Wedding Bells

Hi everyone! Carly here…aka the “bride to be!” My wedding is coming up on Saturday and I wanted to share with you the awesome businesses and vendors who have gone above and beyond to help make my wedding special! In real estate, word of mouth and referrals are what makes our business so successful! So here’s my shout out to all my favorite wedding vendors! I know if they took such great care of me, they will for you too!

Wedding Dress: Sher’s Bridal, 309 Evergreen Road, Louisville, KY 40243 (502) 244-9493

Sher was absolutely fabulous during my wedding dress search! She was so patient and only pulled dresses for me that were within my price range. She notified me of different offers and trunk shows that were coming up so I could get my dress for the best price! She is very professional and you can tell she is very passionate about her job.

Groom and Groomsmen Tuxes: J Alan Formalwear, 757 E Lewis and Clark Pkwy #804. Clarksville, IN 47129 (812) 391-7300

J Alan was a great place for my fiance and his friends to rent their tuxes from. They were able to measure the men at the store and if they lived out of town, they had a form for them to fill out with their measurements. They have a great selection of tuxes and suits! For the grooms, they offer a free rental for their suit or they can select a suit to keep permanently for free!

Flowers: Nances, 3815 Charlestown Road, New Albany, IN 47150 (812) 945-9950

I have been working with Carol at Nances and have been very pleased with the customer service I have received. I was able to show her exactly what I wanted my bouquets to look like and she is re-creating them with flowers that are in season and are within my budget. I can’t wait to see the final product!

Catering: Orange Clover Kitchen and More, 590 Missouri Ave Suite 100, Jeffersonville, IN 47130 (812) 282-1005

Working with Rachel at the Orange Clover has been an amazing experience! Her and her team are experts at catering and they have gone above and beyond to make sure everything is perfect for our wedding menu! She has an unbelievable amount of options and her food is absolutely delicious! She is even handling our Ice Cream Sundae Bar!

Photographer: Christine Cherry Photography (812) 987-2437

Christine Cherry Photography has blown us away so far! Christine took our engagement pictures and made Matt and I feel so comfortable! Her passion for photography is very obvious and we can’t wait to have her there for our wedding! Her prices were very reasonable and she also offers discounts and/or added time to your package when you refer clients to her!

Makeup: Kayla Mansfield, http://www.kaylamansfield.info

Kayla did my hair and makeup for our engagement pictures and they turned our beautifully! She recreated the exact look I was going for! Kayla is doing all of my bridesmaids hair and makeup for the wedding and I know they will look fabulous!

Engagement Rings and Wedding Rings: Koerbers Fine Jewelry, 3095 Blackiston Mill Road, New Albany, IN 47150, (812) 945-5959

I will never shop for jewelry any where else! Sarah at Koerbers is the best in the business! She is so knowledgeable about all of their products and helped my fiance design the perfect ring! She also helped us shop for our wedding rings. She is extremely patient and stayed right within our budget. She was never pushy and made sure we purchased exactly what we wanted!

Wedding Venue: Jeffersontown Community Center, 10617 Taylorsville Road, Jeffersontown, KY 40299, (502) 267-8333

Choosing a location was the hardest part of our wedding process. We had a lot of needs and wants and it was difficult to find a place that met all of them..until the community center! We wanted a reception hall that would allow us to bring in all of our own catering as well as alcohol. When you rent the Jeffersontown Community Center, you are basically paying for the space. You can decorate the room any way you want and bring in whatever you want! Deborah with the community center has been readily available at all times to let us visit the site. She has a lot of great contacts and has been awesome to work with! We liked that we had never been to a reception there before so it was unique for our family and friends. There is a park located right next door that you can rent a pavilion out for only $25.00! So hopefully the rain holds off and we can get married outside at the park and then party inside at the community center!

 

Thanks for reading friends! Happy Wedding Season!!

-Carly

 

 

Gratitude

Gratitude. Each week we start out our team meetings by sharing a personal or professional success story with the entire group. I am actually proud to say we stole this technique from my own mother, as she used this same practice in her very successful, team-leading career. This activity starts our meeting off with a fun and light tone, and usually there are multiple high fives thrown, some BOO YAHs cheered and many laughs shared.

 

Recently we tried something different: we each offered a piece of gratitude towards the name of the team member we drew out of a hat. This exercise of unprovoked, gratitude sharing got me thinking of how much appreciation I truly have for what I am blessed to do each day, and who I spend it with.

 

A career in real estate lends itself to be as flexible AND as stressful as you make it. Without my core group of people in my life, my career (and sanity for that matter) would be a hot mess. FOR REAL. Sometimes, it’s easy to take for granted how much help we all actually NEED in our lives; and I’m here to tell you, you NEED it. I can’t explain how lucky I am to have 2 sets of grandparents and aunts and uncles in my children’s lives that drop on a dime to pick them up from school, run to gymnastics and make T-Ball games in the rain all on a daily basis. It’s once a week that I call my Mom, MIL or sister to switch their own schedules so I can run and show a house that just came on the market.  But with ever-changing schedules, also comes weekday lunch dates with my now 1^st grader and mornings with my makeup-loving princess who likes to play dress-up in my closet.

 

And how can I forget my “work family”? Our tight-knit group is as close as they come. We make each other laugh, bounce crazy ideas off of one another, help in times of need and are quite frankly the coolest, most diverse group of friends I have ever had. These folks would do ANYTHING for me, ANYTIME. There are days we spend the majority of the workday in the same 400 square feet, and there are weeks when we see each other max 10 minutes out of the day.

 

So this week I share more about my personal life rather than Real Estate news, but to me, my work and home family is the backbone of my career. Maybe you are searching for a new form of flexibility? Or an agent to help you find that special home you have been looking for? Give us a shout–our group is here to support you and every need you may have. We love what we do, and do what we love!

Tiff

Now What??

Congratulations! You just closed on your very first home….now what??

How exciting!! And scary!! And confusing!! Here is a list of things to do BEFORE and AFTER the big day.

Prior to closing:

• Make a list of things you will need to buy, sell and get rid of.
• Schedule your moving truck (or make sure all your friends, neighbors and relatives are free that day) 🙂
• Pick out paint colors and have them ready to go.
• Schedule to get your carpets cleaned on closing day.
• Call and/or meet with your children’s new school- get them registered!
• Call all utility companies and schedule the transfer date. Some companies may require a deposit of a trip to their office to sign paperwork.
• Make sure your homeowner’s insurance is in effect (should  be taken care of at closing.)

After you get your keys:

• Take a deep breath and CELEBRATE!!! This is a big step in your life-enjoy the moment!
• Get the garage code and keys from previous owner.
• Many buyers prefer to have the locks changed, if so, call a locksmith.
• Change the garage code.
• Pack up your cleaning supplies and grab your friends, neighbors and relatives (if you still have some) 🙂 and clean your new home from top to bottom.
• Meet your new neighbors and get info on the neighborhood-what day is garbage pickup?
• Those boxes will not unpack themselves, but don’t stress over it. You’ll get there!

And before you say those famous last words….”I am NEVER moving again”, you need to remember that you probably will in 5-7 years. Haha! When that time comes, call The Stiller Group again. We will ALWAYS be here for you!! Good luck!

P.S. I am not available on your closing day to help you move, I have plans that day. 🙂

Lisa

How will Brexit affect the U.S. housing market?

While it’s true most Americans don’t particularly care whether or not Britain is part of European Union, we do care about the U.S. housing market and mortgage rates.

If you’re wondering if the Brexit vote would impact either, it has already started to affect us.  Uncertainty surrounding the Brexit vote was likely one of the biggest reasons behind the Federal Reserves decision not to raise U.S. interest rates in June.

Loans are about to get cheaper. Typically, mortgage rates fall when Treasury rates fall, and Treasuries just took a dive as money poured out of the U.K. and elsewhere into the safer bet of U.S. markets. It’s speculated the move will cause many wealthy foreigners to start selling their properties in the UK, especially in London as it becomes a less attractive place to set up offices to conduct global business. Therefore, demand for U.S. real estate could rise if global investors view America as open to global business.

With the low inventory, this will likey cause home prices to continue to rise due to the lack of supply and the increase in demand. Couple this with historically low interest rates and you have a recipe for a hot market.

 

Keith

 

http://fortune.com/2016/06/24/brexit-home-prices/

Glue sticks, pencils, erasers… Oh My!

Hey friends, Heather here! Glue sticks, pencils, erasers… Oh My! It’s back to school time in Kentuckiana and quite a few of my Stiller Group peeps are feeling the anxiety of buying school supplies, scheduling pick up/drop off procedures and packing lunches! So I looked online and found some Back to School Tips. As I was reading through them, I realized how similar these feelings and the need for preparation relates to listing your home for sale. The anxiety, the de-cluttering, the unknown of when offers will come in, the money you invest in getting your home ready… all of these things can add stress to your situation. So I’m also going to add some tips and tricks of things to do before you list your home with The Stiller Group to help alleviate this.

Here’s a great article I found on Good Housekeeping with 25 back to school tips.

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/organizing/tips/g2358/back-to-school-prep/?slide=25

A few that I want to discuss…

 

-Designate a Command Center

When getting your home ready to sell with the Stiller Group, there are always documents that come up that either your agent will need or potential buyers will ask for. Create a designated space to keep real estate related items in.

-Any additional keys needed (for garages, pole barns, etc)

-A letter to potential buyers welcoming them to your home 

-Any fliers or binder that your agent has given you to set out for showings

-Copies of estimated utility averages

 

 

-Play Keep vs. Toss

Before you list your home and have professional pictures taken by The Stiller Group, the magic word is DECLUTTER!

-Move any excess items off countertops

-Make sure closets aren’t stuffed full. Buyers can’t visualize their stuff fitting and it makes the home seem like it doesn’t have enough storage

-Take a few family photos off the walls. Buyers want to be able to see themselves in the home.

-Less is BEST… the more open space you can show to potential buyers

–File Everything

As you list your home and get an accepted offer, your realtor and in conjunction with the lender and title companies will need some additional documents from you. It’s a good idea to have them organized before you being to de-clutter and pack things up!

Some things you may want to add to your file

-Any HOA information – Neighborhood Covenants and Restrictions

-Current mortgage statements (title company will need account numbers and customer service numbers when it’s time to close the transaction)

-Monthly utility bills to calculate averages

-Copies of your listing paperwork and purchase agreement for your records

We’re ready when you are! Give us a call at (502) 414-1031 for a free consultation!

P.S. If you need some cute Thirty-One items to help organize your current or soon to be new home, I’m your girl there!www.mythirtyone.com/trueblood

The Newest Floor Plan by ASB! The Millie Kate!

Good morning friends! I just wanted to take a minute to introduce ASB’s newest floor plan to you! The beautiful MILLIE KATE!! It is currently being built in Glenwood, Lakeside Forest and Crystal Springs.

This floor plan has MANY UPGRADED FEATURES! Let me walk you through the first floor of this home with some of our updated pictures.

When you first walk in the door, you will notice a large foyer area complete with a dining area with tray ceiling.

This picture is taken from the dining area. You will notice the wide open floor plan straight into the living area and kitchen.

Here is a shot from the living area looking into the kitchen and dining area. We love the door that opens right to the back deck off the kitchen area!

And look at this kitchen! Beautiful cabinetry, subway tile back splash, LARGE kitchen island and plenty of granite counter space! The door to the left is a walk in pantry and the door behind the refrigerator is the hall way to 2 bedrooms, a Jack and Jill Bathroom, laundry room, half bath and garage entry.

Bedroom #2

Jack and Jill bathroom between bedroom #2 and bedroom #3

Bedroom #3

Also on this side of the house next to the 2 bedrooms and Jack and Jill bath, there is a great laundry room with folding table and half bath. This is right off garage area.

We love how the stairs are tucked out of sight in this home and how ASB used this extra stair space to create a desk area!

If we head back to the front of the house, you will notice the door on the same wall as the fireplace. This is your master suite!

Master bedroom with tray ceiling, gorgeous chandelier and BARN DOOR!

Here’s a peek into the master bath!

Frameless shower with CERAMIC tile!

Also granite counters tops in all bathrooms!

And course, a HUGE walk in closet!

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this first floor tour of the NEW MILLIE KATE floor plan by ASB! We would love to show you this home in person so feel free to call us at (502) 414-1031. We also hold ASB homes open on Sunday from 2:00-4:00! We can’t wait to show you the quality build ASB Difference!

The Stiller Group

 

The Stiller Group’s Trip to 2016 ERA International Business Conference

The Stiller Group’s Trip to 2016 ERA International Business Conference

– The INSIDE Scoop-

So our team recently traveled to a real estate convention in Orlando, FL – all fun and games right? Of course! We sat poolside 12 hours a day, visited with Mickey and Minnie, sipped fruity cocktails and all had nice golden tans to come home with, right? WRONG! Our trip was more like 12 hours of sitting in a dark conference room in order to bring home the best technology and negotiating tips for our Buyers and Sellers, grabbing a quick pic with Minnie on our way into class, and getting sunburned from sitting outside for 7 minutes on a break! Ok…you caught me. We did not skip the cocktail part! 🙂

In all seriousness, check out some of the things we were able to take away from this amazing experience, and some fun facts we learned about each other. Can you imagine spending 24/7 with the same 6 people for 5 days? We learned A LOT.

• While The Stiller Group is known for being constantly on the go, we all like to slow down and chill. Lisa is a fabulous Buyer’s Specialist, but also specializes in “hitting the hay” FIRST!

 

• We have decided that Keith prefers to sleep on couch cushions on the floor, rather than a comfy King-sized bed. At least that was his choice for most of our trip J
• Did you know that when you decide your Smartphone needs a new camera, but you aren’t ready for an upgrade you can simply change out the camera component? Project Ara by Google is designed to allow consumers to pick and choose which modules you want to incorporate into your Smartphone – with the frames starting at $50! Check out this video to see this cool, upcoming device.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7PWN-nLO68

• Our Marketing Specialist Carly LOVES to get dressed up! So much so that she wore her fancy red dress a few hours toooo long.
• Our sweet Heather is officially diagnosed as a “McDonald’s Sweet Tea Addict.” Although she was able to make it 5 days without, that was her first stop once we landed!
• Troy has cat-like reflexes….FOR REAL. Though this picture doesn’t show the whole story, Troy was able to knock off a big-screen TV off a dresser and successfully catch it in 2.4 seconds. No damage.

• And me, well let’s just say Troy and I are pros at running a mile at 7:45am after only a few hours of sleep.

• The Stiller Group is using the same technology as the #1 team in the country to keep in touch with our past and current clients. We are also able to follow up with potential buyers for our listings using the BEST systems and processes in the real estate industry!
• Collectively, our group’s favorite Pandora station is Lionel Richie Radio. The one thing everyone agrees on!
• Heather eats all the time…ALL THE TIME!
• Troy’s best Karaoke moments are always best after midnight!

• Remember the 3-D technology experience Troy mentioned a few weeks back? Out of a class of 50 people, we were the only group currently incorporating the Matterport Technology into our everyday business. This was one of the most talked about pieces of technology throughout the conference and we already have and use it!
• Want to know more about the next generation technology we learned about and how The Stiller Group is maximizing our efforts to better your Buying/Selling experience? Call us to see how we can help you! And see below for a few more fun facts about us J

 

• The Stiller Group was recognized as the #5 Team in the entire ERA Family!

• Keith wears sunglasses all the time. Even at night.
• Tiff loves Lisa’s taste lipstick.
• Lisa’s favorite drink is a $13 margarita.

 

Introducing…Floyd County’s Newest Development!

LEGACY SPRINGS

What’s the “buzz” in Floyd County about future developments??? It’s Legacy Springs!!

This neighborhood will feature .4 to 1.00 acre lots with gorgeous mature trees. Lots that size are unheard of in Floyd County!

Legacy Springs is in the Award Winning Floyd Co. School District. Located in Lanesville, IN, you will enjoy the peaceful setting – no traffic or trains and great views!

There are several ASB floor plans to choose from and there’s still time to pick out your lot. A custom home can be finished in 4-6 months.

The Stiller Group is the exclusive listing agent for ASB Homes and we would love to help you pick out your dream home!

Spec homes are being started now, so don’t wait – these homes will go QUICK! Prices are starting at $325,000.

Directions:

I-64 to Georgetown exit, take left towards Lanesville.

Take a right on Corydon Ridge road for approx 5 miles to 4 way stop.

Take a left onto Old Salem Road and Legacy Springs is on the right.

There are curbs in and gravel.  Take a look if you’re out that way.

It IS beautiful!

 

 

Happy Leap Day!

Happy Leap Day Friends!

Since it doesn’t happen every day that I write a blog on Leap Day, I did a little history on it. Can you believe that this idea began in 45 B.C!?!?!

 

Check out this interesting article with some history facts:

Leap Day History and Facts

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Are you a leap day baby? Know someone who is? TAG THEM in this post… and let’s CELEBRATE them today!

What are your chances of being born on Leap Day?

About 1 in 1,500.

When is the birthday party?

If you are born on a Leap Year, do you get your driver’s license on February 28th or March 1st? It is an ambiguous question that is decided by each states. Most states, however, consider March 1st the official day. For instance, the Michigan Vehicle Code states that people born on February 29th “are deemed to have been born on March 1st.”

How many people were born on Leap Day?

There are about 187,000 people in the US and 4 million people in the world who were born on Leap Day.

Last time we had a leap day was in 2012. Here’s a list of what things cost, news items, top movies/books/celebrities, etc

What the World was like in 2012

Here at The Stiller Group, we’re excited about one more day in February!

​

-ONE more day to SHOW houses to our fabulous buyers

-ONE more day to LIST homes

-ONE more day to get our clients to the CLOSING table (2 of our lucky clients get keys to their new house today!)

-ONE more day write contracts and get ACCEPTED OFFERS

-ONE more day to EAT lunch at Qdoba! (my favorite!)

Don’t wait 4 more years to let us show you The Stiller Group difference…

Let’s get started now!

Heather

Selling your home from an agents perspective…

My wife and I have decided recently it was time to practice what I’ve been preaching and take advantage of the great interest rates and move to a larger home to accommodate our growing family. The first thing I’ve noticed is that I have all of the same concerns that someone who doesn’t work in the industry 7 days a week would have. The biggest difference is I get to see the process from start to finish all the time so I know that after the stress of getting your home ready to list it can go really quickly from there if you list at an appropriate price. We’re still in a sellers market and that’s another reason the decision to make our move was an easy one. The inventory is still low, so the possibility of a quick sell is very real.

So what does an agent do to get their house ready to sell? For me personally, the inspection and repair portion of a deal is by far the most stressful time for all parties involved. One way to remedy this is to get your home inspected and making the repairs before you even list. Having my home inspected and repairing the defects will offer myself and any potential buyers piece of mind going into this part of the transaction. To me that is easily worth the price of the inspection.

The very first thing we did at my house was de-clutter. This alone made a huge difference and my house already feels much larger because we removed anything we don’t regularly use and put it into storage. This is also a great time to donate things you don’t want to just move to your new home so it can sit in your basement and never be used. People don’t want to open closets and see stuff falling out of it because its so full. This will definitely give buyers the impression your home doesn’t have enough room for their stuff either.

Another thing that is a big help to making your home look as good as possible is to go through and give your home a good deep cleaning. Make sure all your light bulbs work, clean your tub and shower, clean your windows so the sun light can come in etc. A little elbow grease can go a long way to a quick sale. You should do your best to always make sure your home is ready to show on short notice and I know this is very difficult having two boys myself who love legos.

One of the last things we need to do to finish staging our home is to de-personalize our place. You may not be crazy about taking down family photos and your kids finger paintings off the refrigerator but buyers want to imagine themselves in your house and this will help.

This is just the start of the things you can do to help it go smoothly but is a great start! For more tips, click the links below…

Keith

http://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/design-101/10-best-kept-secrets-for-selling-your-home

http://www.forbes.com/sites/trulia/2014/12/28/15-easy-ways-to-get-your-home-ready-to-sell/#68f648f46c43

http://www.today.com/home/diy-real-estate-tips-get-your-home-ready-sell-1D79832388