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Chanda Barrick REALTOR (Indianapolis, Avon, Greenwood)

The Old Northside of Indianapolis

The Old Northside of Indianapolis

Indianapolis is fast becoming a city that can compete with the likes of other cities like Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, etc....While we've made great strides to attract the latest and greatest life sciences initiatives, attract better paying jobs, place a greater emphasis on the arts, and all around become a better city, we had to start somewhere, right?

The Old Northside was once home to the very affluent residents of Indianapolis.  The Old Northside was home to the likes of many people of importance such as Benjamin Harrison, Lyman S. Ayers (started L. S. Ayer's department store), Ovid Butler (Founder of Butler University), Booth Tarkington (author and playwright),  among other affluent government officials, entrepreneurs, architects, and religious figures.  It was established in the mid 1800's and was home to Indianapolis' elite until its gradual decline after World War I.

The Old Northside is bound by 16th Street on the north, Interstate 65 on the south, Bellefontaine Street on the east, and Pennsylvania Street on the west.  It's was home to various architectural styles including Victorian, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Stick Style, Eastlake Style, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, among others.  The vast array of architectural styles are a big part of what made this area so desirable at the time.

Unfortunately through the years, residents began to express a desire for smaller homes and a more modern/art deco style, as a result, many of the residents began to move out of the neighborhood either abandoning the homes or neglecting to take care of them.  The rapid decline of The Old Northside began in the 1950's.  Many homes were demolished as a result of commercial development and the lack of interest in the style of homes erected in the area.  Many of the homes were also turned into multi-unit dwellings to accomodate the blue collar workers beginning to take up residence in the area.  Some of the once single family homes were divided into as many as 20 units!  As a result, much of Indianapolis' magnificent architectural history was been erased.

In 1978, The Old Northside was placed on the National Register of Historic Places which then sparked an interest to preserve what was left of these beautiful homes.  The revitalization of the area was slow, but in recent years many of Indianapolis' young professionals began to take interest in these homes which triggered a rapid movement of restoring these homes to their former glory.  It's wonderful to drive through the area and see the love and meticulous care taken to restore these homes! 

Property values in the area have increased significantly since the 90's making this area a great investment.  If you are interested in purchasing a home in The Old Northside or have any general questions about Indianapolis Real Estate, please feel free to contact me and I'll get your questions answered and can also provide you with information regarding the inventory that's currently available.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Search homes currently on the market

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Call me at 317-889-1111 or email me at chandasellsindy@sbcglobal.net

Beware of New Email Scam! Although I don't Understand What the Purpose Is...

 thought I was starting to pick up more hits from people interested in obtaining information related to the tax credit, home buying, etc, but apparently it's a new scam.  The only thing is...I don't know why they are doing it

Is it simply email harvesting so they can sell my address to a million other people that want to spam me or is it something even more sinister?

It seems the activity has reduced considerably as of 8-25-09. I don't see as many posts being indexed with Google so they've probably moved on to using new addresses or filled their site with enough content.

Just received a message (7/31/09) from a NEW account originating from a different IP Address:  teronspoons@gmail.com claiming to be "Lacey" with originating from IP address 69.89.18.16

Just received a message from another new address today (7/24/09), petrov.gazprom@gmail.com from "Tony":

From: "petrov.gazprom@gmail.com"
To: chandasellsindy
Sent: Friday, July 24, 2009 9:10:44 AM
Subject: How long it take for the 8000 first home buyers refund

How long it take for the 8000 first home buyers refund?
Before I go ahead, is there any pointers you might have?
Please help me.
Thank you for your help.
Gratefully, Tony

Just received a message from a new address today (7/21/09), iris.accountants@gmail.com from "Janet":

From:"iris.accountants@gmail.com"
To: chandasellsindy
Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 2:41:33 AM
Subject: Would you consider giving me a couple pointers

I would like to find out about the would you consider giving me a couple pointers. There are so many factors to consider. Would you be kind enough as to give me some pointers as what to look for or avoid?
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. Sincerely,
Janet

Last week I received an email from "Frank" regarding the tax credit.  I thought "Mike/Frank" found my blog about the tax credit and had additional questions about how the credit works.  I thought it was odd that he signed as "Frank", but the email address was "Mike"...  I searched the internet for this particular address, but didn't come up with much so I responded...

 

 

Here's "Frank's" message:

From:"mike.power200@gmail.com"
To:chandasellsindy
Sent: Friday, July 3, 2009 10:04:24 AM
Subject: How much of a tax rebate will i get for buying my first home

How much of a tax rebate will i get for buying my first home?  I was thinking that your advice would be very helpful.  I know you must be very busy so any pointers would be very much appreciated.
Please point me in the right direction.  Thank you in advance.
Thanks, Frank

This morning I go to check my mail and see I have an email from "Janet".  The wording of the message sounded very similar to the one I got from "Frank" last week so I thought I'd look this particular email address up.  This one yielded results.  Various people were saying this same email address was sending messages with inquiries related to whatever industry they were in...

Here's "Janet's" message:

From:"andri.manager@gmail.com"
To:chandasellsindy
Sent: Tuesday, July 7, 2009 10:31:13 PM
Subject:Do homebuyers pay sales tax

Hi,
Do homebuyers pay sales tax?  I don`t know if you are the right person to ask, but any advice/pointers you might have would be very much appreciated.
Would you consider giving me a couple pointers?
Thank you for your help.  Gratefully,
Janet

So here I thought I was being a good Samaritan when in reality I was being scammed.  ARGH!  I don't know what will happen as a result of responding to "Frank" but I wanted you all to be aware in case you've received similar inquiries!  DON'T RESPOND!!!

I'll keep adding the bogus messages to this post as I receive them....

From "Leanne":

From: andri.manager@gmail.com [mailto:andri.manager@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 11:38 PM
To: chandasellsindy
Subject: What is the average homebuyers credit score

What is the average homebuyers credit score?

What things should I be considering before going ahead? Please point me in the right direction. Thank you in advance. Thanks, Leanne

 

From "Larry":

From: andri.manager@gmail.com [mailto:andri.manager@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 9:40 AM
To: chandasellsindy
Subject: How much down payment do i need to buy a house for conventional loan

Hi,

How much down payment do i need to buy a house for conventional loan?

I don`t know if you are the right person to ask, but any advice/pointers you might have would be very much appreciated. A little advice would go a long way right now. I really appreciate your help. Thank you, Larry

 

From "Kim":

From: "petersons.production@gmail.com"
To: chandasellsindy
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 12:18:07 AM
Subject: How long to wait on first time home refund

Hi,
How long to wait on first time home refund?  I don`t know if you are the right person to ask, but any advice/pointers you might have would be very much appreciated.  Any info much appreciated.  Thank you very much.
Thanks, Kim

I guess I can deal in Canada now...From "Lacey":

From: "andri.manager@gmail.com"
To:chandasellsindy
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2009 2:05:23 PM
Subject: How much money needed to buy a house in canada

How much money needed to buy a house in canada? I was hoping maybe you could give me a few hints as to what I should be looking for and what to avoid.
Would you consider giving me a couple pointers?
I really appreciate your help.
yours truly,
Lacey

 

Real Estate Market Report for Broad Ripple Village, Indianapolis IN, June 2009 Data

Real Estate Market Info For Broad Ripple Village

Following is the market report for the area known as Broad Ripple Village as of July 6th 2009. June 2009 sales were up compared to May in addition to a large jump in the number of pending listings.

The number of sales in June 2009 (12 sold) was down compared to June 2008 (15 sold); however, the highest grossing sales price increased by $80,000 to $460,000.

Current Active Listings 69 Min Price: 104,900 Max Price: 489,900 13 Condo, 56 Single Family
Pending Listings 28 Min Price: 106,900 Max Price: 289,000 5 Condo, 23 Single Family
Sold in the month of May 12 Min Price: 122,000 Max Price: 460,000 2 Condo, 10 Single Family


Broad Ripple Village is bound by Kessler Boulevard East Drive on the south, North Meridian Street on the west, the White River on the north, and North Evanston Avenue on the east

Broad Ripple Village is an area that is the perfect combination of old and new. Here you'll find homes built anywhere from the 1800's to current date. Broad Ripple has something for everyone with great restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and an emphasis on being active and healthy.

For more information on Broad Ripple and all that it has to offer, please visit the Broad Ripple Village Association home page.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about the area or if you'd like me to send you the current active listings in the area. I look forward to hearing from you!

Search homes currently on the market

My website
Call me at 317-889-1111 or email me at chandasellsindy@sbcglobal.net

Today DID NOT Feel Like the 4th of July!


It has been raining here in Indy ALL DAY LONG nonstop. Usually on the fourth you hear fireworks all throughout the day. All I've been listening to all day is the rain which has pretty much put me into a comatose state. I had/have absolutely no energy today.

Our neighborhood usually has a parade and the spirit of it was dampened by the rain, literally. I'm wondering if the rain will stop in time to for the fireworks spectacular they hold every year downtown.

No smells of barbeque, and sounds of family outside having a great time...I'm sure as soon as the rain stops, there will be swarms of people shooting off the fireworks they spent their hard earned money on.

All in all, we should take time to reflect on the true meaning of this day and give many thanks for our freedom! :)

What was it like in your neck of the woods this Independence Day?

Answers To: How Much Money Is Needed To Buy A Home?

If you are a first time homebuyer, you may not be familiar with some of the costs associated with purchasing a home. Owning a home is definitely better than giving your money to a landlord every month, but there are some things you need to make sure you save for when making a purchase.

1. Earnest Money. If you place an offer on a home it is typical to offer earnest money to let the seller know you are serious about buying their property. While you may be able to get away without submitting an earnest money deposit as part of your offer, your chances of getting the offer accepted could diminish if you choose to submit a low ($100) on no earnest money deposit. A typical earnest deposit is anywhere from $500.00 to $1000.00. This can vary greatly depending on what the market is like in your area. Some areas may require much more. Another thing to keep in mind is that your earnest money deposit isn't just free money you are offering the seller, it will work as a credit toward your down payment or closing costs. If you are working a program with no down payment and the seller is paying your closing costs, you may get your earnest money credited back to you at closing.

2. Down Payment Money. When buying a home today, chances are you are going to need some money available for a down payment. There are a few programs available that may allow you to purchase a home with $100.00 down or others may even allow less. If you obtain an FHA loan and your credit is in pretty good shape you can expect to bring 3.5% of the purchase price to the table for a down payment. If you obtain a conventional loan, you should expect to bring 10%. Again, there are various programs, with varying requirements. Check with various lenders to determine what's out there.

3. Money for Closing Costs. Closing costs are essentially any fees that must be paid at the closing table. These fees include things like application fees, credit report fee, title search and insurance fees, appraisal fee, advanced payment of homeowner's insurance, recording fees, surveys, among others. Closing costs are typically anywhere from 3%-4% of the purchase price of the home. It's also good to keep in mind that you can request assistance with paying the closing costs when making an offer on a home. In many cases you may be able to request all or most of them be paid by the seller.

4. Money for the Home Inspection. If you are in the process of purchasing a home, it is HIGHLY recommended that you obtain a home inspection by a reputable company. You can expect this to cost anywhere from about $300.00 to $500.00. There are also additional inspections you may want to obtain like a termite, Radon, Mold, Septic, Pool and Spa, Asbestos, and Well water quality inspection.

While there may be other items you need to invest in when purchasing a home, these are the most typical expenses you'll incur.

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Please feel free to contact me with any questions.

Search homes currently on the market

My website

Call me at 317-889-1111 or email me at chandasellsindy@sbcglobal.net