Macedonia’s exterior inspection before title transfer
Macedonia requires a point-of-sale inspection before any house can change hands. It checks only the outside of the property. That makes it one of three Summit County communities with a city inspection, along with Twinsburg and Northfield.
How it works, from the city’s information sheet and application:
- Apply. File an Exterior Inspection Application with the $75 residential fee. You can mail it or drop it off at the building department.
- Inspection. The zoning inspector checks the exterior within ten working days. You don’t have to be there.
- Result. With no violations, the city issues a Certificate of Exterior Inspection. Otherwise, you get a report listing what needs fixing.
- Corrections. Violations must be fixed within 90 days. The seller can repair and ask for a re-inspection, or the buyer can sign an affidavit agreeing to assume them.
The ordinance treats failing to correct violations as a second-degree misdemeanor, so don’t ignore the report. The city’s forms are older PDFs, so confirm the current fee with the building department at 330-468-8360. City hall is at 9691 Valley View Road.
The point-of-sale inspections guide compares this rule with the one in Twinsburg.
A crossroads town between Akron and Cleveland
Macedonia calls itself “The Crossroads of Northeast Ohio,” and the roads explain why. I-271 runs through the city, with exit 18 at SR 8 toward Northfield and Akron and exit 19 at SR 82, East Aurora Road. For a buyer, that means quick highway access in both directions.
The name has an unusual origin. Divinity students from Western Reserve College, then in Hudson, were sent to preach in a hamlet about six miles north. They joked about Acts 16:10, the call to “come over into Macedonia,” and the name stuck.
Nordonia Hills schools
Macedonia is in the Nordonia Hills City School District, which also serves Northfield, Northfield Center, Sagamore Hills and part of Boston Heights. The name blends Northfield, Macedonia and Sagamore Hills.
The district has four elementary schools (Northfield, Rushwood, Ledgeview and Lee Eaton), Nordonia Middle School and Nordonia High School. The high school, which opened in 1961, is in Macedonia.
Newer houses, mostly owner-occupied
Macedonia’s housing is newer than most of Summit County’s. The population nearly doubled from 6,375 in 1970 to 12,168 in 2020, and the median house was built in 1990. About 90% of homes are owner-occupied, and only about 5% predate 1940.
The 1990s and 2000s each added more than 20%: 7,509 residents in 1990, 9,224 in 2000 and 11,188 in 2010. The 2020 census counted 4,894 households in 5,094 housing units, with a median age of 47.3. That has two effects:
- Many houses are in good enough shape that a regular listing will net more than a cash sale. If that’s your house, we’ll say so.
- The houses built in the 1970s and 1980s are now due for roofs, siding and driveways, the same things an exterior inspection flags.
A direct sale fits better when the inspection list is long, the house is part of an estate, or you need a firm closing date. See selling a house that failed inspection for how that plays out.
Summit County steps for a Macedonia sale
Beyond the city inspection, a Macedonia sale follows Summit County rules: the seller pays the $4 per $1,000 conveyance fee, homes with septic or wells need the county health inspection, and estates go through the Summit County Probate Court. The Summit County page has the details.
To get a written number, start with the offer form.