Cincinnati real estate snapshot

Cincinnati culture ranges from vibrant nightlife to first class theatres and museums. Visitors are continually drawn to the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History and Science which features unique exhibits like Cincinnati's Ice Age: Clues Frozen in Time. Here visitors are transported to a time when glaciers were just receding and the area was newly formed almost 20,000 years ago. Visitors can walk through a reproduced glacier and get a glimpse of how far the city has come since then. The Cavern: A World Without Light exhibit features a replica of a limestone cave developed from similar caves once found in the area. Five hundred feet of darkened passageways await the brave, who can also foray into the museum's bat chamber housing a colony of Big Brown Bats. The museum continually strives to educate visitors about the city's history through grand visual and interactive scopes and remains one of the main tourist draws. The Carew Tower-Netherland Plaza Hotel downtown is both a registered historic landmark and Cincinnati's pride and joy. It was built during the Depression and stands as a testament of hard work and determination, completed in just 13 months after round-the-clock construction. The structure was influenced by European Deco design and consists of a chain of commercial areas that soar upward, forming a contemporary square block.

Also on the rise is Cincinnati real estate. According to a recent National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Study, Cincinnati nabbed the 34th spot in 170 real estate markets ranked by housing affordability. 2005 third quarter NAHB figures reflecting local median income show that home buyers can afford 76.5 percent of Cincinnati homes for sale compared to the national average of 34 percent. Existing single family homes are also commonly affordable at a median sales price of $146,000, according to the National Association of Realtors. As the city grew, Cincinnati's real estate market also expanded steadily. Currently, the average home price for Cincinnati real estate for sale is $164,000, well below the national average home price by $10,000. Potential home buyers can also look forward to picturesque neighborhoods with priceless architecture like Over the Rhine, home of the country's largest collection of Italianate structural design. It sits just north of downtown and offers a vintage mix of art galleries, charming eateries and hip taverns. Because many of the homes for sale here have aged with quality, properties are affordable and are in ideal condition for refurbishing. At the heart of the city is Avondale, offering proximity to downtown diversions within a suburban setting. Duplexes and roomy single family homes abound here in a mix of old and new styles. Start your Cincinnati home search today and see what makes this city tick!

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati
http://www.cincymuseum.org/explore_our_sites/natural_history/
http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/cdap/pages/-3743-/
http://www.realtor.org/Research.nsf/files/REL06Q1T.pdf/$FILE/REL06Q1T.pdf
http://www.homegain.com/local_real_estate/OH/cincinnati.html
http://www.butlercounty.biz/PDF_files/Real_Estate/Day_Cinci_Afford_Housing.pdf
http://www.cincinnatihome.org/