In earlier eras, a would-be Westfield home buyer had few tools to aid in the task of finding a home that was ‘just right.’ Today, the situation has gotten a good deal easier thanks to a wealth of real estate apps that home buyers simply download onto their mobile devices. There are apps that can help you with everything from finding your dream home (and determining how much you can afford) to learning more about the neighborhood.   Home Buyer Terminology Every home buyer is inevitably exposed to a welter of technical terms—and some of them have meanings that differ from what you would guess. Trying to decipher the jargon is a challenge you can shortcut with a good app dedicated to the task. Android users can download Relmark’s Glossary Real Estate Terms; iPhone and other Apple devices u... 10/22/2014

Having a Westfield home for sale as autumn swings into full bloom has more than one advantage. First off, this is definitely not looky-loo season—the majority of home shoppers this time of year tend to be serious-minded (perhaps because many are hoping to be comfortably moved in by the holidays). Whatever the reason, because many other owners will wait until spring to put up their own home for sale, if you are listing now, you can usually count on a narrower amount of competition.  A subtler reason why fall is an exciting season to put up a home for sale has to do with what can be a presentation advantage—the same reason home décor professionals like this time of year. It’s the Autumn Advantage: a time of year loaded with eye-catching decorating ideas. When the leaves start to change, i... 10/14/2014

If you find your Westfield rental property without a tenant this fall, it may not take long before you’re tempted to take the first applicant who shows up. Sometimes it doesn’t take much longer to remember why that can be a costly mistake!  Hastily selected tenants can transform your Westfield rental property from a dependable revenue-producer into a sputtering headache-producer. Troublesome tenants are hard to manage, can cause serious damage to your Westfield rental—and can be infuriatingly difficult to remove. Of course, the best solution is to avoid renting to trouble-making tenants in the first place. Whenever your rental property falls vacant, you’ll be much more likely to sign a quality tenant if you follow the basic self-protection procedures: 1. Be Wary of Cash Buyers A tenant ... 09/29/2014

Westfield residents don’t have to have children at home to know when we’ve gone through the familiar back-to-school rituals. Just turn on a radio or TV, step into a retail store, or drive past a school and the calls to educational muster are evident. At the same time, it’s hard not to be reminded how significant education is when it comes to Westfieldhome buying—how likely it is for schools to be on the forefront of many buyers’ minds. Most people know intuitively that top-notch schools carry significant weight in the searching and home buying processes—but the result of a survey done by realtor.com has spelled it out in black-and-white. Their research reveals that more than 60% of buyers consider school district boundaries during their home buying process. It’s a surprisingly weighty ... 09/11/2014

Homes Near Westfield Intermediate School in Westfield IN Find homes for sale near Westfield Intermediate School in Westfield IN. Our For Sale property information is a direct feed from the Indianapolis MLS and is updated multiple times per day. The homes near Westfield Intermediate School in Westfield IN have easy access to schools, shopping, trails and parks. You will love coming home to the Homes Near Westfield Intermediate School in Westfield IN every day! To find out what your home near Westfield Intermediate School in Westfield IN is worth, fill out this simple form.   Awesome Schools To get local school scores and more information about the Elementary and High schools serving the Westfield Intermediate School area, check out Westfield-Washington Schools Reports on my website. Conv... 03/29/2014

Homes Near Elementary Schools in Westfield IN Westfield is served by the Westfield-Washington School District and contains six elementary schools: Carey Ridge Elementary School, Maple Glen Elementary, Monon Trail Elementary School, Shamrock Springs Elementary, Washington Woods Elementary and Oak Trace Elementary School. Find homes for sale near Westfield-Washington Elementary Schools in Westfield IN. Our For Sale property information is a direct feed from the Indianapolis MLS and is updated multiple times per day.  The homes near Westfield-Washington Elementary Schools in Westfield IN have easy access to schools, shopping, trails and parks. You will love coming home to the Homes Near Westfield-Washington Elementary Schools in Westfield IN every day! To find out what your home near Westf... 03/28/2014

Homes Near Westfield Middle School in Westfield IN Find homes for sale near Westfield Middle School in Westfield IN. Our For Sale property information is a direct feed from the Indianapolis MLS and is updated multiple times per day. The homes near Westfield Middle School in Westfield IN have easy access to schools, shopping, trails and parks. You will love coming home to the Homes Near Westfield Middle School Westfield IN every day! To find out what your home near Westfield Middle School in Westfield IN is worth, fill out this simple form.   Awesome Schools To get local school scores and more information about the Elementary and High schools serving the Westfield Middle School area, check out Westfield-Washington Schools Reports on my website.     Convenient Central Hamilton County Loca... 03/28/2014

Homes Near Westfield High School in Westfield IN Find homes for sale near Westfield High School in Westfield IN. Our For Sale property information is a direct feed from the Indianapolis MLS and is updated multiple times per day. The homes near Westfield High School in Westfield IN have easy access to schools, shopping, trails and parks. You will love coming home to the Homes Near Westfield High School in Westfield IN every day! To find out what your home near Westfield High School in Westfield IN is worth, fill out this simple form.   Awesome Schools    To get local school scores and more information about the Elementary and Middle schools serving the Westfield High School area, check out Westfield-Washington Schools Reports on my website.   Convenient Central Hamilton County Location W... 03/28/2014

  For the 1st quarter of 2013, the Westfield real estate market remained steady when compared to the same time period last year. The number of homes listed during the first three months of 2013 dropped 2 percent, with 195 homes listed in 2013 and 197 listed in 2012. Homes sold jumped up 27 percent, with 127 homes selling in 2013 and 100 selling in 2012. Also making an improvement was average sales price, up 27 percent, and average high sales price, up 104 percent. Homes sold faster and for closer to their list price in 2013 as well. In 2013, homes sold on average in 93 days, down 15 percent from 2012 and sellers received 97 percent of list price when selling. Westfield Real Estate Statistics— 1st Quarter, January-March 2013   1st Quarter 2013 1st Quarter 2012 % Change Listed homes 195 1... 04/08/2013

There were 190 homes listed for sale in October 2012 in Westfield, Indiana.The average listing price in Westfield, Indiana during the month of October was $286,286 with an average square footage of 2,442.The median list price in October for Westfield was $228,750.  The median square footage was 2,232.The average home listed had 4 bedrooms and 3 baths.  The average price per square foot was $110.There were 34 homes that were sold in Westfield in October 2012.  The average home sold had 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, and 2,323 square feet.  The average list price of the homes sold was $235,190 ($97/SqFt).  The average sales price for October 2012 was $225,525 ($94/SqFt).  Average Days on Market was 100.All of these statistics were found in the local MLS.  If you are interested in a home in the West... 11/02/2012

The real estate statistics for the 3rd quarter of 2012 (July through September) showed some interesting changes over the 3rd quarter of 2011. The number of homes listed during those three months dropped by 43 percent from 2011 to 2012. On the other hand, the number of homes sold during the 3rd quarter was up 52 percent, with 179 homes sold in 2012, up from 117 homes sold in 2011 during the same period of time. This indicates a reduction in inventory. The average sales price was down slightly ($219,446 in 2011 down to $207,059 in 2012) but the average days on market also dropped, meaning homes sold for little less but sold quicker than in 2011. Westfield Real Estate Statistics— 3rd Quarter, J-September 2012     3rd Quarter 2012 3rd Quarter 2011 % Change Listed homes 108 187 -43% Sold lis... 10/28/2012

If you are considering homes for sale in the Carmel/Westfield area, check out this like new M/I home with over 3500 sq ft. Located in Countryside it has 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath and a welcoming covered front porch. The kitchen offers 42'cabinets with Center Island and dining area that opens to large family room with wood burning fireplace. Other features include a large formal dining room and Laundry/mud room located conveniently off 3 car garage. Master bedroom offers soaking tub, separate shower, double sinks & walk-in closet. Staircase offers front & back access to 2nd floor. I will be hosting an open house this Sunday, January 15, 2012 from 3-5pm.  Come take a look for yourself!   For more information on homes for sale in Carmel or Westfield real estate visit: CarmelWestfieldhomes.com  ... 01/13/2012

In Westfield, the real estate market stayed steady from the end of 2010 to the end of 2011. As shown by the 4th quarter real estate statistics for Westfield, 89 homes were listed for sale at the end of 2011, down from 98 homes for sale in 2010. The number of properties sold was similar, with 81 sold at the end of 2010 and 78 at the end of 2011. The average sales price in 2011 of $230,166 was a slight improvement over the average sales price of $227,000 over the same time period in 2010. Average days on market also increased, with homes selling in an average of 88 days in 2010 and 117 days in 2011.  Westfield Real Estate Statistics— 4th Quarter, October – December 2011     4th Quarter 2011 4th Quarter 2010 % Change Listed homes 89 98 -10% Sold listings 78 81 -3% Pending listings 36 25 31... 01/10/2012

  Holiday Wonderland on Ice @Carmel Skadium in Carmel Lace up your skates and glide around the ice during public skating sessions at the Carmel Skadium, which has been transformed into a winter wonderland - complete with a Christmas tree center ice. Carmel Skadium hours and information.   Jolly Days - Free Admission @Indianapolis Museum for Children Dec. 24, 10am - 2 pm Share last minute visits and gift requests with Santa, with FREE admission to the Children's Museum. Jolly Days information   Race to the New Year @Cool Creek Park in Westfield Saturday, Dec. 31, 8:15 am Ring in the New Year right by burning some extra calories at the annual 5k Race to the New Year, sponsored by the Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department. Awards will be given in seven age groups. For more inform... 12/22/2011

  Check out this video tour of Centennial's Dog Park with myself and my furry companion, Carloz!  For homebuyers looking for a townhome, I often hear the concern "where will my pet be able to excersise".  Well, dog lovers, this community has thought of that and created a solution in the form of a private, residents only Dog Park.  Centennial Private Dog Park 10/04/2011

I was driving to a lunch/listing appointment at Tony Sacco’s Pizza in Clay Terrace when I realized my readers might appreciate some info about roadwork in progress in one of Carmel’s busiest areas. I had no problem entering or leaving Clay Terrace. Good start! When I got back to the office, my assistant and I gathered some important info for anyone wishing to smoothly transition from Point A to Point B anywhere between Western Way/Clay Terrace Boulevard AND Lowes Way/Greyhound Pass. 146th Street is being widened. Traffic Signals at Western Way and Lowes are synchronized, easing overall flow. Throughout construction, the bridge has been restricted to a single lane, in both directions, plus requisite turn lanes. Current bridge deck is being replaced and expanded to include 8 lanes, as wel... 08/07/2011

With the present status of the US mortgage market, the Federal Reserve has decided to purchase some mortgage-backed securities in order to boost the US economy that is still lagging behind. As the mortgage rates have again fallen, most homeowners are rushing to refinance their mortgages. Most people are not even checking the home mortgage rates before choosing to refinance their home loans. With the low mortgage rates, should you refinance your home mortgages now? There are some important factors that need to be considered before taking the plunge into refinancing. Here are some things you should consider. When should you consider refinancing your mortgage? Refinance usually deals with taking a new mortgage to pay off the original mortgage. The homeowners pay off the old mortgage with ... 12/04/2010

Once you decide to buy a home, you will want to find trustworthy professionals who can walk you through the home-buying process. From your initial search to closing, you will use several real estate professionals, including agents, lenders, appraisers and inspectors. Before you begin to navigate the real estate market, consider the following questions:  Do I see a Realtor or a Lender first? Both a Realtor and mortgage lender should be consulted before you begin your home search. Realtors aid you in the home search and mortgage lenders help you determine how much home you can afford. Seeing a lender first can give you a concrete idea of your price range and whether you could even qualify for a home mortgage, both important to know before you start a search. If you see a Realtor first, t... 09/21/2010

So you've determined that homeownership is right for you. Now what? Before you begin your home search, determine how much home you can afford. Knowing what price range you can afford can help narrow down your potential home choices. Here are the factors that determine how much home you can afford:  Yearly Income-FHA considers 31% an acceptable risk for the debt-to-income ratio (DTI).  The DTI includes the principal and interest, escrow deposit for taxes and insurance, mortgage insurance premium, homeowner's association dues, ground rent or special assessments, and secondary financing payments.  The total fixed payment ratio of 43% is considered acceptable for FHA standards.  The total fixed payment includes the PITI and all other recurring monthly debts.  Include in your yearly income ... 08/26/2010

Comparing July of 2010 to July of 2009, the real estate statistics for Westfield show some interesting figures. While the number of sold homes decreased significantly, from 51 homes sold in 2009 to 28 sold in 2010, the average sales price increased. Even though fewer Sellers found Buyers in June 2010, the Sellers that did sell sold their homes for almost $25,000 more on average. The low and high sales prices also increased over the year, signifying the slow increase of home values in the area. Another positive change was the average days on market, which dropped from 87 days in 2009 to 55 in 2010.   Westfield Real Estate Statistics-July 2009 versus July 2010   July 2009 July 2010 % Change Sold listings 51 28 -45.1% Average Sales Price $225,799 $250,938 11.1% Low Sales Price $70,000 $90,... 08/18/2010