Indianapolis weather this Labor Day Weekend should be (so the experts say) just about perfect. Which means… It’s time to take a hike!

A hike?  This is Indiana! Land of Cornfields and Vast Flatness! True, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great outdoor opportunities; many of them much closer than you think. The hiking trails listed below are all less that a two hour drive from Indianapolis, which means you can make it a day’s adventure and be home in time for a cook-out!

Fort Harrison State Park

Indianapolis
Fort Harrison State Park
Fall Creek Trail
Lawrence Creek Trail
Moderate trails suitable for novice hikers.
in.gov/dnr/parklake/2982.htm

Earlier this year I wrote about the planned construction of new pedestrian paths along Fishers Indiana roads. Just when I’d started to think it was empty promises, I came across a BRAND NEW PATH along Brooks School Road from 116th Street past the entrance to Hamilton Proper. The path is still under construction, but that didn’t stop pedestrians from making good use of the completed portions. I saw several dog walkers and a few runners on my drive-by.

The path is really quite pretty. It winds through some forested areas and traverses a few hills (OK, bumps in the road. We are still in Indiana, after all!). It’s also in a much-needed location since previously there was no path at all along this stretch of  road. 

All in all the new path is a great addition to the Fishers landscape. I can’t wait for more!

Learn more about Fishers Indiana

Search Fishers homes for sale

The sobering news today that Indianapolis home sales have plunged more drastically than anyone expected might have some Indianapolis homeowners wondering if a strategic mortgage default is their best option.

After all, there’s a good possibility that stalled sales and a huge inventory of Indianapolis homes for sale could lead to further price declines, meaning many more borrowers will owe more on their homes than they’re worth. Why not just walk – make that run – away?

Because, experts warn, no matter how dire your circumstances a strategic default (purposefully walking away from your mortgage debt) will probably only create additional heartache and problems for you and your family. The consequences of a strategic default are long-lasting and, according to the American Bankers Association, include:

· Ruined credit

· Inability to get another mortgage

· Tax liability

What might seem today like the less painful and easier route might prove in the long run to be the most destructive. Instead of walking away, homeowners should contact their lender to seek mortgage modification or to negotiate a short sale. Mortgage modification allows you to stay in your home and should lower your monthly payments, while a short sale allows you to sell your home for less than what is owed the bank. Both these options also have consequences, so be sure to research what you’re getting into.

Indianapolis homeowners in danger of foreclosure can get free help at the Indiana Foreclosure Prevention Network (IFPN) to be held September 1, 2010. Visit http://www.877gethope.org/ or call 877-GET-HOPE for more information.

Indianapolis short sale information

Learn the value of your Indianapolis home

For more information on Indianapolis real estate, contact your Indianapolis real estate agent:

Pat Haddad

Haddad Team, Keller Williams Realty

317-840-7555

Pat@HaddadTeam.com

www.HaddadTeam.com

Help is on the way for Indianapolis homeowners looking to avoid foreclosure! On September 1, 2010 the Indiana Foreclosure Prevention Network (IFPN) will team with the Indiana National Guard to offer free workshops to homeowners in danger of foreclosure.

The foreclosure workshops will be held at National Guard Armories across the state. Homeowners will have the opportunity to meet with trained foreclosure prevention counselors who will advise borrowers on the alternatives to foreclosure and help navigate the process.

Homeowners planning to attend a workshop should bring the following documents:
• Monthly mortgage statement
• Information about other mortgages on your home, if applicable
• Utility bill in mortgagee’s name showing current address
• Two most recent pay stubs, documentation of income you receive from other sources or most recent quarterly profit and loss statement if self-employed
• Account balances and monthly payments for credit cards and other debts
• Estimates of other monthly expenditures (such as utilities, insurance and medical bills)

The Indiana Foreclosure Prevention Network was created in 2007 in response to the national housing crisis. Since then, the organization has worked with more than 75,000 Indiana homeowners. Statistics from Mortgage Bankers shows that Indiana’s 4.51% rate of foreclosure is lower than the national average of 4.63%.

Foreclosure workshops will be held from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. September 1 in the cities of Indianapolis, Hammond, South Bend, Fort Wayne, Columbus, Evansville, Terre Haute and Richmond. The Indianapolis-area National Guard Armory is located at 3912 W. Minnesota Street.

For workshop locations and more information, visit the IFPN Web site at: http://www.877gethope.org/ or call 877-GET-HOPE.

Learn your home’s value

Simply Chic is an upscale women's clothing resale boutique in Fishers Indiana

I’m happy to see new businesses cropping up around Fishers Indiana lately. For far too long, it seemed, restaurants, boutiques and the like just vanished into the night.

One of the best new stores to open, in my admittedly biased opinion, is Simply Chic, a women’s modern resale clothing boutique. Like its sister store Plato’s Closet, Simply Chic offers cash on the spot for gently used apparel, including shoes, jewelry and handbags. The difference is that Simply Chic caters only to women, and features higher-end brands such as Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, and Coach.

The store’s  interior is just as charming as the signage on the front, and the staff is friendly and professional. Plus, it has the advantage of being right next door to a Starbucks so you can enjoy a latte and a great bargain all at the same time!

If you’re selling items, expect a short wait while your items are examined for wear and tear as well as resale potential. And don’t be offended if your favorite jeans aren’t snapped up. It’s nothing personal. Employees are trained to know what will sell and what won’t, and in the end it’s just business!

If you love designer clothing at great prices, shop often! New inventory is always coming in, and like any store, the good stuff sells quickly!

Simply Chic is located at 8962 E 96th Street in Fishers. Call 317-576-1300 for hours and information.

About Fishers Indiana

Fishers Indiana real estate

It’s a mixed message for Hamilton County real estate trends for the month of July 2010.  The number of homes closed in the areas of Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville and Westfield is down by quite a bit from July of 2009.  Number of homes pended (meaning they went under contract during the month of July but have not yet closed) is almost identical to July 2009. And for the good news: Both the average sales price and the average price per square foot are up!

Check out the chart below for the exact statistics.

Hamilton County real estate and homes for sale

Not only is Noblesville Indiana a great place for families, it’s now officially a great place for senior citizens as well! Word’s out that Noblesville made the Top 5 in an MSN Money article naming the Best Cheap Places to Retire in the U.S. The list,Noblesville Indiana courthouse compiled by Bert Sperling of Sperling’s Best Places, considered affordable housing, a stable economy, reasonable access to medical care and a wealth of leisure activities in its choices. Noblesville, it seems, has all those in abundance!

This newest Noblesville accolade got me thinking about all those that have preceded it in the past few years, and just for fun I decided to make list.

It’s pretty impressive, don’t you think?

2010

Best Cheap Places to Retire

–MSN Money

All-America City Finalist

–National Civic League

2009

10 Best Towns for Families

–Family Circle magazine

 25 Best Places for Affordable Housing

–CNN Money magazine

 2008

America’s Best Places to Raise a Family

–Forbes.com

Indiana Community of the Year

–Indiana Chamber of Commerce

 2006

Best Places to Raise Your Family in the United States

–Frommer’s

First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit Closing Extension Update 7/1/10: Whew! That’s the sound of sighs of relief from first time homebuyers in jeopardy of missing out on the home buyer tax credit because they could not close their real estate transactions by the initial deadline of June 3o. Lawmakers waited until the very last minute, but last night the Senate passed the stand alone bill from the House of Representatives that extends the closing date to claim the first time home buyer tax credit from June 30 until September 30. The measure passed the Senate unanimously and President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law today.

This is welcome news for the 180,000 home buyers that the National Association of Realtors estimated were in danger of missing out on the tax credit even though they originally met all the qualifications, including entering a signed real estate contract by the April 30 deadline. The huge number of home sales the tax credit inspired buried lenders and other key players in the mortgage loan process in paperwork, making it impossible to close transactions by the original June 30 deadline.

Family fun outings can stimulate some great intellectual conversations. Here’s an example from a recent outing to the Indianapolis Zoo:

Family Fun Planner: Baboons are really ugly.
Insightful Teen: The babies are cute, though.
Family Fun Planner: I guess.
Insightful Teen: All babies are cute. Try to think of one that isn’t cute.
Family Fun Planner: Thinking….
Insightful Teen: Well, except human babies. They’re not cute at all.

She has a point. Most animal babies are adorable. (At risk of offending anyone, I won’t comment on the human babies situation.) And the Indianapolis Zoo on a Friday evening was the perfect place and time to view cute animal babies as well as their adult counterparts.

We pulled into the zoo parking lot at about 4:30 pm, just as everyone else was heading home. It was a peaceful experience. We could actually get near the exhibits without jostling for position. That time of day must also be feeding time, because all the zoo critters were out pacing their cages expectantly. As in I expect dinner. NOW!  The only creatures who didn’t make an appearance were the African wild dogs. We didn’t even catch even a glimpse of them, thus concluding that African wild dogs are no different than U.S. domesticated dogs and spend their days doing…. Absolutely nothing. No point getting up for dinner until dinner’s actually served!

There was plenty of energy in the small clawed otter exhibit, though. The charming creatures were caught up in a wrestling match that kept our attention for quite awhile. The baby baboons provided some good entertainment, too, as they tried to climb up the chain link fence to the top of their pen. Going up was apparently easier than coming down, which resulted in some interesting acrobatics! And the new cheetah exhibit was worth the hype with its up close and personal views of the beautiful and incredibly lean cats.

We learned some interesting animal facts during our visit. Did you know that there are only 3-5 lions in a pride? Or that an ostrich can run 30 mph for 10 miles? Or that giraffes trade babysitting duty? Neither did we!

One of our most exciting moments came at the brown bear exhibit, where we learned that the cubs on display came to Indianapolis in 2008 from Anchorage, Alaska where their mother was killed after an unfortunate (for both parties) encounter with a jogger. Why, you might ask, is that the least bit interesting? Because WE WERE THERE. IN ANCHORAGE. WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED! What are the odds?

Friday evenings are definitely a great time to visit the Indianapolis Zoo. No crowds and plenty of animal activity made it an enjoyable and educational experience! The conversation wasn’t bad, either!

For Indianapolis Zoo hours of operation and information, visit www.indianapoliszoo.com.

It’s busy times for Indianapolis’ premier barbershop chorus, Circle City Sound. The acclaimed group will perform its a cappella magic June 26 at the Fishers Freedom Festival in Fishers Indiana before traveling to Philadelphia early next month to compete in the International Chorus Competition.

Since 1948, the Circle City Sound Barbershop Chorus and Quartets have entertained throughout the Midwest, performing memorable tunes from Hollywood, Broadway and much more. Circle City Sound performs from 3-4 p.m. June 26 at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park in Fishers.

Other Fishers Freedom Festival events include a fireworks display, 5K event, live music, UFO Major Run Disc Dog Tournament, corn hole tournament, teen dance, and street dance. For a full schedule of events visit http://www.fishersfreedomfestival.org/events/. The Festival runs June 26 & 27.