There are many reasons to be optimistic.

Look around. The central Ohio real estate market remains active. We are starting to see signs of a stronger market, with "SOLD" signs replacing "FOR  SALE" signs in every community. Ask a builder or REALTOR^® you know, and they will tell you that rates are staying down, buyers are continuing to value homeownership, and the central Ohio housing market is staying healthy.

Home builders are finding reasons to be optmistic about 2011. The market for new homes will see gradual improvements in activity this year as the nation’s economy and job market continue to move to higher ground. The momentum that will begin this year is likely to produce even more considerable gains in 2012, according to economists from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). "This year’s spring selling season will be better than last year’s," said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe, with job growth providing a stronger stimulus than last year’s tax credits.

Home sales statistics for central Ohio in 2010 showed marked improvements compared to previous years according to the Columbus Board of REALTORS® (CBR). “Our market saw average sale price increases for eight of the 12 months of 2010,” says CBR’s 2011 President Rick Benjamin. “As we’ve experienced annual decreases in our average sale price since 2005, we see ending the year just half a point lower than 2009 as a positive for central Ohio homeowners.”

Columbus Ranks #10 as Top City for "the Next Generation Workforce" ... right behind New York City. According to Next Generation Consulting, "It used to be that cities with jobs attracted and kept their workforce. That might have worked for your dad, but it’s not going to work for your kids.Today, young up-and-comers pick their cities - those with the amenities and “vibe” they value - and then look for jobs."

Next Gen surveyed 39,000 people between the ages of 20 and 40 to learn more about why they live and work where they do and learned that top cities have seven attributes in common: Vitality, Earning, Learning, Social Capital, Cost of Living, After Hours, and Around Town.

A Great Business Environment:  Ohio has climbed into the top 10 of an annual ranking of states with tax climates friendly to small companies and entrepreneurs. The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council in its Business Tax Index ranked Ohio 10th based on 16 various tax measures including personal income tax rate, capital gains tax rate, sales, unemployment, gasoline and property taxes.

Columbus was ranked the nation's 6th most stable market by Standard & Poor's. According to this report, our market has less than a 10% chance of experiencing falling home prices.

A Family-Friendly City! Columbus was named America's Best Place to Raise Kids in 2009 by Business Week. The  study was based on school performance; number of schools; household expenditures; crime rates; air quality; job growth; family income; museums, parks, theaters, and other amenities; and diversity.

We hear encouraging news every day about central Ohio's economy. In early March Forbes.com, named Columbus the "#1 Up-and-Coming Tech City."

Ohio again topped a national magazine's ranking of business expansion states outpacing runners up Texas, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Site Selection Magazine presented Gov. Ted Strickland with the 2008 Governor's Cup award during a press conference in Columbus on Monday. It's the third consecutive year Ohio has received the honors and the seventh time since 1993. The magazine tracks the number of new or expanded corporate facilities announced during the year, then ranks states and cities based on the results.

Ohio outpaced Texas for this year's top spot, with 503 expansion projects, up from 399 a year earlier. Texas was No. 2 with 497. Michigan and Pennsylvania were third and fourth, with 296 and 290, respectively.