North Bank Tower
The tower concept has garnered some serious buzz since the announcement of its impending construction a couple weeks ago.
While there are scheduled to be 88 units, from 1600-2800 square feet, nothing is set in stone at this early stage. The beauty of the tower is that condo homes inside can be configured in a number of different ways.
Nationwide Realty learned from the Burnham Square project that not everyone wants to conform to the floorplans. Why not open a wall here or tear one down there, etc.
Well, with the Tower, you can do darn near anything you want providing you have the money to back you up.
You'd like the whole 14 floor? No Problem. You'd like a Three-Story corner condo unit facing northeast? They'll configure it that way. But get in now, while the getting is good.
Call me.
It's a win-win. You get the space you desire and Nationwide sells the tower out faster, be it 88 units or 72, so long as the space fills up. This is especially good for empty-nester types who don't necessarily want to sacrifice square feet as they downsize. Downsizing chores such as yard work, exterior maintenanceand driving into town to see a show counts too.
Realtor Designations - What do they mean?
Not much really. I don't go around advertising it or putting the initials after my name like a Doctor, but I do possess the accredited buyer representative designation, or ABR (See flashy logo).
I am a big believer in continuing education for Realtors. Real Estate is a profession and I am a professional. As such, I feel it's very important for me to continually update my knowledge regarding my business.If your Realtor doesn't have some kind of designation, they're either so doggone busy buying and selling that they can't update their classroom knowledge or they're just plain too lazy to care.
Where do you stop though? CRS? SRES? CIPS? GRI?You take some classes, you pay some money, you get some more letters to add to the alphabet soup. I am proud of my
Masters Degree in Marketing and Communication though. That took two years and a whole lot of time. I consider it a major differentiator too. I don't think anyone else has a post-graduate marketing degree. I have seen some MBAs though, kudos to them.
So if you are looking to buy a home this year, call me. I am an Accredited Buyer Representative. I have given the extra effort to educate myself and insure that I am representing your best interests as effectively as possible.Obviously I think outside the box more than the next guy, that's why I have these websites and blogs. My saavy could save you money and hopefully put you at ease that you're working with a true professional.
8 on the square flash
You already know there's a 10 year tax abatement on this project but it's a Good thing you read this blog --- Did you know that
All contracts received by 7/30/05 will receive 2 years of condo dues paid by the developer!?That could add up. For example, if you purchased a 946 sq ft one bedroom, one bath unit which of course comes with one parking spot, that'd be a savings of about $7,5000.Call me.
Overall Price Growth Slows, Condos Still Hot
I don't like to post non-Central Ohio Specific numbers and I vehemently oppose the concept a one size fits all "housing market," but:
From the research department of the National Association of Realtors:
February 15, 2006) -- Numerous metropolitan areas showed double-digit annual home price appreciation in the fourth quarter, although the overall pace of growth has cooled slightly, according to the latest survey by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.In addition, annual appreciation in metro area condo prices was mostly in the double-digit range.The association’s fourth-quarter metro area single-family home price report, covering 145 metropolitan statistical areas, shows a record 72 areas with double-digit annual increases in median existing single-family home prices and only six areas posting price declines.
The previous record for areas showing double-digit price appreciation was 69 metros in the third quarter of 2004.The national median existing single-family home price was $213,000 in the fourth quarter, up 13.6 percent from a year earlier when the median price was $187,500. The median is a typical market price where half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less. In the third quarter of 2005, the annual rate of home-price appreciation was 14.7 percent.
David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, says the modest dip in appreciation is an early sign of a market adjustment. “Although home sales have eased, the tremendous momentum in price appreciation was sustained in the fourth quarter because tight inventories still favored sellers,” he says. “The good news is that the supply of homes on the market has been trending up and we are entering a period of a more normal balance in supply and demand.”NAR Launches New Condo Series Beginning with this report, NAR is launching a new series on metro area condominium and cooperative prices, covering changes in 51 markets; co-ops are a very small market share and are included with condo data. In the fourth quarter, the national median existing condo price was $228,200, which is 12.3 percent higher than a year ago.
In all, 27 areas showed double-digit annual gains in the median condo price; there were seven areas with declines.“The national condo price is higher than the median single-family home price because there is a high concentration of condos in the most expensive metropolitan areas,” Lereah says. “The data shows that within a given area, the typical single-family home costs more than the median condo price.”NAR President Thomas M. Stevens says the long-term outlook for home prices and sales is favorable. “There is a powerful underlying demand for homes from a growing population, which will keep housing at a high plateau,” said Stevens, senior vice president of NRT Inc.
“The children of the baby boom generation, often called the echo-boomers, are the second largest generation in U.S. history and are just entering the period in which people typically buy their first home. Along with a strong immigrant impact, and the boomers themselves who remain in peak earnings years, this means the need for housing will stay strong over the next decade and long-term prices will continue to rise,” Stevens says.The biggest single-family price increase in the nation was in the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area of Arizona, where the fourth quarter price of $268,400 rose 48.9 percent from a year earlier. Next was Cape Coral-Fort Meyers, Fla., at $293,100, up 48.0 percent from the fourth quarter of 2004. Orlando, Fla., with a fourth quarter median price of $261,800, was up 42.0 percent in the last year. Most, Least Expensive Areas in U.S. Median fourth-quarter metro area single-family prices ranged from $63,800 in Danville, Ill., to nearly 12 times that amount in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area of California where the median price was $747,000.
The second most expensive area in the United States was the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area at $718,700, followed by the Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine area (Orange Co., Calif.) at $699,800.Other low-cost markets include, Elmira, N.Y., the second least costly metro area at $78,800, and Decatur, Ill., with a fourth-quarter typical resale home price of $84,500.None of the areas with price declines had previously experienced rapid price growth. Generally, these were lower-cost areas experiencing one or both of the conditions necessary for temporary price softness – local economic weakness, mainly in jobs, or a large supply of homes available in the local market.As for condo prices, the strongest gains were in the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area, where the fourth quarter price of $175,600 jumped 50.9 percent from a year ago.
In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area of Florida, the median condo price of $185,400 rose 37.1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2004, while the Honolulu area, at $300,000, increased 36.4 percent. In all, 52.9 percent of the available markets experienced double-digit annual condo price appreciation. The condo price series will be expanded in the future as more data becomes available.Metro area median existing condo prices ranged from $105,700 in Bismark, North Dakota, to $616,800 in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont. The second most expensive reported area for condos was Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, at $406,600, followed by the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos area of California at $390,300.Other low cost condo markets include Rochester, N.Y., at $108,800, and Greensboro-High Point, N.C., at $109,000.Regionally, the strongest increase in the median existing single-family home price was in the West, up 18.2 percent over the last year to $328,500 during the fourth quarter. After Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, the strongest increase in the West was in the Tucson area, at $245,200, up 32.3 percent, followed by Salem, Ore., at $194,100, up 28.3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2004, and Honolulu, at $620,000, up 26.5 percent.In the Midwest, the fourth-quarter median existing single-family home price of $167,600 rose 11.0 percent from the same period in 2004.
The strongest metro increase in the Midwest was in Peoria, Ill., where the median price of $112,700 was 18.4 percent higher than the fourth quarter of 2004. Next was Bismark, N.D, up 16.0 percent, and Danville, Ill., at $63,800, up 12.5 percent in the last year.In the South, the typical existing single-family home price was $185,300 in the fourth quarter, up 9.2 percent from a year earlier. After the Cape Coral-Fort Meyers and Orlando areas of Florida, the strongest increase in the South was in Ocala, Fla., at $161,100, up 41.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2004. Next was Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, where the fourth quarter median price of $223,000 was 32.3 percent higher than a year ago, and the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News area of Virginia and North Carolina, at $220,500, up 31.5 percent.High Appreciation on Gulf Coast “Homes on the Gulf Coast that escaped damage from Hurricane Katrina were in high demand, resulting in strong price appreciation,” Lereah said. The New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner area annual rate of appreciation in the fourth quarter was 29.2 percent, Gulfport-Biloxi was up 24.9 percent and Beaumont-Port Arthur rose 18.8 percent.In the Northeast, the median resale single-family home price during the fourth quarter was $240,300, up 8.0 percent from a year ago.
The strongest increase in the region was in the New York City-Wayne-White Plains area of New York and New Jersey, at $537,300, up 19.2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2004, followed by Reading, Pa., with a median price of $143,200, up 16.9 percent, and the larger region of the New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island area of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, at $459,600, up 16.0 percent.—NAR
The new Kroger
I checked out the new Kroger off Front Street in the Brewery District recently. It's convenient for me to get to as a regular stop so I did my entire 'real' grocery shopping there. The total wasn't bad for the monthly big grocery bill. They had so many great specials that I bought more than I normally would have.
I was impressed with the structure - it looks great outside and feels fine inside.
I liked the wine selection and the beer selection was decent.
I liked the market section that had everyday household and kitchen needs like pots and pans and utensils and essential furnishings--things you can't pick up just anywhere downtown except maybe a city center department store.
The donatos was a good touch, especially the take and bake aspect. I like that they incorporated a few local food items but overall, it's a typical Kroger food selection. I will say that they had a very decent selection of Latino food items, especially by Goya. I can now pick up my arepa corn meal mix there.
The other thing I liked is the parking -- almost all spots are convenient to the front entrance.
In the end, it's not the Nirvana of all shopping experiences and until they deliver groceries from online orders, it's not the fix for downtown grocery shopping either. It's closer though.
here is a rendering featuring the existing warehouse in the front and the tower in the background. How great would it be to sit in your corner unit and listen to the Clippers game on the radio while watching on your balcony. Of course the North facing balconies pictured here won't get too much sun, go for the southwest ones.
North Bank Park Condos
Wow. A twenty story glass and steel tower with 88 2 and 3 bedroom condos. I didn't see that coming and I thought I was in tune with this sort of thing.
I think everyone thought the A&P warehouse building adjacent to the corner of Neil of Spring would go condo and it will, with 21 1 and 2 bedroom units.
These won't be cheap. Miranova North will have price tags from $300,000s to 1 Million plus for the top floor units in the tower.
Saturday's Condo Hop
was a great success.
Thanks so much to the close to twenty people who came along and learned everything there is to know about these Projects in Downtown Columbus:
The Brunson
Lafayette Lofts
City View at Third
60 Spring
The Terraces
The Hartman
Thanks to all the Realtors and Salespeople who took the time to open their projects to us and answer our many questions regarding these fabulous condos.
The March Condo Hop will feature Arena District and Near Short North Condo Opportunities.
60 Spring
This exciting project is on the Condo Hop Saturday and I just wanted to throw out there something I didn't know about the condo fees. The fees, range from $145-170 and include Time Warner cable, natural gas,
gym membership to World’s Gym, convenient trash removal on every floor, concierge service, security, maintenance, etc...
One parking spot per condo is included in the price. Parking is underground, secured with elevator access to the floor of your home. An additional parking spot can be purchased for $7500.00. Stackable washer and dryers are also included. They have a beautiful urban garden courtyard as well as a rooftop common area accessible to all residents and tenants at Sixty Spring. They're also tax abated 100% for 10 years.
Hope to see you on Saturday at 10 AM at Cafe Brioso for February's Condo Hop.
Speaking of Bexley Condo Projects, One Dawson Place is looking fantastic. I was in the building before the exterior walls were up and I can tell you the views from the 3rd and 4th floors are quite nice. Work is going well on the insides of these units and I do believe that there are about 4-5 left for sale.
The Bexley Gateway Project at Main and Parkview has really sprung up out of the ground recently. In the background is the commercial/retail aspect of the project that fronts Main Street. It is amazing how quickly progress seems to go when the steel is up. I imagine many builders around town may be slightly ahead on their projects since the winter weather has been so mild and the ground has not frozen to date.
On Parkview, there will be 31 luxury condos, townhomes and penthouses. It breaks down like this:
PARK THREE AT BEXLEY GATEWAYExclusive Brownstone Condominiums ~three traditional four-story, brownstone-designed condominiums with rooftop terraces, secure garages and private elevators - just north of Bexley Gateway on Parkview.
THE ALEXANDER AT BEXLEY GATEWAYAn Elegant Five-Story Condominium Complex ~an elegant five story 31 condominium within a five-level midrise including private balconies, state of the art fitness center, club room for entertaining and two card rooms, concierge lobby service - just north of Park Three on Parkview.
Some time this week there will be an anouncment of sizes, costs, fees, etc. I have heard the presentation on this project from the developer and it does sound very first class. Soft reservations are being taken as we speak for about $1900. Please give me a call if you have any interest.
February 11th condo tour
Only ten days away, the inaugural condo hop steps off from Cafe Brioso at ten AM sharp.
We will be seeing, not necessarily in this order:
- Hartman Lofts
- Terraces on Grant
- 60 Spring
- Brunson Building
- Lafayette Lofts
- CityView at Third
More news to come later. Please make sure to show up early because we will be on a somewhat tight time line. Please call or email with any questions.
-No, you don't need a car, just come on down and make sure you purchase a cup from our great hosts at Cafe Brioso.
Eight On The Square
Yes, that's the project at the corner of Broad and High which could use Grandview's Heights Project's line "Life at the corner of everything," more effectively since this is the corner widely considered to be the middle of all things Central Ohio.
At any rate, the update is that it has now been completely gutted and one can see the space much better.
Units will have, "1,400 (half floor) to 2,800 (full floor) square feet and offer spectacular views of downtown and the Statehouse. A first-floor lobby will connect the building to the adjacent commercial building to be constructed on North High Street."
In appearance, it will slightly resemble the Brunson Building down high street but with the Balconies facing West, over the "Times Square" style commercial building with the screen and ticker. (Which of course is going to be hard to get used to here in Ol' Columbus, Ohio.)
The tower concept has garnered some serious buzz since the announcement of its impending construction a couple weeks ago.
