Tipton Lakes - Columbus, IN (Indianapolis: for sale, real estate, HOA)

[DisneyEmily]

I was just curious if anyone had insight on the Tipton Lakes neighborhood in Columbus, IN? My husband and I have seen a few houses in the Oakbrook section that appeal to us. I have read that the HOA can be pretty strict and pricey, but there is part of that which appeals to us (not price, but an HOA that helps keep the neighborhood looking nice).

Our concern is, do homes in this neighborhood retain their value well? Is the neighborhood continuing to stay nice (people caring well for their homes) and is it family friendly? Or is it on a downward trend? There seem to be a lot of houses for sale in the Oakbrook section specifically, is there a reason for this?

We are going to be moving to the general area from Indianapolis this fall. So, we are not super familiar with the Columbus neighborhoods. I would love to get some insight.

Thanks!

[SunnyJoe]

Obviously, asking a real estate agent via email or phone is one option, but they are trying to sell you something, so ...

I haven't been in the market for a house for awhile so I'm not plugged-in to that line of thinking, but the first thing that came to mind was to visit a website like realtor.com, view the individual listings, then scroll down to see the transaction history of the homes for sale; If there has been a reasonable amount of time between when they were last purchased and when they were put up for current sale, then that would tell you something about the stability of the physical structures, maybe something about any unusual Acts of God (flooding, etc), or possibly environmental impact problems from nearby factories or underground water supplies. Also, be advised that those homes are in the direct line of flight of the airport landing strip which runs from Southwest to Northeast.
* There are roughly 40,000+ flights per year at that airport. If they are mostly small single-engine aircraft, that would be one thing; if they are bigger aircraft then that would be something else. Just sayin' ... Check to see if one, two, or three particular builders were involved in the neighborhood, then check their credentials with the BBB and/or any other private/government regulator that might have some insight as to whether those homes are worth the money.

* Call or email or simply search the archives of 'The Republic' newspaper for any articles about those neighborhoods and Columbus in general.

A real estate agent should point you in the right direction in that regard - even if they wouldn't want to "spill the beans" themselves - and you can do the legwork.
Simply ask the agent: "If YOU were interested in buying one of these homes, which agencies would YOU check with and what homework would YOU do?"

Maybe some other people will chime in with some more direct ideas.
I've read a lot of good things about Columbus in general on CD, and one poster in particular said that the neighborhoods on the West side of I-65 were probably a good bet.
Good Luck!