Realty Insights for Home Buying, Home Selling, and Indy Info

In an effort to be more environmental and budget friendly, here are simple things you can do inside and outside your home to save water: Don't water your lawn if rain is predicted. Mow less often and leave clippings to help nourish the lawn. Position your sprinklers to get the most area of lawn and garden. Use a pool cover to reduce evaporation from your pool. Use a shut-off nozzle on your house and turn off when not in use. Use plants and landscaping that don't require a lot of watering. Compost food scraps rather than running your food disposal. Install low-flow shower heads, toliets and faucets. Fill dishwasher and washers completely before running.

Following is an article by Jim Litten , president of F.C. Tucker Co.'s residential real estate services division regarding Indiana property taxes. By H. James Litten Posted: March 30, 2008 Thousands of Indiana homeowners should be breathing a sigh of relief, thanks to the bipartisan efforts of the Indiana General Assembly to ease the tax burden of great concern to Hoosiers since last summer. After months of discussions, legislators agreed to approve a sweeping tax reform package, signed by Gov. Mitch Daniels on March 19, that caps property tax bills for homeowners at 1 percent of assessed value. Rental properties will be capped at 2 percent.This tax package not only brings great news to homeowners, but I believe it will bring a much-needed lift to Indiana's real estate market, particularly in Central Indiana. Indiana is fortunate to have one of the highest homeownership rates in the nation, but last summer's tax bills had the potential to dramatically reduce the number o...

Here are five warning signs the Federal Trade Commission advises consumers to watch out for when looking for a credit repair company: Demanding upfront payment for credit repair services. Under the Credit Repair Organizations Act, credit repair companies cannot require you to pay until they complete the promised services Not telling you your legal rights and what actions you can take on your own for free, such as contacting the creditors and credit bureaus yourself to dispute any errors in your credit report Telling you not to contact a credit reporting company directly Advising you to dispute all information in your credit report (even if it's accurate) Suggesting that you create a new credit identity by applying for an Employer Identification Number to use instead of your Social Security number