Moving to Dayton? Consider Oakwood, Ohio: How Local Knowledge Helped One Couple Find Home
Moving to a new city is about much more than purchasing a house. It means learning the personality of different communities, understanding an unfamiliar real estate market, and discovering where daily life will feel most comfortable.
Mark and Teresa Klancik faced all of those decisions when they began planning a move from Virginia to the Dayton area. They wanted to live closer to their daughter, but they had no other contacts in Ohio and knew very little about the communities surrounding Dayton.
They needed experienced local real estate agents who would listen carefully, offer honest advice, and help them understand not only the available homes, but also the neighborhoods around them.
A trusted family recommendation led them to Don and Cyndi Shurts of Keller Williams Community Partners Realty—and ultimately to a home and community they love in Oakwood, Ohio.
Watch Mark and Teresa’s Oakwood Homebuying Story
In this video, Mark and Teresa describe what it was like to buy a home from another state and how personal guidance made an unfamiliar process feel manageable.
“Honestly, with the amount of time that we had, I felt like he was our personal real estate agent,” Teresa said. “I knew he had other clients at the time, but he made us feel like we were truly his only clients.”
That sense of personal attention became especially important as they searched for a home hundreds of miles away.
Buying a Dayton-Area Home From Virginia
Online listings gave Mark and Teresa a way to begin exploring the market, but photographs and property descriptions could only tell them so much.
They needed someone local who could walk through prospective homes, look beyond the camera angles and provide a candid assessment of each property. Don personally visited homes on their behalf, recorded detailed video tours, and shared his observations about the condition, layout, setting, and surrounding area.
“And Don went above and beyond because he actually would go and visit the properties,” Teresa explained. “We loved his candor and his commentary on each of the properties.”
These were not simply video walkthroughs. Each tour helped Mark and Teresa learn more about the local market—and helped Don better understand what mattered most to them.
“He really helped us whittle down the market pretty quickly to just a handful of houses,” Teresa said.
This kind of guidance can be invaluable for anyone moving to Dayton, Ohio, especially when a job transfer, family commitment, or other timeline makes repeated trips to the area difficult.
Finding the Right Community—not Just the Right House
Mark and Teresa began their search with a list of amenities they believed they wanted. However, as Don showed them different parts of the Dayton area, one conversation changed the direction of their search.
While passing a neighborhood, Don described it as a place where people spent time on their porches and developed a real sense of community.
That description immediately connected with them.
“Oh, well, forget the amenities,” Teresa remembered thinking. “I think we want to live there and be part of this community.”
That moment revealed something important: the Klanciks were not simply looking for a house with the right collection of features. They wanted a neighborhood that felt welcoming and connected.
Don listened, adjusted the search, and helped them focus on what they genuinely valued.
“He was able to pivot from what we originally wanted to what we really wanted,” Teresa said. “By the end, we were very focused.”
Their search ultimately led them to Oakwood.
Getting to Know Oakwood, Ohio
Located directly south of Dayton and immediately north of Kettering, Oakwood is an established residential community with a distinctive identity.
The city describes Oakwood as an intimate community made up of interconnected neighborhoods. Its tree-lined streets contain an impressive variety of architectural styles, including charming cottages, traditional two-story homes, stately historic residences, and beautifully updated luxury properties.
Oakwood’s history is reflected throughout its housing. Schantz Park, for example, includes approximately 400 homes in a neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Together, those homes create what the city calls a “textbook of architectural styles.”
The community also offers parks, natural areas, recreation facilities, and neighborhood businesses. Many streets have sidewalks, mature trees, and homes positioned close enough to the street to create the inviting residential atmosphere that first appealed to Mark and Teresa.
For people considering Oakwood homes for sale, the community provides an opportunity to own a home with character while remaining close to many of the institutions, employers and cultural destinations that make Dayton an attractive place to live.
Convenient Access to Downtown Dayton
Location is one of the most compelling reasons to consider living in Oakwood.
Oakwood offers the residential character of an established community while providing easy access to downtown Dayton and its growing collection of employers, restaurants, businesses, and entertainment destinations.
That proximity can be particularly valuable for professionals working at CareSource and other businesses based in downtown Dayton. Instead of choosing between neighborhood atmosphere and access to the city’s employment center, Oakwood residents can enjoy the advantages of both.
Downtown Dayton continues to evolve as a destination for dining, entertainment, business and community events. Living nearby makes it easier to enjoy a restaurant, attend a Dragons baseball game, participate in a downtown festival or spend an evening at one of the city’s performing-arts venues.
For buyers relocating to work in or near downtown Dayton, Oakwood deserves serious consideration.
Near Miami Valley Hospital and Kettering Health
Oakwood is also conveniently positioned between two of the Dayton region’s major healthcare centers.
Miami Valley Hospital is located on Wyoming Street just north of Oakwood. Its location can make Oakwood especially appealing to physicians, nurses, administrators, medical residents, and other professionals who value a convenient connection to the hospital.
To the south, Kettering Health Main Campus is located on Southern Boulevard in Kettering. Many longtime residents still know the facility by its former name, Kettering Medical Center. Founded in 1964, it serves as Kettering Health's flagship medical center.
Oakwood’s position between these two healthcare centers offers an attractive central location for medical professionals and households connected to either health system.
Close to the University of Dayton
Oakwood also provides convenient access to the University of Dayton.
The university’s main campus is located less than two miles from downtown Dayton, placing it close to Oakwood and the surrounding residential areas. This can make Oakwood worth considering for university employees, faculty members, visiting professionals, and families who enjoy University of Dayton athletics, cultural programs, and community events.
The nearby Brown Street district provides additional restaurants and businesses, while UD Arena draws basketball fans and visitors from across the Miami Valley.
For many residents, Oakwood’s location creates a comfortable connection between neighborhood life, the university and downtown Dayton.
Arts and Culture Close to Home
People who appreciate visual art, theater, music and live performance will find many of Dayton’s leading cultural institutions within easy reach of Oakwood.
The Dayton Art Institute presents exhibitions, educational programming and a celebrated permanent collection in one of the city’s most recognizable buildings.
In the heart of downtown, the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center and historic Victoria Theatre host concerts, Broadway productions, ballet, opera and other live performances. The two venues are central to Dayton’s performing-arts community.
Oakwood residents can enjoy dinner downtown, attend a performance at the Schuster Center or Victoria Theatre and return home without traveling across the region. That convenient access adds another dimension to the Oakwood lifestyle.
Understanding Oakwood Real Estate
Oakwood’s architectural variety and established housing inventory make local real estate knowledge particularly important.
Two homes with similar square footage may differ significantly in age, architecture, updates, lot characteristics, and long-term maintenance considerations. Even nearby streets can offer different settings and housing styles.
Mark and Teresa were accustomed to the Northern Virginia real estate market. They needed someone who could help them understand how Oakwood homes were valued and what made this market different.
“Don really provided some of that context and nuance to this older neighborhood that we found here,” Mark explained. “That all comes from experience.”
An experienced Oakwood real estate agent can help buyers understand those nuances, evaluate comparable sales, and recognize how improvements, location, and property condition may affect value.
That same local knowledge is equally important for an Oakwood homeowner preparing to sell.
Acting Quickly When the Right Home Appeared
Mark and Teresa also faced a timing challenge. They were selling their home in Virginia and hoped to coordinate that closing with their purchase in Ohio so they would not need to carry two mortgages.
When a home that seemed like the right fit came on the market, Don helped them move decisively.
“We were looking at a house, and he knew it just came on the market,” Teresa recalled. “We really wanted to move on the house.”
Don recommended submitting an offer that day with a clear response deadline. His strategy allowed them to act promptly and gave the sellers a reason to consider their offer without unnecessary delay.
“Don really helped us move on a property that was the perfect fit for us,” Teresa said.
A knowledgeable agent cannot control the market, but experienced guidance can help buyers understand their options, respond appropriately, and make confident decisions when the right opportunity appears.
Advice Centered on the Clients’ Best Interests
Throughout their interview, Mark and Teresa repeatedly returned to the trust they developed in Don.
They described him as personable, ethical, attentive, and easy to be around. Most importantly, they believed his advice was driven by their goals—not simply by the desire to complete a sale.
“I got the feeling that his ambition was more in our best interest rather than just getting the sale done,” Mark said.
That statement captures how Don and Cyndi approach their work as Oakwood Realtors. A home purchase or sale can have lasting financial and personal consequences. Clients deserve honest advice from agents who understand their priorities and remain personally involved throughout the process.
“You don’t find that in just any real estate agent who hasn’t had years and years of exposure and a lot of reps doing this,” Mark added.
What This Story Means for Oakwood Homeowners
Although Mark and Teresa tell their story from a buyer’s perspective, their experience also provides a valuable lesson for Oakwood homeowners considering a sale.
Relocating buyers often begin evaluating homes online, long before they arrive in Ohio. The quality of a property’s photography, video, floor plans, and description can influence whether a buyer requests a showing, schedules a trip, or removes the home from consideration.
An experienced Oakwood listing agent should market more than the rooms inside the house. The presentation should help prospective buyers understand the home’s architecture, improvements, setting, and connection to the surrounding community.
Proximity to downtown Dayton, Miami Valley Hospital, Kettering Health Main Campus, the University of Dayton, and the city’s arts venues may all help a relocating buyer appreciate the advantages of an Oakwood location.
Don and Cyndi provide professional photography, video, floor plans, property brochures, online exposure, and strategic promotion for their listings. Their experience marketing distinctive luxury homes also helps them present a property’s craftsmanship, character, and lifestyle to the right audience.
The goal is to help buyers see what makes the home special—even if their first visit takes place through a screen.
Oakwood Realtors Don and Cyndi Shurts
Don and Cyndi Shurts have been helping people buy and sell homes throughout Oakwood and the Miami Valley since 2004. Earlier in 2026, they were recognized by Renowned (formerly RateMyAgent) as the top real estate team in Ohio!
As Keller Williams agents, they combine the reach and resources of a national real estate company with direct, personal service. Clients communicate with Don and Cyndi throughout the process rather than being handed off after the initial meeting.
Their Oakwood real estate services include:
* Guidance for buyers exploring Oakwood neighborhoods
* Remote property tours for out-of-state clients
* Market analysis and pricing insight
* Offer preparation and negotiation
* Coordination of simultaneous home sales and purchases
* Professional marketing for Oakwood homes
* Representation for distinctive and luxury properties
* Personal assistance from the first conversation through closing
Mark and Teresa summarized their experience this way:
“Don was tireless in being able to find a great home for us, and we very much appreciate him. We would highly recommend him to any of our friends.”
Are You Considering a Move to Oakwood?
If you are moving to Dayton, Ohio, Oakwood may offer the combination of neighborhood character, architectural variety, and central location you are hoping to find.
Don and Cyndi can introduce you to Oakwood, help you understand the local housing market, and provide the information you need to make a confident decision.
If you currently own an Oakwood home and are considering selling, they can help you evaluate its market position, prepare it for buyers, and create a marketing plan designed to reach both local and relocating purchasers.
Whether you are buying your first Oakwood home, selling a longtime residence or relocating from another state, Don and Cyndi would be honored to help you move forward.