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First-Time Homebuyer Savings Act

May 22, 2019 by The Columbus Team

On April 30th 2019, Senators Theresa Gavarone & Bob Peterson introduced Senate Bill 139 in the Ohio Senate to create a tax deductive savings account for Ohioans. This Ohio income Tax Deduction is designed to help empower Ohioans to prepare for homeownership in a meaningful way, with a tax-free savings account. With 8 in 10 non-homeowners reporting that affordability is a barrier to home ownership, this Bill may help ensure the American Dream of homeownership by creating a way for families to save for their loved ones. Details in the Bill include the following:

Contributions:

Annual maximum contribution is $5K for single person and $10K for married people
Max 15-year cumulative contribution amount is $50K for single and $100K for married people
Contributions plus interest are tax deductible

Management

Account is self-managed; banks have no liability or responsibility of management

Penalties

Withdraw penalty is 10%

Exceptions

Account holder death or disability
Bankruptcy
Monies transferred from 1FHBSA to another FHBSA
Financial Institution fees

Ohio REALTORS® reports that transitioning from a renter to homeowner brings a marginal increase in consumer spending for goods and services with an estimated $97 million in economic activity in Ohio and $25K per transaction in construction-related economic activity in the state from newly constructed housing units. As REALTORS®, we believe home-ownership strengthens our communities, helps build generational wealth and also stimulates our local and state economies.

Senate Bill 139 has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee with the first hearing to have taken place on May 21, 2019. Stay tuned for updates from The Ohio Legislature!

The Columbus Team Welcomes Heather Gott

May 17, 2019 by The Columbus Team

Sue Lusk-Gleich & The Columbus Team at KW Capital Partners are pleased to welcome Heather Gott to the team! Heather brings her service-oriented style and experience to the team, as well as her intimate knowledge of Columbus. She’s lived in Columbus for 17 years, moving here from out of state, and understands the relocation process and knows how to give home buyers the right tools and resources for any type of move.

Real estate is a second career for Heather, who draws on her widely varied experiences in corporate America, the advertising world, and non-profit organizations in Boston, Denver, and Columbus. She values community and has enjoyed the many hours invested as a volunteer in her neighborhood.

Her greatest joys are her husband of 22 years and her two boys, who grew up attending Clintonville schools.

Learn more about Heather on our team page. Join us in welcoming her to the team, by sending her a message or stopping in to say hello!

Spring Clean and Downsize With a Heart

May 15, 2019 by The Columbus Team

Spring is in the air! Are you in the midst of a spring clean or move? Are you overwhelmed? We get it. That’s why we’re proud to sponsor Downsize With a Heart. They know that moving can be challenging, particularly for older adults who have a home full of wonderful memories.

Downsize With a Heart supports you through the packing and moving process. They start with a FREE personalized, in-home consultation to understand your transition needs. They offer a variety of fee-based services that can be tailored to your needs and budget. And their staff will assist you with every aspect of your move.

Give them a call to schedule your consultation and let them know we sent you! (614) 545-3844

Another Race Put to Bed!

May 6, 2019 by The Columbus Team

May 4th was an exhilarating morning to help The Furniture Bank of Central Ohio with the 4th Annual Bed Race! This fundraiser is an incredible family-friendly event that helps bring together so many folks from the central Ohio community for a great cause, turning an empty house into a home!

The Bed Race teams really stepped up their game this year with lots of creative costumes and bed décor creating lots of anticipation and energy on race day!

Tupelo Food Truck and the Broke Johnny Food Truck were set up along the spectator area, next to the Kids Zone which sponsored by us!

Mary Allen and Sue Lusk-Gleich under the big white tent!

Children were invited to ride Big Wheels and set up under the big white tent were Face Painters, Balloon Artists, and Caricature Artists. Families of all ages enjoyed the fun. Treats and trinkets from bouncy balls to slap bracelets were gifted to the children and smiles were bountiful!

Celebrity judges included Trisha Moore from Sunny 95 Radio and our own, Sue Lusk-Gleich. The judges helped award prizes for Best Costume and Best Bed. The team who created a Millennium Falcon replete with Chewbacca and a team of Storm Troopers won the Best Bed Award.

Best Costume went to the Wizard of Oz inspired team from Sauder.

2019 Bed Race Results!

NBC4i, Big Lots and so many great local organizations showed their support for the mission of The Furniture Bank by participating in the Bed Race this year.

The Reason Columbus ranked #1 Hottest Housing Market in March

April 30, 2019 by The Columbus Team

(April 22, 2019 – Columbus, OH) – Earlier this month, the Columbus area was ranked #1 hottest housing market in March by Realtor.com based on home listing activity and days on the market.

Last month, there were one thousand more homes listed for sale compared to February. The jump from 2,200 to 3,200 new listings generated increased interest and foot traffic from buyers actively seeking to purchase a home in central Ohio.

As a result, more homes were sold or put in contract in March according to the Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.

Months supply remains at 1.4 meaning that, if no more inventory were added to the market, it would take less than a month and a half to sell the current inventory based on the current sales pace.

“Even with the increase in new listings, we ended the month with roughly the same number of listings as we had in February,” said John Myers, 2019 Columbus REALTORS® President. “This means consumers bought as much as was added to the market.”

Although March 2019 homes sold or pending sale was down from one year ago, sales were up 24.7 percent from the previous month and homes that went into contract spiked 32.3 percent from February.

The median sale price of a home in central Ohio sold during the first quarter was $189,900, up 6.1 percent from one year ago. The average sale price was $221,372, up 3.9 percent from the first quarter of 2018.

“Given our strong job growth, low-interest rates and so many central Ohio buyers looking to buy a new home, we’re hoping to see new listings continue to increase as we head into the summer months,” added Myers.

Current housing report – March 2019

Columbus REALTORS® is comprised of over 8,300 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.