RANCHES
found a single-story house in the Worthington area that wasn’t on the market and struck a deal with the owners. Even though the home needs updating, they’re happy with their find.
They should be. Driven by a wave of empty nesters leaving their two-story family homes, central Ohio ranches have turned into a rare commodity.
“I wish I could specialize in ranch-style homes because they sell so quickly,” said Connie Cox, a Coldwell Banker King Thompson agent certified as a senior realestate specialist. “There’s just fewer on the market.”
Cox understands how hard it is to find a nice ranch. She and her husband, both in their 60s, have been searching for one.
Although thousands of small single-story houses on slab foundations can be found in central Ohio, agents say the highest demand is for ranches that have more than 1,400 square feet, are in a nice neighborhood with a yard, are close to the city, and have at least three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a basement and a garage.
As of Friday, 2,784 homes were actively listed within 20 miles of Broad and High streets. Less than 4 percent — 101 homes — hit that sweet spot, according to data provided by Coldwell Banker agent Mark Kraus.
Those left on the market are likely to be overpriced or in need of major repair, “The number of ranch homes on the market is minuscule,” says Gail Hogan, shown with her husband, Dan, and their dog.
Kraus added. The ones in good shape don’t last.
“I tell my buyers looking for ranches that they’re not in a position to negotiate a lot,” he said.
Demand for ranches will only increase as a flood of baby boomers, who would be happy to skip the stairs to bed every night, retire over the next dozen years. According to the National Association of Home Builders, 75 percent of boomers prefer a single-story home. Among those older than
boomers, 88 percent want a single-level home.
After their midcentury boom, ranches fell out of favor with builders, who turned to less-expensive two-story and split-level houses. Ranches require a larger foundation, more roofing, more ductwork and a larger lot than a comparably sized two-story. Builders estimate that ranches cost 20 to 30 percent more than the same-size two-story home.
Nonetheless, builders are diving into the ranch market because they know the demand is there. Three homes in this year’s Parade of Homes, which ends today, are ranches, the most in at least a decade.
“With baby boomers, we’re seeing a huge growth in demand,” said Mark Vouis, vice president of Ambassador Homes, which is showcasing a ranch (with a loft) in the parade.
In the past few years, the company has added seven new single-story plans with an eye toward empty nesters, Vouis said.
Maple Craft is also showcasing a ranch home in the parade: a 2,700-square-foot model with 12-foot ceilings for $618,800.
“Ranches are more expensive to build,” said Gary Dunn, the company’s general manager. “But 60 percent of the people we talk with are interested in a ranch.”
Jack Mautino, president of Westport Homes’ central Ohio division, said five or 10 years ago, ranches accounted for less than 10 percent of the builder’s Columbus-area sales. Today, 1 in 3 houses it sells is a single-story.
“Baby boomers aren’t all moving to the South anymore,” Mautino said. “They’re staying around home.”
Boomers might be driving the ranch boom, but they’re not alone.
“We’ve definitely noticed, over the past couple years, an increase in demand for ranches, but it’s really not just seniors,” said Mark Talis, an HER Realtors agent in Bexley.
“I just put a couple into a ranch in Upper Arlington. They’re in their late 30s with one kid. They loved the idea of one-level living.”
The north end of Upper Arlington is one of several central Ohio neighborhoods developed in the 1950s and ‘60s that are chock-full of ranches. Others include the Reynoldsburg-Blacklick area, Eastmoor and Berwick on the East Side, and Forest Hills on the North Side.
When Talis’ parents, Mike and Hilary Talis, decided over the summer to sell their two-story home in German Village and buy a ranch, they targeted Eastmoor and Berwick.
“As I approach my 70th birthday, my knees not being what they used to be, a ranch seemed to be a logical conclusion,” Mike Talis said.
The couple didn’t find anything ideal on the market, even though Mike Talis wrote letters to owners of several ranches he liked asking if they wanted to sell.
“We had gone through half a dozen houses,” he recalled. “It was like Goldilocks. This room’s too small, this room isn’t the right shape, this doesn’t flow, the backyard’s not big enough, the backyard’s too big.”
Like the Hogans, the Talises’ search ended when they found a home not yet listed and made an offer. They closed the deal on the day after Labor Day.
“If there wasn’t a ranch available,” said Mike Talis, “there would have been no reason to move.”