This last remanant of Tomlinson Hall sits conspicuously by itself just to the west of the City Market on Market Street at Delaware. Built in 1886 about the same time as the market building, Tomlinson Hall contained meeting rooms, retail space, vegetable stands, an auditorium and gymnasium which were used sometimes for large public gatherings. The building was severely damaged by fire in 1958 and demolished shortly after, except for this wonderful masonry detail which serves as a reminder of a bygone era.
While it’s critical to remember that the national real estate market is fragmented and that the dynamics of each area’s market are unique from any other, it’s still interesting to get some perspective on what is happening nationally and regionally. Those that track market activity across the country say that October 2011 pending sales of residential properties jumped nationally to an average of 10.4 % over September, which was 9.2% above levels seen in the same month in 2010. In the mid-west in particular, the gains were even more pronounced, with pending sales up more than 24% over September…and over 13% above October 2010. Buyers are taking advantage of the affordability of homes now. Pricing is still very competitive, and at the same time, extremely low interest rates make home payments very affordable.
