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Louisville Real Estate Blog

The Dobbs Team Louisville KY Real Estate Blog  

4320 Lochridge Pkwy is relisted

4320 Lochridge Parkway has been re-listed and with a much lower price. Discussions with the seller were intense and we agreed to $175,000.  This is in contrast to the Zillow estimate of $196,400. Zillow website users will see this as a bargain and come running.

4320 Lochridge front view

A lot of listings give a low price per square foot but they include the basement in their figures. 4320 Lochridge is priced at $69.42 per above ground square foot. What a deal!

Back Yard of 4320 Lochridge Parkway

Not only do we have one of the best prices in the neighborhood, the back yard is bisected with Stony Brook Creek. It is like your own nature preserve in the suburbs of Jeffersontown, KY.

Call Steve Dobbs with the Dobbs Team for more information or see the 4320 Lochridge Pkwy here.

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Inspection Stickers needed?

One of the agents in our Louisville KY office had questions about repairs, additions, and other items and wanted to know if inspection stickers were needed.  The home in question had a recently built garage with a lot of outlets.  There was a new hot water in the house along with some other newer electrical items.  Her concern was that there were no inspection stickers and wondered if this was legal.  Her second question wondered if a plumber or electrician can inspect and then place an inspection sticker.  Her third question concerned the need for an inspection sticker.

Inspection Sticker

The home in question was built in 1979 in Jeffersontown, KY and was bank owned.  Of course, it was to be purchased “as-is”.  There was no way to determine who had made the plumbing and electrical repairs / improvements in the past.

The Jeffersontown Code Enforcement informed her that there is no Kentucky or city requirement that a permit sticker has to be on the electrical box.  If there are any problems with the electrical box, an electrician can do the repairs. If the electrician is changing something major, he would pull a permit.  However, he would only be verifying the work that he had performed.  In order to verify everything, the electrician or plumber would need to remove the drywall and inspect all of the wiring and/or plumbing.  This could get pretty expensive.

Now the thoughts came to home insurance.  As calls went to the Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance, she was informed that an inspection permit is not a requirement for obtaining home insurance.  They further stated that you cannot be denied a claim if there was a code violation.

All of this information was given to the home buyer to let him make the determination if he wanted to pursue this deal.

If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact us.

 If you are looking for a new home in the Louisville KY market, Steve Dobbs and The Dobbs Team stand ready to assist and give you the best service.

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Radon and the second test in Louisville KY

In Louisville, KY and the surrounding counties, we can have a problem with Radon in our houses.  The only way to know is to test. Homes with basements are not the only places that Radon can be found.  Radon can be found in homes with crawl spaces and in homes on a slab foundation.

The Louisville, KY area is in a belt of higher Radon levels.

Radon Levels in KY

 Consumers can ask for free Radon test kit from the state of Kentucky.  This site also has a lot of information including Radon myths.

Most home inspectors offer to test for Radon during their regular home inspection.  Normally, they will set up a meter for at least 48 hours.  The Radon meter will sample once an hour and give you a current reading as well as an average.  Some of the better Radon monitors have the ability to hook up to a computer and let you print out the average results as well as a graph.

This is a 48-hour graph of our house.

Radon Graph of Louisville KY home

 Obviously, this house needs Radon Mitigation with an average of 12.4.

What if a Radon level of over 4 picocuries is discovered in your new home?  The EPA would recommend Radon mitigation by a professional.  Costs can vary widely, but $800-1,000 is a decent range of what a lot of systems are installed.  Converting a passive Radon system to an active system is the cheapest and mitigating a crawl space is the most expensive. 

A passive Radon System typically is a 3-inch pipe from the sump pump area through the roof of the house.  There will be a small flow of air through the pipe that occurs naturally.  Converting this to an active system would involve installing a fan in the pipe providing a constant movement of air and negative pressure under the concrete.

One of the most important things in Radon Mitigation is the retest.  How do you know if the radon is mitigated if you don’t test?  In the example given, the retest was 6.1 and not acceptable.  We were able to move the suction point and receive an acceptable reading.

We have a lot of information about Radon in KY on our website and have some PDF documents from the EPA as well as information from the state of Kentucky.  Feel free to contact The Dobbs Team if you have any questions about Radon or the Real Estate market in Louisville, KY.

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Kentucky Housing Corporation

Real Estate agents think that this is a great time to buy with historically low home mortgage rates.  Mortgage loan officers would tell you the same thing.  However, some people have trouble qualifying for a loan and agents are always looking for alternatives.

KY Housing Corporation (KHC) is the state finance agency with very attractive rates.  They are currently quoting rates well under 4% on a 30-year fixed rate loan.  Rates such as these make it much cheaper to own a home or condo then rent an apartment.

Kentucky Spirit

They also have programs for down payment and closing cost assistance.  There is usually a small premium to use their down payment assistance.  KHC works with FHA, VA and RHS loans.  They are not known as a sub-prime lender as they do insist on a good credit score and assurance that the borrower will pay back the loan.

KHC is able to use the New Issue Bond Program (NIBP) to get these great rates.  The U.S. Department of Treasury provides these funds through a federal bond purchase program.

It is important to jump on these programs early.  In the past, there has been a finite amount of money to loan on some of Kentucky Housing Corps special programs.  As always, the early bird gets the worm.

Not all mortgage companies work with KHC, so it is best to check around and find a lender that knows how to use the Kentucky Housing program.

The Dobbs Team would advise you visit with a lender and see if you qualify for one of KHC’s loan programs.  Feel free to give us a call and we will try to point you in the right direction.  As always, The Dobbs Team is here to help you find your next home in Louisville, KY and the surrounding counties.

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Is the winter a good time to look for a new home in Louisville, KY?

There are several ways to look at this.

Home Buyers that are relocating do not have much of a choice.  For example, the Ford Motor Relocation has brought an influx of workers into the Metro Louisville area from all across the country.  Most of these workers will start work by February 6th.  Knowing that it often takes 30-45 days to close on their new home purchase, the activity has been brisk as they know that time is of the essence.  Some of the new Ford workers have homes to sell first and will obtain temporary housing before making a home purchase here.  These relocation purchases will drag on for a while.

There are several other reasons that home buyers are looking in the winter.

  • Their lease runs out in the winter time.  They don’t want to sign another 12-month rental agreement, so they are motivated by the end of lease terms.
  • The buyers are current homeowners who are now under contract. They need a new home, now!!!
  • People are always looking for a bargain.  The Foreclosure or Short Sale house may be just what they need for themselves, or to fix up and flip. 
  • Along this same line, investors are looking for opportunities year around.
  • People looking for their “Dream Home”.  They keep an eye out for a few key properties.  When this home hits the market, our “dreamers” don’t want it to slip away.
  • A myriad of personal reasons.  At some point, they are just in the market and The Dobbs Team is there for them.

With all of our buyers, we tell them that the sellers are motivated.  If they were not motivated, homeowners would not have their house on the market in inclement weather. We know that the home buyers are motivated to be out bundled up for cold weather!

 If you have any questions about the Louisville KY home market, contact The Dobbs Team.

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Should I list my home in the winter?

 I have conversations with my sellers in the Louisville KY area frequently.  At this time of year, the question comes up about whether to leave the house on the market during the winter months, or even to have the listing active during the holidays.

I think that it comes down to motivation. 

How motivated are Mr. and Mrs. Seller?  I feel sure that the buyers are serious if they are out in Louisville’s winter weather.

So, what is at stake?

  • Inclement weather needs to be addressed.  If it snows, and it does snow in Louisville, the sidewalks need to be cleaned.  It is not a welcoming sight to the buyer’s eyes having to traipse through the snow to get to the front door.
  • Speaking of snow or rain, there needs to be an absorbent welcome mat inside the front door.  If need be, booties could be provided to protect the carpet.
  • The seller does not want to leave their cozy, warm fire; yet the buyers expect to have the house to themselves.  Sacrifices will have to be made.
  • If the sellers truly want their home sold; it has to be shown.  Refusing showings just insures that it will be on the market even longer.
  • There are fewer properties on the market reducing the competition.  Currently this amounts to 20% reduction from normal home inventory. For buyers that need to relocate or purchase immediately, this is a good thing for the sellers.

The Dobbs Team thinks that sellers need to rate themselves on a motivation scale from 1-10.  Is their home on the market to see what happens, or do they want to see it sold?  Contact The Dobbs Team in Louisville KY and let them give you more detail.

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Jefferson County Commissioner’s Sale on Liberty Street

I had not been to the Jefferson County Commissioner’s sale in a while and had the opportunity to attend with a friend yesterday. Since Louisville and Jefferson County has merged, this is basically the Louisville Kentucky foreclosure sale.  My friend had interest in a neighbor’s property and wanted some real estate expertise as he went to make his purchase.  I also went to see if much has changed; it hasn’t.

 The December 6th sale had 142 properties on the agenda.  32 of these, or 22%, were withdrawn before the sale.  Either restitution had been made, or the lender had some promise of a short sale occurring and postponed the foreclosure auction.

There were 7 properties that actually changed hands.  This is only 5% but is on track with all of the other sales that I have attended.

Most of the sales were 2/3 of the Jefferson County Commissioner’s appraisal to avoid the right of redemption act.  There were a couple of sales below this number which gives the original owner a chance to repurchase their property.

Of note was a property the commissioner appraised at $17,000.  The bidding was fast and furious with the bidding ending at $43,000.  The weird part; the bank was the final bidder.  Jewell

There was another house that the commissioner appraised at $100,000.  The Jefferson County PVA has it valued at $112,900.  The bank made an initial bid of $160,125 and this was the only bid.  Obviously, there is something that I don’t know.

Back to my friend and his attempt to purchase a foreclosed home.  The bidding started at 2/3 and he was the only bidder against the bank.  There comes a point when the price becomes uncomfortable.   The buyer has to factor in the fact that he has not been in the property and has no control until he has paid for it in full.  In short, we walked away empty handed.

It is more of a sure thing to buy a bank-owned foreclosure once it is on the MLS.  You have the ability to at least see the interior of the home and will more than likely do a home inspection.

 If you want more information about the short sale process, foreclosures and short sales in the Louisville KY area, feel free to contact the Real Estate Experts at The Dobbs Team.

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Patio Home Absorption Rate in Louisville KY

This morning I had discussion with a client moving from Minnesota with the Ford Relocation to Louisville KY.  She asked me about how well Patio Homes in our Louisville Market were moving.  I gave her some generalities over the phone and then decided to dig up a few numbers.

I know that closed home sales and new listings are up this year over last in the entire Louisville MLS.  But, has the absorption rate changed?  I used closed home sales in the August through October time frames for my calculations. 

In Jefferson County, we sold 1765 homes in this 3 month time frame for an average of 588 home sales per month.  We currently have 5101 homes in the Louisville MLS inventory.  By doing the math, we calculate that we have an 8.67 month supply of homes if no more come on the market.

In the group of condos and patio homes, we sold 253 in the same time period or 84 per month.  With a supply of 1282, this gives us a 15.2 month supply of condos and patio homes.

My client’s real interest was in a patio home.  In the Louisville MLS; condos, townhomes, and patio homes are grouped together.  I was able to pull out the numbers for patio homes and give a more definite number.  There were 38 patio homes sold out of a current inventory of 235 patio homes.  This gives us an absorption rate of 12.67 per month.  Doing a little more math gives us an 18 month supply of patio homes.  This is definitely a buyer’s market!

If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact The Dobbs Team in Louisville KY.

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Luxury home short sale in Louisville KY

The Dobbs Team had the pleasure of bringing a buyer to a short sale in the Locust Creek area of Louisville KY.  This home sold for $1.2 million in 2004 and was extremely well appointed.  Every luxury item that you could imagine was there and then some more. The Millwork was very extensive and very well done.  Interior doors were 8’ tall. As you would expect, the kitchen was a chef’s delight.  There was a separate work preparation island with a 3.5 inch butcher block counter. The basement was very well done and included a theater room and killer bar.

The listing agent was excellent and did a great job in negotiating with the bank and working with their sellers.  They were extremely knowledgeable about the short sale process and actually like the complexity of the challenge that short sales present.  We were 80 days from offer to final close.  We avoided the Jefferson County Commissioner’s sale with less than 24 hours to go.  We have more detailed information about Louisville Distressed Properties on another page.

The lender also did a great job.  Once we received short sale approval, we had a narrow window to get the loan in place.  Our loan officer was able to rise to the challenge and we closed with no hiccups.

It took all parties to make the short sale on this luxury home happen.

Was it a pain in the butt dealing with this short sale?  Yes.  Did my client get a great deal?  YOU BET!!

For more information on how you can get a great deal on a short sale in Louisville KY, feel free to contact the experienced agents at The Dobbs Team

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Louisville KY information

View History of Louisville, Kentucky and over 3,000,000 other topics on Qwiki.

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1811 Shelbyville Road in Taylorsville KY

The Dobbs Team presents our newest home for sale at 1811 Shelbyville Rd is in the Elk Creek area of Spencer County, Kentucky.  It is just north of Taylorsville, KY. You will find that it is a short hop to the monster Kroger in Shelbyville, or a short drive to Louisville.
1811 Shelbyville Road in Elk Creek
As you walk into this home on the gorgeous ceramic foyer tile, you will instantly notice the 11’ cathedral ceiling with Palladian window and that’s only the first sense of the quality you will feel throughout this home! As you look to the left, you will notice it’s a modern, open floor plan that is ideal for entertaining without isolating the guests or the cook
Kitchen and island of 1811 Shelbyville Road
Great Room
The elegant kitchen has been updated with cherry cabinets and granite countertops for a true luxury touch. There is plenty of storage and a large pantry, as well as generous counter space for extensive food preparation –
even with multiple cooks. The oversized island is equipped with an overhang, creating an ex
tra seating area for informal dining or snacks for the kids. The dining room is just off the kitchen, and features a beautiful 5-pane bow window arrangement offering wonderful light and a panoramic view of the front lawn. This home features a nice open plan, offering a convenient flow from great room to kitchen and out to the deck.
The master suite offers a generous walk-in closet and ample space for relaxing. The gorgeous master bath has a separate step-in shower and corner jetted tub along with its own walk in closet. As you would expect, both baths have ceramic tile floors. The laundry room is of note in this home due to its ceramic tile floors and cabinets with ceramic tile counter top. On the lower level, you will find three more spacious bedrooms and a large family room that opens onto the patio.
Back Yard at 1811 Shelbyville in Elk Creek
This home has a huge garage, with its own roofline and separate storage space, but attached to the home. For additional storage, the cabinets previously used in the kitchen have been re-purposed in the garage! This home features 2 Heating/Air units for energy savings and added comfort, as well as a 1.5-acre lot for luxurious and private living outdoors!
Since this home is in the Elk Creek area, it offers a “country living” feel while being only a short drive to the services of the Louisville or Shelbyville area. Please call today!
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309 Revolutionary Rd in Louisville KY

Come see 309 Revolutionary Road it the Yorktown neighborhood. This home has been well maintained and modernized over the years.

Front Porch on 309 Revolutionary Rd

The first floor has been opened by removing the wall between the living room and family Patio on 309 Revolutionary Rdroom making it quite spacious. The fireplace mantel was added and dates back to the late 1880's. From the family room, you exit onto a patio under a trellis to enjoy the garden paradise in the backyard. To the left we have a raised garden and there is another more elaborate brick patio to the right. 

 

 

Kitchen on 309 Revolutionary RdThe kitchen and formal dining area have been merged and form a great gathering area. The island is a nice place for eating and gives more workspace for the cook. Upstairs you will find 4 good sized bedrooms including the master. Closet space here is more than adequate and will surprise you.

 

The curb appeal is picture perfect. It is not often that you see a front porch that is 40 foot long with plenty of mature shade, to relax and chat with the neighbors in the front yard. Come see why the present owners have made this home for 20 years.

Give The Dobbs Team a call to see this fine home.

 

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254 Lakewood Drive in Mt Washington KY

Our newest listing is a patio home and we dare you to compare 254 Lakewood against the competition at Woodlake subdivision in Mt Washington, and the surrounding area. This modern patio home is the best in Woodlake and we know that you will agree. As you enter, you will Corner view of 254 Lakewood in Mt Washingtonnotice the open floor plan and vaulted ceiling. In the kitchen there are top of the line Stainless Steel appliances with extra touches throughout. Not your average flooring here, or in the baths--This is custom ceramic tile featuring a unique design! A great addition of this patio home would be the loft area that is currently used as an office, but it could be used as a library or a craft room. Leading from the loft are 2 'bonus' areas that could be finished however you like. The area over the garage is currently used for storage, but is framed and ready to finish also. The master bedroom has a spacious feeling due to its vaulted ceiling. The master bath has a whirlpool tub, separate shower, and a dual vanity. An ADT alarm system adds to your security. Thinking ahead, the owners have wired the home to be generator ready. TheGreat 254 Lakewood Mt Washington Florida room has an abundance of windows with natural lighting; and leads to the patio area. The patio features 'stamped' concrete, and a view of the lake that is really nice for relaxing! Come to Woodlake and see what maintenance-free living is all about.

 

 

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4320 Lochridge PKWY in Watterson Woods

Welcome to 4320 Lochridge Pkwy in Watterson Woods! You will find that this is one of the largest homes in the neighborhood, and has one of the largest lots at .35 acres.

4320 Lochridge Pkwy in Louisville KYAs you enter the home through the great room, your eyes move towards the wood burning fireplace and vaulted ceiling. The house then flows into the modern eat-in kitchen with a gas range. The family room is more than abundant and at the present time has a billiard table as the focal point. Being fitness oriented, the sellers have a room dedicated to a home gym.

The large master is conveniently located on the first floor. The master bath has room to spare with a double vanity. Three good sized bedrooms are located upstairs and there is a centrally located full bathroom. The end bedroom is special as it features its own half bath.

4320 Lochridge Pkwy in Louisville KYThe rear yard is quite unique and consists of 2 parts with Stony Brook Creek separating the two. The front part has a chain link fence and the rear part has a wood fence. A wooden walkway gives you access year around. The large deck looks over the back yard and is a great place to relax and listen to the bubbling creek.

 

You will find plenty of parking here with the conventional garage plus a circular driveway. The home gym and pool table are personal items of the seller. They are available for sale separately.

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FHA 203K Renovation Loan Success story in Louisville KY

Renovation loans can be a challenge in the Louisville KY market as well as many others.  We see lots of bank owned homes that need more than a little TLC to get them back in shape.  These would include Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, local banks as well as the big boys, and HUD homes.

We recently bought a Fannie Mae Foreclosure that needed a lot of “Tender Loving Care”.  Our issues were termite damage, dilapidated carpet, single pane windows, shingles at the end of their life, gutters, siding with holes, outdated kitchen, etc.  Did I mention that it needed paint?  We knew that the price was right, but we required funds for repairs as well as the regular mortgage. 

We initially tried to get a HomePath “Renovation” loan as that seemed like a great deal.   Our first obstacle was finding a loan officer that could take care of us.  In Kentucky, HomePath loans are fairly popular, but we do not have anyone writing HomePath Renovation loans within the state.  To get a HomePath Renovation loan required us going to an out of state lender.  We found a good loan officer in Ohio and were quickly pre-approved.  As we progressed, we found that our down payment would now be 5% putting a squeeze on our cash flow.

FHA has always had their regular 203b loans.  They now offer a program called the 203k Renovation loan.  Within this program, they have the “Streamlined” version as well as the “Standard”.  The FHA Streamlined Renovation version is for expenditures of up to $35,000 and works for most people.  This enabled us to roll the repairs into the cost of the initial mortgage.  The list of what you can receive funding is quite large.  You can’t do major remodeling such as removing a load-bearing wall.  The FHA Standard Renovation loan is a different animal and something for another blog.

Before we made our offer, we contacted a general contractor of our choosing and had him give us an estimate.  We then felt comfortable making an offer and Fannie Mae accepted.  There was some paperwork involved, but we were able to close within 45 days.  Our contractor needed to show proof that he was licensed and insured and that was no big deal. 

As part of the appraisal process, we needed an “as-is” appraisal and a “finished” appraisal before we could get our loan.  The appraiser had our work estimate in hand so he knew what we were looking to accomplish.  The finished appraisal was estimated to be $15,000 more than we would have in the house.

On the day of closing, our contractor was able to receive 50% up front to cover his initial outlay for materials.  We are off to the races!!  A couple of weeks have passed and great progress is being made.  Our family moves to a newly painted and modernized home in a great neighborhood.

I like a story with a good ending.

For more details, feel free to contact The Dobbs Team in Louisville KY about this FHA Renovation process.

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10500 Fairmount Falls Way Louisville KY

We have decided to sell our personal home and move on to the next adventure!

10500 Fairmount Falls Way front view

We have done a lot of work to this home in Glenmary Estates and it shows! When you enter, you will instantly notice the gleaming hardwoods which cover the ground level, muted but attractive colors as well as upgraded, superior millwork which you will see throughout the rest of the home.

The dining room to the right is totally open with elegant columns providing needed support. Ahead a few steps and to your right, you will notice the gorgeous hearth room/kitchen with granite tops, custom maple cabinets, a full-sized stainless hood, premium stainless appliances (including an Advantium oven), island with beverage cooler and beautiful tile backsplashes. No effort or expense was spared here! The hearth room is totally open to the kitchen, and just adjacent to the eat-in area. Hearth and great rooms share a see-though gas fireplace.

The great room offers 18-foot ceilings, spectacular views of the wooded rear lawn through a massive wall of windows, and gracious space for entertaining or simply relaxing. There are TWO decks off this area – one accessible through the eat-in area (covered to protect you from the sun or weather), and the other from the hearth room. There is also a “back” staircase to the upper level in the hearth room – this is a unique but very functional design. At the opposite side of the home is the master suite, with vaulted ceilings, bath featuring ceramic flooring, double vanity, stand-up shower and jetted tub.

On the second level, you will note three spacious bedrooms with more than adequate closet space. and a HUGE bonus room. (With a closet added, this could be a fourth bedroom on this level.)

The basement features 1500 additional feet of meticulously-finished space, offering an arched double-door transom, media room, bedroom, full bath, second family room with triple full-sized windows and views of the woods. The basement also houses a nice workshop (with overhead door if you want to store your golf cart here), and offers crown molding, chair rails, bead-board/wainscoting, storage room and flooring of both ceramic and carpet.

Outside, there’s a large patio below the main deck upstairs. 10500 Fairmount Falls Way rear viewIn addition to all of this, the home has a totally-renovated half-acre lawn with full irrigation, dual high-efficiency heating/cooling systems, extensive landscaping and a cul-de-sac lot which is wooded in the rear. Everything on this home is done with superior quality. There are literally too many features to mention! Utility bills, lot map, and video of home are available. Owner/Agent.

For more details on this home, you can contact Steve Dobbs with Keller Williams Louisville East at The Dobbs Team.

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Jefferson County Circuit Court Commissioner Sale in Louisville KY

Today, I went to the Jefferson County Circuit Court Master Commissioner’s sale on Liberty Street in Louisville.  I had not been in a while and there was a foreclosure house in Glenmary that was on the auction block today.

As always, it was a fast paced auction with each house selling in seconds.  Once they read the description and ask for an opening bid, it is over very quickly.  This is nothing like the old farm auctions where there strive to squeeze every drop from the buyers.  You need to be ready to bid and bid quickly.

Today’s Louisville commissioner’s sale had 139 properties for sale.  Of these, 59 were withdrawn before the sale.  It seems to be a growing trend to pull the property at the last minute as the percentage withdrawn is higher than 2 years ago.  I attribute this to the short sale process actually working along a few loan modifications (very few).  This left 80 properties to go under the hammer in prices ranging from $12,000 to over a million dollars.  Now the interesting part, only 3 of these actually sold to someone besides the bank pressing the action.  For the remaining 77, there will be more legal fees, maintenance fees, real estate commissions, etc.  They will all have been 'cleansed' by the foreclosure process.

Most all of the bidding started at 2/3 of the Commissioner’s appraisal done just before the sale.  Only 2 properties sold lower than 2/3 as that triggers the right of redemption for the homeowner.  If a property sells for less than 2/3 of the appraisal, the homeowner has a year to buy the property back at the sale price plus 10% interest.  And, he keeps whatever improvements have been made in this time frame.

I thought it was perplexing that several times the bid price approached or exceeded appraised price, but the foreclosing bank kept increasing their bid until they owned it.  As I mentioned before, only 3 bidders were successful today.  The property in Glenmary Estates that I had interest was appraised by the master commissioner at $290,000.  I was the runner up bidder but quit letting the bank have the final bid of $274,000.  This was 94% of appraisal.  For me, this was a lot of money to invest in a house that I had never been through.

I mentioned that the sale goes quickly.  From start to finish, the entire sale was over in 60 minutes.  This included announcements and the time getting the 3 buyers to the table to make their purchase of the foreclosed property.

If you have any questions about the foreclosure process in Louisville KY, contact the The Dobbs Team in Louisville KY.  You can also search for Louisville foreclosures or bank owned homes along with Louisville short sale homes on our website.

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Radon in Kentucky can be a Problem

Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas.  In Kentucky, around 42% of our untreated homes will have levels above the EPA action level of 4.0 pico curies per liter of air.  In Louisville KY (Jefferson County), the Radon level increases to over 60%.  The levels of Radon Gas depend on the type of soil and rock structure beneath our homes.  The Radon levels vary across counties and will vary from house to house in the same neighborhood.  Fortunately, it is usually easily mitigated by a Radon Professional.  Costs will generally run $800-$1,000 and should include a follow up test showing the radon mitigation system is doing its job.

In general, the longer the test the better and more accurate the tests will be.  On most real estate transactions in Louisville, we receive a 48-hour test.  The Dobbs Team prefers a written report with results posted hourly.  This gives us the average that we need to form a decision and often a graph to see how wide the results swing.

On the seller’s disclosure form, the sellers are asked if there has been any testing for Radon gas.  If so, what were the results?  If the home inspection results show a high level of Radon gas, the buyers most often will ask the sellers to install a Radon mitigation system.  The sellers have the right to refuse; but it is now a Catch-22 situation.  Let’s say the deal falls through.  Since the sellers now know of a Radon Test being performed, they need to post a new home Seller’s disclosure with the tested results.  This is certainly a red flag to the next prospective buyer.

The Kentucky Association of Radon Professionals is active in KY and helps homeowners make informed decisions about Radon.  They have produced a Consumer Guide to Radon Reduction in KY PDF file which is very informative. 

It can be very confusing to know what the Radon numbers actually mean.  The Kentucky Association of Radon Professionals have made a chart comparing Radon exposure to smoking cigarettes and chest x-rays.  In KY, we have a high percentage of cigarette smokers.  Radon gas can contribute to lung problems.

The EPA has also quite a bit of information about Radon and have made a booklet on the Home Buyer’s and Seller’s Guide to Radon.  This is even more unbiased information on the dangers of Radon Gas.  The EPA has also produced a booklet on A Citizen’s Guide to RadonThe Dobbs Team thinks that the informed consumer is the best.

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576 Erin Circle Mt. Washington, KY

Welcome to this modern split ranch in the quiet neighborhood of Wilchar Estates. Near downtown Mt Washington, Wilchar Estates is a relatively new subdivision just off Highway 44 and Old Bardstown Road – close enough for convenience to services, but far enough away to provide a quiet and peaceful environment for your family!

This home is a rare find in the area due to its large lot and completely finished walkout basement.  Situated on a one-third acre lot with full fencing, you will have outdoor entertainment space as well as privacy in this lovely home.  The property is definitely suited for outdoor summer living, with a nice deck off the ground floor and patio area below!  You will also appreciate the large storage building to minimize clutter in your garage. 

Inside, you will find vaulted great room which serves as the centerpiece for this lovely home, flanked by bedrooms on both sides for privacy.  The open configuration also gives you ready access to the kitchen, with French doors out to the deck and the green views beyond. Entertaining will be easy, with a nice sized great room, deck, patio and open finished basement.

In the Master, you will find vaulted ceilings, a nice master bath, and a huge window for excellent natural light. The Master Bath has a dual vanity, with both full bath tub and a stand-up shower. 

The walkout basement is fully finished and is an open design.  Currently, one corner of the basement is set up as a modern home office.  Another section is a family room and the balance is one big play area for the kids.  Out the rear door, you will notice the nice concrete patio and a large yard which can be a play area or your own private retreat!

You will find that Mount Washington KY has quite a bit to offer due to its proximity to Louisville KY.

Contact the Dobbs Team to learn more about this listing or this Mt. Washington KY home showing 25 pictures.

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Drastic Price Reduction in Glenmary Estates

The seller wants this house sold and had reduced the price $22,000.  It was custom built 4 years ago with only the finest materials.  Seller has $545,000 invested and has reduced the price to $375,000.  This home is in pristine condition as it was only lived in for 10 months.

This has the most open floor plan of any house in Louisville at this price point!  You can see the complete description of 10610 Fairmount Falls Way in Louisville KY.

The kitchen has custom built cabinets with granite countertops. The custom built fireplace is a work of art. The master bath suite was engineered for a woman with lots of clothes. There is no carpet upstaris; it is all hardwood and ceramic tile.

Be sure to contact Steve Dobbs with The Dobbs Team for more information on this or other homes in Glenmary.

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