January 2021 Steve & Jack's Home News

Welcome to 2021! For many, if not most of us, we are happy to get 2020 in our rearview mirror, especially since a vaccine is here and being rolled out across the globe. Time will tell how effective it is, but it is a great start and a light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel. We mourn those we have lost, including loved ones, friends, neighbors, businesses, and non-profit organizations. No one seemed to be immune, however we have to believe that we will rise stronger than ever and fresh new opportunities will arise as a result of the struggles and pain we have endured. We truly hope and pray this is true and that 2021 will start to return to our 'new normal'.

We hope you are able to enjoy some downtime safely with family for the holidays and recharge for the coming year. Our family is staying home this year. Usually, we go see Brigid's family in St. Pete, FL or they come here, but with COVID they are staying put and so are we. Jack and Mary Anne are coming over for Christmas Eve dinner and then present opening from each other. Christmas morning will be a Zoom call with them as well as Brigid's parents watching the girls open their presents. While not ideal, we will make it work and enjoy time together, even if it is virtual. We hope you are able to include family virtually as well this year to continue your traditions, even if they look a little different.

Thea & Michael are traveling back home to Cleveland for Christmas and enjoying time with family.

Patti & Ron are staying home as well with Ron enjoying his newly-found retirement. Patti took last week off to finish getting things ready for Christmas and spend time with Ron.

Kylie and her family will spend Christmas together as well and enjoy some much-deserved downtime with her taking the last two weeks of the year off.

The housing market has continued to get tighter and tighter with prices climbing every month. In fact, they climbed 19.6% since last November, which is an all-time record. Indianapolis has been identified as one of the top ten major metros in the US to have weathered and continue to weather the COVID and post-COVID markets the best. We are expecting a super-busy 2021 with home sales. If you are thinking about making a move, give us a call! We would love to hear about your goals and plans and how we can help make them a reality.

Here are some stats comparing November 2020 to October 2020, per MIBOR for the 16 counties it serves:

Median sales price-UP 1.8% to $224,900

Closed sales-DOWN 15% to 3,191 units

New listings-DOWN 28.2% to 2,707 units

Pending sales-DOWN 11.6% to 3,057 units

Days on market-UP 24% to 31 days

Price per s.f.-DOWN 0.8% to $128

% of ask received-DOWN 0.2% to 98.6%

Active inventory-DOWN 12.4% to 2,870 units

Absorption rate-FLAT at 0.9 months

As you can see, activity has dropped, but that is expected at this time of the year. We expect activity to pick up again as we approach spring.

May you enjoy the holidays with your family and take some downtime. We are grateful you are part of our tribe and look forward to continue serving you into 2021.

If you are thinking of selling your house, come to our Home Seller Workshop on 1/12/21 at 7pm. We would love to have you. It is a small group and socially-distanced. We will be providing tips and tricks on how to best prepare your house to sell and maximize your value. RSVP to me at 317-339-7698 or Steve@Welcome2Indy.com. We would love to have you!!!

Also, if safe, we will having our first Happy Hour of 2021 on Thursday, January 21st from 5-6:30pm. Check your e-mail in the coming weeks for more info and updates.

Check out our January newsletter below along with links to other resources. Happy New Year!!

Watch Steve's January video intro here

Read our January newsletter here

Download the most powerful real estate app here

Grab coupons and discount at places you shop every day here

Read and watch what our clients have to say about our service here

Watch a 1-minute video about the real estate market here

Your friends in real estate,

Steve, Kylie, Patti, Thea

P.S. Please don't keep us a secret!

2021 Colors of The Year

Everything has its season, and for paint, winter is that time. Year after year, paint companies release their chosen Color(s) of the Year, which are meant to be reflections on trends that are coming to interior design near you. If you’ve been considering repainting a bedroom or your whole house, knowing what’s in can help you narrow down the impressively huge list of paint options available. Bold Tones Are Where It’s At 2021 continues the trend that’s been taking us far from the subdued hues that have been so popular in the past. Instead of neutral palettes, homeowners are going big or going home. That doesn’t mean the paint scheme in every house has to be glam, but it does mean that it’s ok to put a little personality out there. Pops of color are glorious when done properly and no longer the sale killer they may have once been. But it’s not exactly a revisit to the 1950s. Color should be used more strategically to create a big impact, highlight features in your home, and influence the atmosphere in living, dining, and sleeping spaces. Search Drumroll Please…. Most of the major paint companies have announced their colors for this year, though a few are still waiting for 2021 to roll around. Of those that have made it official, you’ll notice a big trend in color themes. Blues, pinks, and grays rule the day, though they’re not your grandma’s retro flavors. Pantone: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating One of the top names in color has come up with one of the top color combos for 2021. It’s a whole mood, really, and sums up 2020 pretty well. Ultimate Gray is a light neutral gray color that would be at home in almost any space. Illuminating, however, is a bright, determined yellow that should be used in small doses. As Pantone’s executive director, Leatrice Eiseman, wrote in a press release about the decision, “The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude.” It’s also way eye-catching. Rust-Oleum: Satin Paprika Do you dream of the desert southwest? Or maybe you already live there and want to bring a bit more pop indoors? Satin Paprika may be the answer. This coral red, spicy earth tone is the anchor for three distinct color palettes that Rust-Oleum has developed for 2021. It’s gorgeous in a variety of spaces, works with many different colors, and, frankly, it brings to mind the red stone that’s so common in the desert. Your succulents will feel right at home. Glidden: Aqua Fiesta Glidden zigged this year when a lot of the other paint brands zagged, and named Aqua Fiesta its Accent Color of the Year. It’s a bold, but not overly bright, aqua color that goes great with both light neutral browns and grays, allowing it to dress up all kinds of spaces. You might feel like taking an island vacation or dream of mermaids after painting this one on, though. Benjamin Moore: Aegean Teal Benjamin Moore was also feeling a bit blue when choosing 2021’s color of the year, but more blue than green, which resulted in a gorgeous dark robin egg-esque color. The gray undertones make it a great accompaniment to the popular gray neutrals, and the more strict blue gives it a bit of a grown-up feel. It’s a super calming color in any room and will even pair well with yellows. HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams: Passionate Blue isn’t everybody’s thing, and clearly HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams agrees. It chose Passionate for its 2021 Color of the Year. This is a deep carnation, but not quite red, sort of color that looks awesome with earth tones and tans. It’s the kind of color that you may have never expected to like, let alone paint in your home, until you see it in action. Accent it with other bold tones and your humdrum room will absolutely be transformed. Sherwin-Williams: Urbane Bronze Looking for deep, rich color that won’t leave anyone guessing about your intention for your space? Urbane Bronze is a color that will define a space without regrets. It’s a warm gray-brown that goes well with a range of flooring and lighting, but stands up on its own without the need for a lot of fanfare. You might not want to use this on every wall, as it may have a way of making your space feel a bit small, but your accent walls and accent pieces will absolutely thank you. Valspar: Hues of the Year Valspar couldn’t pick just one, so instead went with a whole range of colors for the year. It chose 12 muted colors; these are colors that could be considered “barely there,” just a hint of bold for a room that isn’t ready to go all in. These subtle choices range from misty blue to a warm apricot, with buttercream, green, beige, and gray also on the menu. Use this palette together to create a wholly harmonious space. Learn More Ready to Get Painting? Choosing your colors is only the first step to getting that big paint job done. If you need some help finding a painter who will knock it out of the park, don’t hesitate to ask your HomeKeepr family for a recommendation. After all, it’s an awfully good feeling knowing that someone you believe in trusts the painter that’s going to make your dreams come true.

Should You DIY Your Holiday Lights?

A good holiday light display can be awe-inspiring, leaving neighbors talking and prompting people from all over town to drive by just to see it. Unfortunately, some of these displays can be difficult to install, and may even require some technical know-how if you want the display to sync to music or have multiple parts working together. There are services that can help with this, putting in the work to set up your lights, regardless of whether you want a modest display or something that would make Clark Griswold green with envy. Are they right for you, though? Here are a few things to consider. Display Complexity One thing that can influence your decision of whether to DIY your holiday lighting is the complexity of the display you want to create. There might not be much of a need for you to hire someone if you are doing basic decorations or have all the equipment you need to get your lights in place. If you want a large elaborate display, or don’t already have everything that you need to reach and mount lights everywhere you want them, you might be better off hiring someone to get the decorations done. Available Free Time Putting up lights around the holidays can take a lot of time, especially for larger displays. This is why a lot of people make decorating into a weekend project when there’s more time available to put into it. Between work, family time, and other responsibilities, though, you may not have large blocks of time available to put into your decorations. This can lead to holiday decorating being stretched out across days or even weeks of small bursts of activity, so if you’re in that situation you might consider paying to have it done instead. Search Necessary Equipment Hanging lights might seem like a simple task, but it becomes a lot harder if you don’t have the necessary equipment on hand. While you can get light mounting hooks and other supplies pretty cheaply, you’re looking at bigger expenses if you find that you need to buy a ladder or other equipment just to get to the areas where you want the lights to go. If you don’t already have everything you need, hiring someone who does may be the cheaper and easier option. Technical Configuration Some lighting displays are really impressive, using computers and other specialized hardware to sync multiple display pieces, and in some cases even operate projectors or broadcast music that can be picked up on the FM band. If you’re not very technologically savvy, setting up a display like this might be more of a job than you can realistically handle alone. Bringing in someone with experience setting up these more technology-driven displays can save you some serious time. It may save you money as well, as they’ll make sure that you don’t buy anything that you don’t actually need to get your display working. Other Services When trying to decide whether you can do your decorating yourself or if you need to bring someone else in, consider whether there’s anything else that you need help doing. Some holiday decorating services offer assistance with multiple parts of decorating, including setting up trees or displays inside the house. Some may even offer custom decorations or consulting services to make sure that everything ties together and matches the existing themes of your home. These are all things that you can typically do yourself, of course. Still, if you have a certain look in mind, it’s worth remembering that you may be able to get some help bringing it to life this holiday season. Finding the Right Installer Finding a light installer you can trust isn’t always easy, but HomeKeepr is here to help. Sign up for a free account today and connect with workers who can get the job done right the first time.