Axios Columbus

February 19, 2025
Well hello there, Wednesday! Today's top stories offer a few more snapshots of what's happening in our hot local housing market.
☁️ Today's weather: Cold and cloudy, with highs in the low 20s and a chance of more snow.
🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Columbus members Lori Keating and Rebecca Rogers!
Today's newsletter is 853 words — a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: 🏠 Building new vs. buying used


Central Ohio homebuyers are seeing an increasing disparity in cost between new builds and existing homes.
Why it matters: Buyers pay nearly $200,000 more for new builds as the Columbus real estate market continues rebounding from a pandemic-era housing shortage.
By the numbers: The median listing price for new construction in the Columbus metro area is $498,000, per Realtor.com data, compared to existing homes at just $309,000.
- That's a much greater disparity than the national median of $450,000 for new builds and $396,000 for existing homes.
State of play: Buffie Patterson, president of the Columbus Realtors board of directors, tells Axios "a significant shortage" of housing during the pandemic led to a spike in demand for all homes and price increases.
- As inventory rises, buyers have more options at their disposal and price increases have slowed, she says.
- Patterson notes the average timeline for a local home sale increased slightly from 24 days in 2023 to 28 days in 2024.
Between the lines: Patterson says new build communities are increasingly located outside of Columbus proper, "concentrated in more suburban and rural areas where there is available land and growth due to the entry of corporations like Anduril, Microsoft, and Intel."
- A home's age can play a role.
- New and existing homes in some suburban areas may have similar prices because the latter housing stock is newer and "still meets the needs of buyers entering the market," she says.
Yes, but: The higher prices of new builds can also be partially explained by the continued increase in building costs.
2. 📈 An uptick in HOAs

Homeowner association fees are adding another financial hurdle to home ownership in an already challenging local market.
By the numbers: About 38% of Central Ohio home listings were subject to HOA fees in 2024, just below the 41% national average, according to a Realtor.com report.
- Columbus area homes were significantly more likely to be in an HOA than in Cleveland (25%) or Pittsburgh (16%).
The big picture: HOA dues typically cover maintenance and amenities like pools and gyms, plus other costs that keep a community running.
- They're common in areas full of condos, townhouses and newly built single-family homes, per the report.
Threat level: Dues can stretch upwards of hundreds of dollars per month, adding an eye-watering expense on top of high home prices and mortgage payments.
3. 🛠️ What a home upgrade will cost you


DIY enthusiasts headed to the spring Home & Garden Show this week should expect to budget extra for their dream projects.
By the numbers: Median spending on home renovations is up 60% nationally since 2015, per a report from Houzz.
- Local data shows a similar trend.
Between the lines: Limited housing inventory and high mortgage rates have made renovation a more appealing option than moving for homeowners ready to upgrade, Houzz economist Marine Sargsyan tells Axios.
- Aging homes and rising labor and material costs are also a factor.
Zoom in: Kitchens and bathrooms are the most commonly renovated rooms — and typically the most expensive, Sargsyan says.
Stop by: The Home & Garden Show is 11am-7pm today-Saturday and 11am-6pm Sunday at the Ohio Expo Center. Tickets are $10.
Go deeper: Home improvement projects that boost ROI and mood
4. Nutshells: Your local news roundup
🛣️ The Ohio Department of Transportation has a $1.6 billion plan to improve Route 23 north from I-270 through Delaware, including removal several traffic lights, though the project likely won't begin until at least 2030. (Dispatch)
💰 Ohio is sending $70 million to the Pickaway County Port Authority for infrastructure upgrades supporting the massive Anduril development at Rickenbacker International Airport. (Columbus Business First 🔒)
🎨 Our state's creative sector generates nearly $33 billion annually, according to a CreativeOhio report. (WOSU)
🍗 State Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) proposed a new "boneless wing bill" following a controversial Ohio Supreme Court ruling last year that individuals should assume boneless wings contain pieces of bone. (WCMH-TV)
5. 😋 Our favorite soups
👋 Alissa here. As you may have guessed from yesterday's review of Lincoln Cafe's shrimp and corn chowder, I'm quite the soup enthusiast.
Dig in: Here are more local restaurants with delicious, fan-favorite soups to warm you up during this frigid week.
🦞 Lindey's, 169 E. Beck St.
- The lobster bisque is the most-mentioned food in Google reviews of this legendary German Village restaurant — and rightfully so.
🥗 Abner's Casual Dinings, 4051 Main St., Hilliard
- Enjoy unlimited soup and salad every weekday at lunchtime, with rotating options in addition to chili and navy bean soup daily.
☕ Family Room Coffee & Bake Shop, 545 S. Otterbein Ave. Westerville
- This new family-focused coffee shop also serves a rotating soup of the day.
🏠 Morgan House, 5300 Glick Road, Dublin
- The Morgan House soup, a chicken cream base with "dominating flavors of sherry and curry," is so good it landed a spot on an Ohio author's bucket list.
🇮🇹 Villa Nova Ristorante, 5545 N. High St.
- Save room for Italian Wedding Soup before filling up on breadsticks and pasta.
What you're saying: Reader Rob M. recommends O'Reilly's Pub in Clintonville, which features a soup lunch special every Monday, and reader Judy F. suggests Scotty's Cafe just east of Bexley.
📬 Reply to this newsletter and keep the recommendations coming.
Thanks to Tyler Buchanan for editing today's newsletter.
Our picks:
👀 Alissa didn't have "asteroid hurtling toward Earth" on her bingo card of weird 2025 news stories, but it feels about right.
📺 Andrew is happy to have "The White Lotus" back.
🥣 Tyler is partial to the chicken enchilada chili at Café Zupas.
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