Relocation- South of Indianapolis (South Bend, Bloomington: broker, houses, buyer)

[wolfey]

I am looking for assistance in relocating.

I have been trying to find my next home - post retirement. Earlier i thought it would be Louisville but now am thinking around Bloomington, IN and up towards Ind. Part of my indecisiveness is my unfamiliarity with southern Indiana. I have family in Westfield but I want to go further south, but not too far away (under 1.75 hours). When I move I will be retired, or close to it - therefore my commute is not a factor in the location. I'm aware that there are plenty of lakes in the area, and I am hoping to move where I have direct access (my own pier). I kayak and will probably end up purchasing a small boat.

What I am looking for help is: how do I find a realtor? Is there a national database/website that ranks realtors, providing their credentials, years of experience, areas they serve, etc? If not national, how about locally?

Other help from people who were in my situation (moved to Indiana without knowing a lot about the area): what would you recommend my plan be? Are there websites you found helpful? What would you do differently?

Thanks in advance!

[rrah]

I was a Realtor in Bloomington for about 8 years. I left because I really wanted to use my education and work in the general field in which I was experienced and a variety of other reasons. From that experience I can tell you that any kind of ranking or website you find will not be what it appears to be. Agents pay fees to appear on those sites so they are kind of meaningless. I would recommend since you have family in Westfield they start asking friends and acquaintances about any agents they know in the areas you're thinking about. If that doesn't work, perhaps they know an agent that works in Westfield that could make a recommendation. All agents in Indiana now must have a Broker's license. My opinion--most additional credentials such as CRS, etc. mean the agent took some training and pays a yearly fee to keep the credential. The only one I found worthwhile was the GRI. It took training over 3 years to complete it so one has to be committed. It also didn't require a yearly payment.

Bloomington will be more expensive than Louisville. Housing prices are among the highest in the state. I also know lots of people see Lake Monroe, near Bloomington, on a map and imagine the kind of lake you describe. It's not. There are very, very few homes on Lake Monroe and even fewer with any direct access to the lake. The Corp of Engineers doesn't permit that. It also doesn't have a gentle slope to the water in many places. Lake Lemon is a maybe for that kind of thing. Even there many of the houses, even with a pier, are across a street from a lake.

For that kind of lake I'd look in Johnson or Morgan counties. Expect limits on boat motor size. They are quieter lakes. There are also some lakes east of Nashville that might work. I think Nashville, even with easier access to I-65 might be outside your desired drive time. Lake properties in Columbus are expensive.

For what it's worth, our daughter lives in Carmel. It takes at least 1.5 hours from Bloomington to get there. You'll be hard pressed to get to Westfield in 1.75 or less.

[ImmerLernen]

Originally Posted by rrah

I would recommend since you have family in Westfield they start asking friends and acquaintances about any agents they know in the areas you're thinking about. If that doesn't work, perhaps they know an agent that works in Westfield that could make a recommendation.

Any suggestions for those of us who don't know a soul in the area?

[rrah]

Originally Posted by ImmerLernen

Any suggestions for those of us who don't know a soul in the area?

My advice: go with one of the large national companies such as Berkshire Hathaway or C21or a large regional company such as F.C. Tucker. My reasoning, having been in the business, is that those agents are more likely to be better trained. Based on my knowledge of those companies in Indianapolis they are also more likely to have a Broker in Charge that is available to assist agents with questions or tricky situations. No matter how long one has worked in RE there are always weird situations. I recall once I walked into my Broker's office and asked a question. His response, having worked in RE for 35 plus years, was that he had NEVER encountered the situation before. It was that out of the ordinary. He called legal about it.

Look at the websites and agent pages of the large companies. Read them and see if one communicates to you in a way you understand.

Many people recommend using an experienced agent or one that lists a lot of houses. I don't necessarily agree with that recommendation. If you are working with a diligent, smart newer buyer's agent you're going to get more time from them than you will a busy agent. The key is that the new agent is well trained, has a great supporting Broker, and is smart enough to ask questions about stuff they may not know. Someone that lives or sells in an area is important. I also found it was very helpful that I had moved to my town with my family a few years before becoming an agent. I could relate to their experience. It helped that I'd lived in the town for about 10 years total.

With an experienced agent find out if they use a team and will have someone else showing you houses. Who will you be interacting with regularly? Are you okay with that?

With an agent with fewer than 3 years experience I'd ask as many questions about their company as I would about them. (see above)

One question to always ask is how they cover their work when out of town?

Ask them if they work with a lot of people brand new to the area. This was a big part of my business given the nature of Bloomington. It requires a bit more effort and willingness to spend a very long weekend showing houses to the exclusion of other things if someone only has a couple of days to find a house.

[ImmerLernen]

Originally Posted by rrah

My advice...

...is invaluable! Thank you!!! I'm gonna save this advice for future reference.

[wolfey]

Rrah,

Thanks for your insightful posts! I'll be doing my homework to find a realtor & location.

How about anyone else who has been in my situation? Anything you did that was helpful? Anything that you would do differently?

Regards.

[Takeahnase]

Wolfey,

We relocated to Bloomington around 2000 / 2001 from South Bend. It was a much different situation as we moved to finish school down here and ended up staying and have lived here since. I've lived on the west side and south side.

If you have questions about the area let me know. I like to canoe (I've put in and fished at Griffey, Lemon, and Monroe) and the surrounding area is nice if you like the outdoors in general. There are things I don't like about Bloomington, but it's not a bad place to live.

[gemstone1]

If you want a much quieter lake, try Patoka Lake....located in southern IN... closer to Louisville than Indy. At least it was quiet when I left IN....and Lake Monroe, it will be crowded to say the least. For kayaking, Patota would be much more enjoyable.

Regards
Gemstone1

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

If you want a much quieter lake, try Patoka Lake....located in southern IN... closer to Louisville than Indy. At least it was quiet when I left IN....and Lake Monroe, it will be crowded to say the least. For kayaking, Patota would be much more enjoyable.

Regards
Gemstone1

Agreed! Not sure why the OP is not considering Floyds Knobs or Lanesville, IN (bedroom communities to Louisville)! Absolutely beautiful ,growing but not too fast, and all the amenities of a major city within 20-30 mins depending on what you need. Plus 20 mins to Patoka Lake which is JUST as nice as Lake Monroe, just less crowded.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Peter1948

Agreed! Not sure why the OP is not considering Floyds Knobs or Lanesville, IN (bedroom communities to Louisville)! Absolutely beautiful ,growing but not too fast, and all the amenities of a major city within 20-30 mins depending on what you need. Plus 20 mins to Patoka Lake which is JUST as nice as Lake Monroe, just less crowded.

I wouldn't recommend any areas near the Ohio River, bad air quality and horrific levels of pollen and mold. Let's see, 120 inches of rainfall over the past two years alone- we are headed up to 60 inches of rain this year as well. I've just about had it with the weather here, I would rate it an F-, and I've lived in places that have seen 100 inches of snowfall a year. I prefer the snow any day of the week, I'll be moving next year or sooner hopefully, plenty of positions in my career field in the Twin Cities region, an area I prefer if I have to stay in the Midwest.