How to Win in This Competitive Real Estate Market

What can you do to win in this competitive spring market? We have an opportunity to help you do just that.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

We have some exciting news: Three of the last four offers that we wrote for our buyers last week were accepted. 

In this market where we have virtually no inventory and buyers are competing for homes, that is huge. 

“

We will craft a strategy to make you a winner in the spring market.

”

It’s not by accident—we make winners here, and we do it by partnering with our clients and preparing them for the competition for the good homes that are out there  

We are offering an opportunity for you to meet with us. We will craft a strategy to make you a winner in the spring market. 

Just give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Everything You Need to Know About the Grant for Grads Program

Have you heard of the Grant for Grads program? Today I’m joined by a special guest who will tell you what you need to know.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Today I’m joined by a special guest, Noah Brader from Concord Mortgage, who’s going to tell us about a great new program for first-time homebuyers called Grant for Grads.

This program is for first-time buyers who have obtained an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree from the last four years. Those who meet these requirements are eligible for down payment assistance up to 5% on their home purchase.

For example, if a qualified first-time buyer takes advantage of this program for the purchase of a $200,000 home, they could receive up to $10,000 in assistance.

However, there are income limits and you do need to have a credit score above 640. 

The great thing about this grant, as opposed to other first-time buyer programs, is that assistance funds are forgivable after five years. In other words, if you own the house for five years, you won’t need to repay the grant funds. 

The loan process may take a little longer than normal, but this program is definitely worth it.

It’s important to keep in mind that this loan will add about 10 days to the normal process of closing, but it is certainly worth it. 

If you’re interested in this program or have any questions about it, feel free to give Noah a call at (614) 212-6921 or email him at noah.brader@concordmg.com.

As always, if you have any other questions for me, feel free to reach out. Give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

A Property Tax Reduction You Might Not Know You Qualify For: Part 2

We’re back with the second portion of our series on property tax discounts to talk about the homestead exemption.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Today we’re wrapping things up with the second portion of our talk on getting a discount on your property taxes. You can see the first portion here.  

The homestead exemption is a statewide program that lets qualified senior citizens and permanently disabled homeowners reduce some of their property tax burdens by shielding some of the market value of their home from taxation. The exemption, which is a credit on property tax bills, allows qualifying homeowners to exempt $25,000 from the market value of their home from all local property taxes.

The homestead exemption allows certain homeowners to shield $25,000 in home value from property taxability.

Starting in the 2014 tax year, the state of Ohio added an additional classification of recipient: disabled veterans. This allows for an increased reduction of $50,000 on property taxes.

There are some guidelines and income limits that apply to this exemption, so if you’re unsure if you’re eligible for this discount, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to verify your information and that you’re receiving all the benefits you can as an Ohio resident.

If you have any other questions about our market or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, give me a call. I’d be glad to help.

A Property Tax Reduction You Might Not Know You Qualify For

Did you know you might qualify for a 2.5% property tax reduction? Here's how you can find out.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

I've received a lot of questions lately about property taxes, so today, I wanted to let you in on some tips for getting a discount on them.

The owner-occupied tax reduction was created as a benefit for Ohio homeowners who use a house as their primary residence. To qualify for the 2.5% reduction, there are three requirements:
 
1. The homeowner must own and occupy the residence as their primary residence as of January 1st of that tax year. This will be the address used to determine where you're registered to vote and where to declare residency for income taxes.

Do you qualify for this 2.5% tax reduction?

2. You can't already claim it on another property.
 
3. If you don't qualify, you must complete a residential rental registration form or rental registration exemption form with the county you live in.

If you don't know if you receive or are eligible for this discount, I'm happy to help you verify and take action to make sure you get the benefits you need. Just give me a call or send me an email soon, I look forward to hearing from you!

What’s Happening in Central Ohio Real Estate?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation

Being a real estate agent, I am constantly asked questions about the real estate market here in Central Ohio. I want you to be as informed as possible, so today I am going to share some of the most common questions I get from buyers.  Here are the top 5 questions that people have been asking me lately:

1. Is it a buyer’s or a seller's market?

Right now, due to low inventory, we are firmly in a seller’s market.

2. What does the current housing inventory look like?

We currently have only about 3.1 months of inventory right now. However, depending on the price range you are looking in, things could be a little different. In the lower price ranges ($150k-$400k), we have even less inventory, and homes are selling almost as soon as they come on the market. In the higher price ranges, we might have over a year’s supply. For a more specific answer that pertains to your house or your neighborhood, let us know and we’d be happy to give you an evaluation.

3. How does the current inventory affect sales prices in the area?

Because there is a shortage of inventory, buyers are competing, and that’s driving up home prices.

4. What are interest rates like?

They are still at historic lows, but have the potential to rise quickly. The Fed is meeting this month to discuss interest rates, so it’s possible that we could see an increase very soon. However, we are going into an election year, and usually during election years rates remain more steady.

5. What does all this information mean for me?

If you’re a seller, you need to make sure you are pricing your property correctly. We are no longer in the spring season, and things have slowed down a bit. However, homes that are priced well and look good online will always sell. For buyers, you have time to take a breath and think about what you’re buying, but there will still be good competition on the best homes. Being pre-approved is essential.

If you have any additional questions regarding the market, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!