Is Hamilton County "stepford"? (Muncie, Fishers: HOA fees, how much, custom home)

[Bmdq89]

Imagine you have between $250-$275k to spend on a house. You want approx a half acre and a basement and great schools. You work downtown. Where around Indy would you live? My wife and I keep hearing about Carmel and Fishers, but we are concerned they might be a bit cookie cutter--that there is nothing unique about them. That it is a "stepford" and "fake" cookie cutter area where all the high school kids have BMWs and judge other kids based solely on their clothes. Are these assumptions inaccurate--no more accurate than anywhere with "good" schools? Where around Indy would you live with our criteria?

Your feedback is really helpful. Thank you.

[ischyros]

I feel like you will have a very hard time finding a half acre with a basement for your budget in Fishers or Carmel. You could probably one or the other in Fishers but probably not Carmel. Maybe Noblesville could get you both?? That's a big maybe. If you really want to be north, you'll probably have to look toward Pendleton. You'd probably have an easier time finding this in westside or southside suburbs. Schools are just as good in those areas as they are on the north side and the commute into downtown is typically shorter, mileage and timewise.

[1grin_g0]

OP, we are working with a 300k budget and are looking for a home similar to what you describe. The inventory is rather limited. The majority of homes being listed right now seem to be in the less desirable areas. Others are being flipped by investors and are overpriced. Anything decent in a good school district gets scooped up fast, less than a week in many cases. It's definitely a sellers market. The newer housing looks cookie cutter, but the older homes (90s and earlier) look really solid and have big lots. We are going to Indy in a few weeks to look at houses. We are not working with a realtor yet, but I'm learning fast just by using Zillow and Redfin. I think it's of the utmost importance to find a knowledgeable full-time realtor, not someone that just does it on the side. I've actually never been to Carmel, but based on everything I've seen and read I feel good about it. I'm not getting the "stepford" vibe at all.

[ShellNic]

I have a reference for a really good realtor that could help you if you'd like to PM me. We just bought a home in Noblesville and while our criteria was different than yours, our realtor was awesome in helping us figure out where to go. We had relocated here 3 years ago and while we know where everything is, we didn't know the "feel" of a neighborhood so her insight was very helpful.

[indy_317]

Just to give you an idea, for two acres, a full brick ranch with partial unfinished basement, you'll be looking at at least $350K and that is if the developer is also the builder. Add another $20K or so for a more detached (ie: Non-neighborhood, no HOA fees, minimal restriction type lot). I don't know how much is saved by going vinyl or cement board, but basements around here are costly. Also, building two stories instead of one can lower the price as well.

You might get an issue with wealth vs non-wealth in Carmel, Zionsville, and Center Grove (NW Johnson County) as those tend to be the more affluent areas. You'll also see some wealth discrepancy in Fishers/Hamilton SE schools, Westfield, Noblesville, New Palestine, Greenwood, Plainfield, Avon, Brownsburg, Mt. Vernon, and others. Almost every single suburban district has a few neighborhoods with homes in the $300K range and up. Not to mention all the multi-acre detached custom homes you see along the county roads.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by Bmdq89

...My wife and I keep hearing about Carmel and Fishers, but we are concerned they might be a bit cookie cutter--that there is nothing unique about them. That it is a "stepford" and "fake" cookie cutter area where all the high school kids have BMWs and judge other kids based solely on their clothes. Are these assumptions inaccurate--no more accurate than anywhere with "good" schools? Where around Indy would you live with our criteria?

Your feedback is really helpful. Thank you.

Not sure what "stepford" is suppose to mean, but I think you might be right about Carmel and Fishers. I'm pretty sure it would rank near the top on the snottiness scale. That's how alot of the kids on the west and northwest side of Muncie around Ball State were, back in the 60's and 70's. The NW side of Muncie was very suburban and about the equivalent of Carmel. There was alot of people who put out the vibe they're just a little bit better than the rest. Not all put out that vibe, but enough of them did the school had a well-deserved reputation around town for being full of snobs. They had their own culture.They was very exclusive and not very friendly to kids outside their social arena. They were pretty much unaware of the southside and eastside of Muncie and had little use for it if they were aware of it.

I never was around so many people who thought they were so much more than what they were because their dad wore a suit and tie to work and they lived where they did as the time I was sent to Storer Jr High School in Muncie for my 8th and 9th grade years, in the late 60's and my 10th grade year at Northside HS in 1970. I never had been around people like that until that time in my life. It was a culture shock for me. Those kids behavior and attitude is what stands out most in my memory about those 2 schools and 3 years.

[MortonR]

From the 1970s movie, "The Stepford Wives":

Joanna Eberhart (Katharine Ross) moves to the quiet town of Stepford with her husband (Peter Masterson) and children. The town seems perfect -- maybe a little too perfect. There's something not quite right with the suburb's women: they're vapid, unfathomably devoted to housework and completely subservient to their husbands. Joanna teams up with another recent transplant, Bobby (Paula Prentiss), to investigate the mystery of Stepford's wives and makes a horrific discovery.

RM

[kristianklee]

The better public schools tend to be in the Suburbs. I believe Carmel has the best public schools. But a little tough, if not impossible, to get 1/2 acre for $275K in Carmel or Fishers. Avon and Brownsburg have good schools and you should be able to find a home w/ a basement and 1/2 acres.

[ruascott]

OP....you are probably better off looking to the south side at that price range...and working downtown.

In Carmel you may be able to find this price range in the older developments built in the 70s....southeast portion of Carmel. Homes are unique, and custom....but may be pretty dated cosmetically at that price point. Fishers will be very cookie cutter at that price range.

You might also consider New Pal. Not going to have near the retail/dining options of North or South sides....but you may not care about that.

Don't just default to suburbs....Indy proper has tremendous places to live....and definitely not the "stepford" feel. Check out Washington Township within Marion Cty.

[masters1]

I've lived in Carmel and Fishers for years and never thought of them as stepford.