When selling your house, remember when you put it on the market, it is no longer your home, there are certain improvements that pay and others that don’t.
Check out this seller secret to understand why making costly improvements isn’t always your best bet.
Want to know which updates will make your property most marketable? Call me today to set up your free consultation.
May is upon us…and that means Indianapolis 500 Festival, kicked off by the Mini Marathon tomorrow morning at 7:30. The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon is the nation’s largest half-marathon with 35,000 participants and has sold out for the past 11 years…really…35,000 people running and walking this race, I applaud the drive and stamina it takes to complete this feat, but it isn’t my cup of tea!
One of my favorite memories of working downtown for the once Bank One (now Chase) Corporation was when the Mini was held on Friday mornings. The race started at Meridian and Ohio streets and I worked in the Bank One Tower, getting to work was sometimes challenging, but the sight of the runners filling at least the northern half of the circle and funneling North on Meridian to the starting line at Ohio was beautiful…and when the race started, watching the mass of people move North on Meridian and slowly start spreading out…it was great! I am surprised however that the Bank One Tower didn’t fall over as nearly everyone on the 48 floors was on the West side of the building watching the spectacle! Bob and Tom would broadcast from the pool deck at the Hilton (now Radisson) on the corner…some great memories!
Now the course has changed, it begins near the intersection of Washington and West streets, heads west toward the Indianapolis Motor Speedway along Michigan Street and does a complete lap around the 2.5 mile track before heading back down New York Street to the finish line. Because of the horrific events at the Boston Marathon, there are more stringent security measures in place, click here to view the most up to date information.
There are so many things happening this month, what events will you participate in? Let us know!
I’ve lived in Indy since 1987 and there is one thing I still can’t get used to…the beginning of May signals Indy 500 month and all of the race festivities from the mini-marathon to the race (click here for IMS schedule of events). I grew up in Southern Indiana, all of our TV stations (yes, this was before cable!) were out of Louisville so for me, the First Saturday in May = DERBY DAY!
I love Derby Day! The history, the hats, mint juleps and of course, the horses! It has long been said that the Kentucky Derby is the “greatest 2 minutes in Sports”, for me, it’s the entire experience! Always hoping that whoever the winner, they continue to win at Preakness and Belmont, always in search of the next Triple Crown Winner.
Only eleven horses have won the elusive Triple Crown. The grueling schedule of three races in 5 weeks at longer distances than most have run previously in their careers is probably the most difficult task any horse will face in his racing career. Affirmed in 1978 still remains the last Triple Crown winner. Sadly, the last Triple Crown winner left alive, Seattle Slew, passed away on May 7, 2002. Several horses have come close in recent years, winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness only to fail in the Belmont Stakes. Many thought Big Brown was a cinch to finally break the drought in 2008, but a bad hoof, and perhaps all the pressure to win, led to his debacle in the Belmont Stakes, pulling up in the turn and being eased while longshot Da’Tara won. I’ll Have Another had a chance to become the 12th Triple Crown winner after his victories the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Preakness, but sadly he was scratched due to an injury the day before the Belmont Stakes and retired to stud.
So who will win the “Run For The Roses” this year? Normandy Invasion and Verrazano are favorites by the experts…I’ll wait until closer to the day to make my pics…who will you choose?
When you google Co-Op’s in Indianapolis, the results go to farm or food cooperatives…but did you know that we also have Co-Op homes in Indy? I have personally assisted my dear friend Kate in her purchase of her new home…a Co-Op in Irvington! I learned a lot during this process and thought I would share some it.
When I think of Co-Op’s, I think of those fabulous Park Avenue places in New York City…you know the ones, millions of dollars, thousands of square feet, very exclusive with a fabulous view. In Irvington, there are 2 neighborhoods – Maplewood Court and Irvington Court. A housing cooperative is a legal entity consisting of one or more residential buildings, a distinctive form of home ownership that has many characteristics that make it different than other residential arrangements such as single family ownership, condominiums and renting.
The corporation is membership based, with membership granted by way of a share purchase in the cooperative. Each shareholder in the legal entity is granted the right to occupy one housing unit. A primary advantage of the housing cooperative is the pooling of the members’ resources so that their buying power is leveraged, thus lowering the cost per member in all the services and products associated with home ownership. Members, through their elected representatives, screen and select who may live in the cooperative.
Kate purchased her new home in Maplewood Court, these were built in 1917 and to the credit of the Board, somewhere along the way they added garages to the property along with a caretaker apartment and caretaker. These units boast an unfinished basement with Laundry hook-up, main floor has a living room, dining room and kitchen – some have taken down the wall between the kitchen and dining which really opens the space – 2 bedrooms and a bath on the 2nd floor and most have finished the attic that really adds to the usable space! They all have front porches and lots of period detail. Kate’s unit even has the original doorbell on the beautiful wood and leaded glass front door!
Closing was the simplest transaction I’ve been involved in during my career…money transferred, a few documents signed and well, what took the longest was the issuing of the Stock Certificate – one of the board members actually used calligraphy and issued it from the original book of blank stock certificates!
Great process, lots of lessons learned, Kate has a fantastic new home and all is well. Living in Irvington was Kate’s dream….what can I do to turn your dreams into an address?
Research tells us that real estate may very well be at its most affordable level, RIGHT NOW.
Check out this quick video to find out why home buying is more budget friendly than it’s been in decades.
History is being made. When you look back, will you say, “I wish I had …” or “I’m so glad I did”?
Now is the time to BUY! Let’s talk!
For Sale By Owner, or FSBO (pron.: /ˈfɪzboʊ/), is the process of selling real estate without the representation of a real estate broker or real estate agent. Homeowners may employ the services of marketing or online listing companies or market their own property but do not pay a commission and represent themselves with the help of a lawyer throughout the sale. Okay, so you know I’m a Realtor…what do I think of this practice?
As a home seller, do you know what your home is worth? My job as a Licensed Real Estate Professional is to know the answer to that question. Are you overpricing your home? Underpricing? How are people finding your home? How are you managing showings? Telephone inquiries? Is it interfering with your job?
With the prevalence of the internet, you can easily advertise your home but for many FSBO’s, you will likely get one of 4 types of buyers:
1. Serious and in a hurry. They may be moving here and have three days to find a home, or maybe they just sold theirs and need to get into another or they will lose their contract.
2. Serious, but not in a hurry. They can qualify; they may be a first-time home buyer proceeding cautiously or looking for that special home. Are you willing to hold their hand through the process?
3. Investors. They want to buy everything ten cents on the dollar. These folks are easily identifiable…they are going to quickly make you an offer way under your asking.
4. Looky Lous. They really aren’t buyers, they can’t qualify for a mortgage and Agents won’t work with them so they go out and prey on FSBO’s.
If a buyer is serious, they are going to be working with an agent…it doesn’t cost them anything! Agents are searching the Multiple Listing Service for homes that meet their clients criteria…not Craigslist which is where a lot of FSBO’s advertise.
I will handle all these issues for you…and get your home sold for the best possible price in the shortest amount of time! The market is moving in Indianapolis, let me serve you and get your home sold!
Do you remember when…having a tattoo was taboo? I was driving home down I-465 yesterday and saw this on the back of a really nice car!
There are many myths about people who have tattoos…they can’t donate blood or organs (visit donatelife.net for accurate information!), that they are barred from burial in Jewish cemeteries (Torah law prohibits a Jew from being tattooed, says Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz, the presiding judge of the Orthodox Beth Din of America, however, “there is no reason why a Jew with a tattoo may not be buried in a Jewish cemetery.”), only “trashy people” have tats…well let me tell you, I’m educated, own my own business, own my home, drive a nice car, go to church regularly, come from a “good” family and I HAVE A TATTOO! And so do a lot of others!
What about you? I was 42 when I got mine, I wanted a specific cartoon character from my college days…anyone remember “Bloom County“? Opus, Bill the Cat are among the cast of crazies that inhabit the mind of Berkeley Breathed and reading Bloom County in the Ball State Daily News was a staple of my college days!
It took me a long time to work up the nerve, find the right image and have the money to go through with it, decide where it should go…a friend has dolphins swimming around her navel, looked great until she got pregnant…then those little dolphins became whales and became the size of a dinner plate! Mine is small, on the right side of my back, just above my waist…I did it for me, to remind me of a more carefree me and just to make me smile! What do you think?
What is a mastermind group? No, it’s not an evil Mastermind like Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers movies, or the guy who tied the pretty lady to the railroad tracks in the old silent movies…what do you think when you hear Mastermind Group or Mastermind Coaching?
I was recently asked to take part in a Mastermind Group with Business Women Connect, our first topic, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. This book was originally published in 1937 and its guiding principles are as relevant today as they were then!
Napoleon Hill first defined the mastermind as a “coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.” His concept of the Mastermind was inspired by Andrew Carnegie and according to Mr. Hill,
“Mr. Carnegie’s Master Mind group consisted of a staff of approximately fifty men, with whom he surrounded himself, for the DEFINITE PURPOSE of manufacturing and marketing steel. He attributed his entire fortune to the POWER he accumulated through this ‘Master Mind.’
Since the publication of Think and Grow Rich, the idea of mastermind groups has grown and evolved to become a staple tool of successful individuals. The benefits of such groups are abundant, you have a group of people available to help you succeed, you benefit from others perspectives, access to resources and connections of others in the group, and you receive inspiration and accountability from the group toward reaching your goals. Napoleon Hill even went so far as to say there was a mystical quality created when a mastermind group was formed. He said: “No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind.” In other words, your ability to create things in the world is increased by having that invisible “third mind” of the mastermind group.
There are two basic types of mastermind groups: One which is focused on the success and vision of one individual, and one that is focused on helping everyone in the group. The mastermind group Carnegie had was solely directed at his personal vision. The 50 men in the group were not all there to discuss their own projects. They were all focused on one main goal: the building of a steel empire.
The second type of mastermind group is one where all members of the group are meeting to support one another in achieving a goal. These types of groups are everywhere, but aren’t always named “mastermind groups”. An Alcoholics Anonymous meeting is a form of a mastermind group, where the members get together to support each other in their sobriety. This is the most common type of Mastermind, when someone mentions that a Mastermind is forming, they mean a group dedicated to success and achievement. You can create a group that is led by a facilitator (sometimes paid), or a group that is run by members. These groups can meet in person, over a telephone conference line, or even in online chat rooms.
Are you part of a Mastermind? Many of us have created our own “mastermind” simply by those we associate with! The Group (my personal group of exceptional friends) are a mastermind, we give each other support, feedback and ideas on life decisions…let’s just face it, they are great friends! However you create a mastermind support system for yourself, consider it an essential part of your success plan. As Napoleon Hill said:
“Analyze the record of any man who has accumulated a great fortune, and many of those who have accumulated modest fortunes, and you will find that they have either consciously, or unconsciously employed the ‘Master Mind’ principle.”
This is a post from The Inventory Lady, Jo Soard on her Facebook page and I think it is great advice…what do you think?
Letters from your burglar
By: Jan Soults Walker
Successful burglars have lots in common — home owners who unwittingly give invitations to robbery. Here’s how thieves thank you for your generosity.
Leaving boxes by the curb alongside the trash lets burglars know you’ve got new toys inside. You come home to an open front door, a ransacked house, and missing valuables. How did a burglar know you’d be gone? How did they get in?
Check out these 10 thank-you notes from your friendly neighborhood burglars, and their advice on how to stop lending them a helping hand.
1. Thanks for the ladder!
Call me a social climber if you will, but I did discover a ladder in your back yard. Thank you for leaving it where I could lean it against your home and easily reach a second-story window. I really love it when upper story openings aren’t wired to a home security system!
So, if you want to keep me out, store your ladder in the basement or a locked garage. And call your security company to wire upper-story windows into your alarm system.
Vertically yours,
A rising star
2. Loved your trash
Can’t tell you how much fun I have driving around neighborhoods on trash day (especially after big gift holidays) when the empty boxes on the curb reveal what wonderful new toys you have. Your thoughtfulness made it possible for me to land a new laptop and a flat-screen television in one easy trip to your home!
Next time, break down the boxes and conceal them in the recycling or trash bins.
Happy shopping!
Curbside Cruiser
3. Dear Can’t-Get-Around-To-It
Recently, I noticed you hadn’t trimmed trees and shrubs around your home, so I knew I’d have a wonderful place to hide while I worked to break into your home. I really can’t thank you enough for all the great new things I grabbed.
Next time, trim back bushes and trees near windows and doors. Make sure entry points to your home are easily visible from the street — I much prefer to work in private! While you’re at it, install motion-sensor lighting. I’m scared of bright lights!
Cordially,
The Tree Lover
4. Su casa es mi casa!
I was sincerely relieved to find your back door was a plain wood-panel door. I had no trouble kicking it in (my knees appreciate how easy that was!) Imagine how silly I felt when I discovered that your windows weren’t locked anyway.
You may want to take a cue from your neighbor and install steel-wrapped exterior doors with deadbolts on all your entries. And be sure your windows are locked when you’re away.
All the best,
Buster Door
5. Bad reflection on you
You’d be surprised how many home owners position a mirror in their entry hall so I can see from a window if the alarm system is armed. (Yours wasn’t, but I’m guessing you know that by now!) Thanks for taking a lot of pressure off of me.
A little free advice: Relocate the mirror so your alarm system isn’t visible if someone else would peer through a window.
Fondly,
Mr. Peeper
6. The telltale grass
Wow, isn’t it amazing how fast the grass grows these days? I swung by now and then and noticed your lawn was uncut, newspapers were piling up on the front steps, and your shades were always closed. To me, that’s an open invitation.
Next time, hire someone you trust to mow regularly, pick up around the doorstep, open and close various window shades, and turn different lights on and off (or put a few on timers). One more thing: Lock any car you leave in the driveway, or I can use your garage door opener to get in quickly.
Best,
Your Trip Advisor
7. Getting carried away
Many thanks for putting your valuables into an easy-to-carry safe that I could carry right out your back door. (Nice jewelry, and thank you for the cash!)
You may want to invest in a wall safe, which I rarely attempt to open. Or, rent a lock box at your bank.
With appreciation,
Mr. Safe and Not-So-Sound
8. Dear BFF
Thanks for alerting a professional acquaintance of mine via your social network that you were away for the week in Puerto Vallarta, having the time of your life. Me? I enjoyed a very relaxing visit to your home with no pressure of being caught.
If only you had known that posting comments and photos of your trip on social networks is fine — but do that after you return so you won’t broadcast your absence!
Sincerely,
Cyber Savvy
9. Tag, you’re it!
Where are you? When you use popular geo-tracking apps, such as FourSquare and Glympse, I might know if you’re not home. Web sites such as www.pleaserobme.com help me keep track of your whereabouts.
If you prefer that I not visit your home, be careful about geo-tagging. But, otherwise, thank you for the loot!
— Just Tagging Along
10. Thanks for the appointment
Thanks for inviting me into your home to view the laptop you wanted to sell. I do apologize for the scare I gave you when I took it (and your purse).
Did you know that some large U.S. cities are averaging one so-called “robbery by appointment” per day? If you want to sell high-ticket items to strangers, I suggest you arrange to meet at the parking lot of your local police station. I definitely won’t show up, and you’ll still have your valuables (and your purse!)
Regards,
A Tough Sell
So what are your thoughts on these letters? Do you see the value in the suggestions? Would love to know if these are things you have thought about! Even moving into a new home and buying that new TV for the family room, think about breaking down your boxes and recycling them instead of putting them curbside! Put the ladder away at night, even if you have to get it back out in the morning…don’t make it easy on them! Ready to sell your home? Buy a new home? Let’s talk!
Can’t afford to go to the NCAA Regional play in your area but would really like to take a live look at the teams? Try this….the day before the games, the venues are open and the teams each have scheduled practices so you can get a look at a team that might win the the NCAA National Championship in Atlanta. My friends and I have been doing this for years, scheduling time off work and really enjoying the day of watching the teams practice.
Indianapolis is a regular on the location rotation for regional and championship games – when the Butler Bulldogs were in the Final Four, there were about 40,000 people in the stands to watch them PRACTICE! I was there…were you?
This year, Indianapolis is hosting Louisville, Duke, Michigan State and Oregon and the schedule is Oregon (Noon-12:50 p.m.); Michigan State (1-1:50 p.m.); Louisville (2:10-3 p.m.); Duke (3:10-4 p.m.) – Doors open at 11:00 a.m.
All venues follow the same NCAA times of Noon to 12:50 p.m.; 1 – 1:50 p.m.; 2:10 – 3 p.m.and 3:10 – 4 p.m.
In the South Regional at Cowboy Stadium on Thursday, again doors opening at 11:00 a.m., the lineup is Michigan, Florida Gulf Coast, Kansas and Florida
For Wednesday in the West at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, you have Wichita State, LaSalle, Ohio State and Arizona and finally, my fav, those boys in the candy stripe pants…Indiana University at the Verizon Center in Washington DC along with Syracuse, Miami (FL) and Marquette.
Take time out of your busy lives and stop in and check out the teams in your area…you’ll be glad you did!
Living in Indy 