Summit County’s towns range from 1890s Akron to 2000s Reminderville
Summit County has 13 cities, 9 villages and 9 townships, and its housing ranges from Akron’s rubber-era streets to subdivisions finished this century. The county was formed on March 3, 1840, from parts of Medina, Portage and Stark counties. It is named for the highest point on the Ohio and Erie Canal, and it is one of only two Ohio counties, with Cuyahoga, that run under a charter government.
The countywide median home was built in 1966, but that average hides a wide spread:
| Place | Median year built | Median home value (owner estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Akron | 1954 | $122,000 |
| Barberton | 1955 | $135,200 |
| Cuyahoga Falls | 1959 | $183,300 |
| Stow | 1979 | $248,000 |
| Green | 1983 | $280,200 |
| Hudson | 1983 | $466,500 |
| Reminderville | 2004 | $333,000 |
Source: Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024. Owner estimates are not sale prices.
Summit County Probate Court and inherited houses
When a Summit County homeowner dies, the house usually moves through the Summit County Probate Court at 209 S. High St. in downtown Akron, phone 330-643-2350. Which path applies depends on the estate:
- Release from administration for smaller estates under R.C. 2113.03.
- Certificate of Transfer under R.C. 2113.61, which puts the house in the heirs’ names so they can sell it themselves.
- A sale by the executor or administrator, either under a power of sale in the will or under R.C. Chapter 2127. Under R.C. 2127.011, a sale can go ahead without a court land-sale case if the surviving spouse and all heirs or beneficiaries consent in writing and the price is at least 80% of the inventory appraisal.
The Summit County Probate Court real estate guide covers the forms and timing, and selling a house in probate explains how a sale fits around the estate. An estate attorney should confirm which route fits your family.
How Summit County sheriff sales work
Summit County runs its foreclosure auctions online through RealAuction. Mortgage foreclosure sales are held Fridays at 10 a.m., and delinquent-tax sales on Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
The details that matter most to an owner:
- If a mortgage-case property gets no bid, it goes to a second sale with no opening bid.
- Bidders put down a deposit of $2,000, $5,000 or $10,000, depending on the appraised value.
- Properties are sold as-is and sight unseen. The sheriff has no access to the inside.
- The owner can redeem until the plaintiff’s attorney files the confirmation of sale, which must happen within 30 days of the auction.
A private sale that closes before confirmation can pay off the judgment and leave you any equity. The Summit County sheriff sale guide has the step-by-step, and selling before a sheriff sale covers what a sale at that stage looks like.
Back taxes, tax certificates and the land bank
Unpaid property taxes in Summit County can lead to a tax certificate sale, a tax foreclosure or, for vacant parcels, a transfer to the county land bank.
- Tax certificates. The Fiscal Office holds a yearly tax certificate sale on delinquent parcels. The buyer of a certificate takes the county’s first lien, with interest of up to 18% a year. No certificate is offered on a parcel that has been paid in full or is on a delinquent-tax contract under R.C. 323.31. The Delinquent Tax Department is at 330-643-2600. See the Summit County tax lien sale guide.
- Tax foreclosure. Tax cases go to the sheriff’s Tuesday sales. If a tax property gets no bid twice, it is forfeited to the certificate holder or the taxing authority.
- Land bank. Summit County Council created the Summit County Land Reutilization Corporation in 2012 to take in and reuse vacant and abandoned property. The Summit County Land Bank guide covers how it works.
If you owe back taxes, selling a house with back taxes explains how the balance gets paid from the sale.
The conveyance fee and the septic and well inspection
Two county rules apply to every Summit County sale, no matter which town the house is in.
Conveyance fee. Summit County charges $4 per $1,000 of the sale price: the state’s mandatory $1 plus the county’s permissive $3, the maximum allowed. The seller pays it. A $150,000 sale costs $600. The county recorded 10,954 conveyances subject to the fee in 2024. Details and exemptions are in the Ohio conveyance fee guide.
Septic and well point-of-sale inspection. Any home with a sewage treatment system or private water well must be inspected before it transfers. A registered private contractor does the inspection, and Summit County Public Health reviews the report within about 3 business days and issues a certificate. A bad result does not block the sale. See the septic and well inspection guide.
On top of the county rules, Macedonia, Twinsburg and Northfield require their own exterior inspections, and Cuyahoga Falls requires a signed stormwater disclosure. The point-of-sale inspections guide lists them.
Find your Summit County community
Each of these has its own page with local schools, housing and city rules:
- Cities: Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Green, Barberton, Hudson, Twinsburg, Tallmadge, New Franklin, Macedonia, Norton, Fairlawn, Munroe Falls, Reminderville
- Townships: Copley, Bath, Coventry, Springfield, Sagamore Hills
- Villages and lake areas: Northfield, Richfield, Lakemore, Mogadore, Clinton, Silver Lake, Portage Lakes, Peninsula
Our office is in Akron, and how it works shows what happens after you call.