March Fort Knox Kentucky Housing Market Area Report*
68 homes sold (down from 69 last month)
156 new listings (down from 193 last month)
RESULT: Improvement over last month.
*Market area includes 4 Hardin County cities/towns Elizabethtown, Radcliff, Vine Grove, and Rineyville. All residential house styles are included except mobile homes and modular homes. Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data from Heart of Kentucky Association of REALTORS (HKAR).
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Elizabethtown KY 4 bedroom house for sale
Priced below recent appraisal. Our newest listing is 226 Hannah Court, a 4 bedroom home in Elizabethtown KY. It's easy to see that this house is well maintained.
Corian countertops, 30-yr Pergo flooring in living room, tile in kitchen, fireplace, partially finished basement. Immaculate move-in condition home with landscaping and curb appeal. Sit on your back deck and enjoy the scenic 3 acre double lot with plenty of wooded privacy. Comes with remainder of 2-10 warranty. Two-person sauna and workout equipment negotiable. South E-town off of Hodgenville Road (map)
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Hardin County Kentucky Snow Storm
Well as you can see we had a pretty good snow fall and "they" say we're supposed to get more. This picture was taken in Elizabethtown.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Hardin County Kentucky Real Estate Market Statistics (monthly)
February Fort Knox Kentucky Housing Market Area Report*
69 homes sold (up from 44 last month)
193 new listings (down from 201 last month)
RESULT: Improvement over last month.
*Market area includes 4 Hardin County cities/towns Elizabethtown, Radcliff, Vine Grove, and Rineyville. All residential house styles are included except mobile homes and modular homes. Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data from Heart of Kentucky Association of REALTORS (HKAR).
69 homes sold (up from 44 last month)
193 new listings (down from 201 last month)
RESULT: Improvement over last month.
*Market area includes 4 Hardin County cities/towns Elizabethtown, Radcliff, Vine Grove, and Rineyville. All residential house styles are included except mobile homes and modular homes. Multiple Listing Service (MLS) data from Heart of Kentucky Association of REALTORS (HKAR).
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
What does it mean when a home is sold "as-is".
So you've found that perfect property after looking at many around Fort Knox Kentucky with your Hardin County Kentucky Real Estate Agent, only to find out that your dream property is being sold “as-is”. When buyers see or hear the words “as-is”, housing or automobiles, they instantly change from interested to skeptical. Real estate is a large investment, and no buyer wants to leap into such a huge property investment with a chance that “as-is” must be pointing to something expensive. Are the fears worth the pain and stress? Or are “as-is” properties okay to buy?
To make a long story short, "as-is" clauses are nothing to worry about if you know what you're doing.
First we will need to define the term “as-is”. You may also see the term "as-is, where-is". An “as-is” home means just that, the home is being sold in the current condition and the seller does not intend to make any further changes. It is very common for a home in foreclosure to be sold "as-is". Sometimes sellers just say "as-is" because they don't want the cost or the hassle of repairs. Home buyers will walk through a home prior to making an offer and list the items they want fixed as part of the agreement. Buyers almost always order a home inspection to ensure there are no major problems that may eventually make the home unlivable. With an "as-is" home, if the buyers don't structure the offer carefully, they will have no one to complete the small repairs, and if there are big repairs discovered during the home inspection, the buyers will be responsible for those as well.
On the flip side of the coin, many homes listed in “as-is” condition are in great shape and may need only minor repairs. But, how can buyers know this about a home without entering into a contract with the seller.
There are basically two options when buying an “as-is” home. We would NOT recommend the first.
1) The buyers can hire a home inspector, at their cost, to inspect the home before writing an offer. This way the buyers will know what they are getting into before they make an offer on the home. The buyers must keep in mind that the home is still on the market during the home inspection process. So if another buyer comes along and makes an offer that gets accepted then the first home buyer just lost the home and the cost of the home inspection.
2) The wisest choice for the buyers is a post contract inspection. When the offer is written, the buyers can ask for anything they want. Even though the house is being sold "as-is", the buyers can be as specific as they like. Many buyers and even some real estate agents don't know that; it's all about negotiation. A clause (also called a contract contingency) is written into the offer regarding the “as-is” nature of the home and the need for an inspection before closing on the real estate (final proceedings). Depending on the specifics of the contingency, the buyers can be released from the contract and will have their earnest money deposit refunded to them if there are problems with the home that cannot be resolved. Most real estate sales contracts include a contingency allowing the buyer to have a home inspection.
An “as-is” home has the potential to be a risking situation. If you choose to think about the sale for too long, someone else may get the house, but if you are too quick to write an offer and forget about the “as-is” clause, you could potentially be stuck with a home needing thousands of dollars in repairs. Home buyers need to understand the seriousness of an “as-is” home and approach the situation strategically.
To make a long story short, "as-is" clauses are nothing to worry about if you know what you're doing.
First we will need to define the term “as-is”. You may also see the term "as-is, where-is". An “as-is” home means just that, the home is being sold in the current condition and the seller does not intend to make any further changes. It is very common for a home in foreclosure to be sold "as-is". Sometimes sellers just say "as-is" because they don't want the cost or the hassle of repairs. Home buyers will walk through a home prior to making an offer and list the items they want fixed as part of the agreement. Buyers almost always order a home inspection to ensure there are no major problems that may eventually make the home unlivable. With an "as-is" home, if the buyers don't structure the offer carefully, they will have no one to complete the small repairs, and if there are big repairs discovered during the home inspection, the buyers will be responsible for those as well.
On the flip side of the coin, many homes listed in “as-is” condition are in great shape and may need only minor repairs. But, how can buyers know this about a home without entering into a contract with the seller.
There are basically two options when buying an “as-is” home. We would NOT recommend the first.
1) The buyers can hire a home inspector, at their cost, to inspect the home before writing an offer. This way the buyers will know what they are getting into before they make an offer on the home. The buyers must keep in mind that the home is still on the market during the home inspection process. So if another buyer comes along and makes an offer that gets accepted then the first home buyer just lost the home and the cost of the home inspection.
2) The wisest choice for the buyers is a post contract inspection. When the offer is written, the buyers can ask for anything they want. Even though the house is being sold "as-is", the buyers can be as specific as they like. Many buyers and even some real estate agents don't know that; it's all about negotiation. A clause (also called a contract contingency) is written into the offer regarding the “as-is” nature of the home and the need for an inspection before closing on the real estate (final proceedings). Depending on the specifics of the contingency, the buyers can be released from the contract and will have their earnest money deposit refunded to them if there are problems with the home that cannot be resolved. Most real estate sales contracts include a contingency allowing the buyer to have a home inspection.
An “as-is” home has the potential to be a risking situation. If you choose to think about the sale for too long, someone else may get the house, but if you are too quick to write an offer and forget about the “as-is” clause, you could potentially be stuck with a home needing thousands of dollars in repairs. Home buyers need to understand the seriousness of an “as-is” home and approach the situation strategically.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Today's Elizabethtown Kentucky storm
Check out the photos from today's storm in Elizabethtown Kentucky, it happened around 1am. The photos are geo-tagged (shown on a map) and can be seen on the Flickr page for HardinHomes.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Importance of Real Estate Appraisals for Hardin County Home Sellers
Are you planning to sell your Hardin County Kentucky home? Do you think you know how much it's worth on the open market? Many sellers make the mistake of trying to estimate the value of their homes themselves. This is almost always a bad decision, because homeowners tend to be very emotionally invested in their homes. They almost always assume their dwellings are worth top dollar in their current condition, and this is rarely the case. Your real estate agent will be able to estimate the selling price of your home. However many factors impact Fort Knox Kentucky real estate value, and a professional opinion from an appraiser is likely to yield the most accurate picture of fair market value for any piece of real estate.
Of course you know how much you paid for your Kentucky home. You also know how much money, time, and energy you have invested in improving the property over the years. You probably also have a good idea about the asking price and sales prices of other homes in your neighborhood and the Fort Knox area. However, this type of information doesn't tell the whole story about the value of your home. While these details are useful and interesting, they really can't replace the benefits of a professional real estate appraisal when you're trying to decide on the best listing price for your home. Local appraisers are looking at Hardin County property on a daily basis and they are the experts.
As soon as you decide to put your home up for sale, you should seek professional guidance regarding the true market value of your home. Not only can getting an appraisal help you decide how much to ask for your home in its current condition, the information you learn may help you determine if you should spend some money improving the condition of the property in order to be able to sell it for a higher price. Conversely, you may learn that investing in additional improvements would not be likely to help you sell the home for a greater amount.
It is common for sellers to avoid getting appraisals before listing their homes for sale because they don't want to spend the money (around $250) to have a professional appraiser assess the value of their property. While frugality can be an admirable trait, failing to spend a few hundred dollars on a professional appraisal can result in the loss of thousands of dollars on the sale of your home. If you are listing your Fort Knox home with HardinHomes of RE/MAX Executive Group you will already be saving a ton of money by not paying a huge commission.
If you price your home too high, it isn't likely to sell. If you price your home too low, you won't realize the highest possible return on your real estate investment. Can you can afford to have your home sit on the market for an extended period of time? Do you want watch your home sell for less than it is really worth? If not, it is in your best interest to get a professional appraisal as soon as you decide to sell the property.
Of course you know how much you paid for your Kentucky home. You also know how much money, time, and energy you have invested in improving the property over the years. You probably also have a good idea about the asking price and sales prices of other homes in your neighborhood and the Fort Knox area. However, this type of information doesn't tell the whole story about the value of your home. While these details are useful and interesting, they really can't replace the benefits of a professional real estate appraisal when you're trying to decide on the best listing price for your home. Local appraisers are looking at Hardin County property on a daily basis and they are the experts.
As soon as you decide to put your home up for sale, you should seek professional guidance regarding the true market value of your home. Not only can getting an appraisal help you decide how much to ask for your home in its current condition, the information you learn may help you determine if you should spend some money improving the condition of the property in order to be able to sell it for a higher price. Conversely, you may learn that investing in additional improvements would not be likely to help you sell the home for a greater amount.
It is common for sellers to avoid getting appraisals before listing their homes for sale because they don't want to spend the money (around $250) to have a professional appraiser assess the value of their property. While frugality can be an admirable trait, failing to spend a few hundred dollars on a professional appraisal can result in the loss of thousands of dollars on the sale of your home. If you are listing your Fort Knox home with HardinHomes of RE/MAX Executive Group you will already be saving a ton of money by not paying a huge commission.
If you price your home too high, it isn't likely to sell. If you price your home too low, you won't realize the highest possible return on your real estate investment. Can you can afford to have your home sit on the market for an extended period of time? Do you want watch your home sell for less than it is really worth? If not, it is in your best interest to get a professional appraisal as soon as you decide to sell the property.
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