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Fort Wayne, IN Real Estate News

By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Why do homeowners sell for sale by owner (FSBO)?  We would guess that 9 out of 10 do it to save money on commissions.  The other 1 out of 10 probably thinks they don't need a Realtor to sell their home. While we get it and understand where FSBOs are coming from, we think most fail for many different reasons. Exposure - When you list FSBO, there are very few websites where your home will be seen.  A lot of real estate websites don't allow FSBOs which really limits your exposure.Most buyers look on sites like Realtor.com and Trulia.com to name a few, and don't even think or know about FSBO sites. When you list your home with us, it gets massive exposure on over 300 real estate websites including all of the big ones.   Qualified Buyers - We've spoken to many FSBOs that have had buyers inte...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Supply and demand runs all markets, real estate included.  The Fort Wayne real estate market has been a seller's market over the last year or so because of low housing inventory. There just aren't many homes for sale out there, and when a desirable home comes on the market, it's usually met with multiple offers from buyers.   Here are some tips for buying a home in a tight market.   Know exactly how much you can comfortably afford.  Getting a mortgage pre-qualification is always a good idea, but in a tight market it is a MUST.   Keep your eyes open on a daily basis.  We'll set you up on a program where you will get emailed brand new listings that fit your criteria the minute they go live online so we can be ready to move. Be ready to pull the trigger.  Make sure you know what you want a...
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By Brian Kuhns, Fort Wayne Real Estate by Brian Kuhns
(Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber)
Windsor Woods is located on the Northeast corner of Dupont and Lima roads in Northwest Allen county, Indiana and has over 300 single family homesites ranging in price from the low $100's to the $200's First established in 1979 and constructed in 7 sections with the most recent being finished in the early 2000's, Windsor Woods offers  a wide range of affordable homes, public walks, a community park and is in the desirable Northwest Allen county school system. Windsor Woods is made up solely of single family homes.  The following report includes data drawn from the local mls and does not reflect any homes that were sold privately by their owners.      The number of homes sold in Windsor Woods on an annual basis averages roughly 5% of all homes located in the community.      The Average sa...
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By Brian Kuhns, Fort Wayne Real Estate by Brian Kuhns
(Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber)
           The Residential Real Estate market in Northwest Allen county continued it's solid performance in 2015.  Year over year improvement in all critical categories for home sellers (and homeowners peace of mind lol) including a 3% increase in the average sales price from 2014 to 2015.  Overall activity was up and the days on market improved as well. For the purposes of this report, data is compiled for all sales of single family homes, condos, and villas within Perry, Lake, and Eel River townships sold during the calendar years of 2014 and 2015. This study does not include sales data for unimproved land, lots, multifamily homes, or commercial properties.   Number of Homes Sold in Northwest Allen county during 2014:   798Number of Homes Sold in Northwest Allen county during 2015:   ...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Here's a short list of mistakes first time home buyers make, and how we will help you avoid them.   1.  They don't fully understand the diferrent types of loans that are out there and which one would work best for them. We send our buyers to lenders that take their time and guide our buyers on a step by step basis in deciding what loan would be best for them.   2.  They don't pull the trigger quick enough and then someone else buys the home. While we never push our buyers if they aren't 100% ready, we educate them on the current real estate market and let them make the decision.  In 2015 the Fort Wayne market was a seller's market, meaning that home inventory (homes for sale) were low and buyers had to act quick.   3.  They don't use the right real estate agent. We are patient.  We are ...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Whether you're a first time home buyer, a professional relocating to Fort Wayne, or you're both selling and buying, these tips can apply to all!   1.  Do your homework - Figure out what's most important in a home, what area you want to live, and what you're comfortable paying a month.   2.  Get real - This is a big investment so while it's OK to be picky, you can't be unrealistic with your expectations.  Use your list of priorities as a guide while viewing homes.   3.  Knock all of those chirping birds off your shoulder - What we mean by this is that during the home buying process, everybody is going to give you their opinion.  If you need a parent for a second opinion, that's fine.  We welcome that if needed, but you can't listen to too many people.  It will drive you nuts and complica...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
This is a question we have been asked many times in the 9 years that we've been selling real estate in the Fort Wayne area. Some of our buyers are 100% certain on their credit scores, income, and buying power.   Some of our buyers aren't sure if they can qualify for a mortgage because of income, questionable credit scores, or a recent bankruptcy.   Either way we have our buyers get pre-qualified for a mortgage before we start the house hunting process.   Here are some reasons why: 1.  What if you think you can afford a $300,000 home, we go view a couple, and you fall in love?  After you meet with the mortgage banker you realize you can only qualify for $200,000?  There's a big difference between the two prices in Fort Wayne.  That lower priced home just isn't going to live up to the hig...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
It's time to sell your Fort Wayne home.  You call Amanda and Jared with Century 21 Bradley, and we come out and chat with you about price, a few upgrades you can make, and the market.   We then schedule a time to come back out, do paperwork, and have our professional photographer do his thing.   Here's a short list of things that we PROMISE will not be included in the pictures of your home... 1.  Cars.   2.  Trash cans. 3.  Pets.   4.  People.   5.  Reflections of people..   6.  Photographer's finger.   7.  Toilet seats that are up.   8.  Tons of toys.   9.  Any kind of blur.   10.  Any kind of crookedness.   11.  Animal heads on walls.     12.  Close up of a tile floor.   13.  Close up of a doorknob.   14.  Camera flash in the bathroom mirror.   15.  Snow outside when it's summer. 16. ...
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By Brian Kuhns, Fort Wayne Real Estate by Brian Kuhns
(Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber)
 Make plans to attend the November 25th  Night of Lights during downtown Fort Wayne's Holidayfest. Lighting ceremonies begin at 5:15pm at the History Center on Barr Street with the lighting of the turret. The full schedule of lighting ceremonies and activities including the Festival of Trees, Santa and his Reindeer lighting and Headwaters Ice skating can be found on the website.  A great way to kick off your Holiday season and continue or start a Fort Wayne tradition.  The evening concludes with my favorite activity, Fireworks at Parkview field starting at 7:45. Night of Lights 2015: Wednesday, November 25!5:15 pm – History Center Turret Lighting (Barr Street)5:30 pm – Christ Child Festival Nativity Lighting (Ross Building on Main Street)5:45 pm – Aunt Millie’s Northern Lights (Pearl St...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
 So you've decided that it's time to sell your home in Fort Wayne and you aren't sure what to do.  Here's a quick list of enhancements to help you get started! De-clutter and tidy up!  When a buyer walks through a cluttered home, it's hard for them to see the home's potential.  Store items that you don't need or use.  Doing this will make the home more inviting and appealing to buyers.  When your home is for sale, less is more!   Clean, clean, clean!  When a buyer sees a clean home, it give them the impression that it has been well cared for.  Make sure your home is aromatically and visually appealing.  Bad smells deter buyers! Make those minor repairs!  Patch holes in walls, fix that light switch, unclog the bathroom tub drain.  That these distractions away and fix the minor repairs be...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
One of the most frequent questions we, as Realtors® in Fort Wayne, get asked is "how is the real estate market?" Early in the spring it was white hot.  Anything that was listed in the Northwest and Southwest Allen County School Districts was selling in days.   We had a few clients that wanted to list their homes, but we had to wait until suitable housing came on the market because their homes were going to sell in 20 minutes.   As the summer came the market slowed down just a little bit, but we were still selling things quickly.   The fall has seen a slight slowdown overall, but thankfully for us we've continued to stay busy.   Here's a quick look at all the active listings in Fort Wayne as of 10/8/2015. Total number of active listings:  1,377 Average days on market:  89 with a high of ...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
One complaint we often hear from folks we work with is that their previous Realtor® didn't communicate well with them.   "They stuck the sign in the yard, took some pictures, and we didn't hear from them for months." Hearing this enough times early in our careers actually helped us to become better listing agents.   We have a lot to offer our sellers in the Fort Wayne area, including our market knowledge, professional photography, drone video where needed, a 30-60-90 day plan to sell their home, and many other things.   The most powerful thing that we offer on top of everything else is communication.   This year most of what we have listed has gone in the first week or so, so a long term plan didn't come into play with all of those.   There have been a few listings that were tougher sel...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
It was Friday night at 10:30 pm when we got an accepted offer for our most recent seller.  Usually we don't work that late, but in a market like this one sometimes it's a must.  I thought about waiting until the morning to let them know, but decided that they would probably want to know right then and there.  "Hey man.  Guess what?  Accepted offer!  I'm available for another half hour if you'd like to chat, otherwise our assistant will be in touch in the morning.  Thank you both for ALL of your hard work.  Having a home show ready with two young children and two dogs is incredibly inconvenient.  You guys ROCKED it!"  -  My text."We can't even imagine going through all of these showings and negotiations without the two of you and your team.  We'd be lost with anybody else.  Thanks for al...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Amanda and I have been selling real estate in Fort Wayne for 7 years now, and we've never, EVER, seen a market like this one.  Sellers are seeing increased sale prices, lower days on market, and in a lot of cases they are seeing multiple offer situations.  Inventory in Fort Wayne is so low right now, it's ridiculous.  If you have ever considered selling your home, NOW is the time.  Please give us a call at 260.704.0843 so we can talk about your situation and let you know our thoughts on selling your home.  We hope to hear from you soon!    
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
The average sales price in the Fort Wayne area is around $125,000.  The luxury market in Fort Wayne consists of homes sold for $300,000 or more.  Here is a look at what sold in the luxury market in Allen County in April of 2015.  Homes sold:  24Average list price:  $402,302Average sales price:  $387,831Median sales price:  $379,900Highest sales price:  $570,000Average days on market:  157Luxury homes sold that were brand new construction:  3Out of the 24 luxury homes sold, our Century 21 Bradley team sold 13 of those.  We are the Fort Wayne real estate office to use when it comes to the luxury market.If you are considering buying or selling your luxury home in the Fort Wayne area, please give us a call at 260.704.0843.  We'd love to have a pressure free conversation with you about your ...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
The average sales price in the Fort Wayne area is around $125,000.  The luxury market in Fort Wayne consists of homes sold for $300,000 or more.  Here is a look at what sold in the luxury market in Allen County in March of 2015.  Homes sold:  35Average list price:  $396,416Average sales price:  $385,919Median sales price:  $350,300Highest sales price:  $749,900Average days on market:  151Luxury homes sold that were brand new construction:  8Out of the 35 luxury homes sold, our Century 21 Bradley team sold 16 of those.  We are the Fort Wayne real estate office to use when it comes to the luxury market.If you are considering buying or selling your luxury home in the Fort Wayne area, please give us a call at 260.704.0843.  We'd love to have a pressure free conversation with you about your ...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Amanda and I have been full time Realtors with Century 21 Bradley here in Fort Wayne for 7 years now.  We've seen the market struggle mightily, and we've also seen the other side of that coin, which is happening right now.  Inventory is low.  Prices are rising.  We are listing homes that are selling in days with multiple offers coming in, often over list price.  Even appraisals are coming in at increased prices (Knock on wood).  Buyers are often frustrated at how quickly homes are selling, so when we are writing offers for our buyers, we're writing strong and clean offers.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that the Fort Wayne real estate market is WHITE HOT right now.  I'm very thankful that we have the team behind us that we do so we can accept more and more seller and buyer clients a...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
The average sales price in the Fort Wayne area is around $125,000.  The luxury market in Fort Wayne consists of homes sold for $300,000 or more.  Here is a look at what sold in the luxury market in Allen County in February of 2015.  Homes sold:  17Average list price:  $422,995Average sales price:  $403,147Median sales price:  $365,000Highest sales price:  $765,000Average days on market:  133Luxury homes sold that were brand new construction:  4Out of the 15 luxury homes sold, our Century 21 Bradley team sold 7 of those.  We are the Fort Wayne real estate office to use when it comes to the luxury market.If you are considering buying or selling your luxury home in the Fort Wayne area, please give us a call at 260.704.0843.  We'd love to have a pressure free conversation with you about you...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
It's Tuesday, March 10, 2015.  How is the real estate market in Fort Wayne?   In a nutshell, GOOD.  Very good.  Inventory right now is still pretty low, but we've seen a little bit of an upswing as far as that goes.  More homes are coming on the market now that the nasty winter has (knocking on wood) moved on.   Amanda and I have about 10-12 listings that will be coming on the market in the next few weeks.   We are also both working with multiple buyers that are searching for their new or next home.   Our Century 21 Bradley office has seen a huge increase in showings.  Yesterday our staff set up over 120 showings for some of our 495 listings.  That's not too shabby!   Our office currently has 157 listings pending as well.   If you're in the market to sell your home in the Fort Wayne are...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Five of our specialty subdivisions in Southwest Allen County School District in Fort Wayne are as follows:   1.  Timberlake 2.  Covington Woods 3.  Candle Lite Park 4.  Shores of Rock Creek 5.  Bluewater Estates These subdivisions are all located in between Illinois and Covington Roads, and just east of Scott Road.  They are very close to shopping at Jefferson Pointe, just 10-15 minutes from downtown Fort Wayne, and is just down the road from I69 access.   Here is a look at homes that sold in these subdivisions in 2015:   Homes sold:  26 Average list price:  $171,784 Average sales price:  $244,500 Median sales price:  $172,975 Lowest sales price:  $114,900 (3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,227 square foot ranch on a slab in The Shores of Rock Creek) Highest sales price:  $244,500 (3 bedroom, 3.5 ba...
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