A village in the far west of the county
Spencer sits near the western edge of Medina County, in a township that borders Lorain County to the north and west and touches Ashland County at its southwest corner. The township takes its name from Calvin Spencer, who helped build a school in exchange for the right to name it. The village of Spencer, about one square mile in the center of the township, took its name from the township, and its post office has been running since 1849.
Two miles east of the village is the Spencer Lake Wildlife Area, a 618-acre public hunting and fishing area with wetlands and a dog training area around a man-made lake. The lake was built in 1961, then rebuilt and enlarged in 1986.
Old houses in the village, newer ones on the township roads
The village and the township have almost opposite housing profiles, according to the Census:
| Spencer village | Spencer Township (outside the village) | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | about 628 | about 1,783 |
| Median year built | 1938 | 1990 |
| Built 1939 or earlier | about 57% | about 13% |
| Single-family detached | about 77% | essentially all |
| Median home value (owner estimate) | about $165,300 | about $277,100 |
In the village, more than half the houses are older than 1940. Those homes have character and usually some deferred work: original wiring, old plumbing, foundations that have settled, porches that need rebuilding, and lead-based paint somewhere in the house. Out on the township roads, houses are mostly 1980s and later, on larger lots, and the issues shift to wells, septic systems, outbuildings and long driveways.
What trips up a sale of an older Spencer home
A buyer using an FHA or VA loan needs the house to pass the lender’s appraisal, and older village homes often don’t on the first try. The usual flags:
- Electrical. Knob-and-tube wiring or an undersized panel. See selling a house with old wiring.
- Peeling paint. For a house built before 1978, a lender will want chipped paint addressed, and you must give the federal lead paint disclosure. Our lead paint disclosure guide explains it.
- Roof and foundation. A roof near the end of its life or a wet basement can stop a loan.
None of these stop a cash sale. We buy as-is, so you don’t make repairs, clean out the house or host showings.
Wells, septic and the township lots
Most of Spencer Township is rural, and many homes have private systems rather than public utilities. The Medina County Health Department does not require a septic inspection before a home is sold, but a buyer’s lender often does, and the department recommends evaluating both septic and well systems before a purchase. If the system has failed or the tank is undersized for the house, see selling a house with septic problems.
Medina County’s $3 per $1,000 conveyance fee and its probate and foreclosure procedures apply here as in the rest of the county; see the Medina County page.
Listing or selling direct in Spencer
A township home in good shape on a few acres can do well with an agent, and if that’s your house and you have time, we’d suggest listing it. If you’re holding an older village house that needs work, an inherited property, or a place you need to sell before winter, a direct sale is simpler. Bob Donahue will walk it with you and give you a written cash offer.