the photos that don't begin to show how grand the whole production is. 

Photos by Roberta Kayne, Realtor & Photographer - All Rights Reserved
Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)
Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)
Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource (SFR)
Residential Relocation Specialist (RRS)
Re/Max Affiliates, 614-537-4564
Dublin, Ohio
homes@RobertaKayne.com
www.FindColumbusHomes.com
www.KaynePhotography.com

Connect with me :

There are approximately 410 single family and condominium properties for sale in Powell, Ohio. Average list price for homes currently for sale is $383,201 with an average of 127 days on market for the active properties. There are 112 homes in contract or contingent status.

HOME PRICES RISE AS INVENTORY DROPS - POSITIVE SIGNS FOR CENTRAL OHIO HOUSING

The number of homes listed for sale this year is lower than the previous year suggesting the central Ohio housing market is continuing its steady recovery. The 3,940 homes added to the market in April represent a 15.1 decrease compared to April of 2010 and the 3,886 new listings in March were almost 22 percent lower than the previous year. The number of new listings January through April (13,247) is almost 20 percent lower than the same period last year.

Sales prices have reflected the surplus inventory on the market for the last few years and housing follows the basic economic principal of supply and demand. When there are more homes on the market than buyers, the price of the home may have to drop to compete.

However, if inventory levels continue to drop, we'll see the price of homes begin to rise again. For instance, the median price of homes added to the market last month - $157,900 - is 5.3 percent higher than inventory added in April of 2010.

Currently, there are approximately 15,146 residential homes available for sale in the central Ohio area - 12,322 single family homes and 2,824 condominiums.

Home sales in April were 8.9 percent ahead of the month prior (1,487); but trailed last year by 25.9 percent. Year-to-date sales (January through April) are 13.2 percent lower than the same period last year.

We didn't expect April sales to come close to that of last year. Last year the home buyer tax credit deadline was April 30 so buyers were breaking down the doors to get an approved contract.

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage was 4.84 percent in April which is the same rate as March; the rate was 5.10 percent in April 2010.