Special offer

Fort Wayne, IN Real Estate News

By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
We hear this question a lot when we meet with a seller.   There are so many different things to consider. The Fort Wayne real estate market has been crazy the last few years with homes flying off the shelves because of low inventory, but we've also seen homes sit for quite a while for a variety of reasons.   1.  Price.  Even though prices have been on the rise here, sometimes we still see homes that are overpriced.  That means it could take longer if the sellers aren't realistic.   2.  Condition of the home.  If your home needs repairs (new windows, flooring, scraping paint to name a few) it's going to limit the types of loans that a lender will allow.   3.  Location.  Of course we've all heard LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION many times.  It's true and we always recommend any buyer do thei...
Comments 6
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
In our 22 combined years in real estate, we can't remember when the housing inventory has been so low.   It's great for our sellers, no doubt.   It's TOUGH for buyers out there in our market.   We sent a new listing (1 day on the market) to one of our buyers yesterday.   The listing agent called and said they already have 19 showings scheduled in the next 12 hours.   Our buyer wasn't able to get in there due to their schedule.   It was pending within four hours.   We're super flexible and can take short notice showings for our buyers and will do whatever we can to help, but it's so tough right now.   For our sellers?  Different story.   We prepare our sellers for the same scenario. BE READY!   Odds are it's going to be chaos once we put your home live.   It's great for you as a seller a...
Comments 5
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
No.   We've worked under the umbrella of giant companies before we broke out on our own.   Stats are cool.  Numbers are cool.  Volume is cool.   You know what really matters?  The service you get from your real estate agent.   We pride ourselves on communication, knowledge and educating our buyers and sellers without all of the bells and whistles that the big box companies try to sell you on.   It's all about customer service and you get that from the real estate agent you choose to work with.   That's us.   Professional photography?  You get it at no extra cost to you.   Market knowledge?  Yeah.  We know the market.   Communication throughout the process?  Check.   Negotiating skills?  That's one of our strongest points.   Relationships with lenders, title companies and home inspectors...
Comments 10
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
We work with a lot of first time home buyers, second time home buyers, and on and on...   Our experience has been that during every transaction there are other people involved in the decisions.   Parents.  Friends.  Co-workers.  Cousin Sally.   You know the drill.   Sometimes having another set of eyes can help the transaction.  Maybe Uncle Paul who runs a construction business can see a few things we can't during the showing.  (We always recommend a home inspection even if Uncle Paul can point out a few things.)   Ultimately it's our buyer's decision on what they do and we understand our buyers needing emotional support from said family and friends.   That said...  trust your Realtor.  Trust that we live and breathe this all day every day and only have your best intentions in mind.   I...
Comments 3
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
  The Fort Wayne real estate market has been listed as one of the top 5 toughest markets for buyers.  That's why you need a Realtor that knows how to help you buy in a market like this.   Here are some tips. 1.  BE READY!  If you or I see a home that pops up on the market that might interest you, we need to get there ASAP!  I'm talking the same day.  Homes are selling in hours in this market and we need to be on it.  Waiting until the weekend isn't going to do it.  We need to see it now.   2.  Write a strong offer.  If you can pay your own closings costs that will make the offer look better to the seller who is probably going to be fielding multiple offers.  In this market we've also seen offers over the seller's asking price because of the buyer asking for concession and closing costs....
Comments 3
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
This cute little ranch was PERFECT for our buyer (who is also a close friend)!   It's just under 1,100 square feet and has 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, and has an outstanding layout that our buyer fell in love with.  It sits on a quiet road in a location that is near everything and has easy access to I69 and just 15 minutes from downtown.   It was an absolute pleasure being a part of this process with our friend and helping her get everything she needed in a home.   If you'd like the same full time customer service please call us at (260) 704-0843.  Thanks for stopping by!  
Comments 2
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
12306 Hummingbird Cove in Shearwater Subdivision in Fort Wayne is SOLD by Amanda in 15 days!   This two story home features 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and 2,800 square feet of living space.  It's tucked away in a cul de sac in Carroll School District.   Congratulations to the sellers and the new home owners!   If you'd like to discuss your Fort Wayne real estate needs please call Amanda today at (260) 704-0843.  She'd love to have a pressure free chat about what she can offer you.   Thanks for stopping by!  
Comments 2
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
6330 High Pointe Run in Fort Wayne, Indiana is SOLD by Amanda Christiansen with Century 21 Bradley in 2 days! This beautiful two story home features 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms and is located in Norththrop School District in Fort Wayne, Indiana.     Congratulations to the new home owners!   If you're considering selling your home in the Fort Wayne area, call Amanda today at (260) 704-0843 for a pressure free consultion about your home and what she can do for you.     Thanks for stopping by!
Comments 0
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
638 Greenlawn Avenue in Fort Wayne, Indiana is SOLD by Amanda Christiansen with Century 21 Bradley in 37 days! This beautiful two story home features 3 bedrooms and 1 bahroom and is located in North Side School District in Fort Wayne, Indiana.     Congratulations to Amanda's sellers and to the new home owners     If you're considering selling your home in the Fort Wayne area, call Amanda today at (260) 704-0843 for a pressure free consultion about your home and what she can do for you.     Thanks for stopping by!
Comments 6
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
812 Westlawn Drive in Fort Wayne Indiana is SOLD by Amanda Christiansen with Century 21 Bradley in 30 days! This ranch home features 3 bedrooms and 1.5 baths and is located in Homestead School District in Southwest Fort Wayne.   Congratulations to Amanda's sellers and to the new home owners! If you're considering selling your home in the Fort Wayne area, call Amanda today at (260) 704-0843 for a pressure free consultion about your home and what she can do for you.   Thanks for stopping by!  
Comments 2
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
 Experience - The Christiansen Team has over 20 years of experience selling real estate in the Fort Wayne area.   Knowledge - This is all we do.  We know the market, prices, and what it takes to get the job done for both our buyers and sellers. .  Communication - Our clients are never left in the dark.  Both buyers and sellers will hear from us on a regular basis.  We're hand holders.   Negotiating skills - Whether it's price or inspection, we are excellent negotiatiors and have a lot of experience getting our clients what they need.  Patience - We don't push our buyers into buying.  We want to make sure you're buying the right home at the right price.   Urgency - When it's time to go, we go.  2016 has been a seller's market with low inventory.  There are times homes have sold in hours ...
Comments 1
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Over the 9 years our team has been selling real estate in the Fort Wayne area, we have worked with MANY young and first time home buyers.  We get asked this question a lot.   Am I too young to buy a home?  The answer is always the same:  It depends. 1.  Can you afford it?  Buying is often cheaper than renting, but the upfront costs are higher.  You need to consider what type of loan you qualify for and how much money you'll be putting down.  We highly recommend talking to one of our lending partners or talking to your own if you have one.   Upkeep is something else you want to consider.  If you own your home the repairs are up to you and can get costly.  We always recommend a home warranty which will absorb some of the costs if needed.   2.  What does the future hold?  Do you plan on ra...
Comments 6
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
If you would have asked us this question in 2013, 2014, or even 2015, the answer would have been very different than the answer today.   Homes are selling in the Fort Wayne area in HOURS at times.  Last week we listed a home at 12:00 pm, and by 6:00 pm we had it under contract to sell with a fantastic offer.  The seller chose to cancel the four showings that night and the two showings for the next day because they got what they needed.   Not every case is like that, but across the board we're seeing homes flying off the shelves.   We can safely predict when we meet with a seller if the home is going to sell quickly or not based on our market knowledge and the area of the home.   So far in 2016 homes between $100,000 - $200,000 in the Carroll and Homestead school districts have a median ...
Comments 2
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
It's Mid May and the real estate market in Fort Wayne, Indiana continues to be a seller's market.   'Clean and well priced' homes continue to fly off the shelves.  A lot of these homes are receiving multiple offers in the first 24 hours they're listed. While we can't guarantee this will happen to your home, we can come out and have a conversation (like we're doing with two more sellers today).   From a buyer's perspective it's not quite as fun of a market to be in.  With inventory levels being so low, when a home pops on the market that matches what you want, you need to go see it that day.   We've had a few buyers recently that have lost out on homes because their schedules weren't quite flexible enough to get out and see it that day.  It eventually worked out, but as a buyer in today'...
Comments 4
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Amanda and I have always been entrepreneurs.   Amanda and I have not always been successful entrepreneurs. Back in the day we tried an ebay business selling over stock clothing, hitting garage sales and turning a profit selling items we found at these sales online, and we even tried multi level marketing once.  GASP??!!  A pyramid scheme??   It was not for us.   While trying to make money on the side, we did both have full time jobs with benefits.  Booooring... A former employer turned business partner and I started flipping foreclosures during the rush of 2005-2008.  He'd front the money, I'd do the work, and we would split the profits.   Then Amanda joined me and we both quit our jobs and jumped in full time.   We had a lot of fun doing the work together and found a fair amount of suc...
Comments 41
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
  We've been full time Realtors in Fort Wayne, Indiana for eight years now.  2016 is our fifth year with Century 21 Bradley. There are plenty of companies that we could have chosen, but we chose Century 21 Bradley because of everything they offer their Realtors.   The staff is incredibly friendly, helpful, and patient.  They're always willing to help us whenever we need it.  Plus, the office is open M-F 8-8, Saturday 8-5, and Sunday 12-5.  No other real estate office in Fort Wayne is open and staffed like that.   The environment here is energized and inviting.  The meetings and trainings are very helpful and we've found that we learn just as much from other agents as we do from the person leading the class.  The camaraderie between a large core of the agents here is strong. The technolo...
Comments 5
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Typically most sellers wait until early Spring to list their homes for sale in the Fort Wayne area.   2016 is NOT the year to do that!   SPRING HAS SPRUNG! Housing inventory is SO low right now it's ridiculous.   Sellers are getting multiple offers within 24 hours of listing.   Prices are slowly rising.   There are hoards of buyers out there looking for homes to buy that just aren't there.   It's a simple formula of supply and demand.   Right now the supply is down so the demand is UP.   Inventory levels are down 20% from last year at this time.  Over the last 12 months inventory is down 18.8% on average.   NOW is the time to sell!   Call Amanda and Jared at (260) 704-0843 for a conversation about selling your home in the Fort Wayne area.   Heck, we even do Whitley and Huntington county...
Comments 4
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
What's going on in the Fort Wayne real estate market in January of 2016?  Let's take a look at the numbers.   Activity Snapshot - 8.5%  One year change in closed sales.+ 6.8%  One year change in median sales price- 20.5%  One year change in inventory New listings 1-2015:  710.    NL 1-2016:  677.  - 4.6%Pending sales 1-2015:  490.    PS 1-2016:  564.  +15.1%Closed sales 1-2015:  377.    CS 1-2016:  345.  -8.5%Median sales price 1-2015:  $101,000.    MSP 1-2016:  $107,875.  +6.8%Avg. sales price 1-2015:  $123,722.    ASP 1-2016:  $132,346.  +7.0%Homes for sale 1-2015:  2,412    HFS 1-2016:  1,918.  -20.5% The 12 month average for new listings is down 2.0%The 12 month average for pending sales is up 9.6%The 12 month average for closed sales is up 6.7%The 12 month average for median sales ...
Comments 1
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
That is a question we get all the time from potential clients and from the general public.   The answer is always going to depend on who you ask, so this is us, two professional full time Realtors that live and breathe real estate, giving our opinion of the Fort Wayne real estate market.   For sellers, the market is good and has been for well over a year.  Inventory levels are way down and there isn't a lot of competition out there for good, quality homes.What this has done is raise home sale prices and lower days on market, or how long it takes to sell a home.   For buyers, it's a little frustrating right now.  While the low inventory is good for sellers, it's not great for buyers.  Many homes pop on the market and are under contract to sell within days if not hours.  Not all homes are...
Comments 3
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Years ago I had a friend that emailed me full of excitement. "Jared!  We are ready to buy a home!  We're pre-approved for $400,000 and here are 5 homes we want to see please." All 5 homes were right around that $400,000 mark.   Knowing that they had struggled to save enough for a down payment and even though he just got a promotion, I knew they were tight financially. Not that it's my job to manage friend's finanaces, but I was concerned. I told them to write a list of wants and needs in a home.   Once I got that list I knew the exact area where you could find homes that fit all of their wants and needs, but it was in the $300,000 range instead. I found 3-4 homes and emailed the listings over to them.   They loved the homes I sent, and ended up buying a home for around $315,000.   They ...
Comments 7
Explore Fort Wayne, IN
Fort Wayne, IN Real Estate Professionals