Guides
Guides for buying and selling
Practical pages about the Toledo area and the Lake Erie shore. They are general information, not legal, tax, or lending advice.
Summer homes
- From Florida to a Lake Erie summer home. Seasons, ferries, winterizing, and buying from a distance.
- Living on the Lake Erie islands year-round. Winter ferries and air taxis, groceries, clinics, winterizing, and getting a car or a couch across.
- Lake Erie short-term rental rules. Permits, minimum stays, and lodging taxes by city, village, and township, as of October 2026.
- Port Clinton short-term rental tracker. Chapter 735 rules in force, proposed changes, and the November 1 renewal checklist, as of October 28, 2026.
- Closing up an island house. A fall and winter calendar for South Bass and Middle Bass built around the Miller Ferry schedule.
Selling
- What to fix before selling, and what to leave
- Ohio seller closing costs, including conveyance fees in Lucas, Wood, and Ottawa counties
- Ohio Residential Property Disclosure Form
- From listing to closing
- Ohio to Florida mover guide. Fees, forms, and tax timing questions when you sell here and move south.
Buying
- Getting pre-approved
- Ohio buyer closing costs
- Inspections, including sewer lines, basements, and pre-1978 lead paint
- First-time buyers and Ohio Housing Finance Agency programs
- Checking an address against nearby industrial sites, and signing up for alerts
Toledo and the islands, once a month
One free email a month: dated, sourced market numbers for Toledo-area towns and the Lake Erie shore, ferry and season notes for the islands, and new guides. No spam, and the list is never sold.
Ready for a next step? Request a home value estimate or start a home search. Lake and island searches start on the Port Clinton page.