Author Archives: Vicki Reed

Thinking of Selling in the Spring?

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You do realize that if that’s you, you need to think about how you do your final yard clean-up to insure you are ready to go in February/March – before you even get the mower out of the garage!  I know, I know February/March seems early to be part of the “spring selling season”, but that’s when homes start hitting the market and if you are thinking of selling, you need to be ready!

I would love to work with you!  Let’s talk…we can look at a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) and see where you are falling now, look at what projects you can work on this winter will increase your homes value and then look at the numbers again in February and get it going!  Now…about that fall clean-up…

Proper fall yard maintenance lowers the risk of plant diseases next spring. Raking the lawn ensures your grass won’t smother under a burden of fallen leaves. Of course, fall yard maintenance means winterizing: putting your plants to bed properly, all the hard work on those perinnials can pay off when spring has sprung and your yard is in bloom.

What needs doing in the fall yard before you can call it a year and start relaxing? Well, it would almost be easier to ask what does not need doing. You have your work cut out for you, especially if you have a big lawn. There’s more to fall landscaping than decorating for the Holidays. Consult this checklist to make sure your yard is in proper shape before the snow starts falling!

Beginners have some vague notion of having to “put the lawn and garden to bed” for the winter, but they are foggy on the specifics. This resource answers some commonly posed queries about fall yard maintenance. For example, how deep into fall do you have to continue mowing? What about watering your grass in fall?

Think about it, when you own a home, you always want anything you do to add value…what better way to make a good first impression as to have the best curb appeal…even in the winter.  Call me…let’s talk!

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Vicki Reed

Girls School Tells Girls ‘You’re not a princess’

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I want to congratulate the Mercy Academy‘s new ad campaign created by the Doe-Anderson Agency of Louisville, KY.  This was the article on the Today show Moms webpage and I say Bravo!  Don’t get me wrong, I love the stories, fairy tales, romantic comedies, and romance novels as much as the next woman (and some men) and the Doris Day movies with Rock Hudson, Cary Grant or any other of her many handsome co-stars are still some of my absolute favorites, but let’s get real…it’s time for all of us to understand that anyone can rule the world – girls and boys alike – we all have the ability to do anything we set our minds to do.  Read on for the article…personally, I love it!

Against the Cinderella culture, a Catholic high school in Kentucky has a blunt message for young girls.

“You’re not a princess,” Mercy Academy says in a new ad created by Louisville, Ky. agency Doe-Anderson.

“Don’t wait for a prince,” reads another. “Be able to rescue yourself.”

“This message empowers them to move beyond that whole fairy tale idea and to write their own story in life,” said Mercy principal Amy Elstone.

The Louisville girls’ school with 550 students launched the campaign last week, with ads on websites, billboards and bus shelters. Elstone knew it might raise eyebrows.

“We knew it was going to be risky going with this message,” Elstone told TODAY Moms. “Our girls are growing up in a society where they’re told by their parents that they’re a princess, and our message is that they’re not a princess, they’re so much more.”

The theme is also part of the school’s enrollment video.

Elstone doesn’t want students to think they need to wait for their Prince Charming.  

“That’s what TV tells them and movies and Disney tell them,” she said. “We teach our girls to prepare for real life.”

That could include a prince, she said, as long as a student is writing him into the picture, Elstone said.

The campaign, Elstone said, is true to the school’s mission of preparing girls for the 21st century.

“And we think this holds true to the Catholic tradition and our ultimate goal is to produce women of mercy,” she said.  So far, she has received only positive feedback.

“It’s been amazing,” Elstone said. “We’ve been hearing people talking about it in the community. It’s all over Facebook. It gets people talking. People are debating our message and applying it to their own life.”

Mercy students enjoyed the campaign when the school ran it by them last year, she said.  

“They all loved it,” Elstone said. “They said it is exactly what a 13- and 14-year old girl needs to hear.”

A few girls, she said, teared up, she recalled, and said, ‘Yes, I’m writing my own story.”

On TODAY, Natalie Morales credited the school with spreading a “great message.”

“You watch the Hollywood romance movies and you see the happy ending and the guy always comes in and saves everybody and everybody lives happily ever after and that’s not life,” Morales said.

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Vicki Reed

Aren’t we pushing it just a bit?

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Well…Thanksgiving as a holiday seems to be fading into oblivion…The Hallmark Channel started running Christmas movies November 1 and now, instead of waiting for the traditional “Black Friday“, many retailers are opting to join those retailers who saw favorable sales last year by opening on Thanksgiving evening and starting their Black Friday deals on Thursday!

Whatever happened to the traditional Thanksgiving?  No stores open for shopping except a few grocery stores so that you can pick up that can of cranberry glob that everyone serves and i’ve never seen anyone eat!  Now Wal-Mart, which is always open, will start their Black Friday deals at 6:00 p.m., Macy’s is opening some stores, Target and Kohl’s as well.  Is it really the wave of the future?  I know there has been some panic because of the late date of Thanksgiving this year (the 28th – Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad – 51 years! and Happy Birthday to my cousin Angie who was born the day my parents married!) only leaves 3 weeks between the holiday’s, but it seems that we are trying to wipe Thanksgiving off the calendar!  Maybe it’s the turkey’s idea…hmm, something to think about!

Will you be shopping on Thanksgiving?  Are the deals really worth it?  Would love to hear from you!  Me…I’ll be watching movies and lounging…in my very best sweats!

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Vicki Reed

I know it’s not sexy…but do you know about the new FEMA Flood Insurance Rates?

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Effective October 1, Federal Emergency Management Agency or better known to most of us as FEMA has come out with new maps and rates for homes in flood plains…now did you hear anything about this?  I didn’t and I’m a Realtor!  I have a Seller, home sold the weekend it went on the market, ready to close last week when the buyer finds out from their lender that they are required to have flood insurance…okay, so we’re thinking $1,000 a year or so…no, it’s $5,000 per year and may go up every year!  Are you kidding me???????

This home has not flooded…ever, it’s a beautiful brick Tudor in Irvington, across the street from Ellenberger Park and the homeowner has NEVER carried flood insurance…and suddenly, my Seller’s plans are in jeopardy, the Buyers LOVE this home and now would have to add $416.66 to their monthly payment?  My Seller even offered $30,000 off contract to still take it and they declined!

So now I have this home to sell…again!  I’ve been l looking at what little information is available about these changes…there are people who paid $600 a year now being told it’s going to be $6,000 a year…this will create a huge foreclosure crisis as the average person isn’t able to suddenly start adding $400 – $600 per month to their mortgage payment…these are homes where the mortgage payment was likely only $700 a month, they are nearly doubled…could you find it in your budget to double your mortgage payment?

The good thing about this property is that it is in a very desirable area and since re-activating the property on Friday I’ve had 6 calls and 2 showings, but I’ve had to include information on the flood insurance requirement if the Buyer is going to finance.  But what happens to those people who were carrying reasonably priced insurance suddenly faced with this astronomical increase.

Unfortunately, these changes went into effect October 1…the same time as the new Health Insurance Exchanges went active and all the hoopla surrounding it started as well as the Government Shut Down…where was MIBOR in all this?

I’m hosting a meeting on Tuesday in our office with an Insurance Agent who has graciously agreed to talk to us about the changes and what it means for homeowners who are ready to sell and those Buyers we hope to attract…but check it out before you decide to buy or sell a home!

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Vicki Reed

Is your home haunted?

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My grandparents home is!  My Dad has recounted stories of when he was a teenager and sitting at the kitchen table and an old man in a sweater walked up where stairs had been prior to a 1950’s era reno that moved the stairs to the upstairs to the living room!  And then not to many years ago, he was visiting my grandparents and they were standing in the living room and a hand print appeared on the back of the loveseat next to the window and the curtain moved out of the way, like someone was leaning to look out the window!

My Grandmother routinely swore that her brother Albert was also there, she would see him leaning against the door jamb like he had done when he visited, one night after a bathroom visit, she literally ran into – well, I guess that would be through – him in the hallway on her way back to bed!  Bear in mind, Albert was killed in WW2 and buried in France!

There is an article in today’s Indianapolis Star, “3 haunted destinations in Midwest offer scary good times” offering an idea for a weekend getaway (click here for the article), the locations are Alton Illinois , Bardstown Kentucky and Marietta Ohio.  If that’s your idea of fun, looks like it could be a great time!

But what about Indy?  There are schools, bridges and of course Crown Hill Cemetary, but here are 3 that seem to show up on everyone’s list of REAL Haunted Houses:

Hannah House

Built by local farmer and politician Alexander Hannah in 1858, this south side manor maintains a prominent place in Indianapolis‘s storied past. A Historic Landmark, the Hannah House was a safe haven for escaping slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. This designation also plays into its reputation as a hotbed of paranormal activity, as an undocumented fire purportedly claimed the lives of several refugees one fateful night. The spirits of those victims, and of Hannah himself, are said to roam the corridors of the estate. The Hannah House is open to the public and even offers the chance to stay overnight and do a little ghost sleuthing…if you dare!

Central State Hospital

Originally christened the “Indiana Hospital for the Insane,” Central State Hospital opened its doors in 1848. From a single building housing five patients, Central State grew into a veritable campus where thousands of patients were treated for various ailments, both mental and physical. At its height in the middle of the 20th century, Central State encompassed nearly 100 acres, with two main buildings, several peripheral treatment centers, and enough businesses to have formed its own town. Not surprisingly, given the nature of its existence, the grounds of Central State Hospital, located on the near west side of Indy, is reportedly ripe with ghostly happenings.

The House of Blue Lights

Located on the city’s east side, the House of Blue Lights was an estate owned by Skiles Test, and it was the subject of many spooky tales involving caskets, dogs, cats, misty blue lights, and other goodies! Although the house is long gone now, much of the property remains as it was during the heyday of these stories, and is home to the Skiles Test nature park. The Test grave is also a popular ghostly destination in nearby Crown Hill cemetery.

Do you believe???  Or are you like me and the thought scares the bejeezus out of you?

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Vicki Reed

Historic Irvington Halloween Festival…

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Indy is just full of fun communities to call home, since this past spring when I helped my friend Kate buy her new home in Irvington, I’ve found myself spending more time in the area and exploring the many restaurants and shops in the are and am even considering a move to the area in the future!  Kate kept mentioning the Halloween Festival and I finally had to find out what it was all about…this is from their website:

For over 60 years, the Historic Irvington Halloween Festival has brought together thousands of residents, dozens of neighborhood organizations, and countless Eastside businesses in a fun-filled celebration of our heritage and community. The festival and its associated events are designed to bring awareness to the community, to bring commerce to local business and sponsors, and to provide fun for the children of Irvington and Indianapolis. The celebration now encompasses a week of events including a 5 mile run, a scholarship pageant, musicians, contests, Halloween-themed movies, storytelling, ghost tours, live theater, roller derby, a haunted puppet show and dozens of other events.

The Irvington Halloween Festival is organized by the Historic Irvington Community Council, a 501(c)3 organization that provides a voice to the city on Irvington issues such as public services, zoning and works to improve the community and the lives of its residents.

A Brief History of Irvington

Irvington was founded by Jacob Julian and Sylvester Johnson, who developed 300 acres into residential plots four miles east of Indianapolis. Named after 19th century writer Washington Irving, Irvington was annexed by the city of Indianapolis in 1902. Western Christian University (now Butler University) relocated to Irvington in 1873 and stayed there until 1928.

The neighborhood is situated on Washington Street, which is the route of the historic National Road, a National Scenic Byway. US 40 was formerly routed along the road. Through the early 1900s, a commuter rail/trolley system ran from Irvington to downtown Indianapolis along US 40. Ideally located just 10 minutes East of downtown Indianapolis, Irvington is a strong and growing community of quaint and magnificent homes located on tree-lined historic streets. Successful restaurants, coffee shops, retailers and parks all contribute to Irvington’s charm. The Irvington community is founded on strong ties to its historic past and is a great place to raise a family.

So if you are looking for something fun to do this week, check this out!

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Vicki Reed

Thank you Milestone!

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Thanks to Milestone Contractors the 65-70 split project was completed in record time!  Not scheduled to re-open until November 1, the downtown interstates officially re-opened on October 17 and I, for one, could not be more grateful…now we’re back down to just the normal crazy drivers on 465 and the city streets!

The interchange closed on September 3 so that crews could began working to increase the clearance height under seven highway bridges. The bridges had been struck repeatedly by hundreds of oversized vehicles, causing a constant problem for the Indiana Department of Transportation.

Now, a note about why it was necessary to displace over 100,000 drivers a day for this project spend $12.4 million and reconstruct and lower one-half mile of pavement beneath seven bridges…it was to increase bridge clearances and reduce the potential for collisions from unpermitted and off-route trucks with oversized and unsecure loads..repeated bridge strikes from these trucks caused and continue to pose a safety concern for the users of this stretch of highway.

I understand the necessity of making the bridges safe for drivers, but once again, we are working to fix something caused by people not following the rules of our city, state and country and driving these trucks with no regard to the consequences and again, we have to pay for it from our state/federal funds.  I don’t know how you would have stopped them, but I find it frustrating!

Big shout out to Milestone, thank you for getting it done so quickly and making it safe for us once again, but to those of you out there who are driving the unpermitted trucks, pay attention to your clearances and try to respect the roads your are driving on and the safety of everyone one the road with you.

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Vicki Reed

Goodbye old friends…

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Ever have a television show that felt like an old friend, taught you a lot about how to appropriately dress the body God gave you and provided lots of laughs, fashion tips, make-up tips…well, just felt like a great friend?  What Not To Wear (TLC) ended it’s 10 year run on Friday with a great 3 hour send-off that made me cry!

My friend Nancy and I have been watching this show together on the telephone for years!  It affected the way we shopped, looked at our own shapes…heck we can hardly shop alone these days!  We even had the opportunity to meet one of the hosts, Clinton Kelly, hug him and get his autograph in the book that he and Stacy London co-authored titled “Dress Your Best…The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That’s Right for Your Body”…yes, I still have and refer to the book several times a year!  Nancy and I are at a bit of a loss…without our weekly phone appointment, we have to be more intentional about calling each other and staying in touch.  We did watch the finale in together in the same house, kinda nice, even if they did laugh at me for my tears!

For those of you who may not be familiar with the show, What Not to Wear (WNTW)  it was a makeover reality series based on the British show of the same name. It premiered in 2003 and aired on TLC and was hosted by Stacy London and Clinton Kelly.

Episodes featured contributors nominated by friends, co-workers, or relatives. Some episodes involved self-nominations, such as the class reunion specials or mall nominations. In the latter, What Not to Wear set up a 360-degree mirror in various malls across the United States, which allowed women to explain why they needed fashion help. Early episodes featured both men and women but all the later episodes featured women exclusively because the males transformations while great, weren’t as remarkable. Some episodes featured both the contributor and the nominator being selected for a makeover.

When a contributor was selected, the show secretly followed and videotaped her for two weeks. Sometimes the nominee would be asked to participate in “market research” by a camara crew which was actually the What Not To Wear crew filming her pre-makeover look for the show. Also, the nominators sometimes accessed the nominee’s closet to point out specific items of clothing that they considered particularly bad.

While reviewing the secret footage, Stacy and Clinton would comment, in that snarky style of theirs, on why the wardrobe was unflattering (“mom jeans”) or out-dated (purchased in the 1980s) and they would usually meet with the nominators before meeting the contributor. Afterward, the entire group would go to meet the soon-to-be-surprised contributor. During the surprise visit, the contributor was offered a $5,000 WNTW card to buy a new wardrobe if she would turn over her entire existing wardrobe to Stacy and Clinton and shop by their “rules” (tailored for her age, body shape, and profession).  If the nominee accepted the terms of the offer then Stacy and Clinton would give them the gift card and review the secret footage with them. If she declined, nothing further is filmed and there is no show. Contributors were sometimes very reluctant to agree and had to be persuaded by Stacy and Clinton and the nominators.

After reviewing the secret footage, they were brought to New York City for a week of evaluation, shopping, and hair and make-up styling.  Throughout the week, the contributor frequently declared she was unable to find properly fitting clothes, she disliked her body, or she didn’t care what other people think.

On the first day, Stacy and Clinton would sort through their current wardrobe, and she would step inside a 360-degree mirror to explain what she liked about her regular outfits and why she thought they looked good on her. After critiquing each outfit, Stacy and Clinton presented a more “appropriate” outfit to help illustrate the “rules” for the participant to follow when shopping for new clothes. Throughout the sorting process, most of the clothes were symbolically tossed in a large garbage can; however, they were actually donated to charity as long as they were not torn or damaged.

On the second day, the contributor was filmed shopping on her own in various New York stores and then Stacy and Clinton watched the videotaped footage and commented, for the benefit of the viewers, on whether or not the contributor was following the “rules”.

On the third day, Stacy and Clinton would surprise the contributor, comment on whether the previous day’s purchases followed the “rules”, and help her with the remainder of the shopping. If they had not followed the rules, the clothes may have been returned.

On the fourth day, hair stylist Ted Gibson and make-up artist Carmindy transformed their appearance.  So many tears when it came to the haircut, some of these people were just way to attached to their hair!  Then were the women who either went way overboard with the blue eyeshadow, glitter eyeshadow, false eyelashes…Ted and Carmindy really had their work cut out for them most weeks!

On the fifth and final day in New York, the contributor showed off her new look to Stacy and Clinton—in three of her new outfits. Stacy and Clinton then commented on how her new look flatters her body and generally improves her appearance.  The last segment featured a party in their hometown, where she would show off her new look to friends and family, who would comment on how impressed they were and how happy she looked. With the credits rolling, the participant was shown in additional wardrobe items and commented on what the experience did for her emotionally and how it improved her confidence.

During the finale party, Stacy said “This show changed me and the trajectory of my life… I’ve learned so much from all of our contributorsover the years. I hope we touched them as much as they touched me. I hope we touched our viewers… I will always cherish the time I spent on ‘WNTW’ and be eternally grateful to TLC for a great co-host, amazing crew and an awesome program.”  Clinton said “When I got the job, I told everyone I knew that we’d probably do 10 episodes, get canceled and I’d go crawling back to my old job in magazine publishing. So, I’m more surprised than anyone that we’ve lasted this long. At first I thought the essence of the show was making snarky remarks about people’s outfits, but as it turns out, ‘WNTW’ is about taking stock of who you are and communicating that non-verbally to the rest of the world. That’s incredibly empowering.”

Goodbye my friends…thank you for your inspiration, knowledge, charm and wit…it was a fun ride and you will be missed.

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Vicki Reed

Don’t you love seeing those old movies again on the BIG screen?

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The Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin is setting your Halloween stage with a “Monster Mania” weekend!

Monster Mania

and next weekend, you can catch Young Frankenstein on the big screen!

Monster movies not your thing?  How about High Noon (for those of you old enough to know why it was a great movie) They are having a fund raising event November 2 – Cartoons for Cans, who misses Bugs Bunny?  Classic cartoons on the big screen…price of admission – 1 can of food…sounds like a deal to me!

The Christmas movie selection this year is excellent:  Elf, A Christmas Story (my fav!), White Christmas and another fan favorite…Christmas Vacation!  Yes, you can see all these and more on the BIG screen again for a mere $5 a person (or less if you are:  $4.00 for Military with ID; $4.00 for College Students with ID; $4.00 for Seniors 55 and over;
$3.00 for children 12 and under!).  For special events, check with the Box Office…so much less expensive than the big theatre’s and the popcorn and cokes are cheaper too!

The schedule for the first half of 2014 is out too…who wants to see American Graffiti on the BIG screen?

This theatre is truly a treasure, take your children and grandchildren and introduce them to movies that are so much more than explosions, murder, drugs, adultery…Annie’s coming in January, it would be a great place to start!

I’ve been introducing my nieces to Gidget (and Moondoggy!), Doris Day, Cary Grant, Rock Hudson and so many more for years…and at least 1 of them loves them as much as I do.  Movies can be entertaining, original and wholesome(?) not sure that is the right word, but something you aren’t embarrassed to take your kids to see.

Check out the Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin Indiana and enjoy yourself!

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Vicki Reed

 

 

Landing On My Feet…

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Thanks to a fantastic group I belong to, Business Women Connect, and it’s CEO/President Shelly Aristizabal (author of “This is your Year”), I had the opportunity to meet Alison Martin-Book, author of “Landing on my Feet…Learning to Lead through Mentoring” a couple of weeks ago.  What an inspiring story she had to share!

From the jacket:

Despite many years of working to achieve equality for women in the workplace, the gender gap is still very real.  Women are emerging as leaders in the workplace, but most often are not making it into the C-suite. Cultivating mentoring relationships and sharing knowledge and experience with others is an important piece in the overall strategy of advancing women leaders.

This book contains contributions from executive women leaders for a variety of industries and an account of how mentoring can impact lives and careers as well as a toolkit for cultivating your own mentoring relationships.

At the end of many of the chapters are questions designed to make you think about where you are in your life, goals that you have set and met or not met, what you want to do, who you want to be and who you are.  My favorite section of the book starts in chapter 2…Mentoring Lesson # 1:  Deciding What You Want Personally and Professionally.  Okay, so I know what I want on a professional level, but struggle with the balance in my life…I don’t know what I would do with myself if I’m not working!  Alison shared her “bucket list” or “100 things I want to do before I die”, very interesting and has me thinking about what I want to do beyond build a successful real estate business…I still haven’t come up with the answers, but will share as I work through it!

Alison is someone to admire and learn from, I really connected with her book and the story she shared, I have identified some deficiencies in my own story and am formulating a plan to move myself to the next level in my business and my life…Thank you Alison for writing this inspirational book and Shelly for making it possible for us to meet Alison and be inspired by her story.

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Vicki Reed