Data released recently by MIBOR showed that sales prices in the market remain strong, with increases of four to six percent each month. August sales prices showed a 6.7 percent increase from August 2013. The Median Sales Price increased 3.2 percent … Continue reading
If you are a fan of food trucks, you won’t want to miss the fourth annual Taste of the Trucks, coming to Carmel High School this Friday, September 26th from 5 to 8 p.m. This event, part of Carmel High … Continue reading
New listing in Rosegate, an assisted living garden home community on Indy’s south side. Continue reading
With the weather getting warmer (hopefully) the housing market is going to start booming. Spring is the unofficial kick-off for most 
people to list their homes. With this being said, if you are planning to put your home on the market during this desirable time there are a few things you will want to do to ensure that your home stands out among the others!
*First of all you will want to focus on your curb appeal. The inside of your home could be immaculately beautiful but it doesn’t do a bit of good if you can’t get people interested from the outside. This can be as simple as keeping your grass trimmed and kids toys hidden in the garage.
*A fresh coat of paint on the front door and maybe shutters will make a big impact on a small budget. Paint is a very useful tool when it comes to staging your home to sell.
*With the amount of home shopping that takes place now on the internet you need to make a good impression online. This is especially essential in the photos taken for the website. While most people tend to straighten up their clutter and clean their home before an open house they often overlook the importance of doing this for the photos as well. Putting out some fresh flowers on the counter or displaying an eye catching table scape will go a long way in catching a prospective buyers eye. If decorating isn’t really your thing you may want to consider a professional home stager to use their expertise!
*Last but not least and possibly the most important: Price your home to sell. This may seem obvious but a lot of times people assume that their home is worth more than it is or are hoping to make a larger profit than is reasonably feasible. And while it is certainly ultimately your decision as to what you list your home at it is interesting to note that dated listings don’t generally sell for their list price so waiting for that one buyer who may pay your asking price is pretty risky.
If you follow these simple rules than your house should have no problem selling in this market! If you are interested in listing your home please contact me and we can begin to work on a plan together. I look forward to hearing from you!
As I’ve mentioned before I strive to support local businesses and restaurants. Plus with places like Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream it makes my goal of shopping local much much easier. For those of you who have never been to any of the three convenient locations (with the new Zionsville location recently opening) of Bub’s Burgers their menu really offers something for everyone! While of course their fresh, hand-patted ground chuck burgers with custom buns baked at a local bakery and their creamy hand dipped ice-cream are mouth watering in themselves they also offer such favorites as grilled mahi mahi, elk burgers, bub dogs, and a variety of salads. In fact Bub’s burgers was even featured on the Travel Channels hit “Man VS. Food” with the Big Ugly burger challenge. So next time you are trying to find a kid friendly and fun atmosphere to take the kids and enjoy some delicious and filling food go and check out Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream and maybe even try the Ugly Burger Challenge yourself!
While eating healthy is a high priority for me I find myself getting frustrated over and over again as I throw rotten, mushy, or brown vegetables 
away because I didn’t eat them in time. Not only is this a big waste of money but it also seems so wasteful. I also find myself making a recipe that calls for a half a can of diced tomatoes or a cup of black beans, etc. Inevitably the rest of the can of perfectly good vegetables or beans ends up unceremoniously dumped in the garbage. Thankfully I have found a way to not waste anymore veggies and create a whole new meal in the process! All you need is a tupperware or freezer bag that you will keep in the freezer. As you notice a few celery stocks in the fridge getting soft or some cauliflower going bad simply dice them up and throw them in the freezer container. After awhile you will have collected a container full of a variety of vegetables. When you are ready you can easily dump the vegetables into your crockpot with some chicken or vegetable broth, add seasoning and cook. What you are left with is a delicious vegetable soup that was essentially free since you would have thrown the vegetables away anyways. This is a perfect way to save money and food all while creating a yummy and healthy soup!
If you are like most Americans you made a list of New Years resolutions that you hope to stick to this year. Whether it is to quit smoking, lose weight, or finally save enough money to buy the house of your dreams, here are some tips to help you stick to your goals this year.
* Set small/very attainable goals: Instead of setting a goal to lose 50 pounds this year why not break it down into a more reachable and immediate goal of losing a pound a week. By thinking about losing only 1 pound instead of 50 you are less likely to get overwhelmed and give up.
* Make yourself accountable to others: If someone else is counting on you to succeed you are less likely to let them down. For example; get a workout buddy that is expecting you to show up at the gym every afternoon. You won’t want to disappoint your friend and therefore are less likely to skip those all important gym sessions.
* Along the same lines as making yourself accountable is making your goal a family goal. If your goal is to save enough money to take a vacations, buy a bigger home, or whatever your goal is you are more likely to be successful if others are participating as well. Not only can your family remind you of your goals when you are thinking about making a silly purchase but having a common goal is a good bonding experience as well.
* Keeping track of your progress and results, regardless of your resolution, can help motivate you as well. When you are able to reflect and see your progress up until this point it will only push you to continue.
* Last but not least, make your resolutions and changes gradual ones. It is highly unlikely that you will be able to cut out all junk food at once or quit smoking cold turkey. Instead, give yourself a little bit of leeway at the beginning and continue to improve as the year goes on. You have a much higher chance of success if you don’t overwhelm yourself.
We all have those people on our Christmas list that are impossible to shop for. The people that seem to have everything or are picky about what they want. While we struggle to come up with some sort of gift for them, the fact of the matter is that we usually tend to settle on yet another sweater, gift card, or box of candy for the persnickety giftee. How about this year try something different? Instead of gifting your loved ones with things why not gift them with experiences? Clowes Memorial Hall at the Butler campus hosts a plethora of events that would make for some wonderful Christmas gifts. While simply giving tickets to an event is a wonderful gift it may even make it more special if you buy tickets for you to attend with them. This is especially true for relatives and close friends whom you probably don’t get to see as much as you’d both like. Plus with plenty of upcoming events don’t rule out shows before Christmas as potential gifts such as “The Nutcracker” and my favorite “The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra”. There are also plenty of upcoming events after the holidays that you can purchase tickets for as well! So think outside the “box” this year and find an upcoming event that is sure to outshine your traditional wrapped gifts.
I think most of us can attest that being a first time home buyer can be a scary thing. Not only are you deciding on a large investment but the 
process can get confusing. But if you choose a realtor that is well educated and understands the issues that first time home-buyers face as well as learn some of the important terms it can be one of the most exciting and promising processes in your life. Below are a few of the terms that most new home buyers will find useful and as always if you are interested in becoming a first time home buyer feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns, I look forward to hearing from you!
Acquisition Cost : the cost of acquiring property in addition to the purchase price, sometimes referred to as closing costs. These will usually include escrow fees, title insurance, lenders fees, etc.
Back-End Ratio: the ratio of all fixed debt, including housing expenses, to gross income. A lot of lenders will require that your back-end ratio be at 45% or lower.
Credit Rating: an estimate of the credit worthiness and responsibility of a consumer. The rating comes from three credit agencies. Also, the amount, type, and terms of credit that are considered safe to extend to a consumer. (also known as FICO score)
Default: failure to pay a debt
Escrows: neutral third party company that handles the closing of a real estate transaction. Funds and documents are deposited with a neutral third party who is instructed to carry out the provisions of the agreement.
Short Sale: a sale of encumbered property that produces less money than is owed to the lender.
Beth Guthrie Realty 