Community News

Many people choose a school district for their children to attend before they even begin to search for homes. Even those without children should take into consideration the school district when they buy their next home. Cities, neighborhood and communities in a well performing school district will generally maintain their property values.

In most areas, you will also pay more for a home in one of the top performing school districts. Homes in Metro Indianapolis are no exception. Schools in Hamilton County where 5 High Schools ranked in the top 12 in Indiana, are where some of othe areas highest priced homes are. There are many great schools within the Metro Indianapolis area. Check out the list by US News list of best High Schools in Indiana for 2013.

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Once again, the towns of Central Indiana have made the list of 'America's Best Small Towns' by CNN Money. Four Metro Indianapolis towns have been recognized for 2011 as popular places to settle down.

In Hamilton County, Westfield ranks 48th and Noblesville number 50. Two Hendricks County towns also made the list; Brownsburg at 55 and Plainfield at number 62.

There are many factors which determine the criteria for best small towns. The most notable are housing, economic strength, job opportunities, schools, safe streets and activities available.

It's no surprise to those of us who live and work in these cities. It is apparent through the many awards, nominations...

Are there dead pine trees in your Indianapolis Neighborhood? No matter what part the city you are in, you're sure to see the dead pine trees. So, what happened? Was it the ice storm we had this past winter? That was my initial thought, but we're talking pine trees here. They were grown for the winter.

The pine trees in these pictures are a common site in many subdivisions and neighborhoods.

Thankfully, it wasn't the winter. Unfortunately, the cause was a deadly chemical manufactured by DuPont. The chemical is a weed killer used by many landscaping companies and homeowners around the city. In a press report, Grossman Roth, a trial firm in Florida, has filed a class action suit in Indianapolis on behalf of Prestwick Country Club. Prestwick Country Club is a private golf course in Avon, Indiana....

Will Hansen and Horn Home Builders be the next casualty of the Indianpolis real estate market?

The talk on the street indicates it is probable. It was first reported on WishTV.com the Indianapolis home builder was having problems paying bills and is being sued by subcontractors for money they are owed.

Customer complaints about work which had not begun or homes not completed on time also made the news. The Indianapolis Star picked up the same story, stating the Builders Association of...

Indianapolis offers the most affordable housing in the nation, according to CNNMoney. You can read the full story here.

I don't know what the criteria was for determining the most affordable cities to buy a home. It appears to be based on income, average home sale prices and affordability score.

The article states the median home price in Indianapolis is $107,000, which is about right. Median home price indicates the number at which as many homes sold above the...

Today, the Hilbert Mansion on 116th Street in Carmel was reduced by another $5,000,000. Originally listed at $25,000,000, the current asking price is less than 40% of the original listed price. You can read the  story here.

The volatility of the real estate market has taken it’s toll on higher end homes in Metropolitan Indianapolis. McMansions are being passed on for more economical living choices.

Home sales in Indianapolis over the past few...

Ground has broken on the new roundabout at County Road 100N and Dan Jones in Avon, giving the city it’s third roundabout. Now, we have the rules.

Nothing is ever as simple as it seems; you merge into the roundabout and get off at the appropriate turn, Right? Maybe! Recently codified rules of the roundabouts were adopted by the Town of Avon and improper use can result in a $170.00 ticket.

Approach – when approaching the roundabout, you must yield to both lanes of traffic – of course this means you may never make it into the roundabout.

Exiting – Turn on your right turn signal  – no left turns allowed Roundabout only runs counter-clockwise –...

Seven Indianapolis areas will receive federal funds earmarked for neighborhood revitalization. $29 million will be used to counteract the effects of foreclosures in neighborhoods located within the city of Indianapolis.

The city of Indianapolis has been successful in the revitalization of several historic neighborhoods in the downtown area, including the Old Northside, Lockerbie Square and Fall Creek Place to name a few.

Which neighborhoods have received the federal funding?

Concord Community Development Corp – This area of Indianapolis lies North of Hanna, South of Washington Street, East of White River and west of Madison Ave/I-65.

Englewood Community Development Corporation – Not as much a neighborhood, but a community developed by Englewood Christion Church which has help to reestablish the...

Starting tomorrow, the 2008 Home-a-Rama home show is open to the public. This years event is at The Willows in Zionsville.

Home-a-Rama is one of my favorite events. Not much more exciting than checking out what’s new in home design. Granted, the homes built for Home-a-Rama are higher end homes using the highest quality materials available, but who doesn’t love to tour these homes, even if only for decorating ideas.

I especially love the creativity in both builder and interior design. They really go all out on these homes.

Sign up to win a kitchen makeover or a weekend away. Talk to the builders and exhibitors at the show and above, all have a great time. For a preview of the neighborhood, click here. For event details and to see special...

Not so surprising was news today that the Town of Fishers, Indiana, growth has placed it as the state’s eighth largest community. With a population growth of 27,000 people between 2000 to 2007, Fishers’ growth was twice that of Indianapolis.

The surprising news was the percentage of growth when compared with the average growth of cities in Indiana (2.6%) vs. Fishers (67%).

That’s a substantial increase for a town the size of Fishers. Fishers, Indiana was recently voted the 10th best place to live by CNN Money. Over 60% of my requests for homes comes from people who are looking in Hamilton County. The requests, in order are for ...

Get your boots out!

No, the weather’s not changing, at least not yet! It’s time for a preview of the 2008 Luxury Home-a-Rama homes while they are still under construction. Since there might be a bit of dirt and dust, no…..there will more than likely be some dust and dirt, maybe even some mud. But, what fun it will be.

BAGI (Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis) is hosting the tour on July 13th from noon-4:00. If you have never been to The Willows in Zionsville, you will definately be impressed....

You’ve heard me say it time and again, I love Indianapolis! I didn’t need a “best of” list to make me believe Indianapolis is a great place to live, but when the news prints something that speaks of the great benefits of living in Indianapolis, I’m right there, saying, YES! MSN, with the help of Sperlings Best Places, has just published it’s “Real Estate Best Bargain Markets”.

Read the full article here. I was happy to see the criteria wasn’t based on price of homes alone. The factors considered...

I can imagine this late 19th – 20th century Revival home was an icon of wealth and prosperity in the early 1900’s.

Originally designed and built for Henry F Campbell in 1916, the home was not completed until 1928, after World War I. Mr Campbell never lived in the home and in 1945, the home was converted to apartments.

In 1993, the Historic Landmarks Foundation rated the property “outstanding”, (the highest rating), which placed the Campbell Mansion on the National Register of Historic Places. Check out the slideshow to see the amazing architect and beauty of this home.

I am one of those people who really enjoy history and facts. So, I hope to bring you a few factoids here and there.

This one is probably fact .

Origin of the Name Indiana

The name 'Indiana' simply means 'land of the Indians.' This refers to a large number of Indians that were located throughout the state when the first settlers to this state arrived. I have never seen an Indian in Indiana although I have seen several in the West and Southwest states. I m not sure we even have an Indiana reservation in Indiana.

This next one has been debated time and again .How did the people of Indiana pick up the moniker of Hoosiers? Well, you can believe one of the following, or another you have heard.

Origin of the Nickname Hoosier

Indiana may have been referred to as the 'Hoosier State' as early...

Bush Stadium stands as a remnant of what it once was. In the glory days of it’s youth, the stadium was revered as one of the finest ball fields in Minor League baseball. As former home to the Indianapolis Indians, and the Indianapolis Clowns Negro League team, Bush Stadium was most recently used as midget car race track.

Today, it has been vacant for eight years and is owned by Indy Parks. Although just a remnant, it still stands. Now, the question is what to do with the building which was once filled with baseball fans. For many, the building and grounds are an eyesore, while others want to see it remain.

The city is not prepared for the cost of rehabbing the building and it is unlikely the stadium will ever be used for sports again. The chances of it being demolished are slim, since the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

There has been much talk about what to do with the stadium in the last few months. Much of the speculation...

I’m sure it wasn’t actually a draw, still, the outcome of Medco’s decision to build it’s pharmaceutical distribution center in Boone County is a big win for both Boone County and the Indianapolis area. Medco will make it’s new home in AllPoints at Anson.

The creation of employment in Anson fits right in with the original plans of the developers. Anson consists of over 1700 acres, about 20 miles northwest of Indianapolis. This master planned community combines residential, business, greenways, parks and schools for the optimal lifestyle; a place where you could work, live, play and shop, all within minutes of each other.

The Anson project has taken awhile to get off the ground. While it seemed to be stalled, work there has been continous. Recently, anchor tenants backed out, KB Homes left the Indianapolis area and pulled out of Anson. Now, Meijer has been named an anchor tenant and Lowes...

The Civil Town of Speedway announced today, Mansur Real Estate Services has been chosen as the Master Developer of the Speedzone. The corner where Crawfordsville Road meets Georgetown and 16^th Street has undergone many changes throughout the years.

Do you remember when there was a White Castle there? What about the little mexican restaurant? I think the name was Gringo’s. They had the best tacos around. The shopping center across the street from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, on the south side has been an eyesore for years without evidence of much business being done there, except, maybe late at night. Georgetown, between Crawfordsville and 25^th St holds little appeal for the Native Hoosier or the out of town visitor. Speedway is just not what it used to be.

All is about to change…….. I am impressed and excited to see what the future holds for the redevelopment of Speedway. Main Street...

Real Estate and Business News for Indianapolis ~ Nov. 18–23. 2007

The Legends District SoDo – While the South side of Downtown Indianapolis is ripe for a facelift and expansion of the city, will the incentives be too costly to carry through with the project known as The Legends District SoDo? Read More I personally love the project idea, while I do have to admit, I am not sure how many more condos the city needs. There are currently 371 condos available in Center Township.

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More on Property Taxes:

Property Taxes will be a continuing issue during this years Legislative Session. Hearings on Gov. Daniels property tax reform plan will begin in
December. ...

Downtown is prepared to offer a new destination district. After two years of quiet real estate transactions, the land has been acquired. The Legends Entertainment, LLC., is finalizing plans for Legends District-SODO. The new SODO District, literally, South of Downtown is located south of South Street from Madison Avenue to the railroad tracks and to the south past Merrill Street.

The artist rendition of the plan.

The vision is to create an independant destination in the Spirit of Times Square and make Indianapolis more of a destination………maybe we’ll be able to drop the New Years Ball in 2010. The project is expected to begin in fall 2008 with completeion by the end of 2009. The project will include...

Never mind the days of rain we have had recently or cloudy skies! The business news this week is bright for the western portion of Indianapolis.

Purdue Research Foundation announced plans for a technology park at Ameriplex Indianapolis business park. Appropriately named, Purdue Accelerator Park at Ameriplex-Indianapolis, the park will help create new high-tech businesses and promote the expansion of established companies. The park will accommodate up to 75 businesses and create 1500 jobs.

The business park will be located along the I-70 corridor near the new Indianapolis International Airport,...