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' Avery is very dedicated and his easy going personality makes selling and buying a home a little less stressful. He was always quick with a response ... more '
5.0/5.0
by user89261367
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' I'm very happy with Avery! He was very patient and did whatever to make showings happen when we wanted to look! Ended up buying house through him and ... more '
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by user8521382

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

FSBO Facts ( For Sale By Owner )

85% of FSBO's end up listing with a Realtor.

Of the 15% that "successfully" sell FSBO:

FSBO homes sell for 18% less then comparative properties listed with Realtors, on average.

Realtors commission is typically 6-7%. (Do the Math)

FSBO transactions take 7 months longer to close.

FSBO's spent $2,500 more on inspection repairs then listings represented by Realtors.

40% said they knew the Buyer of their home personally before the transaction.

Only 14% sold their home in the time the budgeted.

Only 13% said they had enough time to devote to the sale.

63% said the FSBO process impeded with work.

77% said it impeded with time spent with their family.




Source: 2012 Profile of Buyers and Sellers, NAR Research


Avery Garrett is a top Indianapolis Realtor serving the Indianapolis Metropolitan area from Coldwell Banker Kaiser. Avery is Zillow.com Premium 5 Star Agent, and is a Member of the Metroplitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Contact Avery for a complimentary, no obligation, Market Analysis of your home at 317-721-2274, or SoldByAvery@gmail.com. See Avery's reviews and search for a home at www.SoldByAvery.net.

Avery is proud to help home sellers and home buyers in the following communities: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Cicero, Sheridan, Lebanon, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Plainfield, Mooresville, Camby, Greenwood, Bargersville, Martinsville, Franklin, Shelbyville, Southport, Beech Grove, New Palestine, Greenfield, Lawrence, Greensburg, Nashville and beyond.

New $0 Down Payment Program for Home Buyers!


Tired of paying mortgage insurance on your FHA, VA, or USDA inusred mortgage? Tired of jumping through hoops to buy a new home under these programs? I have a perfect solution for you!

A personal lender of mine has just introduced a new program where you can buy a home with NO down payment, NO monthly insurance premiums that make your monthly payments higher, and NO government hoops to jump through that delay your closing on your home!

Here are the requirments for $0 Down:

  1. A 680 credit score or higher
  2. An annual individual income of less than $52,080 (per person, not household)
Here are the requirements for 3% Down:

  1. A 620 credit score or higher
  2. An annual individual income of less than $52,080 (per person, not household)
This is an amazing product offered locally. If you are buying a home, or thinking about buying a home, with FHA, VA, or USDA, you should consider this option before you do. No insurance premium means your monthly payment could be as much as $100 less every month!

Contact me to find out more:

Avery GarrettColdwell Banker Kaiser
Mobile: (317) 721-2274
Office:
(317) 844-1131

Fax: (317) 843-8450
12401 Old Meridian Street
Carmel, IN 46032

www.SoldByAvery.net




Avery Garrett is a top Indianapolis Realtor serving the Indianapolis Metropolitan area from Coldwell Banker Kaiser. Avery is Zillow.com Premium 5 Star Agent, and is a Member of the Metroplitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Contact Avery for a complimentary, no obligation, Market Analysis of your home at 317-721-2274, or SoldByAvery@gmail.com. See Avery's reviews and search for a home at www.SoldByAvery.net.

Avery is proud to help home sellers and home buyers in the following communities: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Cicero, Sheridan, Lebanon, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Plainfield, Mooresville, Camby, Greenwood, Bargersville, Martinsville, Franklin, Shelbyville, Southport, Beech Grove, New Palestine, Greenfield, Lawrence, Greensburg, Nashville and beyond.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Tighter Market for Foreclosures

The Q3 2013 Foreclosure Report issued by MIBOR reveals that foreclosed homes made up 15 percent of all central Indiana closed sales in the third quarter of 2013. This is down from the 20.8 percent market share in the same quarter of 2012 and 20.9 percent in 2011. Foreclosure listings represent 11.3 percent of all listings in the third quarter of 2013.

The majority of foreclosures remain in the $120,000 and below price point.
The median foreclosure sales price was up 5.2 percent to $66,300. In the third quarter of 2013, foreclosures yielded an average of 88.4 percent of list price while traditional sales yield 93.6 percent.

The last page of the report includes a breakdown of foreclosure inventory, closed sales and median sales prices by county.


Check out the full report here: http://www.mibor.com/pdfs/MIBOR_FSS_2013-Q3.pdf

Avery Garrett is a top Indianapolis Realtor serving the Indianapolis Metropolitan area from Coldwell Banker Kaiser. Avery is Zillow.com Premium 5 Star Agent, and is a Member of the Metroplitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Contact Avery for a complimentary, no obligation, Market Analysis of your home at 317-721-2274, or SoldByAvery@gmail.com. See Avery's reviews and search for a home at www.SoldByAvery.net.

Avery is proud to help home sellers and home buyers in the following communities: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Cicero, Sheridan, Lebanon, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Plainfield, Mooresville, Camby, Greenwood, Bargersville, Martinsville, Franklin, Shelbyville, Southport, Beech Grove, New Palestine, Greenfield, Lawrence, Greensburg, Nashville and beyond.

 


 

 

 
 

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Fall Checklist to Keep Your Home Looking Great!

It’s hard to believe that fall is already upon us. Summer may be over, but now is not the time to neglect a home’s exterior, especially if it’s going to soon be listed for-sale this season. Here are a few tips to help you embrace the fall season and keep your property looking its best:

· The most obvious tip: rake up leaves on a frequent basis;
· Inspect your gutters regularly and remove any leaves that get trapped;
· Carry on weeding garden beds and walkways;
· Remove all annual flowers that are no longer blooming and plants that are past their “best before” date. Dead vegetation gives the impression of a home not cared for;
· If you’re experiencing a warm, dry fall in your area, you’ll still need to irrigate your lawn (according to local by-laws of course);
· Fertilize your lawn before the ground freezes (unless you’re lucky enough to live in a year-round warm climate). This will give your grass a head start in the spring. However, check with your local garden center first to find out if this is the right course of action for your particular environment;
· Readjust the timers on outdoor lighting displays since it now gets dark earlier;
· Give your gardens some liveliness by planting fall flowers such as chrysanthemums. Choose a color that compliments the exterior of your home;
· Redesign your urns and flowers pots – it’s time for a fall theme;
· Add some vignettes. Sometimes, it’s the little things that produce the most attention. My personal favorite for generating anticipation in potential buyers is to create a simple fall vignette on the porch. Pumpkins add a punch of color and provide a warm, welcoming look when blended with something interesting like a couple of antique lanterns, for example. Be careful not to add too many items to the vignette or it will appear too cluttered.

If there’s a swing or rocking chair on the porch, add cushions with a generous amount of orange in them to tie everything together. If you pay this much attention to the exterior of your home, buyers will be anxious to see what awaits them behind the front door. The photo above was taken at the side door of a property that was never used as an entry point. Be sure when creating your vignette that you don’t block access to the front door.

These are just a few things that will help keep the exterior of your home looking terrific right through to the next season: The dreaded winter. We won’t think about that right now though!



Avery Garrett is a top Indianapolis Realtor serving the Indianapolis Metropolitan area from Coldwell Banker Kaiser. Avery is Zillow.com Premium 5 Star Agent, and is a Member of the Metroplitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Contact Avery for a complimentary, no obligation, Market Analysis of your home at 317-721-2274, or SoldByAvery@gmail.com. See Avery's reviews and search for a home at www.SoldByAvery.net.

Avery is proud to help home sellers and home buyers in the following communities: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Cicero, Sheridan, Lebanon, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Plainfield, Mooresville, Camby, Greenwood, Bargersville, Martinsville, Franklin, Shelbyville, Southport, Beech Grove, New Palestine, Greenfield, Lawrence, Greensburg, Nashville and beyond.

5 Inspection Issues Buyers Shouldn't Ignore

Home buyers need to be extra vigilant about inspections in the early stages of a purchase because if problems are discovered too late in the process, it can “dash home owners’ dreams and budgets,” writes Yahoo! Finance in a recent article.

One home buyer in Long Island, N.Y., explains in the story that she didn’t discover the fixer-upper she bought needed $225,000 in repairs until after she purchased it.

Jonathan and Drew Scott, who educate viewers about transforming fixer-uppers on HGTV’s “Property Brothers,” offers up a checklist of five things buyers should look for to ensure they don’t buy a lemon.
  • Mold: Buyers should note any musty smells in the home and be on the lookout for any mold. Mold can be caused by improper air circulation as well as water leaks.
  • Pests: Termite damage can be widespread and costly to repair.
  • Outdated fixtures and wiring: Electrical problems in a home can cause fire hazards. Buyers should take note of any indication of faulty wiring, such as cable coming out of drywall.
  • Poor DIY jobs: Buyers should make sure that the previous home owner’s do-it-yourself projects were done correctly and are up to code. For example, poorly done flooring and painted-over wallpaper can be time-consuming and costly to fix.
  • Drainage problems: Sloping sod can cause flooding problems in a backyard, and a slow-draining sink could be an indication of a bigger problem. Buyers should test sinks and flush toilets to test for any potential problems.
See the Video Here: http://finance.yahoo.com/video/dont-buy-house-without-checking-110000511.html

Source: REALTOR.org Magazine and “Property Brothers: Don’t Buy a House Without Checking These 5 Things,” Yahoo! Finance


Avery Garrett is a top Indianapolis Realtor serving the Indianapolis Metropolitan area from Coldwell Banker Kaiser. Avery is Zillow.com Premium 5 Star Agent, and is a Member of the Metroplitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Contact Avery for a complimentary, no obligation, Market Analysis of your home at 317-721-2274, or SoldByAvery@gmail.com. See Avery's reviews and search for a home at www.SoldByAvery.net.

Avery is proud to help home sellers and home buyers in the following communities: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Cicero, Sheridan, Lebanon, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Plainfield, Mooresville, Camby, Greenwood, Bargersville, Martinsville, Franklin, Shelbyville, Southport, Beech Grove, New Palestine, Greenfield, Lawrence, Greensburg, Nashville and beyond.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Home Staging Techniques That Work!


Compliments of Coldwell Banker and NBC, this video does a great job at pointing out affordable improvements you can make to your home to make it more appealing to home buyers!

Avery Garrett is a top Indianapolis Realtor serving the Indianapolis Metropolitan area from Coldwell Banker Kaiser. Avery is Zillow.com Premium 5 Star Agent, and is a Member of the Metroplitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Contact Avery for a complimentary, no obligation, Market Analysis of your home at 317-721-2274, or SoldByAvery@gmail.com. See Avery's reviews and search for a home at www.SoldByAvery.net.

Avery is proud to help home sellers and home buyers in the following communities: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Cicero, Sheridan, Lebanon, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Plainfield, Mooresville, Camby, Greenwood, Bargersville, Martinsville, Franklin, Shelbyville, Southport, Beech Grove, New Palestine, Greenfield, Lawrence, Greensburg, Nashville and beyond.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

NAR: What a Government Shutdown Means to Realtors and Housing


What a Government Shutdown Means for REALTORS® (As of October 3, 2013)

Congress has failed to approve a Continuing Resolution (CR) providing funding for most government operations. Therefore, spending authority for most of the government expired at midnight on September 30, 2013. Until legislation providing for funding is signed into law, many offices and programs of the federal government are now shut down. This means many, but not all, government programs, including some that impact federal housing and mortgage programs, have been suspended or slowed due to the lapse in government funding. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requires each agency to have contingency plans in place. The information below is based on NAR staff review of agency agency contingency plans for the current shutdown and past experience with previous shutdowns and near-shutdowns.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

The IRS is closed and has suspended the processing of all forms, including requests for tax return transcripts (Form 4506T). While FHA and VA do not require these transcripts, they are required by many lenders for many kinds of loans, including FHA and VA, so delays can be expected if the shutdown is protracted. We have received indications that many loan originators are adopting revised policies during the shutdown, such as allowing for processing and closings with income verification to follow, as long as the borrower has signed a Form 4506T requesting IRS tax transcripts. On loans requiring a Form 4506T Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have also adopted relaxed provisions allowing closings but subject to tax transcript verification before the GSE’s purchase the loans. Social Security Administration (SSA)

The Social Security Administration is closed and has suspended most customer service functions. According to the SSA Contingency Plan, verifying Social Security numbers through the Consent Based SSN Verification Service will also be suspended during the shutdown, a further complication for mortgage processing. As with IRS income verification, policies vary among lenders, with many choosing to exercise forbearance during the shutdown period subject to subsequent verification. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have also adopted policies to allow for closing subject to subsequent verification and before GSE purchase of the loan.

Department of the Interior – Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

BIA has announced that there will be no processing or recording of property transactions on Leased Indian Tribal Land during the government shutdown.

Federal Housing Administration

HUD’s Contingency Plan states that FHA will endorse new loans in the Single Family Mortgage Loan Program, but it will not make new commitments in the Multi-family Program during the shutdown. FHA will maintain operational activities including paying claims and collecting premiums. Management & Marketing (M&M) Contractors managing the REO portfolio can continue to operate. You can expect some delays with FHA processing.

VA Loan Guaranty Program

Lenders will continue to process and guaranty mortgages through the Loan Guaranty program in the event of a government shutdown. Expect some delays during the shutdown.

Flood Insurance

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed that the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) will not be impacted by a government shutdown, since NFIP is funded by premiums and not tax dollars. Changes to the flood insurance program scheduled to take effect on October 1 will be implemented as scheduled.

Rural Housing Programs

For the U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, essential personnel working during a shutdown do not include field office staff who typically issue conditional commitments, loan note guarantees, and modification approvals. Thus, lenders will not receive approvals during the shutdown. If the lender has already received a conditional commitment from the Rural Development office, then the lender may proceed to close those loans during the shutdown. A conditional commitment, which is good for 90 days, is given to a lender once a USDA Underwriter approves the loan. If a commitment was already issued, the funds were already set aside and the lender may close the loan at its leisure. If Rural Development has not issued a conditional commitment, the lender must wait until funding legislation is enacted before closing a loan.

It is important to note that the traditional definition of "rural" for qualifying communities for assistance will be continued in effect during the shutdown. We expect that language to continue the current definition will be included in whatever funding measure is eventually enacted.

Government Sponsored Enterprises

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will continue operating normally, as will their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, since they are not reliant on appropriated funds.

Treasury

The Making Home Affordable program, including HAMP and HAFA, will not be affected as the program is funded through the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act which is mandatory spending not discretionary.

Avery Garrett is a top Indianapolis Realtor serving the Indianapolis Metropolitan area from Coldwell Banker Kaiser. Avery is Zillow.com Premium 5 Star Agent, and is a Member of the Metroplitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Contact Avery for a complimentary, no obligation, Market Analysis of your home at 317-721-2274, or SoldByAvery@gmail.com. See Avery's reviews and search for a home at www.SoldByAvery.net.

Avery is proud to help home sellers and home buyers in the following communities: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Cicero, Sheridan, Lebanon, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Plainfield, Mooresville, Camby, Greenwood, Bargersville, Martinsville, Franklin, Shelbyville, Southport, Beech Grove, New Palestine, Greenfield, Lawrence, Greensburg, Nashville and beyond.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Government Shutdown Effects on Home Loans


Government Shutdown Effect on Housing

Q: How will the government shutdown affect FHA/VA/USDA appraisals?

A: If you sell a home and write a contract for a government buyer (FHA/VA/USDA), we should be able to order your case numbers and appraisals so this should not affect your transaction.

Q: Will the government shutdown affect the processing or closing of FHA-insured loans?


A: FHA will have limited staff during a shutdown and the processing or closing FHA –insured loans may be delayed.  All FHA underwriting and processing requirements remain in force during the government shutdown and no loan may proceed that cannot fulfill those requirements.

 
Q: Can a lender obtain a new FHA case number?


A: Yes. Lenders will be able to obtain a FHA case number from the FHA Connection. 

Please note that all FHA underwriting and processing requirements would remain in force on loans originated during the government shutdown regardless of system limitations during the shutdown period.


Q: Will tax transcripts be affected?

A: All lenders require tax transcripts be processed by the IRS and are required prior to closing all loans.  So, your transaction could be held up waiting for the IRS to process the transcripts once they are back up and running.

Q: Will Credit Alert Interactive Voice Response System (CAIVRS) be available?


A: Yes. CAIVRS will be available to determine if a borrower has a delinquent federal debt. 


Q: Will VA and conventional financing be impacted by the shutdown?

 
A:  At this time the only impact on both VA and conventional financing is the inability to obtain tax

transcripts.

 
*USDA UPDATES

The government shutdown and USDA being out of money are two totally different issues! The fact that USDA is out of money happens each year and lenders are normally able to fund loans as long as long as they have a conditions commitment issued by USDA.

Loans in process will be submitted to USDA as usual, but the review of the files will be backed up depending on when the USDA employees are back to work. Loans that have already been submitted and approved by USDA, will be able to be closed as normal. Loans that have already been submitted to USDA, but have not yet been approved, will not be able to.


Avery Garrett is a top Indianapolis Realtor serving the Indianapolis Metropolitan area from Coldwell Banker Kaiser. Avery is Zillow.com Premium 5 Star Agent, and is a Member of the Metroplitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors. Contact Avery for a complimentary, no obligation, Market Analysis of your home at 317-721-2274, or SoldByAvery@gmail.com. See Avery's reviews and search for a home at www.SoldByAvery.net.

Avery is proud to help home sellers and home buyers in the following communities: Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Cicero, Sheridan, Lebanon, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Avon, Danville, Plainfield, Mooresville, Camby, Greenwood, Bargersville, Martinsville, Franklin, Shelbyville, Southport, Beech Grove, New Palestine, Greenfield, Lawrence, Greensburg, Nashville and beyond.