Buying a Home in Ohio
Considering buying a home in Ohio? This could be a great time to find your dream home in the Buckeye State. Here’s what you need to know:
The first step? Determine where you want to live. Ohio has a total population of just over 11.5 million people, and around one in eight live in one of the densely populated five largest cities in the state:
- Columbus (state capital)
- Cleveland
- Cincinnati
- Toledo
- Akron
Step two, how much home can you buy? Ohio ranks 47th in US homes for sale at average price, and 29th for homes over $1,000,000.
Get preapproved so you can know your budget before house hunting.
First-time Homebuyers
First-time home buyer? The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) works with mortgage lenders to offer a variety of loans suitable for first-time homebuyers.
Your Choice! Down Payment Assistance lets you choose either 2.5% or 5% of the home’s purchase price, and apply the assistance towards down payments, closing costs or other pre-closing expenses. The assistance is forgiven after seven years of living in the house, as long as you live in it; if you sell or refinance before seven years are up, you must repay all of the assistance.
To qualify, first-time buyers need to satisfy a number of requirements:
- Meet OHFA’s income limits
- Meet OHFA’s purchase price limits
- Meet the debt-to-income ratio requirement (which varies based on type of loan).
- Meet a credit score minimum of 640 or higher
- Complete a free homebuyer education course.
Refinancing in Ohio
If need be, you can refinance a home in Ohio to take advantage of favorable Ohio mortgage rates by doing any of the following:
- Refinance to acquire a lower interest rate
- Refinance to get a longer term
- Refinance for cash-out equity
- Refinance to eliminate a private mortgage insurance (PMI) requirement
You may want to ask if you qualify for a streamlined refinance for certain types of loans. Ask your lender for more information.