Columbus is a Smart City.

Written by: Joe Peffer

How nice it is to have some outside affirmation of our fair city's intelligence.

While it’s much easier for me and others to criticize the City of Columbus for Real Estate related dos and dont’s, I also enjoy giving Columbus props when we make the National spotlight in same way. My hope is that anyone considering Moving to Columbus, Ohio will find that it’s a rich, vibrant city. Usually, it’s some inane list of Best Cities to …. but today, thanks to Andrew Miller, I see that Columbus is in the top 15 smartest cities as ranked by Smarter Cities, a project of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Their self-description…Smarter Cities, a project of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a non-profit 501(c)(3), is a multimedia web initiative whose mission is to foster a little friendly competition (see Annual Cities Research and Rankings below) as well as provide a forum for exploring the progress American cities are making in environmental stewardship and sustainable growth.

Mostly, they talk about Mayor Coleman’s downtown housing initiative and Columbus’ plan, “to be the bicycling capital of the country. The Bicentennial Bikeways Plan, finalized in May 2008, calls to double the city’s 50 miles of biking lanes and trails by 2012, when the city celebrates its bicentennial. By 2018, the city plans to add another 200 miles for biking by connecting greenways and activity centers…”

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Westerville (yes, Westerville, Ohio) ranks as 15th best place to live – Money Magazine

Written by: Joe Peffer

Westerville has great suburban homes, bike paths, parks and a kick-butt rec center

Remember a couple years ago when Westerville and Gahanna made the national list of best suburbs and places to live? Well, they’ve been resting on their on their laurels since then and I’ve wondered every time I’ve gone into one or the other to show home or what not why neither has made a re-appearance.

Well, I have always liked Westerville and Gahanna and I’d take them over Plain City or Obetz any day and today I found out what happens next, WESTERVILLE was ranked by Money Magazine at No. 15 in a list of America’s best places to live.

The ranking is based in part on quality of life, schools, crime rate and the local economy. From a 10tv new story….

More than 35,000 people live in the community but to some, its most charming feature is a small town feel, 10TV News reported.

“It’s just a great place to grow up,” said Colleen Gustafon, a resident.  “I grew up here and thought it was a good place for my family so we thought we’d stick around.”

The median family income in Westerville is just over $105,000 a year, while the median home price is a little more than $189,000.

Another important ranking is education.  CNN-Money found that Westerville has 15 colleges, universities or professional schools within 30 miles and a median commute of 20 minutes.

It found 24 movie theaters, more than 350 bars and more than 2,000 restaurants within 15 miles.

Westerville did not make Money’s list last year.  In 2007, it ranked No. 46.  The best small hometowns have been ranked since 2005.

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Finally, Grandview Yard could be more than a rendering

Written by: Joe Peffer

No, Hell hasn't frozen over, but there is news about possible tenants at Grandview Yard.

Oh yeah, all right.  What does this mean for home values in Grandview, Upper Arlington the Short North and those parts of Columbus in between? Nothing but good news.

(From today’s Business First……..)

Plans for the first phase of the Grandview Heights mixed-use development include a 126-room hotel, a fitness center and a 90,000-square-foot office building.

Plans filed with the city July 7 show developer Nationwide Realty Investors Ltd. wants to build the first $40 million worth of projects as it continues planning for the broader, $500 million to $600 million redevelopment on 90 acres in the suburb’s industrial core.

The city’s planning commission will consider the Hyatt Place hotel, Urban Active fitness center and a planned Jason’s Deli in the office building as conditional uses.  Dublin-based M&A Architects, the designer of the three-story office building, plans to occupy at least 20,000 square feet on the top floor.

More here including what would realistically have to happen and who would have to approve what to make this news a reality.

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Columbus Real Estate Market Trends by Zip Code – good or bad?

Written by: Joe Peffer

This is something I go back and forth on quite a bit.  Why use zip codes at all? It’s a rant I’ve posted about before. Zip codes are arbitrary and mean little and yet they can reveal a lot about a part of town.

That’s the key, a part of town, an area of the Greater Columbus Mega Picture.  Let’s face it though, if you want to buy a house in Bexley, you don’t really care how many homes are for sale in Berwick. Same with the Short  North. If you want to be where the action is, do you care about Harrison West? Of course you do, but you don’t care what’s happening in Milo Grogan and yet they all share the  same zip code. On the flip side, What if you DO want to buy in an up and coming area, you still want to keep track of the “better” areas surrounding to make sure your investment will continue to appreciate.

And yet, is it wise to completely ignore real estate trends in the areas immediately surrounding the location you plan to plunk down hundreds of thousands of dollars? Probably you should be aware of what is happening in Merion Village even if you strictly want to buy a home in German Village.

My solution? Quartiles. Divide the market into FOUR median price points and follow what is happening in the area you want to buy in. Read the rest of this entry »

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