Agent News | Milestone - Kentucky Houses

Louise Miller Installed as Greater Louisville Association of Realtors President!

September 26, 2011

By Becky Locknane

Milestone Realty Consultants is proud to announce that Louise Miller, Louisville Milestone Realtor®, was installed as President of The Greater Louisville Association of Realtors® on Wednesday, September 21, 2011. The Annual GLAR Membership and Installation Luncheon was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. This event is held every year to install the new Officers and Directors of GLAR and to recognize outstanding achievements of its members.

Louisville houses

Louise has been an active Realtor® selling Louisville houses since 1983 and also holds a Broker’s license. She specializes in residential and new construction. She has served on MANY committees at the association and is also active in The Louisville Homebuilder’s Association where she is a member of The Sales and Marketing Council.

Louise is a member of the Ball Homes Team at Milestone and is very knowledgeable in the new construction arena. She has contributed to not only sales, but in design development as well. Louise and her husband, Dennis (now referred to as “First Dude”) work as The Miller Team and are consistently are top producers both in resale and new construction at Milestone.

GLAR is lucky to have such an outstanding representative for their President as Louise Miller and it is for certain that she will do a great job! Thank you Louise!

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Rising Star Award – Meredith Lane!

September 23, 2011

By Becky Locknane

Milestone is proud to announce that Lexington Milestone agent, Meredith Lane, was recently selected as a 2011 Lexington Young Professionals Association Rising Star!

Meredith was recognized at the LYPA Awards Banquet Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at Sal’s Chophouse. She was selected for her many accomplishments and contributions to the Lexington community.

2011 LYPA Rising Star - Meredith Lane

Meredith specializes in residential sales and new construction of Lexington homes. She represents one of Lexington’s up and coming builders in the area, Webb-Beatty Homes and is a Ball Homes specialist.

In addition to her Real Estate career, Meredith is very active in the community. She is currently a board member of the Hollywood/Mount Vernon Home Owners’ Association and a member of the Young Realtors of the Bluegrass and the Lexington Junior League. In addition, she volunteered on the board of directors for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk in 2010. Prior to becoming a Realtor, she graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Journalism degree.She worked in the broadcast news industry both as an on-air reporter and behind the scenes for FOX News Channel, LEX 18 News and WKYT-27 Newsfirst; in publishing as a magazine editor and writer for The Lane Report and BG Magazine.

Milestone is very proud to have Meredith as a member of our team and we want to congratulate her on this outstanding award! Thanks Meredith!

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Lexington… A Top Six City That Boasts the Best Value!

August 24, 2011

By Meredith Lane

There’s some awesome news for the Bluegrass region. In the September issue of Realtor® Magazine, Lexington, Kentucky is ranked as one of the Six Cities That Boast the Best Value!

Six Cities That Boast the Best Value! - Lexington homes

The ranking actually came from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, which recently measured ten metro areas by best “value” by factoring in the low cost of living, strong economy, personal amenities, unemployment rate and median household income, among other factors. Lexington made the top 10!

For Lexington:

Our unemployment rate is 7.8%
Cost-of-living index is 89.1
Median household income is $48,158

In case you were wondering, the other top cities are:

Omaha, Nebraska
Charlotte, North Carolina
Nashville, Tennessee
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Knoxville, Tennessee
Lexington, Kentucky

What else did Kiplinger say about our big “small town”?

“Lexington’s diversified economy has largely shielded it from the ravages of recession. The University of Kentucky, the area’s largest employer, recently opened a major new wing to its hospital, fueling the already-thriving local health care sector; other big employers include Lexmark and Toyota. A commercial development department at the university and an active local network of angel investors provides fertile ground for start-ups.”

As a lifelong resident of Lexington and a Realtor® selling Lexington homes, I can attest to the high quality of life offered in the area. Having an exceptional educational system and one of the most highly educated workforces in America, Lexington is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s best as a place to work, start a business or raise a family. There are also many ways available to plug into a wide range of social, cultural and professional scenes. If you’re thinking about making the move to Lexington, give me a call. I’d be happy to pass along some information to you about our region or help you find your new Lexington home.

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Lifestyle Search

June 1, 2011

By John Day

We’re very excited here at Milestone to announce a brand new home searching tool to add to our already expansive list of search options. We’re calling it Lifestyle Search and it’s truly a remarkable tool and the first of it’s kind in the area.

When a home buyer searches for a potential new home, they usually have an idea of beds, baths, price, square footage and other pre-determined data choices that we’ve all come to know and love on most real estate websites. Typically we search for this static data that we want our house to fit and then ponder how a particular search result will fit into our every day lives. What if we could reverse that thought process? What if you could run a search that allowed you to rank different aspects of your life by order of importance and then look at a list of neighborhoods or zip codes that filled that need? We give you Lifestyle Search.

Broken down in to ten categories, LifeStyle Search will let you rank Arts & Culture, Family Friendly, Fun, Hip & Happening, Golfing, Great Schools, Pet Friendly, Car Transportation, Shopping, Health & Safety and Population Density on a scale of importance and then recommend neighborhoods or zip codes that will best fit in to your way of life. Your lifestyle.

Lifestyle Search

To see this in action, I’m going to walk you through a search for a Lexington home that is close to highly ranked schools, has easy access to vets and pet stores and is also near retail and department stores. First, I select Fayette County and then I ranked Schools as very important, Pet Friendly as less important and Shopping as important. When I hit search I get a list of neighborhoods in Fayette County with Aylesford Place ranking first. From there I can view community information, detailed data and stats, a map and most importantly properties for sale in that area.

Lifestyle Search

Powered by Onboard Informatics, we hope that this extremely powerful searching experience will be useful for home buyers. If you’d like more information on this search, Onboard Informatics or Active Website please check our Lifestyle Search Press Release. Make sure to go ahead and try it out for yourself! We are eager to hear feedback on it.

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Simplify Your Life with Texting…Your Clients Will Love It!

May 13, 2011

By Judy Craft

Have you ever put off a phone call because you didn’t have time to have a conversation or go through the pleasantries? Are there times you simply need to convey a quick message to someone with information only? Most of our clients work at a job outside their home and don’t have the ability to engage in a phone conversation during work hours – how do we communicate with them effectively without inconveniencing them? Most importantly, how do we communicate with our clients in a quick, easy and professional manner that provides outstanding service in a timely manner to help “de-stress” their home buying or selling process?

Bluegrass homes

TEXT! We used to think of texting as something the teenagers did with clever abbreviations. Although it was true, we now realize that many “non-teenagers” have not only discovered the ease of texting, but have embraced the technology as a way to simplify their overwhelming life. According to CTIA (International Association for the Wireless Telecommunications Industry) in the 12 months ending June 2010, more than 1.8 billion text messages were sent and received (or 4.9 billion per day).

As real estate practitioners, it is vital that we stay in touch with the new consumer and utilize the tools that work best for their lifestyle. This disallows the excuse that you are “too old” or “too set in your ways” to text. If you’re not texting, you’re not as serious as you should be about your career in real estate!! Let’s talk about some of the barriers to text messaging.

Outdated Cell Phone – If you have to punch the number buttons on your phone a few times to access each letter then your phone is too outdated for our business! All carriers have cell phones with keypads for ease of texting. You should invest in a smartphone if you don’t have one as it is vital to your productivity.
Unsure of Lingo – Don’t worry about the lingo. Some may roll their eyes when they receive a text from me because I spell everything out but that is okay. Many cell phones actually pre-fill a word if it makes sense in your conversation which can make it very easy for you. Besides, unless you are a teenager, we don’t know what you are saying anyway if you use the lingo…lol!!
Additional Cost – Most cell phone plans are unlimited as far as phone calls and texting are concerned. Our cell phone is our lifeline in real estate as we sell Bluegrass homes so make sure you have everything you need. It typically is very affordable. If not, then you should shop around for a good plan.

At Milestone we are constantly working towards improving our service and skills to best assist our customers and clients. Don’t let one of the best technologies around pass you by!!

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When Good Just Won’t Do – Mike Wheatley

May 6, 2011

By Judy Craft

We have all found ourselves in situations where we panic or don’t know what to do, such as a natural disaster, health emergency or, in our business, a transaction gone badly. When this happens, we all look for that person with a clear head and keen sense of focus to lead us out of danger. A little dramatic, yes, but a good description of our featured agent, Mike Wheatley. Mike is an unusual blend of accountant, counselor, tour guide, and leader, all peppered with a great sense of humor. Those characteristics make Mike a top producer not only within Milestone but also across our region selling Bluegrass homes. In 2009 Mike was the top Individual Agent for all Central Kentucky – an amazing feat, especially in a bad economy. That doesn’t surprise me however, as Mike is not only a great agent but also a team player and a delight to be around. Even if you didn’t need to buy or sell a home, you would want to “hang out” with Mike!! Mike recently agreed to be interviewed for this blog series on what makes a good Realtor® a great Realtor®.

Kentucky Realtor® Mike Wheatley

Licensed since 1993, Mike has his Sales Associate license as well as his Broker’s license. He studied Nutrition in College and worked in the field for a number of years. When asked about his sales background he brought up his paper route when he was 15! The food industry is grueling, so Mike was no stranger to working long hours, 7 days a week. This translated well into his real estate career as the top professionals also work erratic and long hours, especially throughout the Spring Market. Hard work doesn’t scare Mike; in fact, he seems to thrive on it. It doesn’t hurt that his wife, Diane, is very supportive and a constant source of encouragement.

A disciplined person, Mike places great value on Continuing Education and strives to improve his skills whenever possible. His daily disciplines include running and prayer – both vital to his overall health and well-being. He feels his life is more balanced now than it has been in the past but definitely believes there is room for improvement. Along with his sales activities, Mike is also a prolific writer and is in the midst of a series of articles entitled The Recovery which has been featured on our blog and has been quoted by many in our industry. If you have a chance to read Mike’s work you will find it well written and very informative. This is one of the many services Mike provides to his customers and clients on a regular basis providing them with timely and interesting market information.

If faced with starting over again Mike says he “Would have started in real estate even earlier, and not have been afraid to take that plunge into a commission sales lifestyle.” What would he tell an agent starting out in today’s environment? “Work hard, answer your phone messages and email messages promptly, find balance in your life. People succeed in even the worst of markets…there are always business opportunities available.” Great advice, Mike – thanks!!

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Walden Mortgage Weekly Newsletter: The Housing Market Update

April 20, 2011

By Walden Mortgage Group

Foreclosures Filings Hit 3-Year Low

U.S. foreclosure filings fell in the first quarter to the lowest level since early 2008 amid an ongoing backlog following last year’s halt in activity, according to a RealtyTrac report on Thursday.

Default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions were reported on 681,153 properties, down 14.8 percent from the previous quarter and a drop of 26.9 percent from the first quarter of 2010.

It was the lowest level of foreclosures since the first quarter of 2008.

Nevada maintained the highest U.S. state foreclosure rate as one in every 35 homes had a foreclosure filing. California alone accounted for nearly a quarter of overall foreclosure activity.

Foreclosures add supply to a housing market that already has too much inventory available which helps to keep home prices down. But with very strong home sales over the past quarter and reduced foreclosures, the table is set for home prices to stabilize.

What Happened to Rates Last Week

Kentucky Mortgage Information

Mortgage backed securities (MBS) gained +90BPS last week which pushed 30 year fixed rates downward. We had a very volatile week where we saw rates increase as well as decrease. Most of our gains occurred on Friday on the weaker than expected Consumer Price Index (CPI) data. CPI is a measure of inflation and mortgage rates react very closely to inflationary news. However, the longer term trend is still pointing towards higher mortgage rates as the very closely watched 100 day moving moving average continues its march towards higher pricing.

What to Watch Out For This Week

The following are the major economic reports that will hit the market this week. They each have the ability to affect the pricing of Mortgage Backed Securities and therefore, interest rates for Government and Conventional mortgages. We will be watching these reports closely for you and let you know if there are any big surprises:

Date	ET	Release	For
18-Apr	10:00	NAHB Housing Market Index	Apr
19-Apr	8:30	Housing Starts	Mar
19-Apr	8:30	Building Permits	Mar
20-Apr	7:00	MBA Mortgage Purchase Index	15-Apr
20-Apr	10:00	Existing Home Sales	Mar
20-Apr	10:30	Crude Inventories	16-Apr
21-Apr	8:30	Initial Claims	16-Apr
21-Apr	8:30	Continuing Claims	16-Apr
21-Apr	10:00	Philadelphia Fed	Apr
21-Apr	10:00	Leading Indicators	Mar
21-Apr	10:00	FHFA Housing Price Index	Feb

It is virtually impossible for you to keep track of what is going on with the economy and other events that can impact the Kentucky mortgage and housing markets. Just leave it to us, we monitor the live trading of Mortgage Backed Securities which are the only thing government and conventional mortgage rates are based upon.

Mike Dunn, Holleigh Sharp & Jeff Sharp

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Walden Mortgage Weekly Newsletter: The Housing Market Update

April 12, 2011

By Walden Mortgage Group

Apartment Vacancies Fall; Rents Climb

Housing affordability is a big part of the housing picture. When it is cheaper to rent, then people tend to rent more. When rents start to climb, it is a precursor to stronger demand for housing.

The vacancy rate for U.S. apartments posted a steep decline in the first quarter and rents crept higher as the job market improves. The quarterly vacancy report showed the vacancy rate dropped to 6.2 percent in the first three months of the year, down from 6.6 percent in the fourth quarter. It was the steepest fall since the commercial real estate research firm began tracking the market in 1999.

New York had the nation’s lowest vacancy rate, 2.8 percent, and its highest average rental, $2,794 a month. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Memphis, Tennessee had the nation’s highest vacancy rate, 11 percent. The average rent there was $634 a month.

What Happened to Rates Last Week

Kentucky Mortgage Information

Mortgage backed securities (MBS) lost -92 basis points from Monday’s open to Friday’s close which helped to drive up 30 year fixed mortgage rates which react in the opposite direction.

This was primarily due to two factors: First, the safety premium or “fear factor” of Japan, Libya and other geo-political concerns were reduced (MBS trade better on global fears). Second, The European Central Bank raised their interest rates and financial markets began to consider the fact that economic growth in the U.S. will soon trigger some moderate inflation (MBS do not like inflation).

What to Watch Out For This Week

Date	ET	Release	For
12-Apr	8:30	Trade Balance	Feb
12-Apr	8:30	Export Prices ex-ag.	Mar
12-Apr	8:30	Import Prices ex-oil	Mar
12-Apr	14:00	Treasury Budget	Mar
13-Apr	7:00	MBA Mortgage Index	8-Apr
13-Apr	8:30	Retail Sales	Mar
13-Apr	8:30	Retail Sales ex-auto	Mar
13-Apr	10:00	Business Inventories	Feb
13-Apr	10:30	Crude Inventories	9-Apr
13-Apr	14:00	Fed’s Beige Book	Apr
14-Apr	8:30	Initial Claims	9-Apr
14-Apr	8:30	Continuing Claims	2-Apr
14-Apr	8:30	PPI	Mar
14-Apr	8:30	Core PPI	Mar
15-Apr	8:30	CPI	Mar
15-Apr	8:30	Core CPI	Mar
15-Apr	8:30	Empire Manufacturing	Apr
15-Apr	9:00	Net Long-Term TIC Flows	Feb
15-Apr	9:15	Industrial Production	Mar
15-Apr	9:15	Capacity Utilization	Mar
15-Apr	9:55	Mich Sentiment	Apr

Mike Dunn, Holleigh Sharp & Jeff Sharp

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When Good Just Won’t Do – Louise Miller

April 11, 2011

By Judy Craft

Louise Miller is an absolute powerhouse – full of energy, enthusiasm, ambition and determination. You will be immediately struck by her candor and down to earth common sense all the while feeling that you have known her your entire life. Her ability to relax and engage you will help you understand why her clients come back to her again and again and also frequently refer family and friends to use her services. You are definitely in good hands with Louise Miller and The Miller Team!

Louise Miller

To my delight, Louise quickly agreed to participate in this When Good Just Won’t Do series of blogs which honestly shouldn’t surprise me as she is always ready to help out Milestone and her fellow agents in any way possible. Louise is the President-Elect for the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors and is active in the Kentucky Association of Realtors®. She has also served on many Realtor® Association committees as well as community and civic organizations. Her husband, Dennis, was awarded the John R. Carpenter Memorial Award for Community Service for GLAR in 2009, so you can see that good works run in the family!!

Louise has been a licensed agent selling Louisville houses for 28 years and also has her Broker’s license. She comes from a teaching background which goes hand in hand with real estate sales as much of her time is spent educating and assisting clients in order to help them make good decisions for their lifestyles. She attends conferences and training on a regular basis and recognizes the value in continuing education. “It is very important. We cannot keep up with our industry and provide service to our clients without it.”

On the subject of working with her husband, Dennis, and balancing family and career Louise says, “It was actually easier when my husband, Dennis, worked in another profession. I find that we actually work more hours now due to the fact that we are both totally involved in the same profession.” Running their business along with the community and professional obligations they fulfill would make for a busy life!!

When asked to what she would attribute her successful real estate career, Louise quickly pointed out, “Attitude, tenacity and systems! Without a plan and systems to implement it, a Realtor cannot succeed. The right attitude will turn a long day into a short one.” What would she do if she were starting over today? “I’m not sure. Real estate is a different career then when I started and it changes daily. I guess if I had to do something differently, I would mentor with someone that I respected for a while to get my feet wet. You don’t know how to sell real estate until you do it with a live audience.” I suppose there have been a few changes in technology in the past 28 years – good point!!

Finally, her advice to new agents just starting out in today’s environment, “Get involved! Being active in your organization and proactive in committee work at your local board is invaluable. This creates new networking opportunities and hands on education that will be helpful your entire career.”

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When Good Just Won’t Do – Deborah Back

April 6, 2011

By Judy Craft

Deborah Back is consistently one of the top producers in all of Central Kentucky and has been featured in numerous articles over the years. Deborah possesses impeccable people skills which have proved to be invaluable as she helps buyers and sellers, particularly in today’s volatile market. We recently asked Deborah about her business philosophy and what she feels are the keys to her success.

Deborah Back

Some background – Deborah has been a licensed agent for 11 years. She graduated from EKU with a degree in Interior Design but her sales background was in the tourism industry. “I was in the tourism business in sales for 16 years with 14 years in a corporate environment where your efforts were measured every day to determine what your return on investment would be of those efforts. It was a people business and you had to build trust & grow relationships in order to reach your goals. You had to have a marketing plan that would show what it would take each year to reach & exceed those goals.” When asked how this helped her in her business today Deborah responded, “It taught me that relationships are the cornerstone of being in the people business. It taught me that all people are looking for someone who is looking out for them & they want that person to have honesty & integrity, but also they want that person to have the knowledge to drill down to the facts & be able to give them a plan to reach their (housing) goals.”

Deborah also places a high value on continuing education and has attended several conferences and training programs over the years. She also holds several designations and certifications.

Family and work go hand-in-hand as Deborah works with her husband Greg and son Todd making up The Back Team. She works hard to maintain balance in both her personal and professional life. “My husband and I have raised two happy & healthy young men & that has been the discipline in our lives, but recently I have taken up the practice of Yoga. Sometimes it is difficult to find the balance but we are fortunate to be able to follow our younger son’s college baseball career at Georgetown College. Every opportunity we get we hit the road to attend his games. Did I mention shopping?”

The Back Team

That family support is vital to Deborah’s success. Even today she states, “I would have never taken the plunge into the Realtor world if it had not been for the love & encouragement of my husband. He has given me unconditional support & I think a supportive family is huge in this business. Our kids were 17 and 10 when I entered this business. In between their activities I would be putting up signs, dropping off contracts, meeting inspectors, etc. etc. One time our younger son waited in the car 30 minutes playing his video game (I promise it wasn’t child abuse) while one of my clients poured out her frustrations over a Lexington home inspection. He politely reminds us (frequently) that he will never do what we do! Too much drama, he says!”

Given the chance, what would she do differently if she could start over again today? “I would have probably gotten my Brokers license earlier in my career. It is something that I would like to have.” Well, Broker’s license or not, we think you are doing just fine Deborah!

Anything to pass on to new agents in today’s environment? “The first thing I would tell them is that you must be able to face rejection well. In this business with over 2000 agents you will find out quickly that buyers & sellers are not always loyal. The second thing is that you have to keep a positive attitude of glass is half full. The third thing is that they should have a marketing plan on paper with set goals to achieve. As new agents they need a list of names called a sphere of influence that they have constant contact with. It doesn’t have to be 500 names. It can be 50 or 100 names. I went to the people that I knew best from my previous career as they already trusted me. You aren’t going to get them all but you will get some of them. Lastly I would say as new agents you need to be 110% committed. Be visible, attend all office functions, ask questions often (I am still asking questions) & don’t forget the Golden Rule”.

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