INDY-FABULOUS

WOW! No big suprise here - however we are still the best value in the country for housing! I have recently worked with relocation folks from Arizona, Kansas and Lousiville. All of them moving into our area! Having family in rural Indiana I understand that it is great to have relocation business right now!

Here is a clip from the MONEY magazine article!

"The older, industrial Midwest cities generally offer the best bargains. Indianapolis has led the NAHB's Housing Opportunity Index for 16 straight quarters. Nearly 95% of all homes sold there were affordable to those earning the area's median income of $68,100."

I took this picture ontop of the pagoda at the Indy 500 track!

GO INDY!!!

And the best school is..........

Today marked the first day of school for my daughter Lilian. She was quite excited about the bus ride! I was not excited to see her leave. However, I don't know many parents who LOVE to send their children off to school. I do have high expectations for my daughter and our school district. This is why we chose to live here. Many homeowners/homebuyers do tend to put a high value on the quality of education, or should I say, the perceived quality of education that the community provides.

There are many quality websites that provide school statistics. The Indiana Department of Education website does provide a lot of data for your review. Here you can compare schools, review annual school performance reports, you can also look into the ISTEP test results.

In my case, I hope to be as interactive with my children's schooling as possible. See, in the end I feel that education is what you make of it. I would like to think my support and encouragement is the biggest key to success for my children.

Summer Slow Down

The State Fair is a wonderful event that my family and I look forward to each year. It signals the end of summer and the excitement of the new school year. I typically don't have a lot of business this time of year. After years in the business I certainly have come to recognize the Indianapolis Metro housing cycles. Obviously 2008 and 2009 have been 'recession' years which have to be analysed mostly on their own merit. However, year-in-year-out I have found that the cycle is similar.

Starting usually in Mid-February (the spring warm up time frame) the big surge begins and it usually ends around late May to early June. The dog days (slower sales) of summer kick-in from June through Mid September. Then something weird happens. In Mid-September there is usually a bit of a surge through October. December and January are great months for anything but real estate!

So, my quick advice for when to place your home for sale is to begin staging your home after the holidays and be ready for the "For Sale" sign come Valentines Day. This year things did not kick off until around April. But we have just went through a crazy time that cannot be compared to. Who knows, maybe the housing recession is over?! My crystal ball said that we have hit the bottom of a very long pool. Meaning it may be 2011 until values pick up locally. But I don't think they will fall much more either!

Tax Credit Going Away???

Tax Credit Going Away?

I keep getting the question as to the first time homebuyer's tax credit. I even heard one gentleman tell me that the credit is going to improve!! I dont think he controls that but.... I sounds like an optimistic thought to me.

With only a few months left, we will soon see folks that enter the buying process in a rush to get their purchases closed before December 1, 2009 when the tax credit expires. We CONSTANTLY get questions on whether it will get extended, or even may be raised. Keep in mind that any changes require consensus and there is a tremendous amount of legislation focused on mortgage/banking regulation and healthcare. As it stands now there will be some great folks that will close November 30th (he, he) and other nice folks that close December 1st and I assume both will get great deals but on will qualify for the $8,000 tax credit and one will not. With all the changes in financing, many companies are at 45-90 days to close a mortgage loan, while we remain at 30 days, we still encourage people to start the financing process if you are interested in purchasing.

I really think anyone interested in the credit push should get a preapproval in process. Call me for some good mortgage leads.

THE HOMES MUST BE STAGED

I have to give major "props" to MIBOR. The marketing of the BLC is spectacular. I honestly do not know a better way to market your home for sale than with a MIBOR member/REALTOR. "obviously" you may say - "you ARE a realtor". Time and time again I sell homes VERY quickly in this bad economy. I don't know if it is just hard work, salesmanship, and hustle or just ...well...MIBOR marketing. I have, however, taken a stance this week. I am going to pay for a home stager to consult with the my clients/sellers each home I list over $200,000.

I find it that important. It is important for the sellers to set their product above the competition. Staging can be a difficult process. Every person has their idea and perception of colors and furniture placement. We each live in our homes as a dwelling, not a showroom. I made a stand. My listings are a product to be properly merchandised. My clients want me to sell quickly. Therefore it is my responsibility to do just that...sell quickly.

I listed an average home in a middle class area of Fishers last month. The home was staged. I sold that home in less than three weeks for more $/SF than any other home on recent record. I could chalk it up to luck, good signage, good weather, and an AWESOME listing realtor. Naw, I am giving the props to two areas: MIBOR and their members and the stager. The second of which has finally "sold me" on the importance of a proper third party critique of product presentation.

Man in the mirror

Well, what a week. I often thought that when Lucille Ball and George Burns passed, those would be big moments. See, I really saw them as the consummate showmen. As Lori can attest. I loved Michael. O.K., I admit it. I really did. My favorite was song of his was "Man in the Mirror". (I know the link is to a Reggie Miller Highlight Film set to Smooth Criminal - I love that too!) I was even listening to it this week after my workout. I listen to MJ during most of my limited listening time. Unlike Lucy and George, who were a bit "pre-me", Michael did define my generation. Michael was, well, a direct hit at my generation.


Looking back at my (and the world's) admiration of Michael- it bordered somewhat upon that of idol status. I would watch the videos endlessly and know every step (at least I thought) from the thriller to the moonwalk. My faith has taught me to be weary of appointing the idol status. Yet, I don't regret it. My focus was fun and innocent. I mean - come on now - did anyone really think he was "Bad" or simply entertaining.

I got to see Michael in Wrigley field. I still have the ticket stub and pictures, thanks again to Lori! I obviously don't and have not idolized him for quite a while. I still love his message though. "I'm starting with the man in the mirror. I'm asking him to change his ways. No message can have been any clearer. If you want to make the world a better place better look at yourself and make the change."



So, how does this relate to Real Estate. It is a stretch, I admit. Keep plugging away and do what you love to do. Your HIStory will be etched.



Miss ya Michael.

Hello..is anyone home? HELLO

Imagine being homeless. No, not under a bridge in the stereotypical way. You have just sold your home in a down market. You have held off looking for your next home until yours finally sold. After months of patience you are off on the house hunting trip you've long awaited. You can feel the excitement and your anxiety is somewhat palpable.

There it is- the home you have been eyeing from a distance is finally in site. Nobody lives there, it is just meant to be! Except for one thing, the owner of the home does not care to sell. You can't get in to the home to even see it. Trespassing you walk around the exterior, peering in windows. You notice the power is out and your dream home is slowly being abused by a lack of attention. The basement is getting wet, the grass is growing, the paint is beginning to peel.

This is frustrating to say the least. I have clients that want to buy homes that are sitting empty. See, in Indiana we own homes. Even if you have a mortgage on the property, you own your home. If you don't pay your mortgage payments the bank may have to start foreclosure proceedings followed by the actual foreclosure or sheriffs sale. I have known people who have lived in their home for 12 months without paying a payment and moving out just prior to the sheriffs sale.

Potential buyers cannot buy your home unless you, the homeowner, allow them to see the property and they submit to you an offer to purchase. Many folks going through the foreclosure process feel like the house of cards is falling in all around them. They don't want to face the facts or do anything to save their credit. They feel that there really is nothing they can do to help themselves.

Now, I don't claim to have all the answers. I do feel that if you are facing foreclosure you should do anything you can do to sell your home. Communication is the KEY!!! Talk with potential buyers, enlist an active real estate professional to help. Don't forget that our services are free to you as a seller anyway. You might not be able to save your home but you may be able to save your credit and place yourself in a good position to be able to purchase another home in a year. If you foreclose you won't be able to consider it for about 7 years.