Tag Archives: Big Walnut school district

Go Shopping On Friday – For Homes!

Posted on 11/25/2009 | Leave a comment

This is Thanksgiving week. We often find that when family members come into town, if they are considering a move here to be closer to relatives, they make plans to view homes. Sometimes even local buyers plan to shop for their home this weekend when they have vacation days. Friday to Sunday can be “black” days for real estate as well, not just at the retail stores.

If you want to locate in Southern Delaware County, you have plenty of homes to view, no matter the price range. The only segment where there isn’t much is below $100,000 since there are only 7 homes in that range.

There are so many beautiful homes in Southern Delaware County, with many on large lots, wooded lots, on golf courses, whatever suits your fancy. The area includes the suburbs of Powell, Lewis Center and Galena, plus, several townships. Much of it is in Olentangy school district, but also includes portions of Big Walnut and Buckeye Valley districts.

Don’t forget that the $8000 First-Time Home Buyer and $6500 Homeowner Tax Credits are in effect. Plan for it to take a minimum of 45 days from the time you go into contract until closing can occur. (New government regulations have increased the timing.) Read more on the tax credits.

Homes for sale in Southern Delaware County, Ohio

Click to enlarge graph

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

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Posted in Buyers, Central Ohio, Delaware County, Galena Ohio, Home prices, Homes, Homes for sale, Lewis Center Ohio, Powell Ohio

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Home Sales Jan-Oct ’09 vs ’08 IMPROVE!

Posted on 11/11/2009 | 2 Comments

I just updated the Jan-Oct 2009 vs 2008 stats for the homes sold and the average prices for key school districts. Good News! The year-to-year decline was less than it was in June. I think the $8,000 1st Time Buyers Tax Credit helped as those buyers scrambled to take advantage of the credit before it expired.

While the districts still experienced some decline, the declines were modest.

09 v 08 Jan-Oct Home Sales

Click to enlarge graph

Read More:
View Jan-Jun 09 vs 08 Home Sales Report

Read update on $8,000 First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit

 

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

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Posted in Central Ohio, Home prices, Homes, Homes for sale, Housing stats, Schools

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My Crystal Ball Tells Me Fall Home Sales Will Be …

Posted on 10/19/2009 | Leave a comment

How will homes sales be the next three months now that the time has passed for the 1st Time Home Buyers? That’s what a lot of Realtors® are wondering. Will it be a “normal” fall period? Will it go into a slump as happenmind-readered after the “Cash for Clunkers” program ended?

Wait a moment while I get out my crystal ball.

The Oct-Dec period is normally slower because people are busy with holidays. However, the buyers that are shopping are SERIOUS buyers ready to make offers. Even though the weather may be less than ideal, the homes inside often look very attractive with minimalist holiday decorating.

Buyers are eager to get in their new home by the year-end holidays. Sellers are eager to have their home sold prior to the cold months of Jan-Feb. So it can be a great time for negotiations.

I checked to see how the Delaware County market did last fall (Oct-Dec) and compared that to homes currently for sale. Actually, quite  a few homes sold last year, which is a positive sign for sellers. The caution for sellers is to consider last year’s average SOLD price, and perhaps adjust their price now for a greater opportunity to go into contract.

Delaware County Fall Sales
School District # Sold Fall ’08 Avg $ Fall ’08 # For Sale Now Avg List $ Now
Olentangy SD 175 $325,195 674 $496,204
Big Walnut SD 26 $211,417 146 $492,658
Buckeye Valley SD 37 $177,049 109 $344,355
Delaware SD 72 $151,390 156 185,026



Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

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Posted in Buyers, Central Ohio, Delaware County, Delaware Ohio, Galena Ohio, Home buying process, Home prices, Home selling process, Homes, Homes for sale, Housing stats, Lewis Center Ohio, Powell Ohio, Sellers

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Updated – Current Real Estate Property Tax Rates

Posted on 09/10/2009 | 2 Comments

I just updated a real estate property tax rate graph for Franklin County and Delaware County. As might be expected, many taxing areas showed increases versus last year’s update. The graph shows the dollar rate per $1000 assessed value of the home.

TaxGraph

Click to enlarge chart

In central Ohio, we pay property taxes in arrears. The taxes we paid last June were for the period Jul-Dec 2008. The taxes that we will pay the end of this coming Dec, will be for the period Jan-Jun 2009. When a home seller sells their home, they must pay all the taxes that are due up to the closing date. Sometimes, this can equal up to 11 months of taxes. This can be a shocker for sellers if they’ve not considered it or didn’t use a Realtor® who gave them a Net Equity Estimate at the time they listed the home.

Our property taxes help fund our local school districts, which can be a contentious subject. Wealthier areas may be more likely to pass school levies, which can seem to give their district an edge over less wealthy districts. Some people would like to see that discrepancy removed such that all districts are treated more equally, regardless of the property values, and ability of home owners to fund levy increases. No solution has been given yet.

Since the tax rates are used to fund the schools, it’s convenient to also consider the Ohio Dept of Education’s annual Report Card for the districts. The Dept of Education issues one of six grades for each district, as well as for each school. The six grades are:

  1. Excellent With Distinction (Arlington, Dublin, Hilliard, New Albany-Plain Local, Olentangy, Worthington)
  2. Excellent (Big Walnut, Westerville)
  3. Effective (Buckeye Valley, Delaware)
  4. Continuous Improvement
  5. Academic Watch
  6. Academic Emergency

So how is YOUR district doing? Are you getting your money’s worth?

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

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Posted in Central Ohio, Delaware County, Franklin County, Homes, Housing stats, Schools

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Will Hoover Reservoir be YOUR sanctuary?

Posted on 06/14/2009 | Leave a comment

Central Ohio has two main lakes which are both man-made water reservoirs: Hoover and Alum Creek. For me, Hoover Reservoir is the “quiet one” and Alum Creek is the “bustling one”. Speed boats aren’t permitted on Hoover, so it seems more serene with the sail boats, kayaks, and small fishing boats casually floating by as many birds fly overhead.

On any given nice Saturday or Sunday afternoon, your likely to see bike clubs pedaling their way on the tree-lined roads that circle the lake. Red Bank Rd runs along the east side and Sunbury Rd along the west side. The terrain along the Red Bank side is more rolling and the homes that sit between the road and the lake are often hidden within wooded lots with many have ravines. Homes on the Sunbury Rd side tend to have flat lawns, fewer trees, and more unobstructed views of the lake. They also have more traffic as Sunbury Rd is the primary access to many subdivisions on the west side of the road.

Occasionally, there are luxury homes for sale in this Hoover area. It’s a very desirable location not only because of the views but also because of its easy access to the airport or downtown Columbus (~30 min). People can enjoy spending the day in the city, then come home afterward to their own quiet sanctuary.

Except for the lower southwest side of Hoover Reservoir, the area is serviced by the Big Walnut school district which has a report card rating of Excellent with the Ohio Board of Education. Another advantage to the area are lower tax rates than the neighboring Olentangy school district.

If this area sounds like a place you would like to call home, call me first and I’ll try to help you find the perfect place so you can start enjoying your own personal sanctuary.

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

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Posted in Central Ohio, Delaware County, Galena Ohio, Homes, Homes for sale, Schools, Water fun

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May Homes for Sale in Southern Delaware County

Posted on 05/01/2009 | Leave a comment

Starting the first of May, there is still an ample supply of homes for sale to select from at a W-I-D-E range of prices. Here’s what is for sale as of this afternoon for a few school districts.

Homes For Sale as of May 1
School District/Area # Homes Highest Lowest Average
Olentangy/Powell 289 $2,450,000 $179,900 $546,444
Olentangy/Lewis Center 191 $998,900 $154,900 $327,001
Olentangy/Galena 77 $799,700 $254,520 $429,833
Olentangy/43015 116 $7,899,000 $124,900 $632,194
Dublin 372 $3,250,000 $115,000 $562,860
Big Walnut/Galena 61 $4,700,000 $89,900 $485,367
Worthington 213 $995,000 $119,999 $293,958
Delaware 182 $775,000 $57,000 $182,594

Luxury Homes Over $1 Million

If you’re in the market for a luxury home, there are quite a few available in the above areas. There are 37 homes priced over $1 million in the Dublin school district. There are 16 such homes in the Powell portion of the Olentangy district. There are 13 homes priced over $1 million in the 43015 zip code in the Olentangy school district. And in the Big Walnut district there are 2 homes priced over $1 million.

If you’re ready to buy your next dream home, give me a call and we’ll find your next home.

Compare to April 1 homes for sale

Copyright © 2009. Elaine Reese, Real Living HER. Reproduction of any portion of this blog post or the images is prohibited by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. If this post is being viewed on any site other than www.ReesesPiecesOfRealEstate.com then the material has been stolen without permission. Violators will be reported.

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Posted in Central Ohio, Delaware County, Delaware Ohio, Dublin Ohio, Franklin County, Galena Ohio, Home prices, Homes, Homes for sale, Housing stats, Lewis Center Ohio, Powell Ohio, Worthington Ohio

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