If you've been anywhere near a TV, radio or magazine (and who hasn't?) then you've probably heard how "down" the real estate market is, right? To be exact, sales nationally fell 3.8% in June. Ouch. That's a quite hit. But, what about home sales here in Louisville? Joe Simms, president of the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors, said yesterday that from January through June, 229 more property sales closed in the area, representing a 3.1 percent increase. [link] That's not too shabby. And by comparison is downright beautiful! Now, not every homeowner is experiencing the rewa

In Terri Cullen's piece, The McMansion Effect, she delves into the idea of homeowners opting to renovate rather than relocate and how home values rise and fall based on trends of the neighborhood. It's an interesting piece, though her numbers for the New Jersey suburbs are hardly applicable to us here in Louisville. I think the key paragraph is this one. That said, people who are shopping for homes in a certain neighborhood expect certain amenities in those homes, says Kermit Baker, director of the remodeling futures program at Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

Just a couple more weeks and the FBI will break ground on a new 120,000-square-foot, three-story headquarters building. The project will include a secure parking garage attached to one side of the building, as well as a security fence and controlled-access gate. The headquarters will be set back at least 100 feet on all sides from public roads and access points, consistent with federal security regulations put into effect after the Oklahoma City federal building was bombed in 1995. [link] It looks like they won't be able to consolidate employees until 2009 but when they do, it looks

I was looking for this information before but couldn't find it. Then my brother sent me a link and *viola!* we've got it! If you have other inquiries of a real estate nature, please pass them along.

Ana Lagunez of the CJ has a brief article called Homearama Shows Off Trends. I've got my tickets. Do you?

Before I delved into real estate, I hadn't yet heard Louisville called a City of Parks. While the concept is worthwhile and innovative, their marketing efforts (thus far) have been a bit underwhelming. What began in 2005 has been slowing building towards a vision of what community leaders call "Louisville's Greenprint." When I read news today about a 300-mile park that stretched from Georgia into our fair state of Kentucky, I thought it must have something to do with this 'City of Parks' effort. Turns out I was wrong and that green is apparently the new black. For those of you who

Broeck Pointe is a small neighborhood near Brownsboro Farm and Barbourmeade of Highway 22 in Louisville's East End. The subdivision began in the mid 1970s with homes still being built 10 years late. Like the surrounding area, Broeck Pointe has its share of mature trees and lots between 1/3 and 1/2 an acre. Home values have risen steadily in this desireable area. Read More » This post is one in an ongoing series of spotlights on the Best Louisville Neighborhoods. If you have a neighborhood that you think deserves coverage, please contact us.

While the housing market is showing signs of increasing in terms of the number of transactions, it still remains a strong buyer's market. What this means is that inventory—the number of homes currently listed—is quite high and that gives buyers more choices. More choices mean more competition for the sale which, in turn, pushes prices down. What is good news for buyers is inevitably bad news for sellers. Homes are taking longer to sell and prices are lower than in years past. Even still, the right combination of strategy and execution will still get homes sold in today's ma

Ten Broeck is a gem of a community nestled in a very scenic part of Louisville off Highway 22 near Manor Creek and Brownsboro Farm. It's a very small area with only a handful of properties, each one distinctive. Lots are very large and private, providing some of the city's most beautiful settings. Read More » This post is one in an ongoing series of spotlights on the Best Louisville Neighborhoods. If you have a neighborhood that you think deserves coverage, please contact us.

Stone Lakes is a well-designed subdivision off Taylorsville Road in Louisville's East End. Still inside the Gene Snyder freeway, this neighborhood has some gorgeous lake views and several walking paths and playgrounds. As Louisville's Homearama site in 2001, you know Stone Lakes has been designed by experts in both home construction and layout. Just down the street from Saratoga Woods, both of these large neighborhoods have done a great job catering to Louisville's mid-tier client base. Read More » This post is one in an ongoing series of spotlights on the Best Louisville Neighbo

Here's the information for this year's Homearama: The 2007 Homearama at Beech Spring Farm will feature 10 spectacular homes. Admisssion is $10 per person - per visit. Hours are: Mon. - Fri. 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (ticket gate closes at 8:00 p.m.) Saturday: 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. (ticket gate closes at 8:00 p.m.) Sunday: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. (ticket gate closes at 4:30 p.m.) Monday, July 30th there will be the after Homearama Furniture Sale and admission is FREE with your coupon from the Plans Book. Not all homes are guaranteed to be open during this event. Hours on Monday, July 30th are 1 - 7

In the heart of Louisville resides St. Matthews. For the past 50 years, St. Matthews has been home to some of the city's best shopping with both Mall St. Matthews and Oxmoor Mall. When a Louisvillian hears St. Matthews, they generally think shopping. Housing ranges from cute little ranches to larger, more prestigeous homes. There are also a number of parks with Seneca Park being the largest. There's a great deal to do in this extremely desirable location. Read More » This post is one in an ongoing series of spotlights on the Best Louisville Neighborhoods. If you have a neighbo

Dear Seller, First rule is do not despair. Second rule is “Make your home shine!” To begin this journey, totally lose your seller instincts and put yourself in the buyer seat. The drive begins when your buyer pulls up to your home. This is your opportunity to provide a moment of WOW. This is the time when the buyer is engaged, open and willing to weigh what your home has to offer against their needs, as well as what the other homes they have seen had to offer. It is called curb appeal and you should not under estimate it. It goes without saying that the façade of y

Springhurst is one of Louisville's premiere neighborhoods with wonderful options in housing, shopping and entertainment. In truth, the Villages of Springhurst are a collection of a number of smaller subdivisions with names like, Felsmere, Moorfield or Springbrook. Within the Springhurst community is another wonderful neighborhood called White Blossom which is covered on its own page. This desirable area is located between Highway 22 and Westport Road on both sides of Hurstbourne Parkway, just north of Anchorage and south of Prospect.Read More » This post is one in an ongoing s

Middletown, like Jeffersontown, is a rather large city that contains many neighborhoods. Located around Shelbyville Road in Louisville's East End, Middletown is home to parks, shopping, entertainment, and, of course, houses! With almost five square miles, there's a lot to explore. Read More » This post is one in an ongoing series of spotlights on the Best Louisville Neighborhoods. If you have a neighborhood that you think deserves coverage, please contact us.

We don't have a lot of commercial news here at Louisville Homes Blog but here's a big one. Louisville's marquis skyscraper—Aegon Center—is now up for sale as part of a three building package deal. The buildings are owned by Seneca One Realty, a New York City-based real estate investment group. The other two buildings in the package are located in Buffalo, New York and St. Louis, Missouri. Hurry now and maybe you can get them to come off their $500 million asking price.

Lyndon is a great neighborhood in the center of Louisville's east end surrounded by St. Matthews on the west, Hurstbourne to the south and Anchorage to the east. There's a broad range of home types from very small homes built during the 1950s all the way up to 3,000 sq. ft. new construction homes currently listed in the low $300s. Lyndon is also well-known around the city for their Lyndon Recreation Association, which runs several high quality, sports programs for kids and adults. Read More » This post is one in an ongoing series of spotlights on the Best Louisville Neighborhoods

The Greater Louisville Home Ownership Expo was yesterday. I must apologize for not publishing that information earlier but to be honest, I had no idea. They might want to improve the event's marketing efforts. Events like these are wonderful sources of information, especially for new home buyers or buyers with credit issues. Among the offerings were eight workshops — some conducted in Spanish — on understanding credit, home insurance, applying for a mortgage and predatory lending, to name a few. [link]