Originally posted at My Carmel Blog We are seeing some positive news for the number of homes sold in Carmel this month.  In August there were 145 homes compared with only 119 a year ago; that is a 22% increase.  Of course we would expect the numbers to be a bit higher since during 2010 we “borrowed” buyers during the first time buyer credit program. But we are over the 2009 numbers too…so good news.  The number of days on the market is a bit longer at 90 compared with 78 a year ago.  The price per sq ft is relatively unchanged at $115/sq ft. The luxury homes market in Carmel shows great signs of improvement.  There were 25 homes over $500,000 that were sold in Carmel in August of 2011 compared with just 17 a year ago. Neighborhoods that saw a lot of activity were Brookshire (7), Plum C... 09/18/2011

Bridlebourne community is one of the favorite neighborhoods in Hamilton County. It is located in the heart of Indianapolis and is known for its flourishing landscape, 2 huge ponds and a large public area, making every house a beautiful home for every family to live in. As you enter the neighborhood, you will right away notice the stunning brick paver streets, majestic homes and a lovely community who are always ready to participate in most town events and social happenings that are very ideal for most families looking for a peaceful home, charming neighborhood and a scenic house to live in. Residents of Bridlebourne neighborhood also enjoy the many community area such as countless parks, galleries, specialty stores, restaurants, design shops and many more that are mostly situated near t... 08/29/2011

 You worked hard for the weekend! Don't let it fly by without trying one (or all!) of these fun & inexpensive things to do in Hamilton County, Indiana. Friday, Aug. 19 *My Yellow Rickshaw* Brockway Pub in Carmel, 7-11 pm This group of guys covers everything from the Beatles to Beyoncé, and their clever banter is just as entertaining as their music. Brockway Pub Saturday, Aug. 20 & Sunday, Aug. 21 *Summertime Celebration of Arts & Crafts* Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds in Noblesville, 10 am - 5 pm Peruse folk art, Americana, Victorian, country, contemporary arts and crafts. Hourly gift certificate drawings, entertainment and more. Food and drinks available.   Sunday, Aug. 21 *Summer Sense-ations* Cool Creek Nature Center in Carmel, 1-5 pm Hummingbirds, butterflies, lightning bugs, flowe... 08/19/2011

Originally posted at My Carmel Blog Banner month for Carmel Real Estate.  There were 142 homes sold in July of 2011 compared with 125 in July of 2010!  Also great news with the days on market decreasing to 78 from 83 a year ago and the average sale price increasing to $334,600 compared with $332,600 a year ago. It is important to at least note that June of 2010 was an extremely heavy month of sale making July of 2010 a bit on the lighter side.  It is important to see this type of increase given the last few months that have lagged behind the 2010 numbers. The luxury market was fairly consistent with just over 20 homes over $500,000 in Carmel selling in both July of 2010 and 2011. The most expensive home sold in July of 2011 was for $1,350,000 in Bridlebourne.  It had 7,000 sq ft and an... 08/11/2011

This week, I’d like to profile a lovely, timeless Carmel neighborhood called TheWoodlands. A well established subdivisionlocated in southeastern Carmel, just off 106th St. & Keystone Ave., The Woodlands is a family-friendly community, conveniently located to shops, restaurants, schools, daycare, churches, the post office, and many other vital destinations. Important Current Numbers to Consider when Evaluating The Woodlands: -18 active listings -8 SOLD in the past 6 months -Avg. # of Days on Market: 42 -Avg. price/sq.ft.: $110.00 -Max. price/sq.ft.: $240.00 -Avg. sale price/home: $226,750 -Max. sale price of a home was $287,500 People talk about how bleak the real estate market is, but with a 96.03% list to salesprice value within The Woodlands, I believe positive, profitable outcomes ar... 08/07/2011

A not so upbeat topic for today’s blog post, but a subject which has inevitably touched all our lives – maybe directly, or through people we know, or both. It’s a bit surprising, but coinciding with the decline of housing prices, the national rate of divorce has followed a similar downward trend throughout the past several years. While news of dips in the housing market has dominated media coverage, I think we rarely read or hear about a parallel drop in the overall numbers of divorces. Clearly, recession-related economic factors have broadly affected all of us, but particularly those families facing tough decisions about whether or not to proceed with separation and/or divorce. It appears that these challenging economic factors have created new trends in how families grapple with the n... 08/07/2011

Originally posted at my Carmel Blog I think if I were looking for a home for sale in Carmel, a ranch styled home with a basement would be on my short list.  The comforts of single floor living appeals to me greatly these days!  I would also want a basement; after all these years I would need a place to store all the “stuff” from the kids moving out and leaving things behind! I love being a REALTOR for many reasons but one of those reasons is the ability to just look at different types of housing on a whim.  Today, I searched for my dream home.  There are 59 ranches with basements for sale in Carmel.  Three of those are over $1,000,000 so a bit out of my price point! I would want at least three bedrooms and two full baths, so that takes me down to 44 ranch homes available.  And then as ... 08/03/2011

Originally Posted at My Carmel Blog Have you ever wondered who is responsible for those real life statues at work and play in the Carmel Arts District? John Seward Johnson II (aka J. Seward Johnson Jr) is the artist that created these lifelike statues.  He is the grandson of Robert Wood Johnson (co-founder of Johnson & Johnson) and first cousin of actor Michael Douglas.  J. Seward actually worked for Johnson & Johnson until he was fired in 1962. These statues mimic the daily happenings of life; from shopping to water plants to playing with kids and also includes the infamous Unconditional Surrender pose of the sailor kissing the young nurse in pure joy that WWII was officially over! There are probably a dozen that can be found as you are walking through the Carmel Arts District; you ca... 07/26/2011

Hamilton County is a magical place to live.  Nestled on the north side of the Indianapolis Metro area it is a great place to raise a family have a business or to visit.  Mayor Brainard now in his 4th term gets some credit for making  Carmel IN, one of the gems of Central Indiana.  See more about Carmel in the link below! Carnes Home Inspections via atCarmel Newsletter Mayor Brainard talks about St.Vincent www.livestream.com Mayor Brainard talks about St.Vincent on TownePost.tv on Livestream - Watch live streaming Internet TV. Broadcast your own live streaming videos, like TownePost.tv in Widescreen HD. Livestream, Be There. 41 Impressions · 0% Feedback When you relocate to Carmel...   I am Kim Carnes and I would be honored to inspect your home! I am the owner and chief inspector of Car... 07/15/2011

Are you curious about what homes are selling for in Carmel Indiana or how long it is taking to sell a home in Carmel?  This is a great article to read! We are still seeing a bit of a decline from a year ago (third month in a row!)...this June we sold 145 homes in Carmel compared with 165 a year ago. Neighborhoods in Carmel that did well are popular Builder neighborhoods; both Arden and Stanford Park (Ryland) and the Traditions at the Monon (Pulte) had many homes sell this month.  And the Village of West Clay, as usual, had many homes sell. The days it takes to sell a home have been increasing...they were 91 this June compared with 68 a year ago for June.  The price per sq ft though has increased to $116 from $110 a year ago. The luxury market (those homes over $500,000) remains steady. ... 07/13/2011

Originally posted at My Carmel Blog With so many homes for sale in Carmel, you want to be sure yours sells.  Here are some ideas to be sure you aren't one of those who can't sell their home in Carmel! Did you price it correctly; not what you wanted to get for the home but what the market data say the sales price should be.  We often hear, "I need to get ‘x' for the home" and while we understand the financial investment you have made and what you need to go to the next phase, the market drives the price. Are you accepting every showing; with kids and pets this can be a challenge for the most flexible seller.  My advice to clients is to have a basket near the door so those last minute showings can be accepted.  You throw every item down to the uneaten piece of toast into the basket; load ... 07/09/2011

Originally posted at My Carmel Blog So many choices for fireworks....where in Carmel are the best places to visit! Here's a quick list of a few choice events. Carmel Fest is always a favorite, celebrating over 25 years!  It is scheduled for July 3rd and 4th and will be held at the Carmel Civic Square.  You can watch the parade, listen to the live music or enjoy the food.  The Parade will start at 10:30 and will run along Rangeline Road.  Some of the Main Stage entertainment will be the Wright Brothers and three time CMA award winner, Mac McAnally.  Fireworks will be launced at 9:45 on the 4th. In addition to the above, there is also a Freedom Run that will be a 4 mile walk/run on Saturday July 2nd.  This event will wind through many Carmel neighborhoods ! Just up the road in Westfield i... 06/29/2011

Originally posted in My Carmel Blog Carmel Indiana is a great place to live because of it's convenient location, great schools and sought after homes; but also because of all the events available to the area residents. We have already covered the Carmel Palladium Concert Series in a previous post, but let's talk about the live Jazz on the Monon concerts!  They are held on Saturday nights from 6-9 p.m. on the SW corner of the Monon and Main Street.  It is similar to the Symphony on the Prairie events in Fishers, in that you bring your own chairs/blankets and spread out to enjoy the music. This Saturday, the 25th, you can enjoy Monika Herzig and on July 23rd you can enjoy the Splinter Group and on July 30th it will be the Slammer Jazz Quartet and the final show will feature Blair Clark on... 06/24/2011

  It’s mandatory guaranteed outdoor fun for the entire family at the Cool Creek Park and Nature Center in Carmel! Interactive play areas are sure to entertain kids of all ages, while hikers and runners will appreciate the miles of wooded trails. Bird watching opportunities abound, and the park's paved trails are perfect for cyclists and rollerbladers.  Want to relax? Pack up a picnic and head to Cool Creek Meadow, home to several species of butterflies and wildflowers. For more formal events, you can reserve one of the park’s four shelters. Cool Creek Nature Center offers educational programs on everything from bird banding to star gazing, as well as summer youth programs. Special events throughout the year include Movies in the Park, Jukebox Saturday and Haunted Trails! If you’re looki... 06/21/2011

Many of you probably already know about this tool; but I used it for the first time yesterday. I typically have my listings staged.  If they are already furnished and it is greenery and moving things around...I pay for it.  It typically takes my stager 3-4 hours and that is within my budgeted expenses for listing a home.  But, if the home is vacant and requires a stager to bring in furniture and stage...I don't pay for it.  The stager in this case charges a fee for the actual staging and then an ongoing monthly fee.  It is typically way less than the first price reduction they will take.  I have a new seller and he is not interested in paying to have his vacant home staged.  He did repaint the entire house and get new upgraded carpeting...so he is trying to work with me. I got an email ... 06/18/2011

Originally posted at My Carmel Blog Carmel Indiana saw a 25% decline in homes sold in May 2011 from May 2010.  There wre 112 homes sold in Carmel compared with 151 last year at this time. This is the 2nd month in a row where 2011 has lagged 2010. Other statistics that we watch are Days on Market (how long does it take from list to close) and the price per square foot (which most certainly varies by neighborhood...).  For May of 2011; the DOM was 86 compared with 67 a year ago...so it is taking longer to sell homes in Carmel.  The $ per sq ft is down just a bit at $110 versus $112 a year ago. There were 13 homes over $500,000 that sold in May of 2011 compared with 16 a year ago.  The highest priced home that sold in Carmel was $1,700,000 in Bridlebourne with over 11,000 sq ft.  It was on... 06/12/2011

Mayor Brainard along with most of the residents of Carmel think it is a wonderful place to live.  From the top rated Carmel school system to the many parks and trails it offers and the new Arts District downtown; it is notably a great choice to live and raise a family. Mayor Brainard in a discussion last week talked about the growth of Carmel, from 25,000 to 80,000 in the last 15 years.  The parks and green space has increased to over 800 acres.  The new Monon Center has brought even more to do in Carmel. Businesses continue to want to move into the Carmel area; creating more green for the Carmel budget. He gave a few updates including that relocation of the Farmer's Market.  It is now in the green area by the Palladium.  This allows for 30 more vendors,  easier access in and out for ve... 06/05/2011

It's been a while since I visited the Carmel neighborhood of Village of WestClay, so when I stopped by on this spectacular Indiana summer day, I was happily reminded of what a difference a year or two makes. Sparse, newly-planted trees and shrubs have blossomed into lushly filled-out greenery - a perfect back-drop to the charming townhomes, cottages, and custom executive homes that comprise the Village of WestClay! It's no secret that Carmel, Indiana is loaded with beautiful neighborhoods, but the Village of WestClay stands alone as one the best examples of New Urbanism design in the Midwest. Architecture and a community concept reminiscent of the mid-1800s sets WestClay apart. Luxury townhomes, cottages and executive homes blend effortlessly with equally attractive specialty shops, re... 06/01/2011

Originally posted at My Carmel Blog There are so many races this time of year in the Indianapolis area!  We started with the Mini 500 the first weekend in May, which my daughter had time to run about 6 miles of (before her sister grauated from BSU)...so she made a turn to get back to the start area and ended up with the top runners ...I'd say that was a wrong turn! The Geist Half Marathon was last weekend with a beautiful day to run a race around the Reservoir. But coming up on June 11th is the Carmel Marathon at (yawn) 7:00 a.m.  The course starts at 3rd and 126th and runs along 126th through several parks including Founders Park, Heritage Park and River Road Park. There will be a lot of Carmel Real Estate that will have great views including Plum Creek, Moffitt Farms and the Hawthorne... 05/28/2011

Originally posted at My Carmel Blog Trying to find the best tools to search for a home for sale in Carmel Indiana?  I have a few great ones for you. If you are an iPhone user, there are several tools that you can get by heading over to the Carmel Indiana Real Estate website or you can just read the QR Code. If you like using a map feature and filling in criteria online; we have a search for homes in Carmel by map feature too. If you just want a quick search for homes in Carmel under $150,000 or between $150,000 and $250,000, etc; try our quick search! If you decide that you want to search for homes that are a little more specific (i.e. pool in the backyard, master on the main level, over 1/2 acre, etc)...you'll need to find a REALTOR in Carmel.  We have thousands of criteria on our sear... 05/21/2011