20 People to Know in Real Estate: Meagan Moremen
Meagan Moremen
Realtor, Breland Group Realtors
Years in current job: Three
Years in the real estate industry: Three
With high interest rates and low housing inventory, what are your predictions for the local housing market in the coming year?
I think we’re going to continue to see properties that are listed below $250,000 sell fast and with multiple offers. These homes fall in the budget of most families, as well as investors and first-time home buyers, so they are highly sought after.
What has been your biggest surprise (good or bad) when showing a property?
It’s hard to pick the most surprising, so I’ll go with my first shocking experience. Very shortly after I received my license, I was showing a property in a very rural part of the state. Upon entering, my clients and I quickly realized the vacant house was clearly being used by squatters and illegal activity.
I had to call the Sheriff’s Department for that county and speak with several officers to give my story. Unfortunately, that was not the last time I had to call authorities regarding a vacant home.
With changes coming to short-term rental regulations, what’s been the appetite for investment properties?
The investors I currently work with are not interested in short-term rentals anymore due to current regulations and Airbnb’s refund policy change.
What’s the most important thing to homebuyers right now?
Location. Buyers are looking for homes in counties with good school systems. I saw a huge slowdown with my Jefferson County properties in August and September due to what was happening in JCPS.
What barriers must be addressed to make Louisville a more attractive place to live and do business?
We have to address the issues in our public school system. I was an elementary teacher for 15 years, so I get a lot of buyers asking my opinion on schools and school systems.
Families are leaving Jefferson County because of the state of our public schools, or they buy a cheaper home in order to afford private education. We can’t expect to draw families here when our school system is making national headlines for negative reasons.
Why did you choose a career in real estate?
This is a rather long and complicated story, but in short, I left my teaching career of 15 years so that I could homeschool my children. With my husband having brain cancer, I still had to find a way to support my family financially.
Ultimately, real estate fit our needs. It was something I was interested in, it’s challenging, and it allowed me to be home with my children and still support my family.
What’s Louisville’s best-kept secret?
The best-kept secret in Louisville is our public library system. Our public libraries do a fantastic job of encouraging reading through their summer reading programs and the variety of activities they offer at each of the locations.
I love the variety of classes they offer for all ages, the makerspaces, the cultural passes, the design, just everything really. My personal favorite is the Libby app they provide. I love being able to check out audiobooks for free because as a Realtor, I drive a lot and go through a ton of audiobooks.
