Author Archives: Vicki Reed

Six numbers have the power to change your life…

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It’s happened again…a single ticket has won the estimated $400 million Powerball…one ticket that beat the 1 in 175,223,510 odds and drew the winning numbers: 7, 10, 22, 32, 35 and Powerball 19.

We’ve all heard the statistics.  You are more likely to die from a bee sting (one in 6.1 million) or be struck by lightning (one in 3 million), but we keep playing — most likely because the thought of winning even $1 million is much more fun than the thought of being attacked by a shark (one in 11.5 million).

We may never know the name or names of the winners. South Carolina lottery rules lets winners remain anonymous if they want.  The ticket was sold Wednesday afternoon at a Murphy gas station in that 5.8-square-mile town of Lexington, South Carolina, home to just 17,800…in a town this size, you know all the neighbors are looking at each other and thinking…it wasn’t me, was it you?  

Wednesday’s haul was the fourth largest lottery price in U.S. history.  The biggest payload was $665 million in the Mega Millions game in March 2012. The greatest Powerball jackpot was the $590.5 million won with a single ticket in Florida this past May.  But $400 million, with a cash value of $223 million, is still pretty sweet.

So why do we play?  When my Dad quit smoking decades ago, he decided to put his smoke money toward buying lottery tickets, I buy tickets because…well, you never know!  When I’m feeling particularly stressed about money, Dad tells me to make sure and get my tickets and put them under my pillow to dream on them…I did win $400 once in the Powerball and win a few dollars here and there on the Hoosier Lottery, it’s like going to the casino…only take what you are willing to lose – I’m good with losing a few bucks a week on a game of chance!

According to an article on CNN, human behavior expert Dr. Wendy Walsh said last year when the Mega Millions jackpot hit $656 million. “We have the Cinderella complex — there’s a fairy godmother who’s going to come in and save us.”  people love to have a rescue fantasy.  What do you think?  I just think it’s fun, I was raised to depend on myself for my lifestyle…my parents instilled a great work ethic in all of us, I work hard for what I have and with the pending sale of my home, I could be out of debt by the end of the year!  So looking forward to that and will talk about my future plans in a later post.

In December, during my 12 Wishes of Christmas series, I shared my thoughts on what I would do if I won…what would you do????

Hoosier Lotter Ticket

Vicki Reed

Dumb Move Day…

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Reading today’s news items, two of them jumped out…

From WTHR:

INDIANAPOLIS – A loaded handgun and four full magazines were found in the travel bags of a man at the Indianapolis airport.  A screener detected the gun and ammunition while the passenger was passing through security Monday. Metro Police arrested (name removed by me), who told them he forgot the gun and ammunition was in his bag. He was released.  The TSA kept the gun and bullets.

and from The Indianapolis Star:

Truck driver misses signs, rolls into south split construction

A truck driver this morning told police he simply failed to notice signs and barricades directing motorists away from a Downtown construction project at the south split of interstates 65 and 70.  

About 5 a.m. today, truck driver (name removed by me), drove through the barricades, got stuck and had to be pulled out of the construction area by a wrecker.  “Basically, the truck driver said he was just taking his normal route and there has always been a ramp there,” said Cpl. Wiley Mimms of the Indiana State Police. “Apparently he was not looking at all the signs and everything.”…  You can read the story here if you want additional information.

So my big question for the loaded handgun guy…why are you carrying a loaded gun in a bag you are traveling with and how do you “forget”?  I can see forgetting some TSA rules – shampoo bigger than whatever the current size is, but a GUN?

Now, about this trucker…every sign, every electronic sign, every traffic report on the radio and even the national news has talked about the closures on I-65/I-70 through downtown Indianapolis…how do you not know or notice the bright orange “CLOSED” on the big green signs and the BARRICADES set up to keep you from driving through….no offense, but you deserved the ticket at the very least…arrest at the very most.  How much money did this cost the taxpayers in the slow down of the process?  Repair of what damage was done?

So…did you make any dumb moves today?

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Vicki Reed

Historic Irvington Home Tour!

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I’m so excited…this spring, I was able to work with my friend Kate Bilyj in the purchase of a Co-op in her dream area of Irvington and drum role please…her unit has been chosen to be on the Irvington Benton House Tour of Homes on Sunday, September 15, 2013!

This tour showcases the history, charm, and architecture of Irvington neighborhoods.  In it’s 40th year, this tour brings inspiration, education, and home improvement ideas to the.  Guests can enjoy viewing the properties of homeowners who truly fuel the Irvington neighborhoods. Many of the homeowners not only live in Irvington, but, invest further in the development of this 143 year old community.

Featured on this years tour is a beautiful ranch with a three room conversion into a dream kitchen. Recent bathroom renovations, and a finished basement.  In the Irvington Terrace area is a charming tudor with unique architecture, original details, and beautiful front and back gardens. Also on view will be a chic bungalow where budget and hip design style play a central role in creating an inspired home. The newly constructed Irvington Lofts are also included on the tour. Kate’s unit is in the Co-op neighborhood of Maplewood Court and boasts many of the original features including my favorite part…the original doorbell!

As part of the 40th anniversary celebration, there will be a tour/hog roast celebration at the Downey Avenue Christian Church, a complimentary cupcake as well as music and festivities on the lawn of the Benton House.

The home tour is the largest fundraising event for the historic Benton House, raising funds for the preservation of the 140 year old landmark. What started 40 years ago as a group of eager neighbors opening their homes for neighbors to tour and share ideas has now turned into the longest consecutively ran home tour in the city of Indianapolis showcasing nearly 200 homes and landmarks over the years.

The 2013 self guided Irvington Tour of Homes starts at noon and continues until 5:00pm on September 15, 2013. Biking and walking is encouraged. Tickets are $12 advance, $15 the day of the tour. Children under 12 years of age are admitted free.

Tickets can be purchased starting August 28 at local Irvington shops and restaurants to include Central Ace Hardware, Dufour’s, Black Sheep Gifts, Snips and Bookmamas. Purchase tickets the day of the home tour at the Benton House, 312 South Downey Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46219. For information please call 317-372-2372 or email bentonhousetour2013@gmail.com

Think you might want to live in Irvington?  I can help with that!  In addition to homes currently on the market, I will have a home for sale ON Pleasant Run Parkway South drive, directly across the street from Ellenberger Park.  My friend and fellow agent Jeffrey Tabler will be holding this home open on Sunday during the times of the tour…stop in and say hello! I will be at Kate’s home helping her with the tour…yes, I am a full service agent!  Please stop by and say hello!

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Vicki Reed

Homes for Heroes Celebrating 12th Anniversary

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Indianapolis, Indiana – Homes for Heroes is celebrating its 12th year of bringing savings to our nation’s heroes. The program was created to honor those that serve our communities every day and ensure a legacy of remembrance for those that lost their lives that tragic day.Ruth Johnson, President and CEO of Homes for Heroes, is one of the five founding members who started Homes for Heroes, Inc. in 2002. “We all remember where we were. We all recall how we felt. WE decided to do something about it!  We created a forever remembrance, a never ending thank you, to all the Heroes that day. We all share admiration for the people who serve our community, often selflessly and wanted to recognize and show our appreciation in a meaningful way, “said Johnson.The Homes for Heroes program has grown to become the nation’s largest hero savings program with over 1,000 affiliates in 47 states. It is comprised of realtors, lenders, and other real estate-related providers who are willing to offer substantial savings and discounts to when buying, selling or even refinancing their home. Nationally, the program has given back well over $3 million to heroes all over the country, a total that continues to grow on a daily basis.Homes for Heroes has served thousands of heroes across the country including Minneapolis Police Sergeant, Tim Hatchner, “This is not a gimmick. There is no extra paper work or special guidelines or income limits. Homes for Heroes is comprised of full service real estate, mortgage and title company professionals, who have long established reputations in the Twin Cities. Both the sale and the purchase of my home went off without a hitch. Homes for Heroes saved us nearly $5000.00 at closing. When raising a young family, every penny counts! I would definitely recommend this program to my fellow officers.”

If you would like more information about Homes for Heroes or to see other relative media regarding the national program go to www.homesforheroes.com.  

I have partnered with this program in the Indianapolis region and would love to talk more about the program.  Please visit my website vlrrealestate.com and visit the Featured Partner page.
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Vicki Reed

ATTENTION Displaced I-65 and I-70 Drivers!

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With the close of I-65 and I-70 between the North and South Splits for about two months, I have noticed are marked increase in the traffic on I-465…and so have the police departments!  So…just a few suggestions….

1.  Stop weaving in and out of traffic to get ahead of everyone…you might not make it!  Yesterday I had the pleasure of being in the center lane when a car zoomed past me on the right and cut all the way over to the left lane and flipped off the driver of the pick-up truck that was passing me on the left…who promptly flipped him back…really boys???

2.  Drive a consistent speed…I recommend 60 mph and set the cruise.  If everyone moves at a consistent speed we can avoid the speeding up and slowing down that plagues the morning and evening commutes.  Oh, and at 60…those police officers I mentioned likely won’t give you a second look.

3.  If you are going to be on the highway for a while, drive in the center lane, avoid all of those people getting on and off the highway and let the crazy people pass you on the left!

4.  Pay attention to your commute time and find alternate routes to your destination.  Let’s face it, we know that the NE corner connection to I-69 is always going to back up during the morning and evening commute times – if you don’t need it, find another way to go!  Also, the NW corner gets a little backed up during those times as well.

5.  Treat your fellow drivers with a little patience and a little respect…we are all trying to get someplace, drive courteously and pretend you are surprised when you reach your destination at little (or a lot) less stressed.

6.  Those of you driving city streets…this is not the Indy 500, that’s in May…SLOW DOWN and PAY ATTENTION…I don’t care how many points you pretend to earn for running over animals and humans, it just isn’t worth it!

Okay, so these are my tips for today, remember, the project is supposed to be over by the first week of November so before you know it, things will be back to what passes for normal traffic in Indy…just be grateful we don’t live in Atlanta!

Want more information on the project?  Visit the WTHR 13 website, links and info including a live video stream to see the progress as well as alternate routes, etc.  Want to buy a condo downtown to avoid the highway issue?  Click here and visit my website…I’ve got you covered from $2,595,000 to $59,500!  Have a great afternoon everyone…and drive safe!

Drive Safe

Vicki Reed

Reading…Pleasure or Self-Improvement?

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Do you read?  Some people don’t, however, I’m an avid reader…mostly for pleasure, but since striking out on my own in Real Estate, I’ve also become a reader of non-fiction, mostly as part of my Master Mind groups, but also to keep myself up on what has worked and what hasn’t in the real estate biz, etc…follow in the steps of those who have succeeded!

So who are your favorite Fiction authors?  I love Stuart Woods (Stone Barrington series) and James Patterson (Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club and many of the stand alones that follow the same crime/mystery format) and for laughs, who doesn’t love Janet Evanovich‘s Stephanie Plum books!  The cast of characters in these series become comfortable friends as you read the series – heck, until Tyler Perry played Alex Cross, I always heard Morgan Freeman‘s voice in my head as the famed detective.

Do you buy books?  Personally, except for two series, I use the library.  Indianapolis has a great library system and our Central library is amazing!  IMCPL.org is their website and if you use an e-reader (Kindle, Nook or any tablet), downloading is easy…they even have classes to teach you how to do it and when your due date approaches, it is simply removed from your device!

Have you experienced Central library?  The expansion created an experience – I’ve seen weddings and receptions set up in the atrium, they have a coffee shop, fireplaces in the old part and have programs in the auditorium as well as show old movies, I know we’ve seen several including Singing in the Rain and Sabrina.

If you have children, I highly recommend the children’s section – one time we performed a virtual knee replacement surgery on some fictional soul!  They have a lot of learning tools and programs for kids.

Need a place to meet with a group?  Floors 3, 4 and 5 all have group study rooms with whiteboards – just check-in with the desk on each floor and reserve or see what is available immediately.  Many people use them as a quiet place to work for a couple of hours between appointments.

Visit the library’s website for a list of everything offered and what’s happening in all their locations!

Library

Vicki Reed

Wow…

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Scanning Facebook today, this caught post caught my eye…

In September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a History teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks in her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. ‘Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?’

She replied, ‘You can’t have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.’

They thought, ‘Well, maybe it’s our grades.’ ‘No,’ she said.

‘Maybe it’s our behavior.’ She told them, ‘No, it’s not even your behavior.’

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. Kids called their parents to tell them what was happening and by early afternoon television news crews had started gathering at the school to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the desk-less classroom. Martha Cothren said, ‘Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he or she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.’

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniform, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, ‘You didn’t earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. They went halfway around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and families so you could have the freedom you have. Now, it’s up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don’t ever forget it.’

By the way, this is a true story. And this teacher was awarded Veterans of Foreign Wars Teacher of the Year for the State of Arkansas in 2006. She is the daughter of a WWII POW.

Do you think this email is worth passing along so others won’t forget either, that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by our U.S. Veterans? ………………. I did.

Let us always remember the men and women of our military and the rights they have won for us.

This is why I have affiliated with the Homes for Heroes program, in addition to Military, Fire, Police and Medical personnel, TEACHERS are considered heroes as well…thank you Martha Cothren for reminding us all of why we have the freedoms we have.

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone.

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Vicki Reed

Have you ever stomped grapes?

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Did you know that Vevay, Indiana (Switzerland County) annually hosts the Swiss Wine Festival?  This year is the 42st annual Swiss Wine Festival. Held at Paul Ogle Riverfront Park and organizers are pulling out all the corks for this year’s event, Thursday-Sunday, August 22-25, 2013.

The Swiss Wine Festival is a four-day celebration commemorating Switzerland County’s winemaking roots and bragging rights as the “Birthplace of the First Successful Commercial Winery in the United States.”  A little quick history for you:  (From Wikipedia – topic “American Wines”)

The first commercial vineyard and winery in the United States was established by an act of the Kentucky General Assembly on November 21, 1799. The vinedresser for the vineyard was John James Dufour formerly of Vevay, Switzerland. The vineyard was located overlooking the Kentucky River in Jessamine County, Kentucky and was named First Vineyard by Dufour on November 5, 1798. The vineyard’s current address in 5800 Sugar Creek Pike, Nicholasville, Kentucky. The first wine from the First Vineyard was consumed by the subscribers at John Postelthwaite’s house on March 21, 1803. Two 5 gallon oak casks of wine were taken to President Thomas Jefferson in Washington, D.C. in February 1805. The vineyard continued until 1809 when a killing freeze in May destroyed the crop and many vines at the First Vineyard. The Dufour family then relocated to Vevay, Indiana after the abandonment of the First Vineyard.

There are traditional aspects of the festival – a Wine Tasting Pavilion, the Midwest Championship Grape Stomp, arts & crafts, amusement rides, parade, riverboat cruises, 5K run/walk, cheerleading competition, live entertainment, and more.  There are twelve Indiana wineries are offering samplings of their award-winning wines, with staff on hand to answer questions about their yield.  Participating wineries include Buck Creek, Carousel, Chateau De Pique, Ertel Cellars, French Lick, Grateful Goat Vineyard, Harmony, Indian Creek, Lanthier, Ridge, Windy Knoll, and Winzerwald.  In addition to the wine, there will be a variety of food choices and entertainment.

Admission is $5 per day on Friday-Sunday. Children 5-12 years are admitted for $3, with under age five free. Parking is $5 per vehicle. Festival times are Friday, August. 23, 3 pm-2 am; Saturday, August. 24, 10:30 am-2 am; and Sunday, August. 25, from 10:30 am-6:30 pm.  The Wine Pavilion is open Friday 3-10 pm, Saturday 11 am-10 pm, and Sunday 12-6 pm. and has an additional $15 admission fee which includes wine samples and a souvenir wine glass.

The Swiss Wine Festival has been listed as the 4th best food festival in Indiana by the Best of Indiana and is a Top 10 event in Indiana by Top Events USA.  Saturday’s Festivities began on Saturday morning at 10:00 am with the Grand Festival Parade in downtown Vevay. Marching bands, floats, and local and visitors line the streets of Main Street to kick-off the celebration Switzerland County-style.

Additional activities, performers, and events can be found on the Swiss Wine Festival website,  http://swisswinefestival.org/, or call 812-427-9463. Reservations for riverboat cruises can be made by calling 800-435-5688. Information on lodging, local businesses and tourist activities can be found at http://switzcotourism.com/ or by calling Switzerland County Tourism at 812-427-3237.

I grew up half way between Vevay and Madison – Dad went to Vevay High School (now Switzerland County High School) and Mom went to Madison – they met at the old Vevay Drive-in that they took us to as kids so my family life has always revolved around what was happening in Madison or Vevay.  I can remember that when my grandma and her siblings were still with us, it was a very big deal that everyone went to the sister or brother that had the house “in town” to watch the Wine Festival parade…click here for the schedule, you might find it worth a trip!

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Vicki Reed

Wow…I’m an App!

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Believe it or not, my chosen career and the tools of my trade date back to the late 1800’s, when real estate brokers would gathered at the offices of their local associations to share information about properties they were trying to sell. They agreed to compensate other brokers who helped sell those properties, and the first Multiple Listing Service (MLS) was born, based on the principle that’s unique to organized real estate: Help me sell my inventory and I’ll help you sell yours.

The MLS became a National Organization in the early 1960’s and “The Book” would be delivered weekly to the local Realtor’s offices and was generally out dated by the time it arrived!  If you were a buyer, you had to go to the Realtor’s office and look through the Book to find a home and hope it was still available.  Contracts were typed on a manual typewriter or hand written and you physically had to sit down with each other to get the job done!

It wasn’t until about 1994 that home searches began to be publicly available on the internet!  That is less than 20 years ago!  Technology has moved very quickly in the last 19 years…

1999 – the first Internet Lead Generation programs started making an appearance

Early 2000’s – Internet Data Exchanges (IDX) were launched for website

2005 – Google and MOTOVO brought map and neighborhood searches to a new level

2006 – Zillow begins the Zestimate for home value…BEWARE…the zestimate is not based on anything of value, it is an ESTIMATE and wrong 99.999% of the time.

2007 – Trulia adds Trulia Voices, their question and answer section.

The advent of the internet and it’s tools changed how we all live our lives, I now have websites, a blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and regularly Google myself to see where I show up and what information is accurate and try to change what isn’t.  These are my two primary websites:

Contracts are completed online, electronic signatures are commonplace, our office is striving to be paperless, everything lives in the cloud, “i” stuff, tablets, e-readers are becoming more commonplace than books and we have “smart” phones that I still feel to dumb to own!

And now I have an App?  This is an amazing thing for me, computers were just coming into play when I started my career at Bank One, I had one of only two in our office!  By the time I left the corporate world behind, the iPads and Tablets were becoming popular and now look at me…I’m an App!

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Vicki Reed

What song makes you smile?

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Driving home Saturday after a long day of promoting Homes for Heroes at the Indiana State Fair, (I was exhausted!) and the opening strains to “Sweet Home Alabama” came on the radio…as tired as I felt, my mouth couldn’t help turn upward and I found myself smiling and singing along.  Yes, it’s a Southern Rock Anthem and reminds me of a younger, more carefree time in my life.

It got me thinking…what music makes you smile?  My MP3 player is full of a huge variety of music…Elvis, Conway Twitty, Adele, Vonda Shepherd, Robbie Williams, Van Halen, all the 80’s hair bands, Lover Boy, Styx, Boston, Norah Jones, old country, newer country, Skynard, Marshall Tucker, 60’s Motown, 80’s Pop, 70’s Album Cher, well, you get the picture.  I’m currently obsessed with Adele, her theme for James Bonds Skyfall was fantastic!  There has been a lot of GREAT music over the years, some not so great, but still gets airtime.  What music makes you smile?

There are some favs in there that surprise my friends, I mean, if you knew me, would you guess that my favorite CD is Guns N Roses “Appetite for Destruction”?  I grew up with a Mother who is a HUGE Elvis fan (yes, I’ve been to Graceland…3 times!), but also listened to Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, George Jones and Tammy Wynette and all the other country greats.  When I hit Junior High (that’s now called Middle School for some of you), I discovered Boston, Styx, Bob Seger, Skynard and of course the Eagles…there was also the Bee Gees and all the great music from Saturday Night Fever and a shot of the 50’s with Grease.

College brought out Prince, Morris Day and the Time as well as a myriad of other 80’s pop and at the same time, the movie “The Big Chill” provided another genre to explore.  Etta James “At Last” is one of my all time favorites.  Who else remember’s “Headbanger’s Ball” on MTV?  The 90’s and 2000’s found me exploring Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra…yes, my musical journey has been all over the place,  but isn’t how it should be?

Music is something that evokes memories in all of us, I try to introduce my nieces to as much of it as I can, all loved Elvis for a period of their lives thanks to Mom and I introduced them to “The Monkees”, who were originally a manufactured act turned real band that featured members with distinct (albeit fictional) personality types.   There was even a love affair with the Beatles that included a tribute band concert.  What music would you share with the next generation?  I remember going to a Rick Springfield concert at Ribfest one year and was amazed at the Tween girls singing the words to all the songs…I’m sure their Mom’s were in my age bracket!

So, time for you to share…what music makes you smile?

music

Vicki Reed