If you're like most first-time buyers, you've probably spent hours scrolling through listings, watching YouTube videos, and asking friends and family for advice. The problem is that everyone has an opinion, and it's hard to know which advice actually applies to your situation.
The good news? Most first-time buyer mistakes are completely avoidable when you have a plan.
Here are five of the most common mistakes I see—and how you can avoid them.
Read More"Should we remodel... or is it time to build?"
It's a great question because there isn't one right answer for everyone.
Some homes are worth investing in for another chapter of life.
Others simply weren't designed for the way you want to live now.
My job isn't to convince you to build.
My job is to help you make the decision you'll feel good about five, ten, or even twenty years from now.
Start With the Life You Want, Not the House You Have
Read MoreIf you're thinking about building a home, you're probably imagining the fun parts.
Walking through model homes. Picking out your floor plan. Choosing cabinets, flooring, and paint colors. You’re dreaming of having enough space for the kids, a home office, and maybe even that covered patio you've always wanted.
It's exciting.
But before you get caught up in all the design decisions, there are a few things you should know that can save you a lot of money, stress, and regret later.
I've represented several families and helped them navigate the home-building process throughout the Indianapolis area, including Hamilton County and Boone County. I see the same mistakes happen over and over. The good news is they're almost always avoidable.
Read MoreLooking for fall fun? Check out this list of festivals, haunted houses, apple picking and more all around the metro Indy area.
Read MoreThe skies will light up all over central Indiana on July 4th. See where you can see fireworks in Indianapolis and the northern suburbs.
Read MoreWhen interest rates started to climb a year ago, some buyers said they were going to wait out the market, thinking prices were going to plummet. That didn’t happen. Prices are up, and we still have a supply issue.
Here’s what’s happening in the market now:
· Home sales are down this year compared to the same time in 2022. Sales are down about 12% in Carmel; 18.5% in Fishers and 12% in Washington Township on Indy’s northside.
· Average home prices are up, about 5% in both Washington Township and Fishers and 2.5% in Carmel. Average home prices increased in the double digits from 2021 to 2022.
· Homes are still selling. In fact, the average sales price is about 99% of the list price; it was 100% a year ago.
· Buyers are out there, but there aren’t enough houses to meet demand in lots of areas of metro Indianapolis. Now is a good time to sell a house.
But is it a great time to buy a house? Yes!
Read MoreOctober’s central Indiana residential real estate market experienced a slight inventory decrease and a modest year-to-date home sale price increase. However, compared to last October, the average home sale price in central Indiana decreased 8.5 percent, according to F.C. Tucker Company, part of the Howard Hanna family of companies. Specifically:
Available housing inventory decreased 0.8 percent compared to October 2022.
Compared to October 2022, the average home sale price for the 16-county central Indiana region decreased – down 8.5 percent to $295,305. The year-to-date home sale price increased slightly, up 5.7 percent.
Indianapolis Star column by Laura Musall
When serial Herbert Baumeister’s home was listed for sale in Westfield, there was no mention that human remains were found on the property, or that investigators suspect Baumeister killed at least 25 people and buried them on the northside property in the 1990s.
The property has been listed for sale several times over the past decade, and each touted the 18 acres of wooded, rolling grounds, the five-car detached garage, horse stables and an indoor pool. There’s no mention that one man escaped from inside that pool, telling investigators Baumeister tried to kill him there.
According to Indiana real estate laws, the owner of the estate isn’t required to disclose the history of the property.
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Most buyers – regardless of age – don’t want to do a bunch of updates after buying a house. They’d rather you update the flooring than offer them a credit for new floors. They don’t want to go shopping for appliances, and they definitely do not want to remove wallpaper. They are willing to pay more for a home where they can move in and begin enjoying their new digs. Here are tips that will help you increase the value of your home. Plus, making updates also can bring you additional joy at home.
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You know what things are gray? Prisons, concrete, mice, Grandpa’s Buick, skies on a rainy day. Yet, somehow gray has been the most popular interior paint color for the last decade, and like so many others, I painted nearly every wall in my house a shade of gray.
I’m not sure how this gray obsession began, and even when I asked some experts, no one knew for sure. Someone mentioned the home-flipping reality TV duo Chip and Joanna. Someone else pointed a finger at the Kardashians. I don’t know who gets the credit for it, but it’s time we rethink our use of gray. We’ve overdone it.
Read MoreHome sale price increases slowed and available housing inventory decreased, as the central Indiana residential real estate market continued to see increased activity in June. According to F.C. Tucker Company, part of the Howard Hanna family of companies, in June 2023, central Indiana housing inventory decreased 5.7 percent, compared to June 2022. Pended home sales decreased 20.7 percent, and year-to-date home sale prices increased 5.3 percent.
Read MoreRick Ripma and Ian Arnold with Mortgage Advisors interviews Realtor Laura Musall on the podcast, Indy Real Estate Gurus. Learn about Laura, what’s it’s like being a realtor, the local market and more.
Read MoreIndianapolis Star column by Realtor Laura Musall
It’s fun to ooh and ahh over the ritzy, over-the-top houses that hit the market (like the $5.52 million home that sold in Williams Creek recently), but have you ever wondered about the not so pretty homes? Houses with boarded up windows or signs on the door that say: “Enter at your own risk.” Homes where racoons – and other things – may be running amok. These are the listings that fall into the category of “fixer upper.” Here is a look at the 10 least expensive homes sold over the last 30 days in the Indianapolis Metro area. They range in prices from $30,000 to $52,000.
Read MoreA few weeks ago, I showed some houses to a couple from Illinois who want to downsize to a single-story home in Fishers near family. They want a two- or three-bedroom home in a neighborhood where they can play pickleball, be close to hiking trails and grocery stores and meet new friends (and neighbors) who are in the same stage of life.
Sounds pretty simple, right?
It’s not.
Read MoreThe number of homes for sale increased in March 2023 compared to the same time last year across central Indiana, which is good news for buyers. And, while many suspected (or maybe hoped) home prices would take a nosedive in 2023, that wasn’t the case for most of metro Indianapolis.
The average home sale price increased in Hamilton (8%), Hancock (5.4%), Hendricks (5.3%), Johnson (.7%) and Marion (3.2%) counties. The only metro area to see a decrease in average home price was in Boone County were the average sales price is 5.5% lower this year compared to March 2022.
The only area areas in central Indiana to see a decrease in home prices was in Decatur County (-9.6%) and Putnam County (-2.5%).
Read MoreThis one-owner, all brick-ranch in Fishers has a ton of potential. Built in 1974, it has lots of the original details, but it’s a sold home with a ton of potential. Some photos have been virtually staged to help you imagine how easy it might be to transform some of the spaces. See the full listing and more photos here.
Read MoreLet’s not freak out as interest rates increase. We’d all love rates to go back to the rates of 2021, but just because that’s not happening, doesn’t mean you should put buying a house on hold. Check out my column in the Indy Star about putting mortgage interest rates in perspective.
Read MoreThree-bedroom ranch is for sale in Fishers in popular Sunblest, which is near downtown Fishers, the Nickel Plate Trail, YMCA and more.
Read MoreHere’s a snapshot of real estate in central Indiana through the end of January 2023. Average sales prices are up, inventory is up, although the percentage of sales is down. If you’d like to talk about the market, let’s chat!
Read MoreCarmel plans to expand the White River Greenway from 116th Street to 146th Street.
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