Ohio real estate: buy or sell with a local AXEN agent
Ohio makes the seller fill out a state disclosure form, taxes the sale twice (a state fee plus a county one), and in a handful of cities will not let a home change hands until the city inspects it. Here is what is the same everywhere in Ohio, and where to search homes.
Ohio cities we cover
Tap a city for its local guide or the newest homes for sale there.
What every Ohio buyer and seller should know
The seller has to give you the state form
Ohio law makes most sellers of 1 to 4 unit homes fill out, sign and deliver the state Residential Property Disclosure Form as soon as is practicable (ORC 5302.30). It asks about the roof, water, sewer, structure and known hazards. The form comes from the Ohio Department of Commerce, and it is the same form statewide.
Some sales do not need the form
The law lists exempt transfers: court-ordered sales, foreclosures, a deed in place of foreclosure, estate and trust transfers, transfers between co-owners or spouses in a divorce, government transfers, and a brand-new home nobody has lived in. Exempt does not mean the seller can lie.
A late form lets you walk
If you get the form after you signed the contract, you can cancel. You have three business days from when you get it. That right ends no later than 30 days after the seller accepted your offer, or at closing, whichever comes first. Put the cancellation in writing.
The conveyance fee is a state part plus a county part
The state fee is 10 cents per $100 of value, which works out to about $1 per $1,000, with a $1 minimum. On top of that a county may add its own transfer tax of up to 30 cents per $100, or $3 per $1,000. Every county sets its own, so the total changes when you cross a county line.
A lawyer has to prepare the deed
Title companies do close sales in Ohio. But writing a deed for someone else is practicing law, and Ohio's Supreme Court settled that a long time ago. Only a licensed Ohio attorney can draft the deed. Most title companies hire one and bill it as a line item.
Some cities inspect before you can sell
This one is local, not state. A number of Ohio cities require a city point-of-sale inspection before a home can transfer, and some hold money in escrow for violations that are not fixed. Cleveland Heights is one. Cleveland and Parma are not. Call the city building department in week one, because these can take weeks.
Values move on a cycle, and you appeal by March 31
Each county auditor does a full reappraisal every six years and updates values in the third year. If you think your value is wrong, file a complaint with the county board of revision. The deadline is March 31 of the following tax year, or the close of first-half collection, whichever is later.
Taxes are paid in arrears, and the split is a local habit
Ohio bills taxes for a period already past, so closing has to split them. Counties do it two ways. Short proration charges the seller only through closing on bills already due. Long proration also makes the seller pay the tax that has built up but has not been billed. Greater Cleveland tends to use long, central Ohio tends to use short. Ask before you write the offer.
Closing costs in Ohio: who pays what
Who pays what in Ohio. The conveyance fees and the recorder's fees are set by law. The rest is custom and can be negotiated.
| Buyer pays | How it works |
|---|---|
| Lender's title policy | Based on your loan amount. |
| Title search and exam | A flat fee set by the title company. |
| Escrow or closing fee | A flat fee, often split with the seller. |
| Recording the deed and mortgage | $34 for the first two pages and $8 for each page after, plus up to a $5 preservation surcharge. |
| Home inspection, septic and well tests | Flat fees. Septic and well rules run through the county health district. |
| Survey | A flat fee. No state law requires one. |
| HOA or condo documents | Whatever the association charges. Ohio does not cap it. |
| Tax proration | You take over future bills. How the split is figured depends on whether your county uses short or long proration. |
| Seller pays | How it works |
|---|---|
| State conveyance fee | 10 cents per $100 of value, with a $1 minimum. |
| County permissive transfer tax | Up to 30 cents per $100. Each county sets its own rate. |
| Deed preparation | An attorney's flat fee. Required, because only a lawyer can draft the deed. |
| Owner's title policy | Based on the sale price. By custom the seller usually buys it for the buyer. |
| Escrow or closing fee | A flat fee, often split. |
| Payoff and release recording | The recorder's fee to release your old mortgage. |
| Point-of-sale inspection and escrow | Only in cities that require it. Some hold repair money in escrow until the work is done. |
| Property taxes owed | Ohio taxes are paid in arrears, so you cover the period you owned. |
The county transfer tax, the recording surcharge and whether your county prorates short or long all change at the county line. A few cities also require a point-of-sale inspection. Ask your AXEN agent what applies in your city before you sign.
How a Ohio home purchase runs
From accepted offer to recorded deed, most Ohio sales run 30 to 45 days. Here is the order, and which parts are law rather than custom.
Get pre-approved →-
Offer accepted. Both sides sign and you send earnest money to the escrow holder.
-
Disclosure form delivered. The seller gives you the state form if you do not already have it. A late delivery starts your three-business-day cancel clock. That one is state law.
-
Inspections. You hire your inspectors. Add septic and well tests on rural property. Usually days 3 to 14.
-
Point-of-sale inspection. In cities that require it, the seller books the city inspection and gets the certificate. Start this in week one, because some cities take weeks.
-
Title search and commitment. The title company pulls the chain of title, taxes, liens and easements. Days 5 to 20.
-
Loan underwriting and appraisal. Your lender orders the appraisal and clears conditions. Days 5 to 30.
-
Deed prepared. An Ohio attorney drafts the deed. Days 20 to 30. This step is law, not custom.
-
Closing. Everyone signs. Escrow figures the conveyance fee, the county transfer tax and the tax proration.
-
Auditor transfer, then recording. The county auditor stamps the deed and collects the transfer fees, then the recorder records it. Same day or the next business day.
Ohio by region
Ohio is really three or four metros with very different local rules. Tap a city for homes for sale there.
Central Ohio
The state capital and the fastest-growing metro in Ohio. Franklin County uses short proration by custom.
Northeast Ohio
Older housing stock and the strictest local rules in the state. Several inner-ring suburbs require a point-of-sale inspection before you can sell. Long proration is common here.
Southwest Ohio
Hamilton, Butler and Montgomery counties. A lot of this corner sits in the EPA's highest radon zone, so radon testing comes up often.
Northwest Ohio
Lucas County and the Lake Erie shore. Flat land means paying attention to drainage, sump systems and flood maps.
AXEN Realty in Ohio
Every AXEN agent in Ohio works under a licensed managing broker: Kathy Holmes (AXEN Realty, LLC, firm license REC.2025004393). See every state on the state brokers page.
Buying? Start with the home buying guide and get pre-approved.
Selling? Read the home selling guide and get your home value.
Moving here? Read buying in a new state.
Real estate agent? Changing brokerages in Ohio: you file it, your new broker accepts; state fee: $34. See how to transfer an Ohio license, the switching checklist, advice for new agents and how keeping 100% works.
Ohio real estate questions
Do I need a lawyer to sell a home in Ohio?
Not for the whole sale. Title companies handle escrow and closing here. But the deed itself has to be drafted by a licensed Ohio attorney, because preparing a legal document for someone else is practicing law. Most title companies hire one and bill it as a line item.
Who pays the conveyance fee?
Ohio law sets the amount, not the payer. By custom across most of Ohio the seller pays both the state fee and the county transfer tax. It is negotiable in the contract. Ask your agent what is normal in that county before you write the offer.
What if the seller never gives me the disclosure form?
If the form comes after you sign, you can cancel in writing within three business days of getting it. That right ends 30 days after the seller accepted your offer, or at closing, whichever comes first. If the sale is exempt no form is owed, but the seller still cannot lie about known problems.
Is a home inspection required in Ohio?
No state law requires one for a normal sale. It is your choice, and you should do it. Some cities require a separate city point-of-sale inspection before the seller can transfer, but that one checks code violations. It is not a substitute for your own inspector.
What is a point-of-sale inspection?
Some Ohio cities require the city to inspect a home before it can be sold. Cleveland Heights, for example, wants a certificate of inspection before the seller signs a sale agreement, and may hold money in escrow for violations not fixed. Rules differ by city. Call the building department early.
How are property taxes handled at closing?
Ohio bills taxes in arrears, so you are paying for a period already past. At closing, escrow splits the tax between seller and buyer. Some counties use short proration and some use long. The two methods produce very different numbers, so confirm the local habit up front.
Do I have to test for radon?
No. Ohio does not require a radon test to sell. The state disclosure form does ask the seller to report any known radon results. Many Ohio counties sit in the EPA's highest radon zone. Anyone you hire to test or fix radon has to hold an Ohio Department of Health licence.
Does Ohio require a condo or HOA resale packet?
No. Ohio has no resale certificate rule for condos or planned communities. The developer disclosure statement covers new units, not resales. So ask for the budget, reserves, insurance, minutes and any special assessments yourself, and write that request into the contract.