#1 Real Estate Blog in Louisville Kentucky

Best Louisville Neighborhoods: Clifton

Clifton is a tradition-rich part of Louisville with a broad range of home sizes and shapes. More than a century has passed since the first homes were built here, yet we still see homes merely a decade old filling in a space between its elder siblings. From homes under $100k that likely need some work, to elegant charmers over $300k, Clifton has them all.

Photo of two cute homes in Clifton Louisville KY
These duplex properties in Clifton gave the owner the opportunity to live on one side and rent out the other.
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Top 5 Finishing a Basement Ideas

As of this writing, there are 6,326 active listings for Single-Family Homes in Louisville, according to our MLS. Of those, 3,717 (58%) have basements. If your home currently has an unfinished basement, I’m sure you’ve thought about the prospect of finishing it and adding to your home’s usable space, right?

Photo of a gorgeous finished basement in Louisville
The idea of finishing a basement is great, right Louisville? It’s a less expensive way to add additional living space. Just make sure you make the right choices.
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How to Maintain a Vacant Louisville Home While Up For Sale

So… what is the best way to maintain a vacant Louisville home while you are trying to sell it? Leaving a vacant home in Louisville up for sale can be very costly but it doesn’t have to be. You will still have to pay your taxes, mortgage payments, and other expenses. Generally speaking, it is always best to avoid selling a vacant property whenever possible.

Photo of a vacant room
Selling a home that is vacant is always more challenging as many buyers have a difficult time imagining a room’s purpose.
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Louisville Real Estate Agent Salaries for 2011, Top Agents Grab Lion’s Share

I was very interested in the results when I began writing “So how much do Louisville real estate agents make?” last year.

Chart of Top 20% of Louisville real estate agents portion of all 2011 sales
The Top 20% of all Louisville real estate agents, 519 agents, accounted for about 2/3 of all real estate sales or $2,297,965,238.
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Flooring Trends at Louisville Home Show

It seems ironic that the Home & Garden Show was packed after last week’s severe weather, but this year’s event seemed more crowded than ever, and there seemed to be more booths as well. In addition to taking in the usual replacement windows, sunrooms, and UK/UofL handbags, I did have a chance to talk with some friends in the flooring industry about the latest trends.

Photo of a decorative tile used in kitchen backsplash
There are a multitude of decorative tiles that can be used in a variety of ways, such as this one from Mees Tile and Marble.
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Readers Beware: Media Writes For Money or Influence

I’ll admit it, I’m idealistic. Whether that’s a genetic or learned behavior, I’m not in a position to deduce. But I am, and at the midway point of this life, I doubt that’ll change.

Photo of a home in Louisville Kentucky
Sure, it costs less to clad the exterior with vinyl side than brick but not half the price of the entire home.
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Louisville Brings a Lot to the Table with Healthy Business Climate

Photo of home in affordable Louisville
Affordable housing plays a strong role in how companies view a city’s attractiveness. | Photo: Tre Pryor

Moving a company headquarters or manufacturing plant is a major decision.

Executives weigh the pros and cons across a myriad of factors before arriving at the best choice. State tax codes, amount of skilled/non-skilled labor, proximity to strategic partners, and geographic location — each play a strong role.

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At the Build, Renovate & Landscape Expo You Never Know What You’ll Find

We like to keep you up-to-date with the different home shows that come to town. It’s interesting because most of the time you’ll find 70% of the businesses involved actually belong in the show because their products or services match the show’s title. The other 30% are up for grabs!

Photo of parents speaking with exhibitor while children play with their balloon animals
Many booths will make an effort to entertain the visitor’s children. These balloons came courtesy of Hawkeye Security.
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Top 3 Real Estate Myths About Louisville Real Estate Agents

Note: This is the second of a 3-part series on real estate myths. There are many misconceptions when it comes to working with Louisville real estate agents that are valuable to understand. If you have more specific questions, feel free to contact me.

Photo of hard working Realtor with a client
If you think all real estate agents are wealthy, think again. In 2010, the estimated average income for all real estate agents was $27,364.
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Louisville Home Values Changes for 2011, Winners and Losers

Updated: 2/3/2012. Thanks to Chris Cox who found a calculation error.

Many held high hopes for an improving real estate market heading into 2011. Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration but there were some signs that the housing recession was lessening and perhaps we would all see improvement in 2011. In most locations, that didn’t occur. But it did in some!

Map of Louisville with real estate price changes for 2011
This map gives us a better picture of how the real estate market was behaving by area. Outlying areas performed well in 2011 while much of the county was down.
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