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Columbus & Central Ohio, United States
DeLena Ciamacco is a well-known, respected Top Producing Realtor in Central Ohio. Her myriad of accomplishments, recognition, and professional credentials as they relate to Real Estate, make her a perfect individual to provide insight to the masses on all aspects of Real Estate sales. Her creativity and honest approach to marketing Real Estate has enabled her to succeed in her career. DeLena’s philosophy is “An educated and well prepared Buyer or Seller is a smart Buyer or Seller”. Her desire is to inform the public, by pulling from her 20+ years of Real Estate sales & Marketing, what is necessary to get to a successful closing in these challenging times.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Early holiday shopping can help you budget better



This holiday season is busy, so it might be a good idea to holiday shop early, which can help you spread out expenses and find the best deals.



The holiday decorations have been up in stores since Labor Day. Retailers seem interested in helping you tackle your gift list, even if the bluebird is still flitting around your bird feeders and the only white stuff you've seen was in the snow cone you had at the Labor Day picnic.



Here are some reasons why you should start your holiday shopping early:



* Avoid crowds, lines and the general holiday craziness. You also can avoid the picked-over shelves, ensuring you have good-quality gifts to present to friends and family this year.



* Spread your payments out over several months, instead of receiving one large - and potentially unmanageable - bill in December or January.



* You'll have plenty of time to make sure the gifts are wrapped and shipped to arrive before the party.



* Be the first to purchase the "hot" gift of the season for any children on the list. Make sure you let everyone know that the item is off the table so they don't try to also purchase it.



Now that you've started putting together your idea list, here are some tips to help you find the best deals on those ideas:



* Get online and take advantage of websites dedicated to shopping. Try Fatwallet.com and its shopper forums to research the best deals. Use Ebates.com and its cash back shopping program to earn cash back on everything you buy over the holidays. The check will arrive just in time to help pay your bills. If you want, you can designate all or part of your cash back to a favorite charity to help get your holiday spirit started early. In addition you can go to AnyCoupons.com to find coupons on nearly anything you'll buy.



* Check out brand and product websites for upcoming news and promotions for specific items on your list. Since you've planned ahead, you can take advantage of these special promotions.



* Take the time to find unique stores that might not be available in your community. Use Ebates to find specialty stores and boutiques all across the country that may offer an item at a cheaper price than if you were to shop at a retail store that has to pay middleman prices.



When you have your shopping wrapped up early, you'll be sure to thank yourself as you settle into the holiday season and enjoy the celebrations and activities, rather than stressing over making it to the mall for some last-minute gifts.



Haunted Places of Ohio... Presented By DeLena Ciamacco | Akron Civic Center

LG's Ghost
Civic Theatre's Ghostly Trio - A janitor, a well-dressed man & a girl who committed suicide all have been said to haunt one of Akron Ohio's finest theatres... The Civic Center.
Read below for more details.
 Visit my website for additional information about Real Estate and our Central Ohio Market!  www.DeLena.com

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Words from the Expert...DeLena Ciamacco - Don't "Fall" For the Wrong Home



Don't “Fall” For the Wrong Home
When you go shopping for homes in the fall, you have some advantages. Buyer traffic has slowed due to the holiday season fast approaching. Sellers who've had their homes on the long hot summer market are weary of trying to sell their homes and more willing to drop prices. Your REALTOR has more time for you, and is telling you about all of the good deals.
But there's a reason you might be vulnerable to choosing a home too quickly, even though market conditions are more in your favor. You want to get into your new home before the holiday season starts. You're already under the nesting spell of grey skies, glorious turning leaves, and afternoon football games on TV. It's Thanksgiving at your house this year, everybody!

But wait. The holidays aren't a deadline. It's far better to choose a home that meets your needs no matter what time of year it is.

1. Get preapproved . Your lender will give you a price limit that you can comfortably afford based on your income and debts. These are time-tested formulas that allow some wiggle room in your finances so you won't be house-rich but cash-poor.

2. Shop for the right size, not the biggest . Buying the biggest home you can isn't the best idea. Think about the operating costs of heating, cooling and maintaining all that space. This is money wasted that could be spent on other things you may need such as a new car or furniture.

3. Think about your activities . Think about how you actually use a home. A home with a huge impressive kitchen is a poor investment if you don't cook much, except at Thanksgiving. Do you have the space you need for your home office or art studio? Are there enough bathrooms for the morning rush?

4 . Consider the commute . Newer homes offer the most amenities, but they tend to be far from city centers. How long would you spend commuting to your job every day to live in a particular community? Those are hours spent in traffic that you could be spending with loved ones.

5. Look at the bones of the home . Appliances, wall colors, and flooring can easily be updated, but the basic floorplan has to flow well for the way you live. Look at the traffic flow. Is it easy to let the dog outside and clean muddy paws when he comes back in? Where do the kids put their backpacks when they come home from school?

6. Be willing to update . Many homes are affordable because they're older and need work. Many times, cosmetic updates can turn a so-so home into a treasure. If you set aside your holiday deadline, you can start work on your new home while more contractors are available and possibly less expensive than in the busy summer months.

7. Be sure to get year-round amenities . Remember what you enjoy doing in the fall, winter, spring and summer. The home you want to buy now should make you happy for the fall, but what about warm weather? Will you be able to garden, swim, or entertain outdoors? The best time to buy a home with a pool is in the fall and winter.

When you're comparing homes think about your wish list and which home comes closest to meeting your price, number of bedrooms, condition, space, features and the amenities of the neighborhood. Once you move in, you'll know you fell for the right choice.

Written by Blanche Evans - as seen on DeLena Ciamacco’s Realty Time Newsletter.

“I proudly specialize in Residential, Commercial, Land and Investment Real Estate Sales. I service Franklin, Delaware, Licking and all surrounding counties. I am available for any and all of your Real Estate needs!” -

Please click on the link below for ‘even more’ details and market information.
http://realtytimes.com/203/DeLenaCiamacco
**If you cannot open the link try holding your Ctrl button and clicking on the link again or copying and pasting it into your browser**



Visit my website for additional information about Real Estate and our Central Ohio Market!  www.DeLena.com

Thursday, October 15, 2015

The 15 Scariest Haunted Attractions Of Central Ohio... According To DeLena Ciamacco

Google's Ghost
The
15 Scariest Haunted Attractions In Central Ohio...



 Visit my website for additional information about Real Estate and our Central Ohio Market!  www.DeLena.com

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

How to get your offers accepted to buy properties



The biggest challenge facing most real estate investors is making acceptable offers, especially when buying properties is the basic foundation of real estate investing.



Unless you buy properties, you cannot make any money.



Here is how to make offers that get accepted.



The offer you make depends on the type of property you are buying.



1) Buying from motivated sellers



If you buy houses from motivated sellers, it is necessary to have the following pieces of information:



a) Market Value



Do your due diligence to find out conservatively how much the house would be worth in perfect condition. You must have this information before you can make any offer.



b) Mortgage balance



You must get this information before you can make an offer. A seller who is not willing to disclose this information is not motivated enough. Move on to a motivated seller.



The mortgage balance must allow you to buy the house and still leave you with a profit. It must allow you to make a profit and own it free and clear.



c) Repairs needed



It is possible to estimate repair costs with the information provided by the seller.



You must know how much you need to fix up the house before you can make an offer. Of course, I like to see the house and do my own repair estimates.



d) Asking price



If the owner is asking for too much money given the above 3 pieces of information, the dealmight never happen.



A good asking price must take into account the market value, mortgage balance and repairs. You can then make an offer based on the asking price. Make an offer if the mortgage balance allows you to make a profit.



Even though it is necessary to consider the seller's needs, no offer can be too low. If they are facing foreclosure, then they probably need some money to move, or their asking price might be just enough to get away from the property.



If the mortgage balance is too high compared to the value of the house, it does not make sense to make an offer. Move on to the next deal.



There is no bad offer, except the one you have not made. Always make the offers that make sense to you. You'll be surprised how many get accepted.



2) Buying foreclosed properties



The asking price and repairs are the only important considerations to make in this case. Banks selling these properties are willing to negotiate.



Most REOs are listed below market value. Depending on your exit strategy, if the numbers are close to making sense, by all means make an offer.



Lastly, remember to make your offer lower than the asking price.



by: Simon Macharia

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/home_improvement/article_6984.shtml



Wednesday, October 7, 2015

The best kind of home improvements: high-impact, low-maintenance



(BPT) - Yes, everyone knows making home improvements are a worthy investment in your greatest material asset. Sure you want every improvement job done well with top-notch end results. But when all is said and done, do you really want to have to put a lot of effort and money into maintaining those improvements? For most people - whether they'll admit it or not - the answer is "no."



The best home improvements are the ones that not only enhance your home's value and livability, but also require little work from you afterward to keep them looking great and functioning well. If you're looking for high-impact, low-maintenance home improvements, consider these popular projects:



No-leak skylights



When it comes to an improvement that brightens your home, enhances its indoor air quality and boosts energy-efficiency, skylights deliver. Unfortunately, early skylights had a reputation for being leaky - a problem that simply doesn't occur with modern, no leak, energy-efficient skylights. Pre-engineered flashing kits (the metal shield that surrounds any opening in a wall or roof) work with all types of roofs, from shingles to metal, to ensure a properly installed skylight won't leak.



Need further low-maintenance points to make the case for adding a skylight? Not only do modern skylights keep water out, they're energy efficient as well. Energy Star-qualified, no leak solar-powered fresh air skylights, like those from Velux, deliver fresh air through cost-effective passive ventilation. Adding remote-controlled, solar-powered blinds allows you to easily open or close a fresh air skylight and shade it when the sun hits that part of the roof, boosting the skylight's energy efficiency by 39 percent. Keep the shade open during cold weather to admit warmth and reduce heating costs. A 30 percent federal tax credit on both products and installation costs makes a skylight project even more appealing. Visit www.veluxusa.com for a tax calculator to show your savings for a new installation or replacement skylights and a skylight planner app to show exactly how skylights and blinds will look in any area of your home.



Lighting upgrade



Older light fixtures not only look dated, they often use outdated, inefficient bulbs and are lacking in the energy-efficient emphasis that comes with newer fixtures. Upgrading lighting throughout your home is a great way to ensure you won't have to think about it again any time soon.



If a total lighting redesign is out of the question, you can still make your existing light fixtures lower maintenance simply by swapping out old, inefficient incandescent light bulbs with newer, electricity-sipping versions. Options like CFLs and LEDs provide all the light of incandescents while using a fraction of the energy. Energy.gov says Energy Star-rated LEDs use at least 75 percent less power than incandescent bulbs, and last 25 times longer. Imagine the time, hassle and money you'll save not having to replace bulbs constantly - especially in lights that get a lot of use, like porch lights, or that are hard to reach, like the chandelier in your two-story entryway.



Vinyl siding



Wood, fiber cement, stucco, brick - there are nearly as many types of exterior siding as there are colors to paint it. When it comes to low- or no-maintenance siding, vinyl remains the gold standard. In fact, more new homes are built using vinyl siding than any other type of siding product, according to the Vinyl Siding Institute.



While early versions of vinyl siding earned criticism for being less lovely than wood, even those less sophisticated versions had staying power; it's possible to find homes in use today sporting vinyl siding that was added to the house a while back.



Vinyl siding never needs to be painted, and when properly installed provides exceptional shielding from the elements. New technology has made modern vinyl siding look better and last longer without fading issues associated with older versions of vinyl. It requires basic cleaning, and overall maintenance demands are much less than other types of siding.



Tuesday, October 6, 2015

NEW LISTING IN GAHANNA!




JUST LISTED!  
~320 Wynne Ridge Court.~

AWARD WINNING, FORMER PARADE HOME BY CV PERRY!
 Amazing ~1/2 acre wooded, cul-de-sac lot overlooking ravines. Neighborhood adjoins the Columbus Academy. ~5,200 SF on 3 finished levels! Two-story Foyer opens to the Family Room with entertainment area. Giant, fully applianced Kitchen with wrap around cherry cabinets, corian counters, walk-in pantry & oversized center island. Butler's pantry/wet bar. First Floor Den & Laundry. Spacious Master Suite has Sitting Area, huge walk-in closet & luxurious whirlpool Bath. Finished Basement has 2 Recreation Areas, Kitchenette/Bar & Full Bath. Intercom system, central vac, 6 panel doors & more. Just minutes to Creekside, Easton, the airport & downtown Columbus. 4 BRs & 4.5 Baths. Gahanna schools. Only $499,900! Call DeLena Today!
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