Even though it's only 23 degrees and windy today it is sunny and I thought I was going to have a GREAT open house today!  I pulled in the drive and noticed a yellow pit bull next door.  No big deal, I watch the Dog Whisperer!  I get out of the car and don't even acknowledge the dog until... YUP, the dog charged me.  I faced the dog and yelled at it to stop, which it did.  Then I was going to back away and the damn thing charged me again and tried to bite me.  CESAR???  CESAR MILAN?????  (Dog Whisperer reference)  What do I do????  I kind of half pushed/kicked the dog away from me, screamed like a 13 yeard old girl and then RAN IN THE HOUSE!!!!!!!  I absolutely love animals, especially dogs, but had to push/kick the dog away.  Absolutely scared the crap out of me!!!  The owner came out a... 03/01/2009

Fort Wayne Real Estate Market Report for February 2009: * 170 Single Family Homes sold * The average listing price was $102,586 * The average price for sold homes was $96,443 * The average days on market for sold homes was 124 * The average size of sold homes was 1732 square feet * The average price per square foot was $51 * The most expensive home that sold in February was $422,000 * The least expensive home that sold in February was $3,000 Fort Wayne Real Estate that is CURRENTLY available is as follows: * 2,041 Single Family Homes are on active status * The average price for available homes is $135,372 * The average size for available homes is 1770 square feet * The largest available home is 13,089 square feet with a price tag of a cool $1,999,999 * the least expensive house availabl... 02/27/2009

I woke up this morning FIRED UP!  I got a new listing yesterday along with two new buyers, plus I had three showing scheduled for this morning, READY TO ROCK!  Then this happened: More snow!  I don't think we got more than two inches but my buyer wasn't comfortable driving in it and needed to reschedule for next week.  We are supposed to get 2-4 more inches today with blowing and drifting.  Man am I ready for SPRING!!!  Either Spring or a vacation to Miami.  Heck, maybe I'll just take the day off now.  :) Fort Wayne Realtor Jared Christiansen RE/Max Home Connection Jared's Homepage 02/21/2009

Today I happened across Oprah's show on cleaning up clutter in homes across the nation.  Of course, they cleaned up a few homes (WOW WOW WOW) and hauled away the trash and donated items in various VW bugs (cool cars!)  She encouraged people to sign up for the decluttering curriculum and to sign the "I will not clutter" pledge.  But the big WOW came at the end of the show when she announced that for the next week THE CONTAINER STORE would be offering 20% discounts to everyone who gets the coupon off of Oprah's web site.   So here is a great way to:  1) Purchase GREAT stuff from THE CONTAINER STORE  2) Get the clutter out of my life  3) Give my clients scoop on this cool discount before they miss this great deal or hear it somewhere else! Oprah, you go girl!    02/19/2009

Active REOs (Bank owned properties or Real Estate Owned) Current REOs listed in the city of Fort Wayne, IN:  202 Average Listing Price of REOs listed:  $52,937 Average Square Footage of REOs listed:  1496 Average current days on market:  102 Average listing price per square foot:  $35 Lowest Priced REO:  $5,000 Highest Priced REO:  324,900 Number of REOs listed under $20,000:  44 Number of REOs listed between $20,000 and $60,000:  101 or HALF of the REOs listed Number of REOs listed between $60,000 and $100,000:  34   As you can see there is plenty of opportunity to find great deals in Fort Wayne!  Whether you are an investor or a first time homebuyer there is plenty to choose from in Fort Wayne, IN.  Fort Wayne Realtor Jared Christiansen RE/Max Home Connection 260-704-0842 http://FortW... 02/13/2009

Yesterday afternoon I drove this truck: Through this: We've had some crazy rain the last few days here in Fort Wayne and the streets they are a flooded!  I decided that since my truck sits up pretty high I could get through it.  The FIRST time I went through it I was fine, didn't go too fast and had a good laugh.  The SECOND time was the kicker.  I decided that I could take it much faster than the first time...  I was right!  I flew through it, water EVERYWHERE!!!  It was FANTASTIC!!  I laughed and laughed and laughed until I couldn't turn my steering well anymore.  Water got up in the truck and my serpentine belt shot off.  Luckily I was 30 seconds from the office so I nursed it into the parking lot.  I'm no mechanic so I was thinking that I would probably need to call my neighbor to h... 02/13/2009

Recently I had the opportunity to stage a home that had been on the market for some time.  It took four ASP stagers all day to tackle the inside of the home.  We never got to the basement, the attic, the garage, or to the porch.  Thought you might want a visual of the garage.  This just reconfirms the adage that LESS is DEFINITELY MORE.  Just a reminder to every potential seller that a buyer cannot imagine what they cannot see! 02/12/2009

Title Companies need to have specific guidance if buyers are expecting the sellers to help with their closing costs.  To make sure that ALL possible closing costs are covered, you must include the following language in your purchase agreement: "Closing costs, prepaids, discount points, origination fees, transaction fees,  processing fees and any other related closing costs."  The last transaction I completed, the bank had one opinion and the title company had a completely different view.  Thank goodness the issue was resolved prior to closing between the professionals.  But both parties suggested the language above.  At closing the buyer received $3,000 in closing costs which included $700 to pay down the mortgage rate to 4.75%.  02/11/2009

For those of you who have been following the saga of my dog Jessie -- she was on the lam for three nights in below freezing weather.  The doggie is now home and recovering from the saga.                                02/11/2009

Wikipedia defines get-rich-quick scheme as follows:  A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to acquire high rates of return for a small investment. Most such schemes promise that participants can obtain this high rate of return with little risk. Most get-rich-quick schemes also promise that little skill, effort, or time is required. They often assert that wealth can be obtained by working at home. Legal and quasi-legal get-rich-quick schemes are frequently advertised on infomercials and in magazines and newspapers. Illegal schemes or scams are often advertised on the Internet through spam or cold calling. Some forms of advertising for these schemes market books or compact discs about getting rich quick rather than asking participants to invest directly in a concrete scheme. It is clearly pos... 02/11/2009

A goal is a dream with a deadline. Napoleon Hill Action is the real measure of intelligence. Napoleon Hill All achievements, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea. Napoleon Hill All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination, Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth. Napoleon Hill Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought. Napoleon Hill Before success comes in any man's life, he's sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That's exactly what the majority of men do. Napoleon Hill Big pay and little responsibility are circumstances seldom found toget... 02/10/2009

Here in Fort Wayne, IN we have some pretty cold winters.  This one is no exception.  I think that the month of January was one of the coldest that I can remember in my 21 years of living here.  I believe that we went almost the whole month without getting any higher than the mid 20's and many many of those days it didn't get past the teens. Saturday we hit the low 50's and that felt like HEAVEN!!!  Sunday was colder, today will hit 50 and then tomorrow...  62!!  The only thing that would make that better is if it was going to be sunny, but hey, it's the middle of February and in the 60's so I'll take it!! Wednesday is 58 and then back to normal but I am someone that lives in the moment so the next two days I might be working outside with my laptop!!  YEE HAW!!!!!! Jared Christiansen, yo... 02/09/2009

Here are some facts about Fort Wayne: Fort Wayne is in northeastern Indiana with a population of around 250,000 and growing. It is the second largest city in Indiana next to Indianapolis, and is a short drive (2-4 hours) from places like Chicago, Detroit, and Columbus. There are plenty of great colleges in Fort Wayne including Indiana U Purdue U Fort Wayne (IPFW), St. Francis University, Concordia University, Taylor University and Indiana Wesleyan University. It is also home to a few technical colleges like ITT and Ivy Tech. Fort Wayne’s nationally recognized local park system received the “Gold Medal Award” from the National Park and Recreation Association. There are hundreds of lakes that offer fishing, boating and water enthusiasts year-round recreation. As of 2005, the city had 87 p... 02/07/2009

Neither the National Association of Realtors (NAR) nor the Fort Wayne Association of Realtors could tell you when this market will turn around.  But one thing is apparent -- there is an incredible amount of pent up demand for home buyers and sellers that will manifest itself -- hopefully soon!   Realtors and homeowners should know the local housing market trends -- because buying and selling strategy must be based on the fine points of the local housing industry. So here is just a taste of what happened last year as far as real estate market trends for Allen County, Indiana.  •        The most significant trend is the downturn in new construction inventory and sales.  Since last year, new construction inventory is down 17.9% and pending units are down a whopping 31.6%.  •        Overall... 02/04/2009

Having your home fail to sell can be a discouraging experience.  But if you are committed to moving forward and changing direction, you can be assured that this experience will be nothing more than a small bump in the road. If your home did not sell during the listing period, you may be wondering what to do.  Was your home positioned properly, priced with the market, and promoted aggressively by your agent? There are three possible reasons why your home did not sell:   marketing strategy, your home's condition, and your home's market value or price.  MARKETING: Your home must be exposed to all prospects who are ready, willing and financially qualified to buy your home.  You had a FOR SALE sign with creative brochures and hopefully some open houses. Your home was on the Multiple Listing ... 01/31/2009

$4.92 BILLION  is now being distributed to local neighborhoods across the USA through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP).  WOW!  Locally, the City of Fort Wayne will be distributing $7 Million beginning on March 21, 2009. These funds are part of the recently passed Housing and Economic Recovery Act.  Mortgage foreclosures in the City of Fort Wayne are continuing to rise. From 2006 through the end of 2008, a total of 3,665 properties have been foreclosed upon by the mortgage lender or servicing agent.  In 2006, lenders foreclosed upon 1,156 mortgages in Allen County. In 2008, the number will likely exceed 1,450, a 25% percent change from 2006 to 2008. Locally, the purpose of the NSP is to take vacant, foreclosed homes, have developers renovate them, and then sell them on the lo... 01/29/2009

Neither the National Association of Realtors (NAR), RE/MAX International or my local RE/MAX Results broker could not tell you when the market will turn around.  But one thing is apparent -- there is an incredible amount of pent up demand for home buyers and sellers that will manifest itself -- hopefully soon!   Realtors must know the local housing market trends -- because buying and selling strategy will be based on the fine points of the local housing industry. So here is just a taste of what happened last year as far as real estate market trends for Allen County, Indiana.  The most significant trend is the downturn in new construction inventory and sales.  Since last year, new construction inventory is down 17.9% and pending units are down a whopping 31.6%.  Overall, there is less inv... 01/25/2009

Fort Wayne's Coney Island Wiener Stand has been a piece of its Americana since 1914.  The nostalgic hot dog stand is a must see for any visitor of Fort Wayne, IN.   I cannot imagine making a trip to the city...or state for that matter...without making a stop to the famous Coney Island Wiener Stand.  Going to Coney Island is a local must and everyone around the area has heard of it.When I first met my husband in 1997 he brought me to the famous Coney Island and I thought "how bizarre" that you could actually enter through the back door. I had never seen the front door until I drove by the other day to snap the photo for this post.  My husband and I brought his parents and our son to the stand for lunch our first day back in Fort Wayne.  Coney Island has been a long standing tradition in ... 10/15/2008

  My husband and I used to live in Fort Wayne, In and moved away in April 2002...not long after the tragic events of 9/11 so it is very easy to remember. During the time we have been gone so much has changed that whenever we come here for vacation we spend quite a bit of time driving through the city and surrounding areas to see what all has been changed.  My husband grew up in New Haven, IN just minutes from Fort Wayne so he knows the area very well.My son being the book lover he is always loved going to the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne.  It was a large library with an excellent Genealogy section which my mother really liked.  The library was recently remodeled...the grand opening was held January 27, 2007.  Unfortunately I have no pictures from before the remodel was comp... 10/13/2008

I have just had an opportunity to review a summary of the new housing bill that was put together by the Mortgage Bankers Association.  It appears that we will still be able to utilize the Down Payment Assistance (DPA) programs for all loans "credit approved" prior to 10/1/2008.  So now we know our window of time is 60 days.  It is very important to get this word out to potential buyers, especially if they are already pre-approved using a DPA!  I see this as a HUGE opportunity for us to create a sense of urgency and get some buyers off the fence in the next 2 months!Even after the 10/1 date, I still see some positives in this whole situation.  The FHA down payment requirement does increase from 3 - 3.5%.  However, it now allows for not only gifts from family members but also loans from f... 08/01/2008