Let's be honest. Fishers, Indiana is not the typical stuff of dreams when it comes to dreaming of retirement. It's an Indianapolis suburb, after all - not a tropical beach locale! But really, WHY NOT consider retiring in Fishers? It's centrally located, meaning you can easily visit family and friends in a variety of locations, there's lots to do and, best of all, you can afford it! Need more? Here are 5 Great Reasons to Retire in Fishers, Indiana! #1 - Because Forbes.com says you should! Fishers made the recently-released Forbes.com 2011 list of Top 25 Suburbs for Retirement. Not too shabby for an Indianapolis suburb! A very low crime rate (lowest on the list, in fact), affordable homes, and a cost of living that's a full 10 percent below the national average make Fishers an attractive ... 08/15/2011

Originally posted at My Fishers Blog I think I alluded to it last month, but July shows some great news for the number of homes sold in Fishers for July.  In July 2011, 153 homes sold in Fishers compared with 107 last year.  That is a 40% increase…(wish the stock market would have that kind of a day!).  Both the days on the market improved from 89 to 82 and the average price increased from $248,700 to $249,600.  Can I get an “Amen”? Of course, as a seasoned Fishers Real Estate agent…I must throw some caution to this.  Last July was probably a very light month…everyone who wanted the repeat buyer and first time buyer tax credit had to close by June 30, 2010 to get that money.  So, it’s possible July was light because June was so high last year.  Just sayin’. The number of luxury homes (... 08/11/2011

    Scorching temperatures didn’t deter shoppers from standing in line for locally grown Indiana sweet corn last weekend at the Fishers Farmers Market! More than 40 vendors offer everything from organic soaps and adorable children’s accessories to homemade (and absolutely heavenly!) egg rolls. Most vendors offer samples, and those alone make it worth going! The market is open Saturdays through the first weekend in October from 8 a.m. to noon at the Fishers Train Station. Don't miss it! Fishers information and property search   View Larger Map 08/04/2011

Originally posted at My Fishers Blog Knowing the best neighborhoods in Fishers can make finding the perfect home for sale in Fishers for you easier!  Wintercove might be the one.  It is tucked away just off of Allisonville Road between 106th and 116th on the East side of the Road.  It is a small neighborhood of only 68 homes but they are all custom built.  Most were built in the early 2000’s making the landscaping beautiful and mature.  The neighborhood is nearby to Bluestone, also a popular area. It is convenient to the popular Sahm’s Restaurant as well as banking, grocery stores and other restaurants. Since January 1, 2010 6 have sold; only one with a basement.  Most of the homes are at least 2500 sq ft with many over 3,000.  Most of the homes have at least four bedrooms and three fu... 07/31/2011

  A recent summer stroll through Ritchie Woods Nature Preserve in Fishers proved the park is aptly named! We spotted this buck just as he spotted us, and we were able snap a quick picture before he bounded away! Ritchie Woods is located at 106th Street and Hague Road in Fishers, Indiana. The park is open from dawn to dusk and features about 2.25 miles of trails, plus a picnic shelter and restrooms. Special classes and presentations are offered throughout the year. Ritchie Woods Nature Preserve. Homes for sale in Fishers Indiana View Larger Map 07/29/2011

  It’s all fun and games at the new Americans With Disabilities-accessible (ADA) playground at Brooks School Park in Fishers. The playground, which opened earlier this summer, offers a fun, safe environment for children of all ages and abilities. Equipment includes 21 different activities, a sensory play area, activity boards, and a rubberized surface. But wait, there’s more! Other Brooks School Park amenities include a Born Learning Trail for preschoolers, basketball courts, horseshoe pits and a multi-use trail. A new picnic shelter, benches and picnic tables also are in the works. Fishers homes near Brook School Park Fishers Indiana information View Larger Map 07/27/2011

Just six short months ago in fishers, indiana, we were complaining about this.... And now we're complaining once again! Same topic, different end of the thermometer. What a fickle bunch we are! But it does bring up an interesting question: Which would YOU rather? Ice and snow, or heat and humidity? (Sorry, refreshing tropical breeze isn't an option!)   Fishers real estate and information 07/19/2011

Do you live in Fishers Indiana?  Do you wonder how the Fishers Real Estate market is doing in your neighborhood.  This is the report for you. The graph is a pictorial of the last three years showing homes for sale in Fishers that have sold by month.  This month is very close to a year ago with 171 sold compared to 173 a year ago.  In fact, this is the 2nd month in a row where we are close to the volume from a year ago.  Keep in mind the 1st Buyer Credit ended in April of 2010. There's good news and bad news to this.  In 2011 the time it is taking to sell a home is 82 days; a year ago they were selling in 65 days.  But, in 2011 the price per sq ft of a home selling is $99 compared with $95 a year ago...so an increase. The most expensive home that sold in Fishers this month was an English... 07/13/2011

  As you're driving through Fishers, Indiana, don't be startled if you happen upon a seemingly random (and very brightly-colored!) piano sitting on the side of the road. I am Piano, Play Me! is a public art project developed by the Fishers Arts Council. The intention is to give Fishers residents the opportunity to experience a form of art they might not otherwise have access to. The pianos, each distinctly decorated by local artist Zachary Thomas, can be found at the Fishers Train Station, the Ambassador House, Billercay Park, and 116th and Lantern Road through July. About Fishers Indiana   07/09/2011

Originally posted at My Fishers Blog. So you are ready to sell your home or buy a home and you've received numerous recommendations on which REALTOR to use...but how do you know which one is the best real estate agent for you? Here are some considerations: How well do they know the area you are looking to buy or sell?  For example, I had a call yesterday and the person is thinking about selling.  I asked her where her neighborhood was and she said, Sweet Briar.  I could immediately tell her how quickly her home was likely to sell because I know nearly every Fishers neighborhood.  I had a buyer last weekend that was from out of town; over the course of being with them I could tell them about commute times, schools and resale values.  All valuable in the buying process. How available are ... 07/08/2011

Steel beams from the World Trade Center were on display at the Fishers Freedom Festival June 26 as part of Project 9/11 Indianapolis. The beams are making stops at festivals throughout the Indianapolis area before becoming part of a permanent 9/11 Memorial near the White River in downtown Indianapolis. Project 9/11 Indianapolis, headed by Indianapolis firefighter Greg Hess, will establish a permanent Indianapolis memorial dedicated to those killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001. Hess was a member of Indiana Task Force 1, one of the first FEMA Search & Rescue teams to arrive at Ground Zero.  In 2010, Hess petitioned the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to obtain two steel beams from the World Trade Center to use in the Indianapolis memorial. Hess' request was granted, and... 07/01/2011

The 4th of July is right around the corner; wonder where the best places to watch the fireworks in Fishers are...here's a few suggestions! Conner Prairie and the Glorious 4th is July 2, 3rd and 4th!  It is more than just the nightly fireworks...although those will be held with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.  This is a chance to relive how the holiday was celebrated way back in the 1800's with games, barn dancing and some great food. Up in Noblesville, the Car Show and Parade will be on Monday, July 4th.  The Parade (beginning at 16th and Harrison and travelling south on 16th to Logan) starts at 5:00 p.m. followed by the music o Dave and Rae at 7:00 p.m.  The fireworks will start at 10:00 p.m. Over in Geist...the Blast on the Bridge is a great outing with a boat parade, skydivers, ... 06/30/2011

  For the sixth straight year Fishers is on RelocateAmerica.com's list of Top 100 Places to Live! What's different this year is that YOU can help make it No.1! Local residents, business owners and anyone else who thinks knows Fishers is a great place to live can cast their vote on the RelocateAmerica.com web site, where you can also size up the competition - which includes state rival Bloomington, as well as more exotic locations such as Anchorage, Alaska. This is the 14th annual list of America's Top 100 Places to Live. The 2011 best communities were identified by RelocateAmerica as well positioned for economic recovery, already experiencing strong economic recovery or have proven overall economic stability. Factors such as employment, education, community leadership and overall qualit... 06/29/2011

Originally posted in My Fishers Blog Fishers Indiana is a great place to live; we all know the numerous awards this town has received from Most Affordable to the Best Place to Raise a Family.  One of the reasons is the number of affordable events held in Fishers. This Saturday and Sunday, June 25th/26th is one of those events.  It is the Fishers Freedom Festival! It opens with the 5K on Saturday 25th; after you walk/run that event you will be hungry.  Great news, the food vendors open at 10:00 a.m.  Something that sounds like a lot of fun is the Water Balloon an Discover Scuba booth.  The swimming pool will be set up at the far north end of Holland Park. The K-9 demonstration is at noon on the east side of the Entertainment Tent.  There are a variety of bands scheduled to play throughou... 06/23/2011

I must say that while I have QR codes on my radar; they aren't really part of my marketing plan...yet.  I am about to embark on an experiment though...  I have created this post card and I am planning to hand them out at a local festival in my niche market this weekend.  I am anxious to see if anyone scans it ...guess I better go figure out a way to track that...lol I'd be curious if any of you have had success or if you do it just because it is available and your sellers like it (on listing signage, listing flyers, etc).   Search Carmel Indiana Real Estate by Neighborhood Search Carmel Indiana Real Estate by Price Cindy "in Indy" Marchant - Carmel Real Estate AgentKeller Williams Realty Indy Metro NECarmel IN Real Estate Website317-290-7775 CindyMarchant@comcast.net 06/20/2011

Originally posted at My Fishers Blog While the number of homes sold in Fishers in May 2011 is still behind the 2010 numbers...the gap is decreasing substantially. In May 2011, 158 homes sold in Fishers compared with 179 a year ago; so a 10% "ish" drop compared with 30% and higher drops in previous months.  The first time home buyers credit in 2010 ended with contracts being written by 4/30/10 so I expected the 2010 number to go down. While you might expect 2010 to significantly drop...looking at the graph, that doesn't really happen until July.  This time of year is historically a busy time to buy and sell homes. The other statistics we look at are the Days on Market and the price per sq ft sold.  The days on market are much longer in 2011 than a year ago.  It was 83 in May 2011 compare... 06/09/2011

GPS Home Search - Using a Smart Phone!!!! Buyers can use their smart phone to search for homes for sale nearest where they are now. Let's say you're in a neighborhood that you love, and you want to find more homes for sale nearby. At callcarpenter.com, you can search for homes for sale and they will be sorted by the nearest home within a mile of your location. Drive to a different neighborhood, and your search results will change. You can be in front of a home and download all of the info about that house right to your phone. "We're thrilled to be the first real estate firm in metro Indianapolis to offer a GPS search option on our mobile website," said David Caveness, Senior VP of Carpenter Realtors®. "Home buyers will find this extremely helpful, convenient and fun when they're driving... 06/08/2011

Several months ago (note the snow-covered ground!) the Haddad Team sponsored a contest challenging our blog followers to identify this Fishers Indiana landmark. The first person to tell us the correct location of this lovely old brick building would win a Panera gift card. If they could also give us a brief history of the building we were prepared to throw in two Mike's Car Wash coupons. The location was no problem, and we had a winner almost immediately! The history of the building was trickier, though. No one (including us!) seemed to know much about it. Happily, just a few days ago we came across the information we'd been looking for! According to the magazine 8 Great Towns, a guide to Hamilton County, the old farmhouse on 106th Street just west of Lantern Road was built nearly 150 y... 06/06/2011

Originally posted at My Fishers Blog Pulte or Del Webb has a great over 55 community in Fishers called Britton Falls. To live at Del Webb you need to have one resident over the age of 55 and no on under the age of 19 as a permanent resident.  You will enjoy all of the outdoor maintenance done for you; no mowing or snow removal!  There is a golf course, an indoor pool, outdoor pool, fitness center, tennis courts and walking paths. There are various floor plans ranging in price from $175,000 to $285,000 depending on what your preferences are. The monthly maintenance fees run approximately $190 a month.  Taxes run approximately $150 a month. There are currently 7 homes for sale in Britton Falls by Del Webb.   The lowest price home is $165,000 and 1400 sq ft with two bedrooms and two full b... 06/03/2011

    Indigo Lake is a gem of a Fishers neighborhood that scores high in Location, Looks, and Livability. The three L's of real estate! With just 75 homes encircling a pond - Indigo Lake has a definite cozy, community feel. And the cottage-style homes with their welcoming front porches only add to the charm! Its location off of Cumberland Road makes Indigo Lake convenient to Hamilton Town Center, Fishers Junior High, Fishers High School, the Fishers YMCA, and plenty of restaurants and shopping. The fact that these Fishers homes are priced in the mid-$150s makes this a truly affordable Fishers neighborhood, and explains why Indigo Lake homes don't typically don't stay on the market long! Location: Cumberland Road north of 131st Street Average year built: 1998 Average days on the market: 44... 05/31/2011