Summer welcomes days of splashing in the neighborhood pool, weekend barbecues, and the opportunity to make new memories. Although swimming and play dates are to be had, it can still be a challenge to keep kids entertained for an entire three months. This is the perfect season for kids to attend fun and interesting summer camps! Summer camps are a great way for children to make new friends while releasing their energy. It gives them a chance to experience a new adventure, where they will look back in the years to come and appreciate the memories. Explore these summer camps in Logan County for a new kind of experience. 

YMCA Camp Willson

This summer camp in Logan County offers kids the chance to spend their time in the great outdoors! They can enjoy:

• Swimming 
• Hiking 
• Horseback riding
• Fishing
• Making music
• Creating art 
• Roasting marshmallows

The YMCA Camp Willson offers over 15 different camps, each accustomed to age groups.  If you're interested, register today!

Kirkmont Center

The Kirkmont Center is known for offering a safe, fun year round camps for people of all ages! These camps come with a wide range of activities, where recreational facilities include:

• Canoeing 
• Swimming
• Climbing wall
• Zipline
• Giant Swing
• Archery 
• Hiking 

To explore dates and select the camp you are interested in, browse their website for open registration dates!

Kiddie Academy of Powell

The Kiddie Academy of Powell offers summer camp for ages 2-9 years old, striving to make their summer as educational as it is fun. Throughout the summer, children may:

• Plant a garden
• Perform a play
• Organize a museum 
• Plan a sports day
• Plan a water day 

If you and your child are interested in discovering a summer full of adventure, learn more at Kiddie Academy Summer Camp!

Choice Properties offers you a chance to find the home of your dreams. We work with your budget and ideas in mind to support your ultimate vision. Call us if you are ready to check out the available inventory or to speak with a reputable agent who can assist you with your home buying needs.

10 Benefits of Living in the City of Bellefontaine Ohio

The City of Bellefontaine in Ohio is the seat of Logan County. For centuries before settlers founded the town, it had been the home of many Native Americans tribes including the Miami and the Shawnee. Bellefontaine was officially laid out on March 20th 1820 and has been the quintessential Midwestern small town ever since. Some of the numerous benefits of living in the city of Bellefontaine are:

Rich History

In the 1890s the city of Bellefontaine became a major railroad town, when the big four cities of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and St. Louis made it one of their main terminals. Bellefontaine hosted the largest roundhouse between New York and St. Louis during those days. Presently, it is the center of Honda's operations in the US and home to many Honda suppliers.

Small Communities

All over America small towns are prospering. Bellefontaine is no exception. There are charms to living in a small town, like knowing your neighbors and attending community events where a large portion of the town is present. It's got plenty of cute historical curiosities as well. For example, the city of Bellefontaine has the oldest concrete street in America, and the shortest street in the world at only 15 feet long. Living in a small town is like nothing else, and Bellefontaine personifies the experience.

Lower Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate in Bellefontaine is 4.10% as compared to the national average of 5.20. Job growth is positive and jobs have increased by 2.56%.

Lower Cost Of Living

Compared to the rest of the country, Bellefontaine's cost of living is 18.50% lower than the national average. This makes buying a home in Bellefontaine and raising a family more affordable. You can enjoy more of life's extras when the cost of everything is lower.

Low Crime Rates

According to recent statistics, Bellefontaine is safer than 11% of the cities in the country. The violent crime numbers are very low, and fatal attacks are at 0%.

Real Estate

Speaking of homes, the median home cost in the city of Bellefontaine is $90,000, while to rent a house averages out to $700, both lower than the national average.

Public Schools

Bellefontaine public schools spend $18,316 per student. Compare this to the average school expenditure in the U.S., which is $12,383. The students per teacher ratio is 16.3.

Education Levels

Approximately 47% of the residents of the city of Bellefontaine have a high school diploma, while 22% have an associates degree. College graduates with Bachelors degrees are at 12% and some 6% have Masters degrees.

Places To Visit

The city has numerous places to visit nearby like Piatt Castles, which has been a popular destination for over 100 years. There's also the Mad River Mountain Ski Resort, and the Ohio Caverns, which are some of the country's most visited destinations. Whether you live down the street or across the country, you will find something special nestled in the beautiful countryside around the city of Bellefontaine.

Proximity

The city of Bellefontaine is only about an hour away from Columbus and less than 3 hours away from Cleveland. So you have all the charms of small town living, with all the amenities of the big cities within reach.

...and if that isn't enough we also have some great restaurants in bellefontaine Ohio. You can read about some of them in this article.

If you're curious to explore the beautiful properties for sale in the City of Bellefontaine and beyond,

Consult with one of our award-winning real estate agents and let's get you and your family in a new home!

Ohio is currently seeing a boon in the real estate market for luxury lakefront homes. More people are interested in buying property than at any point since 2005. With this busy real estate market, it is a great time to consider the options when searching for luxury lakefront homes which suit the needs of the entire family.

Hot Market

Nationwide sales have been going steadily up since February, 2007. The spring buying season is approaching when homes go up on the market in time for summer and fall sales. Realtors are anticipating a stronger than ever buying season this year. Homebuyers are looking for more properties and, with many available on the current market, the demand is higher than ever. Steady job growth combined with an improving economy means more households are saving up for that perfect lakefront property.

Trends

The past several years have seen a downturn in the real estate market due to fluctuations in the job market and overall economy. When these two are weaker, people are less likely to look to make big purchases or moves. A recent look at trends in home purchases by the Ohio Association of Realtors demonstrates a swifter than average pace of families seeking their perfect home at an increase of around 14% over the year before. In the Ohio house market, strong sales and steady growth are leading to great deals on homes.

Buy Now

As with any market trends, when there are an influx of buyers for available properties, prices can rise. Now is the best time to consider buying lakefront property on the market, whether new or existing, before prices go up. Due to high demand, lakefront luxury homes don't generally last long as they are in higher demand than other properties in the area. It is currently a buyers market in that there are more buyers than sellers after years of a sluggish market. Mortgage rates are low with rises expected so now is a great time to get started on the search and begin putting together criteria for purchasing a home.

Luxury lakefront homes are in demand and the market is open for all buyers with fewer properties at low prices. Ohio is a hot market right now with a growing economy and improving employment statistics which make homebuyers more confident than ever that, without a doubt, buying a home right now is the right decision.

Get more advice on how to get the process started to get you that luxury dream home.

Contact one of our agents today.

Our award-winning real estate agents are exceptional for many reasons, not the least of which is their knowledge and awareness of all that the Bellefontaine community has to offer. When you're representing the beautiful homes for sale in Bellefontaine, it pays to know the area's best attractions and that starts with great food. The following 4 local restaurants of Bellefontaine are some of the most popular and highest rated eateries in town.

Six Hundred Downtown

With several awards to their name and a long-standing #1 ranking on TripAdvisor for the best restaurant in Bellefontaine, Six Hundred Downtown leads our list. Pizza Champ Michael Shepherd offers classic handcrafted pizzas in old fashioned brick ovens that are good enough to have been featured on the Food Network and Discovery Channel. Don't miss this local excellence!

Don's Downtown Diner

Another local favorite, Don's place features classic American burgers like your granddad used to make. The chef is highly creative and does some amazing things with ribs, pulled pork, and chili too! As a Main Street original, Don's Downtown Diner is a great example of the homegrown quality of the Bellefontaine community.

Vicario's Pizza

It's all in the sauce, is the famous saying of great Italian pizza around the world and at Vicario's, that's never been more true. Famous for the sweet sauce and creative toppings, this local pizzeria gets consistent 5 star reviews and continues to draw in crowds from far and wide.

Los Cabos Mexico

No town is complete without a great Mexican restaurant and Los Cabos is the local favorite. With a classic Mexican atmosphere and delicious signature dishes, the residents of Bellefontaine can't say enough good things about this place. Try the Chili Relleno next time you're in town!

There are plenty of great places to eat in Bellefontaine Ohio and the surrounding area so don't limit yourself to just these four. When you come to town, try something different each time. It's hard to be disappointed by the local eats.

After a long and anticipatory wait, Bellefontaine can finally welcome its newest home grown steak house to the neighborhood.  Dan Stinebaugh proudly opened his doors recently to offer locally-made craft beers to the Bellefontaine community along with choice steaks and classic American eats at Chops & Hops Brew Haus.

We're always excited to welcome new local businesses to the community. Locally owned restaurants and shops are the lifeblood of a strong and vibrant community and with so many wonderful houses for sale in Bellefontaine, the area is ripe for new life. 

The new Chops & Hops steakhouse will be offering a variety of local beers and foods and they're open for lunch at 11am. The buildinghas a long history, built in 1973 by the Tazwell Corporation and later spending much of its life housing the Pardner's Steak House before serving as home to a local Wingers franchise until 2012.

Now it's back in the hands of a local with promising dreams for the property and its new restaurant-brewery. Be sure to stop in and congratulate Dan and his family and welcome their new enterprise to Bellefontaine. We'll be highlighting this new expansion of the local economy to anyone interested in moving to Bellefontaine.

To read about more bellefontaine restaurants be sure to check out his article.

Be sure to check out the most recent homes for sale in Bellefontaine and Indian Lake at our website.