Migration Has Begun...

I decided to migrate this blog to its own domain, so the posts have been reposted at:

www.delawareohrealestate.com

Please make any adjustments you need to and visit me there -- early and often!

Toby

Delaware County Real Estate: October 8-14

The market is coming back!

Active

• Number: 1,713
• Squre Feet: 3,733
• Bedroom: 3
• Bathroom: 2.1
• Days on Market: 131
• Listing Price: $389,420
• Sold
  Number: 14
• Squre Feet: 2,390
• Bedroom: 3
• Bathroom: 2.1
• Days on Market: 132
• Listing Price: $286,732
• Sales Price: $277,198

Withdrawn

• Number: 24
• Squre Feet: 2,563
• Bedroom: 3
• Bathroom: 2.1
• Days on Market: 135
• Listing Price: $344,174

The Week that Was in Delaware Ohio

Starting to see a recovery from the real estate supposed burst of the real estate bubble that scared all the buyers and sellers into hiding.

Status	No.	Sq.Ft.	Bed	Bath	DOM	List	Sales
Active	312	1,816	3	1.1	106	$184,855	--
Sold	4	1,594	3	2.1	72	$156,962	$148,800
Withdrawn	2	1,513	2	2.1	117	$191,00	--

Know Your Neighborhood

When you are looking to purchase a home there are a lot of things that people think to look at - with the school district being the most obvious.

• Registered Sex Offenders - Use the link to find the registered sex offenders located within one mile of the address you are considering. Should you not purchase a home because a sexually oriented offender is in the neighborhood? I don't believe so, as it would be virtually impossible to find a neighborhood without any sexual offenders - and even if you do there is virtually no way to say that one will not move in the day after you close. However, a baby-sitter would probably be a lot more concerned (with good reason) than a dog would be.
• School Rankings - This is like trying to hit a bulls eye from a moving truck. There are as many rankings as schools and each one looks at different things, which makes it almost impossible to figure out which school district is "better". Of course, the school's with more money offer more options than the more cash-strapped schools. Personally, I think the "ratings" are over-rated and that it is up to the student to make the most of the opportunity.
• Crime Rates - Another "stat" based concept that is difficult to "measure" depending on your location and the amount of crime in the area. For example, I was born in a rural Amish community (Nunda) before moving in with Toby and Gretchen in Delaware when I was seven weeks old. An Amish community of roughly 100 residents and an exploding city of 25,000-plus people are going to have completely different crime rates. And the same can be said about comparing Delaware and Columbus.

A real estate agent can't (or shouldn't) use the above information to persuade you to purchase a home - s/he really should provide you with access to the information and then allow you to form your own opinion.

If you've been reading this blog, hopefully you are currently working with a buyer's agent (they are your security blanket - and usually "free!"), but if you are still "just looking" here are a couple of things to keep in mind.

• Getting a feel for the property values in the neighborhood you are buying in is very important.
• The Auditor's site (Delaware County auditor) can be a wealth of information including the tax rate, what the past several owners paid for the home, and maybe even a diagram of the property depending on the county.

Hope this helps and if you are looking for a home in Ohio, look me up!