New Development Innovating on Highway 42
The Courier-Journal is reporting that a 7-home, elevated development is being planned for Highway 42. The primary obstacle is the severity of the land's grade. The 4.1-acre wooded site at…
Sellers Getting Aggressive and Creative
There are more homes on the market this year than last—36% more nationally and 34% more in Louisville, KY. This, my friends, is what’s known as a buyer’s market.
New Home Sales Drop Again
The Courier-Journal published an article Tuesday that talked about the decline in sales for new construction. On the whole the news is as expected. Some builders are feeling the pain,…
Survey Says: Technology Important, Full Service Agent a Must
Isn't it great when technology can make our lives easier? Of course it is. Which is why so many home buyers and sellers are looking to technology to help them…
Agent Tips for Better Marketing
Even though I wish Claudia Wicks wouldn’t have broken her article up into four pieces she does present some valuable information for Agents new and old.
The Right Realtor for First Time Buyers
I came across this How to Buy Your First House today. Not all Realtors are the same so finding the right Realtor is key.
The piece includes some common sense and valuable points, such as setting a budget and finding help, but I do have to take issue with the following section:
(more…)1. Hire the dumb guy. The top agents want to make money from the top houses. You’re more of a hassle with your small budget. But the dumb guy? He’s not making as many sales. He wants to work for you (especially if he knows you want to upgrade in a few years and will need someone to sell your house and take you out to find a new house). Yet the greatest reason for hiring the dumb guy? He’ll have the inside story on everything. “He’s made it to where he is through his people skills. Other agents don’t take him as a serious threat; they look at him as a friendly guy. He’s the one to share a beer with. He’ll joke about beating up cops. Other agents tell him anything. Sure, his words might embarrass the heck out of you. Yet your agent could be the one who accidentally took the key to the new house with him on vacation, so no one else could view your prospective house. Other agents will just laugh at his slip. What a silly guy! Then they might give him some hot tips because what’s he gonna do?”
House Hunters Flock to Internet in Greater Numbers
Four out of five homebuyers use the Internet when shopping for a house, according to the National Association of Realtors. That's up from 73% last year. It also underscores the…
Home Ownership Up for 2006
I received a handful of interesting facts from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) today. Let me know what you think. The biggest group of home buyers by far is…
Home, Garden & Remodeling Show This Weekend
Louisville is a great convention city, not just because of it's nationally central location, but because even local organizations do a good job of promoting great events for the public.…
Ali Buys Home in Louisville, Plans Return
It's big news when The Greatest decides to move to your city. Even better when he's returning home. Muhammad Ali and his wife, Lonnie, have bought this new home and…
Considering a Second Home? Do Your Homework
There are a number of factors to consider when buying a second home. Up front and center are the variety of tax implications based on the amount of time you’ll use the property yourself and how much time the property will be rented out. Be sure to check with a CPA on the exact numbers.
Louisville Real Estate Up 2.2% Since ’06
Where would you expect to see the largest jump in median home prices? If you guessed Atlantic City, NJ you'd be correct. Scanning CNNMoney's chart, you'll see that the high…
Avoid Being Upside-Down in Your Home
In Steve Leung's piece called Negative Equity: Heartache for Home Owners, he looks at the increasing phenomenon of homeowners being upside-down. Imagine selling your house and still owing money on…
Foreclosures By State
Here's some interesting information from The Big Picture regarding foreclosure filings by state. Colorado leads the nation, followed by Nevada, with Texas and Florida not too far behind. Kentucky is…
Foreclosures Drop in December
While it's merely a dip in the growing trend, it's still good to see that: Foreclosures in Kentucky dropped 3.2 percent from November to December 2006... even while: ...but rose…