John Taylor - Serving Clients With Perfection In All That He Does

Sounding happy while being professional, John Taylor is a Realtor with HardinHomes.com that one should not miss. His infectious laugh can make anyone’s gloomy day turn right around. John did not always think he’d be in the business of selling homes but low and behold, he found that this is what makes him happy and he said, “I really enjoy what I do.” 

Being a Realtor has its ups and downs and John shares his challenges:

Helping clients find the right home for their families, assisting in financing, overcoming issues with home inspections and property conditions.

There are hidden blessings with his chosen career path such as “being able to help people find the home of their dreams” and HardinHomes.com is a big part of that. He also gets a majority of his listings through his referral networking so he finds himself very busy managing these listings and making sure that he is always on top of them.

When dealing with hard clients, John makes sure that he treats the clients as professionally as he can and “tries to give them the customer service that he would expect as well as being polite and patient with them.”  

One question that he answered honestly was that if there was one thing about being in this business he could change, it would be the “consistency of the income.” He does make sure he is on top of his game by drawing inspiration from “people that I admire, trying to do the best in my life, being honest, and being careful.” 

As a resident of Hardin County, he pretty much knows the area like the back of his hand and can give potential home buyers all the much needed information they might ask for and give tips on the best places to dine and have fun with family and friends. 

Realtors face a lot of hardships when they are starting out in their careers. John’s top priority, however, is to always make sure that buyers and sellers alike are informed before going through with the process of buying or selling their houses. The local market in Fort Knox, KY, according to John is pretty stable.

“The local market is pretty consistent. It’s a fairly consistent market with no huge ups or downs but pretty steady… About 40% of my business deals primarily with military families.”

Always welcoming inquiries from buyers, he can quickly grant anyone’s request to tour a house they would like to see on short notice. If not, he makes sure that house tours are scheduled as soon as possible. If he really cannot make it out, he makes sure that he refers the buyers to another HardinHomes.com realtor that can help them out.

All Realtors have a specialty and John is not spared from this. He believes his magic is in selling residential homes versus commercial or multifamily.

When asked what sets him apart from other Real Estate Agents, he wholeheartedly says that,

 “At HardinHomes.com, we're all fantastic Realtors, I don't know…[not comparing himself to his fellow agents] I think I do well in my customer service, my honesty, and my ability to explain the entire process to my buyers and/or sellers and still make them feel comfortable and knowledgeable about what’s going on.”

For anyone who wants to get in the field of real estate, John’s advice is, "Be motivated and disciplined. Don't get discouraged too quickly. It takes a while to get good in this business but once you do, it’s really worth it." 

The flexibility of his schedule and the ability to control his income is what motivates John to stay in this business. When asked if he were not in the real estate business, he jokingly admits he'd want to be in movie production and advertising. 

Buying or selling homes on your own can be a really tough task; that is why people like John make sure that all the steps are looked over with the utmost scrutiny and acumen. He makes sure that the entire process is a breeze from start to finish. Don’t hesitate to contact John when you need someone to help you through the process of buying or selling your home. He is one Realtor that you will definitely feel right at home to talk with.

To sum up John in a quote, it would have to be one from Aristotle:

"Pleasure in the job, puts perfection in the work."

Judging from all his enthusiasm about HardinHomes.com, he is definitely churning out perfection in all that he does as a Realtor.

John Taylor can be contacted directly thru JohnTaylor@HardinHomes.com or at 270-765-934. Also take a look at what John's Fort Knox real estate clients have to say.

The E2RC In Kentucky: Connecting Two Cities For Better Economic Growth And Safety

The E2RC. Photo from www.qk4.com. Used with permission. 

While many are aware that completion of E2RC (Elizabethtown to Radcliff Connector) will not be until sometime next year, the residents of Radcliff, Elizabethtown, and Hardin County cannot wait for the changes in terms of safety, ease of traffic, and a more comfortable drive.

The E2RC project started in late 2004 with just proposals and talks. Eventually, this project came to life in 2008 and is scheduled to be complete in July 2014. The construction process may have seen many delays due to the weather and the relocation of some parts, but all the sacrifice will be seen once the road connector is done.

For those who are not fully aware of the E2RC, this is the Elizabethtown Radcliff road connector that's broken down into three sections. The first section runs from 31W Bypass to Ceciliana Dr., the second section runs from Ceciliana Drive to KY 220, and the last section runs from KY 220 to KY 313. This road connector will ease up a lot of traffic, especially along those areas affected. While this is undergoing construction there have already been several businesses affected from the construction, such as True Value along N. Dixie Blvd.

The targeted total cost for E2RC is at $58.6 million and while there has been some setbacks, it is all systems go and soon all the residents around the Fort Knox area will be happily using this road connector.

One of the biggest problems along the road between Elizabethtown and Radcliff is the major congestions and traffic accidents from the daily hustle and bustle. There have also been instances where people would be advised to take alternate routes because of a major road accident. Once the E2RC is finished a lot of the traffic congestion will ease up and there should be smooth driving throughout the roads.

In terms of commercial possibilities, It is likely to happen once everything has settled down. There is a lot of potential areas within the E2RC that should welcome investors and business owners to set up shop. The land being utilized for the E2RC is mostly residential and has no major slopes. Let us cross our fingers that once this road connector has reached completion, there will be people interested in investing and keep the economy of both Radcliff and Elizabethtown flourishing. Small business owners who would like to expand or start business should also look forward to the finishing of this connector.

A police officer from the Radcliff Police Department cannot wait [for the E2RC to finish] because he would like to see less accidents along the road especially during the cold winter months.

Aside from the commercial point of view for the E2RC, there are also plans to develop some areas into new residential communities and this is great news, no matter where you choose to live (radcliff or Elizabethtown) you will still be close to both communities.

The E2RC, has already been given a new name with the blessing of  the Public Works Committee under the Hardin Fiscal Court. Elizabethtown has already accepted the new name as Patriot Parkway. Meetings will still be held in Radcliff to see if this name should stay or not. The bulk of the road connector will just run through small areas in Elizabethtown and Radcliff but business will be affected and everyone is hoping for a favorable outcome once this reaches its completion.

While this E2RC is a limited highway, there have already been talks whether they should include more lanes and more turns to further enhance the traffic system that will be in place between Radcliff and Elizabethtown.

Mr. Randy Acton of Semonin Commercial Properties and also a resident of Hardin County says that: “Well, for sure the traffic flow will be better especially the traffic along the Dixie Highway.”

There are still months before this is all done but remember, Rome wasn't built in a day so let’s all hope for the best once the E2RC is completely finished.

The Importance Of Home Inspections

Nightmare in outlet plugs....
(Picture grabbed from StarTribune.com.) 

Every home buyer or seller in Fort Knox, KY knows that a house inspection is crucial to getting a house sold or bought. But, have you ever wondered how important this step of the home buying process is? Getting the house inspected before you buy it is vital. Maintaining a house is expensive and the earlier repairs and replacements are made, the more affordable they are. Always hire the services of a professional home inspector around Fort Knox, KY so that you will be able to get an unbiased opinion.

Disclosures From The Seller 
A lot of states require sellers to be upfront with the physical condition of their house and relay this information to the buyer. In fact, some states even require sellers to include information such as the type of paint used and other hazardous chemicals that may be around the house. If you are planning to sell your house, make sure to get some issues cleared before offering it up for sale. Now, if there are some painting repairs that need attention, check out InsideOut Painting that services around the Fort Knox, KY and beyond. On the other hand, as a buyer, you must take extra precautions as to building materials used and if the basement floods during the rain season.

What Goes On During An Inspection 
Once you hire a professional or a couple of professionals to do a thorough inspection of the house, they will scrutinize every little detail of the property. Electricity and gas appliances will be thoroughly inspected and made sure all are up to date and no fixtures will become a danger to you. If there are some electrical repairs that need to be done, you may check out the services of Matt Williams Electric here. Some inspectors even ask for the floor plan and carefully pore over the details such as the foundation of the structure and the angles of some beams.

The list of things you must disclose may be a long one but do not despair as there are some items you do not have to list at all such as pests, rodents and termites around the house. You can always hire a professional exterminator around Fort Knox, KY to have that taken care of.

Hiring a professional inspector may already be a hard task but you can make this easier on yourself by making sure that the company you hire is affiliated with either the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) or the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI). By doing this, you know that the business will adhere to industry standards and practices.

Special Inspections According To Where Your House Is Located 
Aside from furnishing this inspections report to the buyer or seller regarding the house for sale, there are some special inspections you may also have furnished. These inspections are whether the land or lot where the house is located is flood-free or flood-prone; away from danger areas and industrial farms; even reports on whether the house stands on an earthquake target zone. Having all these inspections done can become costly so choose which ones you really must get done. There are a lot of reliable and affordable housing inspectors around Fort Knox, KY. As a buyer, it is always a good idea to really investigate the house you will be buying because, you've probably heard this time and time again…

The purchase of a house is among the BIGGEST purchase you will ever make in your entire life. 

After The Reports Are Done, What To Do Next? 
Once all reports have come in and they are all under good reviews, then you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you will be safe from any dangers when buying the house. Of course, there are still acts of God that might happen that you don't have control over, but that's another story.

Buying or selling a house does not have to become such a tedious process as long as you partner with a really competent Realtor or real estate company in the area. These professionals will be with you throughout every step of the house buying or selling process. These are the people you can always lean on and ask for help in case you get stuck during this process.

Buying A House On Cash Or Through Bank Financing: Which Way To Go

Now that the real estate market is back in full swing, there is now a growing market for first time home buyers who want to take a bite and become home owners. Being a first time home buyer, there are so many questions to be asked. Even where to start becomes a question when it comes to buying a house and lot. One of the biggest factors in considering which house to buy is the available financial resources you currently have and the amount of money you can put into the monthly mortgages. For some first time home buyers, it can be really hard to secure a housing loan because they do not have collateral they can use to secure a loan or their credit ratings are not up to par yet with the minimum requirements set by local commercial banks. So, with this in mind, they start to shy away from buying a house and lot. For other people, they have already set a good amount of savings in their bank accounts and have made enough sacrifices to buy that first house to call their own. Is it better to buy a house using cold cash or through bank financing?

Buying A House Using Cash 

If you already have a sizeable amount of money saved and ready to splurge on that first house and lot, now would be the best time to check around property listings so that you know current prices of houses for sale in your chosen area. As a good tip, make sure to choose an area that you think you would want to live in and compare houses around that area. See the lowest priced homes and the most expensive ones. When you are able to compare the prices of houses for sale, it will be easier for you to decide how much you actually want to spend. A plus when you buy houses on cash is that most sellers will likely shave off a few thousand dollars from their asking price and everything will be easier to settle. 

Buying A House Using Bank Financing 

This is by far the most common way to buy a house these days because honestly, most people are not willing to part with a lump sum of money right away or they do not have the huge amount in their hands. Do not worry because this is perfectly fine. As a tip, make sure to contact a licensed real estate agent in your chosen area so that they will be able to help you out throughout the whole process.  You will also have all your questions answered thoroughly by them. It would also be best to write down everything on paper about any questions you come up with and even discuss these with the bank representative who will be handling your housing loan application. Be prepared to deal with a ton of paperwork and filing and also to give ample time before your loan gets feedback. 

Buying a house and lot is always a huge purchase; therefore, do not feel let down if some steps may be taking too long or your housing loan takes forever to be approved. Use this time to clear out your house and even set up a garage sale if you are sure that you will be moving out soon. Good luck on your house hunt!

Kim Shortt of TW Shortt Realty - Service Above Self Always

When times do not call for the need to own a house or if one cannot commit themselves to owning a house, renting is always the number one choice for couples and even families. Owning a house during a time full of uncertainty can sometimes be a security ticket or it can be a dream gone wrong. Finding that perfect house used to be so hard before the age of the internet and you would have to go through several ads in the paper to find listings. Nowadays, there are wonderful real estate companies that take the pain out of finding a house and help take away the worry of finding one to temporarily call your own.

This is Kim Shortt of TW Shortt Realty. As the principal broker of property management for TW Shortt Realty, she has been in the business for 11 years.

With a friendly and warm voice, you can tell that she really makes the effort to ensure that her clients will be able to open up to her and share what kind of house they are looking to rent. In TW Shortt Realty, she claims that:

“Business has been pretty good in general; we have a lot of local people renting from us and we have military renting from us as well. It’s pretty steady for this area.”

Being exposed to the real estate business from childhood, her family has been in the business for around 30 years; it is safe to say that real estate knowledge is her forte. Believe it or not, Ms. Kim started out her career in banking for over 8 years before she finally decided that the world of real estate business would be where she would be at home. She can give you BAH rates for a specific year without batting an eye, she confesses that her biggest challenge on a daily basis would be, “trying to find something (house) in a school district that a family would need. Typically, they're looking for a house to rent based on a certain school district.”

When talking about what makes her real estate career a blessing, she proudly says that it would be the internet because “it makes everything so much easier for clients that it's basically a self-service.” Of course that doesn't mean that Ms. Kim will not be there to help potential clients through the entire process.  In fact, she states that if she did not find herself in real estate, she would still want a career in:

“Customer service, helping someone else, maybe the accounting end of finding a property or being able to balance their financial goals…something in the financial world.”

Even as a Realtor, her main focus is property management. TW Shortt Realty gets around 85% of their business from their website, word-of-mouth, Google, previous clients who have rented from their listings and from a military off-post housing network that they are a member of. Having technology on her side, makes it easier for the business to be available for customers with a click of a button at any time.

With deep thought, she says that there are not any major costs aside from small things when it comes to running the business. She also states that “property management” is the number one strength of TW Shortt Realty.

When asked what makes TW Shortt Realty different from other property management businesses in the area, she proudly states,

“It’s our level of commitment to our clients, our technology, and the fact that we have a lot of contacts in the area that we have built up over the years…everything just really runs smoothly when you have a lot of  advocates and people working on your side…you have a good service level.”

Some advice from Ms. Kim Shortt that anyone can use when it comes to starting any business or just in life in general is,

 “To get up every day, be happy about what you are doing, and treat people how you want to be treated.”

Make sure to check out rental properties with TW Shortt Realty if now is not the time to buy a house. To end this article, a quote from a young actress Beth Behrs: 

From http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/bethbehrs490874.html

A Talk With An Outstanding Realtor: Elisa Reed of HardinHomes.com

Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

In such a short sentence, this is probably what can be summed up about HardinHomes.com’s Realtor Elisa Reed.

You can tell by the way she speaks that she totally enjoys being her best on a daily basis. Always out and about helping clients with their closings and hunting for the best listings near Fort Knox, KY, we were given a chance to interview Elisa and ask how she is doing what she loves best: helping others find and secure their dream home.

The talk starts with how she has been a Realtor for over six years; of which three years of this is with HardinHomes.com. She states that she was busy as a bank teller while finishing her college degree and by then, she had already three kids and wanted to spend as much time as possible watching them grow up. So, after going through real estate school and getting her license, she found herself in the land of real estate and this she calls her forte. She deals with a lot of first time home buyers and finds happiness when these families, especially military ones, are able to find houses they love.

Honestly, I think, with the situation with me, I think what sets me apart is that I never stop learning. I’m always learning the new technologies, or always advancing that way. I always surround myself with really positive people; intelligent people. Like to me, people and learning… Always surround yourself with good people. 

Having a degree in education and three kids, she has learned to always remain calm and positive. She calls herself more laid back and draws inspiration from her family and her grandmother.

I have a very close-knit family and my grandmother is a very wise person;  she’s very calm. So I guess it’s just the way I was raised, you know, I was raised to be respectful, and she [her grandmother] is a very inspiring person. I would have to say my grandmother is my inspiration to do everything…she’s amazing to me and also my family, I wouldn't even be doing this if it weren't for them.

When asked why she chose the path of being a Realtor, she is quick to say that, "There’s not a lot of jobs out there where you can have opportunities to raise your children and be a successful career person at the same time."

Testimonial from Emerald Kibbe
http://on.fb.me/13ZvhGD

We got into talks about the local real estate scene here in Hardin County, KY and when asked for her opinion on the market, she proudly states:

Living so close to a military installation really helps our market. I read a lot about other markets and it seems they are pretty stagnant compared to the Fort Knox area. The market isn't the worst I've seen because when I got into real estate, like six years ago, it really wasn't that great. And working with HardinHomes.com certainly gives me an advantage. We focus so much on making things easy for our clients, especially taking advantage of technology. I think our website and all the other systems we use really make a great impression and clients seem to appreciate it...

For clients who usually like to go house hunting in the Fort Knox, KY area, she says that potential home buyers should set aside a few hours of the day to a whole day in order to properly check out houses available.

Elisa finds that one of the biggest blessings of being a Realtor is that she gets to meet people from all walks of life. She adds that some clients whom she has previously helped close houses have already become her close friends and acquaintances. Aside from getting to know these clients, Elisa also finds happiness appreciating the myriad of architectural designs on houses for sale in Fort Knox, KY area.

If Elisa Reed did not enter the real estate world, she points out that she would most likely be a teacher or in a perfect world, taking a professional culinary course so that she can whip up extravagant dishes for her family and friends.

A testimonial from Josh McKain on Ms. Elisa Reed
http://on.fb.me/14Fb3S9

Her only advice to aspiring Realtors or anyone wishing to be in the real estate business is to go to a really good real estate school and join a company that continues to grow and helps you grow as a real estate agent.
 

If you would like to meet a positive Fort Knox, KY Realtor, Elisa will be your perfect candidate to help you find that dream house. Not only can she provide you in-depth information on any location around the area, her vast expertise in this real estate field is top-notch. Aside from this, she literally grew up in the area, too. Who wouldn't want to partner up with a Realtor who really knows the local Fort Knox area?

Ms. Elisa Reed can be contacted directly at 270-312-7053 or through HardinHomes.com. 

Radcliff KY The Bookstore: Jerry Brown Loves His Community

Getting a chance to talk with someone who overflows with love for his community is hard to come by these days but if one had to chance upon a person - Mr. Jerry Brown of The Bookstore definitely fits the bill. Giving back to the community has always been in Mr. Brown's heart; he started the The Bookstore way back in 1976 and has been in operation ever since. The Bookstore started as a quaint combination of a Hallmark© store,  a gift store, and bookstore. Several decades later it is still standing today mainly as a used bookstore and a venue for gatherings such as book signings. Mr. Brown proudly states that:

"We really know our community because we are adjacent to Fort Knox, we have a lot more military titles, a lot more military history than probably any other store in Kentucky for sure, and we have much more, we have a lot of gift lines, so we're still a combination bookstore and gift store, we have Tiny Beanie Babies, we have music boxes, and plush animals..."

When it comes to the business of having an independent bookstore, the biggest challenge Mr. Brown faces on a daily basis is the fact that he has a hard time getting the word out with regards to the promotions they currently have and rely mostly through word-of-mouth and social media sites to get news out. "We really depend on community involvement so it’s tougher when you can’t do as much advertising and things like that as you'd like to do." But, of course, the good side with having an independent bookstore is that he gets to know just about everybody who comes in. He says,  "that’s the best part of it!"

Mr. Brown says, "Because of my knowledge of books and authors, there’s probably not anything that a customer can ask me about that I won’t have knowledge of. Frequently, somebody will be looking for something obscure, something hard to find, and often I'll either have the book or know of it and be able to get it for them." If there is anyone who needs a few guides or books on anything, make sure to approach Mr. Brown because he confesses that, "... my extensive knowledge of all that, I’m really a great resource of what somebody is looking for."

(not intended to be an endorsement for Cards over Cats, lol)

One of the best perks of The Bookstore is that since it's mostly a used bookstore, prices start from a couple of dollars and nothing much is over five dollars. Most of the books for sale in The Bookstore are available for anyone who wants to bring it home and treasure it. They also have some titles that are first edition and special edition books. The Bookstore carries such an extensive variety of books that anyone who comes in will be in for a surprise when they find "the" book they are looking for. Mr. Brown also says that there are a lot of "romance book" readers and they do well with the title selections the store has.

If there were one thing that Mr. Brown wishes for people to realize when it comes to The Bookstore, he shares that, "I think that because we are a local business, we give a lot more back to the local community than the big chains like the Amazon, the digital stuff. You know the folks when they come to us, when they need a donation or a contribution and so... I’d wish they’d remember that... when they go and spend their money; that we’re local and that we give back to the community."

If you haven’t been to The Bookstore, Mr. Brown invites everyone and says:

"We’re such a wide variety; not only books and gifts... I think we just love our community and just enjoy seeing everybody, it’s something. We’re here because we love it and because we want to be and not because somebody pays us and we have to be."

As always, all of their new books are discounted 10% and their used books are competitively priced so people can save a lot of money when they shop there. Make sure you stop by The Bookstore today before and come home with books and gain a friend.

The Bookstore is located at 300 West Lincoln Trail, Radcliff, KY 40160. Their contact number is 270-351-1801. To get the latest news on The Bookstore, make sure to “LIKE” them on Facebook at The Bookstore.