Saturday, December 31, 2011

Indy House of the Week, 12.31.11

The Indy "House of the Week"

is chosen by DM Irish to highlight what's available on the Indianapolis market
and to feature a home with a very attractive curb appeal!



This house is located in Fishers in Fox Hollow in the 104th and Olio corridor
HSE Schools
4300 square feet; 4 bedrooms, plus a bonus room
Basement, 3-car garage
Features hardwood, granite, and a gourmet kitchen
Built new and finished in late 2011
(Although it's a new home, taking a Realtor® in on the purchase is very important!)
$363,000





Friday, December 30, 2011

The Voice of the Agent: "Patience for the Right Home"



When shopping for a home, not only are you armed with a checklist for what's ideal in your next house, but it helps to grab some patience to go along with that while you shop.  I've seen it take some people over 100 home showings and maybe one year or more to explore existing areas and the housing inventory to figure out where to land.  Focus on what's best for your lifestyle with regards to monthly payment, home layout and size, area school systems, and proximity to where you do life on a daily basis.

While waiting on your home to sell, I can set you up on one of my computer generated, buyer-specific searches so you can get to know the market.  When you see a home that catches your eye, we'll head out to see it!

If your home sold faster than you expected and you're not sure of your fit, consider the option of renting a home until you can make a decision and take your time to find your next home.  Actually, we did just that after one of our home sales and it's proven beneficial!


Rushing through the process and making an impulse buy, when job relocation is not an issue, can have long term negative impacts on many areas of your life.  Take your time, know what you want, and rest assured there will be a home with your name on it when the timing's right!




Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Weekly Mortgage Rate Update, 12.28.11


The mortgage rates are still incredible!  It's a great time to buy a new home and lock that rate in for the long haul.  Not planning a move?  It's also a great time to refinance and save yourself some money each month. 


My mortgage professional of choice: Mark Kuchik at Access National at 317-846-1250.  I encourage all of my clients to get preapproved before they start the house hunt so they know exactly where to focus their time when shopping for a home.   Mark sits down with you to review your case, hear your goals, and get you started on the new-home path.  Please tell him I sent you!

Rates for the week :
From the IBJ: The average rate for 30-year mortgages rose from 4.19 to 4.20 percent for the week ended December 21, according to Bankrate.com. The rate for 15-year mortgages was unchanged at 3.42 percent.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Decorated posts, bold doors, and bright lanterns!



We at DM Irish, Realtor® Dan Irish and General Contractor Mindy Irish, celebrate a solid 2011 and look forward to a strong 2012 in housing! 

This picture pretty much sums it all up for us.  The festive decorations on the posts, the bold front door, and the vintage, over sized lantern send a message of welcome and warmth about this home.  Regardless of the down economy, this picture's glow represents our ongoing excitement that we have for the housing industry! 

2011 has been a fantastic year of growth and building blocks for our company.  We traveled to Las Vegas in March for a three-day ERA Real Estate conference.  It was a great opportunity to network, learn new strategies, and review the ones we had in place.

This year brought the revamp of our Building and Design website, dmirish.com, and the birth of our Real Estate website, dmirishrealestate.com, as well.  Additionally, we created and developed two new blogs and their associated Facebook pages, DM Irish Real Estate, and our community blog, For You and The Crew.  It's important to us to be a resource on housing and local opportunity to those in our community, and we happily use these blogs as a vehicle for those services.

The groundwork of 2011 will begin to bloom in 2012.  Our foundational posts are decorated with goals, organized and purposeful content, client opportunity, and housing projects in progress.  Our bold front door is represented by our blog, Facebook, and website resources that can be opened and used by many people at anytime.  All this, coupled with our experience and years in the industry, fuels the flame for the glow in our lantern that will shine brightly all year long!

Thankful for 2011 and a hearty welcome to 2012!
To all things house and home.......
~DM Irish



Picture above compliments of our friends at:

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Voice of the Agent, "Curb Appeal Counts!"

I've seen it happen before.  An agent schedules a showing, the clients arrive, and the message the house sends from the curb kills the deal, as in the clients won't even go inside!  Working on your curb appeal is like a venue working on their store front.  It needs to be primed and well kept so it draws the buyer in for more....like in this picture!  Don't you want to peek inside?

Light bulbs should be working, grass mowed, weeds pulled, and trash receptacles out of sight.  My big thing, too, is if you have a large front porch, it should have furniture on it.  Porches should be staged as part of the outdoor living of the home, a HUGE plus!

The agent and buyers often stand at your front door or your porch for possibly a few minutes while the agent gets access to the key and unlocks the door.  This is when they notice the little details of caulk, paint, cobwebs, windows, and landscaping all while waiting to go in.  Leaving projects incomplete from the exterior sends a message to the buyer that you've got more on the inside that needs finishing, too!  That's not a good selling feature at any price point!




This curb appeal "Before" has bare grass, unraked leaves, a crooked mailbox, and neglected landscaping.  Buyers form their (negative) opinion before the home gets to show off its stuff!




The new and improved curb appeal welcomes you in and gives this home a new glow.  Buyers are encouraged to approach and enter just from the extra features and color on the exterior.  Investing a little time and money at the curb helps get the SOLD sign up sooner!





Thursday, December 8, 2011

Foreclosure Friday, 12.9.11

Times are hard and many people have lost their homes due to the challenges in the economy. "Foreclosure Friday" is our way of bringing awareness to the availability and potential of distressed properties in the Central Indiana area. Buying a distressed home, whether if it's in Short Sale or already Bank Owned, is a great way to help stimulate the economy.



Here Are A Few Of Our Reasons Why:
-Sellers/Banks are able to depart from their current home
-Jobs are created for Realtors®, Contractors, and Suppliers
-Neighborhood home values can be regained
-Buyers may get a positive equity position
-Lonely homes get happy homeowners!



Our short list of distressed properties below are currently active on the market in the Indianapolis area. DM Irish does not own, nor have these properties listed, but rather is being a resource for what's available to purchase.

Stay tuned biweekly as we pass along homes in the area that might be a good match for you!
Need more info on one that catches your eye or want helping searching for any home in the area?









Home A
3874 sq. feet including finished basement; 4 beds; 3 baths
116th and Cumberland Road; HSE Schools
Preforeclosure; Great location; Needs some cosmetics and new carpet




Home B
Refeature!.....Major drop in price in a great custom neighborhood!
3891 sq. feet including finished basement; 4 beds; 3 baths
131st and Cumberland Road; HSE Schools
Bank Owned; Character details; Functional floor plan; Great area; Needs cosmetics
You're buying a location and a neighborhood on this deal!




Home C
2276 sq. feet on a crawl; 4 beds, 3 baths
131st and Gray Road; Carmel Schools
Possible Short Sale; Large lot in a great location; Character features; Quaint!!


For info on any home above or to set up your own custom search in the Indy area,



Tuesday, December 6, 2011

A Client's Kitchen Renovation....The Before and After!

The dust has settled, the old is gone, and the new is in!  Completed over the course of 16 business days, spreading over one month's time, Mindy had the privilege to work with a client in the Carmel area on her kitchen renovation.  We consulted and heard her ideas and put together a grand plan.  The project was put out to bid, the selections were made, and the fun began!




Our focus was to keep the cabinets and the ceiling beams and everything else is new!
The new bells and whistles include:
18" Tile floors laid on the diagonal, granite counters, salvaged new (old) lights, sleek black appliances, 3"x 6" rough edge tiled back splash, sink and faucet.
Not pictured: is a small bathroom with new features as well!




We get rave reviews on this new granite called "Cocoa Beach."
The black composite sink, oil rubbed bronze pull-down faucet, and under cabinet puck lights are favorites, too!




The new smooth-top cook top, rough edge 3"x 6" tiled back splash,
and under cabinet lighting give this cooking station a brand new look!



DM Irish thanks our vendors for coming alongside us on this project. 
Our client is very happy and excited with her kitchen's new look!


Thank You To Our Contractors:
Appliances: Lowes
Drywall: S&M Drywall
Electrical: Power Environments
Flooring, Back splash: Clay's Flooring
Granite: Granite Plan It
Painting: S&M Painting
Plumbing: RV Hallam


Contact Mindy Here with any questions about all things house and home!