Evansville Indiana Real Estate

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Rolando & Kathy Trentini

Jacob’s Village Looks To Expand

EVANSVILLE- It can be tough having a dependant family member who has special needs. Caregivers often get overwhelmed and need support. Jacob’s Village has been providing adults with disabilities alternative living arrangements since October 2004.

The organization is funded through private donations and fees from people living there.

Currently, six people are calling Jacob’s Village home. The facility has caregivers 24-hours a day, nature trails, a gazebo area, and a variety of activities. Jacob’s Village offers services to families who are looking for alternative living options or a place for loved ones to go if a caretaker wants to get away for a weekend.

The organization plans to expand in May by building more housing units. Starting in the fall, it will offer services to senior citizen who can’t live on there own.

Jacob’s Village President Cheryl Kuchna says, “Initially we were focused on people with disabilities and we’ve learned about what needs there are in the community around us. It does appear that good, affordable, accessible housing options are in short supply, especially for seniors and people with disabilities, so we are kind of evolving our mission to provide additional housing choices right here in this neighborhood.”

Jacob’s Village has its biggest fundraiser on May 13th. The Otters baseball team hosts a game and all proceeds go to the organization.

Source: http://www.news25.us/Global/story.asp?S=14441957

Rising Rents Make Rentals Less Appealing

Apartment bargains once dominated the housing market, but those bargains have slowly faded away. As vacancies decrease and rents rise, renters are finding fewer deals.

Analysts expect vacancies to decrease even more and rents to continue to rise through 2013, as the economy continues to improve.

Rental activity recorded its best start for the year since 1999, according to Reis Inc. Vacancy rates have fallen to mid-2008 levels and rents have increased for the past five quarters, now averaging $991 per month nationwide.

Renters are finding the fewest deals along the coasts, such as New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and San Jose, Calif. These cities are experiencing low vacancy rates. Also, a boost in these cities’ economies is sending rents higher. New York City alone has seen double rent increases compared to the national average and has the lowest vacancy rate in the nation.

The best rental deals can be found in Las Vegas, Tucson, Ariz., Phoenix, and several cities in Florida–all cities where unemployment and foreclosures remain high. According to Reis, Las Vegas was the only city to see rents fall last year.

However, analysts say that bargains across the country are getting fewer, and renters should expect to see an increase in rents over the next three years.

View the Top 6 Cities Where Buying Is Better Than Renting.

Source: “Rental Market Swings Back in Favor of Landlords,” MSNBC.com (April 12, 2011)

Holiday World to be “Conquered” this Summer

SPENCER CO., IN – Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari will get some national airtime this summer. The park will be featured on the Travel Channel reality show, “Bert the Conqueror.”

The show’s host, Bert Kreischer, is described as an “everyman” who travels the country, conquering extreme rides, sports and unusual competitions.

Bert will visit Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari on May 6 and 7 to try and “conquer” The Voyage roller coaster and Wildebeest water coaster, each voted the world’s top rides of their kind. Park President Dan Koch said his mother is also planning an extra challenge for Bert.

“We hear that Bert hollers like a little girl on roller coasters,” says park president Dan Koch. “I hope that means he’ll drown out my screams.”

The show’s producers said Holiday World was the most demanded venue for Bert to feature in his show’s second season.

You can join Bert as he tries to conquer the rides. Holiday World is conducting “open auditions” by video and email through April 20. In a one minute video or 175 word email, families are asked to explain why they should be picked to ride along with Bert. Contest rules can be found at http://HolidayWorld.com/HoliBlog.

“Bert the Conqueror” airs Sunday evenings on the Travel Channel. The Holiday World episode is expected to air this summer.

Source: http://www.news25.us/Global/story.asp?S=14421218

3 Tips for Smart Vacation-Home Buying

Vacation homes are offering plenty of good deals at the moment. In many second-home hot spots, prices are still close to five-year lows. For example, single-home prices in second-home hotspot Napa, Calif., are down 47 percent from their peak in 2006, according to Fiserv.

If you have a buyer looking to cash in on vacation- or second-home values, an article at CNNMoney.com recently offered the following tips:

1. Is it rentable? Even for buyers who aren’t planning to rent it out, they may still want to consider the rental aspects of the property, particularly since a home’s rental potential can affect its resale value, says Catherine Jeffrey, a real estate professional in Fredericksburg, Texas. Buyers will want to check with the homeowners association or township to ensure that short-term rentals are allowed.

2. How do you plan to use the home? Your loan rate will depend on how you use the property. For example, if buyers intend to use the property primarily as a second home, they’ll pay about the same mortgage rate as a primary residence, says HSH Associates vice president Keith Gumbinger. However, if they plan to get rental income from the property, the property will be treated as an investment, which means they may need to pay as much as 25 percent for the down payment and pay up to one percentage point more in interest, Gumbinger says.

3. Are you eligible for the tax benefits? If the owners rent the house out for two weeks or less, they won’t have to report income to the IRS, and they’ll still be able to deduct property taxes and mortgage interest, experts say. If the owners stay in the home for less than two weeks or has 10 percent rental days, whichever is greater, they’ll be able to deduct operating costs, such as cleaning and maintenance fees, as well as the interest and property tax, says Rick Shapiro, a CPA in West Hartford, Conn. He suggests home owners talk with a tax expert to find out what tax benefits they are eligible for.

Source: “5 Things to Know About Buying a Vacation Home,” CNNMoney.com (April 5, 2011)

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011041105?OpenDocument

Scam Alert: Home Improvement Scam Targets Elderly Woman

It’s a sign of the season: outdoor home improvement scams. Police say as the temps warm up, the fraud cases pile up.

False promises cost an Evansville woman thousands after she agreed to hand over checks to a local contractor.

Door-to-door scams often begin with a stranger knocking at your front door, but not this time.

Instead, Dorothy Elzer says it was a familiar face. “Seems like I had known him,” said the 86-year-old woman. Elzer says she had seen the contractor around her neighborhood doing work for others.

He pointed out a roofing problem. “Well, he said if I didn’t get it fixed it would be leaking.”

She was sold and agreed to hire the apparent handyman to repair her roof. Elzer says she can’t write as well as she used to, so she handed over several blank checks to pay for the supplies and labor.

They negotiated a price, but it wasn’t the $6,000 now missing out of her account.

Elzer says was never given any receipts detailing the completed work or supplies purchased. Evansville Police officers are now working this as a theft and home improvement fraud case.

“Some checks had been written for roofing that was never performed for the house,” says Karen Kajmowicz, EPD Public Information Officer.

She says investigators have a person of interest they’re looking for, but aren’t identifying any names just yet. Police reports list Thrifty Roofing & Construction as the listed company.

“We’re working on a few different leads so there’s a possibility we’ll be able to find out who this was,” Kajmowicz says.

NEWS 25 contacted Thrifty Roofing. The phone line appears to be disconnected.

Police caution everyone to ask for references before agreeing to any door-to-door salesman work.

Source: http://www.news25.us/Global/story.asp?S=14399751

Evansville City Pools Prepare To Open

The Evansville Parks and Recreation Department is working to repair all the city pools so they open on time this year.
So far Lorraine pool has received the most repairs. Last summer there was a problem with the infrastructure and piping when the lining was put into place. Now, contractors have identified 14 leaks and are working to fix those. Once that is done, a new liner will be put in place, costing more than $37,000.

In three weeks, the parks department will start prepping by draining, power washing, filling and chlorinating the pools. Garvin pool will take the most work to open, because it’s the only city pool with a fiberglass liner.

Agency Director Dan Schall says, “that is our goal every year to get the pools up and running. You don’t know your major problems until you pressurize the system with water, by looking at a pool it might look great cosmetically, but once you pressurize it that’s when your true issues start to arise.”

Hartke pool will open the weekend before Memorial Day and the rest of the pools will open the first Tuesday in June.

Source: http://www.news25.us/Global/story.asp?S=14406706

Market Watch News Letter for April 2011

Market Watch

If you remember the Market Watch I sent in December, I made several specific predictions about how our local real estate market would perform the first several months of this year compared to last year. Those predictions have been accurate to-date but what is probably more telling is how we are doing compared to 2009. As I have mentioned before the homebuyer tax credits in the first half of last year distorted sales. There were no homebuyer tax credits in the first half of 2009. Closed sales in the first three months of 2011 were up 11.7% in units and up 18% in total sales dollars compared to the corresponding period in 2009. The local housing market has improved and will continue to get better.
The number of active listings on the market continues to stay at historically low levels. Housing affordability which is influenced primarily by the price of homes and interest rates is at historically high levels. If you are thinking about buying, waiting will inevitably mean you pay more for your home, either in terms of price, interest rates or both. If you are thinking about selling, it is better to get your house on the market now before inventory levels begin to rise.
If you are selling your home, it is important to understand that buyer behavior has changed significantly in the past few years. Now virtually all buyers look at homes online before physically visiting a house. In other words showings happen online. Today the number of times a home is viewed online is as, or more important than the number of physical showings and is a better barometer of buyer interest. Seller reporting at FCTuckeremge.com provides sellers a realistic picture of marketing activity. This tool allows you to know when and how often potential buyers are looking at your home online. Call me if you have additional questions about this valuable program.
Let me know if I can help you with any of your real estate needs and please enjoy the beautiful spring weather that has finally arrived. You can reach me at 812-499-9234 or Kathy at 812-499-0246.

Top Lawn Mowers and Tractors Make the Consumer Reports Cut

Just in time for the warm weather and green grass, the latest issue of Consumer Reports features ratings of more than 100 mowers and tractors.

Consumer Reports testers mowed 19.2 acres and identified more than 30 top-scoring models, including three models from Honda and Toro that retail for $400 or less.

Among the top performers is the Black & Decker SPCM1936, $450, one of the few cordless electric mowers with self-propelling wheels, a feature more typically found on gas models.

Tests also found more lawn tractors that can maneuver around trees and posts nearly as well as zero-turn-radius riders. The new Craftsman 28856, a CR Best Buy at $1,600, offers added agility plus impressive mowing for about $1,000 less than many zero-turn riders and $2,000 less than the four-wheel-steer John Deere X304 tractor. At $500 each, the Toro Super Recycler 20092 and Honda HRR216K7VXA cost $200 less than the top Honda self-propelled gas model and mow comparably.

On some models, features trumped performance. Lawn Boy’s 10605 one-speed mower includes a work-saving clutch for just $300, but it was only mediocre at bagging and side-discharging clippings. The Cub Cadet’s Z Force S 46 17AF5BHH is tops among zero-turn-radius riders and noteworthy for its tractor-like steering wheel and steerable front wheels for better control down slopes, but it was among the more repair-prone tractor brands and was repair-prone among zero-turn riders.

“Shoppers will find feature-laden mowers for less and tractors that cost about the same as smaller riding mowers,” said Peter Sawchuk, Project Leader at Consumer Reports. “But our tests of more than 100 models show that some models put features before performance and could leave many consumers stuck in the weeds.”

How to choose
Consider a self-propelled mower for hills and save cordless models for small lawns that can be mowed within 30- to 45-minutes. For larger lawns with slopes, choose a tractor with front-steering wheels over a lever-steer, zero-turn-radius rider, which is harder to control on hills. Here are additional tips Consumer Reports recommends keeping in mind:

Choose the right mode. All tractors and riders can side-discharge clippings, essential when grass is too high to mulch or bag. Choose a model that did well in the mode preferred. For riders, expect to pay about $50 extra for a mulch kit and $500 for the bagging system.
Know what you’re getting. Many brands are made by more than one manufacturer, so know the mower’s model number when replacing blades and other parts, rather than just the make and blade size.
Think twice about high wheels. For walk-behind mowers, engines mounted farther up front make most of those mowers harder to tilt back when making U-turns at the end of a row.
Play it safe. Check for rocks and other debris before mowing. Keep people and pets away from the area. Always wear long pants, sturdy shoes, and hearing protection. And look behind whenever backing up a riding machine.
How Americans really feel about mowing
Purchasing the right mower is only half the battle, mowing the lawn is the other. According to the latest nationwide lawn care poll from Consumer Reports, some 32% of respondents found mowing relaxing, good exercise, or nice private time. But most would trade part of their lawn for something else, including fake grass (12%), with only 5% actually wanting to enlarge their lawn. And distracted driving isn’t limited to the car, texting and talking on the phone (4%), in addition to boozing (8%) are a few activities that come into play while mowing.

Lawn care is an activity that one must dress for, but according to poll results, many were dressed to kill, or at least injure themselves. Over three-quarters of respondents (77%) didn’t wear hearing protection, and over half (54%) wore shorts. Having close-toed shoes are also not a concern for 14% of Americans.

Source: Consumer Reports

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/news/articles/top-lawn-mowers-and-tractors-make-consumer-reports-cut/#ixzz1J3HLiqJn

4 Ways to Save on Your Cell Phone Bill

A potential $39 billion merger between two of the nation’s largest wireless carriers–AT&T and T-Mobile–could lead to higher cell phone bills, according to some experts.

Here are some cost-cutting measures to consider making now:

1. Use a family plan. You may want to find some “family” to add to your smartphone plan to start trimming your bill. AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, as well as other carriers offer family plans that aren’t just limited to those in your family. You can essentially add anyone to your “family” and still take advantage of the savings. Here’s the potential savings by bulking your plan: AT&T smartphone individual plans (which include voice, unlimited messaging and data) start at about $75 per month. A family plan that covers three users for similar features costs $145 a month–about $48 per person. A family of five? The monthly cost is $40 per person.

2. Trade in old phones. Don’t just dump your old cell phone in a drawer. Web sites such as GreenPhone.com and CellTradeUSA will let you trade your old phone for a new one. While you may have to pay a small upgrade cost, you’ll still save in having to buy new.

3. See if you qualify for a discount. Check to see if you qualify for a discounted cell phone plan if you’re a member of a national group such as AAA and AARP. Also, some wireless carriers even offer business discounts that you can apply toward your personal plan.

4. Free texting and video calls. You can curb your texting fees by using smartphone apps. For iPhone users, try Textfree With Voice; Android users might try chompSMS. (Note: These services only work with other smartphone owners who have the app.) You can also save by using video calls: iPhone users can save on calling minutes by using FaceTime video calling, and Android and iPhone users can video chat for free and also save on calling minutes by using Skype.

Source: “Here Are Smart Ways to Cut Cellphone Bill,” Orlando Sentinel (April 3, 2011)