Well, if you had asked me a couple of years ago if we would some day be celebrating little Baby's 5th Birthday, I would have been a little doubtful. Baby is our canine version of "Tiny Tim" and was a sick little puppy, just about from the time I drove to Terre Haute through an ice storm and brought her home. She never gained a lot of weight and two years ago this month she was so skinny that her ribs were showing and her spine was arched like a scaredy cat! I took her to the animal emergency hospital out by the airport and after many tests were performed it was determined that she has a liver shunt.  From what I remember, this can be very common in yorkies and it means that her blood does not pass through her liver to get cleaned the way it should (or something like that). We had two op... 12/07/2008

Well, it was brought to my attention by my good friend Jake Stiles, well.... I mean, my acquaintance, Jake Stiles...um, better yet, it was brought to my attention by some guy who managed to get his real estate license (hee! hee!) that surely there were some higher end home prices that were scewing our numbers previously posted.  And in fact, he is correct. Posted below is a closer look at homes specifically priced at or above $500,000 in Center Grove and Greenwood School Systems. What we see is that there are currently 52 homes Active on the market in Center Grove, priced at or above $500,000 with the highest Active list price at $2,850,000 (the average Active list price is $835,815).  There are also 2 homes Pending in Center Grove Schools listed at or above $500,000 with an average lis... 12/05/2008

OK, so maybe it's not what we aspire to, but it certainly can be interesting to see how we compare. And in the world of real estate in Greenwood, Indiana the numbers that we found for this past month were definitely an eye opener. In fact, I double checked all of the numbers more than once just to make sure I hadn't messed something up! Unfortunately, the numbers are correct. Check out what we discovered... Click on graph to enlarge What I find really interesting is that Center Grove has twice as many homes currently Active on the market as Greenwood, more than twice as many Pending and yet, during the month of November, only had 25% more closings than Greenwood. Another big difference we see is with regard to the actual home prices.  Right now, the average home in Center Grove is liste... 12/05/2008

Well, the cold weather is definitely upon us and that makes it a great time to start thinking about how we can better protect our homes...and therefore the amount of money we allow to fly out of them! For instance, did you know that energy loss through gaps and poor connections in ductwork can be as high as 30%?  This can be increased by un-insulated ducting in the attic or crawlspace.  Many times crawlspace and attic inspections reveal ducting that has become separated or has been poorly sealed at connections. It is recommended to use a permanent type sealant such as duct sealant caulk to repair these areas.  Duct tape will deteriorate over time and will recreate the problem. It should be understood that if a home has the ducting within the envelope of the home...meaning not in the cra... 12/04/2008

Believe it or not, inspite of all that you've heard on the news lately, there are still 100% loan opportunities for homes that fall under the category of Rural Housing.  The USDA program (also known as Rural Housing) has not changed their guidelines. These loans are Zero Down and require no Monthly Mortgage Insurance (commonly referred to as "PMI").  They do, however, collect a Guarantee Fee which ends up getting financed into the loan (so yes, the customer ends up financing more than 100% into the loan when you figure there was no down payment, plus an additional fee rolled in). Borrowers must meet income limits and the property must fall into a Rural Housing designated area.  Right now, the income limits are based on household size and go up incrementally per person. After January 1st... 12/03/2008

Yes, I realize it's a "Buyer's Market" right now, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily a good time to "Flip" real estate."Oh, but they're so cheap. I can buy it for this, put so much into it and sell it for that." Wrong! You can do the first two of those three, but forget about the turning around and selling it part. Here's why: Because right now, there's always going to be another home that someone can buy for less. The people that are buying up houses right now are investors. They're looking for the best deals. They don't care that your home has this upgrade and that new fangled whatever. They want cheap. Remember, money is made in real estate when you Buy . . . not when you Sell. So be one of those smart investors. Start buying up properties and holding on to them until the market ... 11/10/2008

Wow, it is September 7th and I can't believe that the end of Down Payment Assistance programs is right around the corner! Yes, if you have been pre-approved for a loan program that allows the seller to pay your down payment for you, you absolutely have to close on the house BY THE END OF THIS MONTH - SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 or there's a very good chance you're not going to get the help you need! This is very serious business. Do you already have an accepted offer on a home? If so, have you made sure that your contract specifically states that you are to close "on or before September 30, 2008"? Or even worse...have you been pre-approved for a down payment assistance program but have not even made an offer on a home yet? If that's the case, your window of opportunity may already be ... 11/10/2008

As of the time of this writing, included below is the most accurate housing information we have for the 46142 zip code. General Info: 46142 Indiana Median Home Price $99,000 N/A In Current Residence 5+ Years 40.21% 38.63% Annual Residential Turnover 18.97% 17.39% Median Years in Residence 3.96 3.73 Median Dwelling Age 22 34 Housing Type [caption id="attachment_87" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="click to enlarge"][/caption] From what we can see, it looks like most of our residents are staying in their homes close to 4 years before moving onto the next one and that our Median Home Price in the 46142 zip code is $99,000. A little over 40% of our residents stay in their homes for more than 5 years; the average home is about 22 years old and every year, approximately 19% o... 11/10/2008

From time to time we have people call or write in with specific home inspection questions that we may not always have the answer to. When that happens, we turn those questions over to our resident expert, Jim Schwarz of Center Grove Real Estate Inspections. Here's what Jim had to say in answer to this particular question: I may have seen the actual home or at least one like it. The laminate flooring was installed with a pad underneath. In order to avoid a difference in height at the bath entrance, which would have created a trip hazard and appearance issue, the installer held the pad back about a foot to create an easy transition into the bathroom. Under these circumstances, it was probably the best decision. *This information was originally published on my outside blog at w... 11/10/2008

Can you believe the 80 degree weather we were enjoying just last week has so quickly left us? Wow! I even had to turn on my furnace for the first time. Well, as summer changes to fall it means it's time for us to start getting our homes ready so they're properly protected for the change of seasons. Keep reading for a great list of Fall Maintenance Tips For Your Home. Have a qualified professional service your heating system every year Have a certifed chimney sweep inspect for any damage, clean the flues, and check your fireplace damper Close any shutoffs to exterior hose connections to prevent possible freezing and or pipe breaks Replace batteries and inspect all smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors Check the caulking around windows and doors to help prevent heat loss C... 11/10/2008

Wow! What great advice! And it comes from none other than Mr. Warren Buffet! Yes, Mr. Buffet says that now is the time to buy your piece of the American pie. Sure, there's a crisis going on and many are not going to be able to get a mortgage right now. But for those of you that have been good with your money and have protected your credit, now is your time to take advantage of this crazy situation we've found ourselves in. No matter what you're looking at to buy right now, whether it be clothes, or a car or what have you, good deals are all around us. But when we bring it specifically to the world of real estate, the deals that can be had right now are on a much grander scale. If you're a "Move Up Buyer" and looking to get into "that" neighborhood....now is the time to do it!... 11/10/2008

Between last Friday and the time of this writing, there have been 33 new homes come on the market within the "Greenwood" and "Center Grove" areas. Out of these 33, I've found three that I think are "Best Buys". I found the first one yesterday and the address is 584 Oakwood Drive and it's priced for $99,900. This property is located in The Oaks neighborhood, has 1,472 square feet, 3 Bedrooms, 2 Full Bathrooms, a Fireplace and separate Living Room and Family Room. In a neighborhood of higher selling homes, this one is assessed at $132,500 and seems like a really great deal. The next one is pictured below at 1348 W. Smith Valley Road. I've driven by this home thousands of times and always thought it had nice curb appeal and couldn't believe it last night when I drove by and saw a For Sale ... 11/10/2008

Here is what happened on the Greenwood Indiana real estate market in September 2008 for homes under $500,000:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 725 Homes Sold 94 75 -20% Average Selling Price $156,425 $150,222 -4% Days on Market 82 74 -10% Price Per Square Foot $82 $76 -7% Pretty much the same trends but with an improvement in the average sales price for this month. The number of homes sold is still down pretty significantly over last year with a 20% decrease. The average selling price is down, but only 4% as compared to last year. The good news is that it appears homes are actually selling quicker this year as compared to last taking 10% or 8 days less to sell a home this year. There are 725 homes currently on the market and 1066 have sold in the past 12 months; this means there is curr... 10/15/2008

August 2008 did not turn out to be a great month for Greenwood Indiana real estate. Here is a quick glance at what happened on the market for homes under $500,000:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 87 Homes Sold 122 87 -29% Average Selling Price $167,940 $150,408 -10% Days on Market 77 77 0 Price Per Square Foot $89 $81 -9% Both the number of homes sold and the average sales price were down by double digits compared to last year. I expect the number of homes sold to be down just because that is the way the market is right now. However, I didn’t expect to see such a decrease in the average sales price. If it is any consolation, the 10% decrease in sales price seems to be way off for the year with the YTD average being only a 4% decrease. Let’s hope September posts some better numbers for ... 09/26/2008

Here is a look at what happened on the Greenwood real estate market for homes under $500,000 in July 2008:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 734 Homes Sold 108 96 -11% Average Selling Price $161,872 $154,738 4% Days on Market 83 77 -7% Price Per Square Foot $83 82 -1%   Pretty much the same old story here: the number of homes sold is down and the average selling price is slightly down. The previous two months actually saw an increase in the average sales price, but this month we see a 4 % decrease in sales price over last year. What is a little weird is that the average days on the market are actually down over last year, taking 7% or 6 days less to sell a home this year on the Greenwood IN real estate market. Greenwood appears to be a relatively stable market but it is still tipped in t... 09/02/2008

Are you new to Greenwood Indiana or Franklin Indiana and looking for a Farmers Market? Greenwood Farmers Market is located behind the Greenwood Library, and is open from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon on Saturdays through September.  The address is 310 South Meridian Street, again located behind the Greenwood Library. The Franklin Famers Market is located at the Courthouse Square in downtown Franklin, and is open from 8:00 A.M. to 11:0 A.M. Saturdays.  It is also open from 3:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Wednesdays.   If you are relocating to Greenwood Indiana or Franklin Indiana and looking for a house to buy, keep us in mind for your real estate needs. Heather in Indy www.SmithFitzgeraldTeam.com 08/19/2008

Here is a list of some Wineries in Central Indiana: Mallow Run Winery-6964 W. Whiteland Road, Bargersville, 317-422-1556 Grape Inspirations Winery-1307 S. Rangeline Road, Carmel, 317-705-9463 Chateau Thomas Winery-6291 Cambridge Way, Plainfield, 317-837-WINE Easley Winery-205 N. College Avenue, Indianapolis, 317-636-4516 Ferrins Fruit Winery-89 First Avenue SW, Carmel, 317-566-WINE Buck Creek Winery-11747 Indian Creek Road South, Indianapolis, 862-WINE Simmons Winery-8111 E. County Road 450 N, Columbus-812-546-0091   If you are new to Indianapolis and looking to find your new home, keep our team in mind for your Indianapolis and surrounding counties Real Estate needs! Heather in Indy www.SmithFitzgeraldTeam.com 08/17/2008

The Greenwood Indiana real estate market still doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of recover just yet. The number of homes sold is down and the average sales price is also down. Here is a look at what happened on the Greenwood real estate market for homes under $500,000 in April 2008:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 736 Homes Sold 101 73 -28% Average Selling Price $164,688 $148,722 -10% Days on Market 75 73 -3% Price Per Square Foot $84 $79 -6%   The number of homes sold is down 28% over last year and the average sales price is also down 10%. Not good. The only good news is that the average days on the market is actually down over last year; taking 3% less time to sell a home. Greenwood has 736 homes currently on the market and 1170 homes sold over the past 12 months; this means ther... 05/20/2008

The Greenwood Indiana real estate market had a 20% increase in sales for January, but is showing a significant decrease in sales in February 2008. In addition to the number of Greenwood homes selling, the average sales price is also down. Here is a quick look at what happened in Greenwood for February 2008 for homes under $500,000:     2006 2007 % Change Active N/A 662 Homes Sold 81 47 -42% Average Selling Price $152,359 $136,005 -11% Days on Market 94 314 234% Price Per Square Foot $82 77 -6%   A quick note about the days on market, there is a home that is throwing the numbers way off with a days on the market of over 10,000. Obviously something is wrong, as that home has not been the market for over 27 years. Throwing that out, we are still looking at some pretty bleak numbers for Gr... 03/16/2008

Here is a quick glance at what has happened on the Greenwood Indiana real estate market for December 2007:   2006 2007 % Change Active N/A 618 Homes Sold 66 55 -17% High Selling Price $169,908 $156,960 -8% Low Selling Price $55,112 $42,000 -23% Average Selling Price $169,908 $156,960 -8% Days on Market 81 99 22% Price Per Square Foot $83 $80 -4% The numbers for the Greenwood real estate market are typical with the current market conditions in other areas of Indianapolis. The number of homes sold is down and the average selling price down slightly over last year. The good news for the Greenwood market is that there is only a 6.18 months supply of homes on the market; this indicates that it is still a buyer’s market, but the market is not completely flooded with homes. If you are looking... 01/22/2008