Check out what's happening in the Indy real estate market this weekend

This weekend is the Parade of Homes for Indianapolis. So if you have some time and are curious about our neighboring city's real estate market, this is a super opportunity to get inside a collection of new homes.

Homes are open today and tomorrow from 1:00 to 5:00. Check out more information at the Indianapolis Parade of Homes website: http://www.paradeofhomesindy.com/

The Beauty and Diversity of Bloomington's Architecture

I usually walk 45 minutes to an hour every day. I have three primary routes that I take and all of them include passing by beautiful houses that showcase the diversity of Bloomington's architecture. So today I brought my camera and took pictures of a few of my favorite houses on this route. Some are unique, some are classic and some are simply sweet. What can I say, I love houses!

From an article in Realtor Mag, the online magazine for Realtors from the National Association of Realtors, these ten cities are showing the greatest signs of continuing a declining trend in home values:

1. Atlantic City/Hammonton, NJ
2. Provo, UT
3. Portland/Vancouver, OR
4. Glen Falls, NY (home to Rachael Ray)
5. Bellingham, WA
6. Flagstaff, AZ
7. Charleston/Sommerfield, SC
8. Eugene/Springfield, OR
9. Salisbury, MD
10. Salt Lake City, UT

These figures were compiled by Forbes.

Fabian Seafood is heading back to Bloomington

You know spring has arrived when Fabian Seafood starts coming to Bloomington again. The next visit is this Tuesday, April 20th from 1:30 till 5:30 at the Bloomingfoods East location on Third Street.

This is fresh shrimp and shucked oysters straight from the Gulf. These folks drive up from Galveston Texas to share their bounty with us land-locked folks. It sells out fast, so if you are interested, get there early!

BTW, if you sign up for their email notices, you get a discount. Simply email them at SteveF@fabianseafood.com or visit their website at http://www.fabianseafood.com and sign up.

A Sample of Today's Interest Rates

An article in Sunday's New York Times said that interest rates were going nowhere but up. But they are still at historically low rates. Rates that we may not see again for decades. Here's a sample of today's rates from local lenders. Keep in mind that rates are subject to change and posted rates are based on credit scores, etc.

• Fifth Third Bank (www.53.com): 5.00%
• Premier Home Mortgage (www.premierhomemortage.com): 5.00%
• People's State Bank (www.peoples-bank.com): 5.25%
• United Commerce Bank (www.unitedcommercebank.com): 4.875%

Bloomington Farmers Market is Back!

Bloomington's famous farmers market is back for the season. This fantastic outdoor market runs April through November.

1. 
   Items currently available at the market include arugula, asparagus, cauliflower, goose eggs, rhubarb, and tamales (very good) and so much more. Here's a link to a complete list of what the farmers market has to offer so early in the season:

http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=1742

The market is located in downtown Bloomington on the b-line trail off of 7th street and is open every Saturday from 8 till 1. See you there!

Interest Rates Are Up!

Are the glory days of interest rates below 5% over? Well, for now they seem to be. After months of hovering at or just below the 5% mark, they are now consistently up. The average rate that is being forwarded to me today show rates at 5.25%.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the increase is due to worries about inflation as the economy improves. If you are considering buying or refinancing, this might be the right time to talk to a local lender and make that move!