Buying a home is a major investment and one that should not be taken lightly. I know it’s not common to have a Realtor give you reasons why you should not own a home, but, there are times when buying a home is not the best financial decision.

Lack of Job Security or Possible Relocation.

There are costs involved in buying and selling a home that would be difficult to recoup in a short period of time. If it takes two incomes to qualify and both wage earners don’t have job security, you may want to wait to buy or look at buying a lower priced home.

If you may be relocating within a few years and don’t have the luxury of a corporate paid relocation, you should consider renting.

Major Life Changes

I see people leap before they take time...

                          Happy New Year!

                                              Picks of the week ~ 12/26 – 1/1/2012

Happy New Year, Central Indiana!  Has the hustle and bustle left you with nothing but torn paper, half-eaten goodies and pine needles stuck in the carpet?  Never fear, we have a cure for your after-holiday blues!  Here are our top picks to help you wrap up the old and ring in the new!  

12/26 MONDAY – 12/31 SATURDAY ~ YMCA FREE ADMISSION WEEK 

Give your new year’s resolution a jump start with free admission all week to all Greater Indianapolis, Marion County...

Earlier this month, the Occupy Movement called for a nationwide day of action called 'Occupy Our Homes.' The movement has been protesting across the entire country on foreclosure, unemployment, massive pay gaps between the highest-paid and lowest-paid in America, and more. In 25 cities, including Los Angeles, Oakland, Minneapolis, Denver, New York, Miami, Atlanta and others, hundreds of foreclosed homes were occupied by the former owners and Occupy protesters.

Occupying these foreclosed home is just the latest step taken by the Occupy Movement. It has now migrated from city parks to actual neighborhoods and their foreclosed, abandoned homes. According to RealtyTrac, one of the largest companies that track foreclosures, housing auctions and bank owned homes, approximately 1.38 million U.S. Homes are in the foreclosure process.

Art de los Santos, of Riverside, was foreclosed on in June...

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month....Harlan Miller

Christmas is a special time of year. There's a spirit of love, kindness and giving in the hearts of men. What would it be like to capture that special spirit throughout the year? While it may seem an impossibility, I believe it is truly the sentiment behind the reason we give gifts. There are many gifts throughout my home which represent a special memory from Christmas' gone by, given from the heart of one who loves me. I treasure these gifts, but more importantly, the memories.

This year, I want to help pass on a forever gift to someone dear to me, in memory of those she loves. I am honored to participate in the Caulk Memorial Project - a gift for the Caulk Family.

When I...

You have picked the perfect home, completed the general inspection and the appraisal; you are ready to move in. Then you find out, in order for the home to qualify for an FHA loan, there are appraisal required repairs. 

Appraisal called repairs are repairs bnecessary to complete the financing of your home. This list is not comprehensive, but a few of the known defects appraisers may call.

Need A Termite Inspection? Although you will probably want a wood destroying pest inspection, you may be required to have a termite inspection. In some states, where termites are prevalent, this may be required for VA and FHA loans. A pest inspector will go the property and inspect it for any visible signs of termites. If there are no issues he will sign off on a report and send...

We are on the hunt for the best decorated Holiday homes in Indianapolis  - so let us know in the comments the 'must see' Holiday homes. Next week we'll put up a map and a poll where you can vote for the best decorated home.  

The following is from a friend of mine who shares about their family tradition of finding 'the' house. The home she is talking about, shown in the video, is no longer decorated for the Holidays, so we're looking for your opinion of the best decorated home in the Indianapolis area. Send us pictures if you want; we'll post them here!

OUR FAVORITE FAMILY CHRISTMAS OUTING ~ THE CHRISTMAS HOUSE

Our favorite family tradition in Indy! ...

                     Picks of the week ~ 12/12 – 12/18/11

Bundle up the kiddos and pile in the car!  There’s an unlimited number of holiday events for kids and families in Central Indiana this week.  These are just our favorite picks.  So, drop the tinsel and lights, don’t forget your mittens and stop kicking your little brother – it’s time for a family outing!  (Don’t make me stop this blog!)

12/12 MONDAY – 12/15 THURSDAY ~ SANTA’S MAILBOX

12/12 Monday...

Most people believe buying a foreclosed bank owned home is the ticket to automatic savings on their home purchase. Although there can be substantial savings on a foreclosures, it will vary by the home, neighborhood, city and even subdivision. The greater determining factor will be the condition of the property.

Savings does not always equal value!

While there are many bank owned homes in good condition, some have been stripped of major components, like the furnace, copper, air conditioning units, hot water heaters and some have been purposely damaged by the previous owners.

I’ve definitely seen homes at opposite ends of the spectrum when showing buyers foreclosure...

The holidays are quickly approaching, and if you’re hosting the party, you’re probably dizzy thinking of ideas to make it an event to remember. The holidays are so much better when children are present, so make sure you include activities to meet their ideas of fun.

My home is always bustling with activity this time of year, and I find the more bodies there are in the house, the better the holidays are.

So if it’s your first time celebrating the Christmas season at your home, here are a few tips to liven up the party:

Scents: You can’t celebrate the holidays without scents. Everyone loves the smell of candles, or even plug-in air fresheners, and the amount of different smells may amaze you. But for this particular holiday,...

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With the surplus inventory of homes available in the average price range for most any city or town in Metro Indianapolis, how do you make your property stand out?

Today's home buyer is online, checking out your home. Times have changed and very few home buyers drive around to look at homes or attend open houses. They can find much of the information they need online. Once they have the information, they will  drive by neighborhoods or contact a real estate agent.

The #1 request I receive from online visitors, besides scheduling showings is for more pictures. We live in a society where time is valued and people just won’t drive by your house if there are not pictures online, unless you are selling...

There is probably more controversy and misunderstanding around the subject of buying a home in the short sale process than any other type of home sale in Indianapolis. All the tales of short sales taking 6-8 months to close make buyers a bit apprehensive about tackling the process. And...rightfully so!

Although you may go weeks or possibly a month before you hear anything about the offer you submitted, I have rarely had a short sale take more than three months from contract offer to close. This is about 2-3 times as long as a traditional sale, since most sales take 30-45 days to close.

Regardless of which side of the sale you are on, time often seems to stand still in a short sale negotiation with banks....

The online world of business is often tied to a companies web presence and real estate is no different. As Realtors, we are in the business of selling physical space, but often our largest business asset is the internet space we own, not an actual brick and mortar business.

Technology has changed the way people search for businesses. It is estimated 90% of people searching for a home or Realtor begin their search online. At HomeToIndy, we are expanding our search capability and our internet presence to offer home buyers and sellers more information about real estate in Indianapolis.

HomeToIndy.com has acquired the internet space and website of My317Home.com. If you came here looking for My317Home, you'll find the same great information, even though our home search is a bit different.

Real Estate Information for Indianapolis

The combination of the two sites will provide visitors and clients to HomeToIndy.com access to in-depth information about the real estate process, property details,...

Curtain Call: Theatre Listings for December

                                 Picks of the Week ~ 12/5 – 12/11

Dust off your clutch purse and top coat, because this week we’re taking you out to the theatre!  We’ve compiled a list of our top theatre picks for the month, taking you beyond the velvet ropes.  So, please silence your smartphones and no photographs are allowed while viewing the picks of this week…        

AN EVENING OF MAGIC THEATRE AND VAUDVILLE

12/6 TUESDAY - Shows Tuesday Dec. 6^th only at the Theatre on the Square, Indianapolis.  Two of America’s best magicians join forces creating a show so amazing...

For some homeowners who are trying to sell their homes, the process is far more stressful and time consuming than it needs to be. No matter whether they may be offering Denver luxury condos or a starter home in Indianapolis, for those homeowners who are stressed out and having difficulty selling their homes, the troubles can be traced back to making at least one of the three biggest mistakes that home sellers make.

Mistake #1: Setting the Wrong Price

Perhaps the single biggest mistake that homeowners make when selling a home is setting the wrong asking price. Despite the advice they are given by their agents, some sellers choose to set a price that is much higher than the market value of the home. By doing this, the seller believes he will add more bargaining...