Michelle Sells Indy

Your West Side Indianapolis Realtor

Real Estate Spring is Here! January 17, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Michelle Morris @ 12:50 pm
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Spring is traditionally the busiest time for Realtors, and we typically say that Spring begins in January. The reason is because for the buyers to see your house in the Spring, when they are ready to move, your house needs to be on the market NOW.

This year, the Spring rush will come even earlier because of the $8,000 tax credit. With the credit ending on April 30th, Realtors are expecting that buyers will be motivated to get those purchase agreements written quickly.

Not only are buyers excited to get an $8,000 tax credit, but sellers can now get in on the fun. If you have owned your home for 5 years or more, and buy a new house, you may be able to claim a $6,500 credit!

Call me today, because there is no time to waste if you want to take advantage of these tax credits!

 

Looking for a city that has Walkability? January 16, 2010

Filed under: Buyers,Hendricks County,Indianapolis — Michelle Morris @ 12:24 pm
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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).

 

Get a C.L.U.E. January 16, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Michelle Morris @ 11:22 am
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Buyers are becoming more and more savvy, and more cautious about being sure they are buying the right house. One tool to help them decide is a C.L.U.E.® Home Seller’s Disclosure Report. This Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange report can help you spot trouble areas before committing to purchasing the property.

Realtors can not order C.L.U.E. reports, but we can ask for them from the seller. Smart sellers will order them ahead of time and present them with the other disclosures. This will help provide further peace of mind to buyers who are thinking about making an offer.

So what is a C.L.U.E. report? It is a report of any major property damage that has been done to a home. It provides a 5 year insurance loss history for any address, and is often used by insurance agents to research past claims. If there are no claims for the past 5 years, buyers can feel safe that they won’t have problems getting Homeowner’s Insurance or have to pay higher rates. If there has been a claim, buyers can then ask for receipts to prove that the damage was properly repaired.

The C.L.U.E. property report costs $19.95, and I will be encouraging my buyers to ask for one when making an offer on any home.

For more information:  http://www.choicetrust.com/

 

Chinese buyers may need bigger down payments January 15, 2010

Filed under: Buyers,Economy — Michelle Morris @ 11:09 am
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Chinese government officials announced on Sunday that buyers of second homes will be required to make a larger down payment. Buyers will need 40% of the purchase price, in an effort to keep real estate prices lower.

The State Council is taking the action in hopes to increase the supply of low-income housing and restrain property speculation. “With the recovery of the real-estate market, such problems as excessively rising house prices have recently emerged in some cities, which call for great attention,” officials said in a statement.

Source: MarketWatch (01/10/2010)

 

Listing AND sales leader of the year January 14, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Michelle Morris @ 11:34 am
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HI Everyone,

I am not very good at tooting my own horn, but you know what they say: If I don’t, who will? So, I just wanted to let you all know what has been going on in my career for once.

  • I was just named the Avon East Office’s 2009 Sales Leader of the Year.
  • I am also the 2009 Listing Leader of the Year for the office.
  • I moved into my own private office in the building, don’t worry, I’m still right here in Avon, behind Best Buy!
  • I have been asked to sit on a panel discussion of social media at Real Estate BarCamp- Indiana later this month.
  • I have been asked to go to other Carpenter offices to tell their newer agents how I have done it.
  • I served on Carpenter’s Technology Task Force, a group charged with helping develop Carpenter’s newest website design (to be released soon) as well as company policy on Social Media, Contact Management solutions for Carpenter agents, and office solutions to make it even easier for Carpenter agents to serve their clients.

I met my goal of selling $2.5 million for 2009, and my goal for 2010 is to hit the $4 million mark, so if you know anyone who would like to buy or sell a house, have them call one of the top Realtors in the area– me!

 

Buy a new Heating or Cooling system, get a rebate! January 12, 2010

Filed under: Economy,Homeowners,House & Home,Real Estate News — Michelle Morris @ 2:45 pm
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No, this isn’t just a sales pitch from the HVAC vendors, it’s true! If you buy a new, energy efficient furnace, air conditioner or ventillation system, you can get a rebate from the government. The rebate can be up to $1000, if you purchase a geothermal system. Then, you can also qualify for an additional property tax deduction as well!

The program is set to begin on February 1, 2010, and is part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

Many utility companies also offer rebates to customers who replace appliances with Energy-Star models, so that would be an additional bonus to you.

To get your rebate, you will need to have documentation of purchase and installation, and that it is actually an Energy Star rated product. You must purchase the product on Feb. 1 or later, as the program is not retroactive.

For more information, check out http://www.energystar.gov

 

 
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