Investor Dream! Nice 4-plex with 4 - 2 bedroom, 1 bath units. All units rented. Each unit has laundry hook ups. Exterior has maintenance free cornice. Separate meters. Property is fully rented. Convenient to I-264, bus, shopping and restaurants. Secured entry. Parking in rear of property.

The best of all worlds! The country charm of a farm house with a large modern 580 square foot addition, close to the city and more than 3 acres to spread out! This is a one of a kind find in Jefferson County with 3 bedrooms (there's a 4th room upstairs that could easily be converted to a bedroom). The new 1st floor Master Bedroom suite has a walk in closet, bathroom windows and light galore with a sliding glass door that opens to a large private deck. The large family room and its windows bring views of the private backyard into the house. A wrap around rear deck helps you relax 12 months a year. The large kitchen has a breakfast bar and plenty of counter and cabinet space. What was the original living room is now being used as a large formal dining room. A second bedroom and second bathroom round out the 1st floor. Upstairs, another large bedroom and large family room. There's also a fourth room currently being used for storage. Outback, 2 one car garages and enough land to farm or board several horses.

Updated, and ready for you immediately! This contemporary 2 bedroom home has a wide open floor plan with vaulted ceiling and a number of recessed lights! The living room is open to the kitchen and dining room. A half-wall peninsula can be used as a breakfast bar and divides the living room and kitchen which makes it very open and airy. Outside a large deck for entertaining and an enormous fenced back yard. The bedrooms are of good size and both have walk-in closets. The home is in great condition and perfect for a 1st time buyer or someone downsizing. Located in Lyndon you're close to everything!

Stand-alone condo in sought after Harmony Place Phase III. The WOW factor welcomes you at the front door! Elegant Foyer with new ceramic tile floor. Kitchen features ceramic tile flooring, built-in microwave, smooth top range, and porcelain double sink with disposal. Kitchen also has an abundance of cabinetry and the breakfast bar is perfect for informal meals, serving a buffet or simply entertaining a large crowd. New Mohawk Stain Master carpeting throughout rest of home. The second floor features a massive master bedroom that can accommodate the largest furniture on the market! You will not have to compromise on any space needs. There are 2 walk in closets in the master bedroom. There's more storage in the hallway with another huge walk-in closet plus walk-in attic space. Attic space has a window and could be finished off for additional living space. The 3rd bedroom also has a walk-in closet. First floor Bedroom currently used as Den. *Washer and Dryer will NOT remain. Fireplace to go with Seller.

Awesome 7 Bedroom 4 bath Contemporary Home with Spectacular Golf Course & Lake Views and Exquisite Features Throughout. Walk into a two story entryway with large dining room to your right and a Double story great room featuring built in book shelves, a gas fireplace and enormous palladium windows that take advantage of the sun that rises over the lake in the morning. The gourmet kitchen features granite and Corian countertops, travertine tile backsplash, Kitchen aide Stainless Steel Appliances, circular breakfast bar and an abundance of cabinets. There's also a beautiful circular eating area with tongue and groove ceiling. The large master bedroom is striking with similar views of the lake and golf course and double trey raised vault ceiling. The luxury master bathroom offers whirlpool type soaking tub, large separate shower, double vanity, ceramic tile and vaulted ceiling. The enormous California style master closet offers an amazing amount of storage. Upstairs 4 more large bedrooms all with California style closet inserts and 2 more bathrooms, one a Jack and Jill. In the basement an entertainment bonanza! Two Bars on separate ends, media area, another gas fireplace, 2 more bedrooms and full bath. Outback extensive landscaping and premium ornamental fencing, patio and water fall pond. All overlooking the golf course and lake. Other features include circular drive and daylight windows in finished lower level, Hot tub will stay. Natural gas hookup on patio for grill, Patio shaded in evening for entertaining, one block from LFCC club house. Just 3 blocks from new Stopher Elementary School and 1 block from The Palmer Pool.

One of a kind polished diamond with a real WOW factor ready for you in Germantown! This recently remodeled 3 bedrooms two full bath home is just 10 years old. The first floor has a large living room that leads into a large eat-in kitchen (Refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher washer and dryer will stay), The kitchen also features a huge pantry, quiet laundry room, full bath, and Office or additional Bedroom with cable internet hookup. The second floor has two large bedrooms (for this area these are gigantic rooms) and a full bath. All bedrooms have ceiling fans. You'll find Bamboo Floors throughout with Ceramic Tile floors in the bathrooms and kitchen. The home also has a Front porch, deck and privacy fenced backyard that allows you to walk directly from the home to the recently added 2 1/2 car painted concrete garage with 9' door and remote opener. The 600 square foot garage is large enough for a workshop and has electricity. Other upgrades include Newer Double Pane Windows and doors.

Rare Ball Homes "Ashley B" floor plan with an enormous unfinished basement. Fabulous home with numerous upgrades and worth your visit. Walk into a 2 story entryway thru an upgraded front door and stone front with formal Living Room to your right. Next a formal Dining room with crown molding, chair rail, wainscoting and entrances to both room have large archways. Straight ahead a large Great room that features a gas fireplace insert, beautiful marble surround, ceiling fan and large open pass-throughs into the kitchen and eating area The enormous kitchen has upgrades galore including kitchen cabinets, lighting and Stainless Steel appliances. The open contemporary feeling is enhanced with the nine foot ceilings on first floor. There 4 bedrooms on the 2nd floor offer a tremendous amount of space. The Laundry room has been upgraded as well. In the master suite the Master bath has an upgraded tiled shower, Kohler whirlpool tub. Outback a large extended deck that backs up to trees and is very private. Basement size will truly amaze you with it's size and it is plumbed for a bath. Other upgrades include Hunter fans, Dual air conditioning, No pets have ever lived in house.

Home sales should increase for Louisville’s more expensive homes as the owners of the first time homes start looking for their move up home. The $6500 move up tax credit for anyone who has owned a home for that past 5 years is still available. Both the first time homebuyers credit and the move up credit require that buyers be under contract by the end of April and close by the end of June.

Feb 2010

 Feb 2009

You have to see this MRS Clean lives here... and she's really taught her husband and kids to follow closely in her footsteps! This 1 owner ranch has been updated and meticulously cared for. A circular driveway greets you. The home is warm and inviting with a vaulted great room with real wood burning fireplace, 2 skylights, ceiling fan and plenty of room to spread out. There's a breakfast bar and pass through window into the very large eat in kitchen. The Master bedroom good size (see the size of the furniture in the pictures. The master bathroom and walk in closet round out the master suite. The two other rooms are good size and the second bathroom is as clean and neat as a whistle! In the large finished basement more room so spread out including a bar, dining area and 4th room that could be used as a bedroom. The fenced in backyard is large and there's a 2 level deck perfect for entertaining!

Classic Cape Cod living with an open, updated flare, volume ceilings and first floor master suite! This is an entertainer's delight with an enormous rocking chair porch; grand entryway with impressive chandelier and formal dining room that opens to a relaxing great room or eat in kitchen. You'll love curling up by the fireplace on cold winter nights in this cozy great room with 9' ceilings and built in book shelves. There's hardwood floors virtually thru out the first level of the home. We really think you'll love the bright open eat in kitchen which has solid surface counter tops, higher end Jenn Aire stainless finished appliances, gas range, peninsula breakfast bar area, planning desk and sunlit breakfast nook area. The second level has 3 bedrooms and great loft area ideal for a computer or reading niche. The lower level has a media room (the projection TV system will stay with this home), plus bedroom and full bath, ideal for teens, guests or in-laws! Out back relax day or night in the screened-in rear deck or exposed deck. The oversized garage is extremely deep with plenty of room for storage. You'll find Briar Hill Estates is a great community with lots of neighborhood activities, as well as a neighborhood park. The home is located only minutes to the Snyder Freeway, Summit shopping center and schools. This Cape Code has 2 Heating and cooling units for maximum comfort.

Here's an updated, contemporary one of a kind all Brick Home located in the much sought after Blankenbaker Woods. The 2 story front Atrium (added to the home in 2001) has a real wow factor as you enter this home. Setting the atmosphere on the main level, Bamboo "Green" flooring. The enormous living room will hold even the largest of furniture. There's a large formal dining room and a bright roomy eat-in kitchen has been updated with a number of Stainless Steel appliances. The family room is bright and roomy, there's new overhead lighting and the wood burning fire place is perfect for those snowy nights. The Master bedroom is enormous, The master bathroom has a new tile floor, shower door, tile fixtures, lighting and more. The other 2 bedrooms on the main floor are also good size. The lower level of the home has more room to spread out with another family room and wet bar. There's another good size bedroom and bathroom on the lower level. The outdoor terrace has water and freeze resistant tiles. Among the recent upgrades: High Energy Efficient Furnace, Hot Water Heater, New Landscaping, Lighting, Carpet and paint throughout.

Norine is not a fan of buffet restaurants but she was so impressed with Umai we went back a second time Saturday night. This, my friends is unprecedented for my wife but there are a number of reasons why!  Let’s start with the atmosphere, bright clean (of course it’s new but I think they’ll keep it up) large yet cozy (they’ll need room if Umai catches on and crowds turn out to eat).  The only negative is sitting too close to the front door. Even though there are two entrances to buffer the wind, anyone sitting near the font gets a cold chill every time the door opens. My advice is to sit towards the middle or back.

The food is fresh and the variety is amazing. On the nights we were there, Crab Legs were large and plentiful the Stone Crab was good but the ginger sauce made them hard to handle. More than once the stone crabs slipped out of my hands (they had been precut but still tough to handle).  There was a wide selection of Sushi and Sashimi all being made in front of us by several chefs. The Mongolian Grill looked good (I stayed with the seafood) and the variety of Chinese food also was tasty (I only tried one or two dishes). 

There are too many items on the multiple food stations to describe but I suggest walking around the entire food area to get a feel for what is available. Pick your top 10 or 15 items and dig in. I never even came close to trying the salads to desserts.

The price with soda is about 16 dollars a person, pretty standard for local buffets, but for that price the quality is good, the selection is amazing and I could eat there every night of the week if my wife and my diet would let me!

For more information about Bob and Norine Sokoler head to www.weselllouisville.com

 Larry Platt is no stranger to the media. He first attracted the spotlight back in the 1960s when he volunteered as a teenage crusader for the Civil Rights Movement in Georgia. If you’re looking for Louisville Real Estate visit www.weselllouisville.com. If you’re looking for a good laugh, watch the video below.

New Home Sales numbers in the Louisville Kentucky area for December 2009 appear to have fallen. I say “appear”, because there are several reporting sources and updates may still come in. The numbers show that Home Sales for December 2009 were off 5.31% from a poor December 2008. To make matters worse, the December 2009 sales were actually better than they should have been. Remember that some of the closings in December were actually delayed from November 2009 because some mortgage companies (specifically their underwriters) dragged their feet approving home buyer’s loans and some appraisers slowed their pace to the speed of a snail.

The Big Picture

Up until December 2009, the picture looked rosy. Louisville Real Estate Sales started to climb steadily in June.  Thanks to the $8000 first time home buyer’s tax credit, a new home construction tax credit and low interest rates we could say with confidence that the home sales recovery was well underway in Louisville Kentucky.  As the deadline for the first time home buyers tax credit approached in November, home sales were actually brick. November Home Sales were actually up 57.16% (by one reporting services account) over November 2008.

What Happened

Even though our lawmakers extended the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit and added an additional $6500 tax credit for home owners (living in their current home 5 years) who wanted to move, sales in December fell flat. The urgency to buy and close before the original tax deadline was gone. The need to take advantage of the free money from Uncle Sam could be put on the back burner for the time being.

2010 looks ripe for a comeback

Our phones are ringing at the Medley Sokoler team office with requests to see properties; our websites are humming away with buyers looking for a good deal. Those are 2 good indicators that 2010 could end up being a recovery year for the real estate Industry in Louisville. Some new home builders we work with are starting new construction and interest rates are staying stable (at least as of this New Year’s Day writing) more good news for the housing industry. We also expect to see a lot more homes coming onto the market as sellers regain confidence in the market.

A word of caution to all would-be sellers

 Make sure your home has been staged properly and repairs have been made, make sure your realtor has done a through competitive market analysis (CMA) to determine an accurate price. Appraisers are watching prices closer than ever before; buyers are shopping longer and taking more time than ever to find the best home in the best condition with the best price. Only the most competitive homes will sell and only the correctly priced homes will pass the scrutiny of the appraiser.

Spurred on by the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit, Louisville home sales jumped by a whopping 40 Percent in November when compared to a November 2008! Many of the sales were in the $100,000 to $200,000 price range, the target of first time buyers.  Sellers of those homes moved up as homes in the $200,000 to $300,000 price point also did well.

Not All The News Is Good 

Homes going under contract slowed during the month of November as the original 1^st time home buyers tax credit deadline neared. Early in November the tax credit was extended to the end of April 2010 (to be under contract) and the end of June 2010 (to be closed). The extension took the pressure off buyers and the search for homes by first time  buyers slowed.  Officially the number of homes going under contract was up 11% in November over November of the year before.

Looking Forward To December 

Because of tighter mortgage requirements and slower appraisals of homes, sales in December should be better than expected. Those two factors delayed closings that were supposed to have occurred in November. The slowdown will help boost December 2009 numbers and give a false sense of recovery. Unless we see more buyers come into the market during December and January, Home sale figures for the beginning of 2010 could fall far short of hopes and expectations.

Other Tax Credits

The local and National media have done little to promote the brand new $6500 tax credit for home owners who have owned their home for 5 years or more and buy their next home. Additionally we’re seen little publicity surrounding the $5000 new construction tax credit in Kentucky. 

For more information head to www.weselllouisville.com.

November 2009

November 2008

Have you heard some of these so-called business experts on cable TV who say the $8000 first time home buyers tax credit has done nothing to help home sales or the economy? To them I simply ask what rock are you living under?

New Louisville Kentucky home sales figures for the month October tell a very positive story. The number of homes sold in October 2009 was up 21 % over same time in 2008. Homes going under contract in October 2009 were up 37 % over the year before.  Now you cable-TV business experts, please read the following sentence carefully, the majority of the homes that are selling are in the price range of first time buyers. Get it? No? Read the raw data below, the numbers tell the story.

For the rest of us tracking home sales, it’s pretty obvious that the $8000 tax rebate has helped home sales and the economy. Especially when you consider that many of the home buyers spend the tax credit money on fixing up the new house, buying new furniture and TV’s and more. Now the government is about to expand the credit. That could go a long way to helping our economy over the slower winter home sales months. The numbers for October 2009 also show that the average selling price of homes in our area was up about ten thousand dollars from the year before. The bad news is that the time it takes to sell a home was up.

Still the overall trend is good and may continue if our lawmakers read the numbers and keep their TV’s tuned to anything other than those self proclaimed Cable TV business experts!

 October 2009

October 2008

 

TOTALS REPORTS SOLD/ACTIVE RESIDENTIAL LISTINGS 01-Oct-2009 - 31-Oct-2009                      Residential Unit Sales        Total   Unit Sales                       0-2        3         4+      Resid     Condo/    Total  PRICE CLASS/TYPE    Bedrm     Bedrm     Bedrm     Sales     Co-Op     Units    $29,999 OR UNDER      27        17         6        50         2        52  $30,000 -  $39,999     8         9         5        22         2        24  $40,000 -  $49,999     7        15         2        24         0        24  $50,000 -  $59,999     1         8         1        10         4        14  $60,000 -  $69,999     8        14         3        25         4        29  $70,000 -  $79,999     5        18         4        27         4        31  $80,000 -  $89,999    14        37         5        56        11        67  $90,000 -  $99,999    11        46         5        62        12        74 $100,000 - $119,999    17       102        19       138        39       177 $120,000 - $139,999    10       102        23       135        19       154 $140,000 - $159,999     6        80        17       103        16       119 $160,000 - $179,999     8        54        28        90         9        99 $180,000 - $199,999     3        28        25        56         8        64 $200,000 - $249,999     2        57        46       105         4       109 $250,000 - $299,999     2        21        38        61         5        66 $300,000 - $399,999     1         7        45        53         8        61 $400,000 - $499,999     0         1        15        16         1        17 $500,000 OR OVER        0         3        23        26         3        29 Total Types:          130       619       310      1059       151      1210   Average Price:     $88,376  $137,523  $250,036  $164,425  $152,193  $162,899   Median Price:     $126,500  $126,500  $212,500  $135,500  $118,000  $133,250   Average DOM:        66.72     77.72     88.32     79.47     117.5     84.22   Average CDOM:        87.7    118.58    150.94    124.26    195.28    133.13

There is nothing like it in Louisville Kentucky! www.bobshousesearch.com brings together all aspects of a home search, making it easy to find homes, interior pictures, map aerial pictures and more.  The website concept has been in a number of cities around the U.S. but this is the first time home buyers in Louisville Kentucky have been able to use it. The reaction from those who have tried it is amazing. Easy, through and informative are some of the words used to describe the new home search website. The system is free to use for anyone looking for Louisville real estate. Owners of the website, The Medley Sokoler Team are inviting everyone to try the site, even other realtors. For more information about the Medley Sokoler team head to www.weselllouisville.com.     

Understand that our concept is to always be available by phone. If you have a question (even in the middle of the night) Bob Sokoler’s phone is always on! Too may other agents only answer their phone during daytime hours! We feel our clients are paying us to always be “on call” and the same holds true with buyers. Let’s face it if a buyer has a question about your home, you want an agent who takes that call and tries to get the buyer into your home for a sale!

Our commitment to excellence extends into our marketing as well! Most other realtors use a cheap consumer grade camera to take pictures of your home and market it on the Internet. With 87% of all home buyers starting to look on the internet, you need more than a consumer picture promoting your home. We use Hi end professional gear and produce Hi quality pictures and videos. We market those pictures on web sites all over the world. Our goal is to get as many eyeballs on your home as possible, that’s why we’re so successful at selling homes. Simply look at the videos below and decide for yourself!

Finally we have a team in place that gets the job done daily! That means fewer problems for our sellers and buyers because we stay ahead of any potential problems. Those are just some of the reasons we’er different than other realtors and teams. We’d love to meet with you in person to explain the other reasons. Call Bob Sokoler anytime at (502) 376-5483 or go to www.weselllouisville.com or www.louisvillehomestoday.com .