Mason, OH

Mason Ohio 45040 Single Family Home Residential Market Report January 2012

Yesterday we provided a market report update on Mason Condos and the news was excellent! Did Mason Single Family Homes match their performance? Stay with us and we'll answer that question!

All data is derived from the Cincinnati MLS system. If any Mason homes traded hands without a REALTOR® involved, then it won't be reflected in this report. For instance, for sale by owner homes and new construction may not be listed. Some new construction is included, but homes custom built to buyer requests are NOT included. All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits.

With Mason being named #24 on the Money Magazine Top 100 Best Places To Live list for 2011, Mason received recognition that area residents already knew was well deserved! With top notch public schools, extensive entertainment and dining options, and a premier community center combined with superb accessibility to downtown Cincinnati, Mason has become one of the most desired living areas in the region!

Mason offers a full range of price points. There are a number of older developments featuring 1950s and 1960s vintage brick ranch homes to the other end of the spectrum with golf course community homes in excess of $1 million dollars! And of course, all the price points in between are covered too. In general, you can expect to pay a premium for Mason homes when compared to communities further away from Cincinnati.

So, on to the data!

First up is the number of Mason single family homes sold on a month by month basis for 2010, 2011 and now starting 2012:

Next is the Mason median price summary chart.

So what is the data telling us? Overall, Mason single family home sales were down slightly when comparing Januarys to the last two years. 19 this year vs. 22 and 21 in 2010 & 2011. Now before thinking that this might be a significant decrease, keep in mind new construction is NOT reflected (and we're seeing an increase in the last year of new construction activity) and that January is typically a slow month. Considering low interest rates and stable prices, we would expect increases over the next few months.

Median price was $304,000 with an average price of $423,789. Now that's a pretty big disparity, but with a range of prices from $60,000 to $1,660,000 (yes, you read that last one right!), that high side sale is going to make a significant shift in average price.

So what does this mean to you as a Mason single family home owner? The median price is higher than most months in 2010 and 2011. It has been our view for several months that Mason has already reached the bottom of pricing and is on an upward trend. Buyers and their agents have not totally reconciled themselves to that thought and may be slow to react to the shift, clinging to "it's a buyer's market" while getting rejected on low offers by sellers who don't need to sell at depressed prices. We'll be tracking and reporting monthly to confirm the trend continues upward. If you've got an immediate need to sell, you can still sell. We always recommend beating your competition to the market if you're serious about selling your Mason home. For an evaluation of your home's marketability, please contact us.

So what does this mean to you as a potential Mason home buyer? Our advice is the same as last month: with the bottom of the Mason market reached, further waiting means you're likely to pay more to purchase a Mason home. DON'T WAIT! With extremely low interest rates and plenty of home inventory, it might be time for you to seriously pursue that Mason home you want. If you're interested in buying that home, please contact us with your needs and we'll help you find the right Mason community for you!

Serving Mason's home buyers and sellers,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

Mason Ohio 45040 Condominium Market Report January 2012

So 2011 ended on a strong note for Mason Condo sales as we reported in our 2011 Mason Condo Summary Market Report. Did that trend continue into the first month of 2012?

YES!!! Keep reading for more details.

All data is for the Mason School District area, so is not limited solely to Mason city limits. All data is also from Cincinnati MLS, so any transactions that recorded outside of MLS are not captured here (for sale by owners, new construction, etc.).

With Mason being named #24 on the Money Magazine Top 100 Best Places To Live list for 2011, Mason received recognition that area residents already knew was well deserved! With top notch public schools, extensive entertainment and dining options, and a premier community center combined with superb accessibility to downtown Cincinnati, Mason has become one of the most desired living areas in the region!

And a condominium provides a more economical access point to Mason living than single family residential homes. Additionally, Mason provides several tiers of condominium communities depending on your preferences.

So, on to the data!

First up is the number of condominiums sold on a month by month basis for 2010, 2011 and now starting 2012:


Next is the median price summary chart.



So what is the data telling us? First, compared to the previous two Januarys, sales are EXTREMELY strong! 14 in 2012 vs. 5 & 6 respectively in 2010 and 2011. That continues a strong December 2011 with 15 sales. Historically, the winter months are NOT strong months for sales.

And by the way, one of those 14 sales was one of our listings (4261 Eastlake Drive in Village Lakes). And there is PLENTY of inventory out there to pick from. We just added a Mason condo to the market yesterday (7609E Mansion Circle).

Median prices continue to stay in the expected price band, with the January 2012 median of $119,250 and the average at $126,529. Sales prices ranged from $39,000 to $235,000.

So what does this mean to you as a Mason condo owner? That if you've been waiting for the spring season to sell, you might not want to continue to wait. With sales stronger than anticipated, getting a jump on your competition with a well presented, well priced condo may be your ticket to getting SOLD now so you can take advantage of the low interest rates and opportunities out there with your next home purchase.

So what does this mean to you as a potential Mason condo buyer? That with sales picking up, if you see something you like you need to act. Other buyers are looking too, and falling under the spell of "it's a buyer's market" just might cost you the perfect home for you.

Serving Mason's condominium buyers and sellers,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

SNEAK PREVIEW MASON CONDO: 7609-E Mansion Circle Coming to MLS Next Week!

Okay, we've had a night to sleep on it since signing the listing agreement, and we're giving our readers FIRST LOOK at a Mason condo coming to market early next week! Located in Mansions condo development, this pool community just off Socialville Foster Road in Deerfield Township (shhhh...Mason advantages & Mason schools WITHOUT Mason city taxes), offers a convenient location close to shopping and lots of dining choices. With 11 buildings and 6 condos per building, you've got limited opportunity to own one of these condos for yourself.

This 2nd floor unit offers a two car garage with extra storage and that could be your new balcony! And once you're inside you're going to LOVE this condo! With two bedrooms and two full bath, combined with an opened floor plan and some WOW! updates you wouldn't normally expect at this $129,900 price point: hardwood floors, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances AND a custom tile shower with seat in the master bath too!

Now for full pictures and details you're going to have to wait a bit, so check www.7609EMansion.com next week for the full scoop on this condo! Pictures, visual tour, room sizes and more!

If this condo interests you, get your buyer's agent on standby and ready to dial that phone and get your appointment set. And if you don't have an agent, we'll be happy to take care of you!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,

Liz and Bill aka BLiz

P.S. Need help buying or selling a Warren County area home? Just give The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite a call! We're happy to help and the consultation is no hassle, no pressure.

CNN Money Ranks Mason and Springboro among "100 Best Places to Live"

​Warren County cities, Mason at #24 and Springboro at #42, were ranked among the top 100 Best Places to Live by CNN Money.

Mason is popular because of the Mason schools that placed fifth out of 613 Ohio school districts in 2010. It is also cited for access to Cincinnati, proximity to interstates, plus the Beach and Kings Island. The median income is $101,034 and median home price is $173,000.

Springboro is known for its Main Street where 33 structures are on the Historic Register, many former stops on the Underground Railroad. It's small town character is notable. The median family income is $105,681 and median home price is $191,145.

Mason Kroger on SR741 Opens Gas Station

Most area Kroger grocery stores have had a gas station in their parking lot for quite some time, but not the SR741 Kroger! There's been plenty of construction in their parking lot the last few weeks, but not yet ready for prime time!

Now if you wanted to take advantage of their gas discount program, you could use the Exit 25 Shell and scan your card (or if the mag strip is worn off like mine, you have to type in your membership number) to collect that discount of up to $1/gallon.

Well tonight when stopping by to drop off a Redbox rental, the lights were on and the pumps were occupied! Gas (without discount) was priced similarly to the BP, Speedway and Shell stations right at I-71. We hope you enjoy the convenience!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

P.S. Need help buying or selling a Warren County area home so you can save some gas? Just give The Liz Spear Team of RE/MAX Elite a call! No hassle, no pressure, no gas indigestion!