Thursday, December 13, 2007

Fort Knox Kentucky BAH/BAQ skyrockets!

half-a-100
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.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

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.