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Monroe County, IN Real Estate News

By David Ratowitz, Tax, Real Estate and Bankruptcy Law Firm
(Ratowitz Law Group)
              One of the reasons people give for not addressing their tax problems is the feeling they cannot pay the penalties so there is no point in addressing the problem.  This mistaken belief is a double tragedy:  not only does it prolong the taxpayers’ suffering, but with appropriate expert help you can reduce or eliminate tax penalties.  Some of these techniques may be used every few years so that the sooner the taxpayer seeks relief, the more relief they will be able to get.        Taxpayers can reduce or eliminate tax penalties for most tax issues including failure to file, late payment, inadequate payment, and many other infractions.   If this is the first time you are asking for relief, and you meet certain other criteria you can reduce or eliminate tax penalties just by sho...
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By Amanda Richardson, Negotiator - Tech Savvy - 13+ Years of Clients
(F.C. Tucker Bloomington REALTORS)
As the daughter of a 35+ year developer/builder and veteran of the real estate market, I find price per sq. ft. (PPSF) is important to defend.In the summer of 2012, my family started building homes in Cedar Springs. Cedar Springs is an eastside Bloomington neighborhood minutes to IU, Downtown, specialized grocery stores and don’t forget Target. http://www.liveatcedarsprings.comThe lots range from quarter to half acre, offer a generous surround of mature trees, creek, waterfall, street lighting, high speed internet, all the good stuff.Cedar Springs has been in our family since my great grandfather came home from WWI and worked for the Showers Bros Furniture Factory. (He actually worked for Nurre Mirror as a glass cutter.) Nurre was the first company to develop glass backboards for basket...
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By Amanda Richardson, Negotiator - Tech Savvy - 13+ Years of Clients
(F.C. Tucker Bloomington REALTORS)
If you are a local or a visitor, this downtown Bloomington event is a great. Dozens of local restaurants cook up samples of their menu in appetizer form, local breweries and wineries showcase their beverages and  there is a line up muscians who will take the outdoor stage. I love the fact that I  will always run into someone I know, and enjoy catching up. I have been a Taste of Bloomington festival visitor for 6+ years. It is kid friendly, it can be hot, it is rain or shine so plan accordingly.When: June 20, 3pm-11pmTaste of Bloomington Festival InfoOther Things to Do in Bloomington  Amanda Richardson - REALTOR, E-PRO, GRITech Savvy – Negotiator – 10+ Years of ClientsPresidents Club – Over $7M Sold in 2014Contact Information:Cell: (812) 345-3042Web: My WebsiteOffice: F.C. Tucker Bloomin...
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By Cathy Arnett, Bloomington, Indiana and surrounding communities
(Central Indiana Realty)
http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/01/16/iu-launches-bus-shuttle-indy/21870463/   It has been reported that there is now a shuttle service being offered between the campuses of IU Bloomington and IUPUI located in Indianapolis, Indiana.  This will allow for students to take classes at either location easier, as well as faculty and staff to commute between campuses with much less expense, and the ability to be on wifi during the commute, allowing for less time loss.  See the article for more information!
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By Lesa Miller, Search Bloomington Homes -Indiana University
(ReMAX Realty Professionals - Marker Miller Team)
What is a short sale? A short sale is the sale of a piece of real estate for less than what you actually owe on it.  In turn, the lender is agreeing to accept payoff on their loan for less than what is owed them.  They also pick up the seller’s side of the closing costs so you aren’t expected to bring money to closing in a short sale, which is a key factor for many. So how do you qualify for a short sale?  First, you have to be underwater on your property.  In other words, you owe more money than it is worth in the current market or you can’t keep up with the payments and are behind on what you owe the bank.  Second, it helps to have some sort of hardship. A financial hardship for purposes of a short sale can be defined in a number of ways.   Either there is a reason you can’t pay the b...
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By Lesa Miller, Search Bloomington Homes -Indiana University
(ReMAX Realty Professionals - Marker Miller Team)
These homes are located near Bryan Park and close to the Bloomington campus of Indiana University.   There are several bike paths in this neighborhood, which is east of Walnut Street and north of Hillside.  Bryan Park is a popular neighborhood park with swimming facilities and plenty of open ground for walking, walking your dog or playing a sport. Always a strong area for investors, it is often difficult to find homes for sale this close to the Bloomington, Indiana University campus and Bryan Park. There is a wide diversity of people living in this area and is often considered a desirable living area for Indiana University students.   Because of the competition for homes in the Bryan Park Area, it is often difficult to find a house under $140,000 and this close to the IU campus. You can...
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By Lesa Miller, Search Bloomington Homes -Indiana University
(ReMAX Realty Professionals - Marker Miller Team)
Getting pre-approved for a loan can be a fairly easy process.   So how do you get pre-approved for a home loan?The bank will look primarily at four different items when you are looking to borrow money for a home.They are going to look at:  (1) what your annual income is; (2) what your monthly debt obligations are; (3) what your credit score is; and (4) how much money you have available to put as a down payment on the home. For pre-qualification, the lender is really looking primarily at your annual income.  Generally you can multiply your annual income by 3 and that is generally going to give you an average number for how much house you can afford.   With a pre-approval they will take it a step further and will need your credit score.  When making an offer on a home, a pre-approval is r...
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By Jim Sprague
(RE/MAX Realty Professionals)
Monroe County Residential Real Estate Year in Review This study concerns only residential real estate in Monroe County Indiana.  It does not include residential investment properties, land/lot sales or any commercial activity.  In this review the Bloomington MLS is the sole source so the review does not include any private sales activity.  So without further ado, here are the numbers:                                                             2010                            2009                % of Change Total Listings                                     2,600                           2,481               4.29% Total Sales                                         1,208                           1,375               -12.14%                      Median List Price                          ...
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By Susan Graves, CRS, GRI, e-Pro - Bloomington, IN
(RE/MAX Realty Professionals)
Bloomington is the kind of town that becomes apart of your life. Whether you cross through the Sample Gates, stroll through abundant organic produce and flowers at the Farmer’s Market, or take in a musical performance at the IU Auditorium, Bloomington is a city that leaves you wanting more. This is probably why many people return to Bloomington to call it home. TIME magazine author Dan Kadlec said it best in his article, “Should I Move to a Low Cost Region?” Pointing out that “moving from Los Angeles to Bloomington for example, you'd save 15% on groceries, 61% on housing, 8% on utilities, 14% on transportation and 13% on health care each year." He also commented that Bloomington offers low cost options for entertainment that cater to its citizens, which has a great small town atmosphere...
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By Susan Graves, CRS, GRI, e-Pro - Bloomington, IN
(RE/MAX Realty Professionals)
There are several condo and townhouse communities in Bloomington that offer lots of shopping, entertainment and recreational pursuits around them without even having to hop on a bus. Sherwood Hills, Oaklawn Park and Creeks Edge offer townhouses near recreation and great bus routes to take you all over the city. Peppergrass, Winslow Farms, and Sycamore Village offer ranch condos, some with basements that are also south of campus. Homeowner Association fees vary by neighborhood greatly as some have more amenities and maintenance free benefits to their owners such as lawn care, trash removal, and exterior maintenance of the condos (roof, siding, and more.) Bloomington also has a condo and residential community located at Lake Monroe that is surrounded by Eagle Point Golf Course, a rolling ...
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By John Bethell
(John Bethell Title Company, Inc.)
Federal credit market stimulus is clearly evident when examining mortgage recordings in Monroe County in the first two months of 2009. What is also apparent are those parts of the market that are not benefiting from any government action. The 729 total mortgages securing loans between $50,000 and $500,000 are the most in this dollar range in the first two months of any of the last seven years. Mortgages in this range tend to be overwhelmingly residential first mortgages. I believe that this increased activity is indicative of the fact that Monroe County homeowners are taking advantage of the lower interest rates resulting from various government actions that began in early December 2008. Judging from new order counts in my company, this trend is still continuing. On the flip side, mortg...
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By John Bethell
(John Bethell Title Company, Inc.)
We just distributed our 2008 year-end Monroe County Statistical Package to our clients. Monroe County, although not immune to the effects of national mortgage and home price ills, fared well in 2008 all things considered. The total number of recorded deeds representing a sale transaction fell to 2178 - a drop of 22.5 percent from 2007, which may seem bad but is much better than most markets in Indiana and around the country. This is the fifth year in a row that sales transactions declined. (I'm hoping to live long enough to once again face the challenges of managing in an improving market.) The leader in total mortgage consideration in 2008 was again Monroe Bank with over $139 million lent. Monroe Bank and Indiana University Federal Credit Union were neck and neck in total mortgages rec...
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By John Bethell
(John Bethell Title Company, Inc.)
Steve Dalton commented on my last post that sometimes "title companies get in the way" of closing legitimate real estate purchases and refinances. Title companies are at the bottom of the hill that is a real estate transaction. And guess what? It all rolls down hill. Delays, misunderstandings, mistakes, and last minute stipulations get compressed as the closing date looms. And since the title company is the last one that generally has to do anything prior to closing, I'm not surprised, and even expect, that clients may feel that we get in the way from time to time. What may seem as needless meddling in the consummation of the sale or refinance is usually the title company trying to resolve conflicting instructions received from one or more of the parties to the transaction. Common confl...
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By John Bethell
(John Bethell Title Company, Inc.)
We just finished compiling our monthly statistical package for September. A recent network upgrade put us behind the curve for a week or so, but we're caught up now. Our property records data base shows that through September, the sale market in Monroe County continues steady and is off about 20% from a year ago.  Total deed recordings in September were 165, compared to 210 in September 2007. For the year to date period, there were 1821 deed recordings compared to 2293 in 2007. Only deeds judged to represent a residential, commercial or vacant land sale transaction are included. Quit-Claim Deeds, deeds between related parties and Sheriff's Deeds, for example, are not counted. Judging from media reports, we're faring much better than some other parts of the country. Actually, has anyone ...
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By John Bethell
(John Bethell Title Company, Inc.)
For a city our size, Bloom® is a magazine of remarkable quality. Bloom® is the passion of editor and publisher Malcolm Abrams. Malcolm, a quintessential New Yorker with years of publishing experience, visited Bloomington a few years ago, fell in love with our city, relocated and decided to publish a city magazine. For the most recent issue of Bloom®, Malcolm asked his readers several months ago to "take pictures of whatever caught their fancy on one day, Saturday, August 23."If you're from Bloomington or have visited here, you'll find the collection captures the quality of life that we would all miss if we left. If you've not been to Bloomington, you'll get a glimpse of what makes our city such a special place. There's a link to Bloom® down the right side of this page. Take a few minute...
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By Juan Carlos Carrasquel
(Century 21 Realty Group)
Mediterranean Middle Eastern Food. Well established small restaurant. 32 Seats. Brand is very well regarded in the community. Pita Bread Production line included in the business. Their pita bread is sold in local organic grocery. Rent is $1,550/month Menu items include: Hummus, Babaganush, Kababs, Shawarma, Falafels Located just one block from the Indiana University Campus (Kirkwood Ave) in Bloomington Indiana Facilities: Located on Kirkwood Ave, one block from the Sample Gates. Plenty of street/public parking. High foot traffic Growth/Expansion: Delivery, More Carry Out, Late night, Pita Bread Distribution, More Catering Support/Training: Negotiable Reason Selling: Leaving the country This is a business sale only (does not include real estate).    Juan Carlos Carrasquel Century 21 Comm...
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By Amanda Chitwood, Bloomington Indiana, e-pro
(F.C. Tucker OBR REALTORS(c))
For those of you not familiar with our area, spring is a gorgeous time. The Bloomington campus of Indiana University is filled with stacked stone planters of tulips and pansies, streets lined with Bradford Pear trees, and downtown the season starts for our infamous local farmer's market. The Bloomington Farmer's Market has been a staple in my life ever since I used to go with my grandmother to get honey sticks to chew on, green beans to snap for dinner and fresh sweet corn for our Sunday meal. The colors of all the fruits and vegetables and smells of ripe peaches are still fresh in my mind from last year. Also in bloom are magnolia trees, dogwoods and redbuds. The golf course at Eagle Pointe Resort on Lake Monroe in Bloomington is green and awaiting golfers both amateur and pro.  Lake M...
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