Jacki and Jerry's Blog

New Listing in highly sought after St. Matthews!

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:42:44 -0500

Welcome home to 1915 Foxboro Rd, La Grange KY 40031

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:09:18 -0500

Great New Listing in La Grange KY

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:23:48 -0500

NEW LISTING!! Perfect for your First Time Buyers!!

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:24:43 -0500

PRICE SLASHED!!! Tell your Clients and Friends and Bring us an OFFER!

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:28:47 -0500

Great New listing ~ 4713 Northridge Dr, Crestwood KY 40014

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:37:23 -0500

Subdivision Entrances DO Make a Statement: What Is Yours Saying?

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:30:44 -0500

One of my many passions is photography, and I enjoy taking pictures of one of my favorite places on the planet: beautiful Oldham County , just north of Louisville, Kentucky.

Last week the subject matter was subdivision entrances. As I was shooting a photo of a particularly beautiful entrance, a lady walked up to me and asked me if all the hard work she had put into making sure the subdivision entrance looked nice really mattered.

My answer was a resounding, YES!

When you're selling your home, the first impression doesn't begin at the curb. It actually begins as the prospective buyers turn into your subdivision. If the entrance has weeds growing through dead flowers and overgrown bushes, it tells the buyers that the neighborhood is not being maintained. It communicates that there may be issues with the homeowner's association. I have had clients actually discount a subdivision altogether because of that negative first impression.

On the other hand, an entrance with beautifully manicured landscaping says, "Welcome! We care about our neighborhood."

Oldham County's entrances vary greatly. Some are quite elaborate, complete with cobblestone walls, intricate iron work and Grecian urns. Some have exquisitely landscaped islands. Others are understated but neat and attractive.

A subdivision entrance doesn't have to have 5 foot walls and be maintained by professional landscapers. It just needs to be neatly trimmed with some fresh mulch and a splash of color to make a positive statement.

If you have an active homeowner's association in your neighborhood, ask the board members if there is enough budget allotted to keeping the entrance manicured and attractive.

Jacki and Jerry Shafer are "Mega Agents" with The Shafer Team and Keller Williams Realty Louisville East, specializing in residential home sales in eastern Jefferson County in Louisville and surrounding Oldham, Henry, Shelby and Trimble Counties in Kentucky.

Check out my New Listing in Briar Hill Estates, Crestwood KY

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:52:36 -0500

Create a Feeding Frenzy of Excited Home Buyers!

Thu, 21 May 2009 17:26:41 -0500

It's a hard pill to swallow. Your biggest investment, your home, has actually gone down in value instead of up. Especially here in the Louisville, KY area, this has been a difficult reality. For the two decades I've been selling real estate here in "Bluegrass Country", I've been able to show home sellers that they could count on between 3% - 6% yearly appreciation on their homes. We've never seen the big peaks and valleys - just a conservative but dependable return on our home purchases.

Not so today. If you need to sell your home this year, the rules of the game have changed. The bait you're throwing out there must be enticing enough to do much more than attract a few casual nibblers:

you need to put out enticing lures that will create a feeding frenzy of excited buyers anxious to grab up your home.

I'm not suggesting a "fire sale" price. The message here is that you're in a competition with the guy next door, and around the corner, and across the street, and in the neighboring subdivision. What's it take to be the "best home"? Well, if I can drop another metaphor: you're in a beauty contest. Your home has to look gorgeous, smell wonderful, be dressed to the nines and send out that "you know you want me!" message.

Gone are the days when you can just offer "allowances" such as carpet, wallpaper removal, paint, landscaping, etc. That has never been the best idea, and in this competitive market it just doesn't work at all. If you truly need to sell it's very important, if at all possible, to invest the time and the money to put your very best foot forward.

So let your competitive nature break out! Don't let the guy down the street grab up YOUR buyer! By making sure your home is the most attractive, the most updated, the most competitively priced home in your neighborhood, you will create a sense of urgency among the pool of buyers wanting that all-important best value around. And who knows? You may even end up in a bidding war for your home.

Jacki and Jerry Shafer are "mega agents" with The Shafer Team and Keller Williams Realty Louisville East. "Moving Families. Building Friendships."

Louisville Kentucky's Churchill Downs Has a Third Spire with a Cross On Top

Sat, 02 May 2009 17:18:58 -0500

This is the third year I have volunteered at "Backside of the Track" at Churchill Downs, an annual fund raiser for Christ Chapel, located on the grounds at Louisville's beloved Churchill Downs. Volunteers from several area churches, (including my church, Crestwood Baptist Church), help organize a silent and live auction in a sold out gathering at the Downs. Patrons, many dressed in their "Derby" best, pay $100-a-plate for delicious Kentucky-style cuisine and hear the key note speaker share the "Good News" about lives being changed and hearts being won to Jesus Christ.

Often as many as 100 people in worship each Monday, meeting the spiritual needs of the people on the "back side" who stay on the grounds of Churchill Downs and who may not otherwise get a chance to attend a worship service. These are the people you rarely see, the behind-the-scenes people who keep Churchill Downs running smoothly. They're the groomers, the people who clean the stalls, the men and women you may see walking the horses.

The interdenominational service is held on Monday nights when the track employees are off work. The service begins with praise and worship. After the lively music, Chaplain Ken Boehm preaches to the English-speaking members of the congregation while Spanish-speaking worshippers go next door to hear the sermon in their language.

At the fund raiser a video highlighted several people who shared how much Christ Chapel meant to them. People who have struggled with drugs and alcohol said they didn't know if they would be alive today if it weren't for the love of Christian people who have reached out to help them and show them the love of Christ.

Monies raised have built a beautiful chapel. Before the chapel was built in 2007, church services were held in a small recreation building on site.

The Chapel also provides a food pantry and a clothes closet to help out the needy.

Christ Chapel at Churchill Downs is part of the ministry of Race Track Chaplaincy of America, which has been in existence for 35 years.

As we here in Louisville celebrate the 135th "Run For the Roses", I feel blessed to be a small part of "Backside of the Track."

Jacki and Jerry Shafer are "mega agents" with The Shafer Team and Keller Williams Realty Louisville East.

Check out this 8 acres of wooded privacy in La Grange!

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:38:23 -0500

Main Street USA! It Still Exists - In LaGrange, Kentucky !

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:15:16 -0500

Downtown LaGrange is always one of the first places I take my buyer clients when they come in to tour Oldham County. They are always intrigued by our piece of Americana, and love to watch the train roll by, right in the middle of Main Street. That's why, when I was asked if I'd like to be a member of the board of "Discover Downtown LaGrange", I eagerly said, "Yes!"

Our board recently met with local merchants and members of downtown LaGrange's farmer's market to discuss the many facets of our Main Street Program. As a new board member, I learned a lot about the important role everyone plays in the success of a thriving downtown.

Discover Downtown LaGrange Executive Director, Barbara Manley-Edds, cited some interesting statistics from the Kentucky Heritage Council:

In 2006, Kentucky Main Street and Renaissance on Main programs reported more then $292 million invested in downtowns through these programs, representing the creation of 1,923 new jobs in Main Street districts, 401 new businesses and 345 downtown buildings rehabilitated.

This investment, totalling $292,189,114, includes $69,383,808 in public improvements such as steetscape projects, $127,983,338 in private investment and $94,821,968 in new construction. In fact, through this program over the last 27 years, more than $2 billion has been reinvested in Kentucky downtowns.

Nationwide, statistics show that shopping dollars spent downtown have a greater return back into the community:

* 6 cents of every dollar spent with a "big box" retailer is retained/recirculated in a community. (Source: Rocky Mountain Institute)

* 20 cents of every dollar spent with a chain store is retained/recirculated in a community. (Source: Small Business Institute)

* 60 cents of every dollar spent with a sole proprietorship is retained/recirculated in a community. (Source: Small Business Adminstration)

Okay, so these are stats, and I find them very impressive, and they truly drive home the point that it's economically wise to promote our downtowns across Kentucky - and across America.

Downtown LaGrange is not just a great place to find wonderful shopping and great restaurants. It's a gathering place. It's a place to go to be with people you know. It's a place alive with exciting events all year round. Let me just share some upcoming happenings:

* Girls Night Out - May 7th: 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

* Model T Tour - May 6th thru May 9th

* Rifficolone - May 16th

* Farmers Market - April thru October

* History Walks - June thru August

* Oldham County Day - July 18th

* Ironman - August 30th

* Ghost Tours - September thru October

* Light Up LaGrange - December 4th

I'm very proud to be a small part of the effort to keep downtown LaGrange a place people enjoy visiting often. Personally, over the 25 years Jerry and I have lived in Oldham County, I have watched it evolve into, as Barbara calls it, "a gem of a town".

Jacki and Jerry Shafer are "mega agents" with The Shafer Team and Keller Williams Realty Louisville East. Long-time residents of Oldham County, Jacki and Jerry specialize in residential sales in their own "back yard".

Check out my New Listing in Crestwood!

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:37:07 -0500

Check out my New Listing in La Grange!

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:32:53 -0500

Pricing Your Home Right: Let's See Your Competitive Side!

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:55:13 -0500

It's kinda like chasing a ball down a steep hill. You're always chasing the market when you choose to "test the market". If you're selling your home, you no longer have the option of pricing your home too high thinking, "Well, I can always come down..."

Today, you need to break out of the starting gate priced right! Otherwise, your home may be ON the market, but you won't be IN the market. Knowing that the majority of homes in 2008 failed to sell, it's imperative to price your home aggressively.

So what does that look like? Does that mean that I have to "give my house away??" Absolutely not. It just means that you need to price your home in such a way that when a couple comes to see it, they'll get a knot in their stomach at the very thought that someone else grab it up before they can get to the office with their Realtor and write up an offer!

Using the analogy of going fishing: you've got to lower your bait down to where the fish can see it. Once they see how enticing and attractive it is, they'll do more than just bite - you'll start a feeding frenzy as they try to be the first one to get to it!

Remember, this is a contest. You're running a race. You've got competitors everywhere you look. Inventory is extremely high and buyers have more choices than they've had in many years. So you've got to make your home the best looking home around and you've got to price it just under your closest competitor. Do that, and you'll have the best shot of coming out the winner.

Jacki and Jerry Shafer are "mega agents" with The Shafer Team and Keller Williams Realty East. Specializing in residential real estate sales in Louisville, Kentucky and surrounding counties of Oldham, Henry, and Shelby Counties.

The Shafer Team Gets Geared Up for a Fabulous 2009 at Keller Williams Family Reunion!

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:17:58 -0600

This is our second "Family Reunion" since joining Keller Williams Realty Louisville East . This year we were able to leave Louisville just before another snow fall and come to sunny Orlando!

Opening Ceremony at Keller Williams Realty's "Family Reunion" 2009

Gary Keller shared his vision for 2009, and told us that each of us in the real estate industry will need to come up with our own stimulus package. And we'd better "step it up" because "the next 180 days may be the toughtest economic days we will ever hae in our own lives." Pretty tough words, but I'm glad he didn't sugar-coat it. We need to know that these days are here, face them head-on, and grab all the tools we can

Gary Keller says "You'd Better Create Your OWN Stimulus Package"

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:11:42 -0600

This is our second "Family Reunion" since joining Keller Williams Realty Louisville East . This year we were able to leave Louisville just before another snow fall and come to sunny Orlando!

Opening Ceremony at Keller Williams Realty's "Family Reunion" 2009

Gary Keller shared his vision for 2009, and told us that each of us in the real estate industry will need to come up with our own stimulus package. And we'd better "step it up" because "the next 180 days may be the toughest economic days we will ever have in our own lives." Pretty tough words, but I'm glad he didn't sugar-coat it. We need to know that these days are here, face them head-on, and grab all the tools we can

New Listing at 1609 Hopkins Ct. in La Grange, KY

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:12:38 -0600

Don't Let This Happen To You !

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:04:26 -0600

It's 2010. She tried to hold back, but finally she couldn't take it anymore. She ran into the streets screaming:

WHY DIDN'T I BUY IN 2009 ????

It's not like she didn't think about buying. Everything she read told her that 2009 was her year. With interest rates at an all-time low and homes listed well below appraisal, her heart told her she should do it.

She even picked up the phone and called her Realtor. She looked at several homes, and yes, the bargains were there for the grabbing, but she just couldn't bring herself to make an offer.

And while she procrastinated and waffled, great deals were being grabbed up all around her.

Don't let this happen to you! There couldn't possibly be a better time to buy. Don't find yourself in 2010 wandering the streets mumbling incoherently about why oh why you didn't buy in 2009.

Jacki and Jerry Shafer are "mega agents" with The Shafer Team and Keller Williams Realty Louisville East.

New listing in Ashmoor Woods, Louisville

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 09:23:04 -0600

Real Estate Warriors Unite!

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:29:04 -0600

So I started thinking: If two heads are better than one, what would happen if 15 or 20 heads got together and shared ideas, stategies, and tools that would better equip us to win the war on a tough as nails real estate market?

Well, I did it! I sent out an eblast to agents across Louisville from asking if they would be interested in forming a thinktank group, and the response was overwhelming.

I got a phone call from Pam Vogelsang with local Louisville Re/Max office, Re/Max 100. She graciously offered to help me facilitate our meetings, and I was grateful for the help. We thought about what to call ourselves and came up with the name: REAL ESTATE WARRIORS.

What will our group look like? We have agents signed up who have been in the business for decades, as well as brand new agents. And we have representation from many different real estate firms. As we prepare for our first meeting, we made a list of do's and don'ts.

We DO want group participation.

We DO want everyone to tell us what topics interest them most.

We DO expect everyone to give as well as get. We will all equally share what has worked well for them in their careers.

We DON'T want any Eeyores. No whining allowed. Keep it positive.

Our central theme will be that we're all in this together - and that - together - we will win! I'll keep you posted on the progress of our monthly meetings.

Discover Downtown LaGrange, Kentucky - Jacki Shafer with The Shafer Real Estate Team Joins the Board of DDL

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:27:44 -0600

I love to go shopping in downtown LaGrange. It gives me the opportunity to step out of my crazy real estate world for just a while and step into the "Norman Rockwell" world of downtown LaGrange. I can feel my shoulders relax, my heart rate slow down, and the corners of my mouth turn upward in a happy little smile!

My first stop is usually The 1887 Corner Store. This beautiful old building is on the National Register of Historic Buildings. The wood floors creak under your feet. I LOVE that! The Corner Store offers Amish baskets, collectible boxes, Crabtree and Evelyn products and many unusual and unique handmade gifts.

The kids love to go to The Treasured Child. Not your everyday toy store, The Treasured Child offers traditional toys as well as creative and educational toys.

A few weeks ago my daughter and son-in-law were in to visit from Nashville and we took them and the grandkids downtown to Christmas shop. One of our favorite stops: Karen's Book Barn. With Lydia on my lap reading a book, Karen Eldridge asked me if I would be interested in being involved with Discover Downtown LaGrange as a board member. I told her I was just thinking about how Oldham County is blessed with such a great piece of Americana and how I hoped we could always preserve such a rich heritage. So it didn't take more than a second to say "Yes!".

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND CLICK ON THE DISCOVER DOWNTOWN LAGRANGE website:

It is full of great information about all the Downtown LaGrange is: not just it's shopping and dining opportunities, but will tell you all about its history, special events held throughout the year, and much more.

I'm absolutely thrilled to be a small part of keeping Downtown LaGrange a piece of American culture to be preserved and cherished for many generations to appreciate and enjoy.

Jacki and Jerry Shafer are long-time residents of Oldham County, and specialize in selling homes in their own "back yard".

238 Acres in both Oldham and Henry Counties

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:15:37 -0600

FANTASTIC PRICE! Check out the pricing history to see what an unbelievable new price MOTIVATED SELLERS have placed on this property! 238 ACRES of rich farmland on the OLDHAM COUNTY/HENRY COUNTY line. 13 ACRES in OLDHAM COUNTY; the remainder in HENRY COUNTY. The was once a NURSERY FARM with lots of plantings and an abundance of wildlife. This PICTURESQUE land is PERFECT for a GENTLEMAN'S FARM or INVESTORS / DEVELOPERS could subdivide. Plenty of road frontage from either HWY 146 or Mount Olivet Road. Great mix of wooded, tillable and pasture acreage. Three ponds, creeks. Two barns are also on the property (one with electricity). Water and electric at the street. Super income potential here! Build your dream home and enjoy spectacular views of the countryside. Just minutes to all LaGrange shopping, restaurants and other conveniences, schools, churches, etc., and I-71 is close by. Access to the acreage is restricted through a locked gate. Sellers ask that showings be limited to Serious and Qualified buyers only.

Jacki & Jerry Shafer

The Shafer Team

Keller Williams Realty East

502-554-9500

New Listing at 1495 Partridge Ct in Shelbyville KY

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 10:30:45 -0600

Learn to Say NO !! Stick to your marketing budget for 2009

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:10:56 -0600

I don't know about you, but I'm already being bombarded by companies telling me about all the MUST HAVE's I should be buying RIGHT NOW if I'm gonna have a shot of surviving in the real estate biz in 2009? What about YOU ??

According to them I've just GOTTA HAVE IT! My real estate career will simply go down the tubes without it! And I simply must

Whoa! If this is happening to you, too (and I know it is!), take a step back and evaluate, do some research, ask lots of questions and DON'T sign up to buy anything - especially in today's market - without having some rock hard evidence that it WILL in fact build your business and put some real money in your pocket in 2009.

I'd love to have my 2008 money back on some programs I signed up for that promised that my business would soar, prospects would be calling me begging for my business, and yada, yada, yada! Some programs actually did live up to their promises, but many others simply didn't.

Never again will I fall for the line that I've got to sign up right away to get it for the low, low price of...

In 2009 we simply don't have the money to throw the dice, gambling that the next program, website or gadget will be a magic pill to cure our real estate ills.

So how do we not only survive - but thrive in 2009 without spending outside our marketing budgets (which should be trimmed along with all other budgets)? Well, long before our Louisville, Kentucky market started to slide, we went back to what we know works - regardless of what's happening in the real estate market: staying in touch with our real estate advocates - the people who love us and send referral business our way. Phone calls are free - and your past clients, friends, and family are happy to hear from you.

Jacki and Jerry Shafer are "mega agents" with The Shafer Team and Keller Williams Realty Louisville East. Jacki and Jerry have over 20 years of real estate experience, offering excellent service in Louisville as well as nearby Oldham, Trimble and Henry Counties in Kentucky.