This information come to me from my friend and experienced loan officer, Kelly Burn-Lee of Home Services Lending, a division of Wells Fargo Mortgage.  Kelly and I worked together when I was at Semonin.  She is knowledgeable and experienced. This information is comes from here weekly e-newsletter and you can reach her at kelly.bryne@wellsfargo.com. The laws of economics really do hold. Sales of existing homes rose to a 5.03 million annual rate in February, an unexpected 2.9% increase from January's revised 4.89 million annual rate, according to the National Association of Realtors last Monday. The news flew over the heads of the putative experts, who were calling for a drop to 4.85 million. So why do the laws of economics hold? Increased sales are being spurred by lower prices. The media... 03/31/2008

FIRST TIME POTENTIAL BUYERS FOR LOUISVILLE KY REAL ESTATE, Are you wanting to take advantage of our near historic  Low Intrest Rates? Did you know that this is a great time to Buy your first home? Do you have good Credit ? Are you letting the thought of having a lack of funds for a down payment and closing cost prevent you from looking at purchasing your own home? Have you ever heard of The down payment assistance program from the Genesis Foundation? If you havent I suggest you call me right now!!!!  It is pretty easy, here are the 4 steps that we may be able to use.1- Get preapproved  for a home loan.2-Let me help you find a home that you like.3-Recieve your gift to use as a down payment  at closing.4-Move into your new home. This is a gift that you never have to pay back. You may be a... 03/29/2008

Louisville KY are you ready for the KY Derby? Hard to believe that it is almost that time of year again!!! Well with the derby coming soon that means that it is about Kentucky Derby Festival time.We start our kick off with Thunder over Louisville on April 12. The air show begins at 3pm, followed by the fireworks , which begin at 9:30 pm. If you have never been to the Air show you are really missing somthing. The fireworks are put on by Zambelli International, Folks this is the largest fireworks display in our entire country!!! The fireworks are shot off the Second street bridge as well as from 8 barges on the Ohio river.I will give you updates on more Derby happenings when I get the details, untill then make plans for Thunder over Louisville.   Speaking of fireworks, youll want to shoot... 03/28/2008

Continuing on with the series that gives you some tips on helping to sell your Louisville Ky home.we will now move to the inside of your home. Here are some general tips for your interior.1.-Paint any rooms that you feel could use painting, try to use light, neutral colors.2.-Shampoo the carpets, replace if necessary.3.-Scrub and wax any wooden floors, again replace if you think they need it.4.-Clean and wash the kitchen and bathroom floors.5.- Wash all windows, and window sills, be sure to vacum your blinds.6.- Clean the fireplace. Thats it for this time, be sure to look for further updates on our series, part 6 we will continue with some more general inside tips . If you have any questions please call me at 408-3334 or email me at  www.bartwhitmore@realtymp.com also please look at my ... 03/25/2008

We will continue with the series Preparing your home for sale in Louisville ky some tips part 4.We left off at the ouside of the house at the end of part 3. We will now continue with the rest of the outside.1.--If you have any window air conditioning units clean them and remove any rust.2.--Paint the front door if needed along with the mailbox.3.--Replace the front door mat, and add any decorations if needed.4.--Clean any outdoor fixtures, also shine any brass door hardware.5.Make sure your door bell works. We will continue on in the next part of our series, and move to the interior of the home.Look for it soon. Again if you have any questions call me at 502 408-3334, or email me at--www.bartwhitmore@realtyymp.com  03/23/2008

Here is my 3rd part of the series preparing your home for sale in Louisville ky, in this part I will touch on the outside of your home. Ok we have your back yard looking good, if you dont, see part 1 and part 2 of this series.Lets start from the top and work on down to the bottom.1.-Check your roof and make sure the shingles are not lifted up, also are they all there ( after all the storms we have had some may be missing or need repair)2.-How do the gutters look? Do they need to be cleaned? what about painted?3.- Does the exterior need washed? Painted? Are there any damaged bricks that need replaced? Does any of the wood trim need replacing?4.-Windows Do you need to repair any broken windows? Do theey need cleaning? Do you need new sceeens? What about the shutters? Do they need to be re... 03/22/2008

 14604 Dominick Michael Drive Located in Louisville Kentucky went on the Real Estate Market January 30th 2008.Less than 30 days later on February 27th 2008 Dominick Michael went under contract.This is unusual for a home in Louisville Kentucky listed for $975,000.00 to sell so quickly. But, due to the skill and expertise of Lynn Thomas and her highly motivated team of Realtors, it happened to the delight of both the team, the sellers and the buyers. The sellers are grateful to be moving on with their lives so quickly. The buyers are thrilled with the home and can't wait to move in.It really is another win-win situation for everyone working with the Lynn Thomas Real Estate Team and the Keller Williams Louisville East office on 1230 South Hurstbourne Pkwy suite 100 in Louisville Kentucky 4... 03/22/2008

The home inspection is a critical part of the home buying process.  Not only will it uncover any deficiencies your home may have it will also highlight important on going maintenance requirements.The first step is the selection of a licensed inspector.  The most widely used method of selection is through personal referrals from friends, family or your Realtor.Once you have selected an inspector you will need to schedule between two and four hours for completion of the inspection.  This amount of time is required to thoroughly inspect your home from the ground up.It is advisable that you attend the inspection in order to have first hand knowledge of the inspector's findings.Once the inspector has finished the inspection, a complete report of his finding will be created.  The inspector wi... 03/21/2008

Louisville Ky Home prices are slightly up for January and Febuary 2008, the median price is up 1.1% over the same peroid in 2007. This news comes from Greater Louisville Association of Realtors , which I am a proud member. However homes sold is down almost 14%. At the current pace of sales it would take 10 months to sale the existing inventory. Sellers this is why you must price your home where it will sale!!!, it continues to be a buyers market. Buyers this is a very good time to buy. If I may help you in any way please call me at 408-3334. First Time Buyers if you have good credit I may be able to help you get your first home with little to nothing down, including closing cost. You may call me or email me at www.bartwhitmore@realtymp.com. I look forward to hearing from you, my website... 03/21/2008

Last time we went over the front yard, today we will resume with the back yard.1--- If you have a fireplace or wood burnig stove please stack the wood neatly, you dont want pieces of firewood thrown all around your yard.2--Cleanyour rear deck, restain or paint if needed.3-- If you have a pool or spa make sure the water is clean and inviting.4---Remove and discard any outdoor furniture that is shabby looking or in poor shape , not only is it an eyesore but it could be harmfull.5-- Like the front yard trim any bushes, mow and trim grass if needed, replant any grass seed in bare spots.6---Pick up any trash, leaves, or old toys. That does it for the back yard next time we will discuss the outside of your home.  If you or anyone you care about is interested in BUYING OR SELLING A HOME IN LOU... 03/18/2008

  Hello Folks,Here are some interesting facts about Louisville, Kentucky which I thought I would share with everyone.In 1778 General George Rodgers Clark established the first settlement in the area now known as Louisville, KentuckyLouisville is names after King Louis XVI of France because his soldiers were assisting the American Colonist in their battle against the British in the Revolutionary War.Louisville became a busy and large city because it was located at the "Falls of the Ohio". The falls required all boats to stop in Louisville, unload their cargo, transport it across land to a new boat located below the falls in order to continue on it's journey south.The University of Louisville was formerly established in 1846. This is the Oldest City supported college in the United States.... 03/17/2008

Check out this very relevant information from my friend Colin at Smart Box.  His tech blog links are below. If you have been on line searching for a new home and are ready to get out there, call me.  As an Accredited buyer's representative, ABR, I am ready to represent you in the transaction and negotiate the best price for your new home.There have been a number of really bad viruses just within the past few months. We've seen the W32.Beagle, W32.Netsky, MyDoom, and so on.Most of these viruses were transported or replicated from PC to PC using email attachments. These are easy to spot if you're paying attention, simply because they are usually executable files.Some attachments contain Macros (simple programs that run within other programs, all the titles in Microsoft Office use macros).... 03/17/2008

I'm always amazed when folk say there is nothing to do in this town.  check this list of wonderful downtown attraction.  Louisville has an annual program where they entice locals to enjoy many of these attractions by offering half price admission.  Look for it.For a list of Performing Art venues and companies, see my website at http://www.tonalirealtor.com/. Attractions/MuseumsDowntown offers a wide range of attractions and museums including: 21C Museum Hotel 4th Street Live! Louisville Archdiocese of Louisville History Center Belle of Louisville/Spirit of Jefferson riverboats Brennan House Victorian Home Embroidery Resource Center Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area Frazier International History Museum Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft Louisville Extreme Park Louisvill... 03/17/2008

The Hub was planned for downtown Louisville's E-Main District and has been listed as apartments and condos.  I have not been able to find any updates on what is happening with this development.  If you have any information, please email me.It does point to continued interest and development in the downtown area that is going to be important for people who actually live there.  Stores and shops for daily living needs are starting to show up. (See subsequent blog posts.)The Hub includes new construction of two 5-story buildings that will house 60 apartments and retail space.Located at 300-320 E. Market Street, this $3.5 million project is another addition to the East Market arts district and part of the $150 million in investment as a direct result of the opening of Slugger Field. 03/17/2008

The Open House.  Most Realtors will tell you they have a love/hate relationship with them.  When they are well attended, and certainly when they actually result in a sale, how exciting!  On the flip side, when no one shows up and you sit there like the Maytag Repairman hoping someone will come and visit you and your Sellers are disappointed after getting their home cleaned from stem to stern - what a bummer!Sometimes you can do all the right things and no one will show up.  Other times a last-minute unprepared open house can keep you hopping with a steady stream of interested buyers.  What can you do to increase your odds of a successful open house?  Planning.1.     Get your clients excited about ensuring a successful open house, too.  Ask them to make sure the home is spotless and also... 03/16/2008

The Open House.  Most Realtors will tell you they have a love/hate relationship with them.  When they are well attended, and certainly when they actually result in a sale, how exciting!  On the flip side, when no one shows up and you sit there like the Maytag Repairman hoping someone will come and visit you and your Sellers are disappointed after getting their home cleaned from stem to stern - what a bummer!Sometimes you can do all the right things and no one will show up.  Other times a last-minute unprepared open house can keep you hopping with a steady stream of interested buyers.  What can you do to increase your odds of a successful open house?  Planning.1.     Get your clients excited about ensuring a successful open house, too.  Ask them to make sure the home is spotless and also... 03/16/2008

I haven't blogged in few days.  I have been busy changing over all my marketing material from the old name to the new.  I left Semonin last Monday and joined the Breland Group Realtors in the Highlands.  Although many people think that when you change brokers, it has to be because of something terrible.  I joined the Breland group because Lemont is  great guy and has a great team that I can learn a lot from.  As a broker that aspires to owning or managing his own office, I needed a better hands on experience than I was able to get at Semonin.  There really wasn't much more to it.  It is in a better location. Closer to my home and the area I would like to focus on, the Highlands.  But honestly I have been all over the city selling houses and helping my clients buy houses.  I can't dictat... 03/16/2008

Hi Bart Whitmore here well it has been raining a whole lot lately around here. I wanred to start my tour but with the rain i have had to postpone it. I was sitting around today thinking about the tour, when I realized that maybe i should get somthing to eat. My wife wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse so we headed there. I usually get a steak or the pork chops (both by the way are very good ) this time I thought I would try somthing different. Now I am not involved with them (The Roadhouse) in any way, nor do I know anyone who works there, nor do I have any of thier stocks ( may have to check into that) so my opinion is fully unbiased. As a forword I have ordered catfish at other places and some times it was good and some not so good, sometimes there was a real "fishy" taste to it. Often th... 03/15/2008

NEWS FLASH--With the weather starting to break maybe spring is on her way.With this in mind i am proud to announce that I am going to be touring Louisville Ky,s south end neighbor hoods. My first neighborhood that I will be going to will be Fairdale. I will later tour Okalona, Auburndale, Valley Station,Fern Creek, PRP,and other LOUISVILLE SOUTH END AREAS. I will be going door to door and look forward to meeting you soon. The actual dates for each neighborhood are not yet determined at this time, I will follow through with updates as the tour starts.For those who dont know me I am a LOUISVILLE KY REAL ESTATE AGENT. I will try to answer any questions that you may have.If you cant wait  and have a question feel free to call or e-mail me now. My phone number is 408-3334 or you may email me... 03/13/2008

Hunting for Easter Eggs is always fun - it doesn't matter if you're 2 years old or 80 years old.  Finding a prize is always fun. I remember one Easter in particular. My sister and I had to be about 7 and 5 (I being older) and we were out in the back yard playing and we kept finding black jelly beans in the grass. It was the coolest thing (you know, back in the good old days when no one was really paranoid about eating things that fell in the dirt?)!  My sister and I ran around the yard collecting all of these jelly beans in the yard and having the best time. Anyway, in the spirit of the Easter Egg hunt and good memories, here are a list of local places that are offering Easter Egg hunts for the kiddos!  Make sure you bring your camera and your video camera - it's sure to be a good time.... 03/13/2008