Central Ohio Home Inventory Rising With The Temperatures

Home inventory rising with the temperatures

(Apr. 20, 2014 Columbus, OH) –  There were 3,428 central Ohio homes and condos listed for sale in March 2014. Although down 2.1 percent from inventory one year ago, this is up 48.3 percent from the 2,310 added the previous month according to the Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing System (MLS).

“After one of the coldest winters on record, many sellers were waiting to put their home on the market,” said Milt Lustnauer, 2014 president of the Columbus REALTORS®. “It’s a great time to sell a home due to the lack of inventory available.”

“But it’s also a great time to buy a home as interest rates are likely going to increase. Buyers can undoubtedly get more home for their money today than they will be able totomorrow.”

The sale price of a home sold in March 2014 was $172,019, which was 6.6 percent higher than the previous year. The median sale price of $143,500 was up 6.3 percent compared to March 2013.

There were 1,796 central Ohio homes sold in March of 2014, 10.5 percent lower than March 2013, but up over 24 percent from the previous month.

With an inventory level of 8,066, the number of homes on the market is 13.9 percent lower than March 2013.

“Inventory levels are still lagging in central Ohio, much to the chagrin of a significant number of motivated buyers right now,” said Lustnauer. “With temperatures on the rise, we expect inventory to continue in that direction as well in the coming months.”

According to the latest Housing Market Confidence Index (by the Ohio Association of REALTORS®) 95 percent of central Ohio REALTORS® describe the current housing market as moderate to strong and 98 percent expect the market to be moderate to strong over the next six months. As for housing prices, 95 percent expect housing prices to rise over the next year. Additionally, since the weather has started to improve, 34 percent of respondents have seen higher than normal early spring activity.

Current housing report – March 2014

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Columbus REALTORS® is comprised of over 6,000 real estate professionals engaged in residential sales and leasing, commercial sales and leasing, property management, appraisal, consultation, real estate syndication, land development and more.

The Columbus REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) serves all of Franklin, Delaware, Fayette, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway and Union Counties and parts of Athens, Champaign, Clark, Clinton, Fairfield, Hocking, Knox, Logan, Marion, Muskingum, Perry and Ross Counties.

To view properties for sale, visit www.terrypenrod.com

Full report

HRC - Significant Changes on Tax Day for Same-Sex Couples After Marriage Equality Victories at the Supreme Court

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 9, 2014
Paul Guequierre

Significant Changes on Tax Day for Same-Sex Couples After Marriage Equality Victories at the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON – With historic victories for marriage equality at the Supreme Court of the United States last year, including the striking down of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in the Windsor case, tax day will change for thousands of married LGBT couples.  In an effort to clear the confusion around filing income taxes, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, has created an online guide to filing taxes at www.hrc.org/taxes.     

“The LGBT community continues to make gains in the fight for full equality, and with those gains come the rights and responsibilities of marriage including tax filing at the federal level.  Because some states continue to ignore marriages, many couples will be required to jump through extra hoops” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow.  “As tax day approaches next week, thousands of legally married same-sex couples are scrambling to figure out what they need to do to file their taxes and we are proud to offer online resources to help.”

Prior to this year, legally married same-sex couples who lived in marriage states were required to file jointly in their state, but separately on the federal returns.  This year, the challenges shift to legally married same-sex couples in non-marriage equality states.  The Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v. Windsor struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which excluded same-sex married couples from all federal marriage benefits and programs—including federal income tax. In a revenue ruling issued this summer, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that legally married same-sex couples would be recognized for all federal income tax purposes, regardless of where they live. Under this ruling, the IRS will recognize married same-sex couples for the purposes of income tax, estate and gift taxes, and payroll taxes associated with many employee spousal benefits.

However, this ruling does not affect whether the state in which a same-sex couples lives recognizes their marriage, meaning a couple may be recognized as married by the federal government but still considered single by the state government.  In some cases, the state may instruct a same-sex couple to use their federal filing status (e.g. “single,” “married filing jointly,” etc.) when preparing their state tax return. With the IRS’s ruling, this could create conflicting requirements based on state residency, and navigating them can be complicated and confusing.

HRC is proud to offer an overview of state income tax requirements and guidance provided by state revenue agencies for married same-sex couples at www.hrc.org/taxes.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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HRC- Federal Judge Announces He Will Strike Down Ohio Ban on Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 4, 2014
Charles Joughin 

Federal Judge Announces He Will Strike Down Ohio Ban on Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages

Judge Timothy Black will issue ruling April 14 prohibiting state from enforcing ban

WASHINGTON  - Today a federal judge announced he will strike down Ohio’s constitutional amendment banning the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in states where they are legal.  The case Henry V. Wymyslo, was brought by legally married same-sex couples living in Ohio who wish to be listed as married on their children’s’ birth certificates.

“For the second time Judge Black has affirmed that the marriages of committed and loving same-sex couples must be recognized by the state of Ohio,” said Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin.  “Since the Supreme Court’s landmark marriage equality rulings last June, not a single state marriage ban has survived a federal court challenge.  It’s only a matter of time before marriage equality is the law of the land in not just Ohio, but every corner of America.”

This is one of at least 55 marriage equality court cases working their way through the judicial system across the country.  These cases have been filed in 28 states plus Puerto Rico and account for nearly 250 plaintiffs taking on state marriage bans.  Same-sex couples can legally marry in seventeen states and the District of Columbia, while 33 states have a law or constitutional amendment restricting marriage to the union of one man and one woman.

Another case out of Ohio, Obergefell v. Kasich, has been appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit after Judge Black ruled the state’s marriage ban is unconstitutional in prohibiting the state from including the names of surviving same-sex spouses on death certificates.

For more information on this and other marriage equality court cases across the country, visit www.americansformarriageequality.org

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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