Ohioans are active Buckeye fans which brings a lot of attention to Columbus as the home of the Ohio State University. The city also offers a diverse collection of alternative educational institutions, including the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College and the Columbus City Ballet School. The local community college, Columbus State, offers affordable classes that all residents can enjoy.

There are many entertainment venues that bring in visitors to the Columbus metropolitan area each year, including the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The hands-on children’s museum COSI Columbus is a popular hangout for local families, and Columbus City Center is always there when you need a retail fix. For professional visitors, the Greater Columbus Convention Center is often the hub of activity.

Buying a Home in Columbus

Before you start looking at homes in Columbus, think about your lifestyle and what you want to get out of your neighborhood. There are areas of this city flooded with writers, musicians, artists and others in the creative arts world, and you can enjoy regular poetry readings, critique groups, concerts and other activities if you live in the right area. Other sections of the city allow you to commute to most large businesses in the area without a personal vehicle, and still others remove you from the big city to enjoy suburban life. You have to match your lifestyle and personality to your neighborhood, and that requires you to do some introspection before you buy a house.

Popular Neighborhoods in Columbus

If you feel right at home in a small community where the neighbors are all friendly and invite one another to dinner, German Village is your ideal Columbus neighborhood. This historic village is one of the oldest sections of the city and is a popular attraction for visitors. From home garden tours to Oktoberfest, your home will put you within easy walking distance of big city action.

If you don’t want to live the big city life, look in outlying neighborhoods like Eastmoor. This smaller community is filled with tree-lined streets and beautiful homes with acreage, so you enjoy more of a small town vibe without going far from downtown.

If you prefer an active lifestyle and want to take advantage of the Columbus nightlife, Victorian Village is a safe neighborhood that will put you within close proximity of the Short North where many bars and restaurants are active after dark. If you’re more family oriented, look to smaller enclaves where neighbors look out for one another, such as Westgate in the Hilltop area or the Twelve Trees suburban community.

Buying vs. Rent to Own Homes

Renting is convenient, but you can possibly pay less each month by investing in your own home. The catch is that you must find the right home, secure a loan with terms you can afford in the long term, and then cover all maintenance and repair costs that are guaranteed to surface. When all of those things aren’t falling into place for you, consider a rent-to-own contract. These homes allow you to rent the property for a number of years while placing a portion of your monthly rent in a separate account. That money is later used to help you secure a loan, pay the deposit and buy the home.

Cost of Living in Columbus

There is one big perk to living in Columbus: low housing prices. The average cost of housing in the city is substantially less than averages for the state and the country. Depending on your source, the housing index reflects savings of up to 45% over national averages. Expenses for transportation, utilities, goods and services and healthcare are just slightly below national and state averages, so you don’t have to worry about higher prices elsewhere cancelling out what you save on your home.

Summary

Columbus, Ohio has a thriving community of creative artists, but it’s also a great place to live if you need to find a job or want to raise your family in the heart of a thriving city. Housing costs are substantially lower than in other areas of the state, so your budget will stretch further while you enjoy a variety of yearly festivals and a long list of local entertainment venues. Whether you’re searching for a small community vibe with easy access to the city for business or you want to live in the center of the action, there are neighborhoods that match your lifestyle and personality.

Rent to Own Realtors

Rent to own is beneficial to both buyers and sellers, but that’s not common knowledge. A lot of people look to realtors as a credible source of information for their counterpart in a rent to own deal about the benefits of the program.

However, you likely won’t find a realtor who is interested in helping you. There’s not a lot of profit for realtors in rent to own deals.

Instead, you’ll have to become a credible expert on the process yourself. Honestly, that’s not a bad thing. It’s better that you know everything you need to about the process you’re investing so much time and money into.

About Our Listings

Financially, buying apartments, houses or any other types of properties makes sense when compared to renting. You're paying roughly the same amount per month for your mortgage that you would to rent the same type of home. However, there are obstacles that make that process difficult to attain, like minimum down payments and bad credit. Those barriers prevent banks from ending up having to sell foreclosed homes.

Nonetheless, those barriers shouldn’t stop you from owning your own condo or townhouse. Through rent to buy and lease to purchase programs with no credit check, you could start working toward owning a house.

A lot of people who rent to own by owner take advantage of Rent to Own Lab’s free listings. Search our website for cheap lease-purchase or lease-option properties near me and see if rent to own could be the right option.