YouTube video posted - via Circlepix.com

155 Transcript Lexington, KY 40508

New listing video just posted:

http://video.circlepix.com/ZGCPFV/483/1568

Description: Great apartment so close to Campus! Right across the street from University Of Kentucky (UK) Hospital. One or Two bedroom with two full baths. Washer and Dryer come with the home. Updated with wood floors, tile in the Kitchen, White Cabinets and White Appliances. Cat welcome with fees.

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Home Information:

Beds: 1

Baths: 2.00

Sqft: 0

Price: $575

MLS #: 1319516

155 Tanscript, Lexington, KY

155 Tanscript Lexington, KY 40502

New listing just posted: http://tour.circlepix.com/home/X45GZ6

Description: Short Term Lease Right across from University of Kentucky (UK) Hospital. SO CLOSE TO CAMPUS! One bedroom, one bath. Lease term January to May 31 2014. LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! Cat permited with fees.

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Home Information:

Beds: 1

Baths: 1.00

Sqft: 0

Price: $500

MLS #: 1323443

YouTube video posted - via Circlepix.com

102 Sundae Dr Richmond, KY 40475

New listing video just posted:

http://video.circlepix.com/AXK69N/483/1568

Description: This majestic home is truly amazing inside and out. The main floor features a grand two story foyer with gleaming wood floors, dining room, a large kitchen with center island, new granite counter tops, spanish tile floors, lots of cabinet space, two pantry storage areas, and a bright breakfast area. Also a sunken family room with fireplace and lots of nice windows for natural lighting with a nice half bath with marble floors. Upstairs boasts a large common sitting/study area and 3 large bedrooms, two share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom, and one has its own full private bathroom. The walkout basement is great with areas currently used as a play room, a workout room and also a large living room, full bath, laundry / workshop, a utility garage, and featuring an amazing rustic wine room complete with climate control to hold up to 700 bottles of you favorite wine. The outside features a multi tier deck with 3 separate sitting areas, a hot tub, and an amazing in-ground pool, all on over 2 acres.

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Home Information:

Beds: 5

Baths: 4.00

Sqft: 4310

Price: $369000

MLS #: 1322785

Weichert.com: Real Estate Career Opportunities

http://www.weichert.com/careers/?fromWDC=True

Weichert.com: Real Estate Career Opportunities

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s new mortgage loan disclosures try to do too much | Inman News

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s new mortgage loan disclosures try to do too much | Inman News

YouTube video posted - via Circlepix.com

1578 Van Buren Lexington, KY 40511

New listing video just posted:

http://video.circlepix.com/XB6DVT/483/1568

Description: Great all electric ranch home with large fenced yard. New tan plush carpet, fresh neutral paint, new vinyl in kitchen. Great home!

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Home Information:

Beds: 3

Baths: 1.00

Sqft: 975

Asking Price: $850

MLS #: 1320354

YouTube video posted - via Circlepix.com

665 Kenova Trce Lexington, KY 40511

New listing video just posted:

http://video.circlepix.com/D35E22/483/1568

Description: Huge home with finished basement, huge two tiered deck with private fenced backyard backs to tree line. Inside a formal living room is currently used as an office, a huge vaulted great room with fireplace, and a large open kitchen with island area, and a formal dining room round out the first floor. Upstairs features a large master suite with separate standup shower and garden tub, a large walk in closet, two large guest bedrooms with a Jack-N-Jill style bathroom. The laundry facilities are also on the sleeping level for convenience. The basement is finished with a really big living area, a full bathroom, and a large unfinished storage area. Freshly painted with Neutral Paint! Really nice property and with a lot to offer for the price.

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Home Information:

Beds: 3

Baths: 3.00

Sqft: 3130

Asking Price: $215000

MLS #: 1310713

YouTube video posted - via Circlepix.com

665 Kenova Trce Lexington, KY 40511

New listing video just posted:

http://video.circlepix.com/D35E22/483/1568

Description: Huge home with finished basement, huge two tiered deck with private fenced backyard backs to tree line. Inside a formal living room is currently used as an office, a huge vaulted great room with fireplace, and a large open kitchen with island area, and a formal dining room round out the first floor. Upstairs features a large master suite with separate standup shower and garden tub, a large walk in closet, two large guest bedrooms with a Jack-N-Jill style bathroom. The laundry facilities are also on the sleeping level for convenience. The basement is finished with a really big living area, a full bathroom, and a large unfinished storage area. Freshly painted with Neutral Paint! Really nice property and with a lot to offer for the price.

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Home Information:

Beds: 3

Baths: 3.00

Sqft: 3130

Asking Price: $215000

MLS #: 1310713

Real Estate and the Weather

So as many people know I am fascinated with the weather and how it affects peoples buying decisions. For instance the mad rush to buy all of the bread, milk, and gas in town ,which are for some reason a hot commodity, every time a weather forecaster simply utters the word snow, or "It could get interesting" in the long range forecast.

This is  theory I have been working on for a long time. (Weather Conspiracy 2008, Weather Conspiracy 2010) So how does this alter people's decisions to buy other things, like Lexington KY Real Estate? So before I spill out my theory I want to ask you. Does the weather affect your buying decisions (not bread, milk, and gas) for things like a new home, cars etc? Then we will look at the real numbers and what that waiting may actually be doing to you net worth and such later.

3 Reasons Why Buying or Selling a Home Over the Holidays Can Be a Good Idea

This time of year it is inevitable to hear, "I am just going to wait..." to buy or sell a home until the market picks back up in the Spring. It does make some sense to think that, however I am going to show you three reasons I thin its good for either.

3 Reason to Sell over the holidays:
1. Anyone out looking in the cold, snow, and taking time from family and shopping this time of year, must be serious!
2. Less competition, many sellers will not read this article and will take their home off market and come back with the herd in the spring with the other sellers who decided to wait.
3. The buyers will feel good in your home with a little foresight. The home is festive and subconsciously the buyers will feel more at home with all the Holiday decorations, smells, warmth. Christmas trees, music, decorations, eggnog, a fire....use your imagination and go all out. Think of these two movies as guides:  Think This    -  What its probably like in Real Life

3 Reasons to Buy of the Holidays:
1. Only serious sellers will have their home on the market this time of year, if it has been on the market since this summer, then maybe they realize they made the mistake and overpriced it then and are ready to sell it now. Rates and prices will go up you know....
2. Sellers are people too and are often more understanding of needs this time of year.  Flexible closing terms, concessions, lower price who knows what is possible.
3. You get the enjoy the festiveness of the home and see it in its full real life glory, not a lot of staged fakery going on this time of year. You can see the house for how it is really utilized bu the current family to gauge how it will be when you own it.

The bottom line is that there never really is a bad time to buy or sell a home. It comes down to the desire or need to buy or sell by both parties. My advice is now is a great time to buy, so fire up the family truckster or get the home decorated and call your Realtor and get to it.

You Ready? Click here to contact Ty....

Housing Market and Economic Outlook

State Median Price Expectation for Next 12 Months

State Median Price Expectation for Next 12 Months

Add to Google

Add to Google

Tax Incentives for Art Hotel in Downtown Lexington

 State approves $9 million tax rebate for 21c Museum Hotel in Lexington

By Beverly Fortune — bfortune@herald-leader.com

A proposed 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Lexington received approval Monday for up to $9 million in state tax incentives over a decade.

The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority, which oversees tax credits for tourism and film-related projects, approved the sales tax credit for the 90-room hotel planned for Lexington's historic First National Bank Building.

To receive the tax rebate, a tourism project must cost more than $1 million, be open more than 100 days a year and attract at least 25 percent of its visitors from out-of-state by its fourth year of operation. The rebate is based on sales tax generated by the tourism attraction.

The 21c hotel is projected to exceed all of the tax rebate's requirements, said Gil Lawson, spokesman for the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. The boutique hotel has a budget of $42 million, will be open year-round and is expected to attract 42 percent of its visitors from out-of-state, he said.

The state's tourism authority heard a report Monday from Huden Strategic Partners, the consulting firm hired to review the 21c's application for incentives.

Other tourism projects that have been approved for tax incentives by the authority include the Newport Aquarium, Kentucky Speedway, the Ark Encounter and welcome centers at some of the distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Lawson said.

Louisville art collectors Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson opened the first 21c hotel in Louisville in 2006. In April, they announced plans to open a boutique hotel, art museum and restaurant in the 15-story former bank building at 167 West Main Street in Lexington.

In October, Lexington's Urban County Council approved a $1 million loan for 21c to be repaid over 10 years. The loan will be used to hire low- to moderate-income workers, said Craig Greenberg, president of 21c Museum Hotels. Money for the loan was left over from a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development grant originally given to the Lexington Festival Market project on West Main Street.

The hotel also is asking the city for a $6 million federal Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 108 loan, and to provide a $5.8 million tax-increment financing plan.

The Section 108 loan program was established to help cities finance economic development projects. As collateral, the city pledges future Community Development Block Grant money it receives annually from HUD. Lexington gets about $2 million a year in Community Block Grant money.

Under the tax-increment financing plan, the city would finance improvements using 80 percent of new property taxes and payroll taxes generated by the project over 20 years.

In December, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority also approved a $500,000 tax-increment financing plan for a portion of the project. The money would be used for public infrastructure improvements such as curbs, sidewalks, street lighting and sewer upgrades, according to city documents.

The hotel project also will rely on a $14 million loan from Central Bank and federal historic and new-market tax credits.

The company has said work on renovating the historic bank building will get underway in 2013, with the hotel expected to open in 2014.

Beverly Fortune: (859) 231-3251. Twitter: @BFortune2010

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/12/18/2448458/state-approves-9-million-tax-rebate.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/12/18/2448458/state-approves-9-million-tax-rebate.html#storylink=cpy

The Basics

The Basics

Its funny how lately in real estate, and life for that matter, how complicated things have become. QR Codes, Smart Phones, Text Marketing, Tags, SEO, Dynamic Positioning, Key Words, Robots, Spiders, Organic Optimization, IDX, Listing Sync, Facebook, Twitter, Zillow, Trulia, Google, Ad Words, Pay per Click, click through rate, stickiness, social marketing, 24/7 Instant News Sources ….you get the point.

But what does this all do for us? How does this make what we do for our clients better? After all having a QR code on a listing sign may be cool, but how will it work? Does the buyer driving by have to stop the car on the street, get out of the car, walk into the sellers yard to get close enough to take a picture of the sign?  Maybe the picture can be taken from the car, but is that safe?

Is communicating with your Facebook friends and clients violations of Facebook terms, and client confidentiality and potentially violating your fiduciary responsibilities?

Does your personal website or company website and BLOG really warrant the investment in time and energy to compete against the big boys and girls in the industry? I read that our local board website www.LBAR.com was one of the top 30 visited MLS’s in the country this year so far. In a town of less than 300,000 people. Imagine that beating the big boys. But what does that say for me, and the other 2,000 other real estate professionals out there who pen $25-$1,000 a month for websites and all the bells an whistles to market it and get leads? Is it worth it? Or would our time be better spent elsewhere?

Has that paradigm shifted in the market and we are yet to face it? Here is the question I am proposing here. What about the basics? 

I venture to say that every professional reading this post will agree, publicly or not is a different issue, that if being 100% honest with yourself you will find the following challenge and proposed theory to be true. Here is the challenge:

Log in to your MLS or black book, day planner, whatever you use and go back search for your last 5 years business (or as far as you can go back) - closed, expireds, deleted, actives, pendings all of it and print them out, and evaluate each one. Then for as many as you can write down where that business came from. i.e personal sphere of influence, open house, referral, past client, online client, third party source, walk in, sign call convert, yellow pages, cold call…whatever your categories are, just stay consistent in placing them. Then once you have done this go through and total up how many in each category. For example of the 100 sales, X came from sign calls, X from personal referrals, X from online,….. My theory is that an overwhelming percentage came from “old school” techniques, such as personal referrals, sphere of influence, sign calls, personal generated marketing, walk ins and a small minority came from online leads from personal website, third party leads, QR codes, text marketing, etc.

NOW does this mean that these other new fangled techniques are a waste of time and money? No, probably not. Does it mean that next year that QR codes will not become a bigger percentage maybe, maybe not. But I speculate it does mean that most of our time should be spent on proven, repeatable, productive activities. Such as….well that is a post of next week, this is enough to think about for now.  

The point is that we as Realtors® and other sales professionals can get wrapped up in all the gadgets and glitz, and forget about the basics. Maybe its more its important to do the basics, and then add a little glitz, and gadgets. 

My New Company

Always looking for an opportunity I have seized the opportunity to create the Kentucky American Air Company. Noticing the apparent need to create private companies to package and sell the vital life giving necessities of life for profit, and the willingness of the PSCSC's (Public So-Called Service Commission) to allow these generous companies the right to make a substaitial profit to provide these vital services. When interview the PSCSC's chairman, Adolf Richard Head, said "You know these vital companies provide a life sustaining and necessary product, that while available to everyone already they make it easy to get, and clean enough that you only have to filter it or buy it bottled if you pan to ingest it, and we need to make sure that these German....er...uh...great companies are allowed to make a substaitial profit on that service. Afterall air isn't free, really you know." Mr. Head then mumbled almost inaudibly as he sped away in his AMC Mercedes "If they don't like it then they can get their air somewhere else, or well die."

So as you can see there is a great opportunity here, hell its practically a monopoly. So with that being said for this great service we are going to only charge a reasonable fee of $.01 per cubic foot of air, which we calculate as the average capacity of the adult lung per breath and makes sense to us as a measurable unit. Pleas note we have already announced plans to ask for small increases over the next couple years and we provide more air just in case we need it in the future, but no more than 60%, but this year it will only be 37%, which we feel is reasonable considering the cost we have to take on to provide this service and the effect it may have on our share holders with out the raise. Yes these services were subsidized and partially provided by government and developers, and yes they pay for most of that, but we have to be able to pay all of our employees to monitor the increased future usage and quality of our product. Also storage of this new air will be difficult as nature you know is a very inefficient care taker of such resources, the facilities are simply not there for such capabilities. That being said our collection department will be very reasonable and we commit to only use as our last resort, the plactic bag over the head cutoff method for chronic non payers, after all they shouldn't be able to use the product we all need to live for free. And use that only as long as it takes them to find an alternative supplier of air in their neighborhood. Because after all we are a private enterprise, the market is unpredictable out there these days with opportunistic governments and eager beavers everywhere, anyone can come along tomorrow and beat us out of the market with another air company you know.

So I am pleased to announce that effective immediately we are in operation, and legal owner of all the air around you. You will see your first bill soon. Please note we reserve the right to increase our rates at any time to ensure a substantial, but fair, profit for our share holders, and remeber they are air breathers too, so are we, so we are really all in this together.

We are concerned that this rate increase may be a stretch for some and we understand this, but if you would like to come by our office we have a pamphlet we have designed, at our own cost, to educate you as to how to conserve air, and lower your new higher bill each month. Common sense ideas such as rebreathing methods, and not over exerting yourself which uses more air, and always remember to use air wisely after all we all need it.

Thank You

Me, Owner and Air Czar KAAC

Realtor Call to Action Success

	To: All REALTORS® From: Vicki Cox Golder, 2010 NAR President Date: July 1, 2010 Re: NAR Update: Tax Credit Deadline Extended; Flood Insurance Program Reinstated Dear fellow REALTOR®, I am happy to report that Congress has passed a bill extending the Homebuyer Tax Credit closing deadline to September 30, 2010. This is a huge win for REALTORS® and homebuyers, and NAR worked closely with members of Congress to make it happen. The extension applies only to transactions that had ratified contracts in place as of April 30, 2010, and have not yet closed. There will be no gap between June 30 and the date the President signs the bill into law. Additionally, Congress has extended the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through September 30th. The bill is retroactive and will cover the lapse period from June 1, 2010, to the date the law is enacted. NAR will continue to work with Congress on the NFIP Reform bill, and we will keep you posted on those efforts. For additional information on both the tax credit deadline and the NFIP, visit Realtor.org/Government_Affairs. Neither of these bills would have passed without your support. Nearly 83,000 REALTORS® responded to our latest Call for Action, sending more than 250,000 letters to Congress asking them to extend the National Flood Insurance Program. I know many of you also raised your voices in support of extending the tax credit deadline. On behalf of NAR, I thank you, and I ask that you visit the RealtorActionCenter.com and make your voice heard on every issue. Sincerely, Vicki Cox Golder, CRB

Daily Crazy Real Estate Happening

Daily it seems I see something or hear something in this business that makes me ask, "Why Would Anyone..." "Do This", "Hire Him", "Ask This", the end part of the question has many possibilities, but the first part is the same. Today's winner so far is this....

I met a prospective tenant today at a rental property, and these are always interesting. When he expressed interest I handed him the rental application, which he filled out, but for privacy reasons all I will say is it was questionable. He works as a "cooker" at a McDonald's that doesn't exist, which is one big red flag I found, and he said he lived at an address I was sure was fake too right around the corner. When I saw that I asked him a few questions to see if this was for real or not...

Me - "May I Contact Your Previous Landlord for a reference?"

Prospective Tenant - "NO cause that's why we's moving, he is kicking us out cause we are late on rent we are only 3 months behind, we already paid off February and now only owe the rest, so he said he is throwing our stuff out tomorrow, he wasn't wiling to work with us because he is too rich. Shoot I don't even know his number....so that is why we need to move in today. I got the money"

Me - Uh OK. Do you all have any pets?

Him - Yes we got a small dog.

Me - What kind of Dog?

Him - Little one

Me - What Kind of Little dog is it a Jack Russell, a poodle?

Him - No a Pit Bull, but he is little.

Thank the Lord I don't accept pets!

This illustrates the reason and need for someone to professionally manage your rental property for you, I mean even though this is my personal property I was renting, if all I wanted to do was rent it, he may be in there right now. I am sure this would not have went well.....

New Ranking: Best for Education and Families

More Good News for Lexington..re post Commerce Lexington

New Ranking: Best for Education and Families

My List

Here is my ongoing list of my biggest pain in the butt companies and things to deal with....

Worst Companies... (Previous Rank)

1. AT&T Wireless (2)
2. Columbis Gas (1)
3. KY American Water (3)
4. Chase Bank (4)
5. National City Bank (5)
6. Any Bank (6)

Pet Peeves Related to Realty Business

1. Not showing up for a showing appointment
2. Not accurate listing info on MLS
3. Know it all clients or stakeholders
4. Wallpaper
5. Bad door knobs