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Today, I have some exciting news for you. For the fourth out of the last five years, Bart Vickrey & Co. has been named the #1 real estate sales team for Northwest Indiana. This is exciting news!

Thank you so much to all of our past and current clients, as well as to our friends and family members. We really appreciate it. I want to say a special thanks to my incredible team. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you!

We sold more real estate in Northwest Indiana than anyone else. We sold more Northwest Indiana homes than those Property Brothers, and even more than Donald Trump! We sold 268 homes last year. To put that in perspective, the average full time agent sells approximately 8 homes a year.

Once again, thank you so much for your support. If you have any real estate questions, please contact me. I would be happy to help you!

A lot of people ask me, "Do you have a home builder you recommend?" As a matter of fact, I do, and they are Nardo Builders. I have worked with Nick and others at Nardo Builders for about 12 years now.

What impresses me the most about Nardo Builders is they actually listen to the client. They take what a client needs in a home, and then they go and build it!

I've worked with many builders over the years, and what's amazing to me is that Nardo has never once missed a closing date. There is somewhat of an epidemic in the building community of builders giving a closing date and then not being able to close anywhere near that date. I had a friend who worked with a different building company, and they were told by the builder that they could get into the home before Thanksgiving. My friend wasn't able to move in until February! That won't happen to you if you work with Nardo.

My friends over at Nardo Builders are doing a fantastic job. 

If you take Route 6 out to Meridian Road, you'll be able to see 7 of their model homes in Timberland Estates. These homes have granite counter-tops, hardwood floors, and beautiful back-splashes.

Head on over to NardoBuilders.com to learn more. If you're thinking of building a home, just tell Nick that Bart sent you!

As always, if you have any real estate questions, give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to help you!

Today I'd like to briefly explain why now is a great time to buy a home. There are a lot of great reasons to become a homeowner, but these are four of the best that I can come up with.

1. Interest rates are low: Interest rates aren't always going to be this low. If you buy a home right now, while we have historically low interest rates, you stand to save thousands and thousands of dollars over the lifetime of your loan.

2. Mortgage Insurance Premium Rates are down as well: If you can't afford to put 20% down on a home, then you will be happy to hear that you won't have to pay so much for mortgage insurance. Thanks to our pal Obama, the rates declined from 1.35% to .85%. This is also making mortgages more affordable, so  weight: bold;">even if you can't quite afford a down payment, now is still a good time to buy.

3. Home prices continue to rise: If you buy a home now, you can ride the wave of appreciation and make a lot of money off of your home investment. Home prices in the area have increased by 5% in the last year. That is a very healthy amount of appreciation!

4. Rent prices are continuing to rise: You can probably find a cheaper place to live by purchasing a home right now than you can when you rent.Plus, the money you pay will be a direct investment into your wealth.There's no reason to rent right now!

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you're looking to buy a home in Northwest Indiana!

1. Determine your budget: Before you even start looking, you need to know how much you can comfortably afford. Don't waste your time looking at homes that you can't buy - that's a terrible way to disappoint yourself in the end.

2. Get Pre-approved: This relates to tip #1 but it's also a way to boost your standing in the eyes of a home seller. Buyers that are pre-approved are nearly as good as people paying cash.

3. Differentiate between your wants and needs: What do you really NEED in a home? It might be storage space, or it might be three bedrooms. You may only WANT granite countertops and walk-in closets. Be sure to know what you need versus things that you simply want. I see couples argue about these things all the time, so be on the same page with everyone involved in the transaction.

4. Call me: I'm the best possible person you could talk to when you're looking to buy a home in Northwest Indiana. I will provide you with the best real estate experience possible! I'll listen to your wants and needs and do everything within my power to satisfy you.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!