General Real Estate Info (3)
Trends and information relating to the real estate industry.
With Spring’s arrival comes mulch time! Since you don’t want your mulch washing away, or getting into grassy areas, taking a few steps to prepare for your new mulch can keep it looking good all season.
• Edge Your Mulch Beds – simply dig (with a straight tip shovel) a 4” trench around the edge of your mulch beds. This will keep the mulch in its place and out of the grass. In areas with stone or other edging, just make sure the edging is equal to, or higher than, the top of your mulch.
• Drainage – in any areas where downspouts protrude, run a drain tile (tube) from the downspout through the mulch bed, to just outside the mulch border. Digging a 2-3” trench for the drain will keep it from sticking out above the mulch once it is spread.
• Low-lying areas – I learned this one from experience! When putting mulch beds in low spots, run a perforated drain tile from one edge of the bed to the opposite side. Put caps on each end of the drain tile to prevent clogs. This will allow rainwater to pass through the mulch bed without water puddling in your yard!
• Weed control – pulling weeds is not the most fun way to spend summer. Put down weed barrier (available in rolls) on bare dirt before you mulch. This will eliminate over 90% of your weed problems for several years (ours has lasted 5 years so far). Then, once the mulch is spread, liberally sprinkle Preen or another brand of weed control product on top of the mulch.
One last tip: Apply the mulch 2-3 inches deep. If it’s deep enough, then you can simply turn it over in year 2 to make it look new again. Happy Mulching!
Using its knowledge, experience, resources and integrity Team Endicott’s mission is to sell homes for the highest market price in the shortest amount of time with the best terms. Team Endicott services the Fishers, Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, Zionsville, Broad Ripple, and the northern Indianapolis real estate markets.
Home sales are off to a very strong start this year! The number of homes sold and the number of pending home sales are both up, 13-17% throughout Central Indiana. And Indianapolis is showing a particularly strong start to the new year!
Sales prices are rising, although sluggishly, but homes are selling much better than at the same time last year. And, with mortgage rates at historic lows (some even below 4% over 30 years), buyers can afford to buy more house.
What does this mean? This is one of those times in real estate where it is a very good time to buy and, from recent sales figures, a good time to sell, too!
For more information on Indianapolis sales results, check out this link: http://www.indystar.com/article/20120220/BUSINESS/120220033/-1/7daysarchives/Indy-area-existing-home-sales-pick-up-January
Using its knowledge, experience, resources and integrity Team Endicott’s mission is to help our clients buy and sell homes for the best market price in the shortest amount of time with the best terms. Team Endicott services the Fishers, Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, Zionsville, Broad Ripple, and the northern Indianapolis real estate markets.
Client, Friend, or Both?
People say you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure and I agree! Does that mean that I think people shouldn’t do business with friends, absolutely not! As a realtor, I work with people I know every day. I rely on doing business with people I know which are sometimes “friends”. Professionals are able to work with friends when they follow a few simple rules.
- Maintain Communication – Clearly communicate, from the beginning, your communication style and regularity. Separate business conversations from social topics so that your client/friend knows that you are focused on the business at hand. Communicate effectively and promptly so the client/friend views this as a business transaction.
- Set Clear Expectations – Meet with your client/friend just as you would any business relationship and set expectations of what they should expect throughout the business transaction and then follow through with it.
- Keep things Confidential – If you are maintaining communication as stated above, following expectations throughout, and not disclosing or discussing business related items in social settings then your client/friend will trust you on a business level.
Working with friends can sometimes be difficult, but with good communication, clear expectations, and maintaining confidentiality; success will occur.
Using its knowledge, experience, resources and integrity Team Endicott’s mission is to sell homes for the highest market price in the shortest amount of time with the best terms. Team Endicott services the Fishers, Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, Zionsville, Broad Ripple, and the northern Indianapolis real estate markets.
