Here’s the kicker: if nothing changes, the County Auditors Association president warned that property taxes could jump another 25–30% by the next sexennial reappraisal. In Licking County, we’ve got a triennial next year—another hit even before that “big kahuna” sexennial. In plain English: Ohio effectively audits property values every three years, and the meter keeps ticking up.

Every fall we see more price cuts—that’s normal. What’s different this year is the backdrop: inventory is higher than last year but still below long-term norms. That combination creates a sideways market: more list-price trimming without broad sale-price capitulation. Expect bigger discounts on homes with obvious drawbacks (busy roads, odd layouts, deferred maintenance) and firmer pricing on clean, well-located listings.

If there’s widespread financial pain, you’d see it here. Instead, we’re seeing sellers hold tight, often sitting on 3% mortgage rates with nowhere affordable to go.

ast 5 years—yet prices just hit an all-time high.

The median sale price reached $321,000 in March 2025, up from $310,000 a year ago—a 3.5% year-over-year increase and the highest March median on record in Central Ohio. While price growth has cooled from its frenzy, values continue climbing, squeezing out many would-be buyers.