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We love first time buyers! This week after several months of looking for a home, negotiating the best contract and then repairs our first time Louisville Kentucky buyer is on the road to closing. Our client picked one of the most gorgeous homes in one of the top neighborhoods in the Louisville area. The 78 year old Highlands home had just about completely restored. But an inspection found a number of items that still needed some work. To our buyers credit she was patient and let us go through the normal negotiating process for the repairs. The seller on the other side was also an agent and knew the value of her home. Yet through calm negotiations on both sides an agreement for repairs was reached this past week and we’re on to closing.

We love stories like this, our first time home buyer has worked hard over the past years to save enough money to put a good size down payment on the home. She has searched for the perfect home for a while and now she’s found it. We’ll return to the home with our inspector before closing to confirm all repairs have been made. We want to make sure our client has nothing but happiness in her new home! Seeing our clients smile really makes our job enjoyable!

Norine and I are just back from a very exciting brainstorming session in Columbus Ohio. Imagine being surrounded by some of the top Real Estate agents on the eastern half of the U.S. with the goal of using new technology to its full potential in 2009 for buyers and sellers.   This one day seminar produced pages of plans and ideas. To say the meeting was a success is an understatement!

 

 

 

Included in our group: 

 

Sam Miller (Mt. Vernon, OH)

Jodi Bakst Chapel Hill, NC

Mike Parker (Florence KY)

Wayne Turner (Hendersonville TN)

Kevin Hildebrand (Cincinnati, OH)

Cathy Russell (Lafayette, In)

Kirk Greer (Virginia Beach, VA)

Jason O’Neil (South Tampa, FL)

Bob and Norine Sokoler (Louisville, KY)

John Jones (Murfreesboro, TN)

Everything from web marketing to keeping clients up to date on market changes was discussed. As Jodi Bakst wrote in a recent blog entry “I’m proud that the leaders in my business are so forward-thinking and hands-on in their approaches to making their businesses successful”.  We agree Jodi; it’s thrilling to see so many people excited about the use of technology and helping clients! We think the information we brought back will go a long way to help our clients looking for homes in Louisville Kentucky. For more of our featured listings go to www.weselllouisville.com.

 

More Positive News

by Bob Sokoler

We hope this finds you excited about low interest rates...ours has dipped to close to 5% and tomorrow (Tuesday) we may see them drop even more. Additionally, if you’re a first time buyer you can still get in on the $7500.00 tax credit.

Home sales in Florida and California are already showing small signs of recovery. Many believe interest rate drops will do the same for sales here in Louisville.

We hope your search is going well and we have been of help to you in 2008.  We look forward to serving you in 2009.

Call me on my cell phone at (502)376-5483 if you would like to have any details on the great news or to see homes. 

Our team is standing by !

Time to get ready to JUMP!

by Bob Sokoler

No.. not off a building or a bridge! 4.5% interest rates may be around the corner. What does this mean to you? If you’re planning to buy a home; start looking! Planning to sell a home; get ready to list it! If you have a mortgage rate of 5.5% or more and you plan to stay in your home for several more years you need to be ready to re-finance. 

CNN is reporting that Lobbyists are pushing the Treasury Department to buy down interest rates.  Cnn’s says “Similar to an effort unveiled last week by the Federal Reserve, the proposal calls for Treasury to buy securities backed by 30-year fixed-rate mortgages from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.” That proposal caused an immediate drop in rates of at least ½ point.

We’re already getting calls from perspective home buyers with questions, so here are some answers and food for thought.

Here are some quick numbers; a $200,000 mortgage at 6.5% makes your monthly mortgage (minus homeowners insurance) approximately $1,514.14 a month. If your mortgage was at the current rate of 5.75% your payment would be approximately $1,417.15 monthly. But a $200,000 mortgage at 4.5% drops your payment to $1,263.37 a month. That’s a $250 a month savings!

As of right now CNN says “Spokeswomen from Treasury and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae (FNM, Fortune 500) and Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500), declined to comment.”

But this may be more than just running an idea up a flag pole and looking to see home many people salute. It’s a great idea and if current homeowners can save money on mortgages it could help pump money back into the economy. For anyone trying to sell property it’s a breath of fresh air.

Call your mortgage company and let them know you want to be notified if/when the drop occurs so you can lock in. Call us if you want to see any home in the Louisville / Southern Indiana area. (502) 376-5483 or go to www.weselllouisvillehomes.com

Displaying blog entries 1-4 of 4

Contact Information

Photo of The Sokoler Team Real Estate
The Sokoler Team
RE/MAX Properties East
10525 Timberwood Circle Suite 100
Louisville KY 40223
502-376-5483
502 992-4137
Fax: 502-719-8152