Coming South from Clintonville on my way home, I can turn left from High or simply wait out the light–no problems. I love the housing stock on E North Broadway. Even my 11-year-old likes it, adding the street to her list of ’streets I’d like to live on’ that she keeps in the car just a few days ago.  While I would have hated to see those big old trees torn down and would have felt bad for the homeowners and their adjusted home values had the street been widened due to a turn lane or traffic circle, I didn’t think it’d ever happen and I’m glad to see that the Mayor let a neighborhood commission make that kind of decision.

View Larger Map

From today’s Dispatch…”Columbus transportation planners say placing a left-turn lane from E. North Broadway to N. High Street in Clintonville would reduce congestion.

Mayor Michael B. Coleman says the turn lane would improve the quality of life in the surrounding neighborhoods by curbing the number of motorists who cut through narrow side streets to head south on High.

But in the end, Coleman punted the issue, deciding to leave it to the Clintonville Area Commission.

In 2009, the commission voted for the turn lane. But in 2010, a commission with new members voted 5-4 against the turn lane.

Opponents of the project, many of whom live on E. North Broadway, feared the turn lane would lead to a widening of the street between High and Indianola Avenue.

So in September 2011, Coleman promised that he would decide the matter.

Yet he wrote in a memo this week: “While I disagree with its position, the (area commission) has chosen on behalf of its residents to live with these traffic conditions. As this is not a health, safety or welfare concern, I will respect its decision.”

D Searcy, a Clintonville Area commissioner who supports the turn lane, said she was surprised that Coleman deferred to the neighborhood group.

“City Council overrides commissions all the time (on zoning issues),” she said. “I’m really disappointed.”
read the rest here.

Columbus Dispatch story by mferenchik@dispatch.com

This 4 bed, 3 bath Clintonville home at 33 Aldrich sold in January for $292,000 after 18 days on the market.

(Feb 22, 2012) Not only were central Ohio housing sales up in January, but they showed the highest

activity for that month since 2008. The 1,125 sales showed a 6.0 percent increase over January of

2011 according to the Columbus Board of REALTORS®.

In addition, 1,845 residential homes and condos were placed in contract – up over 40 percent from the

same time one year ago.

“Sales last month were at the same level as we experienced just prior to the housing boom,” said Jim

Coridan, 2012 President of the Columbus Board of REALTORS®. “It’s a direct result of the increased

activity during the last few weeks of 2011 – and a great way to begin 2012.”

Click here to read the full report.

This home at 419 Fallis was one of 3 homes to sell on the street this summer. It has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 1908 sf of living space and sold for $283,000 in only 8 days.

With Summer waning, Let’s take a look at what happened in Clintonville Real Estate this Summer from June 1 – Today.

Homes on the market: As of today there are 201 Active Clintonville homes for sale.

Averaging 1,604 sf,

• $227,792 list price
• $155.37/sf and
• 99 days on market.

Currently, there are  Clintonville Homes in Contract

–contingent on financing/inspections as of today: 22

• Averaging 1545 sf
• $191,200 list price
• $133.36/sf
• 46 days on market

Clintonville Homes Firmly In Contract passed inspection period as of today: 3

• Averaging 1449 sf
• $189,466
• $133/sf
• 41 days on market

Clintonville Homes Closed from June 1 – Sept 15: 106

• Averaging 1622 sf
• $222,327 avg List but a $215,162 Sale price or 97%
• $134.42/sf
• 64 days on market – still a pretty hot market with a less than 4 month supply of homes

Clintonville Homes in contract with escape clausesthat a prospective buyer could conceivably swoop in and buy : 5

(skewing these numbers is 286 W Weisheimer Rd, the fabulous 2.2 acre Weisheimer estate listed at $895,000  and in contract contingent on a home sale since August 5)

Clintonville Homes Closed Second quarter 2010 (April-June 30): 116

• Averaging 1486 sf
• $211,797 avg List but a $205,226 Sale price or 97%
• $138.47 $/sf
• 51 days on market

Clintonville Homes Closed first quarter 2010 (Jan-March 31): 61

• Averaging 1453 sf
• $205,218 avg List but a $197,820 Sale price or 96%
• $146/sf
• 81 days on market

Clintonville, like many parts of town, saw a busier than normal first half market, thanks to the tax credits and remains a solid Columbus housing market neighborhood.  While Clintonville almost always does well year round, the expiring tax credit had more homes sell than would have been normal, note that of the Summer’s 106 sold homes, 35% of them were in June, suggesting that it was just another month and not full of leftover tax credit buyers.

The days on market continue to be lower than many other local neighborhoods. I had two listings in Clintonville go in contract in less than a week this summer, both to buyers who were the first to see them.

Joe Peffer is a Realtor who works in Clintonville, Beechwold and other Columbus Neighborhoods.

Would you like me to break it down by 43214 vs 43202 or  Northmoor vs Beechwold? email me and I will be glad to

This 3bed, 2bath, 1853sf home on Brevoort sold for $267,900 last month after 16 days on market.

Homes on the market: 147 Active Clintonville homes for sale.

Averaging 1,662 sf,

• $245,932
• $148/sf and
• 87 days on market.

Currently, there are 77 Clintonville Homes in Contract

–contingent on financing/inspections as of today:67

• Averaging 1520 sf
• $208,869
• $150/sf
• 53 days on market

Clintonville Homes Firmly In Contract passed inspection period as of today: 10

• Averaging 1452 sf
• $197,390
• $138/sf
• 17 days on market

Clintonville Homes Closed in April, 2010: 43

• Averaging 1510 sf
• $215,527 avg List but a $208,338 Sale price or 97%
• $149/sf
• 47 days on market

Clintonville Homes Closed first quarter 2010 (Jan-March 31): 61

• Averaging 1453 sf
• $205,218 avg List but a $197,820 Sale price or 96%
• $146/sf
• 81 days on market

Clintonville Homes in contract with escape clauses: none

Clintonville saw a busier than normal Winter market, thanks to the tax credits and remains a solid Columbus housing market neighborhood.  While Clintonville almost always does well year round, the expiring tax credit has more homes currently in contract than sold the first three months of the year. While I continue to believe that for many first time home buyers Clintonville prices are too much of a reach, the homes keep moving from the shelves and it’s certainly not all move-up buyers.

One reason Clintonville did do well during the tax credit era was that 1st time buyers are now saving up more money than the mid 2000’s and can afford more house because of it. Also, the $6500 tax credit to sellers helped encourage sellers, especially on the fringes, to move up-albeit slightly-from their smaller Clintonville homes to larger ones.

Joe Peffer is a Realtor who works in Clintonville, Beechwold and other Columbus Neighborhoods.

Would you like me to break it down by 43214 vs 43202 or  Northmoor vs Beechwold? email me and I will be glad to

The Original Clintonville Charmer. 79 Acton sold in 1996 for $145,545

You’d be amazed how often I read the remarks on a new listing, check out the history of the listing in the Columbus MLS, and find the EXACT same remarks the previous agent used. It’s uncanny. Sometimes the remarks are in the entirety, sometimes it’s most of the old remarks with a few fresh ones thrown in or maybe it’s simply an obviously borrowed phrase from a past listing.

The whole idea simply proves my point about how unoriginal and lazy many real estate agents are — and I’m not even talking about maximizing views of the home in front of potential home buyer’s eyeballs (i.e. marketing).

Every once in a while you find a phrase that sticks through the years. “Clintonville Charmer” is one in particular. It was in the description of a home that came on the market today in the 500 block of Acton and it got me thinking about how over-used some descriptive phrases are in the Columbus MLS, “Charmer” being one of them.

The phrase Clintonville Charmer has been used to describe a home for sale in Clintonville 145 times since the inception of the modern Columbus multiple listing service. Most recently today. The earliest recorded use of the phrase seems to be on another Acton house -79 Acton Pictured Above- on the market 13 days in May and June of 1996 before selling for $145,545.

Anatomy of a Clintonville Charmer:

4 Active Clintonville Charmers averaging 1,728 sf listed at an avg of $154.25/sf

117 all time Sold Clintonville Charmers averaging 58 days on market and 1,455 sf

2 Clintonville Charmers that are in contract currently for $148/sf on average and both, coicidentally, on East Pacemont

I look at listings all day long and see some doozies. What descriptions of Columbus homes for sale have caught your eye over the years?

First time buyers could buy this 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath home in Old Towne East for around $250K

This afternoon President Obama signed the bill into law that will extend the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit to contracts signed by April 30 and closed by June 30.

I’m surprised that they left the two month window but I think it’s very smart. Still, even if it were this week, I would not try to buy a short sale property or a foreclosure that doesn’t have the deed in the bank’s name even with the 7.5 month leeway.

Here’s the best part–a tax credit for SELLERS. The bill creates a $6,500 credit for those who buy a home after living in their current house at least five years. That will apply to contracts signed by April 30 and closed by June 30. The current credit defines a first-time homebuyer as someone who has not owned a residence within the past three years.

The credit will be available only for the purchase of principal residences priced at $800,000 or less.

This is huge. If you have owned your Columbus area home for at least five years–and I believe you must have lived in the home for at least five of the last eight years–you too can receive a credit. I can’t envision a scenario where you could claim both sides of the tax credits unless it was something along the lines of you selling your home and then turning around and buying the next home in your new spouse or girl/boyfriend’s name who has not owned a home.

The bill will raise the adjusted gross income cap to $125,000 for single filers and $225,000 for joint filers. The amount of the credit currently begins to phase out for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is more than $75,000, or $150,000 for joint filers.

This is important. It opens the tax credit up to a whole new set of first time buyers who were not previously eligible and who could, conceivably, purchase a home with a little higher price tag that this year’s crop of first time home buyers weren’t even looking at.

Clintonville

Greater Short North including Harrison West, Italian Village and Victorian Village

German Village and Brewery District

Schumacher Place and Merion Village

Greater Olde Towne East

Grandview Hieghts and Marblecliff

Replacing Sidewalks can be a big job but a valuable one.

I’ve found that sidewalks tend to be a value added feature for buyers looking at Columbus Homes for sale. Most of my buyers buy homes inside of I-270 and most of my buyers prefer to have sidewalks for ease of travel when walking around the  neighborhood, for a safe place to meet and greet neighbors, for a safe way to travel through a community, for the perceived safety of theirs and the neighborhood children (I couldn’t find a study that says sidewalks keep children safer but since they keep kids and cars from being in the same place at the  same time, I have to think it’s true) and because they simply feel that a home, a community, needs sidewalks.

In a neighborhood like Clintonville, most streets have sidewalks but the sidewalks don’t necessarily extend the length of the street,ie-there are some that seem to end somewhat randomly as you get closer to Indianola – often only to be taken up again down the street. Also, some North – South streets in Clintonville have no sidewalks.

In slightly more urban areas like German Village or Victorian Village, you can pretty much count on sidewalks though you definitely can’t always count on them being in good repair. In German Village, for example, some of those sidewalks are well over 110 years old and they’re brick which is a bigger maintenance issue. This leads to the next point, the sidewalk is the homeowner’s responsibility. Not just for shoveling snow, but if the walk has cracks all over it and is falling apart the City of Columbus will ask you to fix it. Nicely the first time.

It’s a bit of a catch-22 for homeowners who might buy a house, based in part, because of the lovely trees up and down the block only to find that the roots of those trees have demolished the sidewalks and now they have to pay to replace the walk.

You might get lucky though. Smaller municipalities like Bexley have more discretion and money to throw at keeping sidewalks in good repair. This summer the city of Bexley went around and marked sidewalk squares to be replaced and replaced them on their own dime, sparing the homeowner the cost. (Yes, the money no doubt came from homeowners to begin with)  That won’t always be the case in Bexley and it’s not something you can count on happening anywhere else in greater Columbus.

In less urban areas and sprinkled throughout Columbus you might find communities with no sidewalks. These homes are usually a little farther from the street and the yards are big. Typically, these areas also have less traffic and less need for sidewalks and the poor children who live there never have the opportunity to break their mother’s back.

Despite living on one of the oldest blocks of the city, my sidewalks are unusually wide, probably 5 feet.  This adds to my overall love of my block and is a small luxury that I really enjoy, even if only in the back of my mind. Also, because my neighborhood is so urban there are people who walk up and down my street all the time. I love that about my street.

In Gahanna and Dublin there just aren’t random people walking down your street and the quotient of local flavor goes down because of it. I’m sure many Columbus area home buyers might find that comforting but I say if you’ve got sidewalks, use them.

I've always loved the stone pillars flanking this Bexley Home

Instant Equity. Two words anyone buying real estate in Clintonville, Bexley, Grandview, Downtown, Short North, Berwick, Westgate or anywhere else in Central Ohio love to hear.

The problem is, I’ve heard those two words too often lately. The problem is the context and the definition of instant equity.  In my opinion, anyone buying a home that has instant equity is anyone buying a home at a substantial discount to the Market Value of the  home. That range from selling price to market value equals instant equity (though the bank might not think so).

What I’ve heard a lot lately is something along these lines, “…and this Seller paid $338,500 for it just a few years ago and is selling it for only $299,900. That’s a lot of instant equity for your buyer!”

Hold on a minute Buster, who cares what the Seller paid for it! In today’s market, if the home the Seller paid $338,500 for in 2006 is only worth $290,000 then there is NO instant equity. It’s simply priced at or around market value. Market value simply means whatever the market (all you buyers out there in Columbus thinking of buying a home) is willing to pay for it.

Hold on though, because it works both ways…..I always tell Buyers that what the  Seller paid for the home has no bearing on what the home is worth.  That means if the Seller bought the Columbus home via foreclosure, at auction or even on the market with Instant Equity….ie-if the Seller got a deal…you can’t punish them when buying the house. They are the one who got the deal, they deserve to make a profit and the Buyer should anticipate paying market value for the home. Just because the Seller got a deal on the home doesn’t mean she has any obligation to pass that deal on to the Buyer.

What will this Clintonville Home Sell for? Who will buy it?

It’s a rare home in Columbus, Ohio that has NEVER been for sale. Of course, homes that were newly built for the current sellers would fall into that category, but how about an 86 year old home in Clintonville that has never been for sale?

The home was built in the early 1920’s for the Parents of the now late 93 year old Seller. Two generations have lived there for an incredibly long time and the Clintonvile House has never been on the  market.