Columbus and Madison, IN, Real Estate Blog

From Mibor.com's blog, My 4 Walls:

Recently, we caught up with Nicole Pence of FOX-59 to share some information with consumers about selling during the holidays. In addition to a strong upward trend in average sales price, interest rates remain low making this an opportune time to sell. If you're thinking of putting your house on the market during the winter, there are several things to consider:

• Work with a REALTOR®! Having a reliable REALTOR® on your team to help you navigate the selling process and offer professional advice is very important.
• There is such a thing as over decorating. Keep in mind that clutter makes rooms smaller and hard to see. Décor can help sell – but it can also deter. Find a good balance so the room is inviting, but not overwhelming.
• Price it to sell. No matter how it might look – it has to be priced correctly. Working with a REALTOR® gives you access to up-to-date housing data and knowledge about your specific market. 
  
  
• Make curb appeal that much more important.  In the fall and winter, trees become more and more bare.  Your house will become more exposed, so make sure you have touched up the exterior paint and clean those gutters.  Also, make sure to clean the driveway and walkway of any snow or ice.
  
  
• Take professional pictures. Especially now, when the majority of people shop online, you MUST have good quality photos. This is the first impression of your house. Including photos from other seasons, not just winter – will also help!
  
  
• Make it warm and cozy! Turn on all lights and be sure your heat is on. Make potential buyers comfortable and feeling warm about your...

After a much anticipated grand opening, Henry Social Club has exceeded our expectations with a warm and contemporary atmosphere, fresh and creative cocktails, and a local seasonal food menu with lots of small plates to share, and an extensive selection wine, beer and spirits, and the friendliest and most helpful staff to boot!

Upon arrival, we tried the custom crafted cocktails: the Royal Mail, a perfect blend of Pusser’s Rum, lime juice, honey syrup, Prosecco & lime. The Devil’s Due was also a pleasant surprise: Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Cynar, sparkling water, orange twist & mint. It’s hard to try just one with names like 812, Hold Fast, Bushwick, Queen Mother and Hit Me!

Our group started out with some shareables: Marcona Almonds with sea salt, Bacon Wrapped Dates, Deviled Eggs with bacon, chives and jalapeño, and Olives marinated in chili. The plates were the perfect size to share and priced right, so guests are able to try a few different options.

The Cheese Plate...

Posted by: Claire Belby on Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 2:00:00 pm on MIBOR's Blog: My 4 Walls

This time of year you might be thinking about which home improvements seem like a good idea for 2015. We all have the list swimming around in our brains. That little voice that says, “I love this house, I just wish we had a bigger master bath or I wish the basement was finished.” I wish, I wish, I wish.

As with any housing decision, determining needs vs. wants is really important, but when remodeling you have an extra question. What is the return on investment for this project? Sure you’ll enjoy it in the present, but what does it mean for future resale. Most Americans move every eight or nine years so even if moving isn’t on your mind right now, chances are you will move at some point therefore you should consider the best improvement investments.

REALTORS® intuitively know that kitchens, baths and basement remodels are great investments. Remodeling.com also has this cool widget that enables you to drill down to city. We took a look at Indy and here’s what we found.

According to the Remodeling 2014 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com), a steel entry door replacement tops the charts for return coming in at 105% of cost recouped. Garage door replacement is up there too at 86%. In the more “fun” category, an attic bedroom remodel will bring 85% back and a minor kitchen remodel will bring 76% in returned investment.

Your REALTOR® will tell you this is good research, but you should also consider the enjoyment you will gain from your completed project and not just the numbers. Also, when it comes to the intrinsic...

Submitted by Nikos Phelps, president, Utopian Landscape, a member of The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), from realtormag.com

It’s that time of year where home owners are busy decorating their exteriors with holiday lights and making them for festival for the holidays. Many landscape and lawn care companies support their clients year-round by providing snow removal and holiday lighting in the winter. There are many safety concerns that home owners should take into consideration when putting up their own holiday lights, such as:

1. Inspect the lights and wires.

Inspect all lights, decorations and extension cords before using. Wires can become brittle.Throw lights away if there is exposed copper or broken sockets.

2. Don’t overload circuits and watch for electrical concerns.

Avoid connecting five or more strands end to end, otherwise the circuit can be overloaded. However, for many LEDs you can add more than five strands. Also, do not pull the strands too tight so they can reach an outlet. Other electrical concerns to watch for:

• Tears in the wiring surface could result in electrocution.
• When creating a lighting configuration on a lawn, make sure to keep connections out of depressions that could collect ground water.
• Be sure to tape down extension cords if they cross walkways.

3. Read the labels carefully for outdoor use.

LED lights re more energy efficient and require less wattage than incandescent bulbs. But make sure the lights and extension cords are rated for indoor and outdoor use or specifically for outdoor use. Outdoor lights should be plugged...

Mayor Kristen Brown invites the Columbus community to help ring in the holiday season with the lighting of the lighting of the Christmas trees at City Hall and The Commons. A special ceremony including the lightings and refreshments will be held in front of City Hall at approximately 6PM, followed by a tree lighting at The Commons on Washington Street.