July Steve & Jack's Home News

Happy Independence Day weekend!

Welcome to the July edition of Steve & Jack’s Home News!

We truly hope this video message finds you staying safe and healthy and enjoying the summer weather. We hope you stay safe this weekend and enjoy the holiday.

The biggest news is our Team Buyer Specialist Thea Charnas got married on July 20th in Cleveland followed by a honeymoon to Charleston, SC. Her married name is Thea Snelly. She and her husband Michael are excited to start the next chapter of their lives as husband and wife. Please join me in congratulating Thea!

Our Team Marketing Director Patti Bruns is in final preparations to take her real estate exam in a few weeks in Cincinnati after having to reschedule her test in March due to the pandemic. This test is not easy and comes after 120-hours in the classroom. Patti would appreciate your positive thoughts as she prepares for this test. We know she will do great!

Kylie, after being bitten badly by her puppy is all recovered and we are happy she has healed and is back to 100%.

Our entire team is finally back together in the office after 2.5 months working from our homes.

Steve’s family is excited to drive to The Poconos at the end of this month to spend the week with Brigid’s brother and his family. This will be the first trip we take our dog Duke with us, so we are anxious to see how he does with a 10-hour car ride! This trip is the ‘consolation trip’ for our missed trips for spring break to Universal Studios and our summer trip to Italy. We hope to get back to both next year.

Steve’s 10-year old daughter Natalia has made the decision to quit competitive gymnastics after 4 years and transfer her skills to competitive cheer with her ICE cheer team. She will be traveling around the country competing and is so excited! She also completed a 2-week horse camp in Zionsville a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it!

Steve’s 14-year old daughter Anastasia graduated from The Indianapolis Children’s Choir last month after 6-years and will be moving up to their Master Chorale for 10-12 graders. She also will be playing soccer for Guerin High School and has already started practicing with the team. She has quickly learned that high school sports are much harder than grade school! Ana continues to amaze us with her cooking skills with an entirely scratch-made dinner every Sunday. Sometimes her sister helps as her Sous Chef. We have been so very impressed with her skill and dedication. Our favorite so far has been Bavarian pretzels and a marinated steak with grilled peaches smothered in melted butter and brown sugar finished with home made peppermint patties. Yum!

We have been asked about the real estate market a LOT lately. Bottom line: we are in the strongest sellers’ market in history. There is only 1.3 months of inventory right now, which is almost like saying our unemployment rate is 1/2%. A balanced market is 6-months of inventory. We need more listings…badly. There are TONS of buyers begging for houses to buy. Interest rates are at historic lows of 2.875% for a 30-year fixed conventional mortgage. Homes are selling faster than ever before for more than ever before. There has NEVER been a better time to sell your house than right now. Period. If you are staying put for awhile and you have a mortgage and you haven’t recently looked into refinancing, please call or e-mail me for some names of some great local lenders who will tell you if refinancing makes sense for you or not. We have seen client save hundreds of dollars/month by doing so.

Here are some stats from MIBOR comparing May 2020 to April 2020:
Median Sales Price-$215,000-UP 2.4%
Closed Sales-2,703 units-UP 5.1%
New Listings-3,744 units-UP 32.7%
Pending Sales-4,054 units-UP 46.2%
Days on Market-38 days-UP 2.7%
Price/s.f.-$121-UP 0.8%
% of Ask Received-97.9%-DOWN 0.4%
Active Inventory-3,563 units-DOWN 10.8%
Absorption Rate-1.3 months-DOWN 18.8%

Look at the new listings and pending numbers. Those are HUGE!! You can see we are recovering from the pandemic VERY fast and we expect this to continue into the fall months. Please call us at 317-573-1880 or e-mail at Steve@Welcome2Indy.com to see what your house is worth today. We will be happy to provide you with a market valuation specific to your house and help you navigate this crazy market to craft a personalized plan to get you from where you are to where you want to go.

We are so excited to go back to live Happy Hours in July!!! Please join us on Thursday, July 16th from 5-6:30pm at Matt The Miller’s in Carmel. As always, drinks and appetizers are on us. You bring the conversation and fun!!! Bring a friend or significant other!

Also on Thursday, July 16th, we are bringing back our FREE Shred Day. Our last one was more successful than we ever dreamed with over 400 cars coming through!!! Come by our office from 10AM-noon. Bring any documents you want safely and securely shredded or electronics you want recycled. Trucks will be there to safely handle those items on-site. You don’t even have to get out of your car. We come to you and take what you have from your car and you drive off. This is a small way for us to say thank you to our valued clients and referral partners.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading!! Know we are grateful to you for your trust and loyalty. Please continue to introduce us to the next person you know who is thinking about buying, selling, or building a new home. We would love to help them!

Happy Independence Day weekend!!!

Click here to watch a video message from Steve
Click here to read our July newsletter
Click here to download our brand new real estate app...the most powerful on the market
Click here to access coupons and discount at places you shop and eat every day
Click here to watch a 1-minute video market update
Click here to see what our clients are saying about us

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Steve, Kylie, Thea, & Patti

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

Is not a good time to buy a home?

With social distancing being an important part of life at the moment and so many parts of the economy suffering the effects of state lockdowns, some are worried about how all of this will affect the housing market. This is especially a concern for those who were hoping to buy a new home and have seen their plans potentially derailed by the pandemic. Is this a good time to consider buying a new home, assuming that it’s even safe to do so?

The answer may be surprising.

It’s a Buyer’s Market

With the current state of the world, the demand for real estate has dropped significantly. This has left those who have already listed homes for sale or who were planning to list over the summer in a position where there are far fewer people looking at their properties. For some sellers, this isn’t much of an issue; they can simply wait it out and stick to their previous plans. A lot of sellers don’t have that luxury, though. This creates a buyer’s market where a lot of sellers are willing to consider offers that they wouldn’t have in the past, giving potential buyers a lot more control in the home-buying process.

As the name suggests, it’s always good to buy in a buyer’s market. It isn’t necessarily a great time to list a home for sale, of course, since you’d likely have to settle for a lower offer than you were expecting if you want to move the property. This usually helps to balance out the market, with listing rates slowing down to meet demand until things pick back up again. This particular buyer’s market is a bit different than a lot of past ones, though.

Demand Is Staying Low

Most of the time, a buyer’s market is caused by shifts in the economy that have people trying to save money; an example of this would be a recession. These economic shifts temporarily reduce the number of people who are willing to take on large debts, creating a glut of sellers trying to entice a smaller pool of buyers. The buyer’s market typically fizzles out once the number of sellers shrinks or the economy stabilizes.

In the current buyer’s market, the economy certainly plays a factor. There is an external factor at play here as well, however: The physical distancing that COVID-19 requires has added additional worry about open houses and other forms of interpersonal contact that are traditional when buying or selling a house. There’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, including how long it will last, so with this external factor and the currently stunted economy we could see demand stay low for longer than you would expect in a buyer’s market situation.

Market Recovery

This isn’t to say that the market won’t recover, of course. Some states have already started reopening non-essential businesses and other parts of the economy, and other states have plans to start reopening soon. The economy will likely stay sluggish for a while, but reopening is the first part of recovery. Even the pandemic is becoming something less of a factor as people continue to practice social caution and science continues to work toward treatment and vaccine options. While market recovery may take longer than in the past, a recovery will happen, and the good deals that buyers can find now will become less common as things move forward.

Buying Safe

If you do decide to shop for a home in the current market, make sure that you’re smart about it and stay safe. Maintain all physical distancing practices while looking at homes, even if there is only a seller or agent present. Ask whether no-contact options such as virtual tours or virtual closing with digital signage are options, and if touring the property request that any doors or other barriers be opened before you arrive to reduce contact. Wear a mask, bring hand sanitizer and take the same precautions that you would in any other social situation. This may seem excessive for viewing a home, but keep in mind that these practices not only protect you, but also protect the seller and agent as well.

April 2020 Steve & Jack's Home News

We hope you had a wonderful Easter on Sunday celebrating with your family! If you are celebrating Passover, we hope it is enjoyable as well, albeit a little different from prior years.

Wow! A LOT has changed since we sent our March newsletter. We truly hope this finds you safe and healthy...and sane. Being sequestered at home for the past several weeks especially with young children can make one more than a little fidgety. While I think we all yearn to get back to normal (whatever that is), staying put is the prescribed course of action, hopefully for not much longer. Clearly, every business in the world has been affected and we sincerely hope you are able to navigate these extremely choppy waters.

Our team is all working safely from home. We have adapted from our former daily routines and created new ones. How have you adapted from your routine? Steve's wife Brigid has been working from home for over a month now. Ana and Tali are doing eLearning and have had their school years shortened by a couple of weeks with an additional week for spring break. They are frustrated at the cancellation of school activities and sports, like most children are, but they understand why.

We have had some bright spots during this break such as more time spent with our girls, more walks with our dog Duke (he has absolutely LOVED this new schedule). We have had time to watch more movies together and get in more exercise. Our girls have also taken to becoming quite the chefs, cooking regular Sunday dinners from scratch. They have been delicious! What have you been able to enjoy during these past few weeks?

Patti has just finished her real estate course and is waiting to take her exam to obtain her license. We are excited for this accomplishment! Kylie is balancing her family as well as work and keeping track of the ever-changing market and numbers so we can accurately convey information to our clients so they can make informed decisions. Thea is also working from home and helping us call our clients to check in with them and see how they are doing and answer questions.

Jack and Mary Anne are struggling with staying home. They love to get out and be with people, so this has been very difficult for them. We offer to run errands for them and pick up groceries. Michelle and her family are also staying home and doing eLearning. Her son Caleb is a senior at Fishers High School. This is exceptionally hard for seniors as they are being robbed of their senior year, including sports, banquets, awards, memories and graduation. Her husband Steve is our local hero as he is an RN at Community North and Riverview Hospitals working in the COVID-19 wards. He has been working extra shifts every week taking care of patients while putting himself and his family at risk. They are all accepting of the risks, but Steve takes excellent precautions and not one health care worker on their floor has gotten sick. Amazing!

We salute our health care workers who are working so hard for strangers doing what they do best!!! THANK YOU!!!

You may be surprised to learn that not only does our market have the lowest inventory on record at 1.4 months, but there are a lot of buyers out there! Check this out-on April 14th (one day only):
New Listings-108
Pendings-105
Solds-60
Days on Market-6
List Price to Sales Price-100.00%

These are for ONE day in Indy!!! There are absolutely still people out looking for houses right now. We have changed the way we show houses and do most of it virtually. For buyers who want to see in person, we adhere to strict CDC guidelines to keep our clients, ourselves and homeowners safe. If you would like to know more details, call Steve at 317-573-1880.

Upcoming Events

We have some cool events coming up and hope you can join us!

Spring Client Appreciation Event-NOW-April 30th-Click here for the event flyer where we are partnering with Sundown Gardens and you can win FREE landscaping materials! There are three ways to enter and you can enter all three ways! 1) Download our real estate app and take a screen shot and send it to us. Download it here now. 2) Like our Facebook Page (click here to go to it). 3) Send us an introduction to someone you care about that we can help buy, sell, or build. It could even be you!!!

Shred Day is back and will be on May 28th from 10AM-12PM at our office. Almost anything will be accepted and you don't even have to get out of your car!!! Did I mention it is FREE??? You should have received an e-mail recently with more details.

Virtual Happy Hour-Thursday, April 16th from 5-6:30pm-TODAY!!! Click here for the link to join in the fun via Zoom. Since we are getting close to Cinqo de Mayo, come dressed in your best outfit and bring your favorite drink. Prizes will be awarded for best dressed and best drink.

Come join us for any or all of our upcoming events! We would love to see you!

You should have received our print newsletter. If not, click here to read the April edition. Lots of fun and interesting articles. Tell us what you think!

Click here to watch This Month in Real Estate

Click here to see what our clients are saying about us

Click here to access exclusive savings at places you shop every day

Thank you for reading this month. Know we are thinking of you and look forward to the day soon where we can see you in person and celebrate together. If there is anything extra we can do to help support you, please let us know. Thank you for being part of our tribe. We truly appreciate you!!!

Your Friends in Real Estate,
Steve, Kylie, Thea, Patti

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

Interview with Steve Rupp on the state of real estate during quarantine

Check out a recent interview with Applegate-Dillman Elder Law on what is happening in the real estate market right now...

Why selling in an 'up market' is a great idea!

Why The Best Time to Downsize Is in An ‘Up’ Market

Let’s face it, we are in unprecedented times right now. The global pandemic is all that is in the news and will be for the foreseeable future. It has affected every single industry and person in the world, mostly for the worse, but some industries are thriving, such as medical device manufacturers, grocers, personal protection equipment manufacturers, toilet paper manufacturers, and hand sanitizer manufacturers, to name a few.

Before the world seemed to go sideways, the residential real estate market was on fire. We have been seeing the best market in history with historically low interest rates, inventory, unemployment, and historically high home prices, and the economy. Things were good, really good.

But, now, that has all changed. Unemployment is the highest in decades; businesses are closed (some for good); people are scared; interest rates, while still low are more volatile than at any other time in history recording their biggest jump in the shortest amount of time a couple of weeks ago of 2.5% in 36-hours! This is supposed to be an extremely busy spring market.

While real estate activity has absolutely waned, it is far from nonexistent. In fact, according to MIBOR, on April 9, 2020 (that’s right, only one day!), there were 147 new listings that hit the market, 100 sellers accepted an offer and went pending, 56 homes sold and closed, and homes sold in an average of only 7 days for 100% of asking price! So, it isn’t all bad news!

We still have an extremely low inventory of homes right now. In fact, our inventory level is at an all-time low of only 1.4 months. Compare that with a balanced supply of homes of 6-months and you can see just how tight our inventory really is.

If you are considering selling your house, especially if it will be a ‘downsize’ move, this may very well be the perfect time for you to catch the pinnacle of the market and cash out of your house. You see, in a sellers’ market like this one, otherwise known as an ‘up market’, people who are downsizing are perfectly positioned to take advantage of the market working in their favor. Let me explain.

Let’s say, you could sell your house today for $300,000 and we know this is near to at the top of the market. Furthermore, let’s say that you are downsizing to a smaller house that is more in line with your current needs that is $200,000. While you are at the top of the market for both transactions, the more expensive transaction is the most important from a monetary perspective in an up market. It will net you the most money in the end. Buyers are clamoring for more homes to hit the market and you can help to satisfy that appetite and cash in.

In order to maximize your sales price, I strongly recommend having a pre-listing inspection completed by a reputable inspection company and that you make any needed repairs and then advertise that to buyers. Secondly, provide a 1-year home warranty to buyers at closing for additional peace of mind. Have a licensed Stager walk through your house and give you suggestions on any updates or upgrades you should make that will provide you with the biggest bang for your buck. Ask your agent for help with both of these.

Start looking for your next home before you put your current house on the market as that may take a bit of time due to the low inventory levels. That way you don’t have to make an interim move. If you can buy your next home before you put your current house on the market, that would be the best scenario (and safest given the current health issues right now).

While there are a lot of negatives right now, there are certainly some positives. Take advantage of them and consult with your real estate agent who should be able to guide, lead and protect you through the complex and difficult real estate process. We would be happy to discuss your specific situation with you, if you wish in a no-obligation, confidential consultation.

Things will get better and we will be here and ready to help when you are! Stay healthy!

Steve Rupp
The Zulu Group, P.C.
Keller Williams Indy Metro North Realty
www.Welcome2Indy.com
Steve@Welcome2Indy.com
317-573-1880-Office

Working from home tips

Working from home can be a challenge, especially when you’re not used to it. There are a lot of distractions that can interfere with your work, sometimes causing you to get so off track that you end up behind on important tasks. While many consider working from home to be a great perk, if you’ve never worked from home before then you might be surprised at just how stressful it can be!

Fortunately, you’re not on your own. These are stressful times, and HomeKeepr is here to help you get through them. To that end, here are some tips that will make working from home for the first time a lot easier.

Set Up Your Space

When you think of working from home, you might picture yourself lounging on the couch in your pajamas with a laptop on your lap. While some people do choose to work like this when working from home, for most home workers this sort of setup is going to kill any productivity they might have. Instead of taking a “work wherever I end up” approach, set up a desk or office space that’s intended solely for work-related activities. This will help you to stay on task when you’re at work and will keep work activities from bleeding over into leisure time.

Check Your Equipment

If you’re used to having in-person meetings during the week, getting used to remote meetings via a video service like Zoom or Skype can be a bit of an adjustment. To make this easier, check your equipment beforehand to ensure that everything will work correctly when it’s time to start a meeting. This includes checking your webcam, your microphone and your speakers to make sure everything functions properly. There are websites and software solutions that help you with this, and some platforms like Zoom have built-in tests as well.

Keep to a Schedule

One common misconception about working from home is that you automatically gain the freedom to work whenever you feel like working. While this may be true for some industries, if you’ve been working 9 to 5 for the last 10 years then that isn’t likely to change much just because your office is now in your guest room. Keep as close as possible to your regular schedule, allowing for possible reduced hours or other differences brought about by working from home. It can help to print out a copy of your “office hours” as well, both as a reminder to others that you’re busy with work and a reminder to yourself that you’re supposed to be on the job.

Avoid Distractions

It’s said that one of the hard things about working from home is the fact that home is where we keep all our favorite distractions. This includes a lot of things, ranging from games to books to the TV. It also includes family members, who can be hard to ignore when you’re supposed to be on the job. As much as possible, try to avoid interacting with the people and things in your home unless you’re taking a break from work activities.

Don’t Make Deals

It’s easy to tell yourself that if you do something unrelated to work now, you’ll make up the work that you’re supposed to be doing later. Unfortunately, this tends to snowball, and the next thing you know you’re behind on everything you’re supposed to be doing. Avoid making these sorts of deals; instead choose to do those things or have those conversations during your next scheduled break, just like you would do if you were still going in to work. If there’s something you want to do that won’t fit into a regular break, try to get your current tasks done BEFORE you take the time off instead of bargaining that you’ll wrap it up after.

Stay Connected

Isolation is difficult, especially if you’re used to working closely with your coworkers. You can fight this by calling them up, collaborating over video or even sending out daily emails or texts to check on everyone. Even though it’s not the one-on-one interaction you’re used to, the contact you have with your coworkers can still make a huge difference.

March Steve & Jack's Home News

Welcome to March Madness, St. Patrick's Day, Lent, and Daylight Saving Time! Between the super-busy spring market, warmer weather, Coronovirus taking over the news, and a multitude of other events and headlines, this proves to be a busy month!!!

If you are a long-time reader of this newsletter, you may remember about 10 years ago I recorded a video to go along with the newsletter and for various reasons, it wasn't continued. I am happy to say, after a long break a new video was recorded and we hope you will take a couple of minutes to watch and give us your feedback. You can watch it via the link below.

In this month's newsletter, there are some pretty fun and interesting articles:
Freedom
Spidey-senses
Brain teasers (do you know the answer???)
Is medical advice on the internet accurate?
Time spent on activities in your life
Positive job habits
Where do you keep your phone?
An ancient mystery
Home buying/selling reports
**Don't forget about our March Happy Hour on Thursday, March 19th from 5-6:30pm at Matt The Miller's! Free drinks and appetizers are provided. You bring the laughter! We usually have a great turnout and always have fun. Please RSVP to Patti at Patti@Welcome2Indy.com by Wednesday, March 18th. Hope to see you there!

Thank you to all of our loyal clients and referral partners for making us one of the top teams in the city of Indy again last year as well as earning the Angie's List Super Service Award for the 6th time in a row! We are extremely grateful and honored and look forward to continuing to serve you and those you care about in 2020.

Steve attended Keller Williams' annual convention in Dallas a couple of weeks ago. It is called Family Reunion. Tons of good information was shared, but mostly about technology and real estate. Keller Williams is not only the largest and fastest-growing real estate company in the world, but also has the most technology. We have invested over $1 BILLION in tech in the past two years and you will see some of this over the next few weeks and months. Our KW app has been redesigned and it is the most powerful out there. Several clients have already downloaded it and love it! Give it a try and tell us what you think!!

You will start to see on social media showcase videos of our VIP Vendor Partners. These are the essential parts of our team that allow us to provide the service you have come to expect from us. We cannot do it without them and get requests for their info almost daily. We thought it would be a good idea to launch a video series to highlight each of them over the next few months so you can get to meet and know them. We hope you enjoy the videos and get to virtually meet our extended team.

Finally, the market is HOT!!!! For the first time in my 20-year career the following five stats have aligned:
Lowest interest rates EVER
Lowest inventory EVER
Highest sales prices EVER
Lowest unemployment rate EVER
Highest number of job openings EVER
What does this mean to you?? If you or someone you care about is even remotely thinking of selling your house this year, NOW is the time to do it! These conditions will NOT last long. We have been almost begging people to put their house on the market as there isn't enough inventory to satisfy demand. We have over 50 buyers who cannot find a home!! Please call us and let us consult with you about your options so you can make an informed decision. We would love to help you take advantage of these historical seller conditions that will not last much longer. Call Steve at 317-573-1880 today!

Here are the market stats from MIBOR from January 2019 to January 2020
Median Sales Price-UP 6.8% to $181,500
Closed Sales-UP 9.3% to 1,803 units
New Listings-UP 3.1% to 2,533 units
Pending Sales-UP 17.3% to 2,806 units
Days on Market-UP 3.1% to 66 days
Price per s.f.-UP 6.9% to $109
% of Ask Received-UP 0.4% to 96.8%
Active Inventory-DOWN 12.6% to 4,392 units
Absorption Rate-DOWN 20.0% to 2.4 months

Thank you, again for being such great clients and referral partners! We are grateful to you and look forward to helping you into the future.

Click here to watch our brand new March newsletter video. Tell us what you think!

Click here to read our brand new March newsletter

Click here to download our BRAND NEW real estate app-the most powerful and innovate on the market. Try it out and let us know what you think!

Click here for exclusive access to coupons and discounts at places you shop every day. Who doesn't like to save money??

Click here for a 1-minute video on This Month in Real Estate

Click here to read what our clients are saying about us

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Steve, Kylie, Thea, & Patti

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

Legislation affecting homeowners

Owning a home can be expensive, though the benefits of home ownership typically outweigh the cost. Occasionally, changes to the law at either the state or national level can affect how these benefits and costs affect you. This is especially true if you’re still considering whether or not to buy a house, since knowing how the law stands can have a big impact on your final decision.

Some legislation affecting homeowners is enacted at the federal level, while other bits of legislation come from the state. Because of the significant differences in the reach of these different types of legislation, it can be hard to cover all of the changes in law that affect homeowners from year to year. To help keep you informed, though, here are some fairly recent legislation trends that may be worth looking into.

Tax Break Changes

One big change that’s hitting a lot of homeowners hard is the elimination of some tax breaks that were formerly offered for home ownership. While this doesn’t directly affect the cost of owning a home, it can have a significant impact on your tax return if you were expecting to qualify for one of these expired breaks. Tax law is complex and can change from one year to the next, so it’s possible that these breaks (or others like them) will see a return in future years. However, it’s important to check each year before filing your taxes to make sure that you haven’t gotten mixed up by tax break changes or missed a break that you could have qualified for.

Roof Replacement Costs

In some areas, the law allowed homeowners to replace their roof without all of the costs normally associated with such a big job. This was due to contractors being allowed to waive a portion of their fees equal to the deductible on the customer’s homeowner’s insurance. Unfortunately, changes in the law are starting to shut this down. States like Texas are changing the law so that contractors caught waiving the deductible could face fines or even jail time. Homeowners obviously aren’t big fans of such changes, since they result in more out-of-pocket expenses when having to use their homeowner’s insurance.

Solar and Alt Energy Incentives

There were a number of solar and alternative energy incentives available to homeowners at both the state and federal level, but some of these have been altered, were negated or simply expired without renewal in the last year or two. In some cases, federal programs have been replaced by state programs that provide similar incentives. In other cases, the incentives have been revamped and renewed later. Not all tax breaks and other incentives have been renewed, though, so it’s important for homeowners to confirm that specific programs still exist before depending upon them to add alternative energy solutions to their homes.

Home Loan Changes

It seems like there are significant changes to home loans every few years – and recent years have been no exception. Fortunately for those wanting to buy a new home or refinance an existing loan, some recent bits of legislation have expanded on borrowing limits for certain types of loans without adding new restrictions. Unfortunately, many of these laws affect lending through state-level programs instead of making adjustments to loans at the federal level. Some also only affect certain types of homes or houses that are built for specific uses. If you’re waiting for changes to federal loan programs, you may have to wait a bit longer before those programs see major updates.

Consult the Experts

It’s hard to stay on top of the changes in laws from one year to the next. Having a lawyer or real estate expert to help you sort through all of it can be a great way to keep from being caught unprepared by these new laws. Fortunately, HomeKeepr can match you with just the pros that you need. Sign up today for free to get started.

Fall decorating ideas

Decorating for Halloween is a tradition that many families take part in year after year. As with most traditions, though, the decorating trends that dominate Halloween change from time to time. Giant inflatables and laser light shows were all the rage just a few years ago, but now things are starting to shift a bit more toward subtle. The over-the-top Halloween decorating style will likely never fully go away, of course; there’s at least one house in every town that goes all out with its display and people always love it. If you’re looking for something simpler (and easier on the power bill), here are a few trendy options to keep in mind.

Candles

With the right candleholders, basic white candles can add a spooky ambiance that hearkens back to older Halloween traditions. Specialty candles are available that are carved to look like bones or horns as well. No need to go overboard with effects-candles, such as those that “bleed” when lit; just a few tapers burned to different lengths and then extinguished serve as the perfect subtle candle accent to your other decorations.

Pumpkins

What would Halloween be without pumpkins? While the traditional jack-o-lantern is still great, there’s an increasingly common trend to display uncarved pumpkins as well. White pumpkins are also seeing an upswing in popularity to really help set your decorations apart from the norm.

Halloween Wreaths

Also seeing an increased popularity are Halloween wreaths. Coming in a variety of styles, these wreaths have a lot more room to experiment than more traditional Christmas wreaths because of the generally spooky nature of the holiday. You can DIY a wreath yourself or buy one of multiple pre-made varieties to give your home a really unique Halloween look.

Lighting and Signs

Halloween lights have been growing in popularity in recent years, providing a decorative option that can be enjoyed even once the sun goes down. Signs, both lighted and non-lighted, are also firmly establishing themselves as Halloween must-haves. Combining the two can give your home a unique look that neighbors can enjoy both during the day and after the night descends.

Window Décor

Instead of going all-out with inflatables, animatronics and big clunky pieces made of plastic and rubber, an up-and-coming trend is to make use of silhouettes in front of plain curtains to give your decorations a more subtle flair. Some homes even take this a step beyond, using white sheets or similar coverings on the interior windows and then using creative lighting and figure placement to actually cast shadows onto the waiting windows. The shadow puppet feel gives the effect an extra layer of spookiness.

Black and White and Purple Trappings

While black and orange are the dominant colors of Halloween, a big trend in recent years has been to move away from the orange and embrace the holiday’s darker tones. White is used for contrast, with the predominant colors in decorations being black and dark purple. Splashes of other colors may be added as well, but the black, white and purple theme is definitely striking.

Zombie Flamingos

While there has been a move away from some of the cheesier parts of the holiday, the kitsch of putting zombie flamingos on your lawn is a bit too fun to ignore. There are a variety of styles of flamingoes available ranging from silly to gory, giving you plenty of room to find birds that match both your personal tastes and decorating style. Best of all, they can be mixed with a few traditional pink flamingos to give everything a splash of color while totally buying into the Halloween fun.

Need Some Halloween Style?

If you’re not sure what sort of decorations would look best with your home, consider consulting a decorator who has experience with Halloween trappings. Not only will they help you pick the best décor options, but they’ll aid you in choosing accents that go perfectly with both your home style and the decorations you choose. Sign up for a free HomeKeepr account and get matched with the decorator you’re searching for today!

Non-Occupying Co-Borrowers

If you’re worried about whether you can get a loan on your own, having a co-borrower can take a lot of the stress off. Because there are two people applying for the loan, the lender has a lot more potential assets to consider and two different credit scores. In most cases, the co-borrower on a mortgage loan will live at the same address as the primary borrower (such as the residence being purchased.) Depending on circumstances, though, it is possible to have a co-borrower who doesn’t live at the same address.

Non-Occupying Co-Borrowers

As the name implies, a non-occupying co-borrower (also called a non-occupant co-borrower, or NOCB) is another person who is willing to take responsibility for a mortgage loan but who won’t be living in the purchased house. In most cases this is a family member such as a parent, sibling or spouse, though the exact restrictions will depend on the loan program you use. The co-borrower’s income is added in with the primary borrower’s for the purpose of qualifying for the loan, allowing the primary borrower to get the loan even if they couldn’t qualify on their own.

Both the income and the liabilities of the co-borrower are considered along with the income and liabilities of the primary borrower. The total income and total liabilities of both are calculated and then used to determine the overall debt-to-income ratio of the two borrowers; provided that it’s favorable enough, they’ll then qualify for the loan. Because they are co-borrowers on the loan, both the primary borrower and the NOCB are equally responsible for the loan payments.

Advantages and Disadvantages

There are a few distinct advantages of using a non-occupying co-borrower for a mortgage:

Can qualify you for a loan that you might not get otherwise
May earn you a better interest rate or more favorable loan terms
Provides you with someone else to help ensure that payments are made on time
May be able to refinance without the NOCB later as your credit score improves
Unfortunately, there are a few disadvantages as well:

Can strain relationships between you and the NOCB
Both borrowers are held liable in case of loan default
Not all co-borrowers will help you qualify for a loan
Not all co-borrowers will be eligible under the terms of your lender
Some lenders don’t allow NOCBs on loans, especially with first-time borrowers
Because non-occupant co-borrower loans are not cut and dried, it can take a bit of research to figure out whether you can even make use of one of these loans.

Should You Use a NOCB?

Assuming that you and your non-occupant co-borrower qualify for an NOCB loan through your preferred lender, the question remains of whether you should even try to add a co-borrower to your loan. There isn’t necessarily an easy answer to this question. The answer relies so much on your specific situation that it’s difficult to give a definitive answer, though there are a few things you can consider to try to find the right answer for you.

Take a moment and ask yourself the following questions: What are the rules concerning non-occupying co-borrowers from your lender? If they’re allowed, how likely is it that the co-borrower you have in mind will actually help your application? Is the co-borrower someone you can trust with this, or will the experience likely be stressful? Consider how reliable your co-borrower is, how it will affect your loan terms and how much this will actually help your case. The more thought you put into it, the closer you’ll be to finding the right answer for you.

Get Some Professional Advice

If you’re still not sure, try discussing your situation with a loan specialist. Here at HomeKeepr, we can help you find the professional to answer all of your questions. Sign up for a free account today and start looking for the specialist that’s right for you and your needs.

February Steve & Jack's Home News

Can it be February already? It seems like the holidays were just here. With kids back in school and things back to 'normal' (except for weather cancellations and delays), we hope you have gotten back into a routine.

We are predicted to have near record-low temperatures this coming week. If you haven't done so this year, please do yourself a favor and have your furnace/heat pump tuned up. Catching issues before these critical components go down is imperative in these frigid temps. Experts recommend having your HVAC serviced every spring and fall to ensure proper functioning and longevity, however there is never a guarantee on how long your heating system will last. Unfortunately, ours died on Friday and we had to get a new furnace-ugh!!! Fortunately, our HVAC company was able to get a new furnace installed the next day (yesterday) and it works better than ever! We chose to stay in our house without heat on Friday evening and, boy was it cold! Getting down to 50-degrees doesn't sound very cold, but it is an entirely different story staying in that temp for 36-hours. We certainly hope our cold experience doesn't happen to you!! If you need a couple names of good HVAC companies, please let us know. We are happy to share some!

Thank you to Butler University for inviting us back to talk about the real estate market for 2019 as well as have INHP join us as a guest speaker to discuss Butler's powerful anchor housing program. If you or someone you know works at Butler and you would like more information on this unique program, give us a call. You need to know about how this can benefit you or someone you care about. If you own or work for a company that would like for us to come in and cater lunch and talk about the real estate market, give a specific presentation, and/or just answer questions in this confusing and ever-changing real estate market, please give us a call. We would be happy to tailor a presentation to your unique wants/needs!

Thank you to everyone who voted for us and gave us great reviews as we earned another year as a 5-Star Real Estate Professional as well as Angie's List Super Service Award! Fewer than 5% of real estate agents earn this prestigious awards and we are so grateful to all of our friends and clients for voting for us!!! Thank you!!!

Don't forget about our February Happy Hour on Wednesday, February 20th from 5-6:30PM at Matt The Miller's. We would love to see you there and enjoy a couple of drinks and appetizers on us. Come join us!!

Our real estate market has been hotter than usual this winter, however we are seeing signs of growth slowing down a bit. While no one can predict what tomorrow brings, let along the rest of the year, we expect to see another robust housing market for 2019. Unemployment continues to shrink, which is great and wages continue to grow, but at a slower pace than housing market appreciation, which is causing continued concern for the real estate market. The Fed has indicated it will likely halve its rate hikes in 2019 compared to 2018, which is a good sign. Our inventory continues to shrink, but we expect that to improve in 2019 a bit. Check out the latest stats courtesy of MIBOR comparing December 2018 to December 2019:

New listings-DOWN 0.9% to 1,902 units
Pending sales-UP 2.3% to 2,059 units
Closed sales-DOWN 6.6% to 2,589 units
Median sales price-UP 6.7% to $176,000
Average sales price-UP 7.5% to $218,304
Percent of original list price received at sale- DOWN 0.5% to 94.4%
Total active listings available at month end-DOWN 4.0% to 7,016 units
Months supply of inventory-DOWN 4.2% to 2.3 months
Stay safe and warm and, as always please feel comfortable calling us when we can help you or someone you care about with real estate needs.

Click here to read our February newsletter

Click here to watch a 1-minute video on the real estate market update

Click here to access coupons & discounts at places your shop every day

Click here to download the most powerful real estate app available

Click here to read what other people are saying about our service

Click here to read about our Senior Advantage Real Estate Program

Your Friends in Real Estate,

Steve, Jack, Kylie, & Julia

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

Thinking of Buying Land? Read This First...

Land can be a good investment, whether you intend to build a house or business on a particular lot or simply want a place where you can stretch your legs and breathe a bit more deeply. After all, they’re not making any more of it (ok, technically this isn’t true, but you’d need to be volcano adjacent to get dibs on brand new land).

Buying land can be tricky, though, even after you secure a mortgage for it. There are several important real estate concepts you’re going to want to familiarize yourself with.

Lessons in Land Buying

Unlike purchasing a house in an established neighborhood, where everything is pretty obvious and cut and dry, land can throw a lot of weird wrenches into the works. Let’s take a look at the most important aspects to keep in mind before and during your land acquisition.

1.Title Restrictions

Before you even set foot on a piece of property you’re interested in purchasing, ask about title restrictions. These are conditions that, when met, could go as far as to revoke your ownership or punish you in other serious ways. For example, if you’re interested in land for farm and you come across a lovely place that happens to border on public forest, you may be restricted from owning sheep because of the danger they pose to the unique neighboring trees.

Another more common example would be that the title restricts your subdividing the land. If you just want to get away from neighbors, that probably won’t be an issue for you, but if you had planned to build some houses on that land and splitting off the parts you don’t want to keep, you’re in trouble.

Always check the title restrictions because many will run with the land (that means they’re enforceable as long as the land exists). Don’t assume that because they’re 50 or 60 years old they’re unenforceable. They are.

2. Easements

Easements are a very specific type of property ownership where the legal use of your land is granted to another person or company. A good example of this is the utility easement that often runs along one edge of a home’s lot. That easement gives the utility company the right to go in and perform necessary upgrades and repairs without having to beg and plead with homeowners for permission.

Before you make an offer on any piece of land, it’s important to know what easements, if any, apply. There almost certainly is a utility easement somewhere, but there can also be private easements granted by any former owner that could remain with the property. It’s much better to know what it is that you’re buying and how much of that land is usable. If you don’t understand the maps that show these easements, ask your Realtor to explain them to you.

3. Landlocked Property

In the United States, there is no such thing as a landlocked property. That being said, there are properties that appear to be landlocked because there’s no way to access them from the road. In these situations, a right-of-way easement is created to allow unencumbered access to the landlocked property.

If you’re the one buying the “landlocked” property, these easements are generally not a point of concern. However, as a seller, right-of-way easements can hurt the value of your land and create an additional expense maintaining that strip of Earth you can’t use for other purposes.

4. Surveys

Buying a house in a subdivision is easy because the land has already been surveyed and small metal pins placed at the corners of the lots. Even if your bank wanted some sort of survey done for a single family home purchase, all the surveyor has to do is find those pins and mark them. Ultimately, they’ll record your property as something like “Lot 12, Smith’s Addition, Your Town, State.”

When it comes to land, the story is very different. First, a surveyor has to do a bit of research beforehand to figure out where the parcel’s boundaries should be. Land is one of those things that can stay in families for decades, or even longer. Depending on where you live, that empty property could reasonably still be held by the original family to take title. It creates a significant challenge for surveyors.

Regardless, you need that survey to ensure that the land you’re buying is the land you think you’re buying. The surveyor can also verify the easements you’ve been told exist. Once that’s established and everyone is in agreement, you can go to Closing with confidence.

5. Adverse Possession

There’s nothing in the real estate sphere as confusing and infuriating as adverse possession. This is a situation where someone, often a neighbor, has managed to somehow use your land without your permission over a long period of time. Through a series of events, they then become the legal owner. And you won’t see one red cent ever.

This sometimes happens in urban and suburban neighborhoods when a homeowner installs a fence, for example. They may not even realize they’ve crossed the lot line. It’s nowhere near the same issue as it is when you’re buying land. Acreages can see significant shrinkage if a fence is even a few feet over the line. If the lot line is 300 feet long and the neighbor is intruding by two feet, that’s 600 square feet that you no longer control and may be at risk of losing.

Fortunately, if you catch the problem early, you can take actions to reclaim your land and rid yourself of your accidental squatter (because, let’s face it, most of the time it is an accident).

Step 1: Ask the neighbor nicely to move their fence. Show them your survey so they can see where the fence should be.
Step 2: Post “No:Trespassing” signs that are visible to the neighbor. This removes the “hostile claim” condition of a successful adverse possession claim. “Hostile” in this situation means that they’re using your land against your will.
Step 3: If the neighbor needs to continue to use the land for some reason, have them sign a land lease and demand a small rental fee. Again, this will remove the hostile claim condition, but in a much more concrete way.
Step 4: Lawyer up because it’s time to take this thing to court. Although the time that a squatter must occupy property to take it as their own varies, the sooner these issues are addressed, the better. The court can force your neighbor the squatter to move his fence to where it belongs.

No one wants to take their neighbors to court, so try everything else first. If you and the neighbor can come to an amicable agreement about the fence placement, you’ll be in a much better place to have a harmonious long term relationship with them.

Are You Ready to Own Your Own Bit of Earth?

Buying land can be a scary proposition. The upkeep and planning for its future alone can be overwhelming. Don’t panic! Your HomeKeepr family is just waiting for you to put them to work keeping the grass cut, drawing up plans for your future home or business and bringing it all to life. Just ask your Realtor for recommendations from the community and wait to be connected to the best of the best in your area!

Making Sense of The Loan Estimate Form

Shopping for a house can be stressful, but choosing a loan has the potential to be just as bad. There’s a lot to know, a small window in which to figure it all out and a 30 year commitment to a loan product that might just not be right for you for to worry about. All in all, it might be easier to remove your own inflamed appendix than to pick a mortgage.

The Loan Estimate Form and You

If you’ve already been to see one or more mortgage bankers or brokers and received a Loan Estimate form that explains your loan options, grab those now. If not, you can follow along with this dummied up copy provided by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This is definitely a blog that needs some real life props.

There are a lot of things to see on this form, but it’s a million times easier than the form that was its predecessor. The goal with the new Loan Estimate form was to make it more accessible for more people and, hopefully, easier to compare apples to apples. Let’s see what’s in your orchard.

The Big Question: What’s This Loan Cost?

One of the most important variables for many buyers is the monthly cost of their home loan. After all, the monthly payment is immediate and pressing. If you can’t make it, you have nowhere to live and bad things happen. Check out these items to figure your immediate costs:

Monthly Principal and Interest. You can find information on your monthly payment on the front page of the Loan Estimate form. Under the “Loan Terms” section, you’ll find the “Monthly Principal and Interest” line. That’s the base payment for your loan — and if there’s a big, fat “No” next to it, this is always going to be the base payment for your loan, until you sell, refinance or pay it off.

Balloon Payment. Two lines down is the “Balloon Payment” option. You want this to say “No” unless you have a plan to pay the loan off before the balloon hits. A balloon payment is an amount of money you still owe on the loan when the term is up. So, if you have a loan that has payments calculated like it’s a 30 year loan, but the balloon is expected in five, you essentially have to pay 25 years worth of payments all at once when that five year term is up.

Projected Payments. Pop on down to the section called “Projected Payments.” This section breaks your payment down into more parts. Not only is your base payment included, you’ll see a line for mortgage insurance and escrowed items (usually this includes taxes and homeowner’s insurance). If there’s a planned change in your loan payment, like the removal of mortgage insurance, your “Projected Payments” section will have more than one column for payment information. You’ll read this left to right to see how your payment changes over time.

Estimated Taxes, Insurance and Assessments. The escrowed items are detailed in this section. Normally, that’s one month’s worth of taxes, homeowner’s insurance and HOA fees.

Cash to Close. You’ll probably have to bring some money to closing. You’ll find out just how much on the very last line of page one. You can find the details on this figure on page two, but we’re going to skip that for now.

Comparing Your Tree Fruit

On page three, you’ll find one last set of very important numbers for comparing your loan offers. It’s even labeled “Comparisons.” This section will help you understand the long-term differences over the loans that you’re considering. If loan one will cost you $50k over the first five years and loan two costs $60k in the same time period, it’s clear that in the long run, the first loan will do you better. But let’s say you’re not as interested in the long run as you are in the now.

Right now, you have a small down payment and you’re trying hard to hold on to as much cash as possible for emergencies. Back on page one might be the better place to look for your answers. It’s possible that the loan that’s cheaper in the long run costs a great deal more in cash to close. In that case, you may want to take the more expensive long-term loan and plan to refinance after a few years.

While you’re on page one, go ahead and compare those payments. Do both estimate forms include mortgage insurance or escrows? If so, it’s an easy side-by-side comparison. If not, you’ll want to look at the principal and interest payment, and find out what the average taxes and insurance cost in your market so you can estimate how much extra to hold back each month so you can pay those yourself.

How ‘Bout Them Fees?

The elusive page two includes details on your closing costs. This is everything from loan origination costs to prepaid items like your portion of the current year’s taxes. All of this stuff, when added together, end up on the last line in the right-hand column. That’s your cash to close.

If you’ve rolled any of those fees into your mortgage, you’ll see those appear next to the line that says “Closing Costs Financed…” Asking your mortgage professional for a couple of different Loan Estimate forms with and without fees added to your mortgage can help you decide whether it makes financial sense to pay for those items now or finance them over time.

It’s a pretty handy form, really.

Need to Find a Banker or Broker First?

Of course, none of this is meaningful unless you have some context to set it in. That’s where your friendly neighborhood mortgage professional comes in. If you haven’t started shopping loans, your HomeKeepr family can point you in the right direction. After all, your Realtor has already recommended their favorite brokers and bankers, all you have to do is pick up the phone and call. They’re always happy to help.

De-cluttering 101

Of all the things that you can do to get your home ready for the market, there’s nothing as effective or inexpensive as decluttering. Not only does it allow you to really showcase the best features of your home, it helps you get ready to move and to possibly shed some items you really don’t need anymore anyway. Two birds, one stone.

A proper decluttering can be a big project, though. It’s important to have a plan before you get started.

Decluttering 101: Getting Started

The goal of decluttering for a home sale is to make your house appear as large and functional as is possible within its structural limitations. Obviously you’re not going to turn a 12 foot by 12 foot living room into a massive parlor simply by getting some stuff out of the way, but as with anything you’re looking to sell, it’s a good idea to put the best foot forward possible.

Removing clutter helps rooms feel more open and airy, so make this the hard focus of your life until it’s totally done. Bringing in some friends who will give you an honest opinion can also help you find more things to get out of the house before your Realtor comes to take the photos for your listing.

These tips can help you stay focused:

1. Begin at the beginning. The first thing a potential buyer is going to see is the yard, then the driveway and then the front door. These areas need to be very neat and tidy or else they’ll simply stay in the car and drive away. You don’t want to waste a lot of energy inside for buyers to be turned off because your front porch is covered in shaggy planters and old patio furniture.

2. One room at a time. There are any number of apps for planning big projects like this, so pick one and get to making a list. Every room in the house, even closets and hallways, should have their own entry. Break the effort into the smallest chunks possible to make it easier to accomplish. The more you check off, the better you’ll feel and the more momentum you’re going to build.

3. Do you really need all that furniture? Rooms crammed with furniture are great for get togethers, but they’re terrible for showing a buyer how they can use the same space. All they can see is your furniture, so get as much of it out of the way as possible. Leave the pieces that are the nicest or the newest for the very best first impression.

4. Clean all the counters off. It’s the easiest thing in the world to get into the habit of using your counters for storage, but when buyers see this practice, they just assume you don’t have enough storage. nobody wants a house with not enough storage — that’s probably the reason they’re looking for a new place to begin with.

5. Clean the showers. It’s an incredible hassle and something you probably only do when company is coming, but assume that company will be coming every day until closing from now on. Black mold on shower grout is an huge turn-off. Those buyers won’t know that you haven’t cleaned the back shower stall since 1989, they’ll just see that black mold and leave.

6. Your collections have gotta go. Yes, you have the most amazing collection of paperclip stick figures ever assembled, but they don’t need to be on display. In fact, they’re probably standing between you and a potential buyer right now. Pack them up, get them out of sight, make the room where you keep them look enormous.

7. Declutter the garage and storage buildings, too. Oh, don’t think we’ve forgotten about these guys. They’re great places to dump stuff you don’t want to get rid of, but don’t know where to put, but that potential buyer is going to want to know if their own stuff that they can’t figure out what to do with will fit in that space. Clean that garage and those storage buildings up and, if necessary, install some heavy duty shelves or racks to give them some appearance of organization.

Where Do You Put The Decluttered Clutter?

Once you’ve sorted out the things you can live without for a while, you have to decide what to do with them. You have a few options. You can sell them, maybe make a little bit of cash at a resale shop or a garage sale. You can keep them, but in a storage unit somewhere away from your home. You can recycle them. You can donate them. Probably, realistically, you’ll do a few of these things, depending on the clutter.

Whatever you do, don’t keep them in the boxes in your house. That defeats the entire purpose of decluttering. Remember, you want to make your house look huge, not like a tightly packed storage unit. So banish the boxes, clear the clutter, make it go far, far away. You’ll also be mostly ready for your move, should you sell that house quickly because of how clean and shiny it is, so that’s nice.

How to Pay for Unexpected Repairs

It was a dark and stormy night. The lights flickered once, twice and then BOOM! Everything went dark. As it turns out, it’s because a tree fell on your house and pulled down the weatherhead and, accordingly, the main power feed to your home.

That’s gonna hurt, right in the pocketbook. Although your insurance will almost certainly cover some of the cost, you’re still going to have to come up with the deductible and other related expenses (like meals) until it’s sorted. How’s that rainy day fund?

If it’s not awesome, you’re not alone. According to the Federal Reserve’s most recent “Report on the Economic Well-Being of US Households,” 44 percent of Americans can’t cover a $400 emergency without borrowing from elsewhere. While that’s a serious problem for the economy, we’re talking about you right now. One problem at a time.

Show Me The Money! Sources to Check for Emergency Funds

You’ve exhausted your couch cushions, checked all the pay phones for quarters (what’s a pay phone? Nevermind!), done some odd jobs for the neighbors and you’re still nowhere near having the cash to fix the gaping non-electrified hole in your life. This is getting unbearable and your boss is about to send you outside to give you a garden hose shower.

Something has to be done! But what? You can’t get blood from a stone, as they say. But sometimes you can get money from, you know, people. As it turns out, there are procedures in place for loans and grants that can help you rebuild and save you from the cold, icy experience of being sprayed down like livestock.

Loans are the Most Likely Source of Funding

Look, this isn’t going to be pretty, but it will get you by. You’re probably going to have to borrow from someone, somewhere. There are several different sources that will provide you with funds to help with problems like major home repairs, these are listed below in order from overall best option to the least. But even the least among these options is better than nothing.

Home equity loans. There are two types of home equity loans available, the original home equity loan and a loan that’s more like a credit line, called a HELOC. Both have fairly good interest rates as of the writing of this blog, assuming you have decent credit, and can be secured pretty easily. The one caveat is that you generally can’t tap more than 80 percent of your home’s total equity, so if your mortgage is already taking up 75 percent of that, you may not have enough equity left to fix the weatherhead. Your home will act as security for the home equity loan, just like with your mortgage, so make sure you can cover it every month.

If you can get a home equity loan of either type, they’ll have the longest terms and thus the smallest payments. As long as yours doesn’t have a prepayment penalty, you can always pay extra, but you’ll never be in a position where you’re scrambling to find the money to make a stretch payment. Talk to your credit union or the bank where you have your checking account or mortgage to get started with one of these loans.

Personal loans. Personal loans can be difficult to qualify for because there’s not generally any security involved, but if you can get one, they’ll do in a pinch. Since there isn’t any collateral, they process much faster than a home equity loan, getting that power turned back on faster. The downside is that you’re likely going to be paying a much higher rate than you would with a secured form of credit and the term will be much shorter, but you also don’t risk losing your home if you miss a payment.

401(k) loan. Oh ye of little faith, you thought that 401(k) was never going to do anything for you, didn’t you? Today it’s going to prove you wrong. Depending on how much of your funds are vested and how your specific 401(k) is set up, you can likely either take a loan out against your retirement fund or take a tax-free withdrawal based on a hardship exemption (consult with your financial advisor first).

Now, keep in mind that doing this means that you’re literally stealing from your future in order to have cold beer in the fridge. But, sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Make it up later by increasing your contribution by a percent or two, then maybe you won’t be sitting around eating pork and beans from a can when you’re in your 70s while reminding yourself that it was really important that you caught “American Idol” the week after the big storm.

Borrowing from family. Hey, don’t skip this one. Read all the way through. It’s no fun to ask family for money, but sometimes, you’re caught between a rock and hard spot. Or your bacon pops out of the frying pan into the fire. Or something. When things are rough, sometimes you have to go back to your people and grovel. You can probably think of a long list of cons for this one, but the pros include having someone who probably won’t foreclose and also your family member gets some interest, so that’s nice for them.

If you do borrow from family or friends who are like family, make sure to draw up a formal loan agreement. You can find something pretty basic online, you just need to make sure it includes the payment amount, the payment due date, the number of payments, the interest rate and the total amount borrowed so that everyone’s covered. Even though your parents would never sue you for the amount due, that loan’s a little more real when the pen goes to paper.

What About Free Grant Money That’s Free?

There are some grant programs out there, but they are very few and far between. Primarily, they go to people who are elderly, very impoverished and live in rural areas, but if there’s a grant program in your area, apply. It can’t hurt anything.

The biggest downside to grant money for a repair like yours is that they’re rarely in any hurry to get things done. Grants can be achingly slow, even if you’re approved right away. You probably can’t afford that kind of time investment. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s not going to cost you a fortune.

One Last Stab: Service Provider Credit

Contractors across the country are stepping up their games and partnering with financial institutions to be able to offer you credit programs to help pay for those big and unexpected expenses. Just like doctors and veterinarians have teamed with Care Credit, there are specific partners for roofers, electricians and their kin. Not every contractor is taking advantage of these programs, nor does every construction expert have the staff or interest to even look into them, but it’s worth asking about.

A simple, “Hey, do you have any sort of credit program available?” can help you determine if you have to start selling excess organs on the black market to get the lights turned back on (don’t actually do that #NotADoctor). You might try calling a few different providers to see if you can find someone with a lender in place if you’re kind of out of options. You will very likely pay more for the service itself, since a contractor at that level will have more staff to pay, more overhead to cover and so forth, but it’s a trade-off. You pay for the additional customer support and you get back to life as you knew it before that dark and stormy night.

What Is a FICO Score Anyway?

Stand and Be Measured: What is a FICO Score Anyway?


Another month, another rent payment that’s helping your landlord pay off the house or apartment where you’re living. Another month, another rent day spent pondering just how much equity you could have paid down on your own house by now. So, why not you? Why not now? Sure, buying a house can be complicated and intimidating, but your mortgage professional and Realtor will be there every step to help.

Wait, let’s take a step back. Before you even call them, it’s important to fill in some informational blanks. For example, do you know what a FICO score is or how it affects your ability to get a mortgage? A lot of first time homebuyers will need to do some work on their credit accounts, so it’s a good idea to start looking into this stuff six months to a year before you bite the bullet and make a loan application.

Today, we’re going as basic as it gets with the FICO score.

Fair Isaac Really Isn’t Judging You, Mostly

So, back in the 1950s, getting credit was a whole different kind of thing. Rates and down payments or securities were high, terms were short and credit was not nearly as widespread as it is today. Then two fellows named Bill Fair and Earl Isaac came along. They believed that there had to be a better way to make business decisions using data and computer algorithms (a bit ahead of their time, eh?), successfully completing the first credit scoring system in 1958.

By 1970, the Fair Isaac Company was delivering scoring systems for bank credit cards, then in 1981, it developed the credit bureau risk score — similar to the one your bank will be using to determine if you’re going to get a mortgage. The secret proprietary algorithm has been updated throughout the years in a quest to develop the most accurate picture possible of potential borrowers based on their past behavior.

Your FICO score isn’t a judgement of your character, of your job or anything like that. It’s simply a number that tells lenders how likely you are to be willing and able to pay back credit over the long run. If you’ve never had credit or not had much credit experience, expect your number to be lower simply because there’s no data on you. If you’ve had some credit, maybe a student loan or a car loan, and always paid on time, you’re probably golden.

A score of 620 is serviceable, a 650 is generally enough to get a mortgage.

What’s in a FICO Score?

A lot of people are confused about what exactly gets figured into a FICO score. FICO is just an algorithm, remember, so there’s nothing that it can calculate without being fed data. So, the score is based on the information from whatever credit bureau that you’re using to request a FICO score. Nothing else. Things like your on-time utility payments or car insurance, for example, don’t tend to report, so they won’t be added into the calculation.

When shopping for a pre-mortgage score, it’s best to look for a tri-merge report, or a product that gives you scores from all three bureaus: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. This is exactly what your bank will do to qualify you. MyFICO.com offers this service and you’ll get scores directly from the horse’s mouth, but feel free to use whatever tool works for you. There are plenty of legit sources out there that can approximate your FICO score.

The main factors that influence that score are probably exactly what you’d expect. They’re bits and pieces that are telling about your credit usage and ability to repay. FICO’s own site lists these as the primary components and weights of an average borrower’s score:

Payment History (35 percent). If you don’t make your payments on time, the credit bureaus report that and FICO makes a note. Non-payments, late payments and the like don’t report until they’re 30 days past due, but it’s still good practice to pay on or before the due date. If you’ve had late pays in the past, just keep paying on time now. The more space you put between today and those late pays, the less they’ll affect you.

Amounts Owed (30 percent). Are your credit cards maxed out? … like, every month…? Well, this is something you need to get a handle on. This metric looks at not only how much you owe, but how much you owe in relation to how much credit you have. The magic number for utilization is a meager 30 percent. If you’re trying to establish credit, it can be a tricky thing to keep your usage under 30 percent, but above zero to prove you can maintain payments long term.

Length of Credit History (15 percent). The age of your credit accounts, as well as the average age is considered under this metric. FICO looks at both opened dates and the date of last utilization to figure out your risk here. To even be in the running for a bronze medal, you need an average credit line age of over two years, but people with extremely good credit scores may have credit histories of 25 years or more.

New Credit (10 percent). FICO wants to see if you’ve recently acquired a bunch of new credit, maybe in anticipation of charging everything up and fleeing to Canada. Experience has told them that suddenly opening several new accounts in a flurry means that you’re a big time risk for default.

Credit Mix (10 percent). Do you only have store credit cards, or do you also have a car loan and a student loan? The better the variety in your credit history, generally the better risk you represent. Don’t run out and get a bunch of different loans just to see how it shakes out, but if you just have a car loan, it won’t hurt to get a small credit card through your bank just for emergencies.

Improving Your Credit for Beginners

Now that you know what the FICO algorithm considers when it calculates your score, you can use this information to improve your credit score before you apply for a mortgage. Be patient, though, it takes time to see these kinds of changes manifest.

Start by going to AnnualCreditReport.com and requesting your free credit reports (you’re entitled to a set of free credit reports from this site once a year). Check them thoroughly for errors of any sort. Dispute, dispute, dispute. Many credit files have some kind of errors on them.

While the credit bureaus are working on your disputes, you can start to pay off any judgements that appear on your credit reports, as well as developing a plan to pay each and every future payment on time. If your checks come on a regular schedule, autopay isn’t a totally bad option, but if you’re part of the gig economy, of course, that’s probably not going to help.

With each payment, your credit will start to improve. Leave those credit cards alone. Just put one payment in front of the other, and before you know it, you’ll have beautiful credit. Super extraordinary stuff. There’s no real secret to it, it’s all just perseverance.

If you think you might need some help doing the research or coming up with a plan to take care of any credit issues you discover, there are some very reputable credit repair companies out there.

Your Friends in Real Estate,
Steve, Jack, & Kylie

January 2018 Steve & Jack's Home News

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

We hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying or about to enjoy a much-needed break for the holidays with friends and family. Although this time of year can be especially stressful for parents with young children scurrying around trying to find last-minute presents, we hope you are able to take a breath and enjoy the magic of the season.

Speaking of magic, our family took the driving tour through the lights at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It was fantastic!! With over 2 million lights on display, it is another spectacle in racing! On Saturday, we will participate in a Candlelight Dinner and Candlelight Walk at Conner Prairie with Brigid's parents who are visiting from St. Pete, FL. Our Christmas Eve will be spent at my sister Michelle's house and then to church. Christmas Day dinner is always spent with Brigid's extended family at her aunt and uncle's house here in Indy where we will have about 30 people exchanging presents and sharing a meal. It is quite the event!!

What are some of your holiday traditions??

As for our girls, Ana just finished her most intensive week with the Indianapolis Children's Choir and their holiday performances at St. Luke's church. She practiced or performed all but one day last week. The concert was nothing short of stunning and we invite you to watch it around noon on Christmas Day on WTHR Channel 13. The program is The Angels' Sing. You won't be disappointed. We are grateful to be able to participate in this annual tradition especially knowing all of the hard work that went into it. Those kiddos work incredibly hard for months for that performance. It definitely shows. Let us know what you think of it.

Tali had her first gymnastics meet of the season last weekend as well. It was her best one yet as she placed first on floor and 3rd overall. She was so excited to be on the podium!

Mary Anne just was cleared by the doctor to have her knee replacement surgery in January, so please say a prayer or two for her for a successful operation and recovery. We very much look forward to her being more mobile and not in pain.

Kylie is looking forward to her first Christmas with her baby Jackson and his big brother Trey as well as some much-deserved time off!

As for the real estate market, it is at an all-time low for inventory and this has been one of our busiest Decembers in memory. Check out the stats from MIBOR below comparing November 2017 to November 2016:

New listings: DOWN 5.5% to 2,593 units
Pending sales: UP 12% to 2,378 units
Closed sales: UP 6.3% to 2,817 units
Median sales price: UP 8.5% to $164,900
Average sales price: UP 4.5% to $200,658
Percent of original price received at sale: UP 0.4% to 94.8%
Total active listings available at month end: DOWN 18.9% to 8,311 units
Months supply of inventory/absorption rate: DOWN 22.9% to 2.7 months

As you can see, we are less than 50% of a balanced market of 6 months for housing inventory. It will likely get worse before it gets better. So, if you are a homeowner, it is very likely you are experiencing some very nice appreciation right now. :-)

Enjoy the January newsletter with some fun new factoids and articles here.

Click here for a new addition, which is the market data and recap. Very cool!

Click here if you want to save money on products and services you use every day.

Click here to get the most powerful real estate app available.

We hope you will join us for our next Happy Hour at Matt The Miller's on Wednesday, January 17th from 5-6:30PM.

From our family to yours, we sincerely wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Your Friends in Real Estate,
Steve, Jack, & Kylie

February 2017 Steve & Jack's Home news

Dear Steve & Brigid,

Happy Valentine's Day! If you have someone special in your life, we hope you will take some time to celebrate each other. Although Valentine's Day is a very commercial holiday, hopefully it at least encourages people to spend quality time with each other away from computers, TVs, and other electronics. We don't know about you, but it seems more and more people are losing or not learning interpersonal communication skills with all of the social media and technology. As an example, the next time you are at a restaurant, look around to see how many people are not communicating with the person/people sitting at the table with each other, but rather are busy texting on their phones. Try this, the next time you are out with a significant other or friends, agree to put your phones turned off in the center of the table and not touch them. The first person who reaches for their phone before the meal is over picks up the tab! Have you tried this before? If so, how did it go????

The Rupps have been busy, as usual with Brigid working her day job at Merck and then coming home at night and on the weekends and making items to sell at craft fairs and on her Etsy page. She has very cool photos of European vistas, sweaters, shrugs, very cool wood and acrylic keychains and high-end pens among other items. She made all of these by herself from scratch! Talented she is and she has fun doing it. If you would like to see some of the things she makes, click here.

Ana is 11, in 6th grade and still practices several times/week for Indianapolis Children's Choir and will be traveling to NYC to sing in Carnegie Hall this summer and see a Broadway play as well as take a workshop taught by a Broadway actor. She is so excited!! She also just got cast for one of the lead roles in her school musical again as well as taking dance lessons and playing the trumpet. To say she is busy is an understatement!!

Natalia turns 7 on Thursday and is competing this year for the first time with her gymnastics team. She practices several days/week and can't get enough.

Jack & Mary Anne are looking forward to several trips this year and still volunteer quite a bit and are active at St. Pius X Church.

Kylie is gearing up to deliver her baby in mid-March. She is such an integral part of our team that it is almost unthinkable to imagine doing without her. We are actively interviewing people to fill in for her for about 3-months. If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more, please call Steve at 317-339-7698. He would love to talk with you!

The market keeps getting tighter and tighter for any homes under $200,000. Unless it is new construction, homes over $300,000 are selling much slower and slower still the higher you go. Interest rates have held fairly steady around the low 4% range, but will likely move up as the year progresses. If you are thinking of selling, THIS is the year to do it! Give us a call to see what the market is doing in your neighborhood so you can make an informed decision. Below are the market statistics from the Indy greater metro area comparing December 2016 to December 2015 courtesy of MIBOR:

New Listings-DOWN 4.6% to 1,884 houses
Pending Sales-DOWN 1.5% to 1,913 houses
Closed Sales-UP 4.2% to 2,765 houses
Median Sales Price-UP 6.3% to $153,000
Average Sales Price-UP 6.0% to $194,462
% of Original List Price Received at Sale-UP 0.8% to 93.6%
Total Active Listings Available at Month End-DOWN 13.9% to 8,946
Months Supply of Inventory-DOWN 23.1% to 3.0 months

Take a look at that last statistic. Inventory went DOWN 23.1% in 12-months and is now at 3 months. That is 50% of a 'healthy' real estate market. Bottom line, we need more inventory. If you are thinking of selling, NOW is the time to do it. Give us a call.

Check out this month's newsletter for some fun and interesting articles such as:
Why are barns painted red?
Who invented the lightning rod system?
How to Kickstart your brain in the morning.
Do you need a spending fast?
Lots, lots more.

Do you like the newsletter? Let us know. We would love to hear from you!!!

Would you do us a favor? If we have helped you in the past year and you haven't given us a great review on Angie's List, would you mind clicking here and doing it right now? It would mean the world to us and we would be most appreciative!! Thank you, in advance!!!

Have you attended one of our monthly Happy Hours? If not, why not plan to join us this month on Wednesday, February 15th from 5-6:30PM at Matt The Miller's in Carmel. Feel free to drop by for part or all of the time. We have a great group of people who would love to meet you and appetizers and drinks are on us! Come join us!!!

Click here to read the February newsletter

Click here to download the most powerful real estate app available

Click here for coupons and discounts at places you shop every day

Thanks for reading!!!

Your friends in real estate,

Steve, Jack, & Kylie

December Steve & Jack's Home News

We hope you enjoyed a relaxing and fun Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. We hosted this year and enjoyed seeing family and watching football amongst some amazing food!

We have had an overwhelming response to our VIP Client Appreciation Event THIS Saturday. If you have RSVP'd already-thank you!! We are saving a seat for you. If you have not RSVP'd yet, we only have a few more seats left. Due to the response, we upgraded to the largest theater and have a few seats remaining. So, if you have been meaning to RSVP, but haven't done so yet, please e-mail Bob Clidinst at Bob@Welcome2Indy.com with the number of adult and child tickets you would like. Our hard cut-off is tomorrow at noon. We would love to see you and provide a light breakfast as well as the movie, The Penguins of Madagascar. It just came out last weekend and I have heard is really funny.

Thank you for all of the entries for the Colts tickets!! Our winner has already been contacted and is excited to attend. We hope you enjoy the game and bring back a Colts' win!! If you didn't win this year, don't worry, we plan to have another drawing next year!

Thank you, also to everyone who attended our Photos with Santa on November 23rd. We had a fantastic turnout! If you had the professional photographer take some photos, they just came in and we will be sending those to you in the next day or so.

Merry Christmas to you and your family. We are so grateful to each of you for your business and friendship. We are truly blessed to do something we love and with people with whom we love to spend time. Thank you for another fantastic year and we look forward to helping more of you and those you care about in 2015!

Click here to read our December newsletter

Click here to visit our website

Click here to access our exclusive discount & coupon savings site

Click here to download our mobile real estate app to search for any home anywhere!

Steve & Jack Rupp

April Steve & Jack's Home News

Welcome spring and the April showers that come with it--in some cases a LOT of water. We hope this e-mail finds you well...and dry.

Our big news is that Natalia had a tonsillectomy on Friday. She was the last in our family with tonsils, so we are grateful to be finished with that and Natalia is healing extremely well. We truly hope you never have a need for a good ENT, but if you do, we can highly recommend Dr. Hackett. He is simply outstanding!! Jack and Mary Anne have been very helpful with watching Talia this week for us while she recovers.

Anastasia is preparing for her First Communion in two weeks. This has been a 2-year preparation process and she is so excited! We are hosting quite a bit of family that weekend and are looking forward to seeing everyone again.

The housing market is on FIRE! Overally, we are down to 5.2 months of inventory, however in many parts of Hamilton County, we have only a few weeks of supply creating an extreme sellers' market. Some agents are knocking on people's doors asking if they would consider selling. We have five buyers right now who are having a very difficult time finding a home that meets their needs. If you are even remotely considering selling this year, please call us as we would love to consult with you about your options.

Enjoy your spring and warmer weather and thank you for your continued trust and confidence!

Click here to read our April newsletter.

Click here to see our new and improved coupon and discount saving site. If you haven't checked this out yet, please take a moment to do so and save some money.

Your Personal Real Estate Consultants...for Life!

Steve & Jack Rupp