Shawna O'Brien, Realtor/Broker Indy, Geist, Fishers, Carmel & all surrounding areas
Author: indianapolisareahomesforsale
You deserve an advocate in the home selling and buying process who will educate, guide with honesty & integrity your best interest at the core. You deserve to be represented by someone who knows the market, communicates promptly & is not afraid to negotiate. You deserve someone who will understand your expectations, advise throughout the process & market your home to achieve a top dollar offer.
It’s my honor & privilege to assist you. When you partner with me, I will provide the best customer care before, during & after the home sells. Using my extensive knowledge of the real estate industry & current markets, I will devote my time & efforts assisting you to make the best long term decision for your personal happiness & financial future.
You can depend on me to be well versed in the home selling and buying process & to share my network of professionals for your benefit.
My background is in banking, lending, sales and marketing. I'm dedicated to my Husband & two children; volunteering at church & helping my community is important to me. I'm tenacious, a strong communicator and achiever which has contributed to my professional success.
What a lovely couple to work with and I’m SOOO happy they found the perfect home for them. We looked at many Fishers homes over the course of the spring and summer months. Within their price range we saw a huge range of home conditions. Over time we were able to narrow down to desired neighborhood and features and then we had to stay patient and wait for the right one to hit the market. This phenomenal home went live and we had to JUMP to see it. So much so, that my business partner had to show the home because I was out of town. There was no time to waste!
We wrote a competitive offer, without overextending them or their comfort zone, and we were selected in a multiple offer situation! When I was finally able to see the home once back in town, it really WAS the best house we’d ever toured and it was PERFECT for them. Thank you to a previous client for referring them to me and I thank them for trusting my guidance. I’m looking forward to knowing them as their family grows in this home, making memories for years to come.
All of my sellers are important & receive the same 100% white glove attention and dedication from me when I list their home but this was special because they were neighbors who had already purchased another home in an adjoining state & needed to sell quickly but also for the RIGHT price. Not only did I want top dollar for them but I wanted to secure top dollar for my neighbors & our neighborhood.
We pulled out all the stops starting with a catered brokers open to collect feedback on the condition of the home and the list price from peers/real estate professionals. They all raved about the home’s condition, aesthetics, & floorplan and said it was priced perfectly.
Even though our price per square footage was “high” for a home without a basement (very rare in this neighborhood) we received many showing and wonderful feedback. During a time in our industry when interest rates were still quite high and buyers in this price point are more discerning, the home sold quickly with minimal negotiation on our side.
Thank you to my neighbors for hiring me to partner with you! The buyers agent is a real estate professional I know well and the entire transaction was top notch & executed beautifully. So bittersweet to see them move away but the sellers are closer to family in a fabulous condo overlooking Lake Michigan!
A previous client, and now friend, asked for assistance in selling some of her land. This absolutely could have been done “by owner” but at what cost? She definitely did not want to field the phone calls, buffer different buyer personalities & demands nor negotiate. We also had to make sure we marketing this property correctly in terms of what type of structure can be constructed on the land, how close can it be to the creek, is there a flood zone, can we install city water, septic, soil test…the list goes on.
There is A LOT of value in hiring an agent to sell land professionally and legally for you. We received multiple offers, some represented by a buyers agent & some represented by themselves. We sold for OVER list price and had a wonderful, agreeable transaction and due to the many buyers in this “small town” that were interested in her property, there were a few connections and “friends” made along the way.
In the fall of 2023 while at an open house in Fishers, IN I met a wonderful young couple just starting their home search. That day they decided for the 1st time to visit some open houses to get to know Fishers because they wanted to move from the south side. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time that day because we hit it off right away and I set up a search for them immediately with their criteria of what kind of home they were looking for, what neighborhoods, and what price point.
For a few months they casually looked because their lease had a few months to go before renewal. I took them on a few home tours to see homes on the market so they could understand the various price points and home conditions depending on the neighborhood, school district, proximity to the freeway…all the things. We had a lot of fun!
One evening after seeing many existing homes, I suggested we go look at a model home of a builder that was just starting a new phase close to their family in an area they liked and around their price point. They loved it!
We did a zoom call on a Saturday morning (during one of my Daughter’s volleyball tournaments) with the builder rep and we negotiated the price down (quite a bit!) and we negotiated the builder to pay some closing costs! We ended up being UNDER their budget/target purchase price AND the build completion was in line with when their lease was up so they would not have a month with double payments (rent + 1st Mortgage payment).
The picture in this post is the builder photo but my lovely young couple scored all the above with the model BUT their home has a THREE car garage. SCORE! They both had so much fun watching their NEW home being built and the closing day walk thru was extremely exciting and rewarding. The best part is I feel we’re friends and we live so close I occasionally see her at my gym and we can work out together. This “job” is amazing. Thank you to these trusting First Time Homebuyers!
5/14/2024 – MalloryHeydon6 Bought a Single Family home in 2024 in Noblesville, IN.
Local knowledge: ***** Process expertise: ***** Responsiveness: ***** Negotiation skills: *****
“As first time home buyers we were very new to the house search process and Shawna guided us perfectly every step of the way. Her expertise in real estate and knowledge of the area was a huge factor that lead to our success in finding the perfect home. Shawna was always available to us and answered any questions we had very promptly with great detail. If you are a first time home buyer I would definitely recommend Shawna to help you along the way! We are so thankful to have worked with her. “
This lovely family were repeat clients because one year prior when they moved to the Indianapolis area for a job opportunity, I helped them find a home to rent, after my Priest referred them to me. They needed time to get to know the area since they moved from southern Indiana and in this scenario, renting made sense. I drove them to different areas within their desired driving distance to the new job and we found a great rental home in a neighborhood close to work.
As the lease was nearing the end of the 1 year commitment, we started their home search. We looked at a few before this hit the market so we knew this was most likely THE home. Coincidentally there was an open house so I advised them to attend the open house (while I was at a volleyball tournament – with my laptop, of course) and while they were there, I started to write the offer.
Sure enough, they wanted to make an offer after attending the open house. I called the agent to ask what was important to her sellers because we not only wanted to be competitive, but we wanted to be respectful and show that my buyers were top notch and serious. We sent a strong offer with the seller’s conditions SUPER fast to the agent & our offer was accepted in UNDER AN HOUR!
Stories like this make my heart so happy. THANK YOU to this amazing family for hiring and trusting me not once, but twice!
Buying a home is a major financial decision — one of the largest you’ll likely make in your lifetime. A significant part of this process is saving up for a mortgage down payment. Many homebuyers will work hard and save for many years to build up their savings for this important purchase. But what amount is right for you? How much money do you need to save for a down payment on a house? It all depends on the cost of the home you’re looking to buy and what your personal financial situation and goals are.
What Is a Mortgage Down Payment?
A down payment on a mortgage or home loan is the cash amount you pay to the seller that makes up the difference between the price of the home and the loan amount.
What Is the Minimum Down Payment Required for a Mortgage?
There are different requirements for down payments, depending on the type of home loan you might want to consider:
Going Conventional
The traditional mortgage down payment amount is 20%. For example, if the home you’re looking to purchase is $200,000, then the down payment will be $40,000. Having this amount will save you from paying mortgage insurance, which is a fee that’s added to your monthly payments that protects lenders in case you’re unable to pay the mortgage. But what if you want to buy a home and don’t have the full 20% down payment saved?
Some available options are:
97% Loan-to-Value (LTV) — A conventional mortgage in which your loan amount is 97% of the value of the home, and you only have to make a 3% down payment. Mortgage insurance will be required.
Lender-Paid Mortgage Insurance (LPMI) — If you can’t make the full 20% down payment, then we may be able to pay your mortgage insurance for you. However, your interest rate will be slightly higher to cover this expense.
Going Government
The U.S. government offers a variety of home purchase programs that help make homeownership possible for more people. These programs are offered through agencies such as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Each of these agencies offers specific mortgage loan programs with different down payment requirements:
FHA Home Loan— This loan is a great option for first-time buyers and those with financial or credit setbacks. The required down payment amount for an FHA home loan is 3.5%, and a parent or relative can be a co-applicant on the loan with you. Mortgage insurance will be required.
FHA 203(k) Rehabilitation Loan— Want to buy a home that needs repairs? With an FHA 203(k) rehab loan, you can finance a home and many qualifying repairs. Two versions are available depending on the type of repairs required and their costs. Mortgage insurance will be required.
VA Home Loan— As a benefit for your service to our country, the VA works with lenders to provide veterans a flexible solution for buying a home. You’ll get a competitive interest rate and don’t have to make a down payment unless you want to.
No matter how you slice it, buying or selling a home is a big decision. And when you’re going through any change in your life and you need some guidance, what do you do? You get advice from people who know what they’re talking about.
Moving is no exception. You need insights from the pros to help you feel confident in your decision. Freddie Macexplains it like this:
“As you set out to find the right home for your family, be sure to select experienced, trusted professionals who will help you make informed decisions and avoid pitfalls.”
And while perfect advice isn’t possible – not even from the experts, what you can get is the very best advice out there.
The Power of Expert Advice
For example, let’s say you need an attorney. You start off by finding an expert in the type of law required for your case. Once you do, they won’t immediately tell you how the case is going to end, or how the judge or jury will rule. But what a good attorney can do is walk you through the most effective strategies based on their experience and help you put a plan together. They’ll even use their knowledge to adjust that plan as new information becomes available.
The job of a real estate agent is similar. Just like you can’t find a lawyer to give you perfect advice, you won’t find a real estate professional who can either. That’s because it’s impossible to know everything that’s going to happen throughout your transaction. Their role is to give you the best advice they can.
To do that, an agent will draw on their experience, industry knowledge, and market data. They know the latest trends, the ins and outs of the homebuying and selling processes, and what’s worked for other people in the same situation as you.
With that expertise, a real estate advisor can anticipate what could happen next and work with you to put together a solid plan. Then, they’ll guide you through the process, helping you make decisions along the way. That’s the very definition of getting the best – not perfect – advice. And that’s the power of working with a real estate advisor.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking to buy or sell a home, you want an expert on your side to help you each step of the way. Let’s connect so you have advice you can count on.
Over the past few months, experts have revised their 2024 home price forecasts based on the latest data and market signals, and they’re even more confident prices will rise, not fall.
So, let’s see exactly how experts’ thinking has shifted – and what’s caused the change.
2024 Home Price Forecasts: Then and Now
The chart below shows what seven expert organizations think will happen to home prices in 2024. It compares their first 2024 home price forecasts (made at the end of 2023) with their newest projections:
The middle column shows that, at first, these experts thought home prices would only go up a little this year. But if you look at the column on the right, you’ll see they’ve all updated their forecasts and now think prices will go up more than they originally thought. And some of the differences are major.
There are two big factors keeping such strong upward pressure on home prices. The first is how few homes are for sale right now. According to Business Insider:
“Low home inventory is a chronic problem in the US. This has generally kept home prices up . . .”
A lack of housing inventory has been pushing prices up for a long time now – and that’s not expected to change dramatically this year. But what has changed a bit is mortgage rates.
Late last year when most housing market experts were calling for home prices to rise only a little bit in 2024, mortgage rates were up and buyer demand was more moderate.
Now that rates have come down from their peak last October, and with further declines expected over the course of the year, buyer demand has picked up. That increase in demand, along with an ongoing lack of inventory, is what’s caused the experts to feel the upward pressure on prices will be stronger than they expected a couple months ago.
A Look Forward To Get Ahead of the Next Forecast Revisions
Real estate experts regularly revise their home price forecasts as the housing market shifts. It’s a normal part of their job that ensures their projections are always up-to-date and factor in the latest changes in the housing market.
That means they’ll continue to revise their projections as the housing market changes, just as they’ve always done. How those forecasts change next is anyone’s guess, but pay attention to mortgage rates.
If they trend down as the year goes on, as they’re expected to do, that could lead to more buyer demand and even higher home price forecasts.
Basically, it’s all about supply and demand. With supply still so limited, anything that causes demand to go up will likely cause prices to go up, too.
Bottom Line
At first, experts believed home prices would only go up a little this year. But now, they’ve changed their minds and forecast prices will grow even more than they originally thought. Let’s connect so you know what to expect with prices in our area.
Indianapolis Area Homes for Sale 