How bad is Bond Hill, really? (Cincinnati, Norwood: for sale, rent, insurance)

[Cali2Cincy]

Originally Posted by SWOH

Have you considered renting for the time being?

It might be worthwhile to think about it for the time being. Once you're a BSN, your income will go up quite a bit, and even with paying down loans you'd be in a much better financial position to get a larger mortgage for a house in a more desirable area.

I don't know a ton about Bond Hill, but I have heard OK things about neighboring Hartwell. I would not advise living in Lincoln Heights though, but Lockland might be a solid pick on that budget. I suspect values in Lockland will go up in the next 5-10 years because of its nice downtown and proximity to Wyoming & I-75.

But from a quick look at the map, if I were in your shoes and 100% tied to your listed constraints, I'd move to Newport and buy this house:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...ct/14_zm/1_fr/

Or one like it in that neighborhood. It's walkable, even to family friendly places like the aquarium, Newport on the Levee, and The Banks, Newport Schools aren't horrendous, and it should be OK as far as safety goes. The downside is the commute. Southgate up the hill would be worth a look too, better schools but you sacrifice the walkability.

Good luck!

Thank you for sharing! That house is beautiful, but unfortunately too small with only two bedrooms! That's a lot of the trouble I've been running into. Thats the same size as the home we have now and we're overwhelmed by it (especially when family from California comes to visit). We've considered renting, but it's significantly more expensive for the size we'd need (3BR/1.5+BA) and we'd have to rent for a minimum of 2.5 years (I'm in my junior year now + deferring for a year + going back again). I just don't want to throw money away for that long. Especially because we can't afford the rent anyway! Unless it's in a terrible neighborhood. :/ I'll look into hartwell, lockland and Newport! I appreciate your input!

[Cali2Cincy]

Originally Posted by Cincygrad2015

Good morning,

I am not sure about Bond Hill since I have never lived there, but they do have some great houses and Mercy health systems just moved there headquarters there which will hopefully spur some new development in that area. I bought a house last year in Madisonville and and love living in that area. It a very diverse area and everyone I've encountered have been very friendly. The houses are pretty cheap but are sure to increase due to all of the new developments happening in the area. it is also close to the interstate so you should have no problems with getting to Childrens. I would def.give Madisonville a look.

I'll definitely take a look at Madisonville! I appreciate hearing your first hand experience.

[Cali2Cincy]

Originally Posted by motorman

Whether you realize it or not, you've already identified an ideal area in which to relocate: Norwood. The school you mentioned is just one of the things in Norwood's favor - as is its integrated school system at large. The surrounding area includes homes within your price range, low traffic residential streets for children's safety; nearness to numerous amenities (for example: Kroger's sizable Surrey Square foodstore and Marshalls discount outlet, Norwood's Rookwood upscale shopping complex, Oakley Station's array of big-box stores) and, depending upon your exact location, a 15-minute or less commute to Children's Hospital. In addition, three bus routes converging @ Surrey Square will take you almost anywhere within the city, and also connect you (including via an express bus) with Cincinnati's premier shopping plaza, Kenwood Towne Centre.

In stark contrast (other than its nearness to the hospitals), Bond Hill has none of these qualities to offer. It's simply a nondescript, predominately black and troubled neighborhood going nowhere. Scratch it off your list.

Sounds like we'll definitely have to look more into Norwood. You made a lot of great points and I really appreciate your input!

[Cali2Cincy]

Originally Posted by cincydave8

Village of Day Break seem very safe to me, but all I really know about them is driving on Langdon Farm. Just below depends on how far below. IMO, anything from Seymour down to Dale Ave is nice. Bond Hill really gets bad rap from how shady Reading Road looks, but a lot of the side streets aren't bad and some are very nice like Bella Vista and Gafton. Even west of Reading road has some nice streets like Elizabeth. I'm sure living in Day Break or just below would be perfectly safe or as safe as any other neighborhood in the city. Of course if you're worried about crime it doesn't hurt to check other possible areas in your budget.

Beyond Norwood and Madisonville that have already been mentioned, I'll give a shout to Pleasant Ridge. Right next door, booming biz district, safe and good elementary school. If it's too expensive check out tiny Golf Manor is right next to Pleasant Ridge. Affordable and Safe and an odd little melting pot of blacks, whites and Jews.

Thank you for naming specific streets! I'll try to listen and stay out of Bond Hill, but it's good to have a better idea of certain areas.

Golf Manor and Pleasant Ridge, check! I'll definitely add those to the list. I really appreciate it.

[Cali2Cincy]

Originally Posted by Sarah Perry

Suggest you take a look at Deer Park. Should be plenty of modestly priced housing there.

Will do! Thanks Sarah.

[Cali2Cincy]

Originally Posted by h Steve

I grew up in Bond Hill, left in 1969. It was a great neighborhood back then, not so now. Personally the only part of Bond Hill I would consider is east of Reading Rd. where it borders Norwood. As mentioned by others Pleasant Ridge and Golf Manor are good choices. Pleasant Ridge Montessori is the elementary school that serves both and I have heard good things about them. Golf Manor's housing is about 2/3rds the price of houses in Pleasant Ridge, which is in vogue now. Push comes to shove, Bond Hill would rank behind any of the communities that others on here have mentioned.
Golf Manor – 6450 Wiehe Road • Golf Manor, OH 45237 • (513) 531-7491

The home we're looking at is east of reading rd and right on the border of Norwood, but its helpful to know you'd choose any other neighborhood before it. Definitely helps put it in perspective. Thanks for the input Steve!

[Cali2Cincy]

Originally Posted by kimberlymarie30

Second Pleasant Ridge, although from what I've heard Pleasant Ridge Montessori is on the way to being massively overcrowded. Something to look into if you go that way, and also most of the houses that are in the "good value" range tend to go quickly, within 24 hours.

Phew! 24 hours! Good to know. Thanks Kimberly!

[Cali2Cincy]

Originally Posted by Wilson513

120,000 house price? Tell your boyfriend to get a job. You can't afford a family home here unless he does.

Haha! Fair enough. We'll be able to afford a much nicer home in the future, but for now, we're modest people and that's okay with me. I hear greatness comes from humble beginnings. Could be wrong though. But, I'll take his winning personality over money any day!

[SWOH]

Originally Posted by Cali2Cincy

Thank you for sharing! That house is beautiful, but unfortunately too small with only two bedrooms! That's a lot of the trouble I've been running into. Thats the same size as the home we have now and we're overwhelmed by it (especially when family from California comes to visit). We've considered renting, but it's significantly more expensive for the size we'd need (3BR/1.5+BA) and we'd have to rent for a minimum of 2.5 years (I'm in my junior year now + deferring for a year + going back again). I just don't want to throw money away for that long. Especially because we can't afford the rent anyway! Unless it's in a terrible neighborhood. :/ I'll look into hartwell, lockland and Newport! I appreciate your input!

Good point. It'd be tough to make a 2br work.

Here's an option in Southgate, the southern part of Newport:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...ct/15_zm/1_fr/

It looks like there's quite a few places there around ~110k, and the schools look to be OK according to Great Schools (I have many issues with that site, but... I also don't know how to read KY school report cards well. I'm only well versed on OH and IN ones haha).

Housing values will be somewhat lower because it is Newport city limits.

But yeah I would definitely look into Hartwell and Lockland as well. Maybe even Finneytown. To a lesser extent I'd say Greenhills too, but you'd have the same situation as your childhood there in Winton Woods schools. Same goes for College Hill or North College Hill.

[jmecklenborg]

Single-family homes in the Cincinnati area are pretty much the cheapest in the United States. There are tons of 2-3 bedroom homes built between 1900 and 1950 ranging between 1100 and 1500 sq feet that sell for $110k or much less. If you can't afford a small house here you can't afford one anywhere else in the first world. Literally.

Somehow people raised large families in all of these 2-3 bedroom houses with one bathroom 50-100 years ago. Now people can't seem to make it happen and pay a huge premium not just in their purchase price but in ongoing property tax to live in a "true" 3 or 4-bedroom. They do it mostly to impress people they don't even like.

Don't overpay for a house that has a spare bedroom for visitors. Paying for a hotel a few nights per year is way cheaper than the long-term cost of a larger home. It's like owning and driving a pickup truck all year for those 2 times when it comes in handy.