Real Estate Information

Looking for a luxury home that’s been updated, impressive and move-in ready. This home, on a Cul-De-Sac, has an open floor plan with neutral paint and new carpeting throughout. The kitchen features granite countertops with cherry cabinetry, slate flooring, and opens to the family room with gas fireplace with built-in cabinetry. The living room, entry way (with glass etched front door) and formal dining room all have beautiful oak wood floors. French doors separate the living room from the family room. The second floor master suite has a 2^nd gas fireplace, enormous walk in closet, and an equally impressive master bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower. Don’t miss the convenient 2^nd floor Laundry Room. Downstairs in the recently finished walkout basement you’ll find another perfect location for entertaining. Architectural columns, dental molding, rod iron basket spindles, a 3^rd gas fireplace with a cherry wood wet bar (which can actually be moved if you want to enjoy the fireplace view) and built-ins are just the starters for this retreat. There’s another full bathroom, game room, card parlor and a special secret unfinished area behind what looks to be white bookshelves. Finally, visit the new sunroom with hot tub that will stay. The sliding glass windows also have screens to let in the fresh air in the warmer months. The home also features a central vacuum. The owners pride in the details is what makes this a truly amazing find. All this and award winning Oldham County schools only 1.5 miles away. For more information click here.

There have been a number of burglaries in the Louisville area in recent months. Burglars are going through neighborhoods looking for and stuffed mailboxes or debris in the driveway and in the warmer months they look for uncut lawns. In the evening, they look for darkened houses or lights that have been left on too long. The following burglary prevention tips will help to make you and your family safer.  You may already know some of these tips so use this as a checklist:
Start with making your home look occupied, and make it difficult to break in. 

1) Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed. Even if it is for a short time, lock your doors.
2) Leave lights on when you go out. If you are going to be away for a length of time, connect some lamps to automatic timers to turn them on in the evening and off during the day. 
3) Keep your garage door closed and locked at all times.
4) Don't allow daily deliveries of mail, newspapers or flyers build up while you are away You can suspend delivery of the paper by going here: https://ssl1.gmti.com/louisvil/subscribe/promotions/customer/index.html
5) Arrange with the Post Office to hold your mail, or arrange for a friend or neighbor to take them regularly.
6) When applicable arrange for your lawn to be mowed if you are going away for an extended time.
7) Check your locks on doors and windows and replace them with secure devices as necessary. 8) Pushbutton locks on doorknobs are easy for burglars to open. Install deadbolt locks on all your outside doors.
9) Sliding glass doors are vulnerable. Special locks are available for better security.
10) Other windows may need better locks. Check with a locksmith or hardware store for alternatives.

Don't tempt a thief: 
1) Lawn mowers, snow blowers, barbecues and bicycles are best stored out of sight.
2) Always lock your garden sheds and garages.
3) Use curtains on garage and basement windows.
4) Never leave notes on your door such as "Gone shopping." Some people actually do that

Locks…get the best:
1) No lock, regardless of its quality, can be truly effective. Key-in dead bolt locks provide minimum security. Ask a locksmith for advice on your situation.
2) Change locks immediately if your keys are lost or stolen. You can remove each lock and put it in a separate bag (labeled), bring your locks to a Home Depot or Lowes and they will re-core each lock to the same (new) key for about $6.00 a lock. Remember to leave someone home because the home will be unlocked while you’re gone.
3) When moving into a new home, have all locks changed.

Targeting the Outside:
1)  Have adequate exterior lighting. A motion-sensitive light is recommended for backyards.
2)  Trim trees and shrubs so that they cannot be used as hiding places for intruders.
3)  Make sure your door hinges are on the inside.

Window Check:
1) Most windows can be pinned for security.
2) Consider drilling a 3/16" hole on a slight downward slant through the inside window frame and halfway into the outside frame - place a nail in the hole to secure the window. (it’s best to have a professional do this to prevent window damage).

Alarms System:
1) An alarm system is excellent for home security. It provides peace of mind to homeowners, especially while on vacation. There is a wide variety of alarm systems on the market.
2) Make several inquiries to different companies for the best security system available to you.

If You think your home has been broken into because you come home to find an unexplained open/broken window or door:
1) Do not enter - the perpetrator may still be inside.
2) Use a neighbor's phone to call police.
3) Do not touch anything or clean up until the police have inspected for evidence.
4) Write down the license plate numbers of any suspicious vehicles.
5) Note the descriptions of any suspicious persons.

Other precautions you should take:
1) Never leave keys under doormats, flowerpots, mailboxes or other "secret" hiding places -- burglars know where to look for hidden keys.
2) Keep a detailed inventory of your valuable possessions, including a description of the items, date of purchase and original value, and serial numbers, and keep a copy in a safe place away from home -- this is a good precaution in case of fires or other disasters. An easy way to do this is make a photographic or video record of valuable objects, heirlooms and antiques. Your insurance company can provide assistance in making and keeping your inventory.
3) Trim your shrubbery around your home to reduce cover for burglars.
4) Be a good neighbor. If you notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood, call 9¬1¬1 or Louisville Metro Police Department at 502-574-LMPD (5673) or toll free at 1-866-649-4479 immediately.
5) Mark your valuables with your driver's license number with an engraver you can borrow from your precinct. Marked items are harder for a burglar to dispose of and easier for police to recover.
6) Form a Neighborhood Watch Group. We can help you work with your neighbors to improve security and The MOST important thing YOU can do is CALL THE POLICE to report a CRIME or any SUSPICIOUS activity. You have to be the eyes of your neighborhood. And remember you can always remain a pair of anonymous eyes!

Remember the three L's of Crime Prevention: LIGHTS, LOCKS & the LAW!
Light up your residence, lock your doors at all times, and call the Law when you see something suspicious.

It’s no surprise that interest rates have been coming down in the past few weeks; after all it’s an election year! As of February 3, 2008 the average interest rate was hovering at about 5.75, but in the past 2 weeks we’ve seen interest rates dip well below that mark, only to bounce back. This week, because of the .50 fed reduction last week, we should see rates drop again.

The lower rates should help the Louisville Kentucky home sales numbers which in January 2008 were down some 16 percent from January 2007.  Interestingly enough, the number of homes on the market is down below the 10,000 mark and the days on the market dropped by 1 to 88 (see charts below).

But as we approach the spring home sales market, the number of homes coming onto the market is expected to rise as people who have been waiting to put their homes on the market make the jump. 

If you’re among those planning to put your home up for sale remember it needs to be the in the top one third of the listings on the market to have a chance at selling quickly. That means in top condition and priced at, or just below market value.  Need advice, drop us an e-mail and we’ll be glad to help

 Jan 2008

 Jan 2007

This report was based on data provided by the GLAR Kentucky Home Sales Report for December 2007. Have questions? Call Louisville Kentucky Realtor Bob Sokoler at (502) 376-5483.

For 20 years my mother and father-in-law lived in a suburb of Orlando Florida. They had a great home but last year they decided to sell and move here (Louisville Kentucky). Boy did they pick the wrong time to try and sell. The showings were sporadic the feedback pointed to clutter and the age of the kitchen.

The 20 year old kitchen appliances were a real turn off to perspective buyers.
As a realtor in Louisville Kentucky I tried to help my in-laws sell their home with some staging suggestions that could help you as well. Like many sellers, my in-laws can’t understand why a buyer can’t see past the clutter. It’s a fair question but the answer is the clutter distracts buyers from seeing the room and space. I had my in-laws shoot pictures of their home and then send them to me. You can see the clutter and my suggestions with arrows to remove the items. It’s a tough tradeoff for any seller, of course you have to live in the house, yet you’re being asked to put your life on hold while strangers walk through the house.
My in-laws followed some of my advice (this was the second round of pictures). Pillows, books pictures of the family all distracted a buyers’ eye. My in-laws accept removed most of the items and also bought new stainless steel appliances. The condo sold and my in-laws are now happy in their new Ball home in the Louisville area. If my in-laws could do it with a condo in Florida, you can too! Follow your realtors’ advice and de-clutter. Keep a positive outlook, the interest rates and coming down and with any luck, 2008 will see home sales on the rise!
Bob Sokoler is an agent and co-owner of The Medley-Sokoler Team ranked 7th among more than 4,200 realtors in the Louisville area and as one of the top 4 RE/MAX teams in Kentucky and Tennessee for 2007. Now also selling homes in Southern Indiana. There’s a reason we’re one of the top 10 teams in the region. Service, Caring Commitment and Advanced Technology. Oh, by the way, we’re never too busy for your referrals!

Louisville Real Estate News

Why the added days? Simple, there were more homes on the market . Of course that's because home sales have been slower over the past 6 months.

More good news comes from the Mortgage industry. Interest rates which are below 6% with some lenders should spur home sales as we begin 2007.

One final sign of the recovering market, call volume. Our Medley-Sokoler Team has seen a marked increase in the number of people calling in to see homes. Sure that’s nothing scientific, but it’s a trend we monitor.

By Bob Sokoler

(www.bobsokoler.com)

The bubble may have burst in the East, West and South putting home sales into a tailspin, but here in Louisville the housing market is in much better shape. To many experts in the Real Estate industry higher interest rates and higher gas prices are partially responsible for the national bursting of the bubble. The downward spiral accelerated as the news media, hungry for headlines, went into a feeding frenzy when word came that housing starts and mortgage applications had slowed.

The media stories scared buyers, the same media stories scared investors and home owners who had reaped the rewards of record double digit home appreciation. Lets face it on paper many of the investors had become rich. In Florida for example what was a 100,000 dollar condo in 2004 was now worth 400,000 dollars in 2006. I personally know a guy who went to Miami and bought several condos in a building that was in pre-construction and sold those condos 6 months later (and a year before the building opened)  for massive profits.

So it stands to reason that anyone owning property in the bubble was frightened by the media reports. Home owners and investors tried selling their property but the media had done its job. Word was out that the bubble had burst, property continues to sit on the market at bloated prices. Take Phoenix Arizona as an example, California investors had targeted the city as the next hot spot. The bubble inflated until the first signs of the costal burst. This summer some 45 thousand homes sat on the market dumped by investors trying to salvage what they could of their paper profits.

Because of the national reports Louisville home sales slowed. (Visit the Louisville market at www.weselllouisville.com) Many local home owners didn’t understand that Louisville’s steady 3% appreciation paled when compared to the costal double digit appreciation. The fact they we were never in a bubble has helped us start to recover from a national home sales slowdown.

Home sales in the Louisville market topped 1541, that’s 39 more homes sold than last month. But the Medley-Sokoler team believes that because of the fallout from national publicity about the bubble bursting and slightly higher interest rates (when compared to a year ago), home sales fell short of the last years 1604 for the Month of August.

The number of homes going under contract last month hit 1483 when compared to July’s 1450 homes.

Without question it's a buyers market. Without question it's a buyers market and deals can be found. There are almost 10 thousand homes on the market right now, 3 thousand more than last year at the same time.