Ohio, connecting the Northeast to the Midwest, is a major point for transportation in the area. Bordered by Lake Erie in the north, Michigan in the northwest, Pennsylvania in the east, Indiana in the west, Kentucky in the south, and West Virginia in the southeast; the state is right in the middle of some of most influential states in the Northeast and Midwest. The state, itself, is the seventh most populated state (11.5 million) and a center for manufacturing and trade. The state has many major cities with large, expanding metropolitan areas. Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati are among the largest and offer expansive metropolis areas of their own.

Columbus is the state’s capitol and has a relatively healthy job market today. With a population of 754,885 as of 2008, the capitol is also the largest city in the state. The city is home to Ohio State University, famous for their successful football team, the Buckeyes. The university brings people from all over the country to the state and has helped create plenty of jobs for the area. The city is also home to many major businesses that play a large part in the state’s economy. Various businesses ranging from technology, fashion, to even fast food are all originated in the Columbus area. The state was rated the #1 most up and coming technology city in America by Forbes in 2008. Read more »

The housing market in Columbus has been the most successful for Ohio in recent years. The city managed to escape much of the housing downturn felt by the economy, and has the chance to be one of the first to recover. With an increase in jobs from the health and education sectors, more and more people are moving into the city.
Cincinnati is another city in the state that has felt some success in their housing market. With a metro area of 2.1 million it is somewhat surprising, but the city has managed to maintain jobs and continues to grow. The city is influenced by a large number of corporations with headquarters there: Proctor and Gamble, Kroger, and Macy’s are a few of the bigger names.

Sales Trends
Sales for the Columbus area have helped maintain a positive housing market for the state. A total of 4,407 new homes were sold in 2008. Prices have also remained fairly stable with a decrease by only 5.5%. Steady home prices and impressive sales for the area have brought the attention of many major builders. Builders, like NVR, have re-entered the market looking to benefit from the stable housing prices. As the economy recovers, builders expect the Columbus market to take off with rising housing prices.
There are similar expectations by builders for the Cincinnati market in the future. Total sales for the city were 4,145 new homes in 2008. Again, stable housing prices are keeping builders optimistic for the future. As major builders move in, new homes will be built faster and cheaper. As the state continues to grow more and more every year, home buyers can expect to see higher quality homes with increased competition.  « Close »