Much sought after ranch with 9 foot ceilings and entry foyer with transom. Open plan with kitchen island bar, Maple stained cabinets and a compliment of stainless steel appliances. All windows are covered with 2 inch blinds. Great room features a fireplace with wall mounted 42 inch HDTV/LDTV with bracket that is negotiable. Fully fenced backyard with patio.
 

Popular Anderson plan with covered front porch. Two story dramatic foyer with palladium window. Warm cherry kitchen cabinets that have been enhanced with granite counter tops, which were recently added. The Master suite is large with vaulted ceilings. The Master bath has separate shower and Jacuzzi tub. Family room features 10 foot ceilings. Back yard has been privacy fenced with jungle gym that can stay. All bedrooms are nice sized.

Home with a view of water off back deck. Much sought after condo/townhome in Hamburg Farms with rich, dark hardwood floors and 9 foot ceilings. Sellers have used neutral designer colors on walls and added granite counter tops and slate tile flooring in lower level bathroom. 2 Story Great Room with open loft. First floor Master with Garden Tub and separate shower. Nice sized bedrooms. Lower level has fireplace with slate tile. Walk out basement with full windows and large storage area. Pool, fitness center, club house and walking trails.

One owner home in beautiful condition. 10 foot ceilings, helment gutter guards, fireplace, kitchen bar, vaulted ceilings and skylights. You can sit in your dining room and enjoy the rose garden. Flat cozy private fenced rear yard with enhanced patio. Excellent insulation with temperature controlled 2 car garage. Irrigation system for beautiful yard. Home has brand new carpet. This area provides pool and basketball courts.

Picturesque lot with mature trees, salt water pool, gazebo, Koi pond, creek, and walking path through woods. Close to town with a country feel. Open floor plan with wonderful views. Gourmet kitchen with prep island and sink nestled in dark cherry cabinets and rich designer granite counter tops. Separate eating area open to kitchen and great room. Ceilings are dramatic with trays, vaults and mouldings throughout. Beautiful sun room off kitchen that opens to deck and features 5 sky-lights. Master features large bath and 2 closets with marble accents and double sinks. Many built-ins and designer shelving in receiving foyer. Surround sound throughout, security system with intercom and camera for front porch. Salt water pool has and electric cover and waterfall/water play ground. Gazebo is oversized with water and electricity for outdoor kitchen. Mother-in-law quarters in lower level with it's own kitchen.

Freshly painted townhome with new tile and new dishwasher. Great room vaulted with fireplace and sky light. Kitchen has bar and eating area and is vaulted as well. Deck has been power washed and sealed with Thompson water seal. Storage shed off of the deck. Private rear yard area with trees. All appliances stay including washer, dryer, fridge, built in microwave, and stove. Close to U.K. and shopping.

French country styled stone home with interesting architecture inside and out. In the heart of Ashland Park/Chevy Chase, where you can walk to eateries, parks, pool, downtown and U.K. Private treed yard with fencing and detached garage. Owners have converted home to open plan with arched door ways, rebuilt 1st floor full bathroom,added handsome trim and added built in shelving in great room . Kitchen is bright and cheery with full windows, huge island with bar, pendant lighting, & built in buffet. Dining Room off dramatic wide entry foyer with wide baseboards, sheik wall color and windows galore. Hardwood floors through out 1st & 2nd floors are in great shape. Walk up attic has permanent stairs and doors could be added for closet as 4th bedroom. Adorable and unsurpassed location. Roof and upstairs HVAC have been replaced.

Backs to #1 fairway on Canewood Golf Course. Owners just installed gleaming dark hardwood flooring on first floor and tiled the kitchen and bathrooms. Open floor plan with fireplace in family room and nice formal dining room. Large master bedroom with vaulted ceiling and plant shelves. Master bath has double vanity, a garden tub, and separate shower. Nice sized yard with deck and a lovely view of golf course. 2 yr. old dimensional roof and new stainless steel appliances. Quiet cul-de-sac location.

Stately 2 Story home priced for quick sale. Dramatic foyer with hardwood floors. Ceramic tiled kitchen and counter tops. Nice sized bedrooms. Master has sitting area and walk in closet. The lower level is finished with new carpet. Walk to parks and walking paths. Several pools available for membership close by. Home is in nice condition, but needs some cosmetic updating. Great buy in Dogwood. Great back yard with trees, privacy fence and basketball goal.

Rare opportunity to live in a rural setting, yet be just minutes from town. Renovated ranch with updated Kitchen, gleaming hardwoods, 2 car side entrance garage and beautiful covered deck. 5 year old 30x40 work shop is insulated and has 200 amp electric and water. Fully fenced picturesque backyard. 5 acre lot that is convenient to new by-pass.

Interest rates are still at historic lows.  As rates start to rise this will make the cost of buying a home even higher.  Now is the time to speak to a lender and see how much money buying now will save you.  Don't forget the tax credit for first time home buyers and those that have not owned a home for the past three years!

Call today and let us show you how we can help.

The new stimulus package is offering a tax credit (not a loan like the 2008 package) of $8,000 to any eligible buyer that is a first time home buyer or has not owned a home in the last three years.  There are some income limits and you should consult with a tax attorney before any major purchase but what better time to buy than now?

If you'd like any information on buying a home or the new tax credit, give us a call today and we'd love to help.  You can reach The Melinda Duncan Team at 859-422-2035.

With all the efforts of the government your best bet is always to contact your lender and try to work out an affordable payment schedule or refinancing with better terms but sometimes neither is possible.  If you find yourself in this situation, let us help you.  We will market your property and once we get an accepted offer we will negotiate on your behalf with your lender to take less than the amount owed on the loan but releasing the lien and therefore releasing you from your burden.

First and foremost don't wait until you get a foreclosure warning.  The quicker we start the quicker a resolution.  Make sure you get an up to date payoff on any and all mortgages on the property.  Sellers are often shocked and surprised by the fees and penalties that quickly add up.

Call The Melinda Duncan Team and let us show you how we can help you.  We offer a complimentary consultation and we will keep your business private.  You can reach us at 859-422-2035.

Secondly, as you may have heard the government has taken over Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.  With the government controlling these entities it has once again instilled confidence in lending.   With this take over mortgage interest rates have dropped significantly.  This should spur some action in the real estate market.  According to many lenders rates should stay down in the 5 to 6 point range for some time.

This is a great time to buy if you have been contemplating it and waiting for the right time.  Please give The Melinda Duncan Team a call at 859-422-2035 if you have any questions.

I have got a beautiful historic home in the much desired area of Lexington.  Walk to work at the hospitals, University of Kentucky, and a short drive to downtown.  Please check out our listing at 1623 Nicholasville Rd.

Welcome to this beautiful historic home. You are welcomed into the home by a southern style covered front porch, perfect for sipping lemonade and watching the kids play on the huge front lawn. Offering all the charm and character of days gone by with the amenities of today you will love all it has to offer. This over sized shaded lot has a fully fenced private backyard with a two level slate patio. The home offers large rooms with gleaming hardwoods and updated baths. It also has a walk up attic with heating and air making it easily finished for extra square footage. The family will enjoy the partially finished basement with a warm and cozy fireplace. The kitchen offers todays conveniences with touches of the past in its built in butlers pantry and rounded doorway. Walk to work at Central Baptist or UK.

For more information give us a call at 85-422-2035 and we will be happy to give you a private tour.

Although we are not seeing the appreciation as we did over the last five years, Lexington stills offers a great investment opportunity.

Let us show you how a home purchase is one the purchases you can make.  It will likely be one of the best investment choices you make.

As a homeowner facing these terrible situations you must realize that it doesn't make you a bad person or fiscally irresponsible.  Loans were given to buyers that should have never been made and now those borrowers are facing a situation they never thought they'd see.

With foreclosure you not only face a loss of pride and your home but also your financial future.  In order to avoid this you must act quickly.  Call the lender and see if you can refinance to get out from under the variable rate or higher interest rate you may have taken.  Contrary to belief, lenders do not want to take your home.  This ties up money they could be lending and puts them in the position of becoming a seller themselves.

By employing a Realtor to help you sell your home before foreclosure proceedings begin you may be able avoid the inevitable.  Most lenders are willing to work with a Realtor on your behalf to come up with an amount they are willing to take to relieve you of your debt to them and your house.  This is called a "short sale".  By acting quickly you give yourself the time needed to sell and can stay in the home usually till the transaction is complete. 

The lender will notify you several times before the foreclosure filing.  When you determine that there is no way out give us a call.  We can help and are awaiting your call.  Please give us a call at 859-422-2035 if this sounds like something that may help you or you just want more information.

First, many sellers make the mistake of not having their home ready to sell.  Before selling your home you need to get rid of all the excess "stuff" crowding potential living space.  As much as you admire your knick knacks most buyers don't.  You need to present a generic home ready to personalize to their taste.  Sellers may also want to consider having a professional "stager".  For as little as $300 this professional will use your things, their things or a little of both to present your home in the best light.

Secondly, not taking the first offer.  No matter what you think the house is worth, what it was appraised for or what you owe on it, it is only worth what the market is willing to pay.  Many sellers overlook the first offer especially if it comes quick thinking there must be more on the way.  Two years later you may still be waiting.

Small price reductions don't help much unless they lower your price to a new range.  It is better to position yourself 10% under the market you are competing with and be the first choice by price alone.  Offering a buying incentive is also a good way to put your home above the rest.  A lot of buyers are asking sellers to pay closing costs or provide home warranties so why not offer it in the beginning?

Hire the right broker.  Make sure the broker you choose can get your house on the web where it can be seen by millions more buyers.  Buyers today are INTERNET savvy and want to first shop on the web.  Your house will be missed if it's not there.

If you need anymore information on this topic or would like to discuss selling or buying a house please contact The Melinda Duncan Team at melinda@melindaduncan.com.

If you are a buyer and all you hear is real estate prices are going down, why would you want to invest your money there?  As a seller, you hear prices are falling and you think why sell if I'm going to lose money.  This only exacerbates the problem and makes the predictions come true.

First time home buyers will never go away.  Those buyers add to their family and they become move up buyers and a seller.  There are also those people forced to move due to a change in life or job.  The main area of slowing sales are those people moving to a larger or more luxurious home just because they can.

Real estate is still a great investment in most areas of the US.  Those people that lived through the 70's and 80's real estate market know that this too will change.

If you find yourself in need of a real estate professional that can help you find your dream home or sell that property in the least amount of time for the most money with the least hassle, call The Melinda Duncan Team at 859-422-2035 or email us at melinda@melindaduncan.com.

First of all, take a look around the property as if you are the buyer.  Forget that you love this house or that your babies have grown up in it or you spent $20,000 adding that custom deck.  From the front door back critique the house with objective eyes.  Does the front door needed paint or those flower boxes replanted?  As you go through make a list of all the things you meant to do but just didn't get around to.

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness" or so they say.  But this is so true in marketing your home.  Don't just burn candles or kill them with potpourri.  Actually clean the house till it smells fresh.  Nowadays you can find a good cleaning crew to give it the once over and you will be glad you did.

Pack away all the knick knacks.  You do not need to "decorate" the house for the buyer.  Chances are your taste and theirs are very different.  Clear off all the counters of anything unnecessary.  Pack away the toys and the dreadful stuffed animals.

Lastly clean up the yard.  Trim the bushes and rake the leaves.  The yard is the first and last impression a buyer has, don't you want it to be a good one?

For a complete list of "Getting your home ready to sell", please call The Melinda Duncan Team at 859-422-2035 or email at melinda@melindaduncan.com .