Author Archives: Vicki Reed

Well…this wasn’t something I thought about before…

Posted on by

I’m working with a great couple, newly married in October….in Jamaica no less…and we’re shopping for their first home!  Their lease ends at the end of February, so we are getting a great start on the search, pre-qualification…done and the home search is on!

Clients always start the search with location, number of bedrooms/baths…you get the picture, but this client has a special need…he’s 6 feet 7 inches tall and a former college football player!  This is a big man and he needs big rooms.  I’m finding myself thinking of a lot of things that I really hadn’t thought about before…the width of the hallways, the height of the ceilings, even the height of the doorways.  We were in a home on Friday that was great, they both really liked and then we went upstairs…he had to duck to go through the doorways to the bedrooms and closets…ceiling height was about 10′, but doorway height was about 6’4″…and the shower…he’d have to sit on a stool to get under the spray!

The client prefers remodeled, older homes of the Old Northside and Fall Creek Place area, most of which have tall ceilings, but small bedrooms – a king size bed it a must for this couple so I’m taking more time in selecting listings to send for their review…have to make certain that master bath isn’t in a converted attic space with slanted ceilings…that just won’t work!

I have another other active buyer client right now, he is 5’4″ and 12 foot ceilings and huge walk-in showers make him feel really small…talk about the other end of the spectrum!

As I grow my business and my client base, I’m constantly changing the way I look at homes for my clients, I care enough to take the time to really make certain the time we spend looking at homes is not wasted by looking at properties that simply won’t work for them…and my clients are so appreciative!  Each of their needs are taken into consideration, I listen as they walk through homes, make notes and then look for what they said…sometimes we are so far away from what they originally said they wanted, it’s kind of funny!

So what are your special needs in a home?

images (1)

Vicki Reed

So cool…

Posted on by

So it’s Friday night and I’m sitting here watching…Garth Brooks live from the Wynn in Vegas!  I’ve missed this man, his music and his personality!  I saw him in concert 3 times, twice with his wife Trisha Yearwood…she is my all time favorite female artist and loved it each and every time!  He is a true showman and made enough money from 1989 to 2001 to retire!  Imagine, making enough money in 12 years that you don’t ever have to worry about money again.

Yeah, he made a few missteps…the whole Chris Gaines thing was a little strange, but this guy is amazing! He has many influences and heroes across the genre’s, this show is filled from the beginning with all this amazing stuff!  Tricia joined him and switched his hat and we got pure Garth from there on…so much fun!

One of the most amazing things about him is he still seems humble, despite divorce from his daughters mother, maintained a relationship that allow them to grow up as normally as possible and signed off the show with “thank you for my life”, understanding that without the fans willingness to pay for the shows, cd’s and dvd’s, he has none of what he achieved in these last 25 years.  What an enjoyable 2 hours, they just flew by!

For those of you who know me, I listen to all music, love the 80’s hairbands, the 70’s rockers and all the way back to the 50’s and 60’s as well as the “old” country that I grew up with – Conway and Loretta, George and Tammy, and of course, Elvis – all invokes memories of home and family.  So what music brings it all back for you?

images

Vicki Reed

What are you Thankful for???

Posted on by

Sitting here thinking about the Thanksgiving holiday and feeling grateful for so much in my life I decided I’d share a little with you all, give you something to think about as you prepare your “I’m thankful for…” addresses for the family table tomorrow…

I’m thankful for…

1.  My Family…some here, some passed on, but always on my mind.  I’m thankful for my parents who’s unconditional love and support have allowed me to become the person I am…the world’s greatest Realtor!  All kidding aside, Mom and Dad are simply amazing people who tomorrow will be celebrating 51 years of marriage and while they’ve had their ups and downs, raised 3 very strong, independent women who have followed their own paths regardless of popular opinion.  And then we have my nieces…can I just say WOW an incredible group that I am so thankful to be a part of.

2.  My Friends…They say there are those that pass through your life, only there to serve a need for a short period, then those who stay much longer…Mary, Nancy, Jason and Dan…I am so thankful for your friendship, “group” dinners and the unwavering support I’ve received from each of you over the years…thank you for being my friends.  There are so many others…Tina, you are awesome, Gretchen, I wouldn’t have survived my first few years in the biz without you! and so many more of you that  it would take too many posts to count.

3.  My Keller Williams Family…I’ve never met a group of people so willing to help each other, not just in business, but in life!  Tonya, Staci, Natalie, Patti, Beth, Kris, Ann, Kim, Tony, Stephanie, Amber, actually, just everyone in the Keller Williams Indy Metro NE office…being part of this family has been life-changing and I so look forward to continuing this experience and growing my business.

There is so much and so many more to be grateful for, I challenge you all to really think about your life and those that have encouraged your dreams and stayed with you during your failures….these are those to be truly thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone…

images

Vicki Reed

Thinking of Selling in the Spring?

Posted on by

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!

images

Vicki Reed

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

Posted on by

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.

2D9679790-today-mercy-academy-131113-tease.blocks_desktop_medium

Vicki Reed

Aren’t we pushing it just a bit?

Posted on by

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!

download

Vicki Reed

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

Posted on by

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!

Flood

Vicki Reed

Is your home haunted?

Posted on by

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?

download

Vicki Reed

Historic Irvington Halloween Festival…

Posted on by

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!

HIHF_Logo_indent1

Vicki Reed

Thank you Milestone!

Posted on by

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.

SSplit-logo

Vicki Reed