One of the first questions I hear from real estate investors is: Should I buy for cash flow or appreciation? My answer is usually: It depends. I know that’s not a very satisfying answer. But after 40 years in real estate, I’ve learned that investing rarely fits neatly into one formula. Cash Flow Is What […]
The Headline: 3,083. That’s how many homes closed across Central Ohio in August, up 6.3% year-over-year — per Columbus REALTORS®. Nationally, existing-home sales rose just 0.7% year-over-year, per NAR. We didn’t just beat the national number. We crushed it. And rates just gave buyers a break, easing down to a low of 6.65%, per Freddie Mac. Small move. Right direction. […]
Where population growth, employment corridors, and Census data say the next decade of Central Ohio demand lands. The Columbus metro added more than 21,000 residents in the past year alone, pushing the region past 2.24 million people — growth at double the national rate, and one of the fastest paces among large U.S. metros outside […]
Forty years, thousands of closings, and one constant: the market has never once done what everyone expected. I have sold homes through double-digit interest rates, the 2008 collapse, the 2021 mania, and now a market that is somehow both a seller’s market and a buyer’s market depending on which data point you read that morning. […]
Why the first three days on market decide your final sale price — before most sellers even realize the clock is running. Every listing gets one shot at a first impression, and it expires fast. The first 72 hours on market generate the highest concentration of buyer traffic, agent showings, and portal views your home […]
What the data actually says about pricing psychology versus pricing reality in Central Ohio right now. You bought the house for $340,000 in 2021. You put in a kitchen. You have memories in that dining room. But none of that shows up on the comparable listings. Here is the uncomfortable truth about selling your own […]
August 2026 Update | The Alfriend Group Here’s the number that matters: 3,100. That’s how many Central Ohio homes closed in June, up 5% year-over-year. Nationally, sales grew 2.8%. The Midwest grew 2.1%. We nearly doubled both. Central Ohio isn’t participating in the housing market. It’s outperforming it. Now the number that should get your attention if […]
Coastal investors discovered Columbus three years ago. Institutional money started moving two years ago. The window for individual investors to acquire ahead of the curve is not gone — but it is closing. Here’s what the fundamentals say, where the opportunity lives, and what separates investors who build wealth from those who chase it. WHY […]
In February 2026, visitor arrivals to Maui were up 11.5% and visitor spending was up nearly 7% compared to the year before, according to the latest figures from Hawai’i’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Hotel occupancy across Maui County climbed to 78%, up from 71.5% a year earlier. Two and a half years […]
Five million. That’s how many people the Hocking Hills Tourism Association now estimates visit the park annually — up from roughly 3 million just a few years ago. For context, that’s more annual traffic than several U.S. national parks. Condé Nast Traveler put Hocking Hills on its list of the 50 Most Beautiful Places in […]
