Empty Nesters - Where to Live in Columbus?

[PerryMason614]

Originally Posted by baseballmom94

Bringing this topic back up...still searching for the perfect empty nester location in Central Ohio. Prefer to stay on the northwest side. Any new ideas?

You're asking for the impossible. You want to live like you do in Dublin, with the same curb appeal, but pay lower taxes. It ain't gonna happen. To save taxes, you need a cheaper house and a cheaper house is not going to be in an area like Dublin. It sounds like you need to look in Hilliard, Galloway, Pataskala, Lewis Center, Marysville or Blacklick and I promise you these are all going to be a step down from Dublin.

Here's someplace you may want to look at: There are areas around Central College and Harlem Rd. that have a Westerville or New Albany mailing address but are in the City of Columbus. Likewise in the McNaughten Rd. and Taylor Station Road areas. These are not bad places for empty nesters. These are not budget homes, but it also isn't Dublin, either.

[Clever nickname here]

Look for something that is in Liberty Township and the Olentengy school district but still has a Dublin postal address. Then you'll be 10 mins to historic Dublin and the Bridge district.

[DonCorsonRE614]

Originally Posted by Weaubleau

As a empty nester who MIGHT want to move back to Columbus in the future for retirement, the frustrating thing about the real estate market is:


Where are there good urban or semi urban neighborhoods in Columbus that are not overpriced or have crime issues? As an empty nester, where can someone move that does not have a tax burden to support schools that we are not going to use, but not be a boutique area with inflated prices, like German Village, Victorian Village, or Grandview? Clintonville maybe? Bexley?

Good question. City-Data and Trulia are good places to research crime stats. I think there are pockets of neighborhoods in Columbus that might be a good fit for empty nesters, but that are also just outside those ultra popluar areas. Up until recently, Clintonville fringe areas on the west side of High Street have been more affordable, but high demand in the area has pushed prices up. I think there are a some nice pockets on the other side of I-71 from Clintonville, in the Cooke/Maize/Morse areas. I think Eastmoor (just east of Bexley) can be a good fit. Most empty nesters would not like the tax burden in Bexley proper.
There are also pockets in Northwest Columbus, outside of Grandview and UA that may also be an option. Just depends on how one would define "not overpriced".
The house itself can also offer an affordable opportunity. An empty nester that has cash in hand for updates/renovations could purchase a "fixer-upper". There are homes for sale in every neighborhood that fall into the middle zone, where they are too dated or damaged to be appealing to most home buyers, but priced too high to make sense for a renovator (flipper) or investor.

Columbus is an incredibly vibrant and successful city, so I would not predict that demand will change anytime soon.

[mhj]

Any updates on where empty nesters are in the Columbus area? Crazy market times but wonder where the in-betweeners go- not yet retired, but kids out of home. Feeling either to old for some areas and not wanting to be the youngest of the bunch.