This morning there is just one sale on the local mls “hotsheet” and I think it’s worth taking a few minutes to detail it here on the South Bend Area Blog.

It’s 52280 Brendon Hills Drive, a nice house, although it doesn’t much stand out from the pack. It is exactly the kind of neutral suburban home with broad appeal that has sold well during the recent boom market.

It has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, almost 3,000 square feet plus a finished basement, sunroom and attached 2-car garage. Inside there’s a fireplace, 9 foot ceilings and an island kitchen. It was built in 1992, in one of Granger’s nicer neighborhoods, Brendon Hills. Realty Trac doesn’t show any auctions, foreclosures or other comp-killers in the neighborhood to bring the prices down, so there’s no direct reason to think it would be an especially slow sale.

However, here’s the sales history:
sold 7/31/1997 for $214,900
sold 3/01/2000 for $215,000
sold 4/22/2008 for $210,000

The owners listed 52280 Brendon Hills Drive for sale 7/7/2007 for $256,000. They sat on the market for over nine months while they tried six different prices and two agents before coming to a price that a buyer found acceptable, and below what they paid for the house.

Even that’s not as steep a price drop as their neighbor, 52190 Brendon Hills, which was listed 4/20/2007 for $309,900 and sold 12/21/2007 for $230,450. This neighbor is one of nine Brendon Hills homes that sold while 52280 was on the market. Several of those homes were substantially similar to 52280 Brendon Hills.

Obviously you should limit the conclusions you draw from the sale of a single house, but I think it’s safe to say that if you want a quick sale you need to give buyers a reason to choose your home. Make it a deal they can’t pass by, or make them fall in love with it. Whatever else you do, make it visible online and viewable on short notice.

Granger’s residential growth is nearing its limits, and businesses are beginning to migrate to the area in earnest. However the lack of city services such as sewers is hindering downtown growth, and a lack of city specific zoning concerns residents who fear they might end up with an unsightly business district or with commercial properties in their backyards.

These concerns and others prompted a gym full of residents to gather at Mary Frank elementary school recently to hear the thoughts of prominent local officials and to voice their opinions. Business leaders want sewers, the fire chief wants hydrants (which require a municipal water supply), and homeowners are split between a desire for more services and a need to keep their property taxes in line.

Different speakers proposed Granger’s incorporation into a town, working within existing structures for change, and leaving things as they are. You can read YaShekia Smalls’ notes from the meeting in the South Bend Tribune.

Perhaps surprisingly to non-residents though, one point came up nearly as often as the pros and cons of incorporation – commercialization near residential neighborhoods in general, and the fate of a parcel of land near the intersection of Elm Road and State Road 23 specifically.



Three residents of Granger’s Covington Shores neighborhood asked about the zoning of this lot and the possibility that it could become a storefront building that borders their community. This sparked my interest, so I looked a little deeper and found the following details:

There are two parcels for sale near Elm Road and State Road 23. A 39.25 acre parcel, listed for 7.5 million dollars, is located at the northwest corner of the intersection. The second, with 20 acres available for 4.5 million dollars, is adjacent to Covington Shores itself. An aerial view helps make the orientation of the lots more comprehensible, and helps you visualize how commercialization would impact the neighborhood.

Both lots are currently zoned for single family residential use, so no businesses will locate there without a public rezoning request. But they are being marketed as having “great potential for mixed use development in the heart of Granger,” a sign that a developer could try to acquire the farms for another purpose, and their asking prices suggest commercial use.

What do you think? Is Granger fine as it is, or sorely lacking services. Should zoning separate homes and businesses? Is there a way to spur smart growth outside of incorporation? Is there an angle that everyone is missing? You can sound off in the comments below, or visit the Yahoo Group “Granger46530” to share your thoughts.

South Bend, Granger and Elkhart have a few dozen subdivisions or neighborhoods that can reasonably be called ‘luxury neighborhoods.” The homes are uniformly large and individually distinct, the streets curve and covenants ensure these areas retain their residential character.

These neighborhoods vary: some have city services like water, sewer and fire protection and some have wells, septic systems and county services. Some are in the South Bend school district while others are within the boundaries of the Penn Harris Madison or Elkhart schools. Some are on the river, others have artificial ponds that many homes back to. A few are gated and a few have sidewalks and streetlights. One is new construction and one dates to the 1890s. The homes in a few neighborhoods can top the million dollar mark and the houses in one are closer to a quarter of that.
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Despite the differences, the area’s luxury neighborhoods are a similar group. Home buyers who look in any of them look in all of them, then base their decision on the variables that distinguish them, as well as their personal taste.

However there is a neighborhood that truly is its on market – Granger’s Covington Shores. Many of these high-end neighborhoods have just a few sales each year. Covington Shores, however, has averaged more than three sales per month since at least 2002. That dwarfs the sales figures for other luxury neighborhoods. And it means that buyers have more choices, and sellers have a better chance to avoid languishing on the market. It also makes Covington Shores a smart choice for buyers who know they may be moving in a few years.

You can find more information about Covington Shores and other prestigious neighborhoods on the Michiana Luxury Neighborhood Guide, or you can contact us directly:

Nick Molnar
nick@realst8.com / 574-309-3758

Joe Molnar
jamolnar@realst8.com / 574-286-5683

For the last 15 years, the St. Joseph Medical Center has raffled a house as part of its fundraising effort.

They sell 3,800 tickets for $150 each. First prize is a new house, second prize is a new car, and fortieth prize is $175. This year’s house is a 2,743 square foot home at 50620 Ryestone Dr. in Granger’s Northbrook Shores.

Tickets were available March 6th and sold out on March 8th. The winner will be chosen on May 4th.

For more details, or to be placed on the mailing list for next year’s raffle, phone 574-234-0078.

Spring Construction at the Adams Road Development
taken: 3 pm, 3/15/2007

Spring is near and new construction is picking up steam. If you are interested in the Adams Road Development, or any new home in South Bend, Granger or Mishwaka and want the input of someone with twenty years of experience as a builder, buyer and Realtor, contact:

Joe Molnar
Home Gallery
joe@realst8.com
574-286-5683

The South Bend Tribune will host an online discussion about St Joseph County’s long-range road improvement plan today. County commissioner Mark Dobson and county engineer Susan Al-Abbas will participate and answer questions.

Visit Southbendtribune.com/chats today at noon to join the conversation, or any time to view its archive.

Just before Indiana’s two percent cap on property taxes takes effect, St. Joseph County is reassessing property values. The new values have not yet all been determined and none have been certified by the state. As you might suspect, the values will mostly increase, and mean more taxes for many. If you already own a home brace yourself for the rise. If you’re preparing to purchase, arm yourself with knowledge.

Because Indiana property taxes are paid in arrears, taxes from 2006 are paid in 2007, they are pro-rated at closing when a property changes hands. For example, if you buy a house and close May 1st, the title company will figure the taxes due for 2006, then collect four months worth from the seller and credit the amount to the buyer. It’s not free money – it will be due when the next tax bill is sent.

If the tax amount used in these calculations is wrong, then the amount collected from the seller is wrong and often the amount your lender escrows for future taxes is incorrect. Both situations require you to make up the difference when the next tax bill is due. This can mean a lump sum payment or an increase in your monthly mortgage payment.

If you are buying a house in the next few months – before the new valuations are known, be certain you understand the tax implications. They are easy to overlook and even many professionals don’t fully grasp the situation. Be sure the newest applicable tax rates and values are used to figure the taxes. If these amounts are not known, you should deal with that up front. Either decide the uncertainty is acceptable, or ask for sufficient funds to be escrowed to cover an anticipated increase in taxes. Any overages can then be returned to the appropriate parties after the taxes are paid.

To get your new rate you’ll need to contact the appropriate township assessor’s office and ask for the “uncertified, trended” values from 2006. Keep in mind, not every township will respond in the same way. Centre said they didn’t have the numbers yet. Harris gave me the new numbers cheerfully. And Portage told me they couldn’t give out any figures that weren’t certified.

The properties I inquired about in Harris were in the $150,000-$200,000 range and increased in assessed value by about $30,000. At a 3% rate, that’s about $900/year in additional taxes.

All of this should be considered as you are choosing a house, negotiating a price and terms, and closing the deal. If you’re considering embarking on a home purchase and this concerns you, contact me and I’ll help you make sense of the potential impact. nick@realst8.com or 574-309-3758.

There are 47 houses on five or more acres listed in the Greater South Bend-Mishawaka MLS today. That is about 2% of the homes for sale in the MLS. They are priced from $128,900 to $2,300,000 and located from Rochester to the state line.

 

 

Want to know more?
Start with our map and detailed listing info.

Still not enough?
Contact me for your custom search – nick@realst8.com.

Know a good plumber? How about a locksmith or termite company? Because knowing the right people to call matters, we’ve created MichianaReviews – a web-site with home service vendors sorted by specialty and reviewed by the public. Next time you are looking for a reliable roofer visit MichianaReviews for suggestions. If you want to spread the word that your concrete company was flat out the best, submit them for consideration. If you have a good or bad experience with someone on the list, leave a comment to help their next client know what to expect.

MichianaReviews – Michiana’s place for help with home repairs and services.

There are dozens of ways to choose a house. Your priority may be to have a first floor master suite, to get the absolute best deal in the city, or to live to the east of where will work so the sun won’t blind you during your commute.

One way to move is to pick a neighborhood that you love. Some people argue that suburban sprawl has made neighborhoods interchangeable. These are generally people who live in cities that make much of their varied neighborhoods and who have never spent much time in any suburb. I know because I used to be one of these people. The truth is that neighborhoods vary a great deal. Some have sidewalks and streetlights. Others don’t. Some have winding streets while others are on a grid system. Some are still growing with visible construction and others have covenants that are about to expire. Some are in high demand and filled with appreciating houses while others are in the path of planned highway expansion.

Neighborhoods vary, so if you find one you love it pays to keep an eye on it even if it doesn’t have any houses for sale. My wife found the neighborhood we live in by accident. Then as she describes it, she “stalked it until a good house came on the market.” When she told me about using her lunch break to drive around looking for yard signs and stopping pedestrians on the street to chat with them, I thought there had to be a better way.

After extensive research, I’ve found out there isn’t one. I’ve looked at all the online real estate sites and they either don’t have anything about South Bend and Granger and Mishawaka, or what they have is a poorly applied generic template that claims to tell you if a neighborhood is “hot.” Many of these sites don’t even get the neighborhood boundaries right.

I love South Bend and I hate seeing it get short shrift on the web. I also know the area so I decided to try my hand at making a better neighborhood guide for Granger. I’m starting with seven of my favorite Granger neighborhoods: Anderson Lake Estates, Brendon Hills, Covington Shores, Devonshire, Fox Chase, Quail Ridge and Waterford Green. I’ve made a map-based guide to these seven spots where you can find current listings and sales data for every sale in that neighborhood in 2006. You can also register to receive e-mail updates every time a house changes price in that neighborhood or a new house comes on the market. That means no more driving around them on your lunch break looking for signs. Take that time and try one of the area’s restaurants instead.

I’m looking for feedback, so let me know your thoughts. Is the map helpful? Is there anything else you’d like to see? I’m collecting data for many more neighborhoods I plan to add, and can create custom searches for any neighborhood or any other criteria. If you have a favorite neighborhood and would like some help keeping an eye on it, contact me and I’ll get started freeing up your lunches.

Nick Molnar
nick@realst8.com
574-235-4836