• 🎲 Grand Opening: Owensboro Racing & Gaming

• 🐕‍🦺 Wanna Help the Dogs?!

• 😤 “My Property’s Assessed Value Is Too High!”

• 💹 UniFirst Announced a $28M Expansion in Owensbor …

• 🏠 What’s Causing That Spot on Your Ceiling?

• ⛳ The Golf Emporium Opening in March

• 🫢 I Should Probably Be Embarrassed…

• 💭 Final Thoughts

• 📝 Survey Time!

🎲 Grand Opening: Owensboro Racing & Gaming

There has been a lot of talk & anticipation around the new Owensboro Racing & Gaming. It’s almost time to see what the fuss is all about!

The Grand Opening is on Wednesday, February 12th beginning at 11am. They will have live entertainment, food trucks, dine-in restaurant options and of course…gambling! Watch and wager on horse races from premier tracks nationwide through simulcast.

Live Entertainment

• 9AM-11AM: Kentucky Shrine (Outside)

• 11:30AM-2PM: Live Deejay (Center Bar)

• 3PM-7PM: Blackford Creek (Center Bar)

Food Options

There will be various food truck options from the hours of 10:30-2:00PM and 5:00-10:00PM. The Track Kitchen will be open from 11:30AM-11:00PM. And the Starting Gate Bar & Lounge will be open from 11:30AM-11:00PM as well.

They are located at 460 Wrights Landing Road, Owensboro, Kentucky.

Steve and I will be attending and capturing video footage to share with you in the next publication! So if you can’t make it, no worries. We’ll give you a rundown soon.

If you happen to be looking for a new career or looking to add some work hours in lieu of some of your free time, they are still hiring!

🐕‍🦺 Wanna Help the Dogs?!

I must’ve been born with a larger-than-life animal-loving heart. And I know so many of you were too! I’ve not lived a single day of my life without multiple animals & they've all been rescues. I feel strongly that the "rescuing" is actually the animal rescuing the human. I honestly have no idea what life is like without animals. It sounds horrifying! 😉 So it only makes sense that me & my real estate team, Vega Group, proudly supports our local animal rescue, SPARKY. (Saving Paws Animal Rescue of Kentucky)  

SPARKY is a non-profit organization dedicated to lowering euthanasia rates of dogs and cats in area shelters, educating the public about the importance of spaying and neutering, and promoting animal adoption in Kentucky. SPARKY aspires to foster lifelong connections between well-deserving dogs and cats and families and place them in successful, nurturing homes. Through support, guidance, education and service, our grassroots organization commits to create a positive, sustainable impact within the community and beyond.

Check out the their upcoming events ⬇️ where you can learn more about them, meet the incredible volunteers that make it all possible and hang with the animals they currently have in their care.

Bark In Style is one of their largest fundraisers that keep the nonprofit going. This year will be our 3rd year sponsoring the event. It’s always so fun. You can expect a “fashion show” (sporting local boutique clothing) with local “celebrity” models, a great meal & a super fun silent auction!

This year’s event will be held at Reids Orchard for the first time! If you want more info on SPARKY, head on over to www.sparkyrescue.com and check them out! Will I see you at Bark In Style this year?!

😤 “My Property’s Assessed Value Is Too High!”

If you’ve noticed your property’s assessed value increasing every year, there’s a reason to celebrate! Your property is increasing in value! 💃 But you might be a little upset. Afterall, the amount of property taxes you pay each year is based on your property’s assessed value.

The PVA office is tasked with determining the fair market value for every property, every year. (Not an easy task!) They do not determine the tax RATE. However, they have a legal responsibility to determine the value. They study the market & base their analysis on comparable properties that have sold recently.

If you think the PVA office got it wrong, I have great news! There is an appeals process. I want to share that process with you because there are so many homeowners who do not understand that process. ⬇️

1. Set up a conference with the PVA office to discuss the matter during the annual inspection period, beginning the first Monday in May (Monday, May 5, 2025) & running 13 consecutive days.

2. Bring evidence to support your claim such as an appraisal, comparable sales information and a copy of your insurance policy, cost of construction or proof of structural damage.

3. If you and the PVA cannot come to a mutual agreement on your assessment, you may file an appeal with the County Clerk and present your evidence to the Local Board of Appeals.

4. Appeals must be filed by the end of Tuesday following the close of the inspection period.

There are many homes that have decreased in value due to their declining condition. If you think your home is one of those and your property’s assessed value is too high, I wanted you to know that there is a way to appeal it. 💟

If you’re eligible for the homestead or disability exemption (explained in the last publication of OBKY News) and you don’t have it, you definitely need to get that taken care of too! That will save you quite a bit of money each year on your property taxes. If you need to freshen up on that, read the Jan 20, 2025 publication at OBKYnews.com.

💹 UniFirst Announced a $28M Expansion in Owensboro

The project includes a 110,000-square-foot addition to the 360,000-square-foot facility, advanced robotics technology, and a streamlined ordering system designed to support growth and boost operational capacity.

“Our investment in our Owensboro facility is a strategic step forward in delivering the best service in the industry,” said Steven Sintros, UniFirst President and CEO. “With state-of-the art robotics and overall system upgrades, we’re taking innovation and operational excellence to the next level. This expansion is all about serving our customers better than ever while strengthening our deep connection with the Owensboro community. It’s a clear reflection of our dedication to progress and our relentless focus on our customers.”

The Owensboro Distribution and Fulfillment Center inventories, customizes, and distributes work apparel and personal safety items to companies across North America. Since its opening in 1998, the facility has grown significantly, now shipping over 20 million garments annually. These upgrades will help optimize operations, enhance order accuracy, and deliver more customized solutions for UniFirst’s diverse customer base. This modernization highlights the company’s dedication to leading the industry as the premier service provider.

I love seeing companies invest in our community. It’s a positive sign that we are moving in the right direction to attract (and keep!) businesses here.

🏠 What’s Causing That Spot on Your Ceiling?

Ever find a teeny tiny ceiling stain and wonder what it could possibly be from?! If you see a stain, it's most likely (not always) from some sort of moisture intrusion.

This could be the culprit. 👇

I see this on so many home inspections. So let's talk about it.

Anything that comes out of your roof is a high risk of leak. Let's also add to that....anything that gets affixed to your roof (that satellite dish, for example) is also a culprit.

These plumbing vents are to have a rubber boot around them that seals them tightly.

The first photo is a plumbing vent on a home one of my buyers got under contract. What you probably won't realize by looking at it is that there was a collar on it at some point...and it was cut off for some reason. (It's a bit tough to get those on there because they are so tight...so my assumption is that some roofers cut that collar off so they can more easily slide it down the vent pipe and then they caulk it. NOT the best idea!)

Where that arrow is pointing...is an entry point for rainwater to find it's way into the house.

The photo below a plumbing boot with the collar still intact, BUT it has dry rotted, cracked and eventually separated. When the boot starts to dry-rot, it's time to replace the boot.

So what SHOULD your plumbing boot look like?

Like this! ⬇️

MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU:

✅ Check on your plumbing boots each year. Do a visual test of them.
✅ If you see any cracking at all, it's time to replace the boot.

It will likely cost you less than $50 to have a licensed roofer install one if you aren't handy yourself. That cost is so much less than it would cost to fix a ceiling leak which would include drywall and painting at minimum...and could include replacing deck boards, attic insulation and mold remediation, if it goes on long enough.

👉 PS - If you have your roof replaced, require your roofer to take photos of the completed roof (and photos throughout the replacement) including a close up of anything that's protruding through the roof so you can make sure they did a complete and thorough job for you before they are paid. You may be surprised at the shortcuts some roofers will take. I see it so often (in all things...not just roofing) during home inspections. If a contractor is hesitant to do that for you, you should hire someone else.

⛳ The Golf Emporium Opening in March

Odd fact about me. I’ve NEVER held a golf club. 🤷‍♀️ Putt putt golf is all this girl has ever played, but the sport sure does look fun! For all you serious (or wanna-be) golfers out there, Owensboro is getting something next month that you’ll be excited about!

According to their Facebook page, “Jason Cox and Tracy Naylor would like to welcome everyone to The Golf Emporium located at 325 Park Plaza Dr in Owensboro KY. We will be sharing with you as we near our March 2025 opening with you as details emerge.”

They go on to say…

“Looking for a cozy country club vibe where golfers can enjoy our two Foresight Falcon indoor hitting dens(more on that later) for recreational play or practice, we got you covered. Between club fitting, club repair, and retail offerings we can get you dialed in. Last but not least, we will have an adjustable putting platform with a SAM Putting Lab with certified Putting Instructor Jason Cox.”

I hope you will support Jason and his wife Tracy as they open their doors next month. It’s so obvious that this has been a dream and a labor of love for them. 💖

🫢 I Should Probably Be Embarrassed…

Why am I telling on myself?

Honestly, I shouldn’t. Not many people noticed, but I can’t help but to share. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, what’s the point?! 😉

I had this grand idea to really give back on Giving Tuesday which always falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. I wanted to give back to our Nonprofit Community and share our social media audience with them. The goal was to get the word out to as many people as possible…about what they do, what their needs are and how you (as the listener) could help if that particular nonprofit tugged at your heart strings. I called it “Nonprofit Connect".

My husband and I made sure to build a “studio” in our new office for this very thing…to serve in ways just like this. I took the time to research lighting, backdrops, microphones, etc. I purchased professional “pod mics” so everything would be top notch. I wanted to make an incredible impact and I know that if the audio isn’t great, people would likely keep scrolling on social media.

Well…

We did it. And it was absolutely awesome. I didn’t know beforehand if we’d have two nonprofits participate or a small handful. It turns out, we had a large turnout of nonprofits who wanted to be included. So much so, that we had to add interview times to accommodate. We had TWELVE nonprofit organizations participate in our very full day. My heart was so full. It was incredibly fun learning about them!

And then…

I watched the videos later. You guys!!! Those fancy, professional microphones I bought and setup did NOT work. Haha! I thought we were speaking through them the ENTIRE time.

Needless to say, I am NOT super tech savvy. I do, however, have a big heart. So that makes up for it, right?! 🤣

Thankfully, the camera was close enough to us that it picked up the conversation. However, next year…I will be hiring someone to come in beforehand and make sure everything is properly connected AND we’ll be using a professional camera so we’ll have exceptional video quality.

The first one isn’t expected to be perfect, right?! '🤷‍♀️

If you want to tune into and watch any of the interviews to learn more about them, they are on our YouTube channel HERE.

Next year’s will be MUCH better. I promise. 😜

💭 Final Thoughts

It’s so hard to believe that January 2025 is already in the rearview mirror. Doesn’t that seem wild?! Gosh life goes by WAY too fast. I hope you and your family are all happy and healthy.

The real estate market is definitely heating up. Spring time is setting up to be a very busy home buying/selling season, despite the high 6/low 7 interest rate. I personally have 15 buyers who are actively house hunting right now. There’s just not much to show them. If you’ve been thinking about selling, good news…the buyers are here and ready! If you have any real estate-related questions, I hope you know that I’m here for you!

❤️ Sam

“OBKY News” is brought to you by Sam Ray’s real estate team Vega Group proudly brokered by Real Broker.

We would be honored to be your chosen real estate expert when you are ready to make a move. ❤️ 

We know that it can be fun to tour homes even if you’re not ready to make a move.

So we’ve put together a list of the upcoming Open Houses just in case you’d like to tour them.

** This is a “live” link which means it’ll update as Open Houses are added or removed. Be sure to check back closer to the weekend!

📝 Survey Time!