About Hardin County, KY

Eye on the Prize

School can be tough for many reasons. Discovering how you learn the best, how to keep it all together, and knowing what “YOUR” prize is and how to get there are just a few of the “clues” we will use to uncover this mystery called success. Designed for students in 5^th – 7^th grade, this is a hands-on, active workshop that includes a healthy snack, along with ideas on how to prepare your body for ultimate achievement.

Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 – 5pm, on October 25th, November 1, 8 & 15th. Investment is $95.

********************************************************************************************************************************************

Did you know you were born for greatness? There is no doubt about it – YOU ROCK!

Just in case you haven’t recognized that yet, we will show you all of the ways you can ROCK IT LIKE A ROCK STAR. Designed for students ages 10 -12 who can use a little boost of confidence during the tween years. This is an active dive into self-discovery with tools and tips on how to maintain your ROCK STAR status.

Thursday afternoons from 4 – 5 pm on October 27th, November 3 & 10th. Investment is $75.

****************************************************************************************************

All Workshops will be taught by Sheila O’Mara, Lead Fireball at Speakers With Spark, Parent Company of the SPARC program. As a former middle school teacher, Sheila has witnessed firsthand the struggle many students have with school and with a lack of self-esteem. Sheila delivers her programs with high energy and employs easy to understand analogies, stories, and exercises to promote growth. Trying to make a positive change in the lives of students everywhere, Sheila travels around the country delivering workshops to students and parents providing real solutions that get remarkable results.

Registration is required. Please stop by Fiddlesticks to register at 2411 Ring Road in Cool Springs Center in Elizabethtown.

We can't wait to meet your kids! We are going to have a blast!

For questions or directions, please call Neeley at 270-982-4422 or Sheila at 270-300-6045!

INVESTMENT PROPERTY $ 625,000 12 Units All 2 Bedroom, 1-1/2 Baths Great investment opportunity. 8.5 cap rate. Well built and maintained building w/ solid tenant base Close to downtown Elizabethtown. Many updates. All units have seperate furnaces and A/C's as well as seperate meters for electric and water. Tenants pay all of their own utilities. Owner pays for trash pickup. Maintenance free exterior. Talk to Tom Johns 502-419-3186 tpjbildz@aol.com

As a Real Estate Professional, I consistently have buyers feel they don't need to get approved because they know what they make, and they know what they can afford. However, with all of the changes in the financial market, a lot of people that spoke to a bank 12 months ago and got issued an approval, find the home they want and are no longer eligible for financing. The reason for this is because the financial market has really cracked down on who they will lend money to. Over the past 12 months, minimum credit score requirements have changed drastically, down payment amounts have changed drastically, mortgage insurance premiums have changed drastically, and dozens of other changes have taken place since the housing market crash. A few years ago, a buyer could basically state the income that they make, and state the assets they had, and they could get a loan. Those days are long gone. In my opinion, getting pre-approved for financing is the most important thing that a serious buyer should do before starting to look at a home.

Here are a five reasons why:

1). Getting pre-approved gives the buyer a definite price range to be looking in -

Why waste time looking at homes in all price ranges if you don't know how much money the bank is willing to give you to purchase a home? Getting a pre-approval gives the buyer a clear picture of the price range that they are approved for, and thus, the price range that they should be looking in. Not long ago, I went to the grocery store to purchase groceries with a credit card that, I thought, had enough on it to buy groceries for the family. I spent an hour filling up my grocery cart with all kinds of tasty treats only to find out when I went to check out that my card was declined due to insufficient balance. Talk about embarrassing. Talk about a waste of my time, the cashier's time, and the people behind me in line's time. I was humiliated. Shopping for a home without an approval is the same thing, only worse. You're wasting your own time (probably much more that 1 hour), your wasting your agent's time, and your wasting the seller of the home's time. Spending a few minutes getting pre-approved will not only save you, your agent, and the seller time, it will also save you from getting humiliated because you will know exactly what amount you are approved for.

2). Getting pre-approved gives the buyer a good idea of how much money they will need to have for a down payment & for closing costs.

Down payment requirements have changed. Yes it's true. The bank actually want's the buyer to have a down payment now. I deal with a lot of buyers that still think that they can get a loan with no money down. Yes, there are still a few random loan programs out there that still offer 100% financing, however, those programs are closing like mom & pop grocery stores after a Wal-Mart moved in next door. The majority of the banks these days expect a buyer of a home to have a down payment. Meeting with a loan officer will not only give a buyer an idea of what different loan scenarios are available to them, but it will also give the buyer a good idea of how much money they will need for a down payment, and for closing costs. Once a buyer identifies the loan program that they want, they can get what is called a "pre-approval cost analysis" that will tell them how much money they will need to save in order to buy a home.

3). Getting pre-approved will give the buyer a good idea as to what their payment will be in the price range they are looking for.

Many people go to an online mortgage calculator to find out how much their monthly payment will be. This will give the buyer a ballpark payment for Principal & Interest Payments, but normally doesn't portray the actual payment after including taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance. Meeting with a loan officer will give the buyer a clear picture of what their payment will actually be after all of the escrows are added on. Why guess when you can know?

　4). Getting pre-approved will make the Realtor work harder to help you find a home.

Yes it's true....Realtors will work much harder for a buyer that they know is financially capable of ACTUALLY buying something than they will for someone who may or may not be approved. If I have a buyer that provides me with a solid pre-approval from a bank, I will work day and night until I find them something that meets their needs. If I think it's a crap-shoot, not so much. Test this theory out if you like. Try calling a realtor and tell them that you want them to meet you at a property that's located 3 counties away that you like, and tell them you will provide them with a pre-approval from your bank when you meet. That Realtor will not only arrive early, they will probably have 4 other backup properties to show you in case you don't like that one. On the flip side, call a Realtor and tell them you want them to meet you at a home 3 counties away, and let them know that you aren't sure if you can get a loan, but you still want to look. See my point?

5). Getting pre-approved will make your offer look stronger to a seller.

Sellers don't want to tie up their property with offers where the buyer isn't pre-approved for financing. In fact, I'd say in most cases, a seller would rather accept an offer for less where they knew the money was there, than an offer that was higher that didn't have their financing squared away. Getting pre-approved for financing will make your offer look stronger, you'll be able to act quicker once you find the property you like, and you'll probably get a better deal than you would with an offer without it.

If you are a buyer that is serious about buying a home, go ahead and get preapproved for financing. If you don't know who to call, call Meg Jarstfer with Century Mortgage Company. Her phone # is 270-268-8733. She is the best loan officer I know, and also happens to be my wife. She'll get you approved for financing, and I'll help you find a home. Sound good?

Written By Jason Jarstfer, Realtor w/ Network Realty, inc

Phone # 270-312-2943

website: www.ftknoxkyrealestate.com

As a stager and owner of Staged SO Right, one of my favorite things in the world is furniture. I love to place it, rearrange it, be satisfied for a little while and then start all over again. Needless to say, working for a furniture showroom would be a dream come true and that is exactly what has happened to me!

I started a new job in marketing and sales for Corvin's Furniture, a local furniture company and I love it! It really is a dream job - I get to "stage" the business for success, but the best part is to help clients and customers who come in to stage their rooms! What a fabulous opportunity it is to help pick out the right pieces for people and have them leave excited about the mood we have created for their home.

I have learned a few things so of course I want to share them. There are a few tidbits of advice I will pass on that will help you if you are ever in the market to shop for new furniture.

First thing is to measure the area you are trying to fill. It doesn't help to walk in and pick out this fabulous huge sectional when it will be 20 inches too long when you get it delivered. Furniture and accessories usually look smaller in the store than they will in your home. Once you get some of these pieces into a confined space, you will be shocked at how much a piece of furniture will "expand" in your home. The opposite can also happen. You will have a huge wall to fill and the pieces you have chosen will be dwarfed when in your home. The best bet is to measure first to make sure that what you purchase will fit comfortably in your space.

Secondly if you are trying to match wood finishes, fabric choices, wall colors or carpet colors, bring a sample. Sometimes that will mean bringing in a drawer from home or a whole sofa cushion, but it will be worth it in the long run. Being able to see how finishes will compliment or conflict with each other is a great tool, but can only happen if you are willing to walk in with a sample.

If you can take a picture of the space, bring it with you. People come in all of the time and try to describe their space and I really can't appreciate it until I see the configuration visually. Most people have phones that have cameras and they are ideal for this purpose. It will help your designer or sales staff help pick out the perfect pieces for your home. I have even had people bring in drawings of their room indicating where doors, windows and anything else that may effect placement are so that we can choose furniture arrangement and sizes.

Lastly, it is an old adage, but a very true one when purchasing new furniture pieces: "You get what you pay for." That is not to say that expensive pieces are always going to be the best, but .... It has been my experience that they are usually better made and hold up much longer. Furniture can be an investment and that is why it is important to purchase the best quality you can afford, because it generally lasts longer.

When you are in the market to purchase new furniture, it is important to invest a little time and energy into some of the above prep work so that the end result is one that will make you happy for years to come. If you need help making the right choices, make sure to ask for the help of sales staff. That is their job - to help you create the room or home of your dreams! Good luck and happy (furniture) hunting!

Learn more about Corvin's Furniture at www.corvin'sfurniture.com!

I am amazed at how many houses are selling around Hardin County. That is exciting news for those of us selling homes! As I have foraged into that category, I am reminded of some precautions that sellers must make when the sign goes out front. This advice is good for anyone selling - especially those not using a realtor.

Remember that although it is a necessary evil, there will be complete strangers walking through your home! I was in Cleveland last weekend and my brother is selling his home and we were prepping the house for a showing. While we were getting ready, his wife said to me, "It just occurred to me that complete strangers are going to be walking through here and seeing all of our stuff. I wish I had put more away." Not only is there an aesthetic value to decluttering, but it eliminates the world seeing what belongs to you.

If you have any medications, particularly of the narcotic type, you should lock them up or put them in something that doesn't identify them. One of the cleverest things I have seen a family do is put all of their medications in a tackle box with a lock on it. They brought it with them most of the time when they left for a showing, but were confident that it was safe if they did leave it behind.

Next is the mail. Anything that can identify you or your account numbers should really be put away. It is very easy for someone to walk by a desk, with the realtor ahead of them, and slip a bank statement in their pocket. The next day you may have thousands of dollars charged to your account. Don't risk it! The same thing goes for report cards or mail from the schools. The less ways you give a stranger to identify you or a family member, the better. This is another reason why we suggest that you put away all family photos too!

This is an obvious one, but anything of value - jewelry, purses, accessories, hand tools - that you wouldn't want to part with, remove or lock up. It is very easy for someone with a big purse to walk through and slip something smaller into the big bag and the agent showing the house will be unaware. If there are meaningful keepsakes or heirlooms that you would be heartbroken to have damaged or stolen, you may want to consider removing them. It seems extreme, but the potential buyers walking through your home will not take the same care and concern for your household items that you do.

Also if there any weapons in the home, please be sure to lock them up. That includes kitchen knives on the counter. Store them in a cabinet or drawer. An agent would hear a drawer or cabinet drawer opening, but if someone grabbed a knife off the counter, they would not know until it was too late. If you put place settings on your table - do not set it with silverware for the same reason.

I want to share one more thing that I came upon quite unexpectedly. Lock your doors - even if you are at home. People are going to want to see inside your home and may even be tempted to let themselves in if they think no one is at home. You could be up in the shower or taking a nap and not hear a doorbell or knock. Some people may be bold enough to walk in when there is no answer. This happened to me this week and I was completely unprepared.

My intent with these safety precautions is not to make you paranoid. Ninety-nine percent of the people that will go through your home will be legitimate potential buyers, but I would much rather you be safe than sorry.

As seen in The News Enterprise, July 23, 2010, authored by Sheila O'Mara of Staged SO Right