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The River Valley Realty Group Real Estate Blog For Louisville Northern Kentucky Southern Indiana

Meet your favorite storybook characters at the Louisville Zoo today

Today May 19th from 12:00-4:00 is Storybook Character Day at the Louisville Zoo

If you are looking for fun things to do in Louisville with your family, take the kids to the Zoo today to meet Curious George, Max (from Max and Ruby), Maisy, George Brown, Clifford as well as Brother and Sister Berenstain Bears. Meeting the characters is FREE with Zoo admission. Bring a camera! Admission and zoo info is on LouisvilleZoo.org 

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Tips on the 2013 Kentucky Derby 139 in Louisville: horses hats dresses and new security rules on what you can bring

Click this link for the list of what you can bring to Churchill Downs today --> http://www.rivervalleygroup.com/area-info/kentucky-derby-louisville-2013/   

Also on that page you will see Heidi's tips for how to have a great Derby experience.

HEIDI'S TIPS:

  • Take a 12" x 12" purse and load it with the following items:  bandaids, foldable ballet-flat shoes (from Walgreens, Factory Card Outlet or Gap), sunglasses, your ID, cash, phone, a ball point pen or sharpie to write on the program, clear foldable poncho, protein/energy bar, tylenol.
  • You can park far away and take a golf cart to the Downs. The bicycle taxis can get closer to the gate than the motorized golf carts, I've been told.
  • Take lots and lots of pictures. Don't be shy. You'll have great memories of this fun day.
  • You can never go "overboard" with your hat. Put some more ribbons and feathers and clip on some more flowers. No, it's not too big. Stop worrying about it ;)
  • If you take home a souvenir glasses, wrap them in papertowels or your shawl before your put them in your purse or they could break in your  bag.
  • Do not try to drive home after drinking Lillies and Mint Julep drinks all day. There are many taxis waiting for you on Central Avenue that will take you to dinner and bring you back later fo your car when you are ready to drive. Get in the taxi line early. At the end of the day, you will wait a long time in the taxi line.
  • Talk to everybody around you. You're in Kentucky where it's OK to be friendly to strangers. Have a great time meeting new people. You'll make good friends and lasting memories.
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Planning for the Future, Investing in Louisville Homes

 

 

Of the many concerns new parents face, the daunting task of preparing and saving for your child’s future can be an overwhelming thought. Where to begin? How much should we save? How do we find the right investment? While 10 years ago you may have only thought in terms of stocks and bonds, the current market has prompted many to start thinking outside the box and seek out other avenues to pursue a stable return on investment. One viable answer that is being embraced by entities large and small is simple, real estate.

Mortgage rates reached record lows this week (current national average is 2.69% for a 15 year fixed mortgage), and when combined with housing prices that are still recovering, the time to invest is now. Richard Shapiro, CEO of GTSI Partners, a New York based investment firm is doing just that.

GTSI, which holds over $2 billion in assets worldwide, is now buying single family homes across the nation at the rate of 10 a week with the intention of renting the property for a minimum of 7-10 years. The investment concept is solid, and when scaled down to an individual level it could be the answer to many questions about your and your children’s financial future.

The basic principal revolves around buying one piece of investment property per child and financing it on a 15 year mortgage. With a monthly rent that covers the mortgage payments, at the end of term you’ve got a property that is paid for, producing income, and with 15 years of built in equity. By the time your child reaches 18, you have the option of selling the property to pay for college or gifting the property to the child to manage, live in, or use as needed for...


Did you win the prize? Watch this video to see if you won

Watch this video of Heidi Fore and her son drawing a name from the 100 people who liked

http://facebook.com/rivervalleygroup

Somebody won a free dinner at a Louisville restaurant in NuLu.

If you want to be in the next drawing LIKE us one Facebook.

We like Louisville and all of the River Valley from Louisville to Cincinnati on both sides of the river.

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What did the house down the street sell for? Enter your zip code here to find the average price of Louisville Kentucky homes near you

To find what houses sold for recently in your neighborhood CLICK HERE --> for the Average Prices of Homes in Louisville Kentucky 

Average Price of Homes Louisville Kentucky

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Secrets to Financing Your Next Home!

Uninterested in leasing? Are you prepared for more space? Getting your financials in order is the 1st step toward getting your dream href="http://www.rivervalleyrealtygroup.com/search/">House in Louisville Kentucky, read below for guidance from Heidi Fore, one of the region's top realtors.
 
In my prior experiences, when preparing my clients for jumping into this sector of mortgages and financing a House in Louisville Kentucky,  I have  found the following rules to be intensely helpful.  *If it's not hard to do so without adversely affecting your down-payment situation, pay off minor liabilities.  The less debt you have the easier your house loan.  Close the minor cards, but just one or two of them. Remember the Heidi Fore Team are not loan companies, and you want to call loan firms without delay for details on all this. It's highly important to keep the cards with a little balance and low limit so that you can show banks that you have had loans and cards in the past and you managed them in the correct way. Two  of these "open" credit lines are good.
I had a client once close down everything and then the bank announced he couldn't get a good loan because he didn't have a credit history. You will read books or hear talk shows talking about why you should be debt free-well it isn't always a pleasant thing when submitting an application for a loan. 
Since mortgages are based basically on debt to revenues proportions ( the total you pay out monthly vs. the amount you bring in ), a just-bought debt could make your total regular bills too high and throw off the proportions, which would make...

Things to do in Louisville at Derby time

  • 04/25/2012Kentucky Derby Festival "Taste of Derby Festival"
  • 04/25/2012$1 Million Dollar Hole In One Ladies Day
  • 04/26/2012Pajama Party & Bed Making Competition
  • 04/26/2012Chow Wagon at Waterfront Park
  • 04/26/2012U.S. Bank Derby Festival Great Balloon Tour
  • 04/26/2012U.S. Bank DerbyFestival Great Balloon Glimmer
  • 04/26/2012U.S. Bank Kentucky Derby Festival Great BalloonFest
  • 04/26/2012Kroger's Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront
  • 04/26/2012Fourth Street Live! Kentucky Derby Festival After Party
  • 04/26/2012BB&T Kentucky Derby Festival Running Wild Expo
  • 04/27/2012U.S. Bank Derby Festival Great Balloon Rush Hour Race
  • 04/27/2012U.S. Bank Derby Festival Great Balloon Glow
  • 04/27/2012BB&T Running Wild Pasta Dinner & Expo
  • 04/28/2012Marathon/miniMarathon presented by Walmart
  • 04/28/2012U.S. Bank Derby Festival Great Balloon Race
  • 04/28/2012Da'Ville Classic Drum Line Showcase College Fair
  • 04/28/2012TheSlice: Spice, Style & Soul
  • 04/28/2012Sonic Saturday Featuring Eddie Money
  • 04/28/2012NPC Fitness and Physique Championship
  • 04/28/2012Kentucky Derby Festival- ACO DerbyHole Classic
  • 04/29/2012$1 Million Dollar Hole In One Semi Finals
  • 04/29/2012Louisville Youth Orchestra Concer
  • t04/29/2012Children's Tea with the Derby Festival Princesses presented by Goldberg Simpson
  • 04/29/2012Celebration Sunday with 88.5 WJIE
  • 04/29/2012GospelFest
  • 04/29/2012Derby Brunch On the River
  • 04/30/2012Stock Yards Bank Kentucky Derby Festival Great Bed Races
  • 04/30/2012AT&T Derby Festival Morning Line
  • 04/30/2012Don Fightmaster Golf Outing for Exceptional Children
  • 04/30/2012Discovery Day Presented by PNC
  • 04/30/2012HappyTail Hour at Kroger's Fest-a-Ville
  • 04/30/2012Knights of Columbus Charity Dinner
  • 05/01/2012$1...

Trends in the market for Louisville Homes

Louisville Kentucky Real Estate Market
 While the Louisville Kentucky real estate market was spared the big spikes and drops that other cities had with the housing bubble, Louisville home owners have had some housing heartaches. Property owners are looking forward to a housing market recovery.
 
Real estate sales in Louisville Kentucky were at the peak in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 with more than 10,000 houses selling per year during those years. Then in 2008 the real estate sales got off to a very bad beginning, and by the time spring and summer got here, which is when sales usually trend up, the number of homes sold did not go back up to normal summer sales amounts. And then by the end of 2009, the amount of houses closed each month was merely a quarter of the amount selling in the summer months of 2007. Then the tax credits started encouraging people to buy houses again, and the sales came back up. In 2010 and 2011 sales were steady. In 2008, 2009, and 2010 approximately 8000 houses sold each year in Louisville. Even though the market went through ups and downs in number of units sold, the average house sale has remained between $157,705 - $167,065 in all years from 2008-2011. Louisville real estate consultants predict 2012 will not be drastically different regarding the number of homes for sale in Louisville Kentucky or the average sold price.
 
There is positive news to be reported also. Louisville Kentucky has consistently been a quite affordable place to live in relation to the median income of Louisvillians. And the other good news is that there are always plenty of houses to choose from. On average, about 11% of the houses for sale in Louisville sell each month, leaving 89% still on the market.
 
To increase the chance of getting an offer, some home sellers are putting in new carpet, new paint and new light fixtures to set their homes apart from the competition for home buyers. In the earlier years when houses sold...


Things To Know About The Louisville Real Estate Market Before You Buy A House For Sale In Louisville Kentucky

What Are Some Things You Should Know About The Louisville Real Estate Market Before You Buy Louisville Kentucky Homes?

First you should find out if it is a buyer's market or seller's market. What is the meaning of the terms a Buyers's Market and a Sellers' Market? What does that mean for you? While all real estate markets are different, this article specifically answers questions pertaining to Louisville homes. It is similar to the real estate markets in the surrounding areas of Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky. Note that if you live in a city where the market has increasing demand currently for houses, and few houses for sale, you might be in a Sellers' Market. If you are thinking about moving to a mid-sized city, maybe you've thought of buying one of the Louisville homes for sale. Many things should be weighed in the decision to buy a house . There are many homes for sale in Kentucky, and mortgage rates are very low . It could be the perfect time to buy a Louisville house .
 
First think about this- How long will you be in the home before you sell your house? How much remodeling are you able to do to get a good deal? If this is your first time to buy a Louisville Kentucky house, you probably have some other concerns. You might be wondering how much money you have to give as a down payment, and how much are closing costs on a house, and how long does it take to get a house from the day you...


Southern Indiana Tornado Survivor Gets Help From Coworkers After Henryville Indiana Tornado

Coworkers and friends of New Albany Indiana real estate agent Carolyn Tindor invite everybody to a fundraising event Friday March 23, 2012 at Kyes in Jeffersonville Indiana at 500 Missouri Ave., Jeffersonville Indiana 47130. Money are being raised for Indiana resident Carolyn Tindor who was injured in the tornado March 2nd, 2012 on her way to show houses to a real estate client. The tornado destroyed the car she was in and threw her to the ground. Carolyn's injuries are severe and she needs your help to get better. Unfortunately, this story is just one of many and the need for assistance is huge. In addition to fundraising for Carolyn, party goers on Friday will have the chance at the fundraiser to give to the aide of other Indiana tornado victims.

The benefit is being planned by Carolyn Tindor's colleagues at Keller Williams Realty Southern Indiana. Heidi Fore, the Operating Principal for the Keller Williams Realty Southern Indiana office describes the intended message, 'We want the tornado victims to know that although there is much sadness for people who lost all they have, this benefit is meant to celebrate that they survived a horrible tragedy and there are people in Indiana and Kentucky that care deeply about them and lots of folks want to help them get back on their feet.' Craig Eberle, Team Leader says, 'Carolyn has added positive energy to our office with her great attitude and example of helping others. We are glad to be there for her when she needs us.' Volunteers that are working the event work with Carolyn at the real estate office.

These realtors have put together a fun evening - Live music by Lindsey Lane & Axis, wonderful food from local restaurants, live auction bidding, DJ music, dancing, dozens of silent auction baskets, iPad raffle and a fun evening all around. Children are welcome to the party too. The band choices will be a variety of fun music including rock, and fun songs everybody knows. The Live Auction entertainment will be at 7:30 and...


A Quick List Of Things You Should Do Before You Put Your House On The Market

With thousands of homes for sale in Southern Indiana and Northern Kentucky, home buyers have their choice of the most updated houses and condos. In other words, it means home buyers can be picky in choosing only the most updated homes, where all the renovating has been done for them, so they can simply bring in their belongings. The positive news for home sellers is that most updating can be done with little money, and will most times result in a much higher amount in the sales price than if the seller just put the house on the market without updating it. When a purchaser sees a house or condo as-is with nothing re-done, they usually say 'Let's keep looking at other houses that don't need as much work' and will offer a low price. Most times they will tour the property and then not write an offer at all. They will choose another house that looks a little newer. The property will be for sale longer because home buyers will pass it over for homes that have already been re-done. The longer a house sits, the less likely it is to sell for asking price. Houses sell faster and for more money if they are updated and staged correctly from the beginning.
For a home to sell for top dollar in this over supplied housing market, the home seller should spend the time to update the house with this year's hottest trends of neutral tones, and the latest style of kitchen faucets and handles, and the most updated light fixtures in all rooms, especially the entry hall, kitchen and bathrooms, new carpet in a light color. Even if the home is only twelve years old, like some of the newer developments in Florence KY and Jeffersonville IN, popular colors change so quickly that you really owe it to yourself to take a ride to the nearest Lowes and ask what is the trendiest style that people are putting in homes now.
Here are some more tips for older homes, like the beautiful older homes of New Albany Indiana and Fort Mitchell Kentucky. On the outside a home seller should repaint the trim on the street...


Forecast looks good for real estate 2012

House sales seem to be stablizing after a rough few years. See the details in this 4 minute video about house sales in 2011 in the #LouisvilleKentucky #realestate and #Indiana real estate markets. The number of homes sold may not have changed much for the entire year, but as you'll see in the video, in some housing markets in Kentucky the second half of 2011 was much better than the second half of 2010 sales, even as much as an increase of 18% in some areas. Watch the video to find out where home prices are coming back up  *http://www.rivervalleygroup.com/forecast/

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Choose a realtor to help you find a house in Louisville Ky, Northern Kentucky, or Southern Indiana

Here are three reasons why you should choose a realtor to help you find a house in Louisville Ky Northern Kentucky or Southern Indiana: #1 it usually doesn't cost you anything out of pocket to have a realtor working for you to buy a house (ask your realtor how they get paid)  #2 your realtor will help you avoid making mistakes that could cost you thousands of dollars later  #3 using a realtor will save you a ton of time and headaches finding a house and getting through the process of offers, counteroffers, home inspections, appraisals and closing. Call a real estate agent on the River Valley Realty Group at Keller Williams Realty for more details at 502-554-9400.  Agents who are part of the River Valley Group sell houses in Louisville Ky, and all across northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana and Cincinnati Ohio.  You'll love working with the River Valley Group of realtors.

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ANNOUNCING AN OPENING TO WORK ON THE RIVER VALLEY GROUP

GET PAID TO SHOW HOUSES TO HOME BUYERS: Are you a real estate agent that loves working with home buyers? More importantly, do buyers love working with you? HEIDI FORE's TEAM, THE RIVER VALLEY GROUP at Keller Williams Realty is one of the top sales teams in Louisville. You'll work on a team where everyone wants you to succeed. Everybody wants you to be happy and have a life you love.

HERE ARE SOME OTHER PERKS: You'll work directly with Heidi Fore, one of Realtor Magazine's '30 Under 30', a Realtor for HGTV's 'House Hunters' and a national trainer for NAR, KAR and the Womens Council of Realtors. Most of your real estate expenses are paid for: no desk fee, free use of team's cell phone, free advertising, continuing education is paid for. You'll have consistent business. 

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BEING A REALTOR WITH US: call or text 502-777-3578 or go to http://www.rivervalleygroup.com/contact/about-river-valley-group/ and meet the other members of the team. The Heidi Fore Team sold 84 houses in 2010. Be part of a successful team and have fun where you work!

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New additions to the River Valley Realty Group of Louisville real estate agents

ANITA BROWN has been in real estate since 1995, in Georgia then in Kentucky. When Anita decided to focus her career on residential real estate, she built a successful real estate team and helped build a Keller Williams Realty office. Anita is a horse enthusiast who has been showing quarter horses for many years. Anita’s 15 year old daughter shows horses in the barrel racing arena. Anita says, “I fell in love with Kentucky and the lifestyle and how wonderfully hospitable the people are here and decided this was definitely the place to in which to expand my real estate career.  I knew that Keller Williams Realty was the best real estate company, I also wanted to focus on the one thing I enjoy the most-helping people get their home SOLD.” As soon as Heidi Fore met Anita, it was clear to both of them that Anita would be the perfect person to specialize in helping home sellers get their property sold, and make each and every sale a truly positive and rewarding experience for our clients.

While Anita Brown helps home sellers, LORI HERNANDEZ and BEKAH PARRINO help home buyers find the house that is just right for them. Both Lori and Bekah grew up in Louisville and are extremely knowledgable about the area and Louisville real estate market. They walk buyers through the home search phase of the journey, then help them through inspections, repairs, appraisal and closing. They make the home buying experience fun, and as stress-free as possible.

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Why winter is a good time to find houses for sale in Southern Indiana, Northern Kentucky, and Louisville Ky

I was talking with a home buyer today about why winter is a good time to find houses for sale in Southern Indiana, Northern Kentucky, and Louisville Ky real estate markets. And I thought I'd share those reasons with you today. The biggest reason to shop for a home for sale in Louisville or across the river in Southern Indiana or up the road in Northern Kentucky is the lack of competition from other home buyers. In Louisville Kentucky, about half as many houses sold in the winter months compared to the number of homes sold in the summer months on average over the past five years. In a typical real estate market year, about 1200 houses sell in the summer months, and 600 houses sell in the winter months in Louisville. The market is similar for Southern Indiana and northern Kentucky real estate.  Why is that important? Because with less buyers looking for houses, it is less likely that you will be in a competing bid, mutliple offer situation when it's time to write an offer on the house you want to buy. Another reason to look at houses for sale in the winter months is that the selection is better. You have more houses to choose from. The percentage of inventory that sells every month works to your advantage. And the third reason to look at homes for sale in northern Kentucky in the winter is you can get a good gauge of heat differences in the basement and second floor of a house this time of year. You can tell if a second floor bedroom over the garage will be too cold to sleep in, or if a basement is too cold for a play...


Another fun holiday idea - look at Christmas lights in a cave!

Here's a fun holiday idea if you live in the Louisville Kentucky area - go look at Christmas lights underground in a cave! Yes! Little kids love all the lights, and there is Christmas music throughout the tour. You actually drive in your car through a cave. It's around $25 per car, no matter how many people are in the car. It's called Mega Caverns, and you get to it by going behind Kmart near the Louisville Zoo. Just make a right at the Wendys and you'll see it. It was a fun thing to do with a 1 and 3 year old. It took about 20 minutes I think. You onlu drive about 1 mile an hour. Here are a couple pictures:

Fun_things_to_do_in_Louisville_Ky

 

louisville_kentucky_things_to_do_with_kids

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Advice to sell your house faster (1) Stage furniture (2) Update paint, carpet, lights (3) lights on, music on, cookies out

No matter if you have an older house in Fort Thomas Ky or a new house in Floyds Knobs IN, call a staging professional to decide how the furniture should be arranged, and which items to store and which items to leave out. Rooms look bigger with less on the walls, and they look bigger when there is less stuff on the floor. Houses show better with the blinds open to let in more light. If possible, turn on all the lights before each showing and have light jazz music playing. If you are able, try to have the house smelling like baked goods. Keep checking back on this page for more tips on how to sell your home in the Southern Indiana, and Northern Kentucky and Louisville Real Estate market. – Heidi Fore, Keller Williams Realty Louisville East 5025549500

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Average home price in Louisville is $152,125 this month

Prices of home sales vary by area, so to find our how much the average house price is in your zip code go to http://www.rivervalleyrealtygroup.com/mimarket/zip/40222/  According to the average sale price, homes for sale in Southern Indiana are priced less than Louisville Ky. In the Northern Kentucky real estate market, the average sold price of a house is about the same as Louisville Kentucky.

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Waterfront condos and houses for sale on the river near Louisville

Out of over 10,000 homes for sale in Louisville and Southern Indiana only about 40 of them are on the river. If you can find a house for sale on the river you'll need to make sure you get flood insurance in addition to your home owners property insurance.  You'll also want to get a mold inspection before buying a house for sale near a river, creek or lake. And the last piece of advice I have is to check the building restrictions before you start any remodeling projects or building new construction. There are many rules about what you can and can't do to waterfront property. You can see a list of all the available condos for sale and houses for sale on the river in Louisville here.  For other questions about Louisville real estate, call 502-554-9400, the River Valley Group at Keller Williams Realty Louisville East.

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