While I love to write about the events in Carmel and the Carmel Real Estate market, it is a necessity that I write about filing your exemptions.  It will matter to everyone who owns a home in Carmel.  The mortgage exemption reduces the assessed value of your home by $3,000 and the homestead exemption reduces the assessment by $45,000.  You can only have exemptions on one home in Indiana. Who needs to file: If you bought a new home If you refinanced your existing home If you changed your deed, maybe put it in a trust The Hamilton County Auditors office is located at 33 N 9th Street, Suite 214 in Noblesville.  Their phone number is 317-776-9602.  Their hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 M-F. You can also file at the Carmel/Clay Twp Assessor's Office at 10701 N College Avenue; pho... 11/01/2010

All the residents in Carmel and the surrounding area have been watching the Carmel Palladium being built.  It has been touted as the crown jewel of old town Carmel. It cost about $150 million and has used limestone from Indiana in its construction. It is about 85 feet from floor to dome and speaking of the floors, they are Italian stone.  There are 65 glass panels and the Palladium seats 1600 in the concert hall.  There is also a 500 seat proscenium theater and a 200 seat studio theater.  The new concert series is out and has five distinct series as follows: Classics Great American Songbook Jazz Roots Country Dance In the Classic series, you can see the Viena Boys Choir on March 5th, Kronos Quartet on April 17th or the Cleveland Orchestra on May 22nd. In the Songbook series, Marvin Haml... 10/21/2010

I will admit to you, the reader, that I keep lots of stuff under my kitchen sink.  You would probably be amazed--a trash can, cleaning supplies, houseplant supplies, a lint roller, potato scrubber, trash bags, dog shampoo, rubber gloves and on and on.  I can get to all of these items by simply opening the cabinet and blindly reaching in.  The key word here being BLINDLY. If I have to use my eyes to see something, it means we probably have bad news.I only look under the sink if I suspect a leak or the garbage disposal is not working.Who do I call when I suspect a problem under my sink?  None other than Tom Bartlett with Universal Maintenance Services.  (Since this blog was posted, Tom has retired and is no longer in the business of helping home owners with repairs). He has come to the re... 10/17/2010

We have a trend beginning that I hope will end soon!  This is the third month of declining sales from a year ago; with a 28% drop this September compared with last September. Let's look at the graphs. The number of homes that sold in Carmel Indiana was 84 this month compared with 116 last month.  However we can gleen some good news from the analytics that your Carmel Realtor does each month.  When I run the statistics I am showing an increase in price per sq ft of 6%.  Now this could be a result of more homes in Carmel over $500,000 selling in September of 2010.  There were 14 of these homes in September of 2010, compared with only 8 in September of 2009.  So the luxury market in Carmel looks to be doing well. The most expensive home in Carmel that sold in September was for $1,200,000 a... 10/13/2010

Living in Carmel has so many benefits with the Monon Center, Clay Terrace shopping, fabulous dining and great schools.  October provides a great opportunity to get outside and enjoy all that Carmel has to offer. There is the Ghosts and Goblins 5K Walk on Saturday October 30th at Carmel High School. There is an event called Spooky Social on Saturday October 23rd from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM at 2700 W 116th at West Park in Carmel.  There will be face painting, crafts, and a costume judging by age groups.  This is a free event. On Octover 9th, the Pumpkin Patch Festival will return to Clarian North Medical Center from 12:00 to 3:00 with a bounce house, petting zoo, family photo's and live music. The Headless Horseman is at Conner Prairie throughout the month of October. Trick or Treating will ... 10/07/2010

    Carmel’s real estate market remained consistent for the third quarter of 2010. Looking at the statistics from July 1 to September 30, the average sales price was $347,581, up from $310,324 in the second quarter of 2010. The average list price to sales price percentage remained steady at 96%. Average days on the market for sold listings rose slightly, from 71 days in the second quarter of 2010 to 78 days for the third quarter.   Listed homes                                      394 Sold listings                                        291 Pending listings                                  64 Average Sales Price                           $347,581 Low Sales Price                                 $43,955 High Sales Price                                 $1,200,000 Average Days on Market    ... 10/07/2010

There has been quite a bit of news over the last week about the RepoGate crisis.  There have been accounts that foreclosure actions by some lenders have been frozen in 23 states which are mostly judicial foreclosure states.  (In addition title companies are appearing to review their policies on writing title insurance for foreclosed properties from certain lenders.) So what states are affected by this?  DS News has gone to several lenders and come up with a list of states.  Because there are some variations by different lenders, I will just provide a link to the DS News article. This is definitely news to stay on top of, particularly for people who are working with foreclosures and REO's.   For information about Carmel Indiana Real Estate be sure to visit my website, CarmelHomeBuyers.co... 10/05/2010

During the last week three major lenders have announced that they are freezng numerous foreclosures in process in 23 states.  And one title company has said they will not issue title insurance on foreclosures from certain lenders with suspect processing methods.  Some bank-owned REO sales will be suspended while cases are being evaluated.  There is at least one person employed by a lender who is alleged to have signed forms as part of the foreclosure process at the rate which figures to about two forms per minute. Will this spread to more lenders and title companies?  Will more lenders freeze foreclosures?  Will more title companies refuse to insure the title from certain lenders?  Will courts put foreclosure actions under greater scrutiny? The actions of the three lenders and one title... 10/03/2010

Pulte's Saddle Creek is a popular Carmel Indiana Real Estate location.  It is located in the Spring Mill and Towne area just north of 136th.  There are 493 homes in the subdivision and they were built between 2000 and 2005 for the most part. There are so many neighborhoods in Carmel with homes for sale, why would you pick Saddle Creek?  For starters it has very good resale in terms of days on market.  On the average, homes only last about 60 days. There have been 29 homes sold since January and there are currently 19 active homes for sale; so the absorption rate is about six months.  For this particular time in real estate, six months is good! The average price per sq ft is right at $107.00; with most homes ranging in price between $275,000 and $350,000.  Almost all of the homes have a ... 09/28/2010

If you're shopping for a Carmel Indiana home, chances are you can rattle off a list of "must have" features without hesitation -- stainless steel appliances, hardwoods, updated fixtures, granite, surround sound. But what if your real estate agent asked you what you want in a neighborhood. Could you answer as quickly?  If "perfect neighborhood" isn't already at the top of your Wish List, it should be. After all, you can always add hardwood floors. Moving your dream home to your dream neighborhood--not so easy.Here are a few considerations to help you select the ideal neighborhood where you can be a happy homeowner for years to come.New development or established neighborhood? Each has its pros and cons. Obviously a new development is going to be, well, newer. New homes, new amenities, et... 09/28/2010

Carmel Real Estate has some of the best neighborhoods in Central Indiana.  Located just north of 131st on Hazel Dell is the beautiful neighborhood of Avian Glen.  There are approximately 225 homes in this neighborhood built primarily between 1993 and 1996. Nearly every home has a basement and three car garage and many homes have 5 bedrooms and at least three full bathrooms.  They are all custom built homes and are brick/cement siding.  Most of the homes are at least 3,000 sq ft with an additional 1,000 to 1,500 in the basement area. What is so amazing about this neighborhood is the days on market; there have been five homes that have sold since 1/1/10 and the average days on market is a mere 38! Of those five, two of them sold in less than 7 days! There are currently six homes for sale;... 09/25/2010

Cindy in Indy Marchant | Keller Williams | (317) 290-7775 5003 St Charles, Carmel, IN Carmel in Kingswood (Great Location) 4BR/2+1BA Single Family House offered at $295,000 Year Built 1988 Sq Footage 3,265 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 43,560 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Well cared for full brick wrap home with large private backyard with tiered deck. Interior is impeccable with new hardwoods in DR, large LR (being used as an office), kitchen w/center island and lots of counter space opens to breakfast and family room with coffered ceiling and fireplace flanked by bookcases. Master (18 x 18) suite has jetted tub, sep shower, and large closet. Basement is finished. Roof (2008); Gutter guard covers (2008); many Windows (2009); Chi... 09/24/2010

Carmel is a great place to live because they are such an active community with things to do almost every weekend.  Coming up on Septemer 25th and 26th is the Carmel International Arts Festival on Main Street in the Carmel Arts and Design District. There will be nearly 150 artists displaying their works in watercolor, oils, jewelry, photography, wood, sculpture and various other mediums.  There will also be entertainment on two stages including the Banjo Buddies Dixieland Band and the CR Ryan Professional Magician, as well as food vendors. There will be lots for the kids to do too with Slammer Jazz and The Frog and the Toad Mini Musical.  They will have face painting and Dooley the Clown! Admission is free and you can part at the Carmel High School and a shuttle will be provided.  How ea... 09/22/2010

The Carmel Arts and Design District will feature a Gallery Walk on Saturday Sept. 18, 2010 from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.  Eight galleries, all within easy walking distance will display a variety of original works including painting, art glass, sculpture, photography and limited edition prints.  Gallery owners will be offering a warm welcome to visitors who desire to explore what the Arts and Design District has to offer. The following galleries will be participating the Gallery Walk: Art & Soul,1 S. Range Line Road ArtSplash, 111 W. Main Street, Suite 140 Evan Lurie Gallery, 30 W. Main Street Eye On Art Gallery, 111 W. Main Street Garvey Simon Art Access, 27 E. Main Street Magdalena  Gallery of Art, 22 N. Range Line Road Renaissance Fine Art & Design, 246 W. Main Street Soori Gallery, 258 W... 09/18/2010

It's that time to review the Carmel Real Estate market again.  Carmel continues to look good compared to last year; although the last two months have seen a decline.  Last month we saw a 22% decline and this month we are seeing a 15% decline.  This is far better news than the neighboring Fishers Real Estate market that has seen a 42% decline last month and a 58% decline this month! There were 113 homes in Carmel that sold in August compared with 129 homes in August of 2009.   The days on market were consistent at 79 which is quite amazing given the drought of buyers most cities are seeing right now.  The average price per sq ft is $115 compared with $109 a year ago so also good news.   The average price of homes sold in Carmel increased about 5%; the average this August was $336,000 com... 09/14/2010

How many times has somebody told you that if you make half of your mortgage payment every two weeks that you will cut 7 years off your mortgage?  It is simply NOT TRUE, at least not in today's interest rate environment. So is this an urban legend? What is the origin of this statement? Well at one time it was true, but only when the interest rate was above about 7-7/8%. When interest rates were that high, the story about saving 7 years was frequently repeated.  Unfortunately, even with today's low rates, some continue to repeat this old news.  There are three payment methods below are very close to equivalent: Make two half-payments every two weeks (=13 monthly payments) Make one extra payment every year (=13 monthly payments) Add 8.33% to your monthly payment (equivalent to 13 monthly p... 09/13/2010

I have another Carmel Real Estate story to share.  Jim and Nicole were living in Avon and travelling to the NE side of Indy each day for their jobs.  They really wanted to live in Carmel, great schools, lots of things to do and much shorter commuting time.  But sometimes what you can afford and what you want don't always play nice together.  Enter bank owned properties! This home was located in the Woodlands, which is a one of the most popular neighborhoods in Carmel because it is so close to the interstates and so convenient to 96th street with it restaurants and shops.  Keystone Mall is just a few minutes drive.  Of course, the minute we put in our bid; we were in a multiple bid situation.  I have written about strategies to get the deal done, so I won't belabor the point here.  Just ... 09/10/2010

We have seen the end of a most incredible run in 2010 Carmel Real Estate.  This month we saw a 22% decline in the number of homes sold from a year ago; that after a string of months that were higher.  The good news is that the days on market remained consistent at 79 (although given the lower sales volume, that may rise next month) and the price per sq ft moved from $113 a year ago to $118 this year. The luxury market in Carmel is still strong at 17 homes over $500,000 selling in July of 2010 compared with 22 homes over $500,000 selling in July of 2009. The most interesting home that sold was one that I bid on, and did not get.  It was a bank owned home in the Village of West Clay that was gorgeous; very little wrong with it.  It was listed for $407,900 and my clients really didn't want... 08/16/2010

Well its official, Carmel Indiana is the 6th largest city in Indiana.  Carmel has added close to 8,000 residents due to an annexation of Southwest Clay. According To Mayor Brainard   "Being the biggest isn't important," Brainard said. "We want to make sure Carmel is a place that's competitive withcities around the world, a place that reflects well on the Indianapolis region and that's a good place for people to spend their lives." Carmel IN Is Growing - Now 6th Largest City in Indiana If you do not know too much about Carmel Indiana there are several things the city is known for.  Hamilton County, Indiana was named the # 1place in the nation to raise a family in 2008.  Carmel is ranked in the top 15 for best places to live in 2010 and is one of the fastest growing cities in Indiana.  Wi... 07/30/2010

I recently refinanced my home because the rates got so low even I couldn't resist!  Many first time buyers or even move up buyers weren't ready to make a move during the tax credit time period; but it may have worked to their benefit. Here's an example: Sale price of a home is equal to $200,000 Buyer puts 3.5% down (the least amount you can put down unless you are a veteran or buy in a very rural area) making his mortgage $193,000. At a 6% interest rate (which is what they were during the tax credit time period for the most part); the prinicple and interest would be $1,158 each month. At a 4.5% interest rate, that same principle and interest would be $965 saving $193 each month.  It would take less than four years to recoup the $8,000 tax credit.  On average people stay five to seven ye... 07/23/2010