Living in Lebanon, Ohio: homes, prices and straight answers

Why look at Lebanon if I started in Mason?

Because your budget often buys a newer, bigger house with more around it. The median sale in Lebanon this summer was about $334,000, compared with about $445,000 in Mason. Head south and you reach Mason and Cincinnati; head north and you are toward Springboro and Dayton, which helps when work or family pulls you both ways.

Compare finished house to finished house: the lot, the view, the finished basement, and what you would still have to spend after closing. I go through a real example in Priced out of Mason?

What is downtown Lebanon like?

It is an old county seat with a downtown of its own, not a shopping center.

• The Golden Lamb on Broadway has served guests since 1803 and is often called Ohio's oldest hotel.
• Locally owned shops and restaurants along Broadway and Main Street.
• The Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad runs seasonal train rides from its downtown station.
• The Lebanon-Countryside YMCA Trail, a paved path from downtown to the Little Miami Scenic Trail.

What is Shaker Run?

An established golf community on the edge of Lebanon with amenities a new subdivision would take years to build. Shaker Run Golf Club has 27 public holes and a restaurant, and the community has pools, a fitness center, walking paths and play areas. Armco Park is next door, with a lake, trails, sports fields and a golf course of its own.

Builders are still adding homes here: Fischer Homes lists Majors at Shaker Run from the $250,000s and Shaker Run itself from about $500,000. Starting prices are for the base house, so price the lot premium and options you want before you compare.

Is there new construction in Lebanon?

Yes, more than in most of Warren County. Besides Shaker Run, Parkside is going up about a mile from downtown off State Route 63, with single-family homes, townhomes, pools and a trail into town. About one in ten Lebanon homes was built in 2010 or later.

New is not automatically the better buy. Read New construction vs. resale before you sign a builder contract, and bring your own agent to the first visit.

How does the Lebanon city income tax work?

Lebanon residents pay 1.5% on earned income, with credit of up to 1% for tax paid to the city where they work. So if you work in a city that charges 1% or more, you would owe Lebanon about 0.5% on top. The details are on the city's tax page.