Recently CNN Money profiled 10 of the most affordable cities in the United States and Indianapolis took 3rd place. Although Indianapolis has slipped a few places over the past few years, it still falls high on the list. This is great news for homebuyers in the Indianapolis area. Click the link below to see what CNN Money had to say about Indianapolis.
http://money.cnn.com/gallery/real_estate/2012/11/15/affordable-housing-markets/3.html
Let me know if you're interested in taking advantage of the great home prices! I'm always here to help. Have a great day!
Marilyn
Monday, December 10, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Cool Apps for House Hunters
It seems like everyone has a smartphone, tablet or some other cool electronic device these days. I know I'm guilty! The coolest thing about these devices would have to be the Apps that are available for them. You can play games, pay bills, book a vacation and search for homes! They have a lot of great apps out there for home searches but which ones are the best? According to CBSNews.com there are a few that stand out from the rest and they are...
1. Redfin
Hunt for a home with Redfin's multiple-listing-service-powered real estate app. This free app gives you the same information used by real estate agents - on-the-go, like photos, full details, property history and agent notes.
2. Realtor.com
"I find the data on Realtor.com to be much more accurate and up to date compared to other real estate websites," says realtor Michael Cohen of Prudential Advantage Real Estate. "[It] has some useful features. I can tap a button on the app and instantly see all the homes for sale around me." The app also uses your phone's GPS chip to pinpoint your location. The app also makes it easy to contact the listing agent of the property, Cohen adds.
3. CalcsFree
"Aside from the usual - Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow - I've really found CalcsFree to be helpful," says Dan Vollmer, a full-time real estate agent. "If I'm showing homes to prospective buyers and they want to know how much their mortgage will be, I can plug in an offer amount, the taxes and insurance payments, even HOA fees and mortgage insurance." Vollmer says the free mortgage calculator app is easy to use and provides more than just a standard principal-and-interest payment calculation.
4. Trulia
The Trulia app tells homebuyers, sellers and renters everything from local market info on median sale prices, details on area schools and crime rates on color-coded heat maps. Our favorite feature on this free app is the price reduction histories of different properties.
5. PictNote
As house hunters, you might see dozens of properties a week. It's hard to keep 'em straight, so CBSNews suggests to use PictNote, an app that combines pictures with notes. And the best part is, the app (which is free with limited functionality) automatically geocodes the location, so it'll be easy to remember the corresponding property.
A full version of the app is available for $1.99.
I have not personally used any of these apps except for Realtor.com but CBS and a few other news outlets have suggested these app for users. If you have any personal experience with these apps please give me some feedback, I would love to hear how they work! Happy searching and let me know if you find something that you'd like to take a look at! I am always here to help.
Marilyn
1. Redfin
Hunt for a home with Redfin's multiple-listing-service-powered real estate app. This free app gives you the same information used by real estate agents - on-the-go, like photos, full details, property history and agent notes.
2. Realtor.com
"I find the data on Realtor.com to be much more accurate and up to date compared to other real estate websites," says realtor Michael Cohen of Prudential Advantage Real Estate. "[It] has some useful features. I can tap a button on the app and instantly see all the homes for sale around me." The app also uses your phone's GPS chip to pinpoint your location. The app also makes it easy to contact the listing agent of the property, Cohen adds.
3. CalcsFree
"Aside from the usual - Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow - I've really found CalcsFree to be helpful," says Dan Vollmer, a full-time real estate agent. "If I'm showing homes to prospective buyers and they want to know how much their mortgage will be, I can plug in an offer amount, the taxes and insurance payments, even HOA fees and mortgage insurance." Vollmer says the free mortgage calculator app is easy to use and provides more than just a standard principal-and-interest payment calculation.
4. Trulia
The Trulia app tells homebuyers, sellers and renters everything from local market info on median sale prices, details on area schools and crime rates on color-coded heat maps. Our favorite feature on this free app is the price reduction histories of different properties.
5. PictNote
As house hunters, you might see dozens of properties a week. It's hard to keep 'em straight, so CBSNews suggests to use PictNote, an app that combines pictures with notes. And the best part is, the app (which is free with limited functionality) automatically geocodes the location, so it'll be easy to remember the corresponding property.
A full version of the app is available for $1.99.
I have not personally used any of these apps except for Realtor.com but CBS and a few other news outlets have suggested these app for users. If you have any personal experience with these apps please give me some feedback, I would love to hear how they work! Happy searching and let me know if you find something that you'd like to take a look at! I am always here to help.
Marilyn
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Central Indiana Home Sales 14.3%
Big thanks to Jim Litten for emailing out this great information. Contrary to popular belief home sales are on the rise. If you or anyone you know is looking to buy or sell a home please let me know. I would love to help!
INDIANAPOLIS - With 2,151 pended sales in August in Central Indiana, overall year-to-date home sales are up 14.3 percent compared to this time period last year, according to statistics compiled by F.C. Tucker Company.
On a monthly basis, August 2012 pended home sales rose 5.4 percent over August 2011, an increase of 111 homes sold in the nine counties that F.C. Tucker tracks. Five of the nine counties reported increased sales, and one county reported level sales, compared to August 2011.
"A good healthy housing market fuels the entire economy," said Jim Litten president of F.C. Tucker Company. "Central Indiana has benefitted from low interest rates and housing affordability, making the region one of the best in the country for affordability which leads to increased home sales."
In August, Madison County saw the largest increase in pended home sales which spiked 57.7 percent, raising the number of pended home sales to 175 from 111 in August 2011. Morgan and Hamilton counties also experienced increases of 11.8 and 9.9 percent, respectively, over August 2011. Johnson County saw the biggest decline, decreasing 19.1 percent from August of last year. Boone and Shelby counties also experienced decreases, 9.1 percent and 2.4 percent respectively.
Available homes for sale in the nine-county region dropped 13.8 percent in August 2012 with 13,212 homes on the market, 2,109 fewer than in August 2011. Nine Central Indiana counties experienced varying inventory declines with Johnson County experiencing the greatest decrease in inventory at 18 percent. Madison County’s inventory remained the most stable, declining 3.7 percent.
Overall, year-to-date sales prices for the nine-county Central Indiana area increased by 2.4 percent. Tucker's data indicates that six counties experienced slightly higher home sales prices than in August 2011. Year-to-date, Morgan County led the way with a 11 percent increase in home sales prices, while Boone, Madison, Johnson, Marion and Hendricks counties also reported gains. Hancock County saw the largest decline at 2.4 percent. Hamilton and Shelby counties also experienced slight decreases. The average year-to-date sales price for a home in the nine-county area was $156,105.
Of the pended home sales in the region last month, one was priced more than $2,000,000; three were priced $1,000,000 to $1,999,999; 47 were priced $500,000 to $999,999; 160 were priced $300,000 to $499,999; 263 were priced $200,000 to 299,999; 822 were priced $100,000 to $199,999 and 855 were priced at $99,999 or less.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
I created this Blog to focus on the great news in our real estate markets. Here is a great news article from the National Association of REALTORS..
http://www.realtor.org/news-releases/2012/06/pending-home-sales-up-in-may-continue-pattern-of-strong-annual-gains
Homes are selling in the Indianapolis and surrounding areas. The keys to getting your home SOLD is to price it right and prepare it properly. I provide a home stager for all of my clients. She does an initial assessment of each room, making recommendations as to painting, cleaning, decluttering etc. My sellers generally do the work themselves. The object is to remove as many buyer objections as possible before offering your home for sale.
http://www.realtor.org/news-releases/2012/06/pending-home-sales-up-in-may-continue-pattern-of-strong-annual-gains
Homes are selling in the Indianapolis and surrounding areas. The keys to getting your home SOLD is to price it right and prepare it properly. I provide a home stager for all of my clients. She does an initial assessment of each room, making recommendations as to painting, cleaning, decluttering etc. My sellers generally do the work themselves. The object is to remove as many buyer objections as possible before offering your home for sale.
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