Opinion Pieces on Real Estate, Home Improvement, Interior Design and More

My Home Is Dropping in Value?

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “Perception is reality”. Take the value of brands, for example. People’s perception of Tylenol as a safe, pain-reducing medicine prior to 1982 was sky-high. It was the world’s top seller, for crying out loud. Then reports surfaced that a woman died from cyanide poisoning from taking Tylenol.

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Louisville Real Estate 2010 Winners and Losers

Today is the first day of December. 2010 is almost complete. Thoughts naturally turn reflective. With all the talk of the recession and its apparent end, how did Louisville real estate in 2010 perform? How did it compare with previous years? More importantly, in any given market, which groups benefited from current market conditions and which lost out?

Man looking out over a field of yellow flowers
Is he looking back on 2010? Or looking ahead to see if Louisville real estate in 2011 will resemble a field of flowers?
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Agency Agreements Improve RE Experience for Homebuyers, Agents

Every industry has its share of insider knowledge, quirks, and idiosyncrasies. Louisville real estate is no different. As society grows ever more complex, expertise becomes more and more valuable. But what the heck are agency agreements?

Photo of two professional business people
Professional business people use contracts everyday so that all the parties involved know what to expect from each person involved. Real estate should be no different.
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Time Is of the Essence, Your Deal Could Very Well Die

Have you heard the phrase, “time is of the essence”? Well, you might not think it’s a big deal, but it very much is when it comes to legal contracts. Let’s take a quick look.

Photo of an alarm clock and a hand turning it off - Time Is of the Essence, Your Deal Could Very Well Die
Time Is of the Essence is a key legal term.

Ticking away, the moments that make up a dull day
Fritter and waste, the hours in an off-hand way
-“Time” by Pink Floyd

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Determining Home Values, Zillow Zestimates Are Bad and More

When all the ancillary real estate Web sites started cropping up about five years ago I thought, “Great! These give consumers more information, which is always a good thing.”

Photo of a home in Louisville KY
Online formulas such as Zillow Zestimates are bad in determining a property’s true value.
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Getting More From Your Real Estate Blog

Blogging may not ever go mainstream in real estate, and that’s a good thing for those who practice the art. In an industry where fast results are preferred and successful people usually have more client turnover, those who take time to document the market and offer their thoughts will likely always be in the minority and stand out as a result. Here’s a quick post designed for getting more from your real estate blog.

Photo of three people working on a laptop - Getting More From Your Real Estate Blog
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko
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Buyers Beware: Can’t Miss Free Professional Advice

I’m constantly surprised by the number of clients I speak with who don’t fully understand how real estate agency works. So many people looking for a new home go straight to the listing agent to schedule a showing rather than find themselves a buyer’s agent. I’ll briefly tell you why this isn’t in your best interest.

Photo of hard working Realtor with a client
Is this man your friendly Louisville Realtor?
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Expert Predicts Major Improvement for Housing in 2009

Now, for every Alexis McGee, there are two or three critics who think that we haven’t seen the bottom of this housing downtrend. Who is Alexis McGee you ask? She’s the president of ForeclosureS.com who has access to a great deal of real estate data and she predicts a major rebound for housing in 2008.

Crystal ball image
One expert’s crystal ball says real estate in Louisville KY is going to take off in 2009.
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Louisville Housing: Good News vs. Bad News

There seems to be a never-ending flow of negative news coming from news outlets these days; especially regarding the housing market. True, it’s a tough time for sellers given all the inventory out there. But the “silver lining” is that home values continue to rise in Louisville. That’s certainly good news.

Photo of a reporter in front of a police car
Media outlets spend a large majority of their time covering negative news items, while positive news often goes largely unnoticed.
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