Tag Archives: best place to live

Things to consider before you jump into buying your house.

You are graduating from college, you have your first real job in your field of expertise, and you are ready to purchase a home and get out of the apartment you are currently in.

Before you consider looking at homes on the internet, or with a REALTOR, there are several things you should do first. Continue reading Things to consider before you jump into buying your house.

Things to consider when you and your REALTOR holds an open house

openThe house is listed. It is online with the MLS and various other websites. The sign and informational box is in the yard. You are planning for your open house. Continue reading Things to consider when you and your REALTOR holds an open house

Buying a home in a College town

movingMany families have High School Seniors who graduated and are now leaving for their first year to college. To save money on room and board some of the parents decided to buy a second home for their student to live in and later to use as potential rental.

Continue reading Buying a home in a College town

Student loans are affecting home buyers

budgetEver since the mortgage rule changes that went into effect in 2009, a small but ever growing title wave has been building. Individuals who lost their jobs during the downtrend of the market and decided to go back to school to earn a different degree, or updating their personal education, to put them into a better position for a better paying job. They are not only facing an ever tighter job market but also have put themselves financially behind the 8 ball when it comes to being able to qualify for a mortgage.

Continue reading Student loans are affecting home buyers

Facing the financial aftermath of a divorce, Part 1

No matter how you twist and turn it, starting over after a divorce is not easy. Not only will be the assets divided but also the liabilities most of the time. Many times, it will hit a woman much harder than a man. Traditionally the man is the one who holds all the credit because traditionally they are the “bread winners” of the household. This does not hold true 100% of the time but it is close to 95% of the time.

Continue reading Facing the financial aftermath of a divorce, Part 1

Is a Condo for me, or not?

House4_403_604Urban renewal is becoming more and more popular. Most of the people moving back in to the urban areas are baby boomers and executives with some free time on their hands. For this reason most of them are choosing to live in a condo. The trend of turning former apartments or an old factory in to condos has helped to turn around some of the urban areas. You can find great homes for reasonable pricing or a top notch location for a higher end price.

Before you buy a condo you should do some research into the condo rules and regulations? Each community will have their own fees and rules. You should familiarize yourself with each of these to understand what rights and responsibilities you as the condo owner will have.

Find out who is enforcing the Condo rules and regulations? Is it a homeowner association? A management company?

Most of the time condo owners are responsible for everything on the interior and the association is taking care of everything on the outside of the building. In some cases you may have an assigned parking space in an underground parking garage. When the condo is on a lake you may have a boat dock you can lease.

Some of the condominium associations might charge you an additional fee that helps them to offset any exterior repairs they might encounter and that fee is most of the time part of the condominium fee you have to pay, in addition to your mortgage and insurance payment.

Some other things to consider is that when your condo is on the 38th floor, are you willing to run down 38 flight of stairs in emergency? You may also have other restrictions due to the building or condo associations rulings.

The nice part with a condo is that you are only responsible for the interior of your condo and the condo association is responsible for the exterior of the condo. You don’t have to worry about cutting the grass, fixing a roof leak or making any other exterior repair. The downfall is that the exterior maintenance upkeep is only as good as the condo community management company.

Either way, like with everything, there are positive and negative things you need to consider when choosing a condo to purchase. When you have any additional questions about condos feel free to contact the Settles Team.

Are you in the market for a Retirement home?


Here are 5 key factors you should take in to account when looking for a home.

1-      When you are planning a relocation to a community outside the State you are living in consider vacationing in the area during both the busy season and off-season. Many communities have different ‘feels’ to them depending on the time of year. Some people make the mistake of buying a home in a town that they have only visited on vacations once or during the peak summer period.

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DSC_0002 During your vacation stay find out where medical care is located. According to AARP, more than 60% of Americans ages 50-64 have at least one of six chronic conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Once seniors reach the age of 65, more than 80% are affected by one of these chronic diseases. Close proximity to hospitals, doctors, and medical facilities should be considered when retiring.

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Think about gas prices and other conveniences. Your new home may be located far from family and friends and there may be no public transportation. You may end up spending a lot of money on gas and tolls. Twenty percent of people over 65 do not have a driver’s license. Many who do drive prefer not to drive at night or in inclement weather. Cost of living and the closeness of conveniences should be factored in as well.

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Determine how much living space you are comfortable with. Not having a family at home, your space needs will diminish. When looking at homes pay very close attention to how wide the door frames are. Does the home have stairs and if so how many? Do I need a basement and if so how will I get into the basement? Consider a garage attached or detached and whether they have stairs in the garage and attics when looking for a home. Also look for handrails or the possibility to put up handrails in areas like the bathroom or shower. The average size of a home for people over the age of 55 is 1,800 square feet.

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Look into social aspects of the area. If you like people, dining out, and shows, you may not want to opt for a remote location. Think about the activities you enjoy both during the day and at night. Many active-adult communities offer entertainment, bus trips to tourist attractions, and on-site shows and programs.

For help to find your perfect retirement home or any other real estate question contact the Settles Team!

2014 Home-A-Rama, Westfield IN


G&G Custom HomesJust as in previous years, Home-A-Rama 2014 again has some great custom builders showcasing their craftsmanship. This time they are in the Brookside Neighborhood by Langston Development located in Westfield IN.

20140606_140355Brookside is one of Westfield’s premier neighborhoods with a variety of custom homes. Due to the variety of custom builders building in this Neighborhood you never will have a house that looks the same as your neighbors.

20140606_145017_1This year the Home-A-Rama 2014 features G&G Custom Homes, Bedrock Builders, Hoss Homes, M/I Homes – Showcase Collection, and Heartwood Custom Homes.

20140606_141705_1The Brookside neighborhood itself is a very diverse and stylish neighborhood with home prices ranging from $600,000 to $1.7 million. Just minutes away from all major conveniences like recreation, shopping, and schools. Brookside is located on 161th Street East of US 31.

20140606_143419Every one of the builders being showcased at the 2014 Home-A-Rama had a very unique style. I found that high vaulted ceilings and open floor plans are still popular.

20140606_142924Even when you have an open floor plan you still can find corners that will be quite enough for conversation or relaxing. Hideaway spaces like a hidden game room or reading /play room found itself into their design as well.

20140606_145845Pocket and barn doors have finally made their way back into the Midwest building style. It makes a stylish addition to a home and also will make room for other amenities. Clean lines and simple but stylish dĂ©cor design helped showcase the builder’s craftsmanship.

For more information about this or other neighborhoods, the builders, or the area in general contact the Settles Team.
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CENTRAL INDIANA IS NOT A BAD PLACE TO BE

Based on the recent mentioning on livability.com, Central Indiana, especially Indianapolis, has made many positive changes over the last 10 years.

canal  Whoever would have thought that Indianapolis IN would be #3 on the list of top 10 list for having the best Downtown in 2014? Normally we have several other Central Indiana towns on this list and it is enjoyable to see that Indianapolis finally made it.

Indianapolis has worked very hard to make their downtown more user friendly. You can take a stroll up and down the Central Canal by foot, or bike. Rent a bike or boat, or take a gondolier ride down the canal.

When you stroll around Indy you will see all the new art pieces that have been integrated into the city landscape. You have a many options for shopping, entertainment, and dining.

USA Today has noticed the positive changes and innovative ways Indianapolis has been growing and picked Indy as the best place for conventions. It is very easy to find hotel space in Indianapolis. Park your car and just walk. Everything is within walking distance and the Indianapolis walk-ability, connectivity, and access to the restaurants, entertainment, and hotels won them many positive reviews.

canal_3Indianapolis, and Central Indiana itself, is one of the more affordable places to live, rent, and buy. With a current median price of $136,000 for a home for Central Indiana we are still an affordable area to live. In all areas we have affordable housing that is more in the range of exclusive housing in the downtown as well as the outer areas of the downtown area.

When you would like to have more information about Central Indiana and the Central Indiana possibilities please contact the Settles Team.