Knowing the score holds key to a home in Louisville A high credit score is great, but a large down payment is even better. Web-based home sellers may get MLS access There will always be a niche for the less than full-service brokers but statistics have shown (thus far) that as the complexity of the real estate transaction increases having professional expertise becomes more, not less, important. Area home prices down 2.7% The silver lining in this story is that Louisville isn't down nearly as much as the rest of the nation. In addition, lower prices mean better deals for home buyers

Not exactly real estate news but if you're a parent of young kids like I am, it's always great to have extra activities on deck. The Northeast YMCA has been working on Calypso Cove and it's about ready to open! Pools, slides, playgrounds, it has it all. And it's all going to open on Saturday, May 24th. Learn more here.

The government isn't big on branding, otherwise they wouldn't name organizations things like the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO). Nonetheless, they are big on data... and tons of it! OFHEO just released this 82-page monster titled Decline in House Prices Accelerates in First Quarter. Doesn't sound very positive does it? But wait! Jump to page 19 and you'll find that Kentucky ranks 16th in the nation with a 1-Year appreciation of 2.81%. Notice I wrote appreciation rather than depreciation? The nation as a whole was down -0.03% but states 37 through 51 were all down

Rock Springs is a brand new RJ Thieneman neighborhood right off Highway 22 still inside Jefferson County. (It's streets aren't even mapped yet!) Homes start in the low $300s and feature styling not commonly found in traditionally minded Louisville. Rock Springs, near Prospect and Glen Oaks, is close to shopping in The Summit and expressways. There are currently a good number of available lots if you want to build the custom home of your dreams in this great location. Read More » This post is one in an ongoing series of spotlights on the Best Louisville Neighborhoods. If you have

Companies and consumers alike are starting to catch on to the dangers of debt. While mortgage foreclosures continue to soar in many parts of the nation, filings in the Louisville area dropped 48 percent last month from the year before, a new report shows. [link] Who's making out like bandits during this downturn? Investors. In the meantime, investors such as Bowman say they're still doing a brisk business purchasing homes from people who can no longer afford the payments, but want to avoid the financial blemish of a foreclosure. Things are definitely improving here in the Louisvil

No, it's not Louisville, but this outrageous condo project in Toronto, Canada is oh so cool. Can you tell I'm into modern architecture? Makes sense since I'm big on Louisville's own Museum Plaza.

After all, the company does bill their product as the Eternal water heater. So is it? ...this hybrid water heater will generate a first hour output rate of more than 300 gallons and is recirculation ready. Which means one Eternal is superior to even 2-tank systems being installed in larger homes today. Ok, let me see if I understand this. More hot water, check. Created more efficiently, check. So, what's the catch? It could be the price. While their Web site has loads of technical information about how this system works, I could not find any pricing information. For anyone buildin

Locust Creek is a newer neighborhood that boasts hosting Homearama in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The latest news is that it will once again host Homearama this year! For more information on Homearama 2008, please visit their site. East of Middletown, but before you enter Shelby County, Locust Creek is home to some of Louisville's most grand properties. Similar in style to some of the newer parts of Lake Forest and Polo Fields, Locust Creek has a lot going for it. Starting in $400s, you'll find estate homes of all sizes. If this is what you're looking for, be sure to visit Locust Creek. Read

Results are mixed this month. Most of the areas rise in both number of sales and average price, while a few still fall. Moving into the late Spring and early Summer, these numbers should be higher than they currently are but growth is growth. Compare with March 2008 Home Sales in Louisville, KY if you like, and as always, please contact me with any questions you might have. April 2008 AREA SALES AVERAGE DoM 0 Central Downtown District 8 $130,875 73 1 Downtwn/Old&WestLouisville/Shively 96 $51,497 86 2 Butchertown/Highlands/Germantw

Like Springhurst, Lake Forest is considered one of Louisville'e premiere neighborhoods. The subdivision began in the early 1980s and hasn't stopped growing, with new developments like Lake Forest Highlands and other sections adding on to the original neighborhood. It's located off Shelbyville Road, just outside the Gene Snyder Freeway in Middletown and with new shopping opening recently directly across the street, Lake Forest continues to impress. Read More » This post is one of an ongoing series of spotlights on Louisville Neighborhoods. If you have one that you would like us to c