Amanda Howard NorthernKentuckyHomes.com 859-363-9900

Looking for a house with plenty of room to move around? Want an established neighborhood with mature trees, close to local schools?

Come see me Sunday, October 8 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm at 2610 Harris Pike in Independence! I'm holding an open house for an amazing colleague, Doug Garner.

Description from NKY MLS:

Huge 1 story on 1.25 wooded acres. From the moment you walk in to the massive entry foyer you will never doubt that you'll have enough room. From the sunken living room to the 1st floor family room and 4 spacious bdrms, the room to live just keeps on comming. All the common areas in this house have oak hardwood floors, the bedrooms have carpet(hwd beneth). Beautiful wooded view from covered patio.

This week, while having its share of frustrating moments, has been amazing. I've had some very special moments with several amazing clients and I'm starting to be known among my friends and family for my real estate expertise. I've been working hard and building relationships.

My favorite quote from the week? This comes from an email that an investor sent me:

"You do great work, Amanda!! If this house doesn't work; you're the expert resource we need to help us locate one.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - new does not mean bad, and several years experience definitely does not mean good. It's all about finding the right agent that works best with you and for you. Interview me and you'll see what makes a difference!

Why is a low interest rate a big deal, anyway?

Why are agents making such a commotion? I mean, it's not that great, is it?

Think again.

I'm going to give you some calculations from mortgagecalculator.com. I don't think most people realize just how much interest they pay in a mortgage scenario over the long haul, and why it takes so many years to build equity in a home.

Here's the scenario:

$150,000 mortgage

We'll assume 0% down payment through the USDA Rural Housing loan.

First calculation - 4.5% interest (similar to right now).

Second calculation - 6.5% interest (similar to rates just a few years ago).

Finally, we'll use the default tax and PMI rates.

.....

....

..

.

Ready?

At our current rates, you'll pay approximately $329,860.07 total for the $150,000 borrowed - that's $116,110.07 in interest alone!

At our OLD rates, you'll pay approximately $397,566.73 total for the $150,000 borrowed - that's $182,254.23 in interest, a whopping $66,144.16 more than now, not to mention $188.07 a MONTH higher payment!

Do you really want to waste all that money? Wouldn't you love an extra $188 a month? What about the fact that the average home price is down 11% in the last 5 years (Data from NKYMLS comparing average sold price in August 2006 ($155,000) to average sold price in August 2011 ($138,000) for a downward adjustment of 11%)? You can get more home for your money, a lower monthly payment, and save literally thousands upon thousands of dollars in interest. Why not call a Realtor (R) today?

Hope you are enjoying an extra day with your friends and family. Here, we’re enjoying the HUGE change in the weather. It was 100 just a couple days ago, and today it’s a high of 67! Glorious, glorious fall!

(Original photo. Please ask for permission if you'd like to use it for any purposes.)

C'est difficile de déménager quand personne ne parle la même langue. Pourquoi chercher et payer un traducteur? Il faut seulement chercher un agent immobilier qui peut parler français! C'est difficile d'expliquer des choses spécifiques ou techniques de temps en temps si on ne parle pas couramment la langue.

Un peu de moi: J'ai commencé mes études en français au lycée, mais au même temps, je parlais beaucoup avec des amis africains. Après le lycée, j'ai suivi un degré en français de l'université de Centre College. Puis, j'ai enseigné le français à un lycée depuis trois ans. Maintenant, je veux travailler avec des autres francophones dans le Kentucky du nord. J'aime travailler avec des personnes d'autres nationalités - j'accueille les personnes de toute race, toute religion, tout couleur - n'importe quel différence, je veux vous aider!

Photo Credit: Rawich