We are in a price war and a beauty contest. I want you all to know we’re still selling homes quickly and right on the money. Full price offers…the whole bit. We got almost 90 buyer leads last week! People are buying houses! That’s good news. Keep in mind that our market is intolerant of a home that’s difficult to show ("Can you come tomorrow? Today isn’t a good day for me to show the home…") or improper pricing.

Please read the lastest article in Journal and Courier where the media asked me for some candid comments on the real estate market in Greater Lafayette. I linked to it below. We got to talk about the market, new construction and more. Let me know if you have any questions!

Hi everybody Here’s what’s going on today…our local market has 50 new listings, 20 price reductions and 215 deals pending. People are buying homes! As usual I’ve met with lenders and builders and many people are talking about the changes coming up for the year.

We have builders we work with everyday who are offering some fantastic deals on new homes. Quick build times and easy to work with closing arrangements…many people think you have to be 6 months or more out if building is a good option for you. Not true. You can move into a new custom ordered home this summer no problem. AND we can help you get fantastic pricing on this.

Lenders are talking of course about the revamping of some typical lending programs. You really want to work with a Realtor who knows the ropes these days…for real guys. We don’t want to see your deal go south just because someone doesn’t know what they’re doing. Work with a top team who knows who to call and how to work deals with you, so you get solid financing you can depend on.

We’ve noticed a sharp increase in all our web traffic. Many of you may know that we have several sites to help you with all your home buying and selling needs. Use them! We’re here to help in any way we can…I’ll post links to some of the most popular ones below.

Yes, Lafayette has many, many newer homes to choose from. Is this bad for the market, or is giving buyers the choice a good thing? I’m writing this one to hopefully get an idea of what you all are thinking! Let me know your thoughts! Email me with the link below, or just comment the post.

If you are planning to build a new home in Lafayette or West Lafayette, you should take full advantage of the opportunity to design a home that meets your needs and includes all the amenities you want. Depending on your budget, some builders may or may not be able to accomodate your needs. Your Realtor can work with you one-on-one to make sure you get together with a builder who has the experience and resources necessary to make you happy. Create a professional-quality kitchen for the "gourmet cook" in the family, include space for a home office, and place the master suite at the opposite end of the house from the kids. Enjoy designing your dream home!

This may be the biggest project of your lifetime. Be certain to select a team of highly qualified professionals to work with you. Your home team should consist of a real estate salesperson, a builder, and a lender. Depending on the project, you may want to include an attorney and an architect as well. Your "Dream Team" will assure that all the legal requirements are met as your dream home is being built. Interview each member of your team and ask for references, in order to be confident you are hiring the best people for the job. You will be working closely with these professionals for many months, so choose your team carefully.

Your agent’s job is to assist you with the entire project from beginning to end. We encourage you to call us anytime, even when you just have questions. We are always enthusiastic to talk about the business, and we know that you have a lot of important issues to consider. We’re at your service…

As most people have noticed, Lafayette and West Lafayette have both seen much new construction in recent years. When building a home, you should have the soil on the construction site tested for plasticity to determine how it will change under different moisture conditions. Your agent knows who to call and how to make your purchase contingent on this type of issue. This is important because some soil is so "plastic" that (if the condition is not corrected) it can actually break concrete floors, crack the walls and destroy the foundation of your home. Highly plastic soil is sometimes referred to as "fat clay" that swells excessively and loses stability when it becomes wet. Fine-grained soils that contain a high percentage of clay are greatly affected by water, turning to mud when it rains and undergoing large volume changes-sometimes up to 40 or 50 percent, as the soil dries. Not only do clays swell and lose stability when they become wet, but they also retard the drainage of water. If plastic soil is found on your building site, the ground must be over-excavated and replaced with clean gravel. Homebuilders often choose not to include a basement, or to protect the basement walls from excess moisture by surrounding them with a layer of gravel. A fine-grained clay-filled soil with a high plasticity index may require considerable treatment, especially if used in a moist location.