The Hogue Group

You can dramatically improve your home’s worth by engaging in some home improvement tasks. What’s more, a certain amount of home improvement is necessary simply to meet your home’s maintenance needs. There are many things that you can do to enhance your living space, and some projects are more complex than others. Start with this article for a few excellent ideas.

Working out in hot weather can be an easy way to forget how long you’ve been working and not drink enough water. Hydration is vital to your safety on hot days. Be sure to take a break from the manual labor to drink some water and enjoy the work you have accomplished.

Clean your gutters if you want to save a lot of money and reduce stress. When your gutters are clogged with debris, the water is trapped and can cause leaks. This can make the exterior wood to deteriorate. Having clean gutters is always a good idea and cleaning them regularly is a home-improvement chore that is more than worthwhile.

Consider installing a shower in your home if none of your existing bathrooms currently have one. Showers are far easier to use and can cut water usage significantly. Five minute showers use less than a quarter the water that it takes to soak in the bath.

Although you may look to save money with the installation of CFL bulbs, you must be aware of the clean-up process should one break. Get people and pets away from there, so the air in the room can clear. Then clean up the glass fragments, using duct tape to carefully pick up the smallest pieces. Place the broken fragments into at least two bags for disposal, then vacuum the area well and immediately empty the canister or dispose of the bag.

Install new fixtures to the bathrooms in the home to make a quick improvement in the appearance. Attractive curtain rods, toilet paper holders, towel racks and cabinet knobs are available in various matching finishes and shapes. A lot of home improvement stores have these fixtures and they are easy to install in a short amout of time.

Even your walk needs to be updated from time to time. One home improvement job that is original and unique is to simply take out the walkway and replace it with brick pavers. Although it is labor intensive, the actual job is quite simple. A jackhammer can be rented in order to clear away old concrete walkways. After that, you should then have a smooth surface for laying down some your pavers.

If you have neighbors, you may want to let them know about your plans for home improvements before scheduling work. It can be irritating living right next to major construction. Your neighbors will be grateful to know when and how long your construction noises will last.

If you want an easy project that brings great returns, replace your old wood front door with a steel one. It’s been proven that steel doors increase the value of one’s home. New steel doors could boost your house’s curb appeal and it could also make your house more energy efficient.

A good tip for home improvement is to plan ahead of time. Leaving important decisions unmade until the day the work gets done is a recipe for disaster. You could make the wrong choices, or delay your project by not making any decisions at all. By planning what you want ahead of time, getting the work done will be much easier.

Keep things in the right perspective when you are doing home improvements. First, decide why you should do a home improvement; then think about how it will help improve your life. Before you invest your money and time into these changes, make sure that the changes are worthwhile.

For more information contact your Eco-Broker below.

Rick Hogue REALTOR, CDPE, Eco-Broker
The Hogue Group
A Place to Hang Your Hat and Call Home
502-554-9428

http://www.louisvillekyhomefinder.com

So your leaving, you won’t be back for 6 days, you have a whole pot full of business, and several deals that are up in the air. What do you do? No, not punt, no, not fall back, no, not stay home.
Instead why not have it managed by your other office members that you have worked with before? getting one of them to help is pretty easy to do. But alas most of them are going with you as well. Pick out someone that you know is looking to succeed in the business, that is hungry for additional business and will treat your clients as their own. Then you are off and ready. Have a great time at Family Reunion, and rest assured your business will be even better when you get back.

For more information contact your Eco-Broker below.

Rick Hogue REALTOR, CDPE, EcoBroker
The Hogue Group
A Place to Hang Your Hat and Call Home
502-554-9428

http://www.louisvillekyhomefinder.com

Hardwood and ceramic tile throughout this fantastic 4 bedroom home. This over 1/4 acre corner lot is in a quite subdivision close to schools, shopping and the Hurstbourne area. The lower level could be turned into a mother-in-law suite or used for a recreation or crafts area. 2 fireplaces, 2 car garage and large fenced in backyard await your family to visit. Why not put this on your wish list for the holidays!

Contact Rick Hogue at 649-3431 to schedule a showing.

There is no better time than now to be investing in real estate. Are you tired of your 401k going down and not being able to control your future? Do you get your quarterly reports on your IRA showing losses? Would you want to learn how to invest in real estate without using any of your bank account? How would you like to know how to double, triple, or even quadruple your retirement over the next year? Don’t miss out on this information event. November 11th, 2010 from 6 to 8 pm. Guest speakers will be Richard Hampton Scurlock from retirementtag.com and Rick Hogue with Keller Williams Realty Louisville.

This is not a gimmick nor is it something you have to buy into or even buy products. It is an informational program to show you how to purchase properties with your 401k, IRA and even some of your retirement programs. Hampton will be talking about how to go about getting into the market of buying within your programs and selling within your programs. Rick be be showing properties that are currently available that can be used as rentals and or flips.

Contact Rick Hogue at 502-649-3431 to get your spot set. Limit is 75 people for this program.

Oh by the way, did I mention that this is a free information program?

Want more info about listings in the Louisville market? Check out louisvillemls.pro. If you are looking for a new Certified Investment Counselor go to retirementtag.com.

BOLD is an acronym. As if we need another acronym but for me this one resonates and has brought my business to an even higher level. It means Business Objective: a Life by Design.

How would it make you feel if tomorrow morning you could wake up and have your life become a canvas that you can control by painting it the way you see it evolving. Well that is how I see this program. 8 weeks of homework, affirmations, scripts, exercises, and maybe enough time for a potty break and a quick lunch. All starting at 8:30 in the morning and lasting till 3:30 in the afternoon. This program by the fantastic trainers of Keller Williams International is one that you do not want to miss. Believe me I thought about not going to it and I am so glad that Holly (my wife and partner) and I discussed it.

Jason Edwards is one of the most upbeat instructors I have had in the Keller Williams training system. Not to say that others are boring, because they are not. Jason just puts himself and his dog Chug! into this program from the get go. Every week we would see Dianna Kokoszka in videos and read from her journal. Every week we would make phone calls to perfect strangers and ask them for their real estate business or call real estate agents and ask them to look at what our company has to offer.

In all I guess I made over 900 calls during this class to new people and to old clients using scripts designed to help me build a stronger business. With the guidance of Jason Edwards as our leader, and did I mention Chug!?, we worked through tough times and experienced some very big increases. Not sure if ours was the highest but it sure was great with numbers of contracts and listings soaring each week. Everyday I put my CD in the car and listen as Dianna Kokoszka reads affirmations to me, helping to promote me and what I do for a living.

Also our accountability group has hired Jason Edwards to work with us to keep the BOLD going in our group. Our assignment for this week is to read The Vortex and be ready for our coaching call on Friday and I am happy to say I am 3/4ths completed with this task. Larry Gatti, Noel Harris, Niki Fuller and myself comprise this band of BOLD Adventurers and we look forward to getting together every week.

Look for further updates as our group dives in head first to this great adventure.

Oh, did I mention that I will CAP on Tuesday the 31st of August, which happens to also be my anniversary of 20 years to my lovely bride Holly. Capping means that I have sold 2.3 million dollars in real estate for the year and means that all transactions after this are virtually 100% payout to me less a $25 accounting fee to KW. I also do not start my CAP over till January 1, 2011. I am so excited. Thank you BOLD. Till next time remember, there is an abundance of everything in the world ready for you to ask for it, just be sure you take responsibility for what you ask for and start sculpting your life by design.

It is hard to think that we are now into the 9th month of the year and that temperatures will start declining very soon. But this weekend is about getting together with friends, having the last swim of the year and football. In Louisville we have fans that follow both UK and UofL. Both teams got off to a great start winning their first game of the season. Congrats to both teams on their first wins of the year. Holly and I have guests coming on Monday for a potluck dinner and games so that will be lots of fun

This week will be full of home showings and working with new and old clients. My schedule looks pretty full with showings on Tuesday for homes in Eastern Louisville, to downtown, to Shepherdsville. Should also get word on a couple of closings and I have an appointment to talk to a new couple about a listing their home. I am also shooting for getting all of my clients on a buyers agreement to show my commitment to them as well as the reverse.

I am also preparing to go to class for CDPE and look forward to finishing that course up too. As things come about I will keep you abreast.

For now just keep looking for homes on my website http://www.louisvillemls.pro or find out what properties are doing in your area by going to propertybyrick.com to get a monthly updated market analysis.

It was a very good weekend last weekend and I hope to repeat it this weekend. On Saturday I had a couple of people come through to see Latania but both needed to work on a few things before we can get them into a house. However on Sunday in the first hour and a half I had 9 couples come through. Two of them came through 3 times each and I wrote a contract on the house that day and another Keller Williams agent from the Highlands office wrote one. By Tuesday at 12:45 my client had an accepted offer on the house and we hope to close before the 17th but it may be as late as the 28th. We have to wait and see on the moving of his money seeing as it is a cash deal.

This weekend I am having one for Karen Kraft on Ridgehurst Lane from 2-4 on Saturday. I am late in getting this part on the site so I will just tell you a little about it. The house has over 2300 sq ft of AG space which includes 3 full baths and 5 bedrooms, a nicely laid out kitchen with granite counter tops, a custom deck on the rear, manageable back yard, and a 2 car garage. In addition this home has another 1200 sq ft in an unfinished basement. All this for $245,000. Hope you will consider this one for your short list to see and if you would like me to show it to you call me at 502-649-3431.

Sunday I am revisiting a home that is listed with Jackie Schaeffer and before this week the house was at $529,900 The price was just reduced to $499,500. This house is amazing. From the foyer you can go left or right to the formal dining room or to the formal living room with pocket doors to create an intimate sitting area. Hardwood floors carry you to a massive great room with a wall of windows and flooring of Burber carpet. Included is a large gas fireplace and cafe doors leading out on to the back deck. To the left of the great room is the large eat-in kitchen with all built ins and a 3 season room on the back. Cross back to the hall and go to the 3 car garage, or a half bath or on down the hall to the master suite which is enormous and has a master bath with jacuzzi, separate shower, and walkin closet. The room also has several windows and doors that open to the 3 season room as well. The flooring is carpet in the master with inlaid tile and stain glass in the master. On the opposite end of the house are 2 more bedrooms with a jack and jill bathroom with separate vanities for each. This is what is known as a split ranch. But wait, we aren’t finished. If you go downstairs there is a large family room with cafe doors leading out to a lower patio. It has off white carpet, built in book cases, and a fireplace. To the right is an area ready for your pool table with another room to the rear for relaxing or it could be turned into an exercise room. Down the hall is an office that is 11′ by 12′ and at the end of the hall is another oversized bedroom with windows and walk in closet.  if you go straight ahead from the stairs coming down from the main floor you go to a door that opens to an area that is roughly 30 x 14 for storage and has another door that leads to another area about the same size with french doors and a work room for lawnmower, storage, hobby and crafts, or anything you want it to be. All I can say is wow what a very big house at approximately $100 per square foot. Total living space excluding all of the storage and garage is 4950. This is a one of a kind deal you do not want to pass up. Come see it on Sunday the 7th from 2-5 or call me for a private showing. The address is 17103 Ash Hill Dr., Louisville, KY.

Today I am holding an open house for a truly spectacular new construction home in Longwood in Goshen Kentucky. Over 3700 square feet of finished space plus a 2800 square feet in an unfinished walkout basement. From the grand entrance way to the private study with fireplace to the chefs kitchen with granite countertops, this house is excellent. Come out and see it today. The address is 13203 Wellington Way. You do not want to miss this one. With a $40k customization fund or 4.25 fixed rate interest this just sweetens the pot for this beautiful home by the people at Paragon Homes. Are you trading up? We may be able to work something out for you on a trade as well.