Tag Archives: vlr real estate

Ever been to Alcatraz?

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Not as a resident, as a visitor!  I had the pleasure of visiting shortly after the movie “The Rock” was released…very cool, driving my friend Cullen crazy because I kept saying “Sean Connery stood here”  “Nicolas Cage stood here”!  He finally paid for the audio tour so he couldn’t hear me anymore!  As of yesterday, Alcatraz has been closed for 50 years and I still find it’s history fascinating!
On Thursday, the National Park Service unveiled an exhibit of newly discovered photos that depict new details about the final hours of Alcatraz.  The images were taken on the day infamous prison was closed after holding an impressive selection of criminals including gangsters Al Capone and Mickey Cohen, but did you know there were other residents on the Rock?
Workers on the Rock actually lived there too!  The warden and other prison personnel lived there, raised their families there…can you imagine being a kid on Alcatraz?

The images will be on display for at least the next three months and have evoked a swell of emotion for people who lived on the island during its days as a prison.  Jan Peters, 62, was the last child to leave the site of the island prison. His father, Arnold Peters, had been in charge of relocating the inmates to other federal prisons.  At the unveiling on Thursday, Peters said “I’m realizing that we were a part of American history,”  Peters and former Alcatraz resident John Brunner, whose father was the prison’s electrician, said living next door to the country’s most dangerous criminals was ideal.  They never saw the inmates and had world-class views, fishing and friends.  “It was fantastic to live here. We never had to lock our front door,” Brunner said with a chuckle.  Click here to read the full story on MSN.

How would you feel about growing up in a prison?  While we don’t have that opportunity here, there are a lot of unique properties in our own city for you to call your own!  Ready?  Call me, text me, email me and lets get to work finding them!

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Vicki Reed

Want to move to Irvington?

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I have a client very interested in moving to Irvington – this area is ever evolving and very walkable which is on a lot of people’s wish lists these days!  Housing is reasonably priced, including some really good deals on 1700 square feet townhomes in a Coop neighborhood – I know, you say a “coop” my thoughts automatically goes to New York and those expensive apartments on Central Park!  If you google “co-ops in Indiana“, you get grain and bean coop or food coop.  This will be a learning experience that I will happy share with you as we move through the process…but now back to Irvington.

Irvington was originally a suburban town in 1870 but was annexed into the City of Indianapolis in the early 1900’s.  The original plat of Irvington includes a winding picturesque street plan, very different from Indianapolis’ grid layout.  Irvington today has more lineal blocks of brick streets than any neighborhood in the city, and its naturalistic plan is considered Indianapolis’ largest and most developed example of Victorian Romantic landscape design.

In 1873, the area was selected as the new location for Northwestern Christian University, later renamed Butler University.  From 1875-1928, Butler developed a campus in Irvington, which subsequently promoted a college town atmosphere throughout the community. Although most of the campus buildings are gone, except the Bona Thompson Memorial Library, the intellectual spirit is still reflected in Irvington’s many association and groups.

Want to move to Irvington?  Click here to check out available homes everything from $8,000 to $260,000, sign up on my website and let’s get started!

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Vicki Reed

Instead of “State of the Union”, how about the state of Indiana Real Estate?

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The Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors (MIBOR) announced yesterday that Indianapolis home sales in 2012 are up 18.5% over 2011!  Fellow agents in my Keller Williams Realty office are complaining that homes are moving so fast that their appointments are being cancelled before they can see the properties because the home sellers have accepted an offer!  Click here for the full Indianapolis Star article and here for the MIBOR press release…NOW IS THE TIME!!!!

Are you interested in Buying a new home?  Inventory is lower, prices are heading higher, and interest rates are still really low…NOW IS THE TIME to get pre-qualified (click here to start the process with a lender I trust) and let’s start shopping!

Are you interested in Selling then Buying a new home?  Get the best of both markets by selling and up-sizing or down sizing NOW!  Not sure what today’s market value is for your home?  Contact me for a FREE Comparative Market Analysis and let’s discuss your options…just because we meet doesn’t mean you have to sell, it is part of weighing your options to make sure we do exactly what you need done.  Have plenty of equity in your current home?  I work with Don Allen at US Savings Bank who offers “bridge” loans to help you get into your next home.

I am here to help you reach whatever your home dreams are…buying, selling or both.  Your priorities are mine, I work very hard to get the absolute best deal for you and to Turn your Dream into an Address…visit my website VLR Real Estate for more information on who I am and what I can do for you.

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Vicki Reed

Wish # 8

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My eighth wish is that I would win the lottery…told you, some of these will be selfish!  I don’t have to win a big jackpot, a million would do!  What would I do with the money you ask…well, first I would payoff my debts and depending on the size of the win, this is what I would like to do…

1.  Set up trusts for my nieces – with stipulations, no need to spoil them completely!

2.  Set up Charitable Remainder Trusts for my parents and sisters – they get an income stream for their lifetime, then when they pass, what’s left goes to item # 3.

3.  Create the Reed Family Foundation – with my Dad, Uncle Bob and I, our limb of the family tree ends, this would allow me to teach my nieces about giving and create a legacy for my Dad.

4.  Help my friends, make their lives a little easier and their burdens a little less.

5.  Buy a vacation home in South Carolina – probably Pawleys Island – It would be there for myself, my family and friends to use.

6.  Put money into my business – VLR Real Estate – and dream big!

I know you have all thought about it, what would you do?

lottery_20100826113803_320_240  Vicki Reed

Sherlock Bones??? Vino Villa??? What’s your favorite business name???

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What is in a business name?  Not being particularly creative myself, I’m awed by those that are.  For my own business name, I decided on my initials – VLR Real Estate – a lot boring, I know!  During a couple of trips over the last week, these two really grabbed my attention:

Sherlock Bones Animal Hospital on 116th Street in Carmel – tagline:  We’ll solve your pet’s problems!

and

Vino Villa on Madison Avenue in Greenwood – tagline:  We have over 450 different wines and 70 different cheeses from around the world, and right here in our own back yard.

What are some of your favorites?