Russ Connors, Broker/Owner

10950 Taylor Mill Rd.
Independence, KY  41051

Commercial and Residential Real Estate Services in Northern KY

Licensed in OHIO  under Community Realty, Milford, OH

Commercial: Retail & Office sales and leasing
Residential: listing and buyer representation; short sales; REO specialist and BPOs

Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati area's most dedicated Real Estate professional that focuses on you....the buyer or seller; landlord, tenant or REO company....helping you throughout a hassle free real estate property transaction.

KENTUCKY:

I operate as a Real Estate Principal Broker/Owner :  Russ Connors Realty, LLC
                                                                                10950 Taylor Mill Rd.
                                                                                Independence, KY  41051
                                                                                Cell:  (859) 468-0130
                                                                                License #:  58239

OHIO:    I operate as a Sales Agent under:    Community Realty
                                                                            5655 Mellie Lane
                                                                            Milford, OH  45150
                                                                            Office Phone:  513-575-3707
                                                                            License #:  SAL2003001927

•  OHIO Counties I specialize in:
  Hamilton, Butler, Warren, and Clermont Counties

• Specific communities I work in:
  Cincinnati, Milford, Madeira, Blue Ash, Anderson Township, Fairfield and Liberty Township

OPEN HOUSE:  SUNDAY 29 August   1-4pm

Check out MLS 384019- 123 N. Main St, Walton. Great starter home that was rehabbed- new flooring, paint, bathroom & more.

   $93,000- 4 Bedroom

Commercial Real Estate: Resizing your business? Drop your rental expense 30-50%. New opportunities for small businesses (medical, office & retail). Not all change is negative. See this hopeful article. Call Russ Connors Realty, LLC for information on available space in the Independence area (under 1,500 sq ft).

Check out my blog to get my take on the current market.

Who do you know that wants to buy? Want to buy a HUD house? Call me--859-468-0130.

Behind in your mortgage payments? Learn how to stop a foreclosure-- call 859-468-0130. Yes....I know how to do a "SHORT SALE". Why a "Short Sale" is a better choice than foreclosure and bankruptcy. Want to know more about "Deed in lieu foreclosure"? Do you want to know the advantages/disadvantages of short sale/deed in lieu of foreclosure/bankruptcy?

LAND:  I have a buyer for >25 acres that has future development potential (10-15 yrs from now). Within 40 minutes of Edgewood, please.

Foreclosures-- Are they really such a bargain. What some of the disadvantages are in trying to buy foreclosed property. Get the facts-- call Russ Connors Realty, LLC-- 859-468-0130.

Housing "Rescue" package--- will it help?

American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (HR-1) details.

Market improving a little? Check this article out.

Question: Is it better to sell in a slumping market and subsequently buy your next home at a discount or sell in a rising market and buy at rising prices?  This is a great time to sell and get to pick your next home out of a good size inventory of real good homes.

Reasons to list your home NOW!!:  Click here

What's going on in Independence?....Residential or Commercial. In Independence it's Russ Connors Realty, LLC. Get in on the ground floor of one of the fastest growing markets in the Northern KY/ Cincinnati Metro area. # of households, in Independence, grew 65% between 2000 & 2006. Independence is being described as the upcoming "epicenter of retail" in Kenton County.

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New Construction:

• Russ Connors can help you find the "right builder" and secure the homesite that meets your needs and wants. Russ has experience representing buyers of "new construction". One mistake buyers of new construction make is assuming that by cutting the Realtor out of the "deal" they can get a deeper discount from the builder. Most reputable builders will tell you that they build in a commission to the buyer's Realtor into their marketing budget and so whether or not you use a Realtor to represent your interests, or not, most often it doesn't affect the sale price....just your probability of being adequately represented in the largest purchase of your life.

• Consider buying the least expensive property in an excellent location, tearing it down, and building new. I have building contractor contacts who are specializing in this rather than the declining tract home building. Do you want one of those cookie cutter houses on a street that has multiple foreclosures happening? It's going to tear down your value. Improve your chances of maintaining or improving your value by situating your home among others that have substantial equity and therefore less likely to be in foreclosure.

 

 Strategies in a Slumping Market

• Buyers/Investors:

  • Investors have a great opportunity to pick up multi-family properties, rehab them and rent them out. CAP rates above 8.5% are not unrealistic. There are many properties to select from because too many "investors" loaned up their properties too much and now are "under water". Maintenance is being neglected.....tenants moving out or at least complaining a lot.....causing the owners to say...."I've had enough....SELL!!!! Independence has a good deal of land that could be developed for multi-family homes.

  • Record inventory means more homes to pick from at competitive prices. Sometimes you buy a home because you NEED one, not because it's a great investment. If you NEED a home, you will have many to pick from because of the large inventory. One suggestion....don't ruin your chances of getting the home of your dreams by "low-balling" the offer. The Northern KY statistics show that most homes sell at ~ 96-98% of last list price....not 80% like some media news hounds would lead you to believe. REO homes (Real Estate Owned by bank) usually sell at a lesser price as a percentage of "Last List Price" because the bank wants the asset off its books and doesn't have to be as concerned as retail homeowners about being "underwater"--- selling for less than normal market value.

  • Interest rates are near record lows and many many people with decent credit. can qualify for a mortgage .....don't believe the gloom and doom news you're hearing on the mainstream media. No.....you don't need 20% down, as the main stream media is saying. FHA is underwriting loans right now that require a lot less than 20% down....just a decent credit score. If your score is above 620 and you can put 3.5% down, you should be able to work out a loan.

  • Many "foreclosure homes" or REO properties are coming onto the market. They are at all price levels. These could be a very good opportunity for you to buy an affordable home or pick up another rental property. Many of these REO homes will be sold "As Is", so be careful and make sure you have a competent home inspector inspect the home for defects. Title exams are a must. Know what you're getting into. Here's an article I found on the web dated 11 October 2007:    http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071011/foreclosure_rates.html    I'm seeing REO companies wanting FICO scores if there is less than 20% down payment.

  • Master Commissioner sales are time consuming and risky. More often than not, the "Plaintiff" gets the property back. If you "win" the auction, you probably have not been inside the property and therefore its condition is a question mark. I would suggest being real careful and expect title "issues". If you're looking for a bargain, I have better/less risky ideas. Call Russ Connors Realty, LLC-  859-468-0130.

  • Renting is not the safest approach it used to be. Landlords could be getting behind on their mortgage payments and get foreclosed on....forcing you out on short notice. I see rents rising due to demand and shrinking availability. Investors/Developers looking for land to erect a 5+ unit MultiFamily building should contact Russ Connors. Get in on the ground floor before everyone else has the same idea. I'm predicting a shortage of rental units.

  • Waiting for prices to go lower? There is a limit how far sellers can go down on their price without bringing lots of money to the closing table. If you see a home that meets your needs, call Russ Connors (859-468-0130) and let's discuss the next step. By the way....the next step is becoming pre-approved. Get pre-approved and be ready to share your FICO score with the seller.

  • Looking for a GREAT BARGAIN? This could be the reason lots of 1st time home buyers are looking at REOs (Bank Owned Properties). Are you spinning your wheels and wasting energy? I think many are. Once these homes are looked at carefully, you find many are not LENDABLE. How do you get loan approval on a property that the banks won't underwrite due to its condition. One answer is FHA 203K loan. This is a loan that combines the fix-up costs with the purchase price. I haven't found many lenders who want to bother with all the red-tape and paperwork involved.My advice is that if you need a FHA/VA loan, that you tell your Realtor to limit the search to properties that are probably lendable and skip over the ones that have been empty for a long time with no maintenance done on them.

• Sellers:

  • There are 5 keys to selling homes: LOCATION, PRICE, TERMS and CONDITION and FINANCING. PRICE is 90% of the marketing. If the price is wrong, practically nothing else matters. Unfortunately for sellers, too many buyers want a good investment as well as a good home. As sellers, you need to attract folks looking for a nice home....because they NEED one. People still NEED homes. Develop a marketing plan with your Realtor (hopefully, Russ Connors). In this market, looking at comparables more than 5 months old could result in a false market indicator. This is a rapidly changing market and therefore comparables no older than 5 months should be the best indicators of market value. Russ Connors will study your neighborhood and determine how many months supply of homes are on the market. One competitor sellers will encounter are sellers of foreclosed homes. They will keep dropping the price until it sells. Then....that sales price may get used as a comparable (even though were told appraisers won't do that).  If a home is priced above "market value" it will take much longer to sell; if priced below "market value" it should take less time to sell. I just had one of my listings go "Pending" in less than 30 days......it was priced to sell quickly....and IT DID! Consider "Owner Financing". Banks aren't lending money like they were and too many real estate deals are falling apart because the buyer can't get financing. If you are in a position to finance the deal, you may be able to differentiate your property from all the rest that depend on buyers getting loans from banks. You probably could get MORE money for your property if you offer the "Owner Financing" option. 35% of all homeowners don't have a mortgage and this makes them exceptionally prepared to finance their sale. There are many benefits to seller ("vendor") and the buyer (the "vendee").

  • Many homes are not priced to "market". Why????, you ask......Because the seller will be upside-down if they lower the price to "market value". Too many pending deals are falling apart because the seller incorrectly calculated how much money they needed to BRING to the closing.

  • Develop a contingency plan if the original plan doesn't work out. Consider what happens when the buyer's lender informs the buyer that their source of funding dried up and now can't do the loan. Have contingencies thought out BEFOREHAND.

  • Work out a "Net Sheet" based on various sales price scenarios. Don't get surprised the day before the closing with how much you may need to BRING to the closing if you are "upside down".

  • Behind in mortgage payments?-----  Don't wait until the lender sends you a pre-foreclosure letter. Contact a "competent" Realtor who knows how to do a "Short Sale". He/She may be able to save your credit standing, instead of having a foreclosure on your credit record. Don't just let a foreclosure happen. It will be a long time before you will be able to buy another home if you just let events end up with you being foreclosed upon. A "Short Sale" is a win-win for everyone involved. Ask your Realtor how many short sales they have done.....it's not for beginners.

  • Make your house "LENDABLE" before putting on the market. Most buyers are FHA buyers and the lenders will not underwrite a home that needs a bunch of repairs. My advice is to fix first and then list. You should attract good buyers who will have lenders that will willingly lend on a good condition property.

  • Russ Connors Realty, LLC uses every arrow in the quiver to motivate a buyer to consider a listing we have. Russ uses targeted post cards to potential sellers. Russ has techniques for zeroing in on potential buyers. Russ has many ideas on how to sell a saleable listing. Contact Russ Connors to find out how he can help you. Houses are selling.....just the ones priced right.

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Russ Connors Realty, LLC focuses on residential and commercial real estate in Northern KY, specifically Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Owen, Pendleton and Grant Counties. Most of my activity is in Kenton and Boone counties. Cities that I most often work in are: Independence, Taylor Mill, Ludlow, Fort Mitchell, Fort Wright, Lakeside Park, Crestview Hills, Edgewood, Crescent Park, Crescent Springs, Kenton Hills, Park Hills, Villa Hills, Morningview, Ryland Heights, Covington, Florence, Burlington, Hebron, Walton, Union and Verona. Commercial opportunities abound in Northern KY.....just look at the demographics.

Russ Connors Realty, LLC is a HUD Registered Broker which means that buyers can call Russ Connors and have him show any HUD house they may be interested in. Russ can provide you a list of HUD houses for sale. There are great HUD programs like the Good Neighbor Next Door Sales program that offers great savings ( up to 50% off listed sales price).

Loan Servicers:   Contact Russ Connors Realty, LLC (859-468-0130) to arrange listing your REOs. Russ Connors has 4 years experience with multiple loan servicers. Russ maintains the properties so that they are attractive to all kinds of buyer prospects....investors, first time home buyers, move-down buyers, etc.

Russ Connors Realty, LLC can assist any Commercial brokerages not licensed in KY with finding suitable sites for retail businesses.

Russ Connors Realty, LLC can provide commercial as well as residential BPO (Broker Price Opinion) services. Accuracy and timely work is our specialty.

Buyers and investors looking for bank owned foreclosed properties can work with Russ Connors who will set up a specific search so that newly listed properties are emailed directly to your email address allowing quick action to be taken. Jump on those bargains fast before they attract a crowd.

First time home buyers will enjoy working with Russ Connors Realty, LLC. After an initial meeting to learn how Russ Connors can help first time home buyers, targeted searches will be set up taking into account communities of specific interest in the pre-determined price range.

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