Real Estate Information Archive

We know 2009 was a tough year for many people throughout the United States! We've been working with a number of homeowners who are facing foreclosure. As advanced CDPE (certified distress property experts) we know first hand, the problems! On a good note there are solutions to those problems, we can help. We took time from our team holiday brunch to think about those who are having a rough time.

Spurred on by the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit, Louisville home sales jumped by a whopping 40 Percent in November when compared to a November 2008! Many of the sales were in the $100,000 to $200,000 price range, the target of first time buyers.  Sellers of those homes moved up as homes in the $200,000 to $300,000 price point also did well.

Not All The News Is Good 

Homes going under contract slowed during the month of November as the original 1^st time home buyers tax credit deadline neared. Early in November the tax credit was extended to the end of April 2010 (to be under contract) and the end of June 2010 (to be closed). The extension took the pressure off buyers and the search for homes by first time  buyers slowed.  Officially the number of homes going under contract was up 11% in November over November of the year before.

Looking Forward To December 

Because of tighter mortgage requirements and slower appraisals of homes, sales in December should be better than expected. Those two factors delayed closings that were supposed to have occurred in November. The slowdown will help boost December 2009 numbers and give a false sense of recovery. Unless we see more buyers come into the market during December and January, Home sale figures for the beginning of 2010 could fall far short of hopes and expectations.

Other Tax Credits

The local and National media have done little to promote the brand new $6500 tax credit for home owners who have owned their home for 5 years or more and buy their next home. Additionally we’re seen little publicity surrounding the $5000 new construction tax credit in Kentucky. 

For more information head to www.weselllouisville.com.

November 2009

November 2008

Have you heard some of these so-called business experts on cable TV who say the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit has done nothing to help home sales or the economy? To them I simply ask what rock are you living under?

New Louisville Kentucky home sales figures for the month October tell a very positive story. The number of homes sold in October 2009 was up 21 % over same time in 2008. Homes going under contract in October 2009 were up 37 % over the year before.  Now you cable-TV business experts, please read the following sentence carefully, the majority of the homes that are selling are in the price range of first time buyers. Get it? No? Read the raw data below, the numbers tell the story.

For the rest of us tracking home sales, it’s pretty obvious that the $8000 tax rebate has helped home sales and the economy. Especially when you consider that many of the home buyers spend the tax credit money on fixing up the new house, buying new furniture and TV’s and more. Now the government is about to expand the credit. That could go a long way to helping our economy over the slower winter home sales months. The numbers for October 2009 also show that the average selling price of homes in our area was up about ten thousand dollars from the year before. The bad news is that the time it takes to sell a home was up.

Still the overall trend is good and may continue if our lawmakers read the numbers and keep their TV’s tuned to anything other than those self proclaimed Cable TV business experts!

 October 2009

October 2008

There is nothing like it in Louisville Kentucky! www.bobshousesearch.com brings together all aspects of a home search, making it easy to find homes, interior pictures, map aerial pictures and more.  The website concept has been in a number of cities around the U.S. but this is the first time home buyers in Louisville Kentucky have been able to use it. The reaction from those who have tried it is amazing. Easy, through and informative are some of the words used to describe the new home search website. The system is free to use for anyone looking for Louisville real estate. Owners of the website, The Medley Sokoler Team are inviting everyone to try the site, even other realtors. For more information about the Medley Sokoler team head to www.weselllouisville.com.     

There is help for anyone facing foreclosure! But 7 out of 10 homeowners go into foreclosure without visible intervention. What’s worse is that 1 out of every 10 homeowners in the United States is currently behind on mortgage payments. The problem could be anything from a medical problem, loss of job, mortgage rate adjustment, divorce and more.  For homeowners facing foreclosure, these are tough and frustrating times. The problem is only going to get worse as Option Arm Loans matures and adjust upward (see graph). As more homeowners face foreclosure, now more than ever, it's important to identify your options. Foreclosure can be avoided, your credit can be saved, and your financial future can be salvaged. Go to http://www.bobwillhelp.com/ and sign up for free information about your Options and Solutions. For more information about our team head to www.weselllouisville.com.

The Medley Sokoler team is often asked what makes us different that other realtors or real estate teams when selling a home. The answer includes hundreds reasons. Below are some of the reasons, but more importantly we’ve also included videos on our marketing, success stories and some of the work that our team does.

Understand that our concept is to always be available by phone. If you have a question (even in the middle of the night) Bob Sokoler’s phone is always on! Too may other agents only answer their phone during daytime hours! We feel our clients are paying us to always be “on call” and the same holds true with buyers. Let’s face it if a buyer has a question about your home, you want an agent who takes that call and tries to get the buyer into your home for a sale!

Our commitment to excellence extends into our marketing as well! Most other realtors use a cheap consumer grade camera to take pictures of your home and market it on the Internet. With 87% of all home buyers starting to look on the internet, you need more than a consumer picture promoting your home. We use Hi end professional gear and produce Hi quality pictures and videos. We market those pictures on web sites all over the world. Our goal is to get as many eyeballs on your home as possible, that’s why we’re so successful at selling homes. Simply look at the videos below and decide for yourself!

Finally we have a team in place that gets the job done daily! That means fewer problems for our sellers and buyers because we stay ahead of any potential problems. Those are just some of the reasons we’er different than other realtors and teams. We’d love to meet with you in person to explain the other reasons. Call Bob Sokoler anytime at (502) 376-5483 or go to www.weselllouisville.com or www.louisvillehomestoday.com .  

Looking for a home? You want to make sure the agent or agents you work with know the ins’ and outs’ of the real estate business. These days part time agents just don’t cut it. Too many things can go wrong and if an agent is at their primary job, there’s no way they can take the time to work on a problem. That’s why you need a full time agent and better yet a full time Real Estate team. The Medley Sokoler Team can help you buy and sell a home. Head to www.weselllouisville.com for more info. At the same time listen to what Dan and Leigh Anne McNamara had to say about their experience with us.

Steven and Deb Jeffries just sold their home in a short sale. Seven out of ten people facing a foreclosure never call a realtor or their bank to stop a foreclosure! Only a handful of realtors have actually been trained to handle a short sale properly. An agent who says  there is no correct way is in denial and I don’t mean a river in Egypt. Bob and Norine Sokoler are advanced CDPE certified and along with their team navigate through the red tape known as a short sale.  After watching the video call the Bob Sokoler and Medley Sokoler Team at (502) 376-5483 or head to www.weselllouisville.com or www.stoplouisvilleforeclosures.com.

Great news for Louisville Home owners and anyone looking to buy Louisville Real Estate. A new report published today by U.S. News and World report picks Louisville Kentucky as one of the “10 Cities primed for a Real Estate Recovery”!  The article sites the fact Louisville’s real estate market never saw double digit appreciation so there was less room for Louisville Home prices to fall. On a negative note the article points to the recent Ford Motor plant layoffs and cutback in manufacturing. But also points to the recent UPS expansion and attendance at job fairs has been on the decline. Louisville was included in the “10 Cities primed for a Real Estate Recovery “article along side cities like Birmingham Alabama,  Philadelphia Pennsylvania and  Portland Oregon. Our Medley Sokoler team has been very busy the past couple of days with 5 contracts accepted in 4 days. As of this writing, the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit will end at the end of November, so first time buyers should be looking for a home now. To contact the Medley Sokoler Team call (502) 376-5483 or head to www.weselllouisville.com or www.louisvillehomestoday.com.

It’s the home sale version of the cash for clunkers car rebate!  Louisville area home sales for the month of July jumped through the roof in July of 2009. Our area saw a 21% increase in home sales from July 2008 but were still 13% below the levels of July 2007 (before the housing market tanked).

 Another great sign that the Louisville housing market is going in the right direction, homes going under contract in July 2009 compared to the year before were up 32%.

The peak performing home prices were in the 100,000- 160,000 and 200,000-250,000 price ranges. Clearly the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit and lower interest rates played a major part in the homes sales increase and at the same time the people living in those entry levels homes were able to buy their next home which would typically be in the 200,000-250,000 price point.

The numbers show that the tax credit is a winner and along with the success from the cash for clunkers car traded-in program that was extended again this past Friday, our government should realize that extending and expanding the home buyer tax credit program would go a long way to moving the housing market and economy into the recovered category!  

For more information about The Medley Sokoler Team, head to www.weselllouisville.com

 July 2008