Others Are Taking Advantage of the Market - Why Aren't You?

There are many great Louisville area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (502) 458-2722 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

We want to take just a minute of your time to give you a quick Louisville market snapshot.

This year has been Dream J.P. Pirtle Realtors' best to date. Every month of 2014 has yielded strong sales. This wouldn't be possible without the great clients we've worked with and the referrals people have sent our way. For that, we wanted to say THANKS. You're the reason we're able to get better with each transaction.

Right now, inventory is stable and rates are low. At this time last year, many people were expecting rates to rise. However, rates are lower now than they were in 2013. There are a lot of buyers AND sellers out there, making for a robust Louisville market. The best part? It's looking like 2015 is going to be another great year!

We wanted to take the time today to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! We live in a great country with many opportunities - that's why it's important to count our blessings, not our troubles. We're very thankful for the many people who trust us to handle their real estate transactions, it means the world to us. We're also thankful for each other; our team is a tight-knit group that has found success because of  it.

Lastly, we're always hiring here at J.P. Pirtle Realtors. We're always looking for independent real estate agents, as well as team members with their real estate licenses. If you want to work hard, work for yourself, and have an unlimited income, you should give us a call.

Thanks for stopping by our blog! We hope to see you soon!

Dream J.P. Pirtle Realtors Are Hiring Immediately! - Must have a real estate license.

There are many great Louisville area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (502) 458-2722 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

The Dream J.P. Pirtle Team is looking for a motivated, hard-working agents to join our team. Here are some reasons our team may be a good fit for you.

1. Guaranteed 3 Month Income: We realize that the first 3 months can be very hard for most agents. So, for the right people we offer a 3 month guaranteed income program. 
2. Marketing: We spend tens of thousands of dollars a year promoting our company and our listings. We recognize how important it is to get our agents name recognition, so we spend a lot of money trying to do just that.
3. Guaranteed leads: Last month alone we generated over 800 leads between buyers and sellers. This year we're projected to sell over 320 homes - because of our success, we need some help in providing top-notch service to our clients.
4. Training: We have a fantastic national trainer who is very hands on. He's still in the business, as he owns his own company and continues to work with buyers and sellers.
5. Full-time administrative help: Our team includes a lead, a closing, and a listing manager to help guide you through whatever process you may need help with. We don't charge royal fees, desk fees, or monthly fees, so you can enjoy the help without having to pay for it.
6. We pay for your personal marketing: Your personal marketing is part of the package when you join our team. 
7. You can work with buyers and sellers alike: Most teams only allow you to work with buyers when starting out. We allow our agents to work with sellers because we recognize you need experience with both to be successful.
8. Great commissions: We feel our commission splits are among the highest in the industry.
9. You still have a life: The purpose of life is to enjoy it - not work all the time. We don't have set hours or a set schedule. We allow you to work from home as well as here in the office. Our lead management system is one of the best out there, which means you can work leads from anywhere an internet connection is available.

If you or anyone you know is trying to enter the world of real estate, give us a call. We are looking to hire two hard-working, motivated, and personable agents to help us continue our success. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Your Support Is What Keeps Us Going!

There are many great Louisville area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (502) 458-2722 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

We wanted to take the time today to give a heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful people who have worked with us in the past or are working with us now. In the real estate industry there's no such thing as wages or salaries - we have to sell to survive. Without your business and loyalty, we would not be able to make it; you support us and our families by trusting us with your real estate needs. For that, we are truly thankful.

We thought we'd use this time to tell you how much it all means to us. Referrals are the lifeblood of our business, so if you know anyone looking to buy or sell, please keep us in mind.

Thanks for the continued support, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Should You Rent or Sell Your Home?

There are many great Louisville area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (502) 458-2722 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

When deciding you want to move out of your current home, the question often comes to mind: "Should I sell it or rent it out?" In our opinion, it's often better to sell the property. Here's 2 reasons why:

1. Look at the numbers: You need to make sure your principal payment is no more that 60%. If you think you can rent your home for $1000 a month, your principle payment should be around $500, $600 maximum. You need to account for expenses such as taxes, insurance, maintenance, repairs, vacancy, marketing, and managing.
2. Money in the bank: Prepare to get your home back in much worse condition than when you started renting it out. We've seen homes that need as much as $15,000 worth of repairs. Even if the repairs aren't that expensive, you're unlikely to get as much as you would have if you sold it years ago.

All in all, it's better to sell your home than to rent it. Tenants are unpredictable and can often cause more problems than it's worth. However, if you have the right financial situation and a temperament for renting houses, there is no reason you shouldn't. Renting isn't for everyone, but if you are up to the challenge you should do it. If you want any further advice on the issue, we'd be happy to talk. Give us a call or shoot us an email for some tips on your particular situation.

Why the Web isn't the Best Place to Start Your Home Search

There are many great Louisville area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (502) 458-2722 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Online home search websites, such as Trulia and Zillow, are the starting point for the majority of people who are looking to buy a home. While convenient, these large sites are often full of misinformation. We've put together this short list to let you know about the limitations of online home search tools:

1. They are often out-of-date: Because they don't update as fast as the Multiple Listings Service (MLS), there are often homes listed that are sold, pending, or no longer available. This can be frustrating if you thought you found a home that was priced right and had the amenities you were looking for, only to find it's not even an option. 
2. They sell your information: Sites like Trulia and Zillow make money by selling the information of their users. Your email address and contact information will be sold to a third party when using these sites, something you don't have to worry about when working with a Realtor.
3. Their pricing is typically inaccurate: Big home search websites do their market analysis using the averages and medians of local home sales data. It's an algorithm that doesn't take into account the subtleties of the local market. Working with a Realtor is an advantage because he or she can come to your home and price it out according to the particular market.

Fundamentally, we feel there is nothing wrong with these big websites - they're actually quite helpful in many ways. But at the end of the day, your best option is to hire a professional expert Realtor in your local market. They will direct your search with the MLS to give you the most up-to-date and accurate real estate information, all while giving you the personal service a computer can't. As always, if you're interested in buying or selling property in the Louisville area, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you!

How Sellers Should Handle Multiple Offer Situations

There are many great Louisville area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (502) 458-2722 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

How Sellers Should Handle Multiple Offer Situations
Multiple offer situations have not been very common in the last few years in Louisville because we found ourselves in a large buyer's market. However, as we move towards a seller's market I would like to give some advice on how to handle multiple offer situations when you're selling a home.

Getting multiple offers on your property is a great thing to have, but you will always need to look over those offers with a professional real estate agent. A professional agent will help you to determine the strength of the offer which will include: financing, down payment, cash offers vs financed offers, and much more.

I would also recommend not accepting any offers on your home if they do not have an approval letter from the lender that state that they accept the terms of the contract and will be able to finance the purchase of the home.

You should also be wary of the timing of your home inspections. I would set aside 7-14 days for home inspections to occur, but I would not want to wait any longer than that.

What I want all of my sellers to know is that you do not have to respond to any offers whatsoever. If you see an offer that you really don't like, then you are allowed to simply ignore it. You do not have to respond to every offer that you receive.


There are a lot of different considerations that can be made when handling multiple offers as a seller in Louisville. If you are confused about the information above or would like to know how I go about handling multiple offers, then please do not hesitate to contact me or my team.

Home Sellers in Louisville will Have a Great Opportunity in Spring 2014

There are many great Louisville area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Value Report so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (502) 458-2722 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Louisville Real Estate Market Update

Today I am going to present you with accurate and updated information about what is happening in our local Louisville market. I am doing this so that you can make more informed decisions about real estate and have a more successful endeavor.

• The Market is Trending Up: I think we're in a much better overall market than we were last year. 
• Inventory is still Low: This is a great time to sell in Louisville. This low inventory will result in multiple offers and higher selling prices for homes in the area.
  
• Interest rates are still very low: This is great news for our home buyers in Louisville. However, these rates are expected to rise by the end of the year so now is the time to capitalize on these affordable homes.
  
• The rate right now is around 4.5%, but is expected to rise to 5.5% by the first quarter of 2015.

I am not going to come out and say that this is a seller's market, but I will say that it is a good time to sell your home in Louisville. The market is currently trending in your favor. If you have a nice, clean home that is priced correctly, I believe that you could sell your home fairly easily in this market.

It's also a great time to buy because interest rates are still historically low, but your window to buy affordably is closing.

Contact me for a free market analysis on your home, and as always, consult with me if you're thinking of buying or selling in Louisville. Consider me your #1 resource for real estate!

How to Prepare Your Home for an Efficient Spring Sale

With the spring real estate market approaching here in Louisville, it's time to consider what you need to start doing in order for you to sell your home. I have a few things listed here to aid in the process, but keep in mind that time is running short as we head into a buzzing market. 

1. View Your Property as a Product, Not a Home: People often get emotional when selling a home, and that's okay, but you cannot let it interfere with the sale of your property. Before you list or show your home, be sure to remove any and all personal items. 
• This can include removing heirlooms, photographs, or collections of any kind. 
• You do not want potential buyers to see your personality when they view the home. Aim for neutrality, because then these potential buyers will find it much easier to imagine themselves occupying your home. 
2. Clean, Clean, Clean: This is pretty straightforward. Your home needs to be absolutely spotless when you sell it. 
• Clean in places that you've never even thought to clean. Like window sills, corners, air vents, or chimneys. A clean home sells for much more money than one that needs a little dusting.
3. Clear Away Clutter: This is the next logical step after cleaning, but one that people sometimes just don't want to follow through with. It can be a pain to put your furnishings and appliances in a storage unit, but if you're already planning on moving out, then just go ahead and get all that stuff cleared out.
4. Organize: Sometimes it's not what people see, but how they see it. Make sure your home is neat and tidy. You may not have moved absolutely everything out of your property, so in that case it needs to be orderly.   
5. Neutralize: Get rid of odors, especially ones from pets. This also applies to colors and paint. Strive for earth tones like beige or khaki. These are inviting and don't give off too much personality.
6. New Paint & New Flooring: The first 15 seconds is when a buyer decides whether or not they will even be thinking about purchasing your home. Having new floors and fresh paint will catch the buyer's eye and make them want to see more of your home.    
•  Interior improvements such as these yield great returns on your initial investments. You can nearly double your investment by spending a few thousand dollars to improve the look and feel of your home.
7. Curb Appeal: Spring is approaching here in Louisville, so focus on what your yard looks like. The exterior of your property is what initially draws buyers inside, so pay close attention to landscaping. 
• Again, aim for neutrality but make your home look tidy and orderly. Make sure your sprinkler system works and at nighttime be sure to turn on all your exterior lights for buyers that might be driving by to look around the neighborhood.

These are my tips for you, and if you would like us to come out to your home for a free, no-obligation market analysis, then please do not hesitate to give me a call. Also, if you need help buying or selling real estate in the Louisville area, drop me a line at (502) 458-2722 or shoot me an email at jp@jpsold.com

Louisville's real estate market in 2014 is ready for action! All you need to do is jump IN!

Every time we transition from one year to the next everyone winds up discussing statistics, numbers, sales and the like. We love evaluating the past to predict the future, but at the end of the day, those are all the things that we have no control over. Today, I want to talk about what we do have control over: the coming months and year ahead in your life. The year 2014 promises lots of good things and with the phenomenal interest rates, motivated sellers, excited buyers and excited marketplace – it’s a FANTASTIC time to get out there and get involved in real estate! So I'd like to ask you three questions:

What is Happening in 2014?
We’re looking at interest rates that are hovering in the low to mid-4 percent range, which is CRAZY if you think about it! Not too long ago rates were as high as credit cards! Inventory levels are low enough where sellers are walking away satisfied yet buyers are motivated to act quickly and swiftly rather than dragging their feet too long and create a lagging marketplace.

What is Going to Happen in 2014?
This is something that everyone wants to know and no one can answer it! Sure we had a great year – and for many in the real estate industry, it was our best year ever! But that doesn’t matter to you. What matters to you the most is what you want to accomplish this year. Do you want to move up into your forever home? Is this the year when you realize your dream of living energy conscious and buying a GREEN home? Is downsizing something you’ve been wanting to do and it’s finally the time to do it? Regardless of your lifestyle and desires – now is a fantastic time to go for it because you have the power to control all that is around you and - right now - the market is practically handing it to you.

Is Real Estate Investment Your Next Step?
With market conditions like these, investing in real estate is the next ideal step for those who have the money to do so. Whether you are a first-time investor or a seasoned veteran, with interest rates like these it makes senses to create a portfolio of one, two or multiple properties with lasting returns on your investment.

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No one knows what is in store in 2014. It's important to concentrate on what you can make happen during this year. Remember, only you have the power to make it a great year in real estate for youself! And we are your partners in making it happen! Call or email us today.
502.458.2722 or jp@jpsold.com