Fort Knox Kentucky BAH/BAQ skyrockets!

Fort Knox enlisted soldiers are getting a well deserved and much needed increase in their BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing). The 2008 BAH increase averages 23.3% for enlisted soldiers and averages 20% for all Fort Knox Kentucky military members. View the BAH/BAQ rates for Fort Knox.

The increase couldn't have come at a better time. The Fort Knox area's population is going to explode thanks to BRAC so this BAH/BAQ increase is an extremely important way to reward and thank our Knox soldiers so they can afford adequate off-post housing.

Newspaper or Internet? Radcliff KY Home Selling

According to NAR, more than 80% of home buyers are starting their home search on the web.

The internet has changed many industries by allowing them to be more efficient. Because the real estate industry has been one that's changed dramatically, savvy home sellers can be more profitable by paying a lower commission. It's less expensive for today's agent to conduct business. By cutting newspaper advertising costs, HardinHomes.com is able to charge dramatically less to sell a Radcliff KY house (4% rather than 5%, 6%, or 7%).

In the past a Radcliff home seller would decide to list with a Realtor but the marketing was different then; the most important public marketing tool was the local paper. A lot has changed and the internet is now the "big dog" and the paper has taken a back seat. It's so much easier for military personal who are relocating to search the internet than try to get their hands on the local paper. With a newspaper it's impossible to search by specifics, there's usually only one picture and not enough information. With the internet you can filter the types of homes you don't want and see a limitless number of pictures.

Print advertising has still been effective using the Central Kentucky Homes Magazine (CK Homes) because ad prices are low and it's a niche book.

(Radcliff is used as an example but this information applies to any home in the Fort Knox KY area). Not intended to solicit properties already listed for sale with an agent.

Elizabethtown Kentucky takes on 'Black Friday'

Here's the Best Buy scene in E-town at 8pm, I was surprised to see the line that long already. It's going to be about 30 degrees, so I know there's some cold people waiting to shop.

HardinHomes.com makes top 25 in Kentucky

For 2007 (as of October) the HardinHomes Group of RE/MAX Executive made the list for the top 25 RE/MAX teams in all of Kentucky (not just around Fort Knox). We are number 23 and working hard every day to move up the list. A special thanks to all of our clients and the agents of HardinHomes.

What is a "Good Faith Deposit" and what happens to my money?

What is it?
Rather than being a down payment, it shows the seller that you are acting in good faith, serious about buying the property and intend to complete the transaction.

A.K.A.
There are different names for the Good Faith Deposit, you may hear it called good faith check, earnest money deposit, contract deposit, escrow money, or even just deposit.

Is a Good Faith Deposit required when purchasing a home in the Elizabethtown, Kentucky area?
Contracts must contain consideration to be valid but actually the buyer's signature is consideration. So even though technically a deposit may not be required by law, a seller can require a buyer to make a deposit as part of the contract negotiation.

So is my deposit check cashed? Who holds the money?
The deposit check is cashed and held in RE/MAX Executive Group's escrow account (a.k.a. trust account). In the Hardin County Kentucky real estate market, the custom is to have the buyer's brokerage hold the escrow money (Louisville area the seller's brokerage holds it). You can specify in the sales contract where the money will be held.

How much should the deposit be when buying a home near Fort Knox Kentucky?
In some areas of the country, sellers ask for 1% of the purchase price ($175,000 = $1,750). Usually $1,000 is sufficient and what we primarily recommend. It's usually not an issue at any amount and it's just another point of negotiation between buyer and seller. If a buyer feels the property may get multiple offers, he/she may make increase the deposit amount to make his/her offer stronger than a competing offer.

Who keeps the money at the end of the transaction?
If the contract is executed (property changes hands). The money belongs to the buyer(s); it's either applied toward your closing costs or refunded if the seller pays all of your closing costs.

Well what if something goes wrong with the transaction and we don't close?
The first and most important thing you should do is read your sales contract. Your real estate agent can only provide so much help at this point because he/she can't give you legal advice. Every transaction is different and it depends what the reasons were for the breach of contract. Many times the buyer and seller work something out (communicating through their agents). If the buyer and seller can't work it out, then the buyer can't buy and seller can't sell until it gets settled so it may be in both parties' best interest to work it out. The Broker is bound by Kentucky Real Estate Commission rules when disbursing funds.

Fort Knox Ky Housing market ending strong for 2007

The Fort Knox Kentucky real estate market was a bit slower this summer than it usually is, but it has taken a surprising upturn for the fourth quarter. The HardinHomes Group has increased profits while lowering the cost for Hardin County home sellers to put their homes on the market. HardinHomes is only charging 4% while the typical commission is 5% to 7%. Because the 4th quarter has been so profitable, HardinHomes is rewarding its real estate agents with quarterly bonuses.

Even though some sales people may say "now is the right time to buy or sell" no matter when it is, turns out that the fourth quarter actually is a good time to make a move. It also helps that interest rates are still low.