You can still find me writing about the Carmel Neighborhoods, the great events and monthly market reports over at my new website.  The new site incorporates the news about Fishers, Carmel and Geist so one stop shopping!

Hope to see you there!  Visit our Carmel Blogs often there.

Cindy in Indy Marchant  – Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Marchant Team Real Estate Website

Sure the Super Bowl is in Indianapolis this week and there is plenty to do downtown with the NFL experience and Super Bowl Village with free concerts, the zipline and the hamster wheel!  But Indianapolis and the surrounding communities like Carmel always has so much to do.

Bruce Hornsby will be performing at the Palladium on February 17th; you might remember him playing with the Grateful Dead and Ricky Skaggs. His most memorable hit was "The Way It Is".

Have you ever seen a play at the Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre? Legally Blonde (or Bend and Snap) will be there beginning February 16th through April 6th as a Musical.

We mentioned this last month; but Micahel Jackson : THE IMMORTAL World Tour with Cirque Du Soleil is at Conseco Fieldhouse on February 24th-25th.

For kids, Clifford the Big Red Dog will be LIVE at Clowes Memorial Hall on February 29th (guess it’s a leap year this year!).

The Children’s Museum has the Adventures of Mr. Potato Head beginning January 28th through May 6th.  This series has interactive explorations undersea, in out space and in the jungle.  It is probably most appropriate for kids between 3 and 8 years of age.

It is also a great time to look at the homes for sale in Carmel!  Inventory continues to be high and interest rates continue to be low.  Our team holds three to four homes open each Sunday, send me a quick email if you would like to get a list each week. 

Cindy in Indy Marchant – Carmel Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Carmel IN Real Estate Website

So often when you begin the process of buying a home, everybody knows a REALTOR you should use; but how do you find the right Carmel REALTOR for you.  Things like experience, knowledge of the local Carmel Real Estate market and availability will enter into your decision.  As well as Trust…you want someone you can trust with such a big decision.   Here are some things to consider as you start the process of searching for a home for sale in Carmel.

The Metropolitan Board of REALTORS has 5,800 members.  There were 75% of those agents that did less than 10 transactions last year.  And of the remaining, only 250 agents wrote more than 30 transactions last year. That says that there is a small pool of experienced agents and in this business experience is priceless.

It is so much more than sitting down and listening to what you want; it is asking why those things are important to you, it is watching you in the homes and listening to your emotion and the questions you ask, it is understanding your motivation, it is shaking the etch a sketch sometimes to find a house that is perfect for you that you hadn’t thought of.

It is so much more than opening the door; it is the way we look at the home ( we look for wear/tear, water issues, cleanliness), the analytics we do with the history of the home and comparables in the neighborhood, it is the way that we negotiate and the way that we troubleshoot the issues to protect you in the process.

If you are a first time buyer, come visit our first time home buyers clinic that we hold each month; registration is required.  But we have a Real Estate agent, a lender and a home inspector go through the process (45 minutes) and then have a Q & A.  We give you some great handouts to take with you too.

I am one of the 250 agents that wrote more than 30 transactions last year; and at the end of the day, I want to sell you “I gotta have that house”; not “that house will do”.  I have experienced many hurdles over my career since 2001 and while I probably haven’t seen it all…I’ve seen a lot.  Every transaction will typically have a least one blip…find an experienced agent you can trust.

Cindy in Indy Marchant – Carmel Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Carmel IN Real Estate Website

Homes sold in Carmel for the year 2011 compared to 2010 were up 7% which is great news.  There were 1324 homes sold in Carmel in 2011 compared with 1234 a year ago. 

Nearly every quarter in 2011 outsold the quarters of 2010.  Probably the only reason the 2nd quarter lagged was due to all the first time home buyers in 2010 in that time period trying to take advantage of the $8,000 first time home buying credit.

It is good to see amidst all of the negative rhetoric about the declining housing market that at the end of the year we can see our local Carmel Real Estate market exceed the levels of a year ago.

There was some bad news though.  The length of time a home for sale in Carmel was on the market was one of those.  In 2011, the average was 97 days, the median (most common) was 75 days…so still better than most cities in the country.  In 2010, our average days on the market were 88 and the median was 65. 

In addition we did see the average price of a home drop to $312,400 from $324,000 a year ago.

The Marchant Team sold 38 homes and our average days were 69; so we typically can sell faster than the average agent in Carmel.

We do this because we have experience in preparing a home for sale (i.e. staging), pricing the home correctly and marketing the home better than most (i.e. IVR system, enhanced website placement, etc).

If you would like to discuss how to sell your home with the Marchant Team, we would love that opportunity; to exceed your expectations.

Cindy in Indy Marchant – Carmel Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Carmel IN Real Estate Website

?  There are currently 85 homes between $300,000 and $400,000 for sale in Carmel.  On average they are priced at $128/sq ft. 

I have one with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and hardwood flooring in the kitchen. A beautiful 8’ leaded beveled glass door greets you as you enter a two story great room with floor to ceiling fireplace. It has the master on the main level with a fireplace in the master bath!  It also has a finished basement. In addition it has a new roof and new HVAC system. 

Located at 5203 Avian Way, the home has a screen in porch and beautiful outdoor living space with expansive deck, firepit and overlooking a lake.  The list price is $387,500 or $125/sq ft.

Located in the popular Avian Glen subdivision; it is walking distance to the school and various shops and restaurants. The walkability score is a 10!

Avian Glen is a subdivision with about 225 homes that were all custom built in the early to mid 1990s.  It is located just off of Hazeldell between 131st and 146th.

So if you are looking to move into a home in Carmel in 2012; this one might be worth a look in person. 

Cindy in Indy Marchant  – Carmel Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Carmel IN Real Estate Website

There were over 100 homes sold in Carmel in November which is a 45% increase over a year ago!  Carmel (unlike Fishers at the moment) is seeing market trends that any city would embrace.  Their average price of home sold was $353,000 compared with $288,000 a year ago.  Their days spent on the market were 91 compared with 109 a year ago. 

Even the luxury market is seeing good news.  There were five homes over $1 million sold in Carmel in November compared with zero last year.  The interesting thing is that many of the homes sold were ON THE MARKET last year!  The most expensive home sold in Carmel was $2,360,000 in Bridlebourne, but started out on the market 875 days ago at $4,500,000.

Neighborhoods that saw increased activity this month were Carmel Meadows (3); Lakes at Hazeldell (5); Plum Creek (5) and as usual the Village of West Clay with 9 selling in this November. 

I know there are many of you still waiting for that buyer, do not give up.  We see lots of buyers come in the December/ January timeframe.  Just be sure you priced correctly, staged and are accepting the showings as often as you can.  If you need to talk with a Carmel  Real Estate agent…I am here for you!

Cindy in Indy Marchant  – Carmel Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Carmel IN Real Estate Website

But we are over the 2009 numbers too…so good news.   The number of days on the market is a bit longer at 90 compared with 78 a year ago.   The price per sq ft is relatively unchanged at $115/sq ft.

The luxury homes market in Carmel shows great signs of improvement.   There were 25 homes over $500,000 that were sold in Carmel in August of 2011 compared with just 17 a year ago.

Neighborhoods that saw a lot of activity were Brookshire (7), Plum Creek (5), The Retreat (a condo development near the Monon) and Village of West Clay with 11.  

The blog hosting server was down for several weeks so my apologies for being absent.   I hope if you are looking to buy a home in Carmel or sell a home in Carmel; you will let me help you make that a smooth process for you.

Search Carmel Indiana Real Estate by Neighborhood

Search Carmel Indiana Real Estate by Price

Cindy œin Indy Marchant – Carmel Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Carmel IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775

CindyMarchant@comcast.net

August 20th Lyle Lovett

August 27th Martin Short

September 24th Jazz at the Lincoln Center & Wynton Marsalis

October 13th Mary Chapin Carpenter

October 16th Chinese Acrobats

If you want to enjoy an evening out without traveling to downtown Indianapolis; this is a great choice.  

I was out showing homes for sale in Carmel last week and kept going by the Palladium; my inspiration for this post.   Most of these were townhomes; but how great to own a home in the area and be able to walk to such great entertainment.

I also got a chance to see the apartments along Main street…the development on the Southside of the street near Muldoons enjoys a 98% occupancy rate; that’s wild success!

The Carmel Arts District is alive and well!

Cindy in Indy Marchant – Carmel Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Carmel IN Real Estate Website

It is important to at least note that June of 2010 was an extremely heavy month of sale making July of 2010 a bit on the lighter side.   It is important to see this type of increase given the last few months that have  lagged behind the 2010 numbers.

The luxury market was fairly consistent with just over 20 homes over $500,000 in Carmel selling in both July of 2010 and 2011.

The most expensive home sold in July of 2011 was for $1,350,000 in Bridlebourne.   It had 7,000 sq ft and an additional 3,000 in the finished basement.   It was on the market for only 51 days!

If you are curious about your home’s value; be sure to fill out our Request for Home Value on our website.   We can usually turn those around within a day.   We can also set you up for a search on your neighborhood so you can watch the activity of the homes coming on the market.

Search Carmel Indiana Real Estate by Neighborhood

Search Carmel Indiana Real Estate by Price

Cindy œin Indy Marchant – Carmel Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Carmel IN Real Estate Website
317-290-7775

CindyMarchant@comcast.net

I love being a REALTOR for many reasons but one of those reasons is the ability to just look at different types of housing on a whim.   Today, I searched for my dream home.   There are 59 ranches with basements for sale in Carmel.   Three of those are over $1,000,000 so a bit out of my price point!

I would want at least three bedrooms and two full baths, so that takes me down to 44 ranch homes available.   And then as I think more, I know I would want at least 1/2 acre or so in land, taking me down to 27 homes for sale.

That’s the wonderful thing about using a REALTOR; you can be as specific as you like or as general as you like.   If I wanted to only live in West Carmel I could put in the zip code.   If I wanted an inground pool, I could use that as a criteria.

If you are curious if your dream home exists, call or email your Carmel Real Estate agent and let me set up a search for you so that you will see all the new listings that match your wish list.   It’s easy and it’s free!

Cindy in Indy Marchant – Carmel Real Estate Agent
Keller Williams Realty Indy Metro NE
Carmel IN Real Estate Website