Are you wondering what happened in the Fort Wayne real estate market last month?  Let's take a look! Homes sold:  322 Average days on market:  60 Average list price:  $139,885 Average sales price: $135,985 (97% of list price) Median sales price:  $108,500 Lowest sales price:  $5,000 (Foreclosure near downtown Fort Wayne) Highest sales price:  $750,000 (7 bedroom, 4,751 square foot home in the Sycamore Hills Subdivision in Southwest Fort Wayne) Overall, the market in October of 2013 was fair.  60 days on market and sales price being 97% of list price are both great things for sellers in the area. Let's take a look at active homes for sale in Fort Wayne (as of Nov 3, 2013). Homes for sale:  1,783 Average days on market:  102 Average list price:  $136,470 Median list price:  $104,900 Lowes... 11/04/2013

    Earlier this year I got a call from a seller that had her home listed with another Realtor here in Fort Wayne.  She wanted us to come out and talk to her about selling it for her once her contract expires. We asked her a few questions and then got the appointment scheduled.  When it was her turn to ask us questions, she only had one... Why isn't MY Realtor showing my home? She was frustrated because during the six months that she had been listed with the other Realtor, he had never shown it to one of his buyers.   While her concern was a valid one, it was easily explained.   I told her that there are over 900 Realtors in the Fort Wayne area.  In my estimation, there is a 95% chance that it's going to be one of those Realtors that bring the buyer that is going to purchase her home. ... 11/04/2013

We all love our homes.   When Amanda and I bought our first home together 7 years ago, we just simply fell in love with it.  We were so proud to own our own home! We took pictures of us doing silly things in every room and put them on MySpace. Yes, I said MySpace. I remember the first time my son (12 at the time) saw his bedroom.  I painted it Colts blue and white and had Peyton Manning posters up.  He loved it! The point is, a house quickly turns into a home and becomes a part of you.  Sure, we can advise to our sellers that when we list their home it becomes a product.  Easier said than done in my humble opinion. A few weeks ago we listed a home for an awesome couple.  The other day was the first showing on their place. The buyers liked almost everything about it, but the backyard was... 10/29/2013

The A Frame.   There are very few A Frame homes in the Fort Wayne area.  Unfortunately, I tried to sell one of them.   The buyer was approved for an FHA mortgage.  The home itself was quite nice and was situated on a heavily wooded and private lot.   That's the good news.  The bad news?   The appraisal.  There was nothing out there to compare it to.  The underwriters said that they needed other A Frames to compare it to. There just weren't any.  Dead deal.   The manufactured home.   There are plenty of trailor parks around the Fort Wayne area that are full of manufactured homes.  I believe they have special kinds of financing in these parks.   What about when the manufactured home is on a city lot and has it's own physical address?   Well...  we have run into the same thing as the A Fra... 10/25/2013

When selling my home, should I be present for showings? We have been asked this a few times from our sellers.  Our answer is always the same:  NO. I'm sure some sellers are concerned about security issues.  We install lock boxes on all of our listings and the only people that can access them are Realtors that have scheduled a showing appointment through our office.   All sellers are notified of the showing request by our office, and nobody is authorized on your property without your consent.   "Nobody knows my home better than I do.  I would be able to answer the buyer's questions." While this may be true, during the showing is not the time for you to answer the buyer's questions.  If they have questions their agent will contact me (your listing agent) directly and then I will get the a... 10/24/2013

Last year Amanda and I went to a listing appointment.  The seller was referred to us by a past client.  We thought that would give us the edge against the other Realtor she was talking to...  but it didn't.   The listing appointment itself was awesome! We instantly felt comfortable with the client, and she felt comfortable with us because of all the nice things our past client told her about us.  She said that she felt like she already knew us because she spent a little time reading blog and our Facebook.  We toured the home and now it was time to get down to business.  We all sat down around the dining room table and talked about our marketing, our brand, and what we have to offer.  We both suggested that the seller needs to de-clutter just about everywhere, and re-paint a couple of th... 10/21/2013

An article was released today by Movoto Blog that ranked Fort Wayne, Indiana as the #9 best city in America for home buyers.  You can read that article here.  The article was based on affordability of homes here.   This comes as no surprise to us.  Amanda and I have been Realtors in Fort Wayne for 5 years now, and we see the affordability of living here every day.   The median price of homes here is around $90,000, with a median income of around $45,000 a year.   What does $90,000 get you in a home in Fort Wayne?  A nice 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 1,600 square foot ranch home.  If you were to move that home somewhere else, it would probably cost you 2-3 times that, if not more.   Some of the more popular and desirable areas of Fort Wayne (Northwest and Southwest Allen County School Distric... 10/15/2013

Amanda and I went to a listing appointment yesterday in a very desirable area in Fort Wayne. The seller had purchased the home a handful of years ago.  When she bought it, it was a foreclosure and needed a bit of work.  It wasn't a total fixer upper, but it just needed some cosmetic updates.   She gave us a tour of the home and then we sat down at the dining room table.   "Okay you two.  Give it to me straight" she said.  Then she took a deap breath and leaned back.   We told her that we thought her home was gorgeous.  It was clean, uncluttered, and the decor was perfect.  The only suggestion was to take the clutter off of the front of the refrigerator.   "Well that's good.  Now tell me how much you think you can sell it for" she said. Amanda went over the market and comparables, and t... 10/14/2013

The Fort Wayne real estate market is heating up again! 2013 has been an incredible year. Our Century 21 Bradley office is now the #2 selling Century 21 in the country, and we continue to break records.  By the end of the year we are expected to be #1.   Personally, Amanda and I have had our most successful year in real estate this year.  From February all the way through August we were absolutely swamped and absolutely loving it! Homes were flying off the shelves!  Buyers were everywhere!  At one point, we hired an assistant to help out because of how busy we were.  That made it easier to give the great customer service that we are known for. Then September came.  Everything just stopped.  It was weird.   We snuck down to Florida for a long weekend to lay on the beach and recharge our ... 10/13/2013

Just over a year ago I got a call from Jack and Jill.  They wanted to see 123 Main St.  I showed it to them, and they loved it.  Our plan was to quickly put their home on the market and write a contingent offer on Main St. An hour later my phone rings.  Susie Q wants to see 123 Main St that evening, along with 4 other homes.  I set it up and show her the homes.  She falls in love with Main St. and we write an offer (not contingent) on the spot that was accepted. I called Jill and told her about the situation, and apologized that the home she wanted was now gone.  She asked if my other client was Susie Q.   What?  How did she know? It turned out that Jill and Susie Q were best friends.  They both discussed Main St. and the fact that they were both going to use me as their Realtor.   Talk... 10/11/2013

We have been working with a couple on the sale of their home and their new home purchase for almost two years now.  It's not a short sale situation either. We have been days away from closing twice and have had the deal fall through because of the buyers on their home.  I actually wrote a blog about delivering bad news, and it was one of their stories.   At the current time, we are weeks away from closing on their existing home and their new home.  (Knock on wood!!!!) Last night I logged on to Facebook to see my client post this on her page:   My Realtors are a husband and wife team in which I have a better than average customer/providor relationship. They provide amazing customer service! Some of the positive customer service behaviors they exhibit are as follows: Friendliness, Honesty... 10/06/2013

Wayne real estate market report for September, 2013, brought to you by Amanda and Jared Christiansen with Century 21 Bradley. Are you wondering what happened in the Fort Wayne real estate market last month?  Let's take a look! Homes sold:  359 Average days on market:  58 Average list price:  $132,502 Average sales price: $127,904 (97% of list price) Median sales price:  $08,000 Lowest sales price:  $5,850 (Foreclosure near downtown Fort Wayne) Highest sales price:  $580,000 (6 bedroom, 4,775 square foot home in the country in Southwest Fort Wayne) Overall, the market in September of 2013 was fair.  58 days on market and sales price being 97% of list price are both great things for sellers in the area. Let's take a look at active homes for sale in Fort Wayne (as of Sep 4, 2013). Homes fo... 10/04/2013

$115,000 , 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 0 half baths, 2,148 square feet     Brian Kuhns | Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber | bkuhns@movingindiana.com | (260) 416-5103 2518 Meadowsweet Ct, Fort Wayne, IN Open House October 6th 1-3pm 3BR/2BA Single Family House   offered at $115,000 Year Built 1992 Sq Footage 2,148 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 20,473 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION This is Cloverfield! Great curb appeal and extended porch for extra seating welcomes you to the modern design features of this home. Inside, the open foyer with hardwood flooring flows into the great room with the beautiful brick surround gas fireplace and adorned with natural light from the east. After starting your day from the private master bedroom wi... 10/03/2013

I was almost in tears earlier when one of my team members shared this conversation with me:   Fred (My team member):  Thank you for calling Century 21 Bradley.  How can I help you?   Buyer:  I am considering buying a home and I need some help.   Fred:  I can do that!  Tell me a little bit about what you are looking for.   Buyer:  (Tells Fred about area, home, etc.) Fred:  All of that sounds great!  Is it okay if I ask you a couple of questions? Buyer:  Sure!   Fred:  Are you currently working with any other Realtors? Buyer:  No.   Fred:  What is your time frame?  How soon do you need to move? Buyer:  ASAP.   Fred:  Do you have a home to sell first?   Buyer:  No. Fred:  Great!  Have you talked to a lender about getting approved for a loan?   Buyer:  Yup!  I am approved for a loan.   Fred... 10/02/2013

Buyer 1:  Her family needed a very specific home.  She had a special needs child that was always going to live with her, and was always going to be in a wheelchair.   She told me from the get go that even though their situation was a little cramped in their current home, they weren't going to settle, and they were prepared to take their time until they found it.   I showed her 1 home a year for 4 years until the right one finally came on the market.  It was perfect for her and they are extremely happy living there almost a year now.   It was a slow process and I was more than okay with that.     Buyer 2:  He called me on a Friday morning and told me that he and his wife were relocating to Fort Wayne.  That was the good news.  The bad news?  They were moving here within 40 days.   They n... 10/02/2013

Last night I was showings homes to some clients that I went to high school with.  I knew that his tastes were eccentric to say the least.  The list of homes he sent me included some odd ones.   The one that stuck out the most was a condo on steroids.   Somebody got the brilliant idea to take two condos next to each other, tear out the walls, and make it one big condo.  How big?  7 bedrooms.  7 bathrooms, Over 6,500 square feet of finished living space. The showing only took an hour or so.  It wouldn't have taken that long, but we got lost. Twice.   There were a total of 8 exterior doors in this monstrosity.  I don't even know how many windows there were.  Can you imagine the heating and cooling bills?   Oh, then there was the price tag.  $300,000.  This is over twice the amount of the a... 10/01/2013

I'm having a new home built in Fort Wayne.  Do I really need a home inspection? YES! Just because a home is new doesn't mean that it's perfect.  Amanda and I both strongly believe that you do need a home inspection, even on a brand new home.   Builders do have inspections done during the home building process.  They want to make sure that they are up to code and doing things the right way. That said, there are still things that can be missed.  Builders and code inspectors are human too! When should I have the home inspected? We recommend having a full home inspection done upon completion of construction.  Our office (Century 21 Bradley Fort Wayne) has a list of home inspectors that we can give you.  You should call at least 2-3 of them to find the right one for you.   Once you decide o... 09/24/2013

Fort Wayne Foreclosure Real Estate Market Report - August 2013. Is it still a good time to buy a foreclosure in Fort Wayne?  Are foreclosures still selling in Fort Wayne?  Are there still good deals in the Fort Wayne real estate market?  Let's take a look at what happened in the foreclosure market last month... Foreclosures sold:  56 Average list price:  $59,363 Average sales price:  $56,613 (95% of list price) Median sales price:  $39,750 Average days on market:  166 Lowest sales price:  $7,510 (4 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,648 square foot home in Southeast Fort Wayne) Highest sales price:  $225,000 (4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2,411 square foot home in Bridgewater Subdivision in Southwest Fort Wayne) How does this compare to last August?   Foreclosures sold in August of 2012:  57 Average list price:... 09/24/2013

I received an email yesterday from a buyer looking for a home in Southwest Allen County School District. She said that she was pre-approved up to $120,000 with a local bank.   So far so good! Then she told me what her family wanted and needed in a home.   1.  5 bedrooms. 2.  3 full bathrooms. 3.  At least an acre, but preferrably 2 or more. 4.  A full finished basement. 5.  A fire place.  It had to have a fireplace! In my head I thought "People in hell want ice water too."   I responded to her inquiry and told her that what she was looking for in the price range and in that area does not exist.  There were a couple of homes that fit the bedroom and bathroom requirements, but they had no basements, were on tiny lots in subdivisions, and were either short sales or foreclosures.   She was ... 09/20/2013

  Who is the best Realtor in Fort Wayne? Every once in a while I'll head over to google and type in that phrase.  It's interesting to see some of the results. One Realtor just comes out and says that he is the "BEST Realtor in Fort Wayne."  I've done deals with this guy, and I will say that he is very good.  But is he the best?   Another Realtor uses the tag line "Biggest Realtor in Fort Wayne."  He's right!  He is approximately 11 feet tall and can dunk a basketball while on his knees.  Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but he is big! Another Realtor claims to be the "Top Realtor in Fort Wayne."  He does produce a lot and has won many awards. But does that make him top Realtor or the best?   What makes a Realtor the "best" in his or her area?  Is it awards they've won?  Is it how mu... 09/13/2013