When you want to purchase a home in the Indianapolis Area, your first step should be meeting with a local lender and getting pre-approved for a loan.
 
This step is important for 3 reasons:
 
1. You'll know what you can spend. Looking at homes you can't purchase not only wastes your time, it's depressing. And, as many home shoppers have learned, once you switch to homes you can afford, none of them will please you.
 
2. You'll know if you need to restrict your search to (city) homes that meet certain requirements. VA, FHA, and some regional loan programs have guidelines regarding the homes that will qualify for their financing.
 
3. When you have a pre-approval letter in hand, it's more likely that your offer will be accepted, or at least considered over offers without such a letter. Sellers don't want to take their homes off the market in the hope that you'll be able to qualify – they want some solid assurance.
 
In fact, if you're shopping ...

Miss Manners has probably not written a manual on the rules of etiquette for house hunting, but such rules do exist. When you follow them, you'll endear yourself to your own agent, to the agents whose listings you'll view, and to the homeowners you hope will accept your offer on their home.
 
Rule #1: Be on time for your appointment. If something happens that prevents you from being on time – like a wreck blocking the freeway or a flat tire – call!
 
And of course, if you need to cancel, call just as soon as you know that to be a fact.
 
The others, in no particular order:
Wipe your feet or use booties that the agent or homeowner supplies. Don't track in dirt!
Control your children. If you've brought children along, keep them with you and enforce the "don't touch" rule, even when there are tempting toys in the house.
Don't bring your cat or dog inside. If it's too hot for them to wait in the car, leave them at home or in a boarding kennel.
If yo ...

You know first impressions are lasting impressions. When it comes to selling your house in the Indianapolis Area, curb appeal is the first impression, and can make the difference between selling your home and not selling it.
 
The human mind is a complex thing – and it often makes us see what we expect to see.
 
When a buyer sees a well-tended yard and home exterior, they enter the house expecting to see more of the same, and they generally do. When they see an un-tended lawn, weeds, and a torn screen door, they enter the house expecting to see signs of neglect and deferred maintenance – and that's what they see.
 
That means… it pays to spend time making sure your home's curb appeal is the best it can be.
 
With that in mind, here's a check list of tasks to undertake before the first buyer or buyer's agent views your home:
 
The house itself:

 Power wash and repaint if necessary.
 Check the front door for scuffs and s ...

 
When you're getting ready to sell your Indianapolis area home, you may be tempted to "forget" a few details when filling out the property condition report.
 
I've heard many sellers say "If I disclose there was mold buyers might shy away." That's a valid concern. Depending upon the problem, some buyers might shy away, but failing to disclose is far too risky.
 
If the buyers experience problems over the same issue, they could sue you for misrepresentation, and the financial damages could be severe. Even if they never have a problem, if the neighbors know about it and tell the buyers, a legal hassle could ensue.
 
So disclose completely. When you do, your buyers will go into the transaction with their eyes wide open, and they can never come back on you for it because they will have signed the document stating that they were informed prior to the purchase.
 
If you aren't sure whether or not an issue must be disclosed – such as a death in the hou ...

 
When a home is on the market during the holidays, there's always a question about decorating. Should you decorate?
 
The answer is yes, certainly you should enjoy the holidays by making the house look festive. The trick is in doing it with a light touch and creating a balance that shows off the house to its best advantage.
 
If you've got the space for a huge tree – go ahead and show off that benefit. However, if the space is smaller, opt for a smaller tree. Create a balance that won't make your living space feel crowded.  You want to demonstrate that there's plenty of room for family and friends in your holiday house.
 
Balance and a light touch should also apply to the rest of your décor. Tables and fireplace mantles filled with figurines, pine boughs, and candles might be attractive, but they CAN make a home seem "overstuffed." In addition, those attractive displays can take the focus away from the house itself.
 
So think in ter; ...