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Even though the weather outside is truly frightful, I’m still here and ready to work! I can still help you, answer your real estate questions, and take care of business!! So, don’t be afraid to call, email, text or send me a tweet or facebook message as we wait out the ice storm.
The Hilbert Mansion officially has a buyer! The estate was once priced at $21 million, and eventually dropped all the way down to $9.9 million before finally going to auction. My friend, Greg Cooper, one of the agents in charge of handling the marketing and sale of the Hilbert Mansion told me that they had many offers on the property, but none were able to make it to closing. One thing we know in real estate is that is isn’t finished until it is CLOSED!
A news conference is scheduled for 3pm today. Word is that the buyer will be announced and questions will be answered. I am assuming that if they are going public with this, it has actually closed– we will find out for sure when the press conference airs. Greg Cooper says that it has been over 5 years and 3 months that the Hilbert has been for sale.
To “tour” the property, click here: http://tours.tourfactory.com/tours/tour.asp?t=347580
I read on Twitter that a friend of mine is conducting a pasta drive on her blog, Nap Time in Naptown, and I decide that I would love to help as much as possible. So, I decided to shamelessly steal her fabulous idea and run with it, hosting a Pasta Drive of my own here at my office.
Second Helpings is running dangerously low on their suplies of pasta and rice, and they use up to 100 POUNDS per day to help fight hunger right here in Indy.
“At Second Helpings, we fight hunger and empower people. We rescue prepared and perishable food, re-prepare it into nutritious meals, and distribute those meals to over 50 social services organizations that feed hungry people. We also use rescued food to train disadvantaged adults for careers in the culinary field, helping to eliminate hunger at its source.”
To do our part, we are using our office as a collection point and spreading the news that WE WANT TO HELP! Please drop off donations of pasta and rice at the Carpenter Office right behind Best Buy in Avon before September 14. On the 15th, my car (Cleo) will become the Pasta Mobile and I will load her up and drop off all the pasta we collect at Second Helpings.
Pasta and rice are inexpensive and go a long way, so please help do your part!
Indianapolis is the 14th largest city in the United States, yet it is seriously lacking in its public transpotation system. Indy Connect, an initiative for better transportation in Central Indana hopes to change that soon.
Currently, Indy Connect is in the “listening” phase, they are holding about 30 public hearings around central Indiana to gather the public’s comments and ideas. The next meeting in Hendricks County is 7pm on March 16th at Avon Town Hall. If you want your voice to be heard, you should go!
Some ideas being considered are toll lanes in the city’s most congested areas, significantly expanded bus service, light rail and commuter rail and of course more bike lanes and walking trails.
If you’d like more info about Indy Connect, I suggest visiting their website, and watching their video! http://www.indyconnect.org/
What would you like to see happen with Central Indiana transportation? What are your biggest concerns and biggest wishes? I want to hear them!
We all want to be winners. Here you go:
I am giving away a lottery ticket to the first 25 people who leave comments here on my blog. Extra special attention will go to people who leave a meangingful comment that actually spurs conversation
A lot of people are. More and more buyers are looking for areas where they can walk to stores, coffee shops, and schools. Lessening our reliance on cars and using bicycles or walking is a great way to help our health and the environment. I think it is one area where Indianapolis needs to improve, but they do seem to be working on it.
If you would like to check the Walkability of an area you are considering, check this site: http://www.WalkScore.com
They rate areas when you put in an address, and tell you nearby businesses and amenities that are within walking distance. Avon is rated at 60 out of 100, higher than the average (which is 49).
Most people are entitled to at least 2 property tax exemptions. Do you know what they are? Do you know for sure if yours are filed? Did you realize that when you have both of these 2 exemptions filed, it significantly reduces your property tax bill ?
Homestead Exemption- If the property is your primary residence (your homestead) you are entitiled to a deduction. Typically, this is filed when you purchase your home, either by you or by the title company. It is a LARGE deduction, one that reduces the gross assessed value of your house by usually $45,000.
Mortgage Exemption- If you have a mortgage on the property, you are also entitled to a smaller Mortgage Exemption. Sometimes, if you refinance your loan, this exemption will fall off, and often people forget to go re-file it.
There are many other exemptions that you might be eligible for:
So, how to make sure you have your deductions? I can check them for you, or you can check online to see if your county has an online lookup site. If you find that you are missing a deduction that you think you are eligible for, call or visit your County’s Auditor. Sometimes, a copy of your closing settlement is needed as proof that you own the house, or other documentation is needed to show evidence that you are entitled to the deduction you are requesting.
There is a time limit on filing, and if you miss the deadline, your deductions might not take effect until the next calendar year, so get moving!
Marion County Property Tax Deduction info
As your full service Realtor, I try to make sure that I have various ways to be helpful to my clients. Here is a short list of some great websites that can help!
Know more great links? Feel free to add to my list! Is there some information you want that I haven’t included yet? Just ask!
Zionsville is located just NorthWest of Indianapolis, just north of the 465 loop. Easy access to I-65 and the 465 loop and a commute time to downtown of about 20 minutes makes Zionsville a popular location. People like to use words like cozy, artsy and unique when talking about this suburb of Indy in Boone County.
BusinessWeek rated Zionsville as Indiana’s ‘Best Affordable Suburb’ in 2009.
As of today, there are 295 Active listings in Zionsville according to MIBOR. The homes range in price from $124,900 for a 1,008 SqFt ranch built in 1970 to a $5,897,000 gated estate on 48 acres.
If you live in Zionsville, please add your comments! If you have any questions about the area, I would be happy to answer them!
According to statistics released this month by the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of REALTORS® (MIBOR), nearly 4,500 homes sold in the three-month period ending in January for an average sales price $125,700. Here in my office, we seemed to have a very good month so I am a little surprised to see MIBOR is down so much. I sold 3 homes in January alone, and that gave me a total sales volume of over half a million!
Key local findings:
•Average sale price increased in two of the 13 counties. Decatur and Putnam counties experienced 37 and 10 percent increases, respectively, during the November 2008 – January 2009 period.
•Current housing inventory levels are steady at 8 months, compared to 8.8 for the same period in 2008. (GOOD! Inventory is going down, this is great because that means there aren’t so many homes on the market)
•The units sold over the last three months are down 16 percent. The units sold are down 12 percent for the last six months and 14 percent for the last 12 months.
•New listings in January 2009 decreased 28 percent from the same month last year. Over the past 12 months, the total number of new listings have fallen 14 percent
