following from Columbus Board of Realtors, March 23, 2010
Home prices on the rise in central Ohio
Inventory increases as homebuyer tax credits set to expire
Central Ohio saw a healthy 12 percent increase in the average price of a home sold in February 2010. The 1,106 homes transferred last month sold for an average of $149,498 which was 11.9 percent higher than the average sale price in February of 2009 and 2.4 percent higher than homes sold in January. The average sale price for the first two months of 2010 is $147,682, a 9.1 percent increase over the same period one year ago according to the Columbus Board of REALTORS®.The number of homes for sale increased as well last month. There were 3,429 homes added to the market in February, which was slightly higher than the previous month and 17.8 percent higher than the number of homes listed for sale in February of 2009. “The rise in inventory doesn’t come as a surprise,” said Sue Lusk-Gleich, President of the Columbus Board of REALTORS®. “The home buyer tax credits set to expire in April of this year are a substantial incentive for home owners who have been considered selling their home. Further, the credit for existing home owners to sell has attracted more homeowners interested in moving up into the market. And those owners are buying more mid range properties.”