This is a post that was inspired by Dan and Amy Schuman from Cleveland.  Many of you comment on what you learn from me; and I appreciate that very much.  But what Dan and Amy showed me was awesome.  I took their lesson and applied it to Fishers Real Estate (suburb of Indianapolis).  This is the post from my Fishers Blog where all of my localism is initially written.  I typically post twice a day to Active Rain; a post from my outside blog followed immediately by an Active Rain post that "might" appeal to the masses.  But today; my localism post stands alone.  Reposted from 11/25 Post: When buyers relocate to our Fishers area, they go to Google to learn about us. They may type in Fishers Real Estate, Best Resale Neighborhoods, Homes for Sale in Fishers or just Neighborhoods in Fishers.  ... 11/28/2010

If you are in Fishers, Indiana , I recommend having lunch at the Nickel Plate Bar and Grill located on 116th just behind the train station in downtown Fishers.  The Nickel Plate is also know as the Indiana Steelers venue because the owners are Pittsburgh Steeler fans (we don't hold that against them though!).  It is a pub type restaurant; the people you see eating outside are in an area that is very open; at night garage doors close those areas.  You can get typical bar food at this restaurant, but an unusual item that is quite yummy is the bison burger.  Fishers downtown has many restaurants and is an area with old fashion light posts that line the streets , brownstone facades, and cobblestone side walks. The downtown Fishers area is truly a step back in time with the old train station... 11/25/2010

I recently had a listing in Fishers sell in two weeks. Has anyone else had a similar scenario in this economy? I thought it was wonderful! I would like to do this many times! 11/19/2010

Appreciation for residential home sales in Fishers Indiana seem to be fairing well. Additional cities in the Indy metro aren't fairing as well. What cities do you think are being hit the hardest and doing the best? 11/19/2010

Way back in 2008, I started a series on the Top 10 Questions in Real Estate for my outside blog on Fishers Real Estate and somehow I never finished the series!  So much to write about I guess! So the answer to Question 9, what is the payback on my renovation is the one I will answer today. The short answer is, it depends! But every year CNN puts out a renovation payback calculator; that is fairly reliable across the country.  Overall, kitchen remodels are the best.  You can typically expect upwards of 80% payback on this.  I've included a renovated picture of my own kitchen as an example of major.  Major would include all new cabinets, flooring and countertops as well as new appliances.  But major isn't necessary to sell your Fishers home.  You can easily upgrade by just changing out th... 11/19/2010

Sandstone Lakes is a Fishers Indiana subdivision of 370 homes built between 1997-2006. These two-story Estridge-built homes feature a combination of brick and vinyl construction. Many of the homes have basements, with an average of 2400 finished square feet. Sandstone Lakes has had an impressive selling record in the past six months, with average days on the market just 46. The quickest sale was made in 10 days! One of the many attractions of this popular Fishers subdivision is its convenient location off of 116th Street, adjacent to Brooks School Park, a Marsh grocery store and other Fishers amenities. Sandstone Lakes is part of the larger Sandstone community that includes Sandstone Meadows and Sandstone Knoll.   Location: 116th Street east of Brooks School Road Schools: Hamilton South... 11/15/2010

To spice up the post this month, I am going to give you two slices of the Fishers Homes that have sold, my standard graph and then also a chart.  Let me know which you prefer (although you will have to click back to the main article to see the other slice). You can either comment on this blog or send me a quick email.  I love the questions and comments you are sending to me; I write so much about the Fishers Real Estate market, there is virtually nothing I can't answer as a result.  So, continue to ask away! Looking at the graph, you can see another month lower than the previous year.  It will end sometime, I promise!  This month there were 104 homes for sale in Fishers that sold compared with 139 in October 2009.  There were a couple of similarities: the number of distressed properties... 11/09/2010

    This is Mia at a Halloween Party in Fishers, Indiana.  The child is surrounded by Hershey Bars, Sour Patch Kids, and Tootsie Roll Pops---as much as she wants.  What does she choose to eat?  An apple!!!  Mia is my granddaughter and she certainly does not get this eating disorder from me.  I am going to look to Mia to stay motivated to eat healthier and be healthier!! 11/08/2010

If you want to live in a home in Fishers Indiana with great resale value, then this post is for you.  I write about several neighborhoods in Fishers to give you some ideas of where resale is best.  We have also written an article answering the question of determining the best resale values in Fishers. I am going to concentrate on a neighborhoods between 106th to 116th on Hague.  Most of Fishers Real Estate is new construction such as the areas out by Olio and 116th; but there are treasures within Fishers that have held remarkable value in Berkley Grove, Hickory Woods and Timber Springs. Berkley Grove is a neighborhood with prices ranging from $175,000 for a small (1600 sq ft) ranch up to $225,000 for a larger two story, some with a basement.  There are a limited number of homes with bas... 11/04/2010

9299 OAK KNOLL Lane OPEN HOUSE THIS SUNDAY 11/7 FROM 1-3 PM 9299 OAK KNOLL Lane, Fishers, IN 46037 BLC#: 21048686 PROPERTY DETAILS $249,900 LISTING INFORMATION MLS: 21048686Bedrooms: 4Full Baths: 2Half Baths: 1Sq ft: 3389Lot Size: .29 AcreStyle: American TraditionalGarage: 2 Car+Heat Source: GasTaxes: $1179.00 PROPERTY DESCRIPTION Beautifully updated 4 bd 2.5 bath home in Fantastic Delaware Pointe! Home boasts a beautifully updated kitchen including stainless steel appls & quartz counter tops. Greatly cared for home includes newer roof, ALL BRAND NEW THERMAL WINDOWS, New Hardie Plank Cement Composite Siding (Lasts 50+ years), & much more. No unexpected maintenance here! Other features include fantastic master suite, large bonus RM can be classified as a large 5th bdrm, Full basement w/... 11/03/2010

There are 716 residential homes for sale in Fishers today and choosing one might depend on the home schools.  The Hamilton Southeastern School District website is awesome with enrollment information, calendars to determine dates for breaks, and a sitemap to take you to each school's website.  But, how do you find the home school for where you live?  You can go to the main website and click on the bottom right where it says Schools and Websites.  Then choose a grade level.  The third question on that site is "Which School will my child go to" and if you click on that you will get a colored map detailing the neighborhoods with the schools with abbreviations.  You'll need to refer to the grade level page for the key.  For example, BSES is Brooks School Elementary School and CRES is Cumberl... 11/02/2010

Roll out the flour and molasses and stock up on gumdrops! It’s time once again for the annual Fishers Conner Prairie Gingerbread House competition! Individuals, families, businesses and organizations are all invited to enter the fun-filled contest which challenges both culinary and architectural skills. (Be warned, however. My friend’s daughter entered the contest a few years ago, and my friend is STILL finding scraps of gingerbread in her kitchen!)Entry deadline for the Conner Prairie Gingerbread House competition is Friday, Nov. 5. Gingerbread masterpieces must be delivered to Conner Prairie by Friday, November 19. Upon delivery, each entrant will receive two complimentary general admission tickets to Conner Prairie for the 2011 season.CASH prizes will be awarded to the winners of eac... 10/29/2010

In my younger days, I would make dozens of gingerbread men cookies; I loved the smell of gingerbread….still do!  I would use M & M’s for the eyes and buttons and would use frosting for their hair, smiles and shoe laces, it was very elaborate  And it would take me days. There is a great event in Fishers at Conner Prairie that runs from December 1st through January 3rd.  It is the Gingerbread House Competition.  You can enter to win and most certainly go and see them! It you are interested in competing, all entry forms are due Friday, November 5th with a non refundable entry fee of $15.00.  There are various age categories for judging from 9-12 year olds to 18 years old and up.  There will also be awards for the People’s Choice, Most Traditional, Most Creative, etc.  Cash Prizes are awar... 10/28/2010

If you want to live in a home in Fishers Indiana with great resale value, then this post is for you.  Be sure to visit all the posts on neighborhoods in Fishers to find the one that is right for you. The area from 106th to 116th on Hague has some of the best neighborhoods in Fishers, older but very popular.  Most of Fishers Real Estate that is new construction are areas out by Olio and 116th and at Brooks School and 126th.  I think there are treasures within Fishers that have held remarkable value in Berkley Grove, Hickory Woods and Timber Springs. Timber Springs is a neighborhood with prices ranging from $275,000 to $350,000 depending on the lot, sq footage and basement size.  Most of homes have basements in this neighborhood.  Of the 7 that have sold in 2010, six have had basements. T... 10/26/2010

I think it is important to always stay on the cutting edge of technology; and recently went to a seminar on widgets. So, here is a map from Zillow with all the active listings in Fishers. Feel free to browse through them and if you see one you want to see in person, let me know. For now, if you end up over in Zillow, please hit your back button to return to this post and the interactive map below. Enjoy Homes in My Area See these Fishers, IN Homes for Sale on Zillow Get this widget Many thanks to the teacher, Brad Andersohn Search homes for sale in Fishers by Neighborhood Other Northside Blogs (Carmel, Noblesville, and Geist)        Cindy "in Indy" Marchant - Fishers Real Estate AgentKeller Williams Realty Indy Metro NEFishers IN Real Estate Website317-290-7775 cindymarchant@comcast.net 10/25/2010

This Halloween, it seems, anything goes when it comes to pumpkins. I’ve seen white, gray and (nearly) pink pumpkins. My husband’s pick from one of our favorite Fishers pumpkin patches is a rich orangish-red shade and looks like it has a bad case of the pox. Never has he been more proud of a gourd! Yesterday I came across a pumpkin that looked as if it had been rolled in peanut shells. Whether these exotic creatures are grown intentionally or are the result of some horrible genetic mutation, I have no idea. I just know it's fun to search Fishers pumpkin patches for them, they make great decorations from Halloween to Thanksgiving, and they generate good conversation. If you consider Where did you get THAT thing? a good conversation starter, that is!Where does one find such exotic (the cor... 10/25/2010

Where can you experience the thrill of a nighttime hayride PLUS the chilling possibility of an encounter with a real, live (or is that dead?) Headless Horseman? During Fishers Conner Prairie Headless Horseman days, of course! For those unfamiliar with the legend of the Headless Horseman, here's a brief lesson in American literature: the Headless Horseman is a fictional character from the 1819 short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving. The setting is a 1790s Dutch community named Sleepy Hollow. The main character is schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, who is competing for the affections of Katrina Van Tassel with Brom Bones, who attempts to frighten Crane out of town with tales of a Revolutionary War soldier who was decapitated by a cannonball and now roams Sleepy Hollow (in... 10/23/2010

Do you remember the story of the Polar Bear Express, most recently with Tom Hanks?  It is a great story filled with magic in the eyes of a child. Since 1995, the Polar Bear Express in Fishers has been making children and adults BELIEVE.  The train ride begins at the Fishers Train Station where a Christmas story is told.  (This story is read to the audience on the floor; so be prepared to sit). The daytime trips (9:45AM, 11:00AM, 1:30PM and 2:45PM) will ride from Fishers to Noblesville and back to Fishers.  Santa Claus will be on the train to visit with the children.  Cookies are offered on this trip. The evening trips (which are just about sold out) are at 4:00PM, 5:45PM and 7:30PM, they will travel through Noblesville square and the North Pole located at the Indiana Transportation Muse... 10/21/2010

There are so many great Halloween events this year in the Fishers area, but one of my favorites is the Headless Horseman of Fishers Sleepy Hollow.  There are only two weekends left to take advantage of this, the 21-24th and the 28-30th.  For those that don't know the story of the Headless Horseman, it goes something like this.  Long ago there was supposedly a soldier from the Revoluntionary War who was decapitated by a cannonball and now roams Fishers Sleepy Hollow on a horse.  Supposedly he cannot cross bridges, maybe he is ghost because they can't cross them either.  It was this tale that a gentleman scared Ichabod Crane with so that he would lose "the girl" in the story of Sleepy Hollow.  Hours for this event are 6-9 p.m. but many events last until 10:00 p.m.  Hayride tickets are on ... 10/21/2010

Are you ready to trick or treat on Halloween in Fishers?  Here are a few venue's for you to consider: East 91st Trunk or Treat is Wednesday, October 27th from 6:30 to 8:00 in the E91 parking lot.  Trick or Treat at Fishers Town Hall is Friday October 29th from 2:30 to 4:00. Our very own Keller Williams office will be hosting trick or treat on Friday also.  Each agent has decorated their offices (as well as the common areas) for your kids to enjoy.  We are located just east of I69 (over the bridge) to Exit 5 Parkway,  go north and we are the first left.   The address is 11800 Exit 5 Parkway.  Contact me at cindymarchant@comcast.net for hours. The hours for trick or treating in Fishers ON Halloween are from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM.  Here are some tips for trick or treating: Only go to houses y... 10/19/2010