Mar
7
Why Fishers Indiana is such a great place to Live
Posted by marchantteam under Fishers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Happenings, Regional News, Tips and Random Thoughts
Fishers Indiana has received numerous recognitions and awards over the past few years culminating this past week as the most affordable suburb in America by Business Week. The criteria for this award were populations of 5,000 to 60,000 (I actually think we are closer to 70,000, but we’ll take it!), median family incomes of between $51,000 to $120,000 (we are at $108,086) and factors such as livability (short commutes…they must not have travelled I69 in the morning!), education, crime and affordability. 
This award is one of many that Fishers Indiana has received. It was named the best place to raise a family by Business Week in November of 2009. The criteria for this award was school test scores, air quality, affordability, job growth and safety. If you are curious about crime near you, one of the best sites out there is family watchdog.
Forbes magazine name Fishers the 11th best place to move in the Country (this was up from 24th in 2005!). The criteria for this award included the percentage of residents born out of state or abroad, proximity of major employers, and percentage of adults with bachelor’s degree or higher.
From my experience as a Fishers Realtor, I can tell you there are lots of people moving here. We recently helped a family from France move here to work for Ener-Del. I’ve relocated dozens of physicians to Indy to work at St. Vincent and we also receive lots of website inquiries about our relocation materials to the Indy area. What people love most about relocating to Fishers are the low property taxes!
In 2008, Fishers was named the 10th best place to live by CNN Money. It is a young community (median age of 30), a smart community (60% have a bachelor’s degree or more) and a strong economy (life science company’s continue to move in).
Another reason live in Fishers is the affordability of houses. The median home price in Fishers is $174,500 and you can find homes for sale in Fishers that are well below that median and still in great neighborhoods. Currently there are 643 residential homes for sale in Fishers and of those 99 of them are less than $150,000.
I write about various neighborhoods in Fishers so that readers can get a sense of which one might work best for them if they are thinking about buying Fishers Real Estate. There are also so many great hot spots and things to do in Fishers, it is no wonder it continues to receive so many awards!
Search homes for sale in Fishers by Neighborhood
Other Northside Blogs (Carmel, Noblesville, and Geist)
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
One Response to “Why Fishers Indiana is such a great place to Live”
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May
4
MIBOR Data is out for Indianapolis Real Estate
Posted by marchantteam under Fishers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Market Reports, Regional News
The MIBOR (Metropolitian Board of Realtors) March 31,2009 data is out for the Indianapolis Real Estate market. Let’s first look at it the statistics for 2008 and 2009 for the three months ended March 31 and also the six months ended March 31st. This is for all counties in the Metro Indy area.
We can see that the percent changes from a year ago whether we are looking at the three months or the six months are all negative.
The number of homes sold for the first three months of 2009 were 4,386 compared with 5,656 a year ago or a 22% decline.
The average sale price in 2009 was $122,559, down from $139,728 a year ago or a 12% decline.
For the six months period we see a decline of 19% for homes sold 2009 compared to 2008 and and average sale price decline of 11%.
This next graph shows us homes sold for the first quarter by county.
For Fishers Real Estate that would be Hamilton County. We see a decline of 29% from 2009 to 2008 for the first three months. It is interesting to see that Hamilton County is the 2nd largest population moving, behind Marion County.
The highest decline was in Putnam and Decatur counties.
This final graph shows us the data by price point. It is somewhat amazing how the higher the price the higher the negative percent change. If you were in the less than $75,000 range, your percentage change was nominal; you sold about the same in each year. But if you were in the over $1,000,000 range; you sold 65% less in 2009 compared to 2008 for the first quarter. 
Search homes for sale in Fishers by Neighborhood
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
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Feb
6
Indianapolis Events for Fishers Home Residents
Posted by marchantteam under Fishers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Happenings, Regional News
As an added feature to our Fishers Real Estate Blog, each month near the beginning we will post our picks for current events.
The Broadway across America is a great series and every month they bring a great show to Indy. For February, it is “Moving Out,” but I’m most excited about June’s “Wicked.”
If you are looking to get far far away Ritchey Woods has an opportunity for you!
The annual Indianapolis Home Show is January 30th through February 8th!
Circle of Stars Gymnastics meet, February 20-22 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. If you watched the Olympics, you’ll love this competition. The high level gymnasts will be competing on Saturday starting at noon. Admission is free!!! www.circleofstars.org
Finally, Valentines Day is around the corner. Be sure to do something wonderful for that someone special in your life. Whether it is a spouse, significant other, mom, daughter, sister…we all value being remembered. For something very special, take them to the Hilbert Circle Theatre to see four time Grammy Award nominee Michael Feinstein.
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
2 Responses to “Indianapolis Events for Fishers Home Residents”
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Cindy, It’s so nice of you to post these great events. Our home show is coming up too, I always look forward to seeing what’s new!
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This is a great idea. The trip far far away sounds like fun. All the effort you are putting into your blogs is paying off, very professional and a great job.
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Jan
29
Fishers Realtor talks about Rosewood Neighborhood
Posted by marchantteam under Fishers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Neighborhoods, Regional News
Your Fishers Realtor wants to highlight another great neighborhood in the Fishers Real Estate Market! In preparing the post about 2006 to 2008 home values in Fishers, I identified a neighborhood to feature, it is Rosewood. Rosewood is located off of Cumberland just north of 131st street. There are 170 homes built between 1995 and 2005 in the subdivision.
There were 12 homes that sold during 2008 with an average price per square foot of $128 and average days on market of 84. None of these homes were distressed properties. All of these homes had basements and three car garages and nearly all of them had over 3,000 sq ft without considering the basements. There are currently four homes on the market giving Rosewood an absorption rate of four months. The average for the Indianapolis Real Estate market is currently at 8 months so Rosewood is fairing very well under the current market conditions. In addition the home values from 2006 to 2008 have actually increased over 7% which is better than the typical 2.5 to 3.0% we see each year. You can expect to pay in the $375,000 to $425,000 for a home in Rosewood.
Rosewood shares an association with Auburn Springs, Plantana and Northpoint. They have a pool and large park and a monthly news magazine that details budget, crime and special events. They have organized Easter Egg Hunts, 4th of July parade, and movies in the park. My friend, Lea belongs to a Bunco group and a Bible study group in the neighborhood. They feed into Fishers High School and are conveniently located to SR 37 making travelling to downtown very direct.
Check out other great Fishers neighborhoods here and if you want to know about your neighborhood, contact your Fishers Real Estate agent today!
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
One Response to “Fishers Realtor talks about Rosewood Neighborhood”
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Jan
25
Fishers Realtor talks about Home Values in Fishers Indiana
Posted by marchantteam under Fishers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Market Reports, Regional News
What decline in average price has your neighborhood experienced from 2006 to 2008? We all know the decline for the Indianapolis area is right around 7%. If you are lucky enough to own a home in Fishers or in Hamilton County, your decline was only on average 3.6%, but Marion County has seen a 13.1% decline. As with any national or regional news, we need to be sure we apply it at the lowest level to really understand the dynamics. So let’s look at a few neighborhoods in the Fishers Real Estate Market that have seen negative decline in values and a few that have actually increased in values.
Let’s look at the declines first. The largest decline happened in one of my most favorite neighborhoods, Timber Springs. It is showing a decline of 16.8%. This phenomena can somewhat be explained, neither of the two homes that sold in 2008 had basements. All of the homes in 2006 did have basements. Whether it would be worth the $50,000 difference is still questionable. The 2nd highest was Covington Estates located near 96th and Lantern Road with a 14.2% decline. The most surprising neighborhood is Gray Eagle which is a golf community and is primarily built by Pulte. Probably the most expected neighborhood is Brooks Chase. There have been many bank owned, pre-foreclosure, and “as is” type homes selling in there lately and many investors are taking advantage of the low prices. The Winderemere neighborhood is specifically for Crosswinds and does not include Woods Edge homes. Also included are Sweet Briar (avg price at $175,000) at 126th and Cumberland, River Glen (average price at $240,000) at 116th and Allisonville and Eller Run (average price at $173,000) off of Eller and 106th.
Now let’s look at the neighborhoods that seem to be weathering the “decline” more successfully. While they are showing increases, most of the neighborhoods are showing less than “normal” appreciation. Usually we see about a 2.5 to 3.0% appreciation each year in the Fishers Real Estate market. The two that seem to be outshining those normal percentages are Rosewood, which is the next neighborhood I’ll be spotlighting so stay tuned and Berkley Grove which is one of my picks for the best resale neighborhoods in Fishers. The neighborhood that might surprise people is Sunblest coming in at a 4.4% increase. These are older homes built in the 1980′s but it is still one of the most sought after neighborhoods because it is so affordable and family friendly with it’s soccer and softball park in the center of the Sunblest neighborhood. Keep in mind, I have excluded the newer Sunblest that is across from the YMCA on 126th since those are newer homes and not connected to the park. The other three neighborhoods are all relatively new and include Weaver Woods near 146th and Allisonville, Sandstone at 116th and Brooks School on the east side of Fishers and The Bristols just north of the Sandstone subdivision. Search Fishers Real Estate for Sale in your neighborhood!
It is always good to localize the media so that we better understand how Fishers Indiana Real Estate works. What does 2009 hold…currently it holds the lowest rates in 35 years, the largest inventory of homes and some of the most motivated sellers you will ever find. Add to this the hope that Barack Obama brings (this is not meant to be a political statement) and is inspiring and you have the perfect time to buy a home. Is it the perfect time to sell a home? Spring historically is and you can see from the above graph…most neighborhoods are holding their values while the surrounding areas are seeing more declines.
If you are looking to buy or sell your home in 2009, I hope you will contact this Fishers Realtor to help complete that transaction for you. If you have been reading this blog, then you already know that I know the neighborhoods, the schools, the events in Fishers and how to help you buy, build our sell a home in Fishers. Our team members write several blogs; read about the market in the Geist Real Estate Market, Carmel Real Estate Market or Noblesville Real Estate Market.
Search homes in Sunblest Farms
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
4 Responses to “Fishers Realtor talks about Home Values in Fishers Indiana”
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Hmm. I wonder what it is that gives a 2.5-3% increase in home prices in Fishers. Is that averaged over the last twenty years or so? Still any appreciation is better than the depreciation right now that you’ve captured so well in the graphs.
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Cindy, very thorough information, and the charts tell the story well. Compared to national averages, your Fishers Real estate communities have fared pretty well, and to have any with positive appreciation is great!
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Name*Terry Neal says:
Regarding your comment " The most surprising neighborhood is Gray Eagle which is a golf community and is primarily built by Pulte". Did you have an opinion as to why Gray Eagle was hit so hard? In your professional opinion, will it continue?
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Hi Terry, I sent you an email with the statistics from 06 through 12/31/09 and yes..the decline continues. My guess may be that all the new construction in that part of Fishers and in that price range give buyers more options and so many choose to build new.
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Jan
1
Fishers Real Estate Agent talks about Annexing Geist
Posted by marchantteam under Fishers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Happenings, Regional News
If you have a Fishers Home or live on the far east side of Geist, then you have probably heard about the annexation that has been ongoing in the area. There are approximately 2,200 Geist homes that Fishers has been trying to annex from Geist for the last several years. It is a highly contested and very closed watched annexation battle.
But as the year came to a close, Superior Court Judge Nation in a 28 page report ruled in favor of the Town of Fishers and ordered that the annexation of the Geist area take place. Nation stated that Fishers has shown that it can provide adequate fire service and other municipal needs of the 2,200 Geist residents. Fishers residents number more than 66,000 and is the state’s eighth largest community. The additional 2,200 residents would mean an additional $10.2 million in property taxes in the first five years.
It is likely Geist homeowners will appeal. This would cost approximately $15,000 to do and Geist is asking those residents to help support the cause. Several attorney’s have commented that appeals in these types of instances typically do not fare well. Geist homeowner’s basically oppose the annexation because they are already receiving municipal services and do not want to pay any additional monies to Fishers for them.
This is the approximate area that is to be annexed from Geist into Fishers (it is not exact):
It is important for Fishers Realtors ® as well as those in the Geist area to understand these pertinent issues that affect Fishers Homes and Geist Homes values and taxes. We hope when the time comes to buy or sell your Fishers Home or the surrounding area, you will contact us!
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
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Nov
14
Fishers Real Estate Residents Light their Town Christmas Tree on November 22nd
Posted by marchantteam under Fisher Events, Fishers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Regional News
Information on 2010 Tree Lighting in Fishers
Another great 2008 Christmas event awaits Fishers Real Estate residents! Last week the residents enjoyed the beginning of Christmas with the Hamilton Town Center Christmas in November event. This blog post had over 85 visitors for that one event; if you haven’t written a comment on it, we’d love to hear what you thought. On November 22nd Fishers and neighboring community residents will get to experience an annual event at the Fishers Town Hall on 116th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Fishers Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Fishers present the 2008 Annual Tree Lighting. This is no oridnary tree, it is a 25 foot Christmas tree! 
In addition, Santa and Mrs Claus will be arriving to help the Town leaders light the tree. This is an event you won’t want to miss. After the lighting of the Christmas tree, the Fishers High School choirs will be singing as well as the costumed Dickens carolers. And the children will have a chance to meet Santa and Mrs Claus to whisper their holiday wishes to them. There will be punch and cookies too; courtesy of the Rotary Club of Fishers. We invite all of Fishers Real Estate residents and the surrounding communities to join in the fun! In a time when real estate sales, the stock market and the general economy is tight; it is great to have an event like this to bring the community together.
I encourage those of you that visit here to write a comment if you have been to this event in previous years; other Fishers Real Estate residents would love to hear what it is like and what you enjoyed most. I’d also like to invite you to read other posts. I write mainly about real estate with monthly market reports and Fishers Real Estate Neighborhoods but I also write about various events, schools and hot spots. If you have a favorite neighborhood, event or hot spot let me know and I’ll try to feature it in an upcoming post. I want to be your source of Fishers information and your Fishers Real Estate Agent of choice.
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
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Nov
12
Homes Sold in Lawrence Township YTD through October 2008
Posted by marchantteam under For Buyers, For Sellers, Indianapolis, Regional News
Comparing different areas in the Indianapolis real estate market demonstrates a decline in sales from 2008 as compared to 2007. We have shown this in an earlier post for the Fishers Real Estate market. This article is for homes between $100,000 and $500,000 to exclude some outlier areas that are either bank owned or luxury homes on the water. It is for Lawrence Township which is just south of the Fishers real estate market; but within Marion County. 
We are seeing fewer buyers in the market which means you have to be on top of your selling game. One of my favorite shows to watch on HGTV is Design to Sell and they have great tips on how to get your home ready to sell. Some others that they mentioned not on this particular list that cost nothing are to
*Declutter
*Deep Clean (that includes ceiling fans, behind furniture, and especially base boards)
*Frame your fireplace as the focal part of the room
In a market with stats like those shown above, pricing is important. It demands a listing price that is in line with a selling price. You should be able to trust your Lawrence Township or Fishers real estate agent to handle tight negotiations if a low offer comes in on your home.
If you are a buyer, get out there and buy! Homes in the Lawrence or Fishers Real Estate market are going to be at their best condition and their best price. The $7,500 first time buyer incentive is still available and we hold First Time Buyer classes every month to help you understand the process of buying, inspecting, and lending.
Your Lawrence Township or Fishers Real Estate Team stand ready to help you understand how to sell your home or to help you buy your new home.
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
2 Responses to “Homes Sold in Lawrence Township YTD through October 2008”
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Karen is right! Normally HGTV makes me livid with their "it’s so easy" approach and Hollywood-style success stories. The "we can improve your home with just $2000 although we have a team of 5 valuable professionals donating their time at no cost" ethic drives me nuts.
This article has no pretense though – moving walls and buying stainless steel appliances to improve the value of your home does cost money, so I’m glad you tempered it with some of the low cost things you can do.
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Nov
9
Fishers Real Estate Train or Light Rail Update for November
Posted by marchantteam under Fishers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Regional News, Tips and Random Thoughts
There has been much discussion among Fishers Real Estate residents over the I69 NE corridor traffic congestion and recently there has been a ray of hope for some, as a light rail system was introduced during the Indianapolis Regional Transportation Council that met on September 26, 2008. There has been increased interest and discussion over whether the Nickel Plate train tracks would be used, how often it would travel, cost, etc.
There are many issues with light rail including but not limited to funding, environmental studies, repair and usability of the Nickel Plate tracks and historical preservation. Perhaps the biggest issue with light rail is that it cannot succeed without a major comprehensive bus system. I spoke with Mark Fisher today (November 6, 2008), who is the resident transit expert at the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. He is intricately tied to the mass transit conversations and tells us that without a bus system, a light rail system cannot function. The current bus system that departs from the Fishers area and goes downtown was paid for by a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant. This grant is for three years and the grant pays for 80% of the cost (total cost is $1.5 million). The other 20% is being paid for through the population that utilizes the bus. It is a known fact that the bus out of Fishers has to turn people away because it is so popular. It serves Fishers Real Estate residents every 20 minutes from Eastern Star and Carmel residents every 30 minutes from the Meijer. The grant expires in 2 years, so the more pressing issue is how to sustain local funding for the routes after the grants expire.
There are probably multiple options to discuss in successfully implementing a regional integrated transportation system. One option might be lane management for buses or car pool vehicles similar to what currently exists on Fall Creek into the downtown Indianapolis area. Currently there is a middle lane that changes directions depending on rush hour times. This might be a more cost effective solution than a light rail system.
While there is a great deal of public support for some type of mass transit whether in the Fishers area or surrounding communities, a light rail system cannot happen without a complementary regional bus system in place. It is possible a bus system if thoughtful and successfully executed could eliminate the need for millions of dollars to be spent on light rail. For now, light rail will probably be placed on hold as some of the issues above find resolution and complementary bus systems are developed.
For other articles written:
September 27 Mass Transit Post for September
October 17 Mass Transit Post for October
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
One Response to “Fishers Real Estate Train or Light Rail Update for November”
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Interesting – I like the idea of middle lane direction changing for automobiles in Fall Creek. Does that seem effective to you? It sounds like a marvelous idea.
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Nov
6
Fishers Real Estate – Hamilton Shopping Center Christmas in November!
Posted by marchantteam under Fisher Events, Fishers, For Buyers, For Sellers, Regional News
Click on the post for 2010 Santa and Tree Lighting information
December 23rd Update: To see Santa tracking across the United States, be sure to visit the Tracker!
December 16th Update: To see Santa at Hamilton Town Center; here are the times:
Santa w ill once again be making new Holiday Memories! Don’t miss this year’s photo with Santa.
Friday, December 12th – December 23rd 2008 NOTE: Santa Breaks Photo with Santa Pricing |
This post was written in November 2008.
I wrote a post recently about the opening of the Hamilton Center in Noblesville and wanted to give you the Holiday update for this mall. For everyone who lives in nearby Noblesville or the Fishers Real Estate market, starting tomorrow (November 7th) at 5:00 WFMS will be playing music and you can register for a free $100 Simon Mall Gift Card. At 7:30 there will be fireworks, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir and yes, a visit by Santa!
The fun continues on Saturday (November 8th) with a Santa Breakfast at 9:00 at the McAlister’s Deli. Tickets are $3.00 Then from 10:00 to 10:40 at the IMAX theatre; Santa vs. the Snowman will be playing. The first 200 children to attend the Santa breakfast will receive a free ticket. Others can attend depending on space. There will be opportunities for a picture with Santa from 12:00 noon until 8:00 p.m. There is live music and so much more fun.
The Hamilton Town Center in Noblesville rings in Christmas in November! Be sure to read the above link for all of the major events and timing and have a great time!
Please be sure to return and write a review for others to see and share!
Cindy œin Indy Marchant - Fishers Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Fishers IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775
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Indianapolis/Fishers Real Estate is authored by Cindy Marchant
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Great summary of Fishers’ recognition. Being a native Hoosier and Indy west-sider, it has been fun watching Fishers and Hamilton County receive such positive feedback! With your knowledge and expertise in the Fishers area, anyone looking for a home in the area would be greatly served by your! Great post-so informative!