One kind word can warm three winter months. ~Japanese Proverb

This morning I woke up to the first real snow that we've had here in Indianapolis. This prompted me to add a project this week for my to-do list- purchase and install a programmable thermostat. I constantly talk to my clients about how great they are for saving money on utilities, but I don't even have on in my own home! (Shame on me, I'm always recommending things for my clients to do to their home, things I have not done yet. Hey, it's like a doctor who smokes or doesn't exercise). This is a great thing to do if you have an older home, with an outdated thermostat because you can have pre-programmed settings for the temperature in your home. The Energy Star website has some extra info about this and suggestions on how to program them.

Anyway, I found this handy do-it-yourself video from This Old House's website. Now I just need to narrow down which one I would like to purchase. My house is smaller, a little over 1400 sq ft, so I don't need anything fancy. My work schedule usually is seven days a week, with Saturday and Sunday being a little lighter. So, I'm interested in the 5+2 day models (programmable for weekday and weekend). It seems like these are ranging between $30-$40. The small price of that (plus asking nicely for my dad to come over and help with installation) will be well worth the potential savings this coming winter... especially since I have older windows that will eventually need to be replaced (that's a whole nother post).

My true love gave to me...

All the recent talk of the 'down economy' isn't just talk anymore. Everyone from low to high income families are feeling it now. The guy sitting next to you just got laid off and college kids home for the holidays are having problems finding part time jobs. Maybe you're not going out to eat as much or now you're going to a beauty school to get your hair cut. No matter who you are, we all should try and find ways to save money. Funny thing is this is how it "used to be" and we have recently just become a materialistic society, putting everything on credit.

Anyway, I digress. The real point of this post is to talk about some fun, FREE things you can do with your family this winter. Indy.org put together this great list of the Twelve Free Days of Christmas. This is a list of 12 fun and free activities you can do together with your family before the Christmas season. There is everything in here from free admission to the Indy Motor Hall of Fame to even free admission to the Children's Museum.

There is nothing that gives more assurance than a mask. ~Colette

With all of the "economic crisis" talk going on, we could all use a laugh:

"Marilyn Monroe is now showing her underwear, so apparently there are no standards anymore."

Many of the older realtors enjoy telling the younger generations what selling houses used to be like. Before the online mls system, offices had HUGE books filled with the current listings. Agents used to have to go to another realtor's home to drop off the information about a house. People used to drive through neighborhoods to decide where they wanted to live and before they compiled a list of possibilities (this was also probably when gas was like 10cents a gallon... an urban myth). Negotiations were more often verbal and with a hand shake, the paperwork came later. You waited until you had at least 20% for a down payment before you even thought of buying a house, so you would not get in over your head.

Fast forward to the buyer of today- access to several websites where you can find the all of the information on a house you need, including aerial shots to see its placement in the neighborhood. Websites like Trulia allow a consumer to come up with an idea of "what a house is worth" (it is pretty inaccurate, but that is for another post). Room dimensions, floor plans, virtual tours with music, photo-shopped pictures and more are at your finger tips. Who needs to drive around when you can find out crime statistics of the area and pictures of the last neighborhood party on your computer?

The company that I work for has implemented an exciting new FREE tool that brings together the best of both worlds- the traditional way of house hunting, by driving through neighborhoods, and also quick access to information with the convenience of technology.

Instant Info is a new, convenient, and quick way to get information about any virtually any listing (including residential, multi-family, and vacant lots) by just making a phone call. It is important to me that all of my clients are satisfied and receive the best customer service, technology and information from me. At my expense, I am offering this completely free service to all of my past, present, and future clients.


Here are a few instances where “Instant Info” would be handy:

• Driving through a neighborhood, you see a house and are curious about the price.
  



• You are casually looking, not ready for buy for a year or so, but want to see how much homes in an area are going for.
  



• A new listing has come up in your neighborhood! Curious about the price?
  



• Rebecca was not available when I called, but I really want to get more information to see if this fits my requirements.
  

For your convenience, I can register you as my client to give you quick access to listing information 24/7! This works for ANY listing in the greater Indianapolis area, not just Century 21 listings!

From your mobile or home phone, you can just dial 317-814-5555 to get the property information quickly. After dialing the number, the automated operator will ask for you to enter in the property address and then press the pound key. If there are multiple listings with the same house number, the system will ask you for the street name, to narrow it down.

For example, if you would like the listing information about a house at 123 Elm Street, just dial 317-814-5555 and then 123# (the house #). Another convenient feature of this system is that you don’t have to write down all of the information while you are driving, you will receive an email with the information about the property you inquired about right away.

If you have changed phone numbers or would like me to add other numbers associated with you, please forward those to me. It is important to register the phone number for your privacy and convenience.

If you know of any family members or friends who would like to be signed up for this as well, feel free to send me an email (rebecca.upton@century21.com) or give me a call. Please let me know if you have any other questions on this new mobile search technology.

Tax Credit Confusion

The past couple of weeks, many of my buyers have been scrambling to find a house to make an offer on. This past Friday was the last day that sellers could offer down payment assistance (DPA) to FHA or other first time homebuyers. Now that that is gone, many have started asking questions about the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit.

I think many people are confused, some do not understand that it actually isn't a credit, but more of an interest- free loan. Below are some great references about the tax credit. It does sound like a good thing to take advantage of if you are a first time homebuyer (or have recently purchased for the first time) but it is important to educate yourself on all of the facts first.

Quick Chart

FAQs

Federal Housing Tax Credit

First time homebuyers have many expenses, from inspection costs, moving expenses, etc. The DPA programs were a great help when they were available. Unfortunately, there's not really a way right now to use this tax credit as a "down payment". Unless someone perhaps borrowed some gifts funds from a relative (although that's not really a gift then) and repaid them, first time homebuyers are not still needing to come with 3% for down payment now. There is one program that some will qualify for- Indiana Housing Program, that will help with grants for the DPA. However, there are many restrictions, including income, credit score, type of housing, and the whole process can get dragged out a while. However, it is definitely worth looking into if this is your only option. There are some great programs for police & fire dept workers, teachers, sanitation workers, etc. Feel free to contact me with questions!