www.8839greenbranchlane.com

Offer accepted the first weekend!

Rare opportunity to own a stunning contemporary in a suburban setting.  As you enter, you will witness the appeal of clean lines & open spaces w/GR, DR, FR & kit flowing into one cohesive space. GR feat: a bluestone frplc & coffered ceiling, FR hilited by maple wall unit that compliments maple kit w/stainlss gas cooktop, DW, blt-in oven & microwave. Mstr ste w/updtd bth & WIC, w/2 addt’l BR’s & updtd bth complete upstairs.  Entertain outdoors on the paver patio ovrlking private fenced yard.

www.8613quarterhorsedrive.com

Looking for a 3BR/2BA low maintenance/well maintained home on a serene lake lot?  Look no further.  As you enter, you will be drawn in by the vaulted ceilings, open floor plan & natural light! Home features a GR w/fireplace that flows to the DR, Kit & sunroom/deck overlooking the lake.  The split BR’s allow for privacy in the mstr ste w/WIC & spac bath.  All appliances included, even the washer & dryer.  Neighbrhd w/clubhouse, pool, tennis & exercise room.  What more could you ask for?

1.    Check your credit. Contact a lender, have them check your credit and work towards correcting any issues now, so you will be qualified to purchase a home when you are ready.

2.    Do your research.  Contact a real estate agent and do some online research on the following:
·    Target states, cities and neighborhoods.  Whether you are relocating, downsizing or upsizing, now is the time to do your research on tax rates, school districts, neighborhoods and even prices.

Once you narrow things down and start speaking to a local agent, ask them to brief you on the local market dynamics, including how long homes typically stay on the market and whether they generally go for more or less than the asking price, so you can be smart about how you search.

·    Real estate and mortgage pros. If you don’t already have your pros picked out, now is the time to get on the horn or drop an email or Facebook message to your circle of contacts, asking them for a referral to an agent and lender they love.  Check their recommendations and testimonials.

·    Short sales and REOs.  Get educated about short sale or foreclosed properties.  If you are short on time, a short sale property may not be what you need as they can take as much as 6 months to complete the transaction.  Bank or foreclosed properties can be easier to get closed.
·    What you get for the money.  Once you have narrowed your search, you need to physically view some properties to see what your money can buy and also point out amenities that are important to you.
·    Mortgage musts.  Speak to your lender, ask for advice, you may need to pay down a bill or pay one off or provide some additional documentation to your lender.

3.    Fluff up your cash cushion. So, you’ve saved up your 3.5 percent down payment. Perhaps you saved a little extra for closing costs.  Or maybe you’re even one of those uber-aggressive 20-percent-down-ers.  No matter how much you’ve saved, you’ll find that you could use more once you activate your home buying action plan. Mark my words – after closing, you’ll crave extra cash to do some repairs, upgrade a couple of things, buy appliances or even just to hold onto in order to minimize your anxiety about depleting your savings!

So, if homebuying is on your personal 2012 action plan, watch your spending, DON”T make any large purchases after applying for your mortgage, wait to buy that new furniture until after you have closed on your dream home.  Don’t change jobs, you will a solid job history in order to qualify for a mortgage.

Start your home search on my website, give me a call and let’s get you on the road to owning your dream home!

Beginning Monday, Oct. 24 through Friday, December 2, up to 40 bags of leaves per household will be picked up each week free of charge. To ensure a successful collection effort, Indianapolis residents are asked to follow these simple guidelines:

• Place leaves in plastic or large paper lawn-waste bags.
• Place leaf bags out by 7 a.m. on your regular trash day.
• Clearly identify and separate bags of leaves from regular trash. Place them on opposite sides of the driveway, in different colored bags or use different color tie wraps.

In 96-gallon cart collection areas, all leaves must be bagged and placed at least three feet away from the cart to allow DPW trucks to service the cart. Additionally, all trash must fit inside the cart. Trash outside the cart will not be taken during leaf collection season. Residents also should ensure that sewer inlets and drainage pipes are kept clear of leaves and debris to avoid drainage and flooding problems.

DPW reuses collected leaves as compost and makes it available to Marion County residents, free of charge year round. Compost can be used as a soil conditioner, potting soil or mulch. Using compost improves soil aeration, drainage and nutrient exchange to improve the health of lawns and help gardens grow.

Last year, more than 6,000 tons of leaves were collected during the City’s annual leaf collection program.

As a reminder, it is illegal to burn leaves in Marion County. Smoke from burning leaves pollutes the air with harmful particles and is hazardous to young children and people with heart and lung disease.

For more information please contact the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 or visit www.indy.gov/dpw.

www.7632fallcreekroad.com

Welcome to your own oasis in the middle of Lawrence Township!  Looking for privacy without giving up convenience, then look no more.  This 4BR/3BA ranch is situated on 1.25 private acres w/mature trees & no covenants & restrictions!  The home features lots of room for living in its for LR, FR w/frplc, fully equipped kit & a spac bsmt, ready for your finishing touches.  If outside entertaining is what you enjoy, you’ll love the in-ground pool & entertaining patios. Truly a rare find!

Hope you enjoy it, they are some talented boys!!!

We could not have done it without our sponsors, Diane Bussell of Chicago Title, Cori Drudge of Fairway Mortgage, Tom Britt of AtGeist, Bo Demir of Banners Plus Indy and Chef Suzanne!  Without out you, we could not have pulled this off!

Now for the exciting news!!!  Ian Lisk of Scottsdale, AZ won the $50 VISA gift card and Lesleigh Moore of Fishers won the $250 VISA gift card!!  They were very grateful and truly enjoyed the tour!!!

• Inspect the Inspector. Only hire a home inspector with an excellent reputation and credentials. Ask how long the company has been in business, ask about specific formal training and ongoing education the inspector has and verify the inspector carries professional liability insurance also known as “Errors & Omissions” (E&O). If the company doesn’t carry this insurance, it could indicate a poor track record or lack of experience.  Your real estate agent will usually give you names of at least 2 inspection companies in the area, if not, ask for them.
• Ask for a sample of a report. The quality of the final inspection report will be important. A poorly prepared report without pictures or clear, concise details addressing all the various systems and accessible elements of the home is less likely to be taken seriously by a home seller. Look for words like…repair/replacement needed, safety issue.  If they use the term “recommend” then they are not likely to stand behind their findings and the seller may say “they didn’t say it had to be replaced/repaired, they JUST recommended it”.
• Inquire about additional inspection services offered, like…. radon testing, mold testing, water test, septic tests.  Make sure they are licensed to do these types of inspections as well and ask for a discount if you add on additional tests.
• Attend your inspection if at all possible. If the inspector discourages you from going along and asking questions, find another inspector. A home inspection is not simply a laundry list of what is wrong with the home. In addition to documenting issues and needed repairs that may exist, a professional home inspector will also show the new buyer how to operate the various systems in the home and provide tips on improving energy efficiency and maintaining the home in general. And being present during the inspection will make the final written report that much more meaningful.
• Formulate your response for the seller. Once you receive the written report, you and your realtor should review the inspection and decide what items you are going to request the seller to repair/replace.  Always request that the work be completed by licensed/bonded contractor and that receipts be provided.  Keep in mind that the purchase agreement states you may only terminate the purchase agreement if a MAJOR DEFECT is found that the seller is unable or unwilling to remedy, you may not terminate the agreement for maintenance items or items previously disclosed by the seller.
• Get estimates for the repairs/replacements. The seller may want to get their own estimates also but if you have your own, you will know if the estimate from their contractor is out of line.
• Negotiate the repairs. Seller may not be willing to complete all of the repairs, you may have to be responsible for some of them.
• Reinspect. You may want your inspector to reinspect the repairs made by the seller’s, they will charge you a reinspect fee so make sure the repairs are all complete before going out. If the repairs are not complete or done incorrectly, the seller will need to have their contractor redo them and you may request that they be responsible for the reinspection fee since you were told they were complete.

It is not as bad as it sounds but there can always been hidden items that you did not see when you purchased the home.  This is just a part of the process and once this step and the appraisal are complete, it is usually smooth sailing to closing.

To find an inspector in our area go to, http://www.nahi.org/indianapolis-in-home-inspectors.asp for a list of licensed inspectors.

Are you concerned about identity theft? 

Bring your personal documents to “Community Shred Day“!  Watch as your old personal documents are destroyed by Shred it, a high speed, mobile, cross-shredder.  All shredded material will be recycled so you will also help protect our environment!

Don’t know what to do with your unused prescription drugs?

New Pharma  Trash Disposal  – Improper use of prescription medication among teenagers should
be a concern to everyone. Law Enforcement officers will be on site to collect the prescription medications you no longer need and properly dispose of them to protect our environment!

When:  Saturday, April 24th, 10:00am – 1:00pm

Where:  Carmel Police Headquarters
3 Civic Square
Carmel
Host: Carmel Police Department

Municipal Building
401 South Meridian Street
Lebanon
Host: Boone County Sheriff’s Office

Speedway Police Headquarters
1410 North Lynhurst Drive
Speedway
Host: Speedway Police Department

WTHR
1000 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis
Host: Indianapolis Metro Police Department

Cost:  All proceeds from your $5 per box donation will benefit Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization working with your law enforcement agency to solve serious crimes in your community.

We all need to do our part!