This looks like a competitive marketplace, but I see a group of senior citizens walking a steady pace on the same safe trail, carrying the same size backpacks.Different logos.

I wanted to toss this out there to get opinions on market competition.

I work locally in the Dublin & Worthington, OH market and wanted to share what I am seeing so far in 2026, especially for anyone evaluating buy-and-hold or small residential investments.The market is still competitive—but not uniformly.A few observations:Inventory is up year-over-year, but uneven by neighborhood and school districtWell-priced, move-in-ready homes are still attracting strong interestOverpriced or poorly positioned properties are sitting longer and seeing reductionsDemand remains strongest near walkable areas like Bridge Park and established community hubs in WorthingtonThere are more homes for sale in Central Ohio, so buyers have more choices.

These deals do exist in our market — we see them close — but the difference between seeing them and securing them is often that extra $10K–$15K advantage a local investor has: Cheaper moneyFaster decisionsLower rehab riskStronger local relationships  On the plus side: We’re extremely disciplinedWe use automations, daily deal flow, and data-driven underwritingWe work this business every single day  But objectively, we’re less competitive than someone living in Jacksonville who breathes the market daily. 

The other thing to understand is this is a very competitive market so dont think there are not people who are going to not buy a property or you are gonna get it for a steal.

We have some competition on posting the detailed smokies data!

@Kayden AustinHey Kayden, finding consistent flips in high-cost, competitive markets like Northern CA is tough, especially for newer investors.

In the wholesaling/investing space, the standard benchmark most people shoot for is a 0.5% to 1% response rate (so 5–10 calls for every 1,000 pieces sent).In terms of closings, the 'rule of thumb' is usually 1 deal per 3,000–5,000 mailers, depending on how competitive your market is and how aggressive your follow-up is.That said, I found that the 'cost per deal' was getting eaten up by bad data (returned mail).

I thought there rates were very competitive.

Insurance is a competitive market, so even if risk goes up costs can remain flat or go down if there is more competition.