Support Your Local Food Pantry

We have some exciting news to share with you. We are partnering with the Boys and Girls Club to help our local food pantries.

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We are very excited to announce our partnership with the Indianapolis Boys and Girls Club of America. Right now, I’m standing next to a full pantry. Unfortunately, this is not the common scene many of these boys and girls in this local organization experience. So today, we are asking for your help.

We want to fill these pantries, so we have partnered with the Boys and Girls Club to collect donations at our office to provide them with. We are located at 8555 River Road, and you can drop non-perishable items off until October 7th.

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We are located at 8555 River Road.

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If you are outside of Indiana, can you do us a favor? Reach out to one of your local food pantries and help them fill up as the holiday season approaches. Every little bit helps.

You should have received your invite already, but we wanted to remind you about our Fall Festival coming up. On October 8th, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Spencer Farm in Noblesville, we’ll have hot dogs, s'mores, and hayrack rides for you and the entire family. Check out our Facebook page for more details and to get the link to RSVP if you haven’t yet. We want to make sure we have enough s'mores!

If you have any other questions for us, don’t hesitate to reach out. Give us a call or send us an email any time. We look forward to hearing from you.

Why to Invest in New Construction in Indianapolis

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What are the advantages of buying new construction property over a pre-existing home? There are three clear advantages.

No one’s ever lived in it before. It’s brand new. No one’s neglected any parts of the home, such as a furnace or the gutters. You have a fresh start. You’re getting something brand new. You receive a full warranty. Most builders offer a two-year Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty on their properties.

You receive the latest technology. Since the home has been recently built, it offers the latest technology. It might be the latest and greatest types of insulation, windows, shingles, and more. This is huge for utility bills because they can be reduced with clean energy. Plus, people enjoy more open space between the living room and kitchen, which traditional home layouts don’t always offer.

You have a better chance at future resale. If someone owns a home for five years, it’s easier to sell a five-year-old home compared to an older one. As real estate agents, we find newer homes easier to sell.

As you can see, there are tremendous benefits to investing in a new construction property compared to pre-existing home. New definitely comes out on top compared to older listings.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home in the Indianapolis area, give us a call or email today! We’re happy to talk about and serve your real estate needs.

How to Winterize Your Indianapolis Home

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Winter is approaching quickly, and with that being said, you'll need to invest in some maintenance around your home in order to keep it in good condition. We have Scott Surette with Premium Inspections to give us some useful advice.

First of all, you need to disconnect your hoses and faucets. You don't want your pipes to freeze, so do this maintenance now to avoid a heavy loss later on.

Inspecting your gutters is also very important. You want them clean and clear of debris because if they're clogged this will cause water to get into your basement and this could cause major issues with your foundation. If your gutters are clear, the water can be pushed away from your foundation when the snow melts in the spring. You simply want to ensure that the water gets carried away from your home.

A very easy thing to do is to change your furnace filters. Dirty filters restrict airflow and this can cause damage to your furnace as well as your air vents. It's an easy thing to do, and it could save you a lot of money down the road. Preventative maintenance always pays off.

It's also a good idea to get someone to come and check on your fireplace and your chimney if you're going to be burning wood in it this winter. While you're at it, get your smoke alarms tested and replace those batteries if necessary.

Please don't hesitate to call Scott if you have any questions or concerns about winterizing your home.

Check Out Our Top 10 Relocation Tips

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Purchasing in the Indianapolis area? Click here for full MLS access

Relocating to a new city -- or country -- can be especially overwhelming for home buyers. Today, we've compiled some of our top ten relocation tips just for you.

1. Figure out the criteria for your new home. What kind of neighborhood do you see yourself in? If you have kids, how close do you want to be to their new school? Do you want an older home or a newer home? These are all things you need to know in order to have a successful home search.
2. Do your research. The more you know, the better prepared and more comfortable you will be.
3. Start a packing timeline. Write down a plan of attack. The less stress you have trying to stay organized, the smoother the move will be.
4. Ditch the junk. As you pack, keep a "Toss" and "Donate" box nearby. You can also have a garage sale to get rid of unnecessary items. It may make more financial sense for you to pack light and buy new things in your new location than to pay movers to lug everything across the country.
5. Look at exchange rates. If you are relocating internationally, definitely look into exchange rates. Also, in order to manage your finances, look at the cost of living in your new area.
6. Pack an emotional first aid kit. Leaving your home can be difficult. Bring favorite photos of friends, family, places and pets, or bring along meditation tapes to ease anxiety.
7. If you can, visit the new location in person. If you're able to, looking at homes in person is a great way to get a feel for the area. If you cannot be there for the home search, but found a home through an agent, paying a visit to the neighborhood before moving can help get you excited for your move.
8. Arrange temporary accommodation before moving. If you need to be in the new location before you close on your new property, make sure you have some kind of temporary lodging set up.
9. Pack strategically. Label everything! If you have things that you won't need to use in the next six months, pack those first. Maybe put them in a storage unit. Not only will this save you stress down the road, but it will also make your current property seem more spacious, which can help it sell faster.
10. Hire the right real estate agent. This is the most important thing you can do. A good real estate agent should be able to help you with everything on this list, from recommending moving companies to making you feel welcome in your new home.

If you know someone looking to relocate anywhere in the U.S. or beyond, we can help them with making that move. We have connections in every major city in the U.S. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We would be happy to help you!

10 Tips for Throwing a Great Tailgate or Labor Day Party!

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Today, we're going to do something a little different. With football season just around the corner, we thought we'd share a video that I found on HGTV featuring 10 tips for throwing a great tailgate party!

1.    Be literal. If you or your friend has a truck, use a tailgate as the serving station.

2.    For lighting, use paper lanterns in team colors. It's easiest to hang them with zip ties. They are better than balloons, and they're reusable!

3.    Paint a plain cooler with your team colors. For best results, be sure to use spray paint designed for plastic.

4.    Use a silverware caddy. Use an easy-to-transport toolbox caddy for silverware and sauces.

5.    Make chip bag tacos. You want to have a simple menu, and walking tacos are delicious and easy to handle.

6.    Or, try chili and cornbread mason jars. These are a great alternative to the chip bag tacos!

7.    Don't forget the drinks! Bourbon-spiked hot chocolate is perfect for a cool fall day. Make sure you bring along unbreakable mugs.

8.    Serve a unique dessert. We recommend pennant cookies. Simply cut cookie bars into pennants.

9.    Create a hand washing station. Bring paper towels, soap, and water.

10.  Pre-game activities. Create a DIY ball toss using a drop cloth.

Even using just a few of these will make for a memorable tailgate party! We hope you found some of these ideas helpful. As always, if you have any questions about real estate, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!