Louisville Real Estate Podcast with Rob St. John

Recently, I had the privilege of speaking with functional nutritionist and lifestyle coach Brooke Sullivan-Brown about the correlation between health and wealth, and I’m thrilled to share our full discussion with you today.  Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure:  00:11 - Introducing today’s topic  01:12 - Brooke explains her background 02:06 - Brooke addresses our society’s relationship with personal health and wealth 06:36 - How health impacts our ability to maintain and grow wealth 09:42 - The importance of sleep and how to improve the quality of yours 13:13 - Brooke shares why being healthy matters  19:22 - How you can get in touch with Brooke 20:15 - Concluding today’s message If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me or Brooke a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Welcome back to another edition of my video blog series designed to help you with all things buying, selling, or investing in real estate as well as day-to-day homeownership and care. Today, I have an awesome guest with me: Matthew Stevens, the branch manager at Open Mortgage in Glasgow, Kentucky. He’s got some terrific information to share, including questions you need to ask every time you meet with a mortgage lender, whether it’s discussing a home purchase or even refinancing a home. Feel free to follow our discussion in the video above, or you can use the timestamps below to navigate the conversation at your leisure: 1:06— Introducing Matthew Stevens3:16— Questions to keep in mind as you go down the rabbit hole of the mortgage process4:26— “What are your goals?”6:30— “How are you going to achieve your goals?”8:11— “Now that we’ve laid the foundation, where do we go from here?”10:44— “What are interest rates doing? What impact will they have on my mortgage?”14:31— The importance of shopping around for mortgage lenders18:49— Matthew’s most important takeaways from this conversation I want to thank Matthew Stevens for taking the time to have this discussion with me. It was incredibly enlightening, and I hope that you gained some valuable information from it regarding how to undergo the mortgage process, what points to keep in mind about the economy, and how to know if you’re getting the best possible service from your lender. If you’d like to contact Matthew at Open Mortgage about your mortgage options, visit www.IApproveKY.com. In the meantime, if you have any questions about homeownership or about  buying, selling, or investing in real estate, feel free to reach out at www.OmniPresentHomesGroup.com, our Facebook page, or by giving us a call or sending an email. Have a great day!  

Hardwood floors are definitely “in” right now, but the scratches and scrapes they can get aren’t quite so on-trend.  Don’t get me wrong. I understand how easily these little imperfections can happen. If you have pets or children, or even if you don’t, this kind of damage is all but unavoidable. But with professional floor refinishers charging anywhere from $1 to $4 per square foot, fixing these common cosmetic issues is sometimes easier said than done. Thankfully, professional help isn’t the only way to get your hardwood floors looking great again.  Here are four simple, inexpensive ways to get rid of hardwood floor damage on your own:  1. Use stain-matching crayons, pens, or wax sticks. These cheap, handy tools will easily disguise scratches. Simply rub the crayon, pen, or wax stick over the problem area, and watch as it blends in with the rest of your floor. Many of these products even have stain and urethane to protect your floor’s finish in the future. And, remember, don’t be afraid to mix and match colors to get the perfect shade.  “Professional help isn’t the only way to get your hardwood floors looking great again.” 2. Use homemade polish. To easily buff out scratches and add extra shine, combine equal parts olive oil and vinegar, pour a small amount onto the scratch, and let the solution soak for 24 hours. Then, wipe it off and watch the scratch disappear. You may need to repeat this process a few times, depending on how severe the damage is.  3. Sand, fill, sand again, stain, and seal the scratch. Use fine steel wool or lightweight sandpaper to sand with the grain, then fill the scratch with wood filler, which you can level with a putty knife. Finally, sand the area again, stain it, and seal with polyurethane. Using a lambs’ wool applicator will help avoid air bubbles in the finish.  Following these extra steps will take a little bit more time, but will effectively repair the scratch instead of just disguising it. 4. Use wood putty to fill in gaps. Using colored wood putty can easily conceal damage to hardwood flooring.  If you have any other questions or would like more information about this or any other topic related to real estate or homeownership, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.  

Today I sat down for an interview with Julia King, owner of King Financial Repair, to discuss some tips and tricks that will help you repair damaged credit and open up future financial opportunities like purchasing a home. Julia began her career in credit repair 17 years ago, and in that time, she’s helped several thousand people to purchase homes. When you work with King Financial Repair, they’ll look at your credit report, remove any inaccurate information from it, and then send the finished product back over to me so that I can get your mortgage approved and we can begin the home buying process. Feel free to follow along in the video above or use the timestamps below to navigate the interview at your leisure: 1:40—Commonly misunderstood aspects of the credit repair process3:50—How often does false/inaccurate information end up on a credit report?5:44—Where to go if you have questions about credit repair6:41—The process of removing false/inaccurate information from your credit report8:59—How King Financial Repair specifically assists our nation’s veterans10:32—An important change to your debt-to-income ratio if you consolidate your loans11:23—Concluding the interview Thanks so much to Julia King for joining me to have this insightful conversation. For more information about the services offered at King Financial Repair, visit www.KingFinancialRepair.com. To get your 3 credit reports and scores, check out this website here.   For any other questions you have about real estate, you are always encouraged to reach out to the Omnipresent Property Group. We’d be glad to hear from you! 

Remodeling a master bedroom, adding on a master suite, or building a new home from scratch are all opportunities to design your ideal master closet. With these organization and storage ideas, you’ll be able to develop a customized plan of action for installing a great, yet practical, closet.  In terms of measurement, your walk-in closet should be a minimum of 7x10 feet and preferably 10 square feet for two users. This will give you ample space to align two or three walls with shelves, cubbyholes, and poles, and enough elbow room to reach them without stretching and straining.  For added convenience, I suggest adding three square feet of floor space to leave room for a chair to take socks and shoes on and off and even fold laundry. If feasible, keep some space open in the middle for a folding table or a storage island with a countertop—a good spot for packing and unloading your suitcase before and after a trip.  Your storage options will depend on how you prefer to store your clothing. Will you need more space for folded or hanging clothing? Another option is to include a dresser, but dressers can make clothing storage harder than it has to be: As we all know, when you open a dresser drawer, you can only see what’s on top. Trying to pull a shirt out from the bottom of the stack creates more work and will just leave a jumbled mess.  “Having the right closet set-up in your home will make a world of difference in your day-to-day life, and you’ll enjoy your master bedroom that much more.” As an alternative (and better) option, put in a closet-organizing system. These storage units have an assortment of compartments—each designed for specific pieces of your wardrobe. That includes individual shelves and bins for sweaters and tops; smaller drawers for accessories and smaller articles of clothing; and racks for shoes and hats.  Organizing systems for master closets can range from $800 to above $5,000, depending on whether you buy one “off the shelf” or have it custom built. However you choose to do it, having the right closet setup in your home will make a world of difference in your day-to-day life, and you’ll enjoy your master bedroom that much more.  Plus, having a master closet will pay dividends when you go to sell your home. Quite frankly, one of the biggest concerns buyers have after seeing a home is not having enough storage space.  I hope you found value in today’s video. If you have any questions about our market or if you’re considering a major overhaul of your closet space, feel free to reach out to me. I’d be happy to put you in touch with a trusted professional. I hope to hear from you soon! 

Today I want to talk to you about our favorite four-legged friends: dogs and cats. Here are nine tips to help you prepare your home for sale and keep it fresh while you have pets living there with you: 1. Steam clean all your fabrics. This includes your carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture, and drapes. Pets get oils, odors, and fur on the fabric so make sure you get them professionally cleaned before listing. 2. Groom your pets. Make sure they are groomed before you start to list your house. A professional can get more hair and dander off your pet and the gunk is much better off in the groomer’s drain than your own.  3. Have your tile grout cleaned. Tile resists pet stains, but the grout between them sucks dirt in like a sponge. If your grout is really cruddy, I can connect you to a professional who can help you out. 4. Get an air purifier. Your heating and air system has been circulating all of your pet dander and hair again and again. By adding an air purifier, you can pull that hair and dander out of the air before it reaches your system. 5. Use enzymatic cleaners. These are special cleaners made with bacteria that actually eat stains and odors. Make sure you’re using the right cleaner for the stain you’re trying to fix, though. “Make sure to have a second opinion in case you’ve gone noseblind.” 6. Get rid of scratch marks. Pet toenails leave very telltale marks on your doors and walls. For synthetic walls and doors, you can just paint over them. For wooden doors, take a wood-filler pen and fill in the scratches. For hardwood floors, use steel wool or sandpaper followed with wood filler and polyurethane. For major damage, reconditioning hardwood is always a good investment. 7. Use charcoal to remove moisture and odors. You can get little inconspicuous bags of charcoal that you can hang in places or place some charcoal briquettes around the house. Just make sure that you don’t get the ones that are pre-soaked in lighter fluid. 8. Spot clean your furniture every single day. Trying to keep your pets off the couch completely might be harder to do than say. Instead, just cover your furniture with a throw or pet cover and wash them at least once a week. Vacuum the carpet and rugs when possible, too. For quick hair removal, take a rubber glove and wipe down your couch. 9. Perform a sniff test. After you’ve scrubbed everything and you’re convinced there is no smell, I encourage you to get a second opinion because you may have gone a little noseblind.  I hope you find these tips helpful and you’re able to use them to keep your house clean and fresh with your pets. If you have any questions for me about this or any other topic, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Which is the better option right now: buying or renting? In a market like ours, where home prices are rising, a lot of would-be homebuyers are choosing to rent instead. There’s a dilemma with this situation too, though: Rent prices are rising. After the crash of 2008, a lot of homeowners lost their homes and became renters. According to iPropertyManagement.com, the number of households renting their home rose from 31.2% in 2006 to nearly 37% in 2016.  Of course, some choose to rent simply because it’s more convenient for their lifestyle. Those who have jobs that require frequent moving need the flexibility of a six- or 12-month lease so that they can move on to their next assignment. Also, some believe that it’s cheaper to rent instead of pay for things like maintenance and repairs. Of course, we know that this isn’t true in most cases. Landlords work these and other fees into your rent.  Another reason people choose to rent is that they can’t afford the down payment and closing costs required to buy a house due to their inability to save money after paying their monthly expenses (including rising rent).  Renting comes with other financial disadvantages, though. Homeowners can take advantage of tax deductions, and there’s a risk that your rent will go up every time you renew your lease. The median asking rent price has increased steadily since 1988.  “Like everything in life, there are pros and cons to homeownership, so whether it’s the right choice for you depends on your situation.” Another challenge with renting is that you don’t have a space to call your own. When you rent, you pay your landlord’s mortgage, which makes them the beneficiary of all the equity gained from paying that mortgage.  Now let’s explore the other side of the coin: homeownership. In the past, we’ve mentioned all kinds of financial and nonfinancial benefits of becoming a homeowner, so for now we’ll focus on one major advantage: being able to lock in your housing costs.  Assuming you have a fixed-rate mortgage, your costs are predictable. You’ll know exactly what your mortgage payment will be for however long you own your home. The homeownership rate in 2016 was 64%, and it has steadily been rising. Those households locked in their housing costs rather than waiting for their landlord to raise their rent once again.  What are the disadvantages to owning a home? Well, it is a long-term financial commitment, and it’s never easy to just pack up and move if you need to. You also need to save money to buy a home in the first place, which requires careful planning. Additionally, you’re responsible for repair and maintenance expenses. The bottom line is this: Like everything in life, there are pros and cons to homeownership, so whether it’s the right choice for you depends on your situation.  If you’d like to know more about these pros and cons so you can decide whether homeownership is the right option for you, don’t hesitate to call or email me at your convenience. I’d love to speak with you. 

This week, I was asked an interesting question: “Rob, if I’m considering selling my home in the next couple of years, which updates or renovations should I make if I want to ensure a high return?” That got me thinking, and so after some digging, today I have a list of the top four home improvements that will yield the highest return on your investment: Replace your entry door. On average, this simple upgrade will cost around $1,700, but you’ll yield an average return of 108%! It’s crazy to think about, but your front door could actually be a profitable upgrade. Add stone veneer to your home. Consider replacing some vinyl siding in the entryway with a nice bit of stone veneer—this will boost your curb appeal. This sort of update will cost around $8,900, but you can expect a return of around 94.9%. First impressions and curb appeal make a huge difference in the sale of your home. Replace your garage door. This will be a huge boost to your curb appeal, especially to those properties with front-facing garages. The cost of this update circles the $3,500 mark, but typically brings a 92% return on your investment. Remodel and upgrade your bathroom.  I’m talking about replacing the fixtures, updating the tub, and adding things like single-lever, temperature-controlled shower controls—a nice feature. A standard white toilet and a solid surface vanity with an integrated sink and recessing cabinet will go a long way. In our area, these improvements round out at about $19,000, but you can get a 92% return on your investment. “On average, replacing your entry door will cost around $1,700, but you’ll yield an average return of 108%!” All of the above figures are based on the 2019 Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value Report, all narrowed down to our market area. They analyzed 36 projects and compiled this report for us so that we could figure out what renovations make the most sense to spend your money on.  If you’d like to see a free copy of that report, if you have any questions about home renovation projects, or if you’re thinking of buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

So you’ve decided to make a move. You know that you need to sell your current home in order to be able to move into a new one, so how do you balance selling your home and buying the next one with as little stress as possible? There are three key points to address when it comes to juggling two transactions. For your convenience, I’ve cited timestamps below that will direct you to various points in the video above. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure:  1:16—Phase No. 1: Marketing your current home to sell; beginning the search for your new home2:16—Working with a lender who can help you close both transactions quickly2:44—Phase No. 2: Negotiations4:21—Reverse contingencies5:10—Phase No. 3: Closing and possession If you have any questions about this or other real estate topics, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be happy to hear from you.  

The largest obstacle that a renter faces when they’re considering the purchase of their first home is saving for the down payment. This challenge, of course, is only amplified by rising rents, which eat into those funds a renter has left over after paying all their normal expenses. In combination with higher rents, we also see from survey after survey that most non-homeowners believe that you have to save upward of 20% for a down payment. In fact, a recent survey from Convergys Analytics found that 49% of all renters believe they need to save at least a 20% down payment. The bottom line is this: The median down payment on approved loans last year was just 5%. With that said, if you’ve been saving for even just a little while, you may already have the down payment you need in order to purchase your first home.  “Chances are that you’re in a better spot to make your next move than you realize.” In addition, if you own a home already and need to sell it before you move to a new one, we’re in such a market that you may have enough equity in your current home to use those proceeds as your down payment for the next one. Chances are that you’re in a better spot to make your next move than you realize. If you have any questions regarding purchasing or selling a home, feel free to reach out to me. I’d love the opportunity to talk with you.

There are three reasons why getting a pre-listing inspection is a good idea: 1. It gives you time to fix potential deal-breakers. At the end of the day, any major issues will be discovered. If they’re found later on in a transaction, the buyer may simply choose to walk away instead of dealing with them. If you get a pre-listing inspection, you’ll know what repairs you need to make and be able to do them more affordably. 2. It prevents big surprises and helps marketing. When you get an inspection done before you market your home, you’ll be able to be upfront with buyers. You can give them the inspection or fill out a detailed seller disclosure. This gives buyers peace of mind and makes them feel much more comfortable moving forward. “Any issues you find in your pre-listing inspection do require disclosure, even if you fix them.” 3. It can speed up the negotiation process. Having a disclosure out there and having major issues already addressed will shorten up the timeline of your sale.  Any issues you find in your pre-listing inspection do require disclosure, even if you fix them. There’s also no guarantee that the buyer’s inspection will bring up the same issues as yours.  We have a pre-listing checklist that you can use as a starting point for finding out your home’s condition. If you would like the checklist, want recommendations for an inspector, or have any questions, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

The spring market is off to the races! Inventory is increasing, buyers are out in force, and low interest rates are getting buyers and sellers alike off the fence. Research from Realtor.com shows that the first week in April is the best time to list your home for sale. By listing in this first week, you’ll have 14 times more views, have 5% less competition, and your home will sell six days quicker. May and June are also in the running, and the three months combined is often referred to as the spring buying season. There’s a lot of competition in the marketplace, leading to multiple-offer situations on home listings.  “If you’re thinking of selling your home this year, the time to list is now.” So if you’re thinking of selling your home this year, the time to list is now. According to the National Association of Realtors, 41% of homes sold last month were on the market for less than 30 days. If you list now, your chances will be even better. If you would like to get started on a selling strategy, have any questions, or would like more information, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Spring has sprung! As such, today I’ll give you four reasons why purchasing a home in this seasonal market will work more to your advantage than sitting it out.  Let’s jump right in:  1. Home prices will increase. The latest numbers from CoreLogic signal that there’s been a 4.4% uptick in home prices over the last year. In that same report, CoreLogic forecasts that appreciation rates will hit 4.6% over the next year. Home values will assuredly increase from one year to the next, so there’s not much sense in waiting any longer.   2. Mortgage interest rates are projected to increase. Freddie Mac’s primary mortgage market survey tells us that, for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, rates are currently situated at 4.41%. The prevailing wisdom among experts is that rates will increase by this time next year. For those eyeing an opportunity to buy, know that a bump in interest rates will impact your monthly mortgage payment. Why wait?  “Whatever the reason, your best opportunity could be now.” 3. Either way, you’ll be paying a mortgage. Understandably, some potential first-time buyers are uncomfortable with the thought of taking on a mortgage. Yet, unless you’re living rent-free with your parents or the like, you’re paying someone’s mortgage—would you rather it be yours or your landlord’s? As a homeowner, your mortgage is a form of forced savings, which means you’re growing equity that you can tap into later in life. As a renter, it’s your landlord who’s establishing equity through your payments.  4. It’s time to move on with your life. The cost of a home is delineated into two major components: the home’s price and the current mortgage rate, both of which are on the rise. Perhaps you’d like greater security for your family or to be in control of the renovations on your living space. Whatever the reason, your best opportunity could be now.   The bottom line is if purchasing a home in 2019 is a top priority for you and your family, doing so sooner rather than later might mean you avoid increased home prices and interest rates. If you have any questions concerning this topic or anything else real estate-related, please call or text me at 502-553-3277 or check out our website at OmnipresentHomes.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Many homeowners believe that rising interest rates and the current state of home prices have scared away a lot of potential buyers, but is that really the case? Fortunately, no. The truth is that most of the buyers who were unsuccessful buying a home in 2018 are still out in full force today. Additionally, many more buyers are entering the market every single day. According to a 2018 report by NerdWallet, 32% of all Americans intend to make a home purchase in the next five years.  “It’s very likely that the buyer who’s looking for your house is driving past it every single day.” Inside of that contingent, 49% of all millennials polled included a home purchase as part of their five-year plan. This tells us buyers are still optimistic about the market, and the top five reasons they plan on buying are: They believe it’s a good investment They want or need more space They believe it should be the next step in their life They find homeownership to be more affordable than renting They plan on moving to a new area This tells me it’s very likely that the buyer who’s looking for your house is driving past it every single day just waiting for that “For Sale” sign to go up, and 2019 is the perfect year to oblige them. Not only do buyers want to buy, but you’ll also face less competition as a seller—Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and the Mortgage Bankers Association all predict that most sellers will wait until 2020 to list their home.  Don’t wait until next year for a more competitive market. Stay ahead of the curve and sell your house at the best possible price right now in 2019.  If you’d like to get started on your home buying journey or you have any other real estate questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

Preparing your home for the market can be a stressful process. Fortunately, you can make the home selling process go a lot more smoothly by avoiding these six common mistakes: 1. Picking the wrong agent. The right agent is going to answer their phone when you call, get back to you in a timely manner, be professional, and know the homes in your market based on experience. The right agent is also going to be honest and straightforward with you, rather than agreeing with everything you say and telling you what you want to hear.  2. Overpricing your home. Price is everything when marketing your home. Even a well-priced home with a bad marketing plan will sell—it will just take a bit longer.  3. Failing to make simple repairs. You know the ones. If the dog chewed something up or if there are minor damages that a buyer would spot instantly, make those repairs before listing.  “The right agent is going to be honest and straightforward with you.” 4. Neglecting to declutter your home. Buyers often start their home searches online, and if the pictures of your home are showing off all your stuff instead of the areas of your home, there is a good chance buyers won’t even come look at it. Get some boxes, pack up your stuff, and store it in the garage or a storage pod so it won’t get in the way of pictures or showings.  5. Not allowing adequate access to your home. I’ve found that for every 10 times a seller says they can’t show the home on a certain day, eight out of 10 of those buyers won’t come back or their agents won’t ask to reschedule. It’s very important that your home is show-ready at all times and you can get agents in and out when they want to see it, instead of when it’s most convenient for you.  6. Getting super emotional about your house. Sellers can sometimes still be very attached to their homes, which I understand. But when you go to sell, you need to think of the house as a property, not your home. If you get a lowball offer or if somebody wants to come in and remodel it, you should be okay with it as long as they pay you what you want for it.  If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.