Applicants for the First-Time Homebuyer Program must meet OHFA income limits, and properties must meet sales price limits. The limits vary by city and town. Check income and sales price limits.

To qualify for an OHFA loan, you must also:

• Be a first-time homebuyer—someone who has not owned or had an ownership interest in his/her principal residence in the last three years—or be a qualified military veteran. Not a first-time homebuyer or a military veteran? Check out our Target Area Loan Program.
• Be creditworthy. Minimum credit scores may apply.
• Have a signed Purchase and Sales Agreement for a qualifying property.
• Qualify for the loan being requested. Lenders will assess your ability to afford a home by considering income, assets, job stability, liabilities, and other criteria.

If you’re more curious… here’s a link to check it out.

One of those programs, The Golden Hobby Shop, is facing cancellation. The program is a partially city funded shop, but they are a normal shop and sell great works of art from the senior citizens. It’s a great way for older citizens to continue doing what they love but give them somewhere to display and sell their art. Unfortunately with the budget deficits that Columbus is facing, it’s a program that could disappear.

Check out the article here.
The city’s website is here.

Clintonville, a Columbus suburb and rather artsy district, thought it might be a good idea to begin hosting their own type of art hop. Bridgette Turner, the event organizer, is really hoping to inform people of their presence in the Clintonville area. If all goes well in this up coming event they plan to make it a more frequent event.

If you’re curious about the event, or would like to read the article check it out here.

Ohio Recognized as National Leader in Business Development and Job Creation

“This recognition highlights the continued collaborations with our

partners across the state that help drive Ohio’s economy and stimulate future

growth,” said Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, who also serves as the Director of the

Ohio Department of Development. “We had many important achievements in 2007 in

the areas of business and industry attraction, community and urban

development, and innovation and technology. The hard work of our community and

business partners is crucial to our economic growth and is what makes Ohio a

state of great strength and promise.”

Cities across the country are changing to fluorescent light bulbs. There are miles and miles of highway in California made just for car pools. These sorts of things are great, but we still need more.

Westerville Ohio initiated a program to help fund renewable energy sources. By adding just a few dollars more to a residents electricity bill the city could throw money at development costs of say thermal or wind power. Seems like a cool idea huh? Well unfortunately they didn’t actually inform anyone of the project. There were no banners, letters, or even a parade. Just the creation of the program to be put in a filing cabinet.

An anonymous citizen decided it was time to change that. Letters were sent out to Westerville residents along with a post card. The post card was ment to make people want to get involved and make city officials aware that there was interest. Apparently the guys who created the green energy program figured no one would be interested. These city officials thought that because of already raising electricity bills asking for more money simply wouldn’t work.

I guess they were wrong. Sometimes you just need a place to start.

Green-energy program dusted off in Westerville

This north end of Columbus has developed very quickly but there’s still available land. Plenty of it in fact. With all of it’s shopping, restaurants and business’s, Polaris has plenty of green land along the main parkway that’s still basically farm territory. Land in these areas has sky rocketed in the past few years with sales prices around $85,000 and acre. I probably even estimated that low. I’m sure prime spots along Polaris PKWY are going for even more.

The city is trying to decide what’s best for Polaris. They would like to attract more companies as that means more jobs, more shoppers, more home owners and a better situation for everyone. There are problems though:

City council members are considering development of 100 acres of land on the north and south sides of Polaris Parkway. Two concerns for city leaders: creating a distinctive space for the getaway from Columbus to Westerville and possible traffic congestions.

Preliminary talks about developing the land have emphasized office space over retail stores.

Community affairs coordinator Scott McAfee said there are already more than enough world-class retail establishments in the area. He said first-rate office space would attract new companies.

“The more jobs you can create within a city, the more revenues you’re going to have for the services you provide,” McAfee said.

Click the link following this for a jump to the actual article. Click here.

With this knowledge, other local suburbs are in the works to bring back their patrons to help boost business. From increasing the number of green spaces to adding old style gas lamps and brick side walks, many local suburbs are beginning the long path to bringing back their nostalgia.

I think this is a great idea personally and say good for them. The internet, TV, and the ability to live a life totally online has taken away from our sense of personal interaction. Something which I know this business thrives so much on. I hope these small suburbs can follow suit and keep their heritage alive.

Creating Centers of Attention

Gahanna did it. Hilliard is about to do it. Now, Grove City plans to do it.

Creating town centers to renovate slumping downtowns is hot among central Ohio suburbs. Some have them (think Westerville and Worthington), and some don’t (think Upper Arlington and Whitehall).

Most of the latter wish they did.

Picture the 1950s downtown in Back to the Future. The town center is a nostalgic return to the architecture, function and vitality that small towns had before strip centers and malls on their outskirts sucked the life out of Downtown, USA.