This Friday: The Short North Civic Association premieres “Screen on the Green” at Goodale Park, featuring “Raising Arizona”

At sunset. A cult classic.

Donations are appreciated so that we may have more movie nights. Donors will be eligible for a drawing for gift certificates from area merchants including Basi, Jeni's, and Cameron Mitchell!

clipped from www.shortnorthcivic.org On Friday, July 31st around sunset, the Short North Civic Association invites neighbors and friends to grab a blanket and gather under the stars at Goodale Park for a free outdoor screening of “Raising Arizona.” The hilarious 1987 cult favorite from the Coen brothers, ranked number 31 on the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 movie comedies, stars Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter as a hapless couple whose baby lust leads to kidnapping, armed robbery, blackmail and a visit from “the lone biker of the Apocalypse.” Frances McDormand, John Goodman and William Forsythe co-star. The feature will be preceded by a classic Warner Bros. cartoon. “Raising Arizona” is rated PG-13 for adult content, language, some violence and criminal activity. The Screen on the Green program will begin at 9:00 p.m. on the softball field at Goodale Park, located at the corner of W. Goodale St. and Dennison Ave. There is no rain date. Concessions by Rad Dog! vegan hot dogs and Clintonville Community Market!

Columbus Dispatch: [In Central Ohio] Glimmer of hope in home sales

Click on the link to read the entire article. For most areas of Central Ohio, we are at or close to the bottom. See my post from two days ago with the charts.

clipped from www.dispatch.com Home sales improved locally and nationally from May to June, fueling optimism about early signs of an economic recovery. Although central Ohio sales last month were down nearly 7 percent from a year earlier, they jumped 15.6 percent from May. June's 2,092 sales were the most in 10 months. "We're still not out of the woods," said James Newton, chief economic adviser for Commerce National Bank in Columbus. "But undeniably, this has to be seen as a good sign." Central Ohio real-estate professionals pointed to a continued reduction in homes on the market as a sign of stabilization, which is needed for an eventual rise in prices. June's average sales price of $169,270 was 6.2 percent less than a year earlier, but it was up slightly from May's $168,576. ry Parsons, president of the Columbus Board of Realtors, said in a statement. The organization counted a 7.12-month supply of homes on the market in June, down from 8.21 months in May and an 8.03-month supply in June 2008.

Sheriff’s Sales: 1 in 3 Franklin County Home Sales

Interesting data.

clipped from www.columbusunderground.com By Jung Kim | July 23, 2009 1:51pm | Filed under Development | Comments Community Research Partners’ third Data Byte is out! This Data Byte looks at sheriff’s sales in Franklin County and its school districts. A sheriff’s sale is the process by which the county sheriff appraises a property’s value and sells it at a foreclosure sale or auction. In 2008, sheriff’s sales represented one in three (32%) sales of 1-3 unit residential properties in the county and one in five (20%) condominium sales, up from 12% and 3% respectively in 2003. Rates vary across school districts, from 6% in Upper Arlington to over half (55%) in Whitehall. Click here (PDF) to read this Data Byte and learn more about the growing issue of sheriff’s sales.

Central Ohio Real Estate Market Data Release-CRITICAL

This is data for the ENTIRE Central Ohio Area. If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, this is critical market information. Send me an email and I can send you data for your neighborhood or your future neighborhood.

Click on the image to increase the size

Columbus Ohio's Oktoberfest is back on!!!

clipped from www.10tv.com COLUMBUS, Ohio — This year's Oktoberfest is back on. Schmidt's Restaurant and Sausage Haus announced plans Monday to keep the annual celebration going, 10TV News reported. The announcement came after the German Village Society said earlier this month that the event was canceled because of budget cuts and staff cuts. Oktoberfest will run from Sept. 25-26 at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Admission to the festival is free, but attendees will pay for parking. Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for additional information. Previous Stories: July 10, 2009: Restaurant Tries To Save Oktoberfest July 7, 2009: Organizers Cancel This Year's Oktoberfest Monday,  July 20, 2009 5:43 PM

NPR: Magazine Writes New Rules For Polite Digital Society

Nice story that has nothing to do with real estate. Click on the link to read or listen to the entire article.

clipped from www.npr.org All Things Considered, July 19, 2009 · In the world of social media, there have gotta be some rules, right? The August issue of Wired magazine's cover story is titled, "How to Behave: New Rules for Highly Evolved Humans." For the article, editors at Wired asked a group of social scientists to develop etiquette for new technology and social media. "There was a lot of subjective opinion on how to behave," Wired editor Nancy Miller says. "We sort of decided that the best way to go about this was the Wired way, which is try to find a scientific approach ... to explain why and how we behave like we do, and what makes sense in this new era of technology." Some Of The Rules Don't lie with your Facebook photo. If you can't buy it online, feel free to BitTorrent. Don't hesitate to haggle on Craigslist. Don't Google-stalk before a first date. Never broadcast your relationship status. Texting in the company of others is OK.   On Wired.com The Entire List Of Rules, And The Explanation Behind Them

Don't Forget the Short North Summer Sidewalk Sale Friday and Saturday 11-4pm

Click on the link to view the entire article

clipped from www.shortnorth.org Retail shops on and adjacent to High Street from Goodale Street to Fifth Avenue It’s time for the annual Short North Summer Sidewalk Sale. This two day event features amazing offers from the district’s favorite shops. It’s the most outrageous sale of the year. Mark your calendar: Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18. Core hours for the sale will be 11 am – 4 pm. Some businesses will continue their sale well into the evening. Come early for the best selection. Sample savings: •    Alexander’s Jewelers –take an extra 20% off all diamonds already on sale •    Collier West – up to 90% off •    Emperor’s Newest Clothes – 15%-50% off selected items •    Go Figure Consignment – items as low as $2 •    Jinny – up to 50% on selected items •    Luxe De Vie – up to 75% off •    On Paper – up to 75% off •    Paradise Garage – up to 70% off •    Posh Pets Boutique – select items $5 •    Substance for Fashion Conscious People - 25%-50% off spring and summer styles •    Torso – select items $10 •    Undone – BOGO Bras and up to 70% off shoes

Westerville, Ohio (a Columbus suburb) named as 15th Best Place to Live in US

clipped from www.columbusunderground.com By Walker | July 15, 2009 1:00pm | Filed under Development | Comments A new survey released by CNNMoney has ranked the top places to live all across the country and Westerville (the largest suburb of Columbus) was the top Ohio city, clocking in at number 15 on the charts. The city was noted for their historically preserved Uptown District, quiet streets with historic homes, quick commute to Columbus, and loads of parks and recreational amenities. The Top 100 includes a total of six Ohio cities. You can view the full list here.

Columbus Dispatch: German Village tested by crime, infighting

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clipped from www.dispatch.com A summertime crime spree. A canceled Oktoberfest. And enough turmoil in the German Village Society that it's hired a consultant to act as a marriage counselor of sorts to try to patch things up among members. Not a comfortable time for a high-profile Columbus neighborhood prized by many for its reputation as a comfortable place to live and visit, with its well-maintained brick homes and popular restaurants. While it's not the end of the world, the events have pitched the well-to-do community into a well of unwanted attention. "Any one of those things would be difficult to deal with," said Brigid Butler, president of the German Village Society. "It's a rough spot," said Bill Curlis, a society board trustee and community leader. Rough enough that Executive Director Erin O'Donnell told society members she was resigning after six months on the job. How tough was the job? She is going back to being a Republican fundraiser.

In Columbus, open houses making comeback as tough market persists

Click in the link to read the entire article.

You can also view innovative video virtual tours at http://www.youtube.terrypenrod.com

clipped from www.columbusdispatch.com Home shoppers can tour a home on their phone, schedule an appointment online and "virtually" visit a neighborhood on their computer. But with home sales at their lowest levels in years, buyers and sellers are dusting off a low-tech staple: the open house. Open houses started to decline in the early part of the decade, as the industry boomed and the Internet allowed prospective buyers to shop online. Last year, though, 59 percent of sellers hosted open houses -- up from 51 percent during the height of the housing boom in 2005, according to the National Association of Realtors. Open houses are also gaining in popularity among shoppers, the association says: 48 percent of buyers visited an open house last year, far above the 28 percent who did so in 2000. "We've been looking online, but there's only so much you can see from the Internet," said Bob Jennings, who has been visiting open houses to help his mother-in-law, Barbara Wood, pick a condominium.

In Columbus Ohio: Glen Echo: 'Pocket neighborhood'

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clipped from www.dispatch.com Glen Echo Ravine might be among Columbus' underappreciated assets, a green and inviting getaway that winds below a sometimes loud and belligerent city. While a nearby train horn bellows and a jet angling for a Port Columbus landing roars overhead, a visitor can descend into a little tranquillity, wandering an area that looks more like the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania than tabletop central Ohio. It's a big reason that people have chosen to live nearby. But its seclusion also has led some to believe that neighborhood leaders and City Hall don't listen to their needs. "It shows distinctly how isolated we are," said Martha Buckalew, a longtime neighborhood leader who helped lead an unsuccessful effort two years ago to break away from the University Area Commission and join the Clintonville Area Commission. Working together in a Glen Echo community garden are, from left, Trish Dehnbostel, left, of Local Matters; Marty Robertson and Phil Hampe. Click here to enlarge" /> Glen Echo: 'Pocket neighborhood'

Thousands tell the Franklin County Board of Revision their homes have lost value

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clipped from www.dispatchpolitics.com Droves of property owners are coming to the Franklin County Courthouse armed with area sales prices, reappraisals and a plea: Lower my taxes. And, largely, they're winning. Fueled by economic desperation or thrift, a record number of property owners are arguing that their homes or businesses are no longer worth the amount used to calculate their taxes. The Board of Revision has heard 1,470 of the 6,700 appeals filed; an additional 1,000 decisions are nearly done. Ninety percent of the time, the board has agreed with owners and granted a lower valuation. The high success rate, however, may be misleading. The board front-loaded the easiest cases -- those in which homeowners submitted obvious proof to support a quick judgment. A drop in valuation doesn't translate dollar-for-dollar to a lower tax bill. Taxes are calculated by multiplying the value of a property by the millage of local levies. People are scared, Testa said, and that's fueling the rush to his office.

J. Gumbo's Opens Tomorrow at 31 East Gay Street Downtown

clipped from www.columbusunderground.com On Tuesday at 11am, J. Gumbo’s will open their doors at 31 E. Gay Street (corner of Gay & Pearl in the former Skambo space) and start serving up a variety of Cajun and Creole dishes. The revamped space has preserved the seating areas both upstairs and downstairs, and will also have patio seating available out front. Their walk-up window in Pearl Alley will be utilized for phone orders to-go, and an outdoor tent will be set up outside on Tuesdays and Fridays during the Pearl Market for sampling. The management team stated earlier today that their hours should run from 11am to 10pm Monday through Saturday, and that a liquor license is currently being obtained. Happy hour specials will be offered, and live music will accompany specials on certain evenings. Wallspace in the downstairs area will be dedicated to featuring local artists and will be rotated on a monthly basis. A wall mural is being commissioned for the upstairs dining area. More information can be found online at JGumbos.com.

Goodale Park Music Series Returns This Weekend

Click on the link to view the entire interview.

clipped from www.columbusunderground.com By Walker | July 8, 2009 2:26pm | Filed under Events, Music | Comments The Short North Sunday Jazz series has become a well known outdoor summer music event in Goodale Park. But funding was cut from the Columbus Department of Parks & Recreation who hosted the event, and it was forced to be cancelled for 2009. Thankfully, community leader Alexandra Kelley decided that she would volunteer her time, energy, and connections to keep the festival alive. The name has changed to the Goodale Park Music Series, but the enjoyment should remain the same. We conducted a quick Q&A with Alex to find out more about the event, which starts up on Sunday. Q) What prompted you to step up to save this music event series? A) Goodale Park is one of my favorite places in the world. I loved those lazy Sunday afternoons lying on a blanket with friends listening to live music.

First tenants at Grandview Yard unveiled

clipped from columbus.bizjournals.com Plans for the first phase of the Grandview Heights mixed-use development include a 126-room hotel, a fitness center and a 90,000-square-foot office building. The city’s planning commission will consider the Hyatt Place hotel, Urban Active fitness center and a planned Jason’s Deli in the office building as conditional uses. The preliminary and final development plan must go through the commission as well as Grandview Heights City Council. Construction on the three buildings and the first phase of road and utility projects could begin as early as late August. The office, hotel and fitness center should open in fall 2010, said Nationwide Realty President Brian Ellis.