A group of auto dealerships has secured the naming rights for the new downtown Evansville Arena. The Tri-State Ford Dealers will pay $4.2 million over 10 years to name the building the Ford Center. The new arena is expected to create more than 300 part-time jobs when it opens later this year. Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel is pleased to announce that the Tri-State Ford Dealers have acquired the naming rights for the new Evansville arena, which will hereafter be known as the Ford Center. The naming rights agreement, which will be presented to the Evansville Redevelopment Commission for approval on September 7, calls for the Tri-State Ford Dealers to pay the City of Evansville more than $4.2 million over a 10-year period. “For a global company like Ford to decide that a marketing in... 08/29/2011

Can you imagine a brand new Mercedes without a paint job?  Do you think people would notice the beautiful car or the missing paint?   It's so much easier to notice that crack in the wall, or the chip in the tile when there is nothing else to focus on.  Home Staging capitalizes on the positive aspects of a home, while de-emphasizing the negative aspects in order to position a home to make an emotional connection with the buyers.  Without Furniture, There Is No Frame Of Reference How big is the room?  Without furniture it's incredibly difficult to tell the scale and size of a room.  When the buyer does not haver answers to their questions-they walk away.  What is this room for?  Many times a buyer can’t even tell if it’s the living room or dining room in an unfurnished home.  Don’t keep t... 08/21/2011

We have more good news to report based on last month’s local real estate activity. We closed more transactions in June than we did last June. That would not be so impressive, until one considers that June of 2010 was the last month in which buyers could close transactions and take advantage of the homebuyer’s tax credit. The real estate market has been out of the tax credit business for a full year now and it is clear that we are a better position today than we were a year ago. We are absolutely positive that we will close significantly more transactions over the next few months than we did over the same period last year. Based on June sales, our month’s supply of active listings is lower than it has been for 35 of the past 36 months. Properly priced listings are selling in today’s mark... 07/21/2011

Indiana Landmarks is taking steps to restore Evansville's former Greyhound Terminal. The city of Evansville has contributed the 1939 building and $250,000 to the nonprofit effort. Evansville, Ind. -- Indiana Landmarks today took steps toward getting Evansville’s Greyhound Terminal in running order. Pending board approval, the private, nonprofit organization plans to restore the rare building at the corner of NW Third and Sycamore Streets. The City of Evansville primed the redevelopment pump by contributing the building and $250,000. Vacant for four years, the 1939 building is one of two remaining terminals from Greyhound’s “Blue Period” and the only surviving station clad in enameled-steel panels. “Everyone loves this building,” says Indiana Landmarks’ President Marsh Davis. “Some have ... 07/20/2011

  I have some news and observations this month that I think you will find interesting. First on the national front, housing affordability has reached an all time high. This calculation, released by Wells Fargo and The National Association of Home Builders, says that 74.6% of all homes sold in the first quarter of 2011 were affordable for families earning the national median income of $64,400. This is the highest level in the 20 years this data has been tracked. The two driving factors in this calculation are the price of homes and interest rates, both of which are at very low levels. In fact, according to Corelogic, national home prices have declined 33.8% from their peak. Keep in mind that is a nationwide statistic. Locally home values never declined that much. In fact from our peak av... 06/13/2011

The Evansville Redevelopment Commission has approved a $3 million walkway connecting a downtown casino and hotel. The walkway would let people visit Casino Aztar and Le Merigot Hotel without having to go outside. According to our partners at the Evansville Courier-Press, the lease between the city and casino required that a walkway be built by 2012, but casino leaders have decided to start the project early. The casino’s general manager says the project would also create a safer walk to nearby restaurants. Source: Evansville Courier-Press & InsideINdianaBusiness.com Report http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=47756 05/25/2011

BRING ON THE MAY FLOWERS Did you know that, on average, quality landscaping adds 5 to 11 percent value to your home? Even if you’re not looking to sell landscaping is an improvement that appreciates over time. Here are some ideas to get a head start: If you’re selling in a year or less If you’re looking to buy a new home and sell your current one, you’re likely on a budget and short on time. Consider these simple enhancements: · Edge the beds and nourish the grass – a clean, well-kept lawn gives a great first impression. · Add some color – There are a lot of inexpensive flower varieties that can make your home stand out to potential buyers. · Pay attention to your selection– Buyers will appreciate plant, tree and flower varieties that are low-maintenance and require less water. If you’r... 05/20/2011

Market Watch Residential closed transactions in April declined slightly from March but pended transactions increased from March to April. I expect closed transactions to increase slightly over the next few months and still believe that the second half of 2011 will be significantly better than the second half of 2010. The primary factors influencing sales over the next few months will be interest rates, shadow inventory and general economic conditions with particular emphasis on employment. Although I still believe interest rates will increase, I do not expect any significant increase for several months, maybe not until 2012. Shadow inventory, which consists of foreclosed, or seriously delinquent mortgage loans continue to decline. The National Association of Realtors has forecasted a 1.... 05/19/2011

Spring is here, and it's time to truly make your landscape shine! After all, one of the joys in owning your own home is attending to and personalizing your own yard! Since the focal point of most landscaping is the lawn (also one of the trickiest things to maintain), we are including a special list of tips and tricks to help you whip your lawn into perfect shape. Giving special attention to the lawn now will help to keep it healthy throughout the summer; we hope you find this list to be as helpful as we have!   Please remember that if you have any need for household advice or tips or would like to discuss any real estate questions Rolando is always available at 499-9234 or Kathy at 499-0246 or visit our Web site at: www.TheTrentiniTeam.com      FIVE WAYS TO ACHIEVE A GORGEOUS LAWN   Wat... 05/16/2011

Even though EVSC Superintendent Dr. Vince Bertram is stepping down, one of his biggest initiatives is on its way up. The brand new North Junior High and High School is just months away from completion. Fox 7's took an exclusive tour around the school on Friday. Next year, it won't just be new classes for these North High school students. It'll be a brand new school altogether. Project Manager George Link was our personal tour guide around the 85 million dollar facility. We walked with him for an hour...and couldn't cover everything. That's because this school is designed to handle 3,000 thousand students. "Whether you're doing a small school for 500 students or a large one for 3,000, they have the same features. It's just different in the scale of it." The scale of this one is grand. An... 05/05/2011

The Vanderburgh County Solid Waste Management District will hold its 2011 Electronics Recycling Days on Saturday, May 14, and Saturday, September 24, from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon at the Civic Center parking lot. Vanderburgh County residents can bring a variety of electronic materials including but not limited to computers and computer related equipment, TVs, DVD players, DVR/TiVo devices, digital cameras and fax machines. Copy machines and appliances, including microwaves, will not be accepted.This program is for households only.  Items from businesses will not be accepted.For more information, call the Vanderburgh County Solid Waste District at 436-7800.                      # OF              ITEMS          # OF    YEAR        VEHICLES     COLLECTED    POUNDS     2002            143... 05/02/2011

Unfortunately the cases of meth labs are on the increase, and Evansville has its fair share of them. Meth labs are a nuisance to the community and law enforcement does all they can to stay on top of this situation. The article below shows how a community can work together to lessen the possibilities of individuals to start new meth labs. We commend law enforcement and landlords working together to overcome this problem. -RT   Fire fighters and police deal with the aftermath of meth lab explosions.But who's left to clean up the mess afterward?In many cases-- it's the landlord who's stuck with the bill. The Property Owners And Manager's Association of Evansville started up last year, and already it has nearly 70 members representing more than 3,000 rental units. Police say 9 out of 10 met... 05/02/2011

We consider Atlas Van Lines a local company here in Evansville Indiana. Even though this is true, Atlas Van Lines has worldwide contacts and offices throughout the United States and in other countries. Atlas therefore has a direct pulse to the market place and is in a very good position to make predictions on corporate as well as personal relocations. The report below will highlight the advances in the relocation market. -RT   Relocation managers across the U.S. are expressing optimism that the worst of the recession is now in the rearview mirror, according to a survey. Responding to Atlas Van Lines' 44th annual Corporate Relocation Survey, 72 percent of the relocation managers polled say they believe their respective companies will fare better in 2011. The optimism rate among large fir... 04/29/2011

EVANSVILLE -- Winter and early Spring flooding is causing quite the mess along Evansville's riverfront, but clean up crews have to wait for the weather to cooperate. The Greenway along Evansville's riverfront is a path that many take every day. Joshua Seibert lives in Evansville and says this time of year he's usually greeted with the remnants of Winter flooding. He says the riverfront is usually "sort of smelly from the stagnant water, the debris. Lot of grass down here too. Usually it's cleaned up down here, but it's been pretty nasty". Seibert says this year, the junk that's washed up seems to be worse, including tires and other junk washed up on the concrete near Casino Aztar. The City of Evansville says that all of this mess can't be cleaned up until waters fully recede for the ent... 04/22/2011

EVANSVILLE- It can be tough having a dependant family member who has special needs.  Caregivers often get overwhelmed and need support.  Jacob's Village has been providing adults with disabilities alternative living arrangements since October 2004. The organization is funded through private donations and fees from people living there. Currently, six people are calling Jacob's Village home.  The facility has caregivers 24-hours a day, nature trails, a gazebo area, and a variety of activities.  Jacob's Village offers services to families who are looking for alternative living options or a place for loved ones to go if a caretaker wants to get away for a weekend. The organization plans to expand in May by building more housing units.  Starting in the fall, it will offer services to senior ... 04/21/2011

It's a sign of the season: outdoor home improvement scams.  Police say as the temps warm up, the fraud cases pile up. False promises cost an Evansville woman thousands after she agreed to hand over checks to a local contractor. Door-to-door scams often begin with a stranger knocking at your front door, but not this time. Instead, Dorothy Elzer says it was a familiar face.  "Seems like I had known him," said the 86-year-old woman.  Elzer says she had seen the contractor around her neighborhood doing work for others. He pointed out a roofing problem.  "Well, he said if I didn't get it fixed it would be leaking." She was sold and agreed to hire the apparent handyman to repair her roof.  Elzer says she can't write as well as she used to, so she handed over several blank checks to pay for th... 04/15/2011

The Evansville Parks and Recreation Department is working to repair all the city pools so they open on time this year. So far Lorraine pool has received the most repairs.  Last summer there was a problem with the infrastructure and piping when the lining was put into place.  Now, contractors have identified 14 leaks and are working to fix those.  Once that is done, a new liner will be put in place, costing more than $37,000. In three weeks, the parks department will start prepping by draining, power washing, filling and chlorinating the pools.  Garvin pool will take the most work to open, because it's the only city pool with a fiberglass liner. Agency Director Dan Schall says, "that is our goal every year to get the pools up and running.  You don't know your major problems until you pre... 04/14/2011

Market Watch        If you remember the Market Watch I sent in December, I made several specific predictions about how our local real estate market would perform the first several months of this year compared to last year. Those predictions have been accurate to-date but what is probably more telling is how we are doing compared to 2009. As I have mentioned before the homebuyer tax credits in the first half of last year distorted sales. There were no homebuyer tax credits in the first half of 2009. Closed sales in the first three months of 2011 were up 11.7% in units and up 18% in total sales dollars compared to the corresponding period in 2009. The local housing market has improved and will continue to get better.       The number of active listings on the market continues to stay at h... 04/13/2011

Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel announced today that Heavy Trash Pick-up will begin on Monday, April 11, and is scheduled to run through Monday, June 13. This semi-annual curbside service is available to City residents who pay for trash service with their water bill, including newly-annexed areas. Apartment complexes, mobile home communities and business/commercial customers are not eligible.   To help keep crews on schedule and prevent heavy trash from sitting out on the curb any longer than necessary, the Evansville Water & Sewer Utility and Allied Waste analyzed collection volume data from past years before setting this spring's heavy trash collection schedule. The number of days allocated for collection in each specific area has been determined based on the volume of heavy tras... 04/08/2011

For the second time in three months there is a proud new mama monkey at Mesker Park Zoo. A Francois' Langur (FRANZ-wah LANG-ur) monkey gave birth to a female on February 8th, but the baby was just put on display. Another feamle gave birth to a male baby in November. Francois' Langur Monkeys are leaf-eating monkeys native to Vietnam, Laos, and China. They usually sleep in caves, and the babies have bright orange fur that turns brown as they mature. There are only 73 Francois Langur Monkeys in captivity in the U.S., eight of those are in Evansville. Source: http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=260386 04/08/2011