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Fort Wayne, IN Real Estate News

By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
An old friend of mine was the store manager at a local McDonald's years ago.   No.  I'm not going to go on a major rant about how the "food" there is disgusting and is killing the people that eat it.  I'll save that for another time. I'm going to talk about something she told me years ago that sticks with me to this day.   There was a time when her store lost a pretty big part of their staff.  A few of the people found other jobs, a few moved, and some got fired.   The owner of the store wanted her to put a huge sign up front that said HELP WANTED in hopes of attracting more employees. She told the owner that she thought it was a bad move for their business.  She argued that when people see the sign, they assume that they're understaffed.   Understaffed means slow service.   Slow servic...
Comments 16
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
My mom taught me a lot of things.   She taught me how to be kind.   How to listen.  How to be compassionate.   How to see the good in others.   How to survive.   How to be tough.   My mom has listened to me talk and talk and talk and talk.   She's been a shoulder to cry on.   She's been a supporter and has encouraged me.   She tells me she's proud of me for what I've accomplished.   I'm thankful for my mom.   Happy Mothers Day to all of the moms out there!!    
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Right now inventory is really low in the Fort Wayne real estate market.   This especially holds true in Northwest and Southwest Allen County School Districts. When a nice home comes on the market in these areas, it's normally sold within a day or two.   It's a great problem for sellers to have, but what about the buyers?   A few weeks ago I showed a two story home in SWAC to my buyers.  It was very reasonably priced, but it needed too many cosmetic updates.  My buyers passed. As we were leaving, I realized that this home was identical in square footage and lot size to a home I helped another client (We'll call him Bob) purchase a few years ago.   Those folks recently inquired about the value of their home because they were considering having us sell it for them.   I called Bob and asked...
Comments 71
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
1647 Cherokee Road in Fort Wayne Indiana is a charming home in North Highlands Subdivision.   It has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 816 square feet, and is offered for only $74,500. It also features a full finished basement, beautiful hardwood floors througout, updated eat-in kitchen with newer cabinets and ceramic tile, a finished family room on the lower level, great backyard with a newer deck and fence, and the exterior has been recently painted.   It's just one block away from Hamilton Park and is a one owner home.   Please stop by today from 2-4 for our open house.   We hope to see you there!      
Comments 0
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
The Fort Wayne real estate market is low on inventory.   Homes in Northwest and Southwest Allen County School Districts are flying off the shelves and selling within days (if not hours) of being listed.   That's great for sellers!   That's not so great for buyers.   As we see the weather (finally) breaking, we are seeing more and more buyers coming out of the woodwork.   A lot of those buyers are finding themselves in multiple offer situations and they are missing out on homes.   Last week we wrote a full price offer asking for $0 in seller concessions, and our buyer was using an uninsured conventional loan.   We got beat out.   Somebody else was willing to pay more than list price for the home.   Good for them, but my buyers and I were both confident that paying over list price wasn't ...
Comments 6
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
A few weeks ago I was showing homes to a very nice couple.  We just sold their current home and they were down sizing.   There were only seven homes total that fit their criteria.   After looking at all seven, they weren't in love with any of them.  There were two that topped the list so we went through them again.   They narrowed it down to just one and decided that they were ready to make an offer. I asked them what they loved about the home. "The kitchen is nicer than the others.  The living room is okay I guess.  We like the lot better than the other lots..."   (I heard no LOVE in their comments, just LIKE) I asked them what they didn't like about the home. "It's dated.  We wish the living room was bigger.  The second and third bedrooms were very small.  It's kind of cramped.  I don...
Comments 42
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Okay...  we've gotten through negotiating a purchase price, the home inspection, the appraisal, the loan approval, and the final walk through.   Time to close the deal! What should you expect at closing?   No two closings are the same.   We've had cash deals that took 8 minutes to close, and another that took over an hour to close. We've had FHA deals that took 18 minutes to close, and others that have taken two hours to close. We've had issues come up from time to time at closings, but for the most part, they're pretty smooth.   Normally both parties (buyers and sellers) will be present and in the same conference room.   The lender is usually there as well. Then we have the closer come in, and there's  a lot of signing by both the buyer and seller.   Our closer and good friend Amy Schi...
Comments 7
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
What is title insurance?   One of our favorite title companies we use here in Fort Wayne, Indiana is Fidelity National Title.  Our closer and good friend Amy Schiltz provided some answers for us in the form of a video.   Here's a quick and easy explanation of what title insurance is, and why it is needed in every real estate transaction, including a home purchase or when you refinance a home.       To learn more about how title insurance protects your rights to your home, visit their site at FNTIC.com. Thanks for reading and watching.  
Comments 1
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
You've recently decided that now is the time for you to buy or sell your home in the Fort Wayne area.  It's also time to find a Realtor® to help you with this.  Below you will find some tips to choosing the RIGHT Realtor®... Market knowledge Make sure to find a Realtor® that knows the neighborhood and specializes in your area. Experience Selling a home is not an easy task.  Find a Realtor® that has some experience under their belt and one that is prepared to help you navigate through the process. Full time or part time? While there are many good part time agents, it's probably in your best interest to hire a full time agent.  Selling real estate is a TOUGH job.  With a full time agent, real estate is top priority.  Plus, we're a lot more flexible.   Internet presence and tech savvy Over...
Comments 6
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Our friends over at Deeds.com reached out to us last week and asked if they could contribute some articles to our blog.  We happily accepted, and here's the third article.   3 things you need to know about real estate deeds Part 3.   Everyone knows that you get a real estate deed when you purchase a home.  What about all of the other situations that might warrant a real estate deed?  Homes are bought and sold every day, and not all of those transactions are cut and dry.  Many other deed situations can, and do, arise.   For instance, when is a quitclaim deed actually necessary?  If you're flipping a home, do you need a warranty deed when you try to sell?  Mistakes can also happen - quite often, actually.   When is it necessary to file a correction deed?  Do I need one if I want to add my...
Comments 1
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Our friends over at Deeds.com reached out to us last week and asked if they could contribute some articles to our blog.  We happily accepted, and here's the second article.   3 things you need to know about real estate deeds Part 2.   Everyone knows that you get a real estate deed when you purchase a home.  What about all of the other situations that might warrant a real estate deed?  Homes are bought and sold every day, and not all of those transactions are cut and dry.  Many other deed situations can, and do, arise.   For instance, when is a quitclaim deed actually necessary?  If you're flipping a home, do you need a warranty deed when you try to sell?  Mistakes can also happen - quite often, actually.   When is it necessary to file a correction deed?  Do I need one if I want to add m...
Comments 0
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Our friends over at Deeds.com reached out to us last week and asked if they could contribute some articles to our blog.  We happily accepted, and here's the first article.   3 things you need to know about real estate deeds Part 1.   Everyone knows that you get a real estate deed when you purchase a home.  What about all of the other situations that might warrant a real estate deed?  Homes are bought and sold every day, and not all of those transactions are cut and dry.  Many other deed situations can, and do, arise.   For instance, when is a quitclaim deed actually necessary?  If you're flipping a home, do you need a warranty deed when you try to sell?  Mistakes can also happen - quite often, actually.   When is it necessary to file a correction deed?  Do I need one if I want to add my...
Comments 4
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
This past weekend I was showing homes to a very nice couple relocating to Fort Wayne from Michigan.   We had a list of five homes that we were going to look at, and one of them really stuck out.  We were all excited to see it! We pulled into the long and winding driveway.  To the left of was a large pond, and to the right was a heavily wooded area.   It was gorgeous! Then we walked into the home itself.  The wood floors were beautiful.  The kitchen was spacious.  The screened in back porch was breath taking.  The fact that it was 77 and sunny made the screened in porch even better...   Then we walked into the living room.   It had a very large window with an unbelievable view that over looked the pond, the woods, and...   the neighbor's scrap yard.   I think all of our jaws dropped simu...
Comments 31
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Here's a quick look at the real estate market in Northwest Allen County School District during the first quarter of 2014. Homes sold:  110 Average list price:  $201,962 Average sales price:  $197,857 Median sales price:  $166,000 Average days on market:  68 Lowest sales price:  $15,000 - 2 bedroom fixer upper in Huntertown.  This home was originally listed for $20,000 and sold in 10 days. Highest sales price:  $668,088 - 5 bedroom 2,800 square foot home in The Villas of Twin Eagles.  This home was a new construction build job that was originally listed for $505,396 and sold in 68 days. What does this tell us about the real estate market in Northwest Allen County School District during the first quarter of 2014?   It's good!   68 days on market is about the norm in this area.  Sellers ar...
Comments 0
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Here's a quick look at the real estate market in Southwest Allen County School District during the first quarter of 2014. Homes sold:  134 Average list price:  $202,847 Average sales price:  $194,830 Median sales price:  $151,500 Average days on market:  67 Lowest sales price:  $25,000 - 3 bedroom fixer upper mobile home that was also a short sale.  Now THAT sounds like a nightmare!  It took 4 months to clost and was originally listed for $33,900. Highest sales price:  $696,000 - 5 bedroom 6,000 square foot home in Covington Manor Farms.  This home was originally listed for $725,000 and sold in 2 days.   What does this tell us about the real estate market in Southwest Allen County School District during the first quarter of 2014?   It's good!   67 days on market is about the norm, and s...
Comments 0
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
This winter has been ridiculous.   In Fort Wayne, we got 457 feet of snow this winter and the average temperature was -175.   Okay.  I might be exaggerating just a little bit, but it was cold and snowy!   Yesterday I had showings in the morning and then wrote an offer in the afternoon.  At the very last second, my insurance guy texted me and asked if I was up for some of this...     Of course I was! That's Brookwood Golf Course off of Bluffton Road and Airport Expressway.  It's a fun course and the huge planes fly right over you as they're landing.   Temperatures yesterday hit 72 degrees and the sun was out.  So were all of the golfers too!  It was a perfect day for golf.   How did I shoot?  Yeah.  Like it was my first time golfing for the year.   Today it's supposed to be in the mid to...
Comments 10
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Here is a quick look at what happened in the Fort Wayne real estate market in the first quarter of 2014.   Homes sold:  751 Average list price:  $122,795 Average sales price:  $118,100 Median sales price:  $96,000 Average days on market:  73 Lowest sales price:  $7,000 - Home was a 2 bedroom foreclosure near Broadway/Taylor that was listed for $9,900 and sold in 57 days.   Highest sales price:  $696,000 - Home was a 5 bedroom 4,000 square foot home on 3.5 acres in Covington Manor Farms in Southwest Fort Wayne that was listed for $725,000 and sold in 5 days.   How does this compare to the first quarter of 2013?  Let's take a look!  Homes sold:  827 Average list price:  $120,872 Average sales price:  $115,505 Median sales price:  $96,500 Average days on market:  84 What do these numbers t...
Comments 0
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
My short answer:  YES!  Absolutely.  My long answer:   I've had many different experiences with kids at showings.  Last week I closed two deals for an amazing family.  The parents were awesome to work with (I want to CLONE them), and I their young daughters were precious.   From the first meeting I quickly became the jungle gym for their four year old.  It's safe to say that she had me wrapped around her little finger in a matter of minutes. These kids were well behaved during showings and were a lot of fun to be around. I've had other clients with kids that were a little older (10-14 range) that again were well behaved.   These children were not a problem.   It's really cool to see the kids feel like they were a part of the process.  I'd often ask them what they thought about the home,...
Comments 14
By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
3090 W. 100 N-90 in Markle, Indiana has too many amazing features to list here.  Let's go ahead and watch the videos and see the beauty of this home. Below is a segment from our local real estate television show, Home Connection by Century 21 Bradley.   Below you will find a professional video tour of the home put together by our good friends over at Tourflix.   As you can see, this home is incredible and is one of a kind.   The statistics are as follows:  4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 2,694 square feet upstairs with a 1,744 square foot finished basement.  The home is on 4.54 acres and features a stocked pond and a 2,300 square foot pole barn.   Some of the other amenities include crown molding, fluted columns, arched passage ways throughout the home, cherry cabinets and cambria quartz cou...
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