CENTRAL OHIO REAL ESTATE MARKET NEWS....

Central Ohio housing market saw record highs and lows in 2016 (Jan. 24, 2017 – Columbus, OH) –  Central Ohio ended 2016 with the highest number of home sales and the highest home prices on record. 2016 also saw the lowest months supply and days on market, due to the lowest inventory levels on record for the Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service. The 31,532 home sales recorded in 2016 rose 6.8 percent above 2015 and marked a 58.9 percent increase from our lowest point (2011) since the last housing boom in the mid 2000’s. Of those sales, 26, 832 were single family homes and 4,700 were condominiums. The average sales price of a central Ohio home in 2016 has now cleared the $200,000 mark at $202,224, up 5.8 percent from 2015 and up almost 30 percent from 2011. The median sales price of a home in 2016 was $170,000, which is 6.3 percent higher than the previous year. The average sales price is the total volume divided by the number of homes sold. The median is the midpoint -- half the homes sell for less, while half sell for more. Of the homes sold in 2016, 4,405 (14 percent) sold for $80,000 or below in an average of 61 days; 4,273 (14 percent) sold for $80,001 - $120,000, selling on average in 44 days; 5,902 (19 percent) sold between $120,001 and $160,000 and in about 32 days; 9,029 (29 percent) sold for $160,001 - $250,000 and sold in an average of 33 days; and 7,923 (25 percent) sold for over $250,000 and took about 54 days to sell. “Soaring home prices are another reflection of how hot the central Ohio housing market is, which continues to be beneficial for anyone who might be looking to list their home for sale,” said Mic Gordon, 2017 President of Columbus REALTORS®. “With inventory at a record low, there couldn’t be a better time than the present to put your home on the market.” Throughout 2016, the number of homes on the market stayed an average of 21.8 percent lower than in 2015. Central Ohio experienced the lowest inventory on record in the month of December 2016 with only 4,653 homes and condos available for sale. This is a 13.8 percent decline from November and 26.1 percent drop from the previous year. The months supply of inventory at the end of 2016 hit a record low at 1.7 meaning that, if no more homes were added to the market, it would take less than two months to sell all of the homes and condos currently for sale in central Ohio. (A balanced market is usually around 6.5 months supply.) During 2016, central Ohio homes and condos spent an average of 43 days on the market – 12 days fewer than 2015 and another record low. “With the highest sales and prices, yet the lowest inventory, 2016 was indeed a year of record highs and record lows for the Columbus region,” said Gordon. “Many houses are selling almost as quickly as they come on the market, which further affirms how attractive and desirable homes are in central Ohio.” There were 1,468 central Ohio homes and condos added to the market in December, which is a 2.5 percent decrease in inventory from one year ago and 33.3 percent lower than the previous month (November). The average sales price of a home in December was $196,225, up 7.2 percent from last year. The median sales price was $163,000, a 5.2 percent increase over December 2015. There were 2,252 central Ohio homes and condos sold in December, which is a 1.1 percent increase over the previous month and remains unchanged from December 2015. According to the latest Housing Market Confidence Index by the Ohio Association of REALTORS®, 94 percent of central Ohio REALTORS® would describe the current housing market as moderate to strong and 92 percent expect home prices to rise over the next year. When asked how the residential real estate market will perform in 2017, 45 percent said it will improve at a fast to moderate rate, 43 percent said it will continue at its current rate and 12 percent said it will slow at a fast to moderate rate. Current housing report – December 2016 Annual 2016 housing report All housing reports Columbus REALTORS® is comprised of over 7,700 real estate professionals engaged in residential sales and leasing, commercial sales and leasing, property management, appraisal, consultation, real estate syndication, land development and more. The Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway and Union Counties and parts of Athens, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Knox, Logan, Marion, Muskingum, Perry and Ross Counties.

Copyright © 2017 Columbus REALTORS®, All rights reserved. Source: Columbus REALTORS® 2700 Airport Drive, Columbus, OH Columbus, OH 43219 Jan. 24, 2017

10 States With Best Economic Prospects

Daily Real Estate News | Wednesday, December 28, 2016

North Dakota tops a list of states poised to have the healthiest economies in 2017, followed by Oklahoma and Texas. The list was compiled by business solutions site ExpertMarket.com, which culled data on housing, employment, and other trends in all 50 states. North Dakota had the highest growth in startup density of any other state, seeing an average increase of 5.56 percent in new business activity, according to the site. Its residents are also seeing the biggest growth in household incomes, with an average increase of 4.1 percent.
"There has been a huge surge in oil extraction in North Dakota, which has led to a steep rise in GDP growth and household income, which explains how they managed to take the top spot," says Bobbi Brant, an ExpertMarket.com researcher who authored the site's study.
States that topped the list represent those that have recovered from the recession the fastest and are continuing to see strong growth. "States that came out on top in our study have a bright future ahead of them, especially for 2017," Brant says.
These are the 10 states that topped ExpertMarket.com's list for strongest economic outlooks for 2017:

1. North Dakota
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. Michigan
5. California
6. Montana
7. Ohio
8. Washington
9. Minnesota
10. Massachusetts

Source: “These Are the States with the Best Economic Prospects for 2017,” Fast Company (Nov. 30, 2016)

Central Ohio Real Estate News....

Demand for housing remains strong  (Nov. 22, 2016 – Columbus, OH) –  Central Ohio saw a record number of home sales for the month of October. There were 2,574 central Ohio homes and condos sold during the month of October, a 5.4 percent increase over the previous year, although a 10.3 percent decline from September, according to the Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service. “With record home sales, the central Ohio real estate market continues to be on pace to have our best year ever,” 2016 Columbus REALTORS® President John Royer said. “Even as the mortgage interest rates tick upward, demand for homes is still very strong.” The Columbus, South-Western, Olentangy, Westerville and Hilliard school districts saw the highest number of new listings in October as well as the highest number of home sales. Although not in the top five for volume of sales, Jonathan Alder (Plain City), London, Miami Trace, Bexley, and Groveport Madison school districts experienced home sales increases over 60 percent in October. The median sales price of a home in October was $169,000, a 9.4 percent increase over the previous year. The average sales price of a home was $199,794, which was up 9.0 percent over October 2015. The average sales price is the total volume divided by the number of homes sold. The median is the midpoint -- half the homes sell for less, while half sell for more. The number of homes for sale in central Ohio during the month of October was just under 6,000 (5,963), a slight decrease from September (0.3 percent) and a 22.4 percent drop from the same month a year ago. There were 2,831 central Ohio homes and condos added to the market in October, a 2.2 percent dip from October 2015 and a 0.4 percent decline from the previous month. “Traditionally, new listings and inventory start to taper off in the fall - which is a powerful motivator for some owners to list their home for sale,” Royer said. “We still have a large number of buyers who need to find a home!” During the month of October, central Ohio homes and condos spent an average 37 days on the market, which is just 3 days longer than September and 13 fewer days than October 2015. According to the latest Housing Market Confidence Index by the Ohio Association of REALTORS®, 96 percent of central Ohio REALTORS® would describe the current housing market as moderate to strong and 82 percent expect home prices to continue to rise over the next year.   Current housing report - October 2016 All housing reports Columbus REALTORS® is comprised of over 7,600 real estate professionals engaged in residential sales and leasing, commercial sales and leasing, property management, appraisal, consultation, real estate syndication, land development and more. The Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway and Union Counties and parts of Athens, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Knox, Logan, Marion, Muskingum, Perry and Ross Counties. To view commercial properties for sale or lease in central Ohio, visit  www.COCIE.org. To view residential properties for sale, visit  www.Realtor.com.

Source:  Copyright © 2016 Columbus REALTORS®, All rights reserved. 11/22/2016

Trick or Treat: What do you know about bats?

Trick or Treat: What do you know about bats?




Source:  © 2016 The National Wildlife Federation, all rights reserved The National Wildlife Federation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization PO Box 1583, Merrifield VA 22116-1583

Follow the Fall Foliage

Follow the Fall Foliage




Source:  © 2016 The National Wildlife Federation, all rights reserved The National Wildlife Federation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization PO Box 1583, Merrifield VA 22116-1583

15 Classic Thanksgiving Foods, Ranked From Best to Worst for Your Weight

15 Classic Thanksgiving Foods, Ranked From Best to Worst for Your Weight: Here, the healthiest Thanksgiving foods to indulge in—and other dishes to eat in moderation.


Source:  Reader's digest

7 WAYS TO DECLUTTER YOUR KITCHEN

7 Ways to Declutter Your Kitchen By Barbara Pronin If you're always short of cabinet and counter space, it’s time to de-clutter the kitchen—but that’s a chore that seems to get relegated to "someday." The job may be easier if you know where to start, say consumer editors at Country Living magazine. If you want to give yourself more kitchen space, begin by getting rid of the following: Anything Free with Dinner – That goes for spare chopsticks, soy sauce packets, kid's meal toys, and other stuff that’s cluttering your kitchen drawers. You’re going to get more the next time you order, so there's no point in stockpiling. One-Use Gadgets You Thought You Would Use – Garlic presses, apple corers, hot chocolate frothers…your cabinets may be full of specialty cooking gadgets that serve only one purpose. If it's taking up space and you use it less than four times a year, it's probably worth tossing—especially if there's an everyday object that can get the job done. Plastic Grocery Bags – If you have more than 10 balled up in a cabinet or drawer, put the rest in your recycle bin or take them to the nearest store that recycles plastic bags. Rarely Used Cookbooks – If they’ve sat on a shelf for more than a year without being used, it’s time to sell or otherwise dispose of them. Keep only family collections and one or your favorite specialty cookbooks. Reusable Shopping Bags – Keep only two or three of those eco-friendly bags and get them out of the pantry. Store them in the trunk of your car for use when you do your shopping. Tupperware Collection – Most of us have far too many, including those empty deli and margarine containers we’ve saved. Limit yourself to containers in two sizes, and no more than five or six of each, with lids. Weirdly Sentimental Mugs – Too much shelf space is often given up to mugs we will never use—from vacation souvenirs to those with cutesy sayings. Harden your heart and get rid of most of them. You will never, ever miss them.                                                                                                                                                                                                             SOURCE:  Copyright© 2016 RISMedia, The Leader in Real Estate Information Systems and Real Estate News.