Sam Zell, the 52nd richest American by Forbes, is predicting a housing turnaround this spring. My biggest gripe with the media is that they often focus only on the negative, so we'll just have to see how widely this news will be reported. As it so happens, Mr. Zell made the bulk of his fortune in real estate, so he knows a thing or two about the housing market. If you've been thinking about a move, now might be a great time to list your home.

In one of our most popular posts of last year—Comparing Home Improvements in Louisville with the Nation—we looked at how home improvement project costs were recouped when it came time to sell your home. This is important information given that so many homeowners desire to include 100% of their home improvement dollars in their asking price when it comes time to sell, which isn't realistic. Now we have the numbers for 2007! Unfortunately, in almost every case, recoup values have gone down, sometimes drastically. But having this information should help every homeowner better prepare

Photos: Courier-Journal If you are only allowed to update one room in your home, chances are the kitchen is your best bet. Buyers are especially demanding when it comes to the most used room in any house. Looking at the photos of this kitchen remodel (above) I didn't think the "Before" looked poor, in any respect. But "Wow!" would you look at the "After" photo? It's certainly impressive. (Although, I do think those bar stools no longer fit the image of the room.) The Courier article states: Kitchen remodels are a popular option and can pay off. The annual Hanley Wood LLC "Cost vs

Caton Bredar is reporting in the Courier-Journal that home buyers in Louisville can request a background check, of sorts, from the county health departments. With a rise in meth labs, this is something conscientious buyers (and their Realtors) should do as part of their due diligence. This is especially important if you know that the property in question was being leased. The old adage—"Buyer Beware"—is certainly true. "Better Safe Than Sorry" is another one that pops into my head, but you get the picture.

Saw this complimentary snippet today: The housing market is Louisville, Ky., is slowing, but not nearly as much as other parts of the country, says a Courier-Journal news story. In August, the number of home sales was about equal to the amount sold in August 2005, while listings jumped from 589 to approximately 700, the newspaper says. Meanwhile, the spring quarter of this year showed an annual home-price appreciation rate of 2.4%, the Courier-Journal says. "Overall, Louisville is still a very good real-estate market," the paper quotes a local real-estate professor as saying. However, rea

Liz Pulliam Weston has done a solid job of outlining the changes in home financing since the sub-prime lending scare began. Of particularly note is this. At the height of the lending boom, you could be zero for three -- lousy credit scores, little or no down payment and unable to prove your income -- and still get a loan. Today, "you better be two for three," LendingTree.com's Svinth said. Good scores, a down payment of 10% or more and a steady, provable income put you in the best position to get a loan. While this largely affects those of us with low credit scores, but even homebuye

There are signs of improvement here and there but nothing significant for January. You can click here to compare these sales results with last month. And as always, please contact me with any questions you might have. January 2008 AREA SALES AVERAGE DoM 0 Central Downtown District 4 $79,250 88 1 Downtwn/Old&WestLouisville/Shively 89 $51,499 84 2 Butchertown/Highlands/Germantwn 50 $219,617 72 3 Brownsboro Rd/CrescentHills/StMatthews 48 $262,431 95 4 Pleasure Rdg/Valley Station 27 $107,211 91 5 Auburndale/Fairda