T&H Realty Services Blog

Just Northwest of Indianapolis lies the quaint, little suburb of Zionsville. 

This affluent community has been around since 1852 and was named for a pioneer by the name of William Zion. 

Zionsville is probably best known for its historic, downtown area which is lined with cobblestone streets and cute, little shops and restaurants. 

As of 2017, the population was reported to be approximately 26,710.

The median household income is $134,743 according to City Data.

MLS data shows that the average sales price of a home this past year was $476,654 and the average rental amount was $1,826.

As a current or future Real Estate Investor, you’ve likely given some thought as to what type of rental properties you want to acquire.

The big debate really comes down to 2 main categories, single-family (SFR) vs. multi-family (MFR). 

So, which one is right for you?

Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and similar to most other real estate investing questions, the answer is....

"It really just depends." 

It depends on your investment goals, strategy, and overall end game. 

You’ll find convincing arguments for both SFR and MFR, leaving it up to you to weigh the pros and cons of each to determine what will be the best route for you. 

And that’s just what we hope to help you do as we provide insight into both investment types.

Note: For the purposes of this blog, single-family will refer to single-family, detached homes. We have an entire blog that discusses the pros and cons of investing in condos. 

My son loves to fish.

Like… he REALLY loves to fish.

A few years ago, after the obligatory stint at McDonald's, my son took a job during his Junior year of High School at Geist Marina, where he was exposed to fishing - serious fishing, that is, - for the first time in his life.

Geist, it turns out, is quite the fishing spot for largemouth bass. It brings in a lot of fishermen, who spend time at the Marina fueling their boats, purchasing snacks and, yes, recapping their days on the water. 

He listened to their stories, started dabbling a bit and, as cheesy as this sounds, the kid was completely hooked. 

The job at the marina allowed him to make some money, which he began spending on rods, reels, spinners and, I assume, whatever else goes into equipping a proper fisherman.

Located within the Indianapolis Metropolitan area near the University of Indianapolis, is Beech Grove. 

This city was incorporated in 1906, and was founded as a company town for a railroad repair facility. 

With a total area of 4.39 square miles, this city is small, but offers Investors some great deals. 

As of 2017, the population is estimated to be 14,795. 

According to MLS data, of the 232 homes that were sold in the last year, the median sale price was $125,000. 

Of the 29 homes leased in the last year, the median rental amount was $985.

54% of residents own their homes compared to 46% who rent. 

According to Census.gov, the median household income was $40,741 as of 2018.

Neighborhood Scout reports that most occupations here are sales and office related.

News broke several days ago about initiatives brought on by Mayor Joe Hogsett to provide more protections to Tenants in Indianapolis. 

The goal, according to various news outlets, is to hold Landlords more accountable, to better educate Tenants on their rights and to help curb the eviction problem currently facing Indianapolis.

As a leader in the single family property management space here in Indianapolis, we thought it appropriate to provide our take on Mayor Hogsett’s plans.

We get a lot of questions when it comes to investing in Indianapolis.

One of those questions: “How much will it cost to get my property move-in ready?” is one we receive on a daily basis.

And we get it.

Whether an investor is considering a new purchase that needs work, or whether the investor is faced with turnover costs between Tenants, money -- and how much of it --  is always an important consideration. 

We understand that maintenance costs are some of the most frequent and largest expenses you’ll face as a property owner, and turnover and make-ready are large subsets of that. 

As an Indianapolis Property Management company that handles all of our Clients’ turnovers and make-ready work, you can imagine how many times we get asked about these costs.

In an effort to stick to our core value of “Always Educating and Advising”, we have decided to put together a guide for Investors outlining average costs for some of the most common make-ready expenses that you will encounter.

Note: This list is by no means comprehensive or definitive. There are other costs that may occur and a multitude of factors that can impact the final costs of these items. 

Our goal is to give you a general idea of what you can expect to pay in the Indianapolis market.  

These estimates come from contractors we trust,work with frequently, and have long standing relationships with.