This is the second post of an ongoing series geared to provide more information about Indianapolis and its neighborhoods.  Photo to the left is on Pennsylvania Street and currently for sale (FC Tucker).  Listing history states that this home was once owned by James Whitcomb Riley.  The famous poet never lived in this home but owned it and rented it out at one time.  (James Whitcomb Riley's resting spot.)Fall Creek Place, a historic neighborhood near downtown Indianapolis is a model neighborhood of re-vitalization.  It's boundaries consist of Pennsylvania Street on the West, Park Avenue on the East, Fall Creek Parkway on the North, and 22nd Street to the South.  Consisting of 26 blocks that were once known for its boarded homes excessive crime and gun fire.  Like many of the older neighb... 04/28/2007

Spring has finally sprung here in Indianapolis and it looks like the good weather is here to stay! This is my first spring in the Indy area and I am excited to experience all it has to offer. Here is a sampling of events happening in Indy this spring:Indianapolis International Film Festival April 25-May 5 Features 191 films representing 45 nations http://www.indyfilmfest.org/ U.S. National Synchronized Swimming Championships April 26-April 28 Featuring Pan Am and Olympic Games trials, solo, duet, team free and team tech routines iunat.iupui.edu/Victorians' Secrets: A 19th-Century Underwear Exhibit at the Morris-Butler House February 14-June 9 (Wednesday-Saturday) Cost is included with a tour of the house www.historiclandmarks.org/what/mbhouse.htmlOrchard in Bloom Garden Show at the Holl... 04/26/2007

Craig Bartels | Crager-Bartels, LLC | 317-490-5074 6461 Rushing River, Noblesville, IN 4 bedroom + bonus room at Morse Pointe Brand New Executive Home For Rent 4 Bdrm Single Family House   $1,350/month Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Sq Footage 2,300 Parking 3+ dedicated Pet Policy Cats, Small dogs (< 25lbs) Deposit $1,350 DESCRIPTION This stunning executive home is ready for move-in now. No expense has been spared in this brand new 4 bedroom home with a bonus office. Both an eat in kitchen as well as a separate dining room area, large vaulted ceilings, and an open concept make this home great for entertaining guests. Home has plenty of extra windows that makes this home even more open. Hardwood floors in kitchen and entry way, all appliances included, skylights in living room, ... 04/24/2007

Craig Bartels | Crager-Bartels, LLC | 317-490-5074 5414 Basin Park, Indianapolis, IN New 3 bedroom home with bonus sunroom 3 Bdrm Single Family House $1,300/month Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Sq Footage 1,700 Parking 3 dedicated Pet Policy Cats, Small dogs (< 25lbs), Dogs (any) Deposit $1,000 DESCRIPTION For Rent - Great location. Brand new 3BR 2-Bath Ranch home with 4 Season Sunroom, fireplace, all appliances included. Upgraded options throughout. Onsite schools and public library. Franklin Townships schools are state award winning schools. The perfect go between for living in Indy but working at Honda in Greensburg. Don't let this one get a way. Call us now. see additional photos below RENTAL FEATURES Air conditioning Central heat Fireplace High/Vaulted ceiling Walk-in clos... 04/24/2007

Craig Bartels | Crager-Bartels, LLC | 317-490-5074 5547 Dollar Run, Indianapolis, IN 4 bedroom 2 1/2 bath with bonus 4 season SUNROOM! BRAND NEW on south side 4 Bdrm Duplex $1,300/month Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Sq Footage 1,800 Parking 3+ dedicated Pet Policy Cats, Small dogs (< 25lbs), Dogs (any) Deposit $1,000 DESCRIPTION For Rent - Just off Mann RD on Indy's south side. 4BR 3-Bath Brand new home. 20' ceilings, 4 Season Sun room. Great view. Open in back. School a block away. Call now. Entertain guests with the large kitchen and living room. Check out the 4 season sunroom with window after window. Great place for that early morning cup of coffee. see additional photos below RENTAL FEATURES Air conditioning Central heat Fireplace High/Vaulted ceiling Walk-in closet Livin... 04/24/2007

Craig Bartels | Crager-Bartels, LLC | 317-490-5074 5439 Bombay Drive, Indianapolis, IN 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath BRAND new home for rent in Franklin township! 3 Bdrm Single Family House $1,095/month Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Sq Footage 1,377 Parking 3+ dedicated Pet Policy Cats, Small dogs (< 25lbs), Dogs (any) Deposit $1,000 DESCRIPTION Don't let this one get away. Our brand new homes are going fast, this is one of the few we have left in inventory. Almost 1,400 sq.ft. with a bonus screened in back porch! Stunning vaulted ceilings and nice open air design for entertaining guests. Upgraded cabinets and 3 good size bedrooms. All appliances included! see additional photos below RENTAL FEATURES Air conditioning Central heat High/Vaulted ceiling Walk-in closet Living room Bonus/Rec... 04/24/2007

Indianapolis is a city with some fascinating historic districts located in the downtown area.  One of these neighborhoods is Herron-Morton Place.  The boundaries of the neighborhood are East 16th Street on the south, East 22nd Street on the north, the alley west of North Pennsylvania on the west, and the alley east of Central Avenue on the east.Once known as one of Indianapolis' most elegant residential neighborhoods.  Its name coming from the Indiana governor, Oliver Morton.  This was home to many celebrated politicians, physicians, business leaders, and artists. Indiana artists T. C. Steele and William Forsythe founded their famed art school in 1888 in the same area.The land that this neighborhood was built on, originally was purchased by the state for the Indiana State Fair Grounds. ... 04/24/2007

If you are into genealogy or history, this is an interesting place to visit.  Located at 700 W. 38th Street, the cemetery has 555 acres of grass, hills, plots, monuments and beautiful trees.  "The Crown,"  is known as the highest hill (842.21 ft.) in Marion County.  This is also the resting place of James Riley.    The picture to the right of downtown was taken from that hill.  Prior to becoming a cemetery, this location was a private farm where many came to picnic and view the downtown area.Dedicated on June 1, 1864, it became the resting spot for 1,616 of the Union Soldier prisioners that had been buried in Green Lawn Cemetery prior to the end of the war.  In fact, during the war, Camp Morton was located north of Indianapolis.  It was a large prison war camp.  In 1993 a Confederate Mo... 04/23/2007

Looking for something to do in the Indianapolis Area?  Here's a summer night suggestion that includes a traditional past time.  How about a trip to Victory Field to watch our home team The Indians?  Victory Field is located downtown on the southwest border of White River State Park.    Victory Field is one of the most acclaimed minor league parks in the country. You'll enjoy fabulous views of the downtown skyline in the warm summer air!  You can bring your own food and enjoy one of the two picnic areas available before the game. If you would prefer a dining experience inside, why not try one of the many fabulous restaurants available in downtown Indianapolis?  Here's a few suggestions, Bazbeaux Pizza , Le Peep Restaurant:, or Dicks Bodacious BBQ.  For an alphabetical list of restaurants... 04/23/2007

Located on the North-east side of Indianapolis, Fort Harrison State Park has a little bit of something for everyone.  The 1700-acre park features walking and jogging trails, picnic sites, fishing access to Fall Creek and two national historic districts. If you like horseback riding, then you will want to visit The Saddle Barn.  There's trail rides, lessons, hayrides and even parent assisted rides for the younger children.Maybe golf is more your game.  The 18 Hole challenge, designed by the renowned course architect Pete Dye, provides a sporting challenge to all skill levels For availabilty and pricing, check out The Fort Golf Course.The lodging complex consists of The Harrison House where visiting military VIP's once stayed.  The Harrison House features seven (7) overnight units consist... 04/19/2007

Are you new to the Indianapolis Area?  Have you had a chance to walk on the Monon Trail?  This wonderful pathway runs through Marion and Hamilton County.  Once an abandon railbed for the Monon Railroad, has now become a popular pathway for many in this area.  On any given day you will find someone, walking, jogging or riding on this path.Starting at 10th street in Indianapolis and ending at 146th street in Carmel.  (Future extensions are planned in Westfield, Sheridan and Washington Township.)  The park is open from sunrise to sunset and is over 10 miles long.  This path winds and connects parks, businesses and neighborhoods all along the way.Here's one of the many bridges along the tree-lined path.  If you would like to know more about the history and connections of the trail visit one... 04/14/2007

Thinking about a new home?  Would you like to see what Builders in the area have to offer?  Then you won't want to miss the Spring 2007 Parade of Homes.Open Noon - 6:00pmApril 28-29 and May 5-6, 2007There will be over 140 homes new homes available for viewing in different locations all over the Indianapolis Area.  This is your chance to explore custom, production, and low maintenance homes & communities.  What's even better, is the admission price - FREE!  Here's the link to the website.  At the the time of this post, the list of homes was not available.  Check back from time to time to find out where the homes and communities are located. http://www.paradeofhomesindy.com/.  If you're considering building a new home, visit Building A Home for more information.  Hope to see you there! 04/05/2007

Spring is here and it's time to get out and enjoy all Indianapolis has to offer! Indianapolis Downtown Inc. has released a schedule of events in Indy for April through July. Following are the descriptions of the events for April, courtesy of Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. For a full schedule of events for this summer, visit their website at http://www.indydt.com/. Get out, get moving Take a stroll around the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art with Garden Walks on Saturdays and Sundays beginning April 1. Celebrate Easter at the Indianapolis Propylaeum with the Easter Egg Hunt April 7 and Easter Buffet April 8. If you're feeling green, celebrate Earth Day April 22 and Arbor Day April 27. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and Indianapolis Power and Light are observing Arbor Day by giving ou... 04/04/2007

The Metro Indianapolis Board of Realtors (MIBOR) has announced a change that will effect For Sale By Owners (FSBO) using discount brokers for listing their home.Any listing taken where exclusive agency is in effect will not notice this change.  Any agency other than "exclusive" where the seller still has "direct solicitation" either by a website or a sign in front of the house will no longer be included in the listings of www.realtor.com or www.mibor.com.  The property will be listed in the MLS for Realtors to view and see but will no longer be allowed on the above websites.  This is per the National Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Policy Statement #7.87, Transmittal of Participant's Listing to Aggregates.Let me explain what "direct solicitation" means. . .  Sometimes a FSBO wi... 04/03/2007

Everywhere we look these days we are hearing something about foreclosures in the real estate market.  In this month's REALTOR® Magazine there's an article about foreclosure activity being up from last year.  In February 2007 Neveda, Colorado and Florida reported the highest amount of foreclosures.  (Actual statistics for Indiana were not included.)I just ran a search in the MLS for the areas I normally list and sell homes (North-east and East Greater Indianapolis) and found 466 homes that are either bank repossessions, HUD owned, VA owned or in pre-foreclosure.  The highest priced listing was $524,000 all the way down to $15,000.  I have toured some of these homes that are available.  Many are in good shape and possibly even have the appliances left in them while others have mold growin... 04/02/2007

If you were here last year on April 14, 2006 you probably remember some hail storms that came through our area.  Many homes around the Greater Indianapolis Area were damaged by this hail.You maybe one of the unfortunate homeowners who's insurance company came out and told you your home didn't have damage, yet everyone around you had it and their insurance company was taking care of the problem.Many complaints were filed with the the Department of Insurance and it was found that State Farm Insurance was the company most likely to deny the claim.  You have until April 14, 2007 to contact and submit your letter to State Farm.  Call 1-866-210-1785 to request non-binding arbitration.  Once your letter is received State Farm will contact you to have an engineer come out to your home and inspe... 04/02/2007

On Thursday nights there's a new show called Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?  It really is quite amazing how much the adult contestants have forgotten since grade school.Which brings me to the subject of this post.  Many homeowners try to sell their homes on their own.  Possibly because the homeowner has been through the process at least once, they feel they have the knowledge to get the job done.  Just like giving the wrong answer in the game show is a loss in winning monies, so often the For Sale By Owner loses "net sales" monies doing it by themselves.  After the fact, many a For Sale By Owner learns they lost money because of poor marketing or wrong decisions. Selling a home requires an in-depth and detailed understanding of the real estate market, finding the best qualified moti... 03/31/2007

Did you know that HUD sells properties that you might want to buy?  Click on the link to visit About HUD Homes and learn more about the HUD website.HUD does two things, it offers low-down payment mortgage loans for homebuyers and it insures lenders of default on FHA insured loans.  When a homeowner defaults on their FHA loan, the bank that owns the loan has a choice of taking their monies and giving the home back to HUD or to keep the home and sell it themselves.  (Most of the time the bank takes their money and turns over the home.)When HUD receives a home due to foreclosure, HUD wants to sell the home in 90 days or less and at the highest price possible.  The homes are offer up "AS-IS" and the utilities will be off and the home winterized in the states where cold temperatures are comm... 03/16/2007

Are you looking for a fixer-upper?  Have you thought about purchasing investment properties?  If you are looking in the Greater Indianapolis Area, I believe I can help you find that home.List Price $105,000 Here's a home that is pre-foreclosure.  Built in 2002 and listed with Aim High Realty.  Home offers 1900sq. ft and is located in Warren Township.       Here's a HUD owned home in Washington Township.  List Price $38,000.  Built in 1920.  Home is eligible for a 203K loan.     Here's a home with a large lot .37 acres.  Home has 2120 sq. ft. and a basement with 1028 sq. ft.  Hardwood floors and walkout basement.  Sold AS-IS for $64,900.  Currently a bank owned property listed with Wilmoth Group. This is just a sampling of the many homes located in the Greater Indianapolis Area.  For a c... 03/13/2007

Today sure is a beautiful day in Indianapolis.  The temperature so far is 54 degrees and the sun is shinning bright.  Makes it hard to look out the window and be productive inside when I'd rather be enjoying the sun like these geese are doing just off to the side of our building. Often times the change from a winterish day to a warmer spring type day gets people thinking about a move.  If you or someone you know is considering a move in the near future, please visit my website http://cyndisloop4indyhomes.com/ for free home searches and information.  If you would like to know the value of your current home, fill out the Comparative Market Analysis request and I would be happy to do one for you.  Have a GREAT weekend and remember to turn your clock ahead one hour on Sunday morning.  Dayli... 03/09/2007