Saint Mom

Thank God for Moms! I especially thank God for my mom! That woman should be up for saint-hood by now! She raised me, my 2 brothers, and 3 sisters to be somewhat successful and functioning members of society. That is a miracle by any definition of the word!

Mom told me a lot of things growing up, a lot of which I ignored and forgot because I thought I knew better. What I will always remember is what she showed us.

Mom showed us the true meaning of unconditional love. No matter what mistakes we made growing up, we always knew that mom would be there. She never gave up on us, even if we had given up on ourselves.

She showed us it is better to give than to receive. She was always there when we needed her to be, no matter the inconvenience. She's helped us out of many pinches and tight spots in our lives.

She showed us that working hard, having faith, and doing the right thing is more rewarding than doing what you want to do, and in the end, gives you what you really want.

She showed us that life isn't about getting, it is about giving.

Happy Mothers Day!

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 seller 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.

Five Tips to Create a Home Wish List That Works

Five Tips to Create a HOME Wish LIst that works

 

When dreaming of a first home the options are endless. From a backyard oasis with a patio and swimming pool, to a gourmet kitchen with the most up-to-date appliances, plenty of space to entertain friends or a gorgeous master bedroom suite, no first time home buyers wish list is the same. However, in reality, it is not always possible to find a first home with everything, so buyers must decide in advance what items are “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves” on a first home wish list.

 

 

1.     Know your budget: The first step to creating a list of “must-haves” is to be realistic about what is affordable and determine a budget. Buyers should enlist a local real estate agent to help with the home search. An agent with years of expertise understands the local market and can help buyers find comparable home prices and determine what is affordable in their budget.

 

2.     Find that perfect “location, location, location”: Everyone has heard this phrase before when it comes to real estate, and while the surrounding neighborhood and home itself may improve over time, the physical location will remain the same. Buyers should determine in advance how close they would like to live to their work, schools or extended family. A short commute to work, proximity to family or having easy access to highways and mass transit are often “must-haves.” The location will also determine some home amenities that are possible or difficult to have within the buyer’s budget. For example, if a buyer has to live close to work in a big city, they may have to cross a garage or outdoor space from their wish list.

 

3.     Determine non-negotiable accommodations: A comfortable place for everyone in the family is always a “must have.” For a family of four, three bedrooms may be non-negotiable.  For a family with grandparents living at home, an extra bedroom on the first floor may also be non-negotiable.  After determining the budget and neighborhood, the most important factor is that everyone living in the home has a comfortable place to stay. 

 

4.     Pick a lifestyle fit: After fulfilling the most important needs, buyers should find out what features of a home will best fit their lifestyle.  For example, buyers who love to cook and entertain may want a home with a gourmet kitchen and decide to give up the large master bedroom.  Or, buyers who love to spend time outdoors may compromise a large family room for a big backyard.

 

5.     Have a vision:  When looking at a first home, buyers should avoid getting distracted by decorations, paint or flooring that may not fit their taste.  Items such as paint color or carpeting are easy to fix and always worth compromising on.  If everything else about a home fits the wish list, a new coat of paint and a little redecorating are easy finishing touches on a dream home.

 
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 seller 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.

Sweet Brown: Real Estate Consultant "Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!"

I got up to get me a cold pop, I thought someone was barbecuing.

Most people wait until we start barbecuing in spring and early summer before they think about putting their home they want to sell on the market.

I said Oh Lawd Jesus there's a Fire! I ran! I didn't grab no shoes or nothin' Jesus! I ran for my life!

The housing market is on fire right now! Home inventories are low and demand is up, meaning there are not enough homes available to meet the needs of home-buyers. Many homes in the area are selling for thousands over list price! If you want to sell your home, you need to run the phone, don't grab your shoes or nothing, and call me to schedule your free market valuation on your home!

Then the smoke got me! I got bronchitis!

While we are optimistic about the market, it is a cautioned optimism. Summer gas prices are always higher, putting a squeeze on consumers. There are rumors about a "shadow inventory" of foreclosed homes that the banks are holding back off the market. If that rumor is true, they will start releasing them to take advantage of this demand. There is a lot that could happen. Don't get sick with bronchitis or anything else because you wanted to wait to sell your home, and missed out on this opportunity!

Ain't nobody got time for that!

In all seriousness, if you have tried to sell your home in recent years, now is the time to do it. Call me to schedule your free consultation to learn about how I would market your home, and receive a free estimate of your homes current market value.

You can call or text me at 317-721-2274. Email at soldbyavery@gmail.com. Online at www.soldbyavery.com.

I am proud to serve the following areas in Indiana:

Indianapolis, Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Lebannon, Avon, Danville, Mooresville, Plainfield, Greenwood, Franklin, Shelbyville, Beech Grove, Greenfield, Lawrence, Whiteland, Columbus, Greensburg, Edinburgh, and beyond.

What Are You Waiting For?

What Are You Waiting For?

Interested in Selling?
If you have been thinking about selling your home, the time is NOW. Home prices are up, home inventory is down, and demand is high! This creates the Perfect Storm for you to list your home! Why wait any longer? Don't take my word for it, check out this recent article from the Indianapolis Star:
http://www.indystar.com/article/20130225/BUSINESS/302250037/Indianapolis-home-sales-jump-22-January


Interested in Buying?
It is still the best time in history to purchase a home! Interest rates are the lowest they have EVER been! Act quickly to ensure you take advantage of this! With demand as high as it is, I'm not sure how long interest rates will be held this low. Check out Coldwell Banker's Buyer's Guide to get prepared, here: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/345b3326

Featured Home:

1246 Salem Creek Blvd. Indianapolis, IN 46231
4 BR, 2.5 Bath, 3,479 sq. ft., 2.5 Car Garage, Finished Basement 
$190,900

 

Full MLS Listing:     http://idx33626.mibor.fusionblc.com/?r=1018467367&id=373939393032.324

S Corp vs. LLC

Talking to my accountant recently, I discovered that forming an S Corporation for my business would save me about 15% on taxes. Here's why:

I would actually pay myself a "reasonable" salary out of the income from my business, creating an expense for the business, which is deducted from the taxable income of the S corp. LLC's are taxed as a self-employment tax.

I would be able to split my FICA, Social Security, and other contributions with the S corp, creating a tax advantage.

Any additional income from the S corp can be paid out in dividends to stockholders, mainly myself, which are taxed at a lower rate then income.

Now, I am no tax expert, but it might be something to look into for your business, and of course, talk to your tax professional about.

I don't know about you, but the more money I am able to keep, the harder I work!

Facebook's Others

If you are like me, you use your personal Facebook account for a variety of reasons... Staying in touch with friends, staying in touch with clients, finding new clients, community involvement etc.

Having a Facebook page is about as important as having a telephone number. I have recieved new customers, connected with old friends, and found out new information through Facebook.

That is why I was surprised me recently. I was sending a Facebook message to someone I wanted to contact, and recieved a message asking me to pay $1 to have my email go to their Inbox, otherwise it would go to their "Other" box.

Being cheap, of course, I didn't pay the dollar. But I did go to my account to see if I had an "Other" inbox. Sure enough I did!

Browsing through it, I was amazed how many messages I had missed from people I wanted to hear from that went into this "Other" inbox. I had messages from prospective clients, people from charitable organizations I was involved in, and so on.

What surprised me more, was that you can't stop it. If you click on the edit preferences button, it takes you to this screen, which only enables you to make it more strict, so that you won't hear from even more people Facebook judges as Others!

Does anybody else feel like they're on a bad episode of Lost?

Major Change to the "Real" Real Estate Game

The greatest real estate game of all time is Monopoly. Don’t try and argue. It’s a fact. We were surprised a few years ago when Monopoly disregarded paper money in favor of a new debit card system that allows players to digitally manager their real estate investments and also cut down on those who like to sneak a $500 bill when the banker isn’t looking. I'm guilty... Don't tell my sister!

Recently an even bigger change was made as Monopoly gave the good citizens of the Internet the ability to add a new game piece while retiring one of the originals. So which Monopoly piece is getting th ax? The iron.

My girlfriend rejoiced at the news and asked if we could retire the iron in our home as well. While my dry cleaning bill is sure to increase, the retiring of the iron from Monopoly begs the question…why? Irons are in pretty much every home out there. Why not get rid of the battleship? Who has a battleship at their house? Well, this guy:

The car, hat, boot, dog and wheel barrel make sense for the best real estate game of all time to maintain, but a thimble?

So what’s the new piece being added to Monopoly? Here it is:

 

 

It’s a cat. Me? I would have gone with the robot. The other new piece options were a guitar, a diamond ring, and a helicopter.

I can live with these changes but if they start changing my home on Baltic Ave to a pad on Kardashian Place, or I’m going to have real issues.