The Hollinden Team Louisville KY Real Estate Blog

Glenmary Village Condo Just Listed

 9402 Clubview is a first floor condo off Bardstown Road south of the Gene Snyder Freeway.  It is a short drive to downtown Louisville, or even shorter to Mt. Washington, KY.  Bates Elementary school is just north of here.  The bottom line is this place is close to shopping and work! This was a great home that sold in 47 days.  Contact the The Hollinden Team...

Forest Village Patio Home Living Louisville KY

Steve Dobbs has been in Forest Village for about 7 months.  When we moved in August, the first thing I noticed was that there was no grass for ME to mow.  We were so consumed with moving and getting set up, it seemed a blessing.  As fall approached, leaves were starting to drop; yet we left the rakes in the attic along with the typical allergic reaction to oak leaves.  As winter approached, I left the snow shovels in the attic, as I knew that the Forest Village Condo Association would take care of the streets and driveways if there were to be a significant snowfall event.  We had a little snow this week, but a push broom was adequate to get the area cleared.

So now, I am starting to get used to this lack of normal outdoor activity.  We still pull our own weeds and maintain our shrubbery, but it is not a big deal.  In...

The Hollinden Team attends the Louisville Home, Garden, and Remodel show

The Hollinden Team attended the Louisville Home, Garden, and Remodeling Show this weekend.  This is an event that has been going on for the last 60 years and is held indoors at the South Wing of the Kentucky Exposition Center.  The show is produced by the Louisville Home Builders Association and is a showcase for home improvement possibilities.

It seemed there was a large emphasis on outdoor living this year.  There were landscaping displays and covers for your existing deck or patio.  Then, we found over the top displays of what your back yard outdoor living space could become.  Most all of these displays had a fire feature from a regular wood-burning fire pit to one using the convenience of gas.  We both agreed that the burning fire in the middle of the water feature would be spectacular at night.

We found 3 suppliers that dealt in spray on foam insulation. ...

Changes in the FHA Mortgage Market

There have been several changes in the FHA backed mortgage market in the last year and the newest will occur on April 1. We will see upfront Mortgage Insurance increase from the current 1.0% to 1.75% that will help strengthen the capital reserves of FHA.  On top of this, the annual renewal premium will be as high as 1.25%. This will significantly increase a borrower’s cost.

This is important because a good many of our home buyers in Louisville utilize an FHA backed loan. As I look over my clients in the past, our first time home-buyers are often using FHA mortgages due to the low down payment required.

One complaint that I hear is that MI (Mortgage Insurance) is required with an FHA loan.  I think that it is hard to complain about paying mortgage insurance when you are able to buy a new home with a lot less than 20% down payment.  With this being said; the increase in Mortgage Insurance on a yearly basis and upfront will make a difference in the monthly payment of...