Job Offer In Columbus, Ohio from Dallas, Texas (Lancaster, Dublin: middle-class, rental)

[AAKK]

Hello City Data users,

I am Asian, early 30s, married with a soon to due newborn.

I currently work in Dallas/Fort Worth area. My occupation is within the logistics/supply chain field. My current (single) income is more than the national average. My wife makes minimum wage. Our combined income enables us to live a closer to middle-class lifestyle in Texas, nothing fancy but comfortable. I've been living in Dallas/Forth Worth for a bit more than 3 years, got sent here to work, prior to that I lived in Los Angeles. As much as I enjoy the low cost of living in Texas, the hot climate is the primary factor the suggests our family to look out for other out-of-state opportunities. We are both not happy here. The long summer heat is too much.

I'm being offered a position in Columbus, Ohio, specifically closer to the Rickenbacker airport where there is a substaintial increase in pay. If I accept a position, very likely my salary will be the sole source of income least for a year or two as she would need to take care of the newborn. I plan to travel to Columbus on the first week of October to get a true feel about the city as well as the job itself. However, I'd like to do a couple homeworks as part of the evaluation work.

Essential and eventually, I like to own rather than rent. I have spoken to a couple lenders and while I might qualify for a higher loan, I'd like to spent no more than 250k for a single home (not condo nor townhouse). I did my online research and while I enjoy Dublin for having a large population of Asian, this suburb seems expensive and is definitely out of my price range. What would you recommend an area to live given below factors:

1. Not too far from Asian communities.
2. Within 45 minutes drive to the Rickenbacker airport area.
3. Above average school district.
4. No more than 250k.
5. Safe and clean, obviously don't want to live in ghetto area.

Also, I would like to ask why generally there are more siding homes than brick homes in Columbus ? Does it have to do with the climate up there ?

Your input and recommendations are appreciated.

Thank you,

N, G

[WRnative]

Zillow can provide you with much useful information.

E.g., search a prospective market for housing from low to high prices. For Dublin:

https://www.zillow.com/dublin-oh/?se...oom%22%3A12%7D

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6...34068673_zpid/

For any community, check out zillow.com home values. Recently, lower-priced communities in general have seen much greater housing appreciation.

https://www.zillow.com/dublin-oh/home-values/

Greatschools.org is a good way to check local schools.

https://www.greatschools.org/ohio/dublin/schools/

Understand the Ohio municipal income tax system, especially if you work in a different community from where you have your residence.

https://dublinohiousa.gov/dev/dev/wp...guide-2018.pdf

Understand the Ohio real property tax system, especially the importance of the per student real property valuation tax base/student in determining property taxes. See section C here:

FY2020 District Profile Report | Ohio Department of Education

Understand that some communities have public-owned utilities with lower rates.

If your consider buying a condo, there are many additional issues to consider before purchase.

Good luck!!!

[WRnative]

Contact Columbus area/Ohio Asian community groups for advice or for a local support reference. Here's one that perhaps would be helpful.

https://www.aacsohio.org/

https://cap4kids.org/columbus/minori...ian-resources/

Home - Ohio Chinese American Association

[Cbus76]

You are correct that Dublin has by far the largest Asian population of any area in metro Columbus, and Ohio for that matter. However, you also correctly note that a budget of $250k will likely make finding a home there a bit difficult. My suggestion would be to look in Hilliard. It's a suburb immediately south of Dublin and it has solid schools, a decent-sized Asian population, and most importantly, more home choices in your price range. Hilliard isn't the most exciting place (it's typical suburbia), but it's safe and clean. There are three high schools in Hillard (Davidson, Darby and Bradley) so you may want to research which is best. The drive to Rickenbacker would be about 25 or 30 minutes. If you want to be closer to Rickenbacker, perhaps take a look in Pickerington, which is a lot like Hilliard, though I'm not sure if the school district is quite as good.

[WRnative]

https://www.usnews.com/education/bes.../ohio/rankings

[AAKK]

Originally Posted by Cbus76

You are correct that Dublin has by far the largest Asian population of any area in metro Columbus, and Ohio for that matter. However, you also correctly note that a budget of $250k will likely make finding a home there a bit difficult. My suggestion would be to look in Hilliard. It's a suburb immediately south of Dublin and it has solid schools, a decent-sized Asian population, and most importantly, more home choices in your price range. Hilliard isn't the most exciting place (it's typical suburbia), but it's safe and clean. There are three high schools in Hillard (Davidson, Darby and Bradley) so you may want to research which is best. The drive to Rickenbacker would be about 25 or 30 minutes. If you want to be closer to Rickenbacker, perhaps take a look in Pickerington, which is a lot like Hilliard, though I'm not sure if the school district is quite as good.

Hello Cbus76,

A quick search on Redfin and Zillow yields nothing in Hilliard for a price under 250k unless I bump it to 325k, very low inventory still but Hilliard seems to be the first choice now. A low property tax in Ohio might offset the higher purchase price - last year 2020 I paid $4900 in property tax for a home that is valued at approximately 200k in a suburb of Fort Worth and that is already considered low.

Both of us are not particularly fond of siding homes, we like brick homes a lot more. Is there any reason why many of the homes in Columbus are finished with siding rather than brick other than cheaper cost of construction ?

[DonCorsonRE614]

12 months ago, the $250k budget would have gotten you farther, especially in the North/Northwest suburbs of Columbus. 2021 has driven prices up 12% or so in many of the popular suburbs. At that price point, I would say to expect most of the homes that will come up will be probably 35-60 years old. "Newer" homes in these suburban areas with strong schools tend to show the strongest demand among most buyers. You may find some 25-30 year old homes that have a smaller footprint (1000-1200 sf).
Another factor that we have seen on the rise in the past few months large corporate investors purchasing homes all cash, to hold as long term rental properties. The properties they tend to focus on are the 3-4 bedroom homes, usually 30 years old or newer, in better school districts. I've seen some listings get 3-4 cash offers from corporate investment firms. This factor makes things very difficult for "normal" buyers to compete.
As far as all brick homes, I think that may be a regional "preference" that you see in Texas. All brick homes here tend to be very rare, except for some starter homes built in the 1950's. It may have to do with the termite issue.

Good luck!

[AAKK]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Zillow can provide you with much useful information.

E.g., search a prospective market for housing from low to high prices. For Dublin:

https://www.zillow.com/dublin-oh/?se...oom%22%3A12%7D

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6...34068673_zpid/

For any community, check out zillow.com home values. Recently, lower-priced communities in general have seen much greater housing appreciation.

https://www.zillow.com/dublin-oh/home-values/

Greatschools.org is a good way to check local schools.

https://www.greatschools.org/ohio/dublin/schools/

Understand the Ohio municipal income tax system, especially if you work in a different community from where you have your residence.

https://dublinohiousa.gov/dev/dev/wp...guide-2018.pdf

Understand the Ohio real property tax system, especially the importance of the per student real property valuation tax base/student in determining property taxes. See section C here:

FY2020 District Profile Report | Ohio Department of Education

Understand that some communities have public-owned utilities with lower rates.

If your consider buying a condo, there are many additional issues to consider before purchase.

Good luck!!!

Hello WRnative,

Thank you very much for the information. Those are very useful tools.

[AAKK]

Originally Posted by DonCorsonRE614

12 months ago, the $250k budget would have gotten you farther, especially in the North/Northwest suburbs of Columbus. 2021 has driven prices up 12% or so in many of the popular suburbs. At that price point, I would say to expect most of the homes that will come up will be probably 35-60 years old. "Newer" homes in these suburban areas with strong schools tend to show the strongest demand among most buyers. You may find some 25-30 year old homes that have a smaller footprint (1000-1200 sf).
Another factor that we have seen on the rise in the past few months large corporate investors purchasing homes all cash, to hold as long term rental properties. The properties they tend to focus on are the 3-4 bedroom homes, usually 30 years old or newer, in better school districts. I've seen some listings get 3-4 cash offers from corporate investment firms. This factor makes things very difficult for "normal" buyers to compete.
As far as all brick homes, I think that may be a regional "preference" that you see in Texas. All brick homes here tend to be very rare, except for some starter homes built in the 1950's. It may have to do with the termite issue.

Good luck!

Hello DonCorson,

Absolutely 2021 the market is real hot, national wise hot. Homes in Dallas/Fort Worth have seems a substantial increase in value in which at the same time, increasing the property tax. I was a bit surprised that 250k doesn't bring me very far in Columbus even that I'm not looking for anything too fancy. Obviously there are "cape cod" style homes (looks like shotgun, New Orleans looking type of home to me) in the east and west of the metro but they are in very bad school district - majority of them are rated 2,3 stars.

[WRnative]

Perhaps check out Grove City, Circleville and Lancaster, given your work location near Rickenbacker.

https://www.zillow.com/homes/Circleville,-OH_rb/

Circleville definitely provides a Midwestern vibe!

https://www.pumpkinshow.com/

Definitely keep in mind that you may not need schools for five years. Perhaps pay more attention to day care centers nearby your new home.