Indianapolis Real Estate News And Information From HomeToIndy.com

Summer Concerts at the Gazebo

Enjoy the family concert series at the gazebo each Wednesday evening at 7:30 through Aug. 10. Free and fun for the entire family at Civic Square in Carmel, the series is presented by the Carmel Fountain Square Committee. Pack a picnic or purchase goodies from local snack vendors. The concerts are free and accessible to everyone in the community. Visit www.carmegazeboconcerts.org for more information.

CarmelFest

Celebrate patriotism and community spirit July 3 and 4 at CarmelFest 2011, presented by the Rotary Club of Carmel. Billing itself at “the greatest festival in Indiana,” the event features family-friendly entertainment, games, food, the popular MarketPlace, parade and fireworks. The festival is open July 3-4 from noon to 10 p.m. Don’t miss the St. Vincent Health Fourth of July parade, kicking off at 10:30 a.m. from Merchant’s Square. The...

July 4th Fireworks, Parades and Festivities

Avon Indiana - Enjoy scrumptuous ribs and food at the Annual Hendricks County RibFest. Food, fun, games, rib contest and fireworks at Washington Township Community Park. Festivities begin at 5:00 and fireworks begin at 10:00.

Brownsburg Indiana - Experience a full day of fun starting with the Fourth of July parade beginning at 10:00 from the Brownsburg High Shool and ending at Arbuckle Acres...

Patio Homes in Plainfield, Indiana

Patio homes are becoming increasingly more popular, especially with empty nesters and young professionals. The maintenance free lifestyle attracts home owners who have had their fill of exterior maintenance and those of us who just don’t have time. I fit both those categories. 

Maintenance Free Living

Wellington at Saratoga in Plainfield offers both Paired and Free Standing patio homes with the benefit of maintenance free living. Maintenance fees includes all lawn care including grass cutting, fertilization, mulch, trim bushes and trees, snow removal and common area maintenance. Time to take back your Saturdays!

The community also features hot tub, swimming pool and great location adjacent to the Plainfield walk path. I personally toured the neighborhood a few weeks ago and was...

A New Camera for Real Estate Listings

I bought a new camera today for wide angle pictures. My current camera doesn't shoot wide enough for me to get an entire small room. Of course, like any kid with a new toy, I've been playing around with it.  I can now shoot the height and width of a room without cutting off areas.

I was actually quite impressed with the ability to get an entire room in the photo without distortion. Of course you can see things that are out of place and wouldn't be in a picture online of one of my listings.

Pictures and Black Pants

Photos are like wearing black pants. Every bit of lint, hair or dust shows up on black pants. You just can't hide it. Same thing with photos. Every out of place item shows up. Photos...

A new resident recently arrived at the Indianapolis Zoo. A baby Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calf, believed to be a male, was born June 3 to mother Nova. The Zoo in Indianapolis is the only location in the Midwest where you can interact with dolphins. This video shows dolphins in training.

The zoo has many wonderful exhibits year-round, and summer is a perfect time to come out and explore this downtown treasure. The zoo was the first facility to receive triple accreditation as a zoo, aquarium and botanical garden. The zoo opened in 1964 and is located in White River State Park.

Tiger Forest is a new exhibit featuring the zoo’s three Amur Tigers. A...

Defining Real vs. Personal Property

It's so tempting for a seller to take something from their home when they pack up and move. Recently, one of our buyers walked in the door of their new home to find the light which was once hanging above a pool table had been removed by the sellers. I can almost see the logic; it was a billiard's light, quite nice and definitely looked good with the pool table. Problem is, it was attached to the home and the buyer expected it to be there, not an empty spot where it once hung.

What was once personal property became real property the moment it was attached to the home. Detach it, put it back in the box and it is once again personal property. We always recommend our sellers think about things they may not want to sell with the home. Lighting fixtures of sentimental value are one such item. I prefer they be taken down and replaced before the home is listed for sale, so there is no doubt in the buyers mind what fixtures they will be buying. Just saying...

Thursday Nights: Concerts on the Canal 

Kick off your weekend with an outdoor musical experience at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center at 450 West Ohio Street in downtown Indianapolis. The 2011 Concerts on the Canal series features a spectacular lineup of jazz, blues and R&B entertainers. The concert series is held at The Kruse Family Stardust Terrace at the History Center on Thursday evenings through Aug. 11 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Concert guests may bring their own food and nonalcoholic beverages, or purchase items from the on-site café, outdoor grill and cash bar. Chairs and blankets can be brought in for free seating or tables can be reserved,...

Indiana Housing has been instrumental in providing no downpayment loan programs for first time home buyers. They now offer a loan program for home buyers who are moving up or buying their next home, aptly named the 'Next Home' program.

Many home sellers today are faced with breaking even after the sell of their home and do not have the additional funds to put a down payment on their next home. The new program from Indiana Housing offers up to 4% toward down payment and closing costs. So a home buyer can buy their next home with no money down.

Highlights of the program:

...

This weeks guest post is written by Ines from Miamism. Ines and her husband Enrique are Miami Beach Realtors. Ines brings Miami to life through photos and her blog, which was recently featured in Forbes. If you are thinking about a vacation home in Miami, Ines is the Realtor I recommend.

People are drawn to my website, miamism.com because they say that my love for Miami is evident.  Who better to help you find the perfect home, second home or vacation getaway than someone who really has a passion for where they live?  Well . . .  I’m happy to tell you that Paula has that same passion for Indy and we’ve had a few conversations about this.  She...

Summer has finally arrived with temperatures in the 90 degree range. Admittedly, that is warmer than I like it, but hey, I won't complain, since I wasn't sure we would finally hit 70 degrees. Last weekend officially marked the opening of neighborhood and community pools in Indianapolis. School is also out and there is no place children would rather be than in the pool this time of year.

Central Indiana has some great water parks if you are looking for a day worth of fun for the little one's. Actually, I think the adults enjoy water parks as much as the children do. Between water slides and aquatic gyms, diving pools and lazy rivers, there's a whole summer ahead to take in a water adventure or two. 

Here's some favorites of my friends and family. These parks feature outdoor water fun and some have indoor facilities...