Here is a look at what happened for homes for sale in Indianapolis under $500,000 in October 2008:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 8080 Homes Sold 968 735 -24% Average Selling Price $102,847 $96,982 -6% Days on Market 92 91 -1% Price Per Square Foot $62 $59 -5% Nothing new to report for Indianapolis this month; number of homes sold is down by 24% and the average selling price is down 6%. Last month showed signs of life with some better numbers coming out for both number of homes sold and average selling price but this month did not continue that trend. I will be doing reports on Carmel Indiana real estate and Zionsville real estate over the next couple of days. These are more telling to me about what is really going on because these areas are more desirable and should be better bell we... 11/09/2008

As we are approaching winter (which can be the most grueling season on your home, depending on where you live), take some time to do some preventative maintenance on your largest investment...your home. All too often as Inspectors, we see and inspect homes that have not been properly taken care of. If homeowners took more pride in ownership and performed some very minuscule preventative maintenance on their homes, it would make for a much more enjoyable trip to the closing table for all parties involved. Below are just a few tips to prepare your home for the upcoming winter months. Check and clean or replace your furnace filters on a monthly basis during the heating season. Have your furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified service company (every two years for a gas or electric... 10/30/2008

I recently spoke to my realtor friend in Tampa, FL.   She was commenting about the up-swing in her real estate business over the past 3 months.   She was listing more, she was closing more than in the first quarter of 2008.   Wandering how this could be in such terrible economic times, I inquired about her good fortune.   She quickly responded with her secret:   Relationships were the key to her longevity.   She went on to share some metrics about the real estate industry.   She estimated that about 50% of her customers came to her because their last realtor never bothered to follow up with them.   She went on to add that a customer usually listed with her after she had been in touch with them on the 5th, 6th, or 7th contact.    The difference was the relationship they had developed wit... 10/22/2008

Here is a look at what happened for Pike Township homes under $500,000 in September 2008:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 769 Homes Sold 102 87 -15% Average Selling Price $127,162 $110,181 -13% Days on Market 93 94 1% Price Per Square Foot $75 $64 -15% Pike Township did have as good of a month as Washington Township in September. We are still seeing a 15% decrease in the number of homes sold as well as a double digit decrease in the average selling price over last year. There are currently 769 homes on the market in Pike Township with an average asking price of $140, 212. In the past 12 months, 1034 homes have sold in Pike; this means there is an 8.92 months supply of homes on the market in Pike Township. If you are looking for a home in Pike Township, please visit our real estate in I... 10/19/2008

Here is a look at what happened with Washington Township homes under $600,000 for September 2008:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 1229 Homes Sold 125 133 6% Average Selling Price $156,671 $161,975 3% Days on Market 76 86 13% Price Per Square Foot $99 $93 -6% More good news this month is coming from Washington Township. For the first time this year, the number of homes sold is up over last year. Every single month so far this year we have seen double digit decreases in the number of homes sold in Washington Township Indianapolis, but this month showed a significant turnaround. In addition, the average sales price is also up. In all but one other month this year, we have also seen a price decrease compared to last year. This is great news and hopefully a sign of things to come. If you ar... 10/17/2008

Here is a look at what happened for Indianapolis homes in Lawrence Township for homes under $500,000 in September 2008:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 725 Homes Sold 94 75 -20% Average Selling Price $156,425 $150,222 -4% Days on Market 82 74 -10% Price Per Square Foot $82 $76 -7% We have both good news and bad news here. The great news is that for the first time this year, we see an increase in the number of homes sold. The number of homes sold in Lawrence Township has been down for 8 solid months, this is the first time we have an increase. It is not a small increase either, 14% more homes sold this year compared to year. The bad news is that the average sales price is still down over last year by 17%. Hopefully, this increase in demand will continue and that will inevitably turn int... 10/16/2008

Don’t look now, but the Indianapolis real estate market just had its best month of the year. Here is a look at what happened in September for homes under $500,000 in Indianapolis:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 11362 Homes Sold 967 873 -10% Average Selling Price $104,459 $104,008 0% Days on Market 94 94 0% Price Per Square Foot $64 $63 -2% The number of homes sold is down over last year, but only by 9.72% not by the 20 and 30 percent that we have been seeing in previous months. In addition, this is early in the month and this number will inevitably grow as agents close out the lagging deals from last month in the MLS. In addition to the vast improvement in the number of homes sold, the average sales price is basically unchanged over last year. Previously this year, we were seeing doub... 10/05/2008

Lawrence Township Real Estate activity for the month of September 2008 is as follows: Active Single Family Homes Listed                            194 Active Single Family Homes Currently Active            1034 (5% decline from last month) Active Single Family Homes Sold                               116 Average Sale Price                                                     130,600 (all listings sold) Average Sale Price *                                                  177,000 (listings sold > $100,000) Average Days on Market                                           96 Neighborhoods w/Most Sold                    Glicks and Geist Valley Estates Previous months market reports for Lawrence Township Real Estate are available. The highest listing in Lawrence Township was for $1,525,000 in... 10/04/2008

Here is a quick glance at what happened on the Lawrence Township real estate market in Indianapolis for homes under $500,000 in August 2008:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 1130 Homes Sold 162 139 -14% Average Selling Price $140,850 $120,932 -14% Days on Market 90 87 -3% Price Per Square Foot $74 $65 -12% If you are considering purchasing a home in Lawrence Township or any Indianapolis real estate, please contact Mike Taylor at 317-362-4064. If you are looking at the north side of Lawrence around the Geist area, you might also be interested in Fishers Indiana real estate.   09/28/2008

I CAN HELP!Many homeowners are receiving tax bills that don't seem to be in line with the real value of their homes.  With many real estate markets changing rapidly, it pays to find out for sure.  This is particularly true for buyers from 2005-2006 - commonly referred to as the "BOOM" period. Present market conditions, however, have seen 10-20% drops in some Central Indiana markets.  And while local tax authorities may have lowered assessments some - they are at times still not in line with current market conditions. As a homeowner, you can fight your tax assessment on your own.  You need to know what you are currently assessed, and then figure out what it OUGHT to be assessed for.     A few tools along the way may include: A CMA or Competitive Market Analysis - this is typically a com... 09/09/2008

There were no major revelations in August for Indianapolis real estate. Here is a glance at the numbers for homes sold in Indianapolis under $500,000:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 8773 Homes Sold 1197 921 -23% Average Selling Price $109,746 $101,680 -7% Days on Market 83 88 6% Price Per Square Foot $68 $62 -9% As you can see, the pattern is pretty much the same as previous months: the number of homes sold is down by about ¼ and the average sales price is also down. One positive factor worth mentioning is that for the past 4 months the average sales price has shown a decrease only in the single digits whereas in the first 4 months of the year, the average sales price was down by as much as 19%. The absorption rate is still relatively high at a 9.18 months supply of Indianapolis homes... 09/08/2008

The Educated Franchisee, by Rick Bisio, is a complete guide to entering, owning and operating a franchise.    •1)     Preparing Yourself for Business Ownership: The first five chapters of this book are focused on helping the reader decide if business ownership is truly something that makes sense as a career and life choice.   •2)     Getting it Right the First Time - How to Examine a Franchise: The second section of the book is focused on educating the reader on how to dissect a franchise system.  Some franchise systems are great but others should are not very attractive investments.  This how-to manual coaches the reader through the steps that assure a thorough exploration of franchise business ownership and thoughtful decision making.     •3)     You've Found the Right Business - Now ... 09/05/2008

The numbers for Indianapolis Real Estate (specifically Lawrence Township) are in for August 2008: Lawrence Township Real Estate activity for the month of August 2008 is as follows: Active Single Family Homes Listed                           220 Active Single Family Homes Currently Active          1095 Active Single Family Homes Sold                              103 Average Sale Price                                                 135,000 Average Days on Market                                         74 Neighborhoods w/Most Sold                     Devonshire, Glicks and Kensington Farms   Devonshire is an older neighborhood near 75th and Binford Blvd (SR37); Glicks is a first time buyers neighborhood where houses can be bought for less than $50,000; Kensington Farms is an intermediate ... 09/03/2008

Get a first look at the new Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana!  We attended the Colts vs The Bengals on Thursday and were stunned by the views, ambience and energy of the new stadium; nevermind the loss the Colts suffered with the Bengals! The stadium, at a cost of $720 MILLION dollars seats 63,000 and slightly more for concerts or conventions.  It covers more than 39 acres of land; compared with 12 acres for the old RCA Dome that seats 58,000.  The coolest part of the new digs aren't the 14 escalators, 26 ceiling fans that look to span some 16 feet, or the 148 concessions stands; it is the retractable roof!  In addition to the retractable roof, there is a window wall that also opens.  It is the largest moveable glass wall in the world!   Another great feature are the scoreboar... 08/31/2008

If you look at my townhome popularity, I mentioned how supply was outpacing demand.  Well, while that is true, the average sales price for condos in downtown is up, way up.  Despite the fact the number of Indianapolis condominiums sold is down by more than 100 or 36% since last year, the average selling price rose to $324,541 in 2008.  This price jump represents an increase of almost $50,000 or 18% over the previous year's numbers.  Obviously, this means despite the decrease in units sold there are higher priced units selling in downtown Indianapolis.  My best guess is that more and more people are finding that downtown living is more attractive with gas prices and the general cost of living increasing on a daily basis.  In addition, more and more developers are building higher end unit... 08/27/2008

Townhouses are proving increasingly popular with home buyers looking to buy newly built homes, attracting young families who have ditched detached properties for a trendier, more affordable new style of home.With the average price of a new detached home recorded as ?307,875 in September, young families are turning to more affordable townhouses which offer a similar amount of internal space but are currently 63,000 pounds sterling less than the price of a detached home of similar size.According to SmartNewHomes.com, townhouses have experienced the biggest growth over the last year and now make up 10% of the new homes mix - up 3% since the same time last year. However, prices remain competitive and in the current market, home buyers can purchase a new townhouse for less than they would ha... 08/27/2008

The Rib America Festival takes place from August 29th, thru September 1st in Military Park, Downtown Indianapolis.  Ribs from Award-Winning Vendors will be served, along with music by Ted Nugent,          The Why Store, The Elms, Peter Frampton, and many more. Admission before 1 P.M. is free on Saturday and Sunday, $5.00 Admission after 1 P.M. , Children 12 and under-free admision at all times. Check website for updates on this information! For more information visit:  www.ribamerica.com   Are you new to Indianapolis or just looking to Purchase a Home?  Keep us in mind for your Real Estate Needs! Heather in Indy www.SmithFitzgeraldTeam.com 08/18/2008

Hello all, My name is Jayson Manship and I'm new to Active Rain. I am the Director of Operations for a company called Referral Builder, LLC. We help new home builders grow their referral business. My company has just introduced a new product to the market called URBaCS. I have worked as a sales professional for Hansen & Horn, the admin of our company's CRM (Salesforce.com) and as a database marketing expert for the Indiana Pacers basketball team. I am excited about this network and these groups and I hope to learn and grow in this new community. 08/12/2008

Here is a quick glace at what happened on the Indianapolis real estate market in July 2008 for homes under $500,000:   2007 2008 % Change Active N/A 9031 Homes Sold 1235 1021 -17% Average Selling Price $119,270 $108,870 -9% Days on Market 86 104 21% Price Per Square Foot n/a $67 n/a I don’t know if this is a fluke or hopefully the start of a trend, but both the average sales price and the number of homes sold seem to be improving as the year progresses. For the first time this year, we have seen a less than 20% decrease in the number of homes sold in Indianapolis. The average sales price, while slightly lower than last month, also seems to be trending towards less and less of a loss as the year progresses. While these numbers may not sound fantastic, when they are compared to January’s... 08/10/2008

Lawrence Township Real Estate Market Report-July 2008 Lawrence Township is located within Marion County in Indianapolis on the Northeast side of Indy. Active Single Family Homes              1140 Homes sold in July 2008                   106 Average Sales Price                  $170,575.00 Average Days on Market                   221 Neighborhoods w/most sold       Glicks, Moorings and Admirals The Marion County area covers a broad range of income/demographics; to help you better understand this market please see table below: Homes sold for less than $100,000 in July            32 Homes sold for between $100,001 and 200,000    47 Homes sold for between $200,001 and 300,000    16 Homes sold for more than $300,001                    11 08/02/2008