What actually is an HOA??

For everyone out there looking at homes right now, there are three little letters that could make or break your purchase decision. They are “H,” “O” and “A.” Three of the most frightening letters of the alphabet, imposed over the largest purchase you’ll ever make — it’s a recipe for high anxiety.

But not every Homeowners Association is the nightmare that many home buyers imagine. As long as you do your homework and know exactly what you’re getting into, your HOA may be the best decision you ever made.

Homeowners Associations, Maintenance and Uniformity

HOAs are often part of life for condo, townhouse and some single family homeowners. They’re not all good and they’re not all bad. Their purpose in this modern world is to maintain a sort of uniformity and authority that can not only help neighbors deal with disputes, but help the neighborhood as a whole keep a nice, shiny reputation.

When it comes to attached homes, like condos and townhouses, the HOAs also maintain the exteriors of buildings, including roofing, and common areas, like lawns. Single family HOAs often provide amenities like pools and common buildings that can be used for parties. The more the HOA does, the more the fees will be. And sometimes there will be fees even if they don’t do much.

Homeowners Associations Versus Neighborhood Associations

Another point to clarify is that there is a difference between a neighborhood association and a homeowners association. Neighborhood associations are voluntary, generally have very low fees for membership and do not run with the land. That means that you can buy a house where the former owner was part of the neighborhood association, but decline to be a member yourself.

On the other hand, if you buy a home that’s part of a homeowners association, the covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs) run with the land itself. So, you buy the land (usually with a house on it) and at closing sign that you agree to the HOA’s rules. You can only change those by being an active part of the association itself and going through the process it takes to allow RV parking in the front yard or whatever it is that you really want to do.

Is an HOA For You?

It’s really hard to know if you’re going to get along in an HOA-controlled neighborhood without taking a long hard look at those CC&Rs. They vary widely, just like the people who live in different neighborhoods. Even if you find a home that you absolutely love, don’t sign a thing until you’ve seen the CC&Rs and gone over them with your real estate agent. You will be living under those rules for a while, make sure you can accept that.

While it would be fun to have a pool you don’t have to clean, sometimes you have to be realistic and say, “These rules just aren’t for me or my lifestyle.”

But, sometimes those rules are really practical and make a lot of sense. For example, some might state that your grass has to be kept under six inches high. Great rule, this practice reduces animal and insect problems by removing cover.

Others might say you can’t have a clothesline or a fence, which might be a total deal-breaker for you. There is often an appeal process, but if that clothesline is a big enough issue, don’t risk it. There are plenty of houses in the sea.

Don’t Forget, HOA Fees Are Included in Your DTI

Last, but not least, remember that HOA fees will be included in your debt to income calculation. So, if you are just barely able to afford that lovely home, the monthly fees may make your lender give you the red light. This is an important item to check when you’re investigating the other terms of the HOA.

You can expect them to run anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars a month. Definitely something you want to be sure about before committing. Would you rather have that much more in home, or in amenities?

Already in Love With the Idea of a Home In an HOA?

If you and your real estate agent have taken the time to investigate the HOA and the CC&Rs and you’re still good to go, write that contract! Make that home yours and know that the rules will help to maintain home standards, even if they can be a bit draconian at times.

Once you move in, don’t forget your friends at HomeKeepr! Your real estate agent can recommend lawn pros to keep the grass trimmed, siding experts to ensure that the front of your home is always looking its best and other home pros like fence installers for that fence Fido requires.

Smart cameras to protect your home

Things seem to be getting smarter and smarter these days. From smartphones to smart pressure cookers, anything that can be built with a brain or an internet connection seems to be being bulked up. Some items that are getting brains don’t necessarily make a lot of sense (smart toothbrushes?), and others seem like they should have gotten smarter sooner.

Smart cameras are a perfect example of the latter. They’re a good balance between smart and sexy, and they will keep your smart home safer.

Getting to Know Smart Cameras

A smart camera is different from a regular home security camera in that one camera can integrate with lots of sensors in your home and actually learn your behavior. So, if you normally disarm the alarm at 8:00 am and rearm it at 4:00 pm, that camera will begin to build that information into its profile of your household.

This way, when someone comes in at 8:00 pm and tries to disarm the alarm, even if they’re successful, the camera will be on alert for more clues about who this person is and if they belong in your home. You’ll be notified through an app in your phone that someone is lurking about.

Some smart cameras, like the Nest Cam IQ are even able to learn faces and distinguish friends you designate from strangers. When a stranger appears in this camera’s sight, it notifies you right away. If it’s simply a friend stopping by to see if you’re home, you can ask the Nest IQ to essentially ignore their activity.

Benefits of Modern Smart Security Cameras

Security cameras have been in homes for decades now, but today’s security cameras bear very little resemblance to their ancestors. Although they share functionality, that’s about all they have in common today. Here are a few things to keep in mind about modern smart cameras:

They’re tiny, with great big brains. As mentioned above, some smart cameras learn patterns of behavior, others go further and learn faces and names. All of this is made possible by modern computing and it’s stuffed into a tiny little package that’s hardly noticeable.

Minimal wiring is required. Old school security cameras required you to run new wiring from them to the television and recording device you were utilizing. Assuming the place you’re stashing the camera already has power, that’s still a lot of extra cabling to deal with. Smart cameras connect to your devices using WiFi, though they may need a wire for power.

Monitoring is DIY. Gone are the days of paying a company to do your monitoring or having way too much space in your house devoted to self-monitoring of those big ancient cameras. Now, you can monitor your camera in real time, no matter where you are. It’s a snap to just drop in and see how things are going in your vacation home or review videos from last night to see if your kids threw a house party while you were away.

Video storage is in The Cloud. The one drawback to smart cameras is that you will have to pay for storage for your recordings if you want to keep them. Most companies offer packages by time spans that range from about 24 hours to weeks and weeks. You can download your videos, but what you don’t download will disappear after the length of your storage subscription.

Get Smarter, Add A Smart Camera To Your Home Security

Smart cameras are really one of the best things since sliced bread. They can keep your home and family safe, even when you’re far away. Although many are designed to be installed by the homeowner, if you don’t have the time or mechanical inclination, maybe it’s time to hook up with a smart home pro. We know a few at HomeKeepr. Come visit the community and your real estate agent can hook you up with smart home pros that they recommend highly. Be smart like your new cameras, let HomeKeepr show you the way.

April 2019 Steve & Jack's Home News

Happy Spring!!! While we 'enjoy' typical Indiana spring weather, which can see below freezing temperatures one day and then 60+ degree temperatures the next day, it can be quite frustrating and annoying for those of us beyond ready for spring to finally arrive with consistently warmer temperatures. We hope you are as ready for solid spring weather as we are!

With spring comes the long-awaited spring break for many families and the sojourn to somewhere warmer, which for many is somewhere in Florida. If you find yourself traveling this spring break season, we wish you safe travels along with some much-needed fun and relaxation. This spring break, Steve & Brigid are taking Ana & Tali to see five national parks in Arizona, Utah, & Nevada. We are so excited to see some amazing scenery at Zion, Arches, Bryce Canyon, & Canyonlands. Although Ana would prefer to be laying on a beach in Florida, we feel this will prove just as rewarding, if not more so.

Jack and Mary Anne will be staying home for the time-being, however Jack will be participating in the Indy Honor Flight on April 13th to Washington DC and he is bringing Steve along as his guardian. They are very much looking forward to this once-in-a-lifetime experience and can't wait to share with you some memories next month.

Thank you to everyone who attended our March Happy Hour last month on our new day!!! Thursday seemed to work well for many people and we expect to continue this new day into the foreseeable future. Please join us for our April Happy Hour on Thursday, April 18th from 5-6:30PM at Matt The Miller's. See you there!!!!

We have a huge THANK YOU to you for helping us become the #2 team in the entire Ohio Valley Region for Keller Williams!! We are honored and grateful for the trust so many of you have placed in us and commit to you that we will continue to treat that seriously. Thank you for being the absolute BEST clients we could ever hope to have! Keep those referrals coming!

The spring real estate market is HOT, HOT, HOT!! If you are considering buying, selling, or building a new home this year, please give us a call, so we can consult with you about your options. There are a lot of moving parts right now and we would be happy to explain how they all relate to you and your specific situation.

Here are the February 2018 vs. February 2019 housing numbers from MIBOR:
New listings-DOWN 3.3% to 2,755 units
Pending sales-UP 10.6% to 2,786 units
Closed sales-DOWN 2.8% to 2,086 units
Median sales price-UP 3.8% to $173,900
Average sales price-UP 6.4% to $209,270
Percent of original list price received at sale-DOWN 0.6% to 94.6%
Total active listings available at month end-DOWN 5.8% to 6,447 units
Months supply of inventory-DOWN 4.5% to 2.1 months

Overall, we are in the strongest sellers' market in history. We need more listings...badly. That is why you are seeing pressure on some of the numbers above. If you are thinking of selling, NOW is the time. Give us a call today!

Enjoy this fun April edition of Steve & Jack's Home News!

Click here to read the April newsletter

Click here to watch a quick video market update

Click here to download the most powerful real estate app available

Click here to access coupons and discounts at places you shop every day

Click here to see what other people are saying about us

Click here to read about our Senior Advantage Real Estate Program

Your friends in real estate,

Steve, Jack, Kylie, & Julia

Patio Planning 101

It’s finally spring! Time to break out the grill and the patio set and spend your evenings cooking out under the stars. Except, you don’t have a patio, you have a backyard that’s currently a soppy, muddy mess from spring rainstorms. You’d love to get outside, but it’s just so mucky and sticky out there.

This year, you’re resolved to install a patio once and for all. There’s a lot to consider when planning your shiny new patio, but don’t worry, we’re here to help make it simple.

Patio Planning: The Basics

If this is your first major home improvement project, you’ve picked one that should give you a real sense of satisfaction when it’s done. But you’ve also chosen to tackle a multi-part effort that’s not very cut and dry. Before you go out and rent a Skid Steer and hire three guys to pour cement, make sure you’ve checked these items off your pre-patio checklist:

Location, location, location. Although many patios are constructed as a transition from the house to the rest of the yard, there’s not a rule saying this has to be the case. Choose your favorite flat spot on your lot and try to imagine what it would be like having dinner there.
Materials. Many patios are poured concrete slabs, but there are also some fantastic stones and pavers out there that would make excellent patio surfaces. And don’t forget the brick. Patios are great because they can really stand the test of time when the right materials are chosen. Consider the weather in your area when you’re shopping.

Size and shape. Like there’s no required spot for your patio, there’s also not a standard size or a standard shape for them. You want a 10×16 rectangle? Poof! Done. What about a 15 foot long kidney shaped patio? No problem. Design the patio of your dreams, not the patio that other people think should be your dream.
Bringing It All Together

Now that you’ve got a basic understanding of what your patio will be made from and where you’re going to put it, it’s time to take the next step and put that pencil to paper. It can help to draw your entire lot on grid paper, adding buildings, plants and other noteworthy features in their correct spots (you’ll need to measure all of this for best results) will ensure that your patio plan doesn’t run into pesky problems from real life colliding with your perfect patio.

That handy drawing of your patio can become a map to something a little bit more impressive than a simple slab in your backyard. Consider drawing in (and including!) these user-friendly elements so you can make it do even more:

Pergolas. There’s nothing like a pergola to create a semi-shaded spot in your yard. If your patio is attached to the house, adding a pergola is just a natural step. If not, you can still anchor one in cement so it can be freestanding and won’t blow away. Pro tip: grow your favorite vines on that pergola and they’ll help shade you all summer long.

Built-in seating. Sure, you have a patio set, but sometimes it’s nice to have some extra benches in case you’re wanting to sit, but not at a table. Like deck builders put benches around the outside of decks, or use them to separate areas on a very large deck, you can do the same with benches made from the same materials as your patio.

Water features. Look, no one said you need a fountain or pond near your patio, but wouldn’t it be pretty cool? Small fountains add interest and ponds not only give you a place to keep impressively large koi, birds and other wildlife can use them for water.
Outdoor kitchen. This is the ultimate patio upgrade. Adding an outdoor kitchen, even if that’s just a built-in grill and a small sink, can make your home easier to sell down the line and possibly even increase your home’s value.
When You’re Done Planning….

It’s time to log into HomeKeepr to find the best cement workers, outdoor kitchen installers, stone masons and anyone else who might be helpful in your quest for the perfect patio. All of these people have been recommended by your real estate agent already, so you know they’re the best of the best. Need help with the actual patio planning? There are people in the HomeKeepr community for that, too!

What is a ductless mini-split A/C system??

It’s almost spring in much of North America, which means it’s time once again to tune up your air conditioner or send it to the big home improvement store in the sky. Even an older A/C unit that’s still functional may need to be replaced simply because of how inefficiently it’s running.

Before you shell out for a new central air system for some or all of your living space, it might be time to look at your options. Here are five good reasons to switch to a ductless mini-split air conditioning system.

What Is Ductless Mini-Split System?

Like all air conditioners, ductless mini-split systems rely on the expansion and contraction of refrigerant moving through a closed system to affect the temperature of a room. But instead of pushing cold air through long networks of ducts and vents, mini-splits cool the air right where it’s needed. This means that air never has to travel through ducts and complicated installations aren’t necessary.

These systems are incredibly popular in parts of Asia, especially where small living spaces are the norm. They are slowly catching on in the US as an alternative to both central heat and air systems and older forms of non-ducted climate control.

The Big Secret of Mini-Splits and Five Other Reasons to Own Them

The neat thing about most ductless mini-splits is that they’re actually heat pumps, rather than air conditioners. A heat pump is nearly identical to an air conditioner, but it has a switching valve that can change whether it’s pushing hot air into a room or pulling it out, giving you more climate control options.

Pretty cool, huh?

But that’s not all there is to these tiny wonders. Oh no. These are other great reasons to install a mini-split system this spring:

You can finally afford to cool spaces that weren’t built into your home’s original ductwork. Because mini-splits are inexpensive to acquire and need very little in the way of installation, your garage, workshop, added-on rec room, attic conversion and so many other spaces can finally be appropriately climate controlled. The small size of the units and tiny holes that are required to connect the indoor unit to the outdoor one make them good for almost any room.

Every room in your home can be custom climate controlled. Yes, you heard it here first. Because each indoor mini-split unit is essentially its own system, you can set each one to a different temperature and expect that the room will actually reach the target temp. No more trying to balance your 80 degree office with your 70 degree living room, they can both cruise at a comfortable 72 degrees all the time.

You’ll save money and use less energy. They do tend to go hand-in-hand. Since you’re not having to produce enough cold air to push through ductwork that is likely both a bit leaky and also just inefficient due to a lack of insulation, your ductless mini-splits are already hugely more efficient than their central cooling counterparts. According to Fujitsu, just one manufacturer of these units, homeowners generally see a savings of up to 24 percent on their utility bills when they make the switch.

They’re so smart! Smart home technology isn’t anything new, but it has yet to gain wide acceptance in the heating and air space. Ductless mini-splits are often fully loaded with WiFi controls that you can access from anywhere without adding any additional equipment like a smart thermostat, which can run you a couple hundred dollars extra per room.

And super reliable. Because they have so few moving parts and no ductwork to speak of, mini-splits rarely suffer significant breakdowns. They’re easy to maintain and they only need a little bit of attention throughout the year.
Ready to Get Super Efficient?

If you’re looking for a heating or air conditioning solution for your spare room or your whole house, a ductless mini-split may be the right answer. You’ll need a good installer, though, to make it a completely painless process. This is where your HomeKeepr community can help! Just log in and ask your favorite home pros for a recommendation for the best mini-split installer in your area. You can be certain they’re super qualified because those home pros are staking their own reputation on it!

What's New in High-End Garages

Your garage is a big deal. Even if you totally ignore that your garage doors themselves can take up a significant portion of your home’s street facing surface, there’s all that (often unfinished) space inside that you’re just leaving to its own devices (and possibly growing lots of brown recluse spiders).

Your garage doesn’t have to be an afterthought, though! You, too, can have a super fancy garage that feels almost like another living area. We’re talking taking garages to the next level today.

The Garage Reimagined

There was a time, not so long ago, when simply having an attached garage was kind of a big deal. Then it was a two-car attached garage, then an extra-deep third garage bay, and onward and upward. A garage, even at the four-car level, was still just a garage: a poured concrete slab, some drywall (finished if you were lucky), a couple of four foot long fluorescent shop lights and maybe a workbench in one corner.



Then suddenly something happened. People started demanding more out of their garages. Like so many other spaces in a modern household, the garage needed to be more than a mere storage unit, it needed to become a flexible living area.

Dolly Holmes, garage designer and owner of San Antonio’s Premier Garage, put it best in an article in The San Antonio Express-News, “I recently had a customer come to me and say they wanted to drive into a garage that looks as good as the rest of [their] home.”



Turning an old grimy, potentially frightening, garage into a gorgeous and welcoming living space where your car just happens to hang out is no small feat. It takes the concept to a whole new level, really.

From car-safe flooring that can resist oil stains to gorgeous cabinets that can hold chemicals that are traditionally banished to the garage, plus all those accessories for home theaters, pool cues and ping pong tables, today’s high end garage can become far more than anyone ever believed.

Beefing Up Your Garage’s Storage Potential

It can be easy to let your garage turn into a storage unit, that’s why so many of the fanciest garages start with a really amazing plan for dealing with the clutter. If you walk through your favorite home improvement store, you’ll notice an entire section of cabinetry just for the garage. These durable options offer more than just a place to put all your stuff, they give you a huge start on a high end garage that you’ll love.

Cabinets might not be the sexiest part of your high end garage, but they will help calm the overwhelm that a garage lacking storage for all those random things that end up being stacked to the ceiling can create. And hey, if you want to get really neat, use those cabinets to create a wet bar or a media center fit for the inside of your home.

Unappreciated Garage Tech

Even though garages have been getting smarter for years, most people haven’t noticed and these technological leaps have gone largely unadopted. Garage tech ranges in complexity from simple swaps of equipment already in your garage to quite complex undertakings that definitely will require a construction crew.



Smarter Garage Doors

Smart garage door openers have been around for a while, but they fail to get the kind of attention that other smart gadgets have seen. For example, this unit from Ryobi was named “The Most High-Tech Garage Door Opener in the World” back in 2016, but apparently no one read this particular article.

These door openers range from being simply controlled by your phone to being part of a complete safety system for your home. For example, some will notify you if they’re opened when you’re not home and most will tell you if you’ve left them open on those mornings you need a lot more coffee to get the job done. You can then tap into a security camera and even shut the door from anywhere.

How About an Elevator for Your Car?

Of course, simply replacing your garage door opener with one that inhabits the Internet of Things is one thing, but literally being able to park your car underground is quite another. This is major stuff here. Instead of wasting valuable above-ground garage space with dedicated areas for your car, motorcycle, boat or other garaged vehicles, a garage lift can kill two birds with one stone.

Basically, your garage can now be your own personal Bat Cave.

Garage lifts are pretty cool, but they will require a professional installation and work best when incorporated into the building plans of your garage. Still, if you’re building and you’re hoping to use your garage as a rec room, you can recapture lots of square footage with one of these amazing things.

Is it Time for a Garage Upgrade?

When it comes to high end garages, you might as well go big or go home (although, your garage is part of your home, so that doesn’t really work…). From cabinets that can handle anything your garage can throw at them to custom flooring and one of those fancy garage lift systems, you’re going to need a few good home pros to create your ultimate garage.

Luckily, they’re easy to find with HomeKeepr. Not only can you count on your home pros being absolutely top notch since your real estate agent recommended them to you, you can check out other pros that those home pros recommend to complete your dream garage dream team.

7 Things to Do before Listing Your House This Spring

As the snow starts to melt, revealing the brightly colored flowers of crocus, and robins bop merrily around the yard, another cycle of the real estate market begins. If you’re considering listing your home this year, it’s definitely not too late to get started. March and April can be great months for putting your house in front of prospective buyers, but the summer months are also great times to sell.

Regardless of your timing, there are a few things you need to do right now to start getting ready to list. It’s not as simple as sticking a sign in the yard and waiting for the calls to roll in.

Putting Your Best Foot Forward

You never know who will feel that special feeling people get when they find the house that is just right for them. But you can turn the odds in your favor if you and your home are both show ready long before you open up to potential buyers.

Before you sell your house, you’re going to want to run through this checklist.

Hire a Realtor. There’s a reason that 91 percent of home sellers used a real estate agent to sell their home in 2017: selling a home is a complicated process that really demands an expert. Just like you’d not try to DIY surgery, there are serious financial risks involved with selling your home without an education in real estate law.

In addition to being your safety net, a Realtor can point out items that you might not realize are big turn-offs to buyers, like dated lighting, so you can get started on the cosmetic stuff to make your home show at its best.

Have a home inspection. Wait. Isn’t a home inspection just for buying a house? No! You can have a home inspector out any time you want. Having a full blown home inspection before you put your house on the market gives you a chance to correct items that will likely come up for your future buyer when they have their home inspector out. Get ahead of issues and you’ll sell that house faster.

Get to decluttering. If you have to sell your home in order to buy the next, you’re going to be living in a showroom for the next few months. Take anything you don’t really need immediately and put it in a storage unit. Get it away from your house because pushing clutter around doesn’t really help anything. Declutter as much as you can bear to — it’ll make your house look bigger and more appealing to prospective buyers

Paint the front door. Your Realtor will probably drive home the importance of curb appeal, or how enticing your house is from the street (the curb). The better the curb appeal, the more likely potential buyers will come inside and look around. The interesting thing about curb appeal is how certain elements of your house affect the whole picture. Case in point, Zillow’s 2018 Paint Color Analysis found that a black or charcoal colored front door can bring in as much as $6,271 extra!

Spruce up the landscaping. Along with dressing the front of your house up a bit, make sure that your landscaping is up to par. Prune any unruly plants, replace perennials that may have patchy growth, refresh your mulch, give the lawn a mow. Now that your landscape is radiating amazing curb appeal, keep it that way until your home closes. If you need to hire a landscaper, consider it an investment.

Get copies of your utility bills. People will ask what kind of utility costs are associated with your home. Does it just burn through the natural gas? Does the electricity use seem excessive? This is another place where you can get ahead of potential buyers by putting this information together and giving it to your Realtor on the day you sign your listing agreement.

Deep clean like you’ve never cleaned before. And hey, maybe you haven’t, we’re not here to judge. Even though painting is a quick fix to renewing your home’s interior, deep cleaning is less expensive and can result in a better overall effect. For example, if you clean your windows, inside and out until they’re super clean, you’ll immediately notice how much more natural light penetrates the room.

Is There Time For All of That?

If you find yourself crunched for time, don’t make up for it by skipping important things before listing. Instead, call on your HomeKeepr community to help you find the people who can move your home sale along. Whether you need a cleaner, a landscaper, an organization expert or even a home inspector, we’ve got you covered. Your agent already has a list of recommended service providers who can help, let these experts free up some of your time as you get ready to sell.

Understanding How Property Taxes Are Calculated

Understanding how your property taxes are calculated can often feel like unraveling one of the deepest mysteries of the universe. However, it’s vitally important that you get your arms around this tax, if you are subject to it, as it’s often a large expense that you may be saddled with for a lifetime.

Property taxes can vary wildly, not only between different areas of the country, but even between different parts of the same municipality.

Just how do property taxes work? Shouldn’t they be the same for everyone?

First, Real Property Versus Personal Property

When we refer to “property taxes,” what we really mean is “real property tax.” The term “real property” means the land you own and everything that is permanently affixed to it. For example, if you have a stick-built house, a garage, a shed with a permanent foundation — these are all things that would be considered “real property.”

On the other hand, you may also have “personal property,” which is basically anything else that you own that may have a title and can be moved, even if it takes a bit of work. Your fishing boat, your car and, to confuse matters further, most manufactured homes, are considered personal property – not real property. Manufactured homes specifically can be a bit of a sticky wicket because you can often affix one to your real property in such a way that it also becomes real property.

For the purposes of this discussion, when we say “property tax,” we’re talking about real property, less any specially qualified manufactured homes.

Your Property Taxes Are Made Up of Layers

Most people know that their property taxes are calculated based on the value of their property, but there are lots of homeowners who don’t realize that what we all generally refer to as “property tax” are actually several different taxes smashed into one greater tax sandwich… or layer cake, if you will.

Your home is very likely located in several intersecting tax jurisdictions that can vary greatly from area to area. The taxing jurisdictions that homeowners most often encounter are your:

City
School district
County
State
Fire district
Cemetery district
Library district
Each of these layers will have their own tax rate, making the calculation of your property taxes even more confusing. And by the way, the value used to determine your taxes isn’t necessarily your home’s appraised value, it’s something called the assessed value.

An Aside for Assessed Values

Property tax assessments are often one of the most confusing concepts for most new homeowners. However, you need to have a handle on it in order to understand your property taxes. The assessed value absolutely is what your taxes are based on, but there’s no set way for any tax jurisdiction to determine this number.

In some places, your property’s assessment and your home’s market value may be more or less the same, in others, the assessment is a stated percentage of the market value. In addition, these values might be updated yearly, every other year or only when the home is resold. If you meet certain requirements, you can also have your assessment frozen so that your taxes can only increase if the rate itself increases (and even then, there are a few states that will freeze your actual tax rate).

Put another way, knowing how your property assessment will work is kind of the key to how everything behind the scenes works. Without that, all the layers of government grabbing at your wallet are pretty meaningless. Fortunately, if you’re just looking to simple math, this figure is provided for you by your taxing bodies. We recommend you call or drop into your local tax assessor’s office to get a detailed explanation of your specific tax situation as every taxing body may be slightly different.

Wait, What’s a Mill Levy?

You’ve probably seen the term “mill levy” tossed around if you’ve been reading up on property taxes. A mill levy is just another way to describe the tax rate that’s being applied to your real property’s assessed value. One mill is equal to a buck per $1,000 of the real estate’s assessment, or 1/1,000 of a penny. The mill rate that determines your tax is set by the taxing authorities themselves.

For example, let’s say your property is assessed at $250,000 (by whatever method). If your county mill levy is 5, then for every $1,000 of assessed value, your bill goes up $5. In this case, that’s a very reasonable sounding $1,250. Remember, though, this is just one layer of the tax layer cake. You’ll need to add all the layers together to get your actual tax bill. Get your calculator ready and pour yourself a stiff drink – this could take awhile!

Need More Information About Your Property Taxes?

There’s no better or more reliable source for tax information than the people on the ground nearby. That might mean CPAs, real estate agents, home appraisers or even a mortgage pro. They can help you make more sense out of your tax bill if something specific is confusing. And don’t worry, finding the best of the best among these professions is simple with HomeKeepr. Just ask your community for recommendations and before you know it, you’ll be elbow deep in answers to your most burning tax questions.

March Steve & Jack's Home News

Spring IS just around the corner, right? While it surely doesn't feel like it today in Indy, the official first day of spring is only a few days away. Our market certainly feels like spring is here with the super-increased activity yet again. If you are thinking about buying, selling, or building this year (or know someone who is), please give us a call. The market is rapidly changing and we would love to consult with you about your options so you can make an informed decision.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! We are beyond honored and super-proud to be the #1 team in our entire office and one of the top 1% of agents in the city because of you! We are grateful for your continued trust and confidence in us to help you and those about whom you care with your real estate needs. We are also super-proud to announce that for the 5th time in a row we are Angie's List Super Servant Award winners as well. Again, thank you for voting us as one of the top teams for service in the city. Please continue to feel comfortable introducing us to the people about whom you care as we will take great care of them, as always.

Jack and Mary Anne just returned from a 3-week trip to Hilton Head and Florida and enjoyed time with family and friends soaking up the sun. Coming back to a frozen tundra was not a welcome experience!

Jack was honored to receive a call from Indy Honor Flight last week inviting him to participate in their trip to DC to visit the memorials and honor our service members. As a retired Navy Veteran, he was honored to be invited and asked Steve to be his Guardian. This will be an experience of a lifetime and we can't wait to participate along with so many other deserving men and women. We will let you know how the trip went in a couple of months.

Thank you to everyone who attended our February Happy Hour! We had a good turnout and a lot of fun!! **Starting in March, we are moving the Happy Hours to the THIRD Thursday of each month still from 5-6:30PM at Matt The Miller's. Our next event will be on Thursday, March 21st. Please mark it on your calendar and look forward to a fun time!!

Enjoy the March edition of Steve & Jack's Home News!! Happy Spring...we hope!!

Here are some of the most recent home sale stats courtesy of MIBOR comparing January 2019 to 2018:

New listings-UP 4.7% to 2,600 units
Pending sales-UP 17.1% to 2,595 units
Closed sales-DOWN 8.3% to 1,744 units
Median sales price-UP 7.5% to $169,900
Average sales price-UP 7.0% to $206,311
Percent of original list price received at sale-DOWN 1.0% to 93.8%
Total active listings available at month end-DOWN 5.5% to 6,681 units
Months supply of inventory-DOWN 4.3% to 2.2 months
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Your friends in real estate,

Steve, Jack, Kylie, & Julia

Welcoming Your Plants Back after A Long Winter

If you’re a gardener, or at least want to be one, there’s no time as amazing as early spring. This is when your plants are starting to wake from their long winter’s sleep. The white snow and frost flowers are giving way to green grass and emerging vegetation that seems to multiply like magic day after day.

Although a lot of people sit back and wait for their plants to do whatever it is that they do in early spring, others, like you, are eager to help them be all they can be this year.

The Results of Minimum Plant Care

Many homeowners just let their plants come and go as they please. Usually, they’ve inherited the vegetation from the former owner and have little interest in gardening. It’s ok, it’s not for everyone. But, due to this minimal care for the plants, many varieties will start to die off from neglect. A slow death is still a death.

Obviously, you’re looking to do a bit more to help your plants get off to a good start. Because of this, your landscape will be healthier, live longer and produce more ornamental flowers than those of the neighbor who would have preferred a lot of grass and no plants to tend.

First Thing’s First, Reduce Your Plant’s Risk of Early Season Fungus

There are varieties of herbaceous perennials like bananas, cannas and elephant ear that can survive the winter in many climates if they’re tucked in under a layer of organic mulch that’s two to four inches deep. While mulch protects them from drying out or freezing to death when it’s cold, once these types of plants start to grow in the spring, that life-saving mulch can become a real enemy.

It’s vital that you pull back the mulch from your plants every few days to check for green growth above ground. Once you see it, hollow a moat out between the plant and the mulch. Make sure no mulch is touching the new growth and that the moat you’ve scooped is about two inches wide to allow for further safe development.

Several opportunistic fungi will take advantage of young, green growth that’s constantly touching something moist, like that mulch. There’s a fine line here, tread carefully.

Soil Testing and Amendment

If you have a garden plot and failed to fertilize it in the fall, now is the time to get to it. As soon as you can work the soil, take several samples and either use a home test kit to determine the condition of the soil or have them analyzed by your local university extension’s lab. The extension tests are generally around $10, but the cost varies by location.

Either way, you’ll have some kind of indication about the condition of your soil, as well as what you can do to fix any problems. For example, you may find that your soil is low in nitrogen, a vital nutrient for plants that grow a lot of leaves very quickly, like your lawn. In this case, you’ll follow the instructions for feeding the type of plant you intend to place in the tested area, using a precise amount of fertilizer, so as not to encourage long, spindly growth in those eager plants.

The same applies to other types of fertilizer, including balanced fertilizers like 10-10-10 and 15-15-15. Most established perennials are fine with fertilizer that’s mixed into the top two to five inches of soil, but always check before you get too wild with it. A few species may have unusual reactions, including but not limited to developing an overall burned or wilted look due to root destruction. Never apply more fertilizer than necessary due to the risk of runoff and pollution of waterways.

Turn the Sprinklers On!

Once the nighttime temperatures are consistently above freezing, you’re ready to turn the water back on. Your plants will appreciate the long, deep drink and you’ll be happy to not have to water each one by hand. Remember, when turning irrigation systems back on after being drained, do so slowly. Opening the valve too quickly can result in a high-pressure water surge that can rupture sprinkler heads or burst fittings.

Be prepared to turn the system back off if a surprise freeze creeps on, but waiting as long as possible to get the irrigation started again is also a fairly safe bet.

Check for Signs of Insect Infestation

As your plants start to bud, you’ll be able to tell if they’ve developed any problems during the winter. Generally, these are caused by insect infestations, but in ornamental and fruit trees, a whole range of fungal invasion is also likely.

Small holes in the trunks of trees and shrubs are likely caused by boring insects like clearwing moths, which spend most of their life cycles inside the plant. This makes them very hard to get rid of and often results in the hollowing of the interior of limbs and branches. Those hollow branches pose a major risk to anyone walking below, as they can reach a point where they are no longer structurally sound and suddenly break away from the tree.

Don’t Forget to Call Your Landscaper

You don’t have a landscaper? Well, it’s never too late to meet one, especially when you’re part of the HomeKeepr community! Your real estate agent can recommend their favorite plant experts with just a few clicks and you’ll have access to their complete contact information without ever having to pay for any sort of membership.