By Barbara Lockard
Becky Neville exclaimed that the real estate market in Ada in 2019 was, “like everywhere else…fantastic!” She should know. Neville, a realtor with Century 21 Sunway, has been in the business since 1983 serving an area that includes Hardin, Allen, Putnam and Hancock Counties.
“Ada is unique because of the university,” Neville said. She went on to explain that there is a demand for student housing so there are a lot of investors buying rental property, including some larger, multi-family units.
"Some parents also purchase property, so their student has a place to live while at ONU. When their son or daughter graduates, they put the home back on the market.
“It’s sort of real estate recycling,” Neville laughed, and added that there is a good inventory of investment properties in Ada right now.
Appealing community
According to Neville, families looking for a home are attracted to Ada’s “small town living” environment. Ada schools are a big selling point as well, with a much higher than average graduation rate, advanced placement classes and a new facility.
Located between Lima and Findlay, Ada also offers convenience for couples who may work in those locations and Ada itself has some larger employers. Real estate prices are less than Findlay and on par with Lima, adding to the appeal.
The demand is especially high for single-family homes in the $80,000 to $150,000 price range.
“If you have a nice ranch listed at $110,000-$140,000 is will be sold in less than 30 days,” Neville added, “sometimes in just a few days.” Citing figures from the Multiple Listing Service, she reported that the average number of days on market for all Ada single family homes is 93. The average listing price of a home in Ada is $137,000 with an average sales price of $128,700.
Another reason real estate is booming is that there are many home loans available that require only a small down payment. Neville has seen a lot of buyers qualify for FHA, USDA and VA programs.
She reminds would-be homebuyers of the Welcome Home program that will be available starting March 2, 2020. (Ohio’s Welcome Home program offers grants to fund reasonable down payments and closing costs for owner-occupied housing by low and moderate-income homebuyers). She also added that Ada’s local lenders work well with clients of all income levels.
A profession with benefits and rewards
Neville became a licensed realtor in 1983 when she and her husband John moved back to Hardin County after attending school in Madison, Wisconsin. Sunway has been serving Hardin County since the 1970s.
“Real estate has a lot of benefits,” Neville stated. “I learned a lot by attending seminars and classes. My kids often went along on home showings and sales calls. None of them are in real estate, but they sure know the business!”
She ultimately purchased the Sunway Ada brokerage from Rose Zuchetto and was broker/owner for several years before deciding to sell the office and return to being an agent. She added that Zuchetto was an amazing mentor and is still very successful in real estate sales.
“I set goals and usually exceed them,” Neville said, “but the goals that Rose reaches are unbelievable!”
So you’re thinking of selling your home? Neville encourages you to contact a realtor as your first step.
“Realtors can have some really valuable suggestions on getting the best price for your home,” she said. In addition, your realtor can run a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to give you an idea of the selling price of similar properties in your area. They can also give sellers advice on staging their property and take the lead in navigating through all the paperwork involved in a sale.
“Realtors also have an entire marketing program that includes listing in the MLS as well as social media and websites such as Zillow and Trulia,” Neville added.
According to the National Association of Realtors, sellers net significantly more when using a realtor, compared to listing the property themselves. In 2017, the typical “For Sale by Owner” home in the U.S. sold for $200,000 compared to $265,500 for agent-assisted home sales.
Sunway realtors
Along with Neville, other realtors in the Sunway Ada office are Sharon Music, Becky Reed, Crystal Whitaker, Samantha Hull and Tami Waller, office staff. The main phone number for the office is 419-634-0021.
