I just finished up my 3 miles on a treadmill and 5 miles on a bike at the Louisville Athletic Club. This morning I read an article in the LEO Weekly. The LEO sat down and interviewed the Mayor Of Louisville Jerry Abrhamson. I want to share with you 2 things that our Mayor said in his interview that really stand out to me. 1) He said that he is no different than any other CEO of any business when it comes to trimming the budget. There seems to be a small outrage of people that were against the closing of a small fire station. Although it seems that City of Louisville did their home work. They have been studying the issue of this firehouse for over 3 years. The media would want you to beleive that all of the sudden the City is closing this firehouse. Point is that CEO's of companies and M... 01/14/2009

I hope everyone is enjoying the new year and feeling positive about the market, our country and life in general.    I am very excited because this weekend is the public opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.  Now for Realtors there has not been a lot to really get excited about in the last year before the rates came down, but I used to sell cars for Mercedes Benz and Jaguar and let me tell you, those poor guys are really challenged right now.  I have been there covering the floor and you're trapped with no customers.   I have been going to the show way before I started selling cars.  My first time was 1991.  My first blog post featured a picture of a car from the 2008 show and more will be featured next week.  I have heard that the show is not as glitzy as pre... 01/14/2009

At our coaching session last Thursday we had a loan officer in discussing the state of the current market.  At that time interest rates were under 5%!!!  Thats right under 5%, there is the potential to get up to $7,500 tax credit if you are a first time buyer and the inventory of homes in the Great Louisville area has never been better!!!!  Banks are making home loans everyday!!  Now in addition to all this if you use Jeff Johnson as your realtor not only will you never be charged a fee for my services, you will also receive 1/2% of the sales price as a rebate.  That is not a gimmick, it is a fact.  Call me today and let's discuss details.  Spring is right around the corner so let's start your home hunt today! Jeff Johnson, REALTOR 502-551-4295   01/14/2009

 Went to show a house today, went inside looked around then recommended we look at the back yard (as I usually do) Went out the back door looked around then tried to go back inside.....back door had closed and locked us out and the yard was surrounded by a 6 ft tall privacy fence with the gate LOCKED! Talk about embarrased! Soooo there I am having to climb a 6 ft tall fence (in a suit) to get out. It wasnt easy but I made it. Now the funniest part. When I let my client back in I went to the kitchen to get her a copy of the property disclosure.....Right there on the counter was a note that read.....AGENTS, IF YOU GO OUT BACK DOOR PROP IT OPEN. IT WILL LOCK YOU OUT. Just another day at the office! LOL 01/12/2009

I have to say I am not sure how I got by without a smart phone before but some how I muddled through. WOW has this little peice of equipment helped to make my life less stressful, from the instant notification of email messages to the GPS system built right in to the thing that has made the biggest differance of all......the calender that reminds me of anything and everything, meetings, things to do and so much more. How did I survive without it! Thank you Blackberry. What do you think of your smart phone? 01/09/2009

Hello and happy new year.  I have been busy with so many things except blogging.  Business is slow, but I am pushing on with marketing and prospecting.  I did finally close that one transaction that has provided several opportunities for cathartic blogging.  I have never worked with a seller that was just not getting it.  In the end my buyer is very happy in her home.  I went over and helped her and her family paint; it was a good time. Now I am working with a few buyers who, for one reason or another, pulled out of the market last year.  Two of them rented, but only for six month.  We are starting up the search again to get under the wire for the $7500 tax credit (loan) from the federal government.  I went to a meeting at the board regarding the new year and adjusting your attitude.  I... 01/08/2009

Well the holidays are over and we can get back to business.  I have  new listing that I just posted on Localism.  I actually posted two, but one is about to expire.  Beautiful home in Crestwood, but a difficult time for $800,000 listings.  I wasn't aware that you could post listings on Active Rain.  I hope it will help to expose the listing and eventually helps find my seller a suitable buyer.  We may actually close a transaction that I have been working on since the first week of November.  The seller has been less than truthful with his agent about taking care of repairs and vacating the property.  It is my buyer first purchase and it has been very difficult.  She has been a trooper.  I have thought several times that we should continue to shop, but she knows what she wants and the ho... 12/28/2008

If you're a buyer and you've been thinking about the possibility of buying a home, now is the time! Interest rates are at a historical low, and there are fewer buyers actively looking for a home this time of the year.  When a seller is fortunate enough to receive an offer, they are very reluctant to let it slip away. So with an abundance of inventory to choose from, very motivated sellers and fantastic financing opportunties, why wait?  And don't forget if you're a first-time buyer or haven't owned a home in the past three years, the $7,500 first-time home buyer's tax credit is even more reason to move into your own home!   Debra Ford 12/20/2008

If your business has suffered due to the mortgage meltdown and recent changes in lending, then you should consider coming to a special networking lunch next Wednesday, December 17th!  A great opportunity to network while eating lunch, and to find solutions to navigate the new market! **NETWORKING LUNCHEON**Where: The Fox and Hound Pub and Grill (near Oxmoor Mall) 302 Bullitt Ln, Louisville, Ky   40221 When:  Wednesday December 17th, Please arrive at 11:45AM for lunch - Meeting will run from 12-1PM sharp.  Most will stay after to network. You'll also discover...   How to INCREASE credit scores over 100 points! Build a large BUYERS POOL! How to better assist Buyers and Sellers with SHORT SALES and FORECLOSURES! A system to increase referrals! How to make $1000 a week using this system!   ... 12/16/2008

One expert's crystal ball says real estate in Louisville KY is going to take off in 2009. Now, for every Alexis McGee, there are two or three critics who think that we haven't seen the bottom of this housing downtrend. Who is Alexis McGee you ask? She's the president of ForeclosureS.com who has access to a great deal of real estate data and she predicts a major rebound for housing in 2008. "Recovery is underway. Affordable is back in the housing market," says Alexis McGee, real estate expert, educator, and president of ForeclosureS.com. "In 2009, housing will not only recover, but we'll see buyers leap into this market in droves, depleting our housing oversupply, and actually put higher price pressures on the market." That's pretty optimistic but I can't disagree. If you look at the ma... 12/12/2008

Saratoga Woods is another great neighborhood in the southern portion of Louisville's East End. Just down the road from Stone Lakes, Saratoga Woods has a similar feel with lots of rolling hills and a good variety of homes at just a bit lower price point. This neighborhood began in the early 1990s and quickly built out the subdivision. In some respects it's like the Polo Fields with the hills and age of homes but closer in towards Jeffersontown. If you're looking for a home in the $275k-$325k range, be sure to check out any homes for sale in Saratoga Woods. Read More >> 12/10/2008

Owl Creek is an established and prestigeous neighborhood in the heart of Louisville's East End. This subdivision, located off Dorsey Ln. in Middletown was started about 20 years ago and contains some wonderful, large homes in a scenic setting. With home values from the upper $200's to almost $400k, there are some great values in this subdivision. Similar to some properties in nearby Hurstbourne or The Woods of St. Thomas, Owl Creek has a great deal of appeal. Read More »   12/10/2008

My thanks to a reader who thoughtfully sent this in. The Wall St. Journal does certain things very well. One of them is their "handy-dandy" charts. The other is their in-depth analysis. This time with Shrinking Prices, Rising Delinquencies, they only batted .500. This was due in large part to the chart not working properly. That's OK, we'll forgive them because this piece wasn't hidden behind a subscriber log-in. So how did we do? Since the housing market peak in the 4th quarter of 2005, the median home price in Louisville, Kentucky is up 3.2%! Now, this isn't the 4-5% annual appreciation we're used to seeing in our city but in a housing recession that many are calling the worst of 50 years, I'll take it! It's always helpful to compare data from Louisville with other cities of similar ... 12/09/2008

I was showing properties to some clients last week and most of the homes were decorated for Christmas.  A couple of the places we looked at were so "decorated" that you could hardly walk through the house. As a former Home Stager, I think Sellers need to remember not to overdue it with the decorations.  It's very easy to create a cluttered feeling that makes the space look much smaller.  In smaller spaces, garland on the railings especially can create a closed in feeling.  Also, be sure to look at your outside decorations.  Sometimes things that look nice after dark, don't look so great in the light of day and you don't want to do anything to diminish your curb appeal!   12/03/2008

Jeff Johnson, REALTOR 1-800-SELL-NOW       Common First-Time Home Buyer Mistakes 1.     They don't ask enough questions of their lender and end up missing out on the best deal. Many times a new buyer can be intimidated by the entire process.  Often times this will cause them to "clam up".  It is our responsibility when representing the buyer to step in and ask questions. I have found that simple observation can cue me to questions the selling agent or sellers about a specific topic.  We have all at one time or another had that "deer caught in headlights look", it is my job to step in and ensure that all is clear to my buyer s and myself. 2. They don't act quickly enough to make a decision and someone else buys the house.  Even in a challenging market time is of the essence.  A delay of ... 11/27/2008

1-800-SELL-NOW Tips for Finding the Perfect Neighborhood Your neighborhood has a big impact on your lifestyle. When I was a college man, I use to drive over to Louisville and dream about living in the “Big City”. Well by about the third or fourth trip to town I had narrowed down my neighborhood preference to two areas. The following steps are provided to assist you with this delightful task! • Is it close to your favorite spots? Make a list of the activities — movies, health club, church, etc. — you engage in regularly and stores you visit frequently. See how far you would have to travel from each neighborhood you’re considering to engage in your most common activities. • Check out the school district. This is especially important if you have children, but it also can affect resale val... 11/27/2008

Why are seasoned real estate and banking professionals in agreement that NOW is the time to purchase a home?  The interest rates are very competitive.  There is money in the system to loan and there are still many options to help qualified buyers purchase the home of their dreams. There is a strong and healthy real estate market right here in Metro Louisville.  Homes are selling every single day!!!  There are currently over 10,000 homes listed on the Multiple Listing Service therefore there is a home for everyones taste. Real Estate is still one of the strongest and safest forms of investing.  Land is a finite commodity...there is only so much to go around and that's ALL there is. Demand will always be there. The Johnson & Meyer Team is offering $500 rebate coupon to all who ask for one... 11/27/2008

Nice busy real estate weekend; inspections for a property that has been a bear from the beginning and an early listing appointment followed by an (lonely) open house.   We asked for a 21 day inspection period because the homeowner had storm damage that was supposed to be repaired almost 3 weeks ago.  First it was an issue with the power and now the inspection is on hold because the water that was promised never materialized.  And on we go.  The upside, and there always an upside, is that the house is cute, cute, cute.  Very nicely laid out and renovated pseudo-shotgun/bungalow in Clifton; the perfect location for my urban-oriented buyer.  My hope is that the water is on today, the inspections get finished and the small list of repairs are accomplished with out incident.  When it comes t... 11/24/2008

As you gear up for this holiday season deciding on what to purchase for this person or that person----- what deals you can get from Black Friday (known as the biggest shopping day of the year), I would like to make a few suggestions: 1. Don't over spend. Only spend what you can afford to spend. Just because that credit limit is $5,000- don't run that credit card up unless you can afford to pay off the balance the next month. 2. Don't buy on the spot. Make sure you have done some research to make sure you are getting the best deal. Sometimes the best deal is not all the best deal- you just think it might be the best deal. 3. Don't forget to save some money this Holiday Season for those that are less fortunate than yourself. Charities still need your donations. If you cannot give monetari... 11/21/2008

A woman arrived home from work only to find the doors to her home locked last week.  Not unusual, right?  I mean, we go home every day and expect the doors to be locked, right?  That means our home and belongings are safe, right?  But we usually expect the doors to open when we put our keys in the locks. Unfortunately for this poor woman, the locks had been changed on all the doors. So she called a real estate agent who had been keeping in touch by sending her mortgage crisis information.  Upon assessing the situation, the agent realized that this woman was in a very bad situation indeed.  After months and months of ignoring the calls and the letters from the bank, they finally did what was inevitable.  They essentially repossessed the house. Imagine what that poor woman was feeling at ... 11/21/2008