Currently, kids are back in school, the weather is getting colder, and the housing market is beginning its yearly cool down. Nationally, buyer and seller activity remains strong, coupled with low mortgage rates and a strong economy. The market is showing no significant change from recent trends, other than the seasonally tempered pace we are seeing this time of year.  With the final three months of 2019, buyers will find fewer homes coming on the market; however, the competition for those homes will also be less.

Nationally, here are the latest numbers for September 2019:

New Listings increased by 4.1 percent.

Pending Sales were up 7.7 percent.

Inventory levels went down 8.5 percent.

Monthly Supply of Inventory was down 4.8 percent.

NOTE: The most current housing stats for October will be out soon.

What does all of this mean? As we continue to move into the final months of 2019, buyers may have a tough time looking for what they want, and sellers should have their homes market-ready when they list the property. I do want to mention that Townhouse and Condo property types showed the most inventory increase with 13.8 percent. New Construction continues to be strong with a 7.9 percent increase.

Locally, let me narrow the above information down to Allen County. Here are the stats for the Allen County community for September 2018 compared with September 2019:

New Listings: remained the same.

Closed Sales: up 7.2 percent.

Monthly Supply: down 10.2 percent.

I would like to also add that the Median Sales Price for Allen County residents is $160,000. This is up from last year at this time when it was about $136,000. If you want a more detailed housing report for your zip code, contact me and I would be happy to gather that information! I hope you find this data helpful.  

In the future, 2020 looks to be another great year! We should see a stable housing market, interest rates staying low, and rentals at their highest.

When it comes to the look and feel of your home, colors are vitally important. I’m amazed when I’m showing a home to clients — their first reaction is often based on the colors they see. If you’re in the market to sell your home, please read this article to help you better understand the effects of colors. In the end, our goal is to help you get that strong first offer.

Safest choice

White, gray, tan, and browns are the most common and conservative choices out there. In many cases, this is the easiest and best choice for selling your home. Why are these colors recommended? Because neutral colors help your buyer imagine themselves living in the home. In addition, having a lighter color scheme makes your living area appear to be larger and more inviting for homeowners.

Earthy or organic colors

Okay, if you’re like me and sometimes feel like a rebel and want to be a little bit daring, then I recommend selecting organic colors to paint your walls. If done right, earthy tones can give your home that needed personality to make your investment more marketable. As humans, we are naturally attracted to earthy tones, and adding an organic green or cream color to your walls can make your home feel relaxed and personable.

Colors to avoid

When selling your home, it’s generally recommended that you avoid loud colors. We know these colors when we see them. They are oversaturated primary and secondary colors that obviously make a bold statement throughout the home. I realize some of you enjoy the flair and excitement that rich color produces, but when it comes to selling your home, that is a major no-no and should be avoided.

There you have it, a very simple guide on how to color your walls. My hope is that you apply some safe or earthy colors throughout your home and enhance your primary investment during the selling process. Should you have any interior design questions, please feel free to give me a call at (260) 241-8219.

Moving to Fort Wayne — all right! Congratulations on moving to the Summit City. Before we begin, here’s a little bit about your new home. Fort Wayne’s population as of 2019 is estimated to be 253,691, which makes us the 77th largest city in the United States. We have many beautiful parks (approximately 87), an award-winning Children’s Zoo, a Botanical Garden, an amazing revitalized downtown with a gorgeous baseball stadium, tons of great local restaurants, wonderful trails, a flourishing arts community, tons of entertainment venues, and more!

Fort Wayne is a perfect place for families. An article published in our local newspaper, the Journal Gazette, explained that SafeWise, a security research website, ranked 39 cities as the safest cities based on government crime statistics and population data. Fort Wayne ranked 24th in that study. In addition, Fort Wayne is called the City of Churches, having approximately 360 located in the surrounding areas. Fort Wayne has many fine public and private schools throughout the area, and as a community, we take great pride in attending many of our high school and college athletic and theatrical events.

As I mentioned before, Fort Wayne has a very strong arts community. We enjoy the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and Fort Wayne Ballet. In our Downtown area, we have many sculptures and murals, some of which are obvious and others that are hidden little treasures. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend that you click on this link to download a PDF to view some of these works of art. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Downtown Fort Wayne is amazing, and the good news is that it keeps growing and growing. I already mentioned Parkview Field, and as of last summer we just opened our beautiful Promenade Park. In October of 2019, the Landing revitalization was finished, and it now has restaurants, coffee shops, and other retail areas. The Downtown area in Fort Wayne keeps expanding; it’s a very exciting time to be a part of the city.

If you’re looking to unwind a bit, Fort Wayne’s nightlife is the best. The event venues we have include the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Clyde Theatre, Sweetwater Performance Pavilion, Foellinger Theatre, and more. All of them host great local and national acts.

Honestly, this article is the tip of the iceberg of the many wonderful happenings going on in Fort Wayne. For more information, please go to Visitfortwayne.com. If you are moving to the Fort Wayne area and looking for a new home but have questions either about our city or about purchasing a home, please feel free to give me a call at (260) 241-8219.

Greetings everyone! I’m Lynn Ault, a REALTOR®/Broker, Stager and Designer who proudly serves Northeast Indiana in real estate. First of all, welcome to my first blog posting — I’m so thrilled to be a part of your home buying or selling life. I realize this process can be a little daunting, but not to worry — I’m here to help. My goal is to provide you with the best information that you can use to help improve your largest investment.

Before we get started, just a little bit about me. I’m Lynn Ault and I’m a proud Hoosier native. I have been with the North Eastern Group Realty as a realtor for over 5 years. I became a Realtor over 10 years ago. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and a Certification in Interior Design from Ball State University. I began a business designing and staging homes — working with REALTORS® — and I also spent a couple of years learning/working in the mortgage business.

Through these experiences, my passion to design and market homes while working with people on their most expensive investment — their HOME — has given me a sense of fulfillment and purpose in my life.

I love my profession! I’m passionate about serving my clients and my readers with the most up-to-date and valuable information that everyone can use to improve their lives. 

Here are a few clients I have helped throughout the years:

“Lynn impressed us with her positive attitude, professionalism, and willingness to work with us to get our home sold quickly.”

— Jae P.

“Lynn, everything that you said you would do, you did! The flow of communication was great. You made us feel like we mattered to you.”

— Stella F. and Cyndi B.

“Lynn responded to our call in a matter of minutes and has been very prompt with setting up showings and responding to our questions. She is awesome!”

— Hillary P.

I really appreciate their time, and I’m honored that my clients have provided me with these testimonials; it honestly means a lot to me.

If you are new to the Fort Wayne area and you need to purchase a home, or if you’re looking to sell your home, please feel free to give me a call at (260) 241-8219.

Thank you and I look forward to connecting with you soon.