163rd Ohio State Fair Guide

The Ohio State Fair | July 27th - Aug 7th 

Ohio's culture is deeply rooted in tradition and the annual Ohio State Fair is no exception. If you're planning on heading to the 163rd Ohio State Fair which opened yesterday, I have a few tips for you from discounts and apps to can't miss exhibitions, Pokemon Go and more!

Highlights

For those of you who have been coming to the fair for years, be sure to check out the new attractions Sea Lion Splash and Arctic Olympics High Dive Show throughout the duration of the fair!

If you're heading down with little ones they can ride a camel ($5) or a pony ($4) in Kiddieland. You can have lots of free fun playing a giant game of tic tac toe with the family, stopping by the Monster Mural to see if you have a future Picasso on your hands and/or petting all of the adorable animals at the petting zoo.

The fair proudly hosts different educational attractions like the AG Is Cool Interactive Stations, OSU Phun with Physics, OVMA Veterinary Center, Backyard Conservation & Gardening and the Ohio State Beekeeping Association. 

Looking to show off this year? We have the Old Familiar Beard Bash Competition, the Ohio Best Tattoo Competition presented by High Street Tattoo and the Sunburst Beauty Pageant! If you're on the fence between spectator and star, there is also the Zumba Hip Hop Fitness Extravaganza and Dance Arts by Habeeba where you can observe different dance genres and try to learn a step or two. 

Help protect the great state of OHIO from a zombie apocalypse in the exciting new paintball course, Zombie Acres, presented by CD 102.5. Every vote counts for the People's Choice Award at the Pork Rib-Off, yes voting does mean that you will get a free sample of the best pulled pork, ribs and barbecue sauces in the state. Don't forget to participate in the Guinness World Record Breaking Ice Cream Eating Contest with Velvet Ice Cream on August 3rd at 11:30am!

Traditions

In the 1900s the tradition of butter sculpting contests began, however originally they had no restrictions on what they could sculpt. In 1903 the first butter sculpture of a cow and calf was featured and later added as a permanent fixture at the fair when the Dairy Products Building was constructed in the 1920s. In the later years, new cow and calf sculptures were created to reflect the positive ideals and cultural trends in Ohio. Some previous sculptures include Jack Nicklaus, Dave Thomas of Wendy's, Furby, Darth Vader, Neil Armstrong, Columbus' Bicentennial Birthday cake and more!

Last year's surprise sculpture was a tribute to the Ohio State University Buckeyes national championship in the college football playoffs! Keeping in theme, this year's sculpture commemorates the Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 NBA Championship victory.

FOOD

Have no fear, technology is here! The Ohio State Fair has created a mobile food finding app to help you sort through the nearly 200 different food vendors until you find the one (or two, or three, or more) that hit the spot. You can download the android version here and the Apple version here. The app also includes a schedule, a very handy park & pin feature, map, competition results and more! If you're not an app user, don't worry just keep walking, follow your nose and you will find plenty of food options from chocolate covered bacon and deep fried candy bars to traditional and delicious fair food or an assortment of ethnic cuisine. 

Entertainment

The entertainment this year is going to be amazing! The separately ticketed concert series events feature Charlie Puth w/ DNCE, Maddie & Tae, Kenny Rogers, Rachel Platten w/ A Great Big World, Dollie Parton and more. Jeff Dunham will also be at the fair on August 4th and 7th. The All Ohio State Fair Band & Youth Choir Concert is a non-ticketed event that will be on Sunday 31st at 1:00pm. For a full list of concerts visit here, for stage entertainers visit here, for Roving Entertainment please visit here and for a full list of FREE LIVE MUSIC visit here. 

This year fair officials made an effort to not only honor the past, but embrace the future and technology. In addition to an app, they have also jumped on the POKEMON GO bandwagon with 17 Pokestops and Pokegyms throughout the fairgrounds. You can view a full map here!

Tickets

You can purchase tickets at the fair, or for a discounted rate at your local Kroger, Ohio O'Reilly Auto Parts store and participating Ticketmaster & AAA locations. Keep in mind if you plan on attending a concert, those tickets are sold separately, but they do include fair admission. If you're looking to save some extra money, download and print this coupon book or attend the fair on one these special promotion days! 

Don't forget to download the Ohio State Fair APP which includes a schedule, a very handy park & pin feature, a map, competition results and more! Android version is available here and the Apple version here. 

This is NOT a full list of all the wonderful things going on at the 163rd Annual Ohio State Fair, but I hope it helps to get everyone started. I personally have always loved the crazy mouse ride, monkey show and general people watching. Please stay hydrated, safe and have lots of fun!

Tag #ColumbestHomes in your pictures of your favorite fair events so I can see what everyone enjoyed!

This Month in Real Estate: July 2016

Here are the national real estate statistics for July 2016!

Home sales are still moving up now at 5.5 million and the average price is up to $240,000 which is up 3.8% from June and up 4.7% from July 2015 making it an amazing time to sell!

The average interest rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage is down to 3.54% which gives buyers a great incentive to keep purchasing in this intense seller's market! For more on my strategy to help buyers keep reading...

I had my biggest closing so far on June 30, 2016 and was told that it was the busiest closing day for Ohio ever! It's exciting to be in this industry at such an interesting time and I'm very proud to be getting my buyers what they want in this seller's market. My buyers have closed at an average of 89% of list price at a time when people are in bidding wars and paying so much that the appraisals aren't even coming in at their offer price. One of my buyer's was thrilled to have instantly appreciated on his new home by $11,000 because of the appraisal value.

If you want someone to fight for you and be creative in this bustling market you won't regret having me in your corner! July is a very special month for me because it's my birthday as well as my sister's, my niece, my nephew and it's the month that I got engaged in Yellowstone. Not to mention celebrating living in the U.S.A. with our differences, troubles, triumphs but most importantly our freedom.

Hope you are having a wonderful summer! I give great referral gifts and would appreciate the opportunity to earn the business of your family, friends and coworkers.

Columbest Summer Events

Mark your calendars for the Columbest Summer of 2016

Living in such a great city makes my job as your local, lifestyle, REALTOR® great. There are many diverse and unique areas within Greater Columbus that all have something special to offer. The best part is that no matter where you live, you can experience highlights of each area, different cultures, music, art, food and more through these summer festivals! I encourage you to go to a festival you've never been to or explore an area of the city you're less familiar with this summer. Engage, explore and enjoy!

 
 
 
 
 
 

Hope everyone has a great summer in Columbus! If you or anyone you know is looking to rent, buy, sell or invest in real estate please let me know at pfjohnson@kw.com or 614-638-5817 

I also highly recommend this Columbus Summer Checklist from Morgan at Columbus Living Blog! Thanks to Columbus Underground, Experience Columbus and more for aggregating all of the wonderful things happening this summer.

This Month in Real Estate: April 2016

The National Statistics for April show that the projected home sales dipped and the median home price fell to $211,000, however that number is still up 4.4% from this time last year. The interest rate is up from 3.62% in March to 3.73% now, however still down from 3.96% in January. For more information on our local market or how these numbers affect you, please contact me at pfjohnson@kw.com.

Why it pays to have a REALTOR

So, why is it so important to have a REALTOR® when you buy a home?

As a licensed real estate professional I provide much more than the service of helping you find your ideal home. As a REALTOR®, I'm an expert negotiator with other agents, seasoned financial advisor with clients, and a superb navigator around Greater Columbus. I'm a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the Columbus Board of Realtors and must abide the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice that they enforce. As a hard working, tech savvy, personalized professional Realtor® I will be your best resource when buying your home.

Time, Money & Frustration

By using me as your Realtor through my experience, knowledge and skills you will experience a smooth, advised and efficient home search process. Especially when the market is this hot, you have no time to waste trying to get the right info on a property and find a way to see it (first).

Targeted Search

As a Realtor I have access to the MLS which hosts the most accurate, up to date information on available houses unlike popular websites such as Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia etc that have outdated listings and misleading information. When I set you up on a search, the homes that match your criteria will come to you!

Full Access

I can help you with any home, even for sale by owners. I can also use my network to facilitate off the market offers and learn about houses that may suite you before they are even on the market giving you a major advantage over other buyers.

Vendor Selection

Finding the right lender, title company, home inspector and repair work if needed can be a daunting process and has a huge impact on your future. I can recommend trusted vendors that will take great care of you.

Community & Lifestyle

I’m an avid believer that where you live and what type of home you live in should enhance your lifestyle. Once I get to you know, I will help you find the right community and home to suite you, your needs and your dreams!

Negotiation

I’m experienced at presenting offers to homeowners and can help you through the process of negotiating the best price and other important factors. Price alone is not always the most important issue in a contract. From financing type to contract term, closing costs, inspection, remedy, possession and more I approach each contract differently based on what's important to the seller and how much flexibility my buyer has. 

The best thing about me as your Realtor is that all this help will not cost you a cent!! the Seller of the home you buy pays my commission to my Brokerage, so there is no reason not to have your best interests represented! 

 
 

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