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Fort Wayne, IN Real Estate News

By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Here is a quick look at the foreclosure market in Fort Wayne for 2013. Foreclosures sold:  640 Average list price:  $56,111 Average sale price:  $52,917  Median sales price:  $39,000 Average days on market:  42 Lowest sales price:  $10,000.  This was a 3 bedroom home just Norheast of downtown. Highest sales price:  $425,000.  This was a 5 bedroom home in Sycamore Hills that is overlooking the golf course.  It was originally listed for $437,000, and had been listed in previous years for close to $1,000,000.   Out of the 640 foreclosures sold in Fort Wayne in 2013, an astounding 564 of them sold for under the $100,000 price point.  The fact that most of them are under $100,000 doesn't surprise me, I was just shocked to see that number so high. Only 10 of the 640 foreclosures sold were ove...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
2013 was our fifth year of selling real estate in the Fort Wayne area.  It was our first full year with Century 21 Bradley Realty, and boy was it a good one! For the first time in our five year career, we experienced what a seller's market was like.  From February all the way through September almost everything we listed sold, and sold quickly.   We had multiple offer situations with both our buyers and sellers. We had to find homes for our sellers before we listed their current home because we knew how quickly things were selling. Our average days on market for homes that we sold was almost single digits.   It was a madhouse around here! Once September hit we finally had a bit of a slow down.  To be honest, it was welcomed.  We hit the beach that month and took some time to recharge th...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
I was over on Trulia.com today looking through some of the questions.  One member asked "What do you look for in a lender?" It got me thinking.   Amanda and I are just finishing up our fifth year selling real estate in the Fort Wayne area, and we have gone through our fair share of lenders.   2009:  We started using the lender that was in our office.  We absolutely LOVED her, but her processor stunk.  After a few tough deals, we moved on. 2010:  We started using a super nice guy with a super big bank.  He was great, but the big bank was not.  Too many hands in the pot, too much red tape, and too many extended closing dates.  Not good.  2011:  We started using a very nice husband and wife team that owned their own mortgage company.  They had done a ton of refis over the years, but were n...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Jane Peters is a Realtor friend of mine from Los Angeles.  She recently wrote a blog called Sometimes the first home is the right one that got me thinking. In my five years of selling real estate in Fort Wayne, I have sold seven homes where the home purchased was the only one that my buyer looked at.   What??  Don't the buyers want to see their options?  How can they buy the first house they saw??   Because it was a perfect fit. Kim:  We walked in and within three minutes she wanted to make an offer.   Angie:  We had five homes on the schedule to see.  We cancelled the last four.  She had tears in her eyes as she walked through the first home.  We had it under contract within hours. Jose:  He called me on one of our listings.  I showed him the home that afternoon, and by 12:00 the next ...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Amanda and I have been a part of Century 21 Bradley in Fort Wayne since May 15, 2012.   Last year was our first Christmas party with our new company.  While last year was a good time, we didn't really know many of the agents in our office.  Fast forward a year and we have really gotten to know and love many of the 150 agents in our office, and our incredible staff.   There was food. There was music. There was dancing.  (Even I danced!!) There may have been a little drinking going on too...   It was a blast! Here is a picture of my cute little wife and I. Yes.  I realize that she looks a LOT younger than me, and she is. I once had somebody look at my business card and say "Wow.  It's really cool that you sell real estate with your daughter."  True story.  I never really liked that guy an...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Coaching is in my blood.   My father was an instructor in the military.  My mom was a swimming coach and a teacher.  My brother is a division 1 college coach.  My other brothers coached high school.  My sisters both coached singing and directed plays.   Like I said, it's in my blood. Over the last year or so, I decided to not only sell real estate in Fort Wayne, but to "coach" a few new agents.   I now have half a head full of gray hair, but at least I have hair. It was a lot of fun to take on the challenge of training these newbies.   At least it was at first.  :)   A few of the agents thought that selling real estate was going to be easy.  They said it was going to be a "piece of cake."   Boy were they wrong.   They thought that all you had to do was to get people to like them.  That'...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Amanda and I are both full time Realtors here in the Fort Wayne area.  We do not draw a salary from our company, Century 21 Bradley.  We are both straight commission. That means a few different things. 1.  We don't collect a paycheck until we close a deal. 2.  Our income can fluctuate at times.   That probably sounds scary to a lot of you that do draw a salary.  Well, it used to sound really scary to us too way back in the beginning of our careers.   The size of our commission checks vary.   We make much more on a higher end luxury home than on some of the lower end foreclosures we also sell.   Knowing that, you'd think that we would focus all of our efforts on those higher end homes, right? In a perfect world, we would only sell homes that were over $500,000 so we can collect all of th...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
I've had a lot of buyers ask me about the sales history of a particular home their interested in.  While the sales history is interesting to know, I don't think it's that important what a home sold for six years ago. Let me explain... This year alone I've sold four homes that were flips.  The owners bought the homes as foreclosures, put a lot of money into them, and then put them back on the market at fair market value.   One of my buyers saw that the home he wanted (priced at $90,000) was purchased by the current owner for $35,000 just six months ago.  He did the calculations in his head on what he thought the owner invested in repairs at around $30,000.   So in his head, he has the current owner all in at $65,000.  That's what he wanted to offer.   No way.  Not happening.  I explained...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Are you wondering what happened in the Columbia City and Whitely County real estate market last month?  Let's take a look! Homes sold:  35 Average days on market:  72 Average list price:  $151,365 Average sales price: $146,548 (97% of list price) Median sales price:  $131,500 Lowest sales price:  $38,000 (3 bedroom ranch in rural Columbia City) Highest sales price:  $560,000 (4 bedroom, 3676 square foot home in the country on 3.5 acres) 72 days on market is a little higher than surrounding areas, but sales price being 97% of list price almost makes up for that.  Overall the market in Columbia City and Whitley County is good for sellers! Let's take a look at active homes for sale in Columbia City and Whitley County (as of December 1, 2013). Homes for sale:  163 Average days on market:  1...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Are you wondering what happened in the Fort Wayne foreclosure real estate market last month?  Let's take a look! Homes sold:  22 Average days on market:  33 Average list price:  $69,932 Average sales price: $66,336 (95% of list price) Median sales price:  $47,625 Lowest sales price:  $15,100 (3 bedroom ranch in southeast Fort Wayne) Highest sales price:  $262,500 (4 bedroom, 1,811 square foot home in the country on 4.2 acres) 33 days on the market is amazing and much less than the average in Fort Wayne.  95% sales price to list price is also very good.  It means that banks are pricing homes where they need to be to sell.  The days of getting ridiculously great deals on foreclosures is GONE.   Let's take a look at active homes for sale in NWAC Fort Wayne (as of December 1, 2013). Let's l...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Are you wondering what happened in the SWAC Fort Wayne real estate market last month?  Let's take a look! Homes sold:  38 Average days on market:  53 Average list price:  $256,578 Average sales price: $244,282 (95% of list price) Median sales price:  $184,950 Lowest sales price:  $98,000 (3 bedroom ranch in Amber Highlands Subdivision) Highest sales price:  $850,000 (4 bedroom, 3,827 square foot home in the country on 1.9 acres) 53 days on market is good and well below the average days on market for Fort Wayne as a whole. 95% sales price is down a little from the last few months, but still good for sellers.   Let's take a look at active homes for sale in NWAC Fort Wayne (as of December 1, 2013). Homes for sale:  259 Average days on market:  102 Average list price:  $283,462 Median list ...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Are you wondering what happened in the NWAC Fort Wayne real estate market last month?  Let's take a look! Homes sold:  48 Average days on market:  44 Average list price:  $190,715 Average sales price: $186,039 (97% of list price) Median sales price:  $167,271 Lowest sales price:  $63,000 (3 bedroom foreclosure off of Dupont Road) Highest sales price:  $493,000 (4 bedroom, 3,073 square foot home in The Bluffs at Twin Eagles) 44 days on market is phenomenal, especially in November.  Homes selling for 97% of list price is also very good for sellers in NWAC.  While the number of solds are a little down, it's still a good time to sell your home in NWAC. Let's take a look at active homes for sale in NWAC Fort Wayne (as of December 1, 2013). Homes for sale:  230 Average days on market:  91 Ave...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Are you wondering what happened in the Fort Wayne real estate market last month?  Let's take a look! Homes sold:  239 Average days on market:  62 Average list price:  $130,158 Average sales price: $125,006 (96% of list price) Median sales price:  $107,900 Lowest sales price:  $800 (Foreclosure near downtown Fort Wayne) Highest sales price:  $850,000 (4 bedroom, 3,827 square foot home in Southwest Fort Wayne) Overall, the market in November of 2013 was slow.  62 days on market and sales price being 96% of list price are both great things for sellers in the area, but we have all noticed a big slow down.   Let's take a look at active homes for sale in Fort Wayne (as of December 1, 2013). Homes for sale:  1,700 Average days on market:  108 Average list price:  $145,338 Median list price:  $...
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By Brian Kuhns, Fort Wayne Real Estate by Brian Kuhns
(Coldwell Banker Roth Wehrly Graber)
    Make plans to attend tonight's Night of Lights during downtown Fort Wayne's Holidayfest. Lighting ceremonies begin at 5:15pm at the History Center on Barr Street with the lighting of the turret. The full schedule of lighting ceremonies and activities including the Festival of Trees, Santa and his Reindeer lighting and Headwaters Ice skating can be found on the website. The evening concludes with my favorite activity, Fireworks at Parkview field starting at 7:45....looks like I'm going to have to dig out my winter gear and head downtown tonight! 5:15 p.m.  History Center Turret Lighting (Barr Street)5:30 p.m.  University of Saint Francis Performing Arts Center Wreath and Nativity Lighting (Berry Street)5:45 p.m.  Aunt Millie’s Northern Lights (Pearl Street)6:00 p.m.  Community Center...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Being a Realtor in Fort Wayne can be a stressful occupation.  Cut appraisals, bad inspections, impossible agents to work with, and on and on and on.   There are also numerous positives about doing what we do.  Happy and thankful clients, flexible schedules and freedoms, and the money isn't bad either.   But you know what we love most about what we do?   We get to choose who we work with.   I (Jared) met with a buyer last summer. She was young and inexperienced and didn't know the first thing about buying a home.  I scheduled a time to meet with her to go through the entire process and educate her. Well, mom and dad decided to show up too.  They clearly had some bad experiences with Realtors in the past, and to put it bluntly, they were all up in my business.   They were downright rude. ...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
I (Jared) don't know the details of NAR's Agent Match idea.  All I know is that it's going to match local sellers with the 16 best agents in the area based on the number of homes sold in the last 6 months, average days on market, etc.   Big deal.   No.  We aren't super duper mega producing Realtors in Fort Wayne that sell eleventy billion dollars in sales a year. No.  Every home that we list doesn't fly off the shelves in less than a week.   No.  Our team isn't the #1 selling team in Fort Wayne.   But we are pretty darn good at what we do. Our clients are loyal and they are happy.  They send us referral after referral after referral. The folks that follow me on social media are loyal.  They want to use Amanda and Jared, not Super Duper Hot Shot Agent.  They like US.   Buyers and sellers...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
As a Realtor I get asked a LOT of questions from clients.  No really.  A lot.   How much do you think they will take? Can I bring my mom to see it?   How much will the inspection cost? What improvements can I make to my home to raise the value? Should I take my dog with me when my home is being shown?   These are all pretty easy questions to answer.   Today I was asked one of the most odd questions I've ever been asked.   Can you ask the listing agent if the seller is a heavy smoker?  I noticed on a few of the pictures that there is discoloration on the walls.  I don't want to drive all the way up there to see the home and walk in to that nasty cigarette smoke smell. I had to do a double take.  My buyer is very particular and detail oriented.  You know, the engineer type.  He's a really...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Is it still a good time to buy a foreclosure in Fort Wayne?  Are there still really good deals to be had?   Let's take a look at foreclosures sold in Fort Wayne during the month of October: Foreclosures sold:  35 Average list price:  $58,119 Average sales price:  $55,704 (96% of list price) Median sales price:  $45,000 Prices of foreclosures sold in Fort Wayne last month range from $6,000 all the way to $215,000.  That said, 31 out of the 35 sold were under $100,000, and 20 out of the 26 were under $50,000.   So what does this all mean?   In my opinion, it means that foreclosures don't make up as much of the market as they used to.  322 homes sold last month in the city of Fort Wayne.  Only 9% of those were foreclosures.   In my opinion, that's a good sign.   The average days on market ...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Are you wondering what happened in the real estate market in the Northwest Allen County School District last month?  Let's take a look! Homes sold:  44 Average days on market:  44 Average list price:  $197,980 Average sales price: $194,855 (98% of list price) Median sales price:  $166,875 Lowest sales price:  $69,000 (4 bedroom, 2,650 square foot fixer upper in Leo) Highest sales price:  $431,231 (4 bedroom, 2,372 square foot home in the Cedar Springs Subdivision in Northwest Fort Wayne) Overall, the market in October of 2013 was AWESOME.  44 days on market and sales price being 98% of list price are both great things for sellers in the area.  44 days on market??  Can you believe it?? Let's take a look at active homes for sale in Northwest Allen County School District in Fort Wayne (as ...
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By Amanda Christiansen, Christiansen Group Realty
(Christiansen Group Realty (260)704-0843)
Are you wondering what happened in the real estate market in the Southwest Allen County School District last month?  Let's take a look! Homes sold:  60 Average days on market:  64 Average list price:  $253,160 Average sales price: $246,711 (97% of list price) Median sales price:  $216,750 Lowest sales price:  $93,500 (3 bedroom, 1,100 square foot ranch in Winterfield Subdivision) Highest sales price:  $750,000 (7 bedroom, 4,751 square foot home in the Sycamore Hills Subdivision in Southwest Fort Wayne) Overall, the market in October of 2013 was fair.  64 days on market and sales price being 97% of list price are both great things for sellers in the area. Let's take a look at active homes for sale in Southwest Allen County School District in Fort Wayne (as of Nov 3, 2013). Homes for sale...
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