Ready to buy your first home in Louisville in 2022? Metts Group specialize in helping first-time home buyers like you find their dream property in Louisville, Ky.

Before you start searching for homes online, it's important to take the first step to house shopping: Getting pre-approved for a mortgage.

Your pre-approval will tell you what you can afford and what your monthly payment will be, so it's important to determine this before you start searching for your new home.

Pre-approval is good for about 30-90 days, so once you're ready, take these first 3 steps to get it done.

1.  Contact us, and I’ll send over a list of lenders I know and trust.
2.  Look over the list, check out online reviews, and ask friends and family for referrals.
3.  Email 2-3 lenders you like or let me introduce you over email.

Once you've got your pre-approval letter in hand, it's time to start the search!

Before we hop into the home search, I like to advise my clients to create a "Needs" list and a "Wants" list. This will help us to really focus on the things that are most important in your future home.

Needs are the non-negotiable features; the features you simply must have in your next home. Wants are the ones you’d like to have, but you can add or change down the road. Remember, you can’t change the lot or the location so make sure you love both.

Once you've established what you're looking for, I will set you up on a search so you can receive an email the second a home that fits your criteria goes live. If you have any questions about a property, send me the information and I will find out for you. Send me listings you like and I can get more information and set up showings on your behalf.

After touring houses and choosing the one you love, it's time to make an offer. To do this, you'll need your pre-approval letter or proof of funds. You'll also...

8 Reasons Why Real Estate is the Best Investment

Real estate has long been considered a solid investment for many reasons. It is a relatively safe and easy way for people to build wealth beginning with a small amount of money. If you are interested in investing in real estate, I’d be happy to help you find the right properties.

Here are some of the ways investing in property can help you build an investment portfolio.

1. Real estate investments can provide you with a reliable and steady cash flow. Investing in rental properties is relatively easy as expenses are predictable and if your properties remain occupied you know what to expect in terms of profit margin.

2. Real estate appreciates in value. Real estate consistently appreciates, even during economic downturns, making it one of the more reliable investments. On average, real estate in the US appreciates between 3-5% annually.

3. Real estate investments help you retire. If you have been paying on your mortgage throughout your working years, you will experience greater cash flow as you near the end of your mortgage term and the principal is paid off.

4. Real estate sales are taxed at a lower rate than other income. When you sell your property, you are taxed short- or long-term capital gains which are usually lower than income tax brackets.

5. Real estate equity can be leveraged. One of the most attractive reasons for investing in real estate is the ability to leverage your money. When you take out a mortgage to purchase property you reduce the amount of capital required. As you build up equity in the property, you borrow against the equity or refinance the original loan, freeing up cash to buy another property.

6. You have control to improve upon your asset. Unlike an...

Do you hope to be purchasing a home in the next year or two? It’s important to start preparing for your first home purchase as far in advance as possible. Here are 3 things to check off your to-do before stalking homes online for hours.

Meet with a real estate agent
Meet with an agent and ask them to explain the home buying process to you, step by step. You can read articles on this all day, but having a professional who does this everyday walk you through what it looks like is extremely beneficial. (P.S. Ask me – I’d love to meet for coffee and go over the process.)

Talk to a lender
After talking with an agent, you’ll want to speak with a lender as well. Your agent will be able to refer you to someone, or you can find someone on your own. The lender will help you understand your qualifications and what you can afford now. They will help you to get your finances in order and get you on track to be able to afford your dream home when you are ready.

Build up your credit and savings
Your lender will tell you this, but it’s important to start building up your credit and savings so you can get the best deal on a loan possible. The higher the credit score and the more money you can put down, the better.

Not sure where to begin? Give us a call 502-694-0523 and we can meet up to discuss the process, I can help answer any questions you may have.

I LOVE working with first-time home buyers. Helping you find your first home, learn the home buying process, and guiding you from house-hunting to move-in day gives me the warm and fuzzies. Here are three things you should know before you start looking.

1. Work with one real estate agent. It’s best to have one agent who is helping you with your search. Your agent will be dedicated to finding you the right property, and then negotiating on all the terms of your transaction on your behalf. You want that person to get to know you and your family’s needs and preferences, rather than starting over with someone new each time you go look at a house. Keep in mind that the agent who shows you a home is, ethically, the one who should continue the transaction. Also, when you call an agent from a yard sign or advertisement, you are dealing with the seller’s agent. While most real estate professionals are adept at handling both sides of a transaction professionally, it makes more sense to deal with someone you have already taken time to get to know and who has your best interests at heart as the buyer. You aren’t paying your agent; unless otherwise stated, he or she is paid by the seller upon closing. Still, you are hiring someone to work for you, so feel free to interview multiple agents and pick the one that you feel fits you best.
2. You need to be pre-approved for financing. Unless you are paying cash for your home, you do need to talk to a lender before you start looking at houses. One reason is that it helps you set an accurate price range for house hunting. Looking at homes that you can’t afford to make an offer on just leads to frustration. A mortgage lender will not only tell you what amount you can borrow, but also your projected monthly payment, your closing...

Thinking of selling your home this year? Maybe you are ready to upsize or downsize, move to a new neighborhood, or take advantage of a sellers’ market. In any case, there are some smart moves you can make before you list to ease the process of selling your home.

• Bring in a handyman. Have repairs made to leaky faucets, torn screens, broken door or window locks and handles, faulty electrical outlets, drywall damage, missing grout or caulking, broken sprinkler heads, rotten wood and anything else that would give a buyer reason to wonder, “What else is wrong with this house?”

• Clean out storage spaces. Closet by closet, cabinet by cabinet, and drawer by drawer, get rid of items you no longer use. Your goal should be to show that the home has plenty of storage space, not spaces bursting with clutter.

• Put away excess décor. Go for a minimalist look so that buyers can see the bones of the house and not have to move or look around decorative items to see the home.

• Ditto on the Family Photographs. Humans are naturally drawn to people’s faces. If your home has family photos on every wall and shelf, buyers will be distracted by all the pretty faces.

• Have the exterior pressure-cleaned. Make sure to include the roof, patios, porches,  driveway and walkways.

• Spruce up the landscaping. First impressions are everything. You want buyers to want to come inside and not drive on by. Increase your curb appeal by trimming shrubbery and trees, putting down fresh mulch and planting some annuals.

• Perform a deep cleaning. Consider hiring professional cleaners to tackle everything from the ceiling...

There’s nothing like moving into a home that is truly new, with no smells, smudges or dust left behind by a previous owner. Even better is when you get to make your own custom selections. But buying from a builder is a different ball game and it’s important you know how to play. Consider these questions if you are considering new construction.

Should you use a real estate agent? I think so! The builder may have sales agents or an assistant that helps buyer’s through the process, but those people work for the builder. It’s always a good idea to have a professional advocating for you, and most builders will pay agents a commission for bringing the buyer. It’s important that your agent accompany you to the first visit to the model center or builders’ office so that representation is established.

Does the builder have a good reputation? We’ve all heard stories of builders who fail to deliver on their promises, using lower grade materials than quoted, or even disappearing before the work was completed. Check out your builder before signing anything. Find out if there are any complaints registered against them and ask for references from other homeowners. Find out if you can tour a model or a recently completed home, and bring someone who can judge the quality of the workmanship.

Should you use the builders’ lender? Many builders work with a preferred lender that offers attractive discounts on closing costs when you finance through them. It’s important to know if the lender is working as a referral or if the mortgage company is owned by the same company that is building your home. If your lender and builder both work for the same company, it’s a good idea to have an attorney review your contracts as...

Every home buyer hopes to find the perfect house. The one that, as soon as you walk through the front door, you know it is the one for you.

It happens, and when it does, I am really happy for my buyers. I always want my buyers to fall in love with the perfect house and live happily ever after.

Just like in relationships, however, emotions often come into play during the home buying journey…Emotions that may result in some not-so-loving feelings.

While I’m not a therapist, I can help you talk through your emotions about the homes we visit and help you identify if you are making decisions with your heart and not your head.

There are six basic emotions; let’s look at how they can affect your decision-making skills.

Fear: We have all learned that fear triggers a “fight or flight” response. In terms of making decisions, fear may cause you to “flee” from making any decision at all, which could make your home buying experience exhausting. If you are afraid you will run out of time, or that if you pass on a house you won’t find another one, you may “fight” by making a rash decision too quickly.

Sadness: Feeling sad can cause you to lower your expectations and settle for less than you truly want. You may decide you don’t need certain features that you previously wanted. Or you may settle for one of the first homes you see instead of persevering with the search.

Disgust: Disgust can cause you to eliminate choices that otherwise might have been in the running. You might find the perfect floorplan, style, or location, but if the home has a bad odor, a filthy floor, or some other off-putting defect, you might not be able to stomach it,...