Chanda Barrick REALTOR (Indianapolis, Avon, Greenwood)

Broad Ripple Village Data

Following is the market report for the area known as Broad Ripple Village as of April 6th 2009. March 2009 sales were down compared to both March 2008 (14 sold) and February 2009 (10 sold). The good news is quite a few properties have been listed giving you a better selection of homes to choose from.

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!

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

This post is directed at the Lenders out there, I'm hoping this will not only help me, but others that may have some of the same questions...

I have a home that I was remodeling with whatever money I had on hand at the time. Almost 4 years later I still have way too many things to do and my patience is growing thin. For some living in a war zone may be OK, but I feel there are just too many things that need to happen to this house for it to feel like home. Long story short, I am looking for the best way to get the funds I need to finish up all of the outstanding projects.

I've been trying to research various options out on the internet, but many of the pages I find don't have any dates so the information/advice they are providing could be out of date. Obviously I plan to contact various lenders, but I need to know what questions I should be asking.

1. What is the best type of loan to get if you have say approx. $40,000 worth of work you'd like to complete. I don't want to add to my existing 30 year mortgage as I'd like to pay down this debt much quicker than the actual mortgage on my home. I have an addition that's been framed, roofed, and has the windows and doors, but I still need to complete all of the work inside (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, fixtures, drywall, etc...). In addition to completing the addition, I have other projects that need to be completed around the house: flooring, driveway resurfacing, etc...)

I'm providing this info because I don't know if my options may vary based on the type of work I need to complete.

So back to my question...Is it a good idea to get a HELOC, Home Equity Loan, Personal Loan, etc. I understand that's a home equity type of loan that you can add to your mortgage, but as I mentioned before I really don't want to add more debt to a 30 year investment...

2. What loan type has the best interest rate?

3. What types of fees are generally associated with the various types of loans? (Closing costs, prepayment penalties, etc.)

4. I have a decent credit score (I know they are all over 750), will this work in my favor? I'm pretty sure it will, but it's always better safe than sorry.

5. Who should I call? I know it isn't the Ghostbusters in this case so should I call banks or brokers or are there some options other than the typical bank or broker that I'm not even aware of?

5. What kinds of questions should I ask?

Brokers, Lenders, etc. please feel free to jump in and provide your input. Again, I hope I'm not the only one with these questions so you may be helping others out there with the same concerns.

If you live in Indiana, you are quite familiar with the recent controversy surrounding property taxes here in Indiana. There was a recent reassessment that caused many homeowners’ taxes to literally shoot sky high while dramatically decreasing the assessed value of their home. In one of the many examples, a resident of the Butler Tarkington area experienced an increase in property taxes from 2600 a year to approximately 7500 (at least a 285% increase). Other residents received increases even more phenomenal than that. As a result, government went to work looking for a solution to the issue that caused many a rally here in Indy.

The result...We are now getting closer to a permanent cap on real estate property taxes. Yesterday the Indiana House amended legislation to put the property tax caps in place for property taxes paid this year. This was originally going to go into effect next year, but a year early certainly won't hurt matters.

The bill essentially creates a cap on property taxes at a rate of 1 percent for homesteads, 2 percent for Agricultural property, and 3 percent for commercial property. Creating a standard method for assessing tax and home values will definitely give many homeowners that much needed sigh of relief....

If there was ever a perfect alignment of the planets and stars, now is the time to buy a home in Indy. With the property tax cap going into effect a year early, an 8,000 tax credit, and home prices that are extremely reasonable; there definitely is no better time to buy a home than now.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like assistance searching for a home.

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Woohoo! Today is officially the last day of winter, now's the time to welcome spring. If you are thinking about selling your home, you must remember a key element to bringing people into your home is curb appeal! If your house isn't appealing on the outside, many potential buyers may skip out on what may be a wonderful home on the inside. Remember, many people know it's "their house" before they even walk in the door. If they can't get past your "ugly home", you've lost an opportunity.

Following are some tips to help you give your home an outer facelift:

1. Remove fallen debris and cut back last year's growth. Go through your yard and remove any branches and twigs that may have fallen during the various winter storms. If you have perennials (i.e. daylilies) that require cutting back to allow the new year's growth, do this as well. Nobody wants to look at "dead" flowers and shrubs.

2. Pick up trash. It's amazing how trash can appear out of nowhere. Take a walk through your yard and pick up any debris that may have accumulated during the last few months.

3. Give your house a bath. If necessary, give your house a bath, meaning pressure wash your siding. Many homes will accumulate mold, mildew, and dirt over the years. If your house is looking a bit dingy, give it a bath; this can completely change the look of your home!

4. Touch up shutters and trim. The elements may have been hard on the painted areas of your home. If you have paint chipping or a color that isn't appealing to buyers, freshen it up with a new coat.

5. Plant some flowers with a punch of color. Although everything isn't in full bloom there are some flowers you can plant now to give your home an punch of color that will also stand up to another frost or two before we are officially into the full spring swing. Crocus, Pansies, Daffodils are very hardy and are available in colors that can give your home that extra boost of color to make it stand out among the rest.

6. Wash your windows and screen doors. Many of us forget how much clean windows can spruce up the look of a home. Take some time out to wash your windows both inside and out.

7. Spruce up your mailbox. If your mailbox is tired and old looking, buyers could be turned off. If it's dirty, give it a quick washing. If it's rusty or lacking paint, give it a good cleaning and a new paint job. If it's in disrepair, consider replacing it altogether.

8. Get rid of clutter. Not only is it a good idea to pickup branches and trash...It's also a good idea to remove unnecessary clutter from the yard (both front and back). Not only will the clutter make your yard feel and look smaller, it may signal to the buyer that you are careless about your property and the possibility of the inside looking just as bad as the outside.

Most of these suggestions cost next to nothing to complete but can help you sell your home faster and for more money. If your house looks like it's been taken care of, you'll be compensated as such. If your house looks like it's been neglected, the same also applies.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like some suggestions as to how to make your home more appealing to the buyer.

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Broad Ripple Village Data

Following is the market report for the area known as Broad Ripple Village as of March 15th 2009. The good news is sales are up compared to 2008. February 2008 only produced 3 sold properties while 2009 produced 10 sold.

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!

My website
or Call me at 317-889-1111