The Importance of a Three-Part Home Inspection

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Today, Scott Surette from Premium Home Inspections joins us to discuss the three-part home inspection on a construction property. Why would anyone want to pay someone to inspect a brand new home?

Typically, people have the misconception that a new property is like buying a new car. This isn’t the case. New construction isn’t that way. It’s an imperfect process with many people working together. Bringing in a new set of eyes to look everyone over is important.

I have a specific process. It includes three stages: foundation, pre-drywall, and final. We look at things before the foundation and drywall are built. We follow the home each step of the way as it’s built. We want to safely say we’ve looked at everything and verify it officially.

We want to identify any and all problems prior to closing! Once the builder received their pay, it isn’t easy to back out to fix things. We know it upfront and get it fixed.

If you’re interested in buying or selling a home, as always, please reach out. We’re happy to serve your real estate needs. Give us a call or email today!

Where Is the Indianapolis Area Real Estate Market Heading in 2016?

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

In 2015, we had a solid real estate market. We experienced a bit of a seller's market, as inventory has been low and demand for homes has remained high. This has resulted in multiple offer situations for sellers, which is always great news for people looking to get a great value for their home. However, pending sales are trending down year-over-year, which means we're starting to get market stabilization.

As we head into 2016, expect to see a market that still favors sellers. By about midyear, though, we're expecting the market to level off and become neutral. A thing to keep an eye on is interest rates -- the Federal Reserve has indicated that interest rates might rise as early as Q1 next year, which will greatly affect the buying power of consumers.

If you're thinking about making your move, now is the time to get off the fence and look for something to buy. Rates are still at historic lows, so if you want to lock in a very affordable rate on your mortgage, now is the time to act!

Recently, we saw an article in which a handful of builders were interviewed about the Hamilton County housing marketplace. They said that, from here on out, it's going to be difficult to build a home for $200,000. One builder even said that it's going to be almost impossible to build anything under $175,000! If you would have told me that 10 years ago I would have called you crazy, but the way the market has picked up and the increases in material costs have made building from scratch a more expensive process.

If you have any questions about where our market is heading, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

How to Winterize Your Indianapolis Home

Selling in the Indianapolis area? Get a free home value report    
Purchasing in the Indianapolis area? Click here for full MLS access

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.