______ Spending Time with Family = Priceless.....a photo of father & son captured the moment :) Thanks for stopping by and reading our Blog about Life in NW Indiana, The Housing Market, Communities, Local Spots, Events, attractions & more @ NorthWestIndianaRealEstateBlog.Com  Sincerely, Jeff & Grace Safrin Broker / Owners F.C. Tucker 1st Team Real Estate  - Independently Owned & Operated 13 Lincolnway Suite # 203,        Valparaiso, IN 46383           Office # 219-309-9930 On  Facebook? be-friend us, look up Jeff Safrin  : )  Linked in??  link to us, look up Grace Safrin  : ) TWITTER??? ...Follow....  SAFRIN 08/09/2009

From time to time, I comb the Carmel Real Estate Market in search of deals.  I have two GREAT ones and another good one today. If you have an area of town you'd like me to research other than Carmel, let me know. To start with, let me tell you how I find the deals. It does take some work.  My search starts with distressed properties in Carmel (53) and then I look at ones that are over $150,000 (36) and then only on the market less than 90 days (22).  So I start with those 22 and then look at their assessed tax value, their history (when did they sell last, how much, how long on the market), and their location (do they back up to a traffic, etc).  Once I have narrowed those to the few (6), I go in and look at the neighborhood activity and compare their pricing.  It takes several hours to... 07/26/2009

Carmel Real Estate abounds with luxury homes; but it can also be very affordable.  One of my favorite neighborhoods that IS affordable is Lexington Farms.  It is one of my favorites not only for its pricing, but also for its location and proximity to Central Park and the Monon Center. As you enter the neighborhood, you will be greeted by rows of blooming pear trees and a white picket fence. There are also nine ponds in the neighborhood giving neighbors scenic views as they walk through the area. The neighborhood has a variety of ranch and two story homes with square footage ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 and most have beautiful lots.  They also are pretty well divided between three bedroom and four bedroom homes.  They are just a few with basements and/or three car garages. The neighborhoo... 07/26/2009

The Village of WestClay The Village of WestClay is a new concept with an emphasis on what made communities so wonderful a hundred years ago.  The Village of West Clay is what's called a "Traditional Neighborhood Development".  What the heck is a Traditional Neighborhood Development, you ask?  It's essentially building a small town or village within the confines of a city...In other words; it's a residential neighborhood that also includes various amenities like grocery stores, drugs stores, and other places in which to shop.  There are generally style requirements in which these businesses have to abide by when building a new structure. As you drive or walk through the Village of WestClay, you'll feel like the clock has been turned back to the 1800's.  The architectural styles vary, bu... 07/25/2009

Purchasing a new home in Carmel will probably be the most major expense you will make during your lifetime.  Having the right agent working for you will be the key in getting the best deal in the right location with the smoothest transaction.  Here is what you will receive when working with this Carmel Realtor:  Careful consideration of your needs and wants for a new home.  I will not send or show you volumes of homes hoping one of them will work.  I will send you homes that match as many of the criteria you give to me.  I will make suggestions if needed; for example if you want a lot of acreage and a newer home,  we may want to talk through that.  Typically new homes don't play well with large lots, they more than likely will come on smaller lots.   Another example is if you want a par... 07/20/2009

After writing many Carmel Indiana real estate market reports, it is time again to do the six months in review.  I am comparing the first six months of 2009 to the same time period of 2008.  What is most interesting is the increase in the number of distressed properties.  There were 38 in 2009 compared with only 22 last year during this same time frame, that is a 72% increase! The actual number of sold homes is down nearly 25% from a year ago; with only the "less than $150,000″ priced homes showing an increase. This is actually good news.  This means that more and more first time buyers are entering the market and as they buy these homes, that will allow that tier to move up in their home purchase price.  The largest decline as expected is in the higher priced homes (over $350,000) showi... 07/13/2009

Enjoy this video on how to Twitter! Now you know the "Secret" of Twitter! LIVE Ustream Show: Real Estate Meets Social Media --> TUNE IN every Tuesday at 9:00pm (est) for --> GoGladiatorTV Work Hard, Crush it, Blow it Up, and Make Something Special Happen! Have a Profitable Day Everyone! Harrison Painter is a Real Estate Broker and Marketing Animal in the Indianapolis, Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers, and Zionsville, IN markets who Makes Real Estate Happen! If you are looking to buy, sell, or invest, CALL ME TODAY! (317) 871-1000 At Gladiator Real Estate Group, We Answer the Phone!!!! Website: www.GoGladiator.com 06/23/2009

Lakeside Park in Westfield by Drees Homes seems to be one of those communities that continually draws interest and remains a popular choice for home buyers in the Westfield / Carmel area. Lakeside Park technically has a Westfield address but attends Carmel schools. I think the central location, quality homes, and Carmel schools all contribute to make Lakeside Park a popular choice when looking for a home in the Carmel area. Here is a look at YTD 2008 vs. 2009 in Lakeside Park:   2008 2009 % Change Active N/A 6 Homes Sold 11 6 -45% High Selling Price $610,397 $519,900 -15% Low Selling Price $366,000 $379,900 4% Average Selling Price $455,707 $468,233 3% Days on Market 75 47 -37% Price Per Square Foot $122 $121 -1%       As you can see, despite a 45% decrease in homes selling Lakeside Pa... 06/15/2009

The Carmel Real Estate Market for May 2009 shows the highest priced home selling at $800,000 after only 18 days on the market in Carolina Commons, one of my favorite neighborhoods.  All of those homes in the 106th and Keystone area typically sell very quickly.  The lowest price home selling was for $75,000 at 761 Main Street with 1400 sq ft.  The statistics for homes in Carmel are: Active Single Family Homes Listed in May                       148 Single Family Homes Currently Active                             734 Single Family Homes Sold in the month of May               100 (Nearly 50% more than last month) Average Sale Price per sq ft                                          $111(Consistent with last month) Average Days on Market                                                  93 (... 06/11/2009

As summer approaches, I thought it would be good to talk about the Monon Center that is so popular in Carmel.  The Monon Center is a public facility operated by the Carmel/Clay Board of Parks and Recreation.  The Monon Center Aqua Park opened on the 23rd of May and will be open through Labor Day. This includes a lap pool with six 25-yard lanes, a lazy river (where do I sign up??), two water slides, a kiddie pool and a deep pool with a one-meter diving board.  There is no membership required to visit the Monon Auqa Park.  You can buy an annual or monthly pass, but you can also purchase a 10 visit pass or a daily pass for as little as $8.00 a day or if you qualify for youth or senior, only $5.00 a day. The 10 visit pass is $50 or again if you qualify for youth or senior, then only $40. Pa... 06/11/2009

I am answering the Top 5 Questions for Selling your Carmel Indiana Real Estate.  We are up to Question 5 which is how long will it take to sell my Carmel Home? It depends! It depends on many factors such as your inital listing price, the condition of your home and to some degree where it is located.  Your Carmel Realtor® is an accountant by background and LOVES the analysis involved in selling real estate. So, those living in east Carmel (46033) actually sell quicker than those living in west Carmel (46032); but just barely.  Typically the average days on market (DOM) are less than 90 for 46033 and are at 95 DOM for 46032. This may be because the price point is a tad higher in west Carmel. Neighborhoods in Carmel 46033 that do exceptionally well (less than 30 days) are: Ashbrooke Cheswi... 06/11/2009

I was inspired by a series of events that led me to ask the question: "Are We Born Great?" Special thanks to Gilbert Melott of Nextvoice247, and Gary Vaynerchuk of WineLibraryTV, for the inspiration. Also, here is the link for more information about Dr. Stephen R. Covey. He is a must read author! Tune in: GoGladiatorTV is LIVE on Tuesdays at 9:00 P.M.est Social Media meets Real Estate! Looking for people to fill in slots on Tuesdays! Are you ready to grow your business via social media? *Powered by Ustream Have a Profitable Day Everyone! Harrison Painter is a Real Estate Broker and Marketing Animal in the Indianapolis, Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers, and Zionsville, IN markets who Makes Real Estate Happen! If you are looking to buy, sell, or invest, CALL ME TODAY! (317) 871-1000 At Gladia... 06/10/2009

One might think Carmel Real Estate wouldn't have bank owned as the price point in Carmel is fairly high.  I just pulled the entire inventory and there are seven bank owned homes.  There are an additional 22 if we include short sale or pre foreclosure.  But, if you are in the market for a deal and timing is important you should read about these bank owned properties.  They typically respond much quicker and close in a timely fashion, that cannot be said about short sale or pre foreclosure properties.  The list includes a $1,500,000 home in Crooked Stick that was built in 1990 and is assessed for about $800,000 and has been on the market for 98 days and was last purchased in 2003 for $1,250,000.  There are several "deals" in the list.  My picks are the one in the Village of West Clay on T... 06/06/2009

Cheswick Place located west of Spring Mill and north of 136th (Smokey Row) is a classic neighborhood of custom built homes and beautiful grounds.  The subdivision was developed by Ray Roehling in 1996, with most of the homes being built in the late 1990s and early 2000s.    There are a few homes on Broad Meadow and on Princeton Gate that were even built as late as 2006. There are 164 homes in this subdivision.  Over the last year, six homes have sold and there are currently seven on the market.  That is a one year absorption rate.  Of the homes sold, all them had at least five bedrooms and four full baths and over 4,000 sq ft without the basement.  All of the basements were over 2,000 sq ft making these very large homes in Carmel.  Almost all of them had four car garages as well.  The p... 06/06/2009

There have been a lot of headlines in the last couple of days regarding real estate sales, prices and so on. Much of what’s been published, unfortunately, is national numbers. How relevant are the national existing home sales statistics which are being spit out from our national trade organization, the National Association of REALTORS®? I mean...REALLY?!? Come on! What in the name of all things holy do national numbers regarding existing home sales have to do with existing home sales for Devonshire or Forest Hills or Arden or one of a thousand other pocket neighborhoods in the Greater Indianapolis region? My answer: not a flippin’ thing. You’ve probably heard the saying that all politics is local. Well... all real estate is local. And in my not-so-humble opinion, all real estate is MICR... 05/31/2009

I want to share this amazing book with all of you, and highly recommend that you pick up this great read! I am not getting paid in any way for this, just spreading a powerful message that I know will improve your business, and life! Written by Kevin Hall, with a Forward by Stephen R. Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People) Here is an excerpt from the Forward written by Stephen R. Covey: This masterfully written book by Kevin Hall will help you understand that words contain an inherent power, a force capable of lighting one's paths and hoped-for horizons. Used correctly, words are the first building blocks for success and inner peace. Used incorrectly, they are capable of undermining even the best of intentions. There is a language of success and a language of distress. There is a la... 05/30/2009

Part 3 of our 12 part series "Do You Have What it Takes to Succeed?" It is all about taking action! I honestly believe that if you wait until you are ready, you will never take action! If you have already worked hard to educate yourself and you perform with a high standard of ethics and authenticity, it is near impossible to fail. Have a Profitable Day Everyone! Harrison Painter is a Real Estate Broker and Marketing Animal in the Indianapolis, Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers, and Zionsville, IN markets who Makes Real Estate Happen! If you are looking to buy, sell, or invest, CALL ME TODAY! (317) 871-1000 At Gladiator Real Estate Group, We Answer the Phone!!!! Website: www.GoGladiator.com 05/27/2009

To all of my Brothers and Sisters: You have given us the greatest gift humanly possible, FREEDOM! I honor, thank, remember, and love you for all your sacrifices. TAPSby Major General Daniel ButterfieldFading light dims the sight,And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.From afar drawing nigh — Falls the night.Day is done, gone the sun,From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.Then good night, peaceful night,Till the light of the dawn shineth bright,God is near, do not fear — Friend, good night. Here is the story of WWII Bataan Death March Survivor, Chief Warrant Officer Melvin H. Nesteby (USA-Ret.).Melvin passed away a few days ago, but left us this amazing video showing the passion that was in his heart for our country.   I would like to thank th... 05/25/2009

Diary of a Gladiator - 5.25.09 My interview with Mortgage Broker John Richards. John shares his views on the current state of the market, and shares some valuable information on what it takes to succeed in business! I would like to than John for taking the time out of his day to share with us! He is our #1 Investment Mortgage Broker here in Indianapolis, and does a great job for Gladiator clients! Have a Profitable Day Everyone! Harrison Painter is a Real Estate Broker and Marketing Animal in the Indianapolis, Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers, and Zionsville, IN markets who Makes Real Estate Happen! If you are looking to buy, sell, or invest, CALL ME TODAY! (317) 871-1000 At Gladiator Real Estate Group, We Answer the Phone!!!! Website: www.GoGladiator.com 05/24/2009

The Carmel Real Estate Market for April 2009 shows the highest priced home selling at $1,000,000 after 137 days on the market in Claybridge.  The statistics for homes in Carmel are: Active Single Family Homes Listed in April                             187 Single Family Homes Currently Active                                    740 Single Family Homes Sold in the month of April                       65 Average Sale Price per sq ft                                                  $106 Average Days on Market                                                         93 There were 12 homes of the 187 Carmel Homes listed in April that were in the Village of West Clay!  That is the most for any neighborhood in Carmel.  Other neighborhoods with high numbers of listings include Saddle Creek (5), P... 05/18/2009