ky: Crawl Space Problems Often Originate From High Above - 06/25/18 01:48 PM
When there are moisture problems below the house, the problem usually originates from higher above. Proper preventative maintenance can save the homeowner many thousands of dollars of repairs later on.
Prolonged moisture in the crawl space provides ideal conditions for the growth of mold and the deterioration of wood.
Mold and wood damage can also cause the home seller to lose thousands or tens of thousands of dollars of home value.
 Common sources of water intrusion to the crawl space include;
Damaged gutters or improperly installed gutters causing water to spill out of the gutters to the ground near the foundation. Damaged downspouts or … (8 comments)

ky: Intricate Green Yard Art Beautifies My Home - 11/12/17 07:59 PM
It is art. It's organic. It's natural. It's beautiful. It's pristine. It just shows up in my front yard every year.
These are the green leaves that are in a hurry. They don't have the patience to turn bright yellow, to dry up and to hopelessly cling to the twigs and limbs that brought them to life. Nope. They just leap to the ground with the first Louisville autumn wind to weave a green tapestry blanket that covers and protects the grass and soil below from the imminent cold and snow.
Nature in harmony. Right in my front yard, and probably in your front … (6 comments)

ky: Country Road in Crestwood KY - 10/29/17 08:24 PM
 
Country roads, take me homeTo the place I belong
- John Denver
Just one of the country roads in the rolling hills of Crestwood, Kentucky. 
For a mix of old and new, small houses, big houses, farms, country stores and shopping centers, come to Crestwood in Oldham County.
Looking for your dream home tucked away in the country yet close to the city?
Call me at (502) 664-7827
Dave Halpern, Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Louisville East
 
Submission for the 2017 Activerain Photography Contest- Real Life/Travel/Places
… (6 comments)

ky: Lead Based Paint In Louisville Homes - 08/20/17 07:13 AM
The risks of lead based paint are real, and some older neighborhoods in Louisville have a higher likelihood of harboring the problem.
Picturesque neighborhoods such as Clifton, Crescent Hill, Germantown, Highlands, Old Louisville all have houses built in the early 1900's. Portland, the West End, Downtown, NuLu, Limerick, Churchill Downs area, all have the risk of lead based paint.
You don't even have to have lead based paint in your home to be susceptible. If your neighbor's home, or nearby homes, have, for example, wood siding with chipping paint, you and your family are at-risk. The paint chips or lead dust can be tracked … (10 comments)

ky: Plumbing Problems in Older Homes in Louisville - 12/23/14 02:18 PM
Louisville KY has many historic neighborhoods such as Highlands, Original Highlands, Germantown, Butchertown, Clifton, Crescent Hill and more. Within and underneath beautiful historic homes are plumbing materials that simply do not stand the test of time. 
          
Brass, galvanized steel, copper and cast iron have projected life spans of decades. That's a long time, but decades eventually pass. 
Before buying a home that id fifty years old or older, the buyer must pay careful attention to the plumbing.
Check the seller disclosure for disclosed plumbing problems.  Make sure your home inspector thoroughly check for leaks, stoppages, slow draining … (11 comments)

ky: A Truck With a House - 07/21/13 02:29 PM
This sharp looking truck shows pride of ownership. The house does, too. We live in a great country that enables people to express their passions and display them proudly.
Ironically, the truck looks almost bigger than the house. There is a reason they're called monster trucks. The license plate reads 2BIG4U.
 
The picture was taken in Fairdale, Kentucky, a suburb just south of Louisville.

… (6 comments)

ky: Is Your HOA Destroying The Value of Your Home? - 03/16/12 11:21 PM
Homeowners should make a point to understand what their Home Owners Association (HOA) is doing, especially in arena of dealing with salvaging fees from homeowners in foreclosure.
ZERO Recovery Forever Instead Of Thousands Now
Some Homeowner Associations prefer to get ZERO dollars if the house goes to foreclosure rather than thousands of dollars NOW in a short sale.As a short sale Realtor, I have gotten foreclosing lenders to pay thousands of dollars to cover settlements on large delinquent HOA balances. However, some HOA's have all-or-nothing "no-settlement" policies. The HOA wants every cent including legal fees or let the house go to … (29 comments)

ky: Older Houses, Time Capsules and Tight Driveways - 10/08/11 02:58 AM
With the charm of older neighborhoods comes the charm of yesteryear's amenities such as coal shoots in the basement and driveways and garages just wide enough for a horse and small carriage.
The allure of living in a time capsule. The result of the clash of eras can be seen here.

Taken in the historic Clifton neighborhood in Louisville, KY.
… (7 comments)

ky: Imagine your life without that crushing mortgage debt - 08/26/11 03:18 PM
Behind on payments? Owe too much on your house? Can't afford commissions?
There is hope.
You have options.
You don't have to lose your house to the bank.
You can sell it for less than you owe.
The bank calls it a "short sale". They accept an amount short of what you owe.
In most cases your lender forgives the shortage and you don't have to pay it back. It is forgiven. Your lender puts it in writing.
This is real.
Your lender pays your closing costs and Realtor commissions.
Please call your lender and ask for the short sale department, … (3 comments)

ky: Emotions During a Foreclosure –Fear, Depression, Anger, Embarrassment - 06/05/11 02:50 AM
All this within the strict timeline of a looming foreclosure. Not enough time to become a legal expert or a real estate expert. Who do you ask? Who do you trust?
I am here to tell you that you have options. Good options.
Did you know that lenders accept short sales? In a short sale, the lender lets the house sell for amount SHORT of what you owe. Hence the term SHORT sale.
In an ideal short sale the lender will forgive the shortfall and you will never have to pay it back. That debt forgiveness is issued in writing. You … (11 comments)

ky: New Construction on a Bad Lot Could Lead to Foreclosure - 05/23/11 04:48 PM
Many sellers wonder why their house isn’t selling even though their neighbor’s houses sell for more money and faster. These houses often have inferior lots.
Postage stamp size lots surrounded by larger lots. Unusable or dangerous sloping backyards. Houses that back up to massive buzzing electrical transformers, that didn’t exist when the neighborhood was under development. Driveways that are nearly impossible to navigate. Lots that excessively retain water. Houses that have virtually no road frontage, compared to neighbors who have ample road frontage. Houses that have dismal views compared to their neighbors who have spectacular views. Houses on narrow and winding … (3 comments)

ky: The Biggest Loser – Of Mortgage Debt - 05/17/11 04:33 PM
Okay, call me nuts. I find inspiration about helping sellers avoid foreclosure in the weirdest pIaces.
I’m not a big fan of reality TV shows. Most of them do not reflect reality at all. I usually channel surf right over them. This time I was vegging out after a very long and tiring day and couldn’t find the remote. So I ended up watching an entire episode of “The Biggest Loser” where contestants compete on how much weight they can lose.
The contestants were telling their story about their excess weight;
Too much to bear Needed to feel normal again Had … (1 comments)

ky: Does the Playground Equipment Stay with the House? How To Avoid Disputes - 05/16/11 04:44 PM
Realtors, buyers and sellers should be very specific about what stays with the house.
In real estate sales sometimes each side can interpret differently what stays with the house and what does not. It’s always better to avoid a dispute than win one.
Disputes can arise over;
Which appliances stay? What is considered attached to the house? Can expensive light fixtures be taken out and replaced with basic fixtures? Is home theater equipment expected to remain? Do sheds and mini barns remain? How about above ground pools and the sand pit left behind? Ponds and the hole left behind? Outdoor playgrounds? … (7 comments)

ky: Short Sale When Only One Spouse Is On The Loan - 05/11/11 12:46 AM
Sometimes loans were made with only one spouse on the loan. What happens to the non-borrower spouse when a house goes into foreclosure or sells at a short sale?
If someone is not on the loan a short sale should not impact their credit or ability to obtain future loans. This should be verified with an attorney and a mortgage broker.
First of all, how did it happen that only one spouse is on the loan? Possibilities include;
One spouse had better credit than the other and enough income to qualify for the loan. One spouse already owned the house and … (1 comments)

ky: The Foreclosing Lender In a Short Sale Can Counteroffer Whatever They Want To - 05/04/11 11:47 PM
There are two stages of acceptance in a short sale. First the seller accepts the buyer’s offer, then the short sale lender has to accept the offer. The lender may counter in many ways;
There is a possibility that the lender will respond with a counter offer HIGHER than the price that the Buyer and Seller agreed upon.  Since the lender rarely advises on a list price prior to the listing, there is even a possibility that the lender will respond with a counter offer HIGHER THAN LIST PRICE. In fact, the lender often responds with a counter offer HIGHER THAN … (4 comments)

ky: What Are The Main Reasons Short Sales Fail? - 05/02/11 11:49 PM
What Are The Main Reasons Short Sales Fail?
A skilled short sale expert Realtor can close a high percentage of short sales. However, some short sales will not close. Here are the main reasons short sales fail:
The second mortgage companies dictate terms that are impossible to meet. The foreclosing lender gets unreasonably high opinion of value from an appraiser, regardless of actual lower market value. The foreclosing lender insists on getting a price that is higher than reality. The foreclosing lender says they will get reimbursed more by the insurer or backer of the loan if the house goes to … (4 comments)

ky: What If The Buyer Can’t Close On Time On A Louisville Short Sale? - 04/25/11 10:56 PM
Possible consequences of a buyer missing the closing deadline on a short sale:
The foreclosing lender may:
(1) raise the purchase price, or
(2) deny an extension and cancel the entire agreement with no recourse for the buyer, or
(3) delay approval of an extension by weeks or months, or
(4) push the property to get sold and lost at the foreclosure auction, or
(5) approve an extension to allow the buyer to close with no change of price or terms.
The paradox is the foreclosing lender can drag out their approval for months, but when they give an approval they … (17 comments)

ky: Imagine yourself without crushing mortgage debt - A short sale in Louisville can get you there - 04/24/11 09:28 PM
You bought a house some years ago. Paid market value, just like everyone else.
Life happened; Job transfer, job loss, illness, divorce.
You tried to sell your house but couldn’t because values collapsed, no fault of your own.
You now owe tens of thousands of dollars more than the house is worth.
What to do? Consider a short sale, it is common nationwide and in Louisville.
What is a short sale?
A short sale occurs when a house sells for an amount short of the full amount owed to the lender. Hence the word “short” in short sale.
What happens to … (1 comments)

ky: Do Liens Stay With The House After A Short Sale? - 04/03/11 07:17 AM
Does the buyer get stuck with the seller's debts and liens after buying a short sale?  The short answer is; No. The mortgages, liens and judgements do not stay with house.
Buyers and sometimes their Realtors get concerned that a house in foreclosure may have debts attached to it that will survive the closing of the short sale. Buyers are concerned that they will “inherit” the seller’s debt.
Here are the safeguards against that happening:
Title search Negotiation with lienholders to release the liens from the property Closing attorneys confirm clear title before they administer the transfer Title insurance in case … (7 comments)

ky: Can the Seller Talk To Their Lender While Their Realtor Is Negotiating The Short Sale? - 04/02/11 03:51 AM
Can the seller talk to their foreclosing lender while we, their Realtor team, are negotiating a short sale for them?
Absolutely yes!
As your short sale Realtors in Louisville, we are representing to your lender the facts of your hardship, and providing them all the supporting information they need to make a decision on your short sale. It is a lengthy and complex process.
We Want To Reduce Your Fear Of The Unknown
We know that it is stressful to be “upside down” on your mortgage and to be struggling with payments. Our goal is to help you avoid foreclosure and … (2 comments)