House prices and costs in Columbus, OH

Public loan records · 2025

What buyers here actually borrowed and paid (2025)

2025 home-purchase loans (first liens) on owner-occupied 1–4 unit homes in Columbus's census tracts: 6,375 loans. These are loans that closed in Columbus, not offers: a rate depends on your credit, down payment, points and the day you lock it.

Interest rate, 30-year fixed (conventional)

6.375% to 6.875%Middle half of loans; median 6.625% · 4,154 loans

Loan costs at closing

$3,807 to $7,018Middle half; median $4,804. Origination charges (points included) and settlement services, Closing Disclosure section D · 4,693 loans

Borrowed, every loan on the home combined

95% of the value (median)Middle half 80% to 97%. 69.3% of buyers borrowed more than 80% of the value, 55.8% more than 90%, 37.8% more than 95%. HMDA's combined loan-to-value: every loan on the home (second loans, down-payment-assistance loans and financed FHA or VA fees too) ÷ the value the lender used, so it doesn't show the cash buyers put down · 6,169 loans

Loan types

Conventional 75.5% · FHA 19.1%VA 5.5% · USDA 0%

Discount points

51.5% of loans paid pointsMedian paid: $2,162. Points buy a lower rate.

Loan limits, 2026

$832,750 conformingAbove it, a jumbo loan with its own rates and rules; FHA limit $591,100 (one-unit home, Franklin County)

For comparison: 7.03% is Freddie Mac's average 30-year fixed rate for the week of Sep 24, 2026, for buyers with 20% down and excellent credit. It isn't an offer or an APR. Source: FFIEC Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data: 2025 Snapshot National Loan-Level Dataset (data as of June 1, 2026), via the CFPB HMDA Data Browser; Homiy's calculations (2025 loans; retrieved 2026-09-27).

Research summary · not legal advice

How buying works in Ohio

The usual steps, deadlines and closing costs for a purchase in Columbus, from state law, standard contract forms and local custom. Contracts can change any of it. Homiy is a prototype: it isn't a licensed brokerage in Ohio and offers no services here.

Who runs the closing

A title company runs the closing and holds the money. Typical time from contract to keys: about 35 days.

The contract

Your signed offer becomes a binding contract once the seller accepts it.

Details

Columbus REALTORS / Columbus Bar Association Residential Real Estate Purchase Contract

Buyer agreement

Ohio written buyer representation agreement and agency disclosure, signed before touring.

Details

Homiy's prototype requires a written agreement before a represented tour. NAR's rule binds participating MLS brokers; do not describe it as a universal state law. Compensation is negotiable and total brokerage pay cannot exceed the agreement.

Source: NAR: written buyer agreements before touring (MLS participation rule, not a universal state statute) (reviewed 2026-09-27)

Inspection

About 10 days for inspections.

Details

Use the locally chosen contract's inspection notice and remedy periods. 10 calendar days is a negotiable sample planning period, not a statutory deadline.

Earnest money

1–3% of the price, due within 3 days, held by: Named title/escrow company or broker trust.

Details

Sample only: delivery within 3 calendar days and 1–3% earnest money; the signed contract controls. Buyer delivery is distinct from the holder's statutory deposit deadline.

Seller's disclosure

Ohio Residential Property Disclosure Form You may cancel within 3 business days in some cases: Late disclosure or amendment: written rescission within 3 BUSINESS days after receipt, but no later than the earlier of 30 days after offer acceptance or closing. Missing disclosure permits rescission only within that same outer limit; statutory waiver possible..

Details

Covered 1–4-unit residential transfers; exemptions in §5302.30(B). No general three-day purchase cooling-off rule where timely disclosure was given.

Source: Ohio Revised Code §5302.30: seller disclosure and rescission (reviewed 2026-09-27)

Loan and appraisal

Loan contingency: 21 days (set in the contract).

Details

21-day financing period and the typical closing time are sample planning assumptions, not measured averages or legal rights. Financing and appraisal protection require the signed form/addenda; an appraisal shortfall is not automatically protected.

Title insurance

The seller customarily pays for the owner's policy.

Details

Payer is a negotiable local custom, not a mandatory charge; obtain a title quote and follow the signed allocation. Filed insurer/rating-bureau rates are not a state-promulgated price. Central Ohio/Columbus custom is seller-paid owner coverage; Northeast Ohio's common split should not be imported into this market.

Property tax for a new owner

Your property tax follows the county's assessed market value. About 1.6% of the price a year is our planning figure for Columbus; your bill can differ.

Details

Ohio taxes 35% of appraised value using district-specific effective (HB920-reduced) millage, not gross voted millage. Applicable nonbusiness/owner-occupancy credits reduce the bill; transfer is evidence of value, not automatic removal of the district reduction factors.

Franklin Auditor2025-for-2026 district010: Class1 effective49.775275 mills ×35% assessment ×(1−0.07645 nonbusiness credit−0.019112 owner-occupancy credit) ÷10 =1.575653% of appraisal. Assumes qualifying owner-occupied residential credits; other Columbus districts differ. Gross voted115.89 mills would overstate tax. Reappraisal/deductions can change a buyer's bill; not an ACS existing-owner median. HOA range and lender-title percentage are SAMPLE inputs.

Agent credits to the buyer

Ohio allows an agent to credit part of their pay to the buyer, with the lender's approval.

Details

Disclose transaction inducements in the contract under §4735.18(A)(14); unlicensed commission sharing is restricted. Consumer rebate versus payment for services is fact-sensitive (including Ohio case law); written broker/counsel and lender approval required, not guaranteed cash back.

Source: Ohio Revised Code §4735.18(A)(14): written disclosure of inducements (reviewed 2026-09-27)

Methodology

How we measure, and what it isn't

Past change, not a forecast. These figures describe the past from public data; they don't tell you where prices go next.