I've worked with incoming execs and scientists with Lilly, Roche, and other companies. A great, undiscovered area is Plainfield. They have good schools, great parks, trails, low crime, great shopping, and is a 15 minute drive from downtown Indianapolis. Brownsburg is also good, but more of a 25-30 minute drive with prices a little higher, and taxes a little higher. Carmel and Fishers has bad traffic, and is truly overpriced, with comparable homes in Brownsburg and Plainfield costing about $100,000 less.

Mon Jun 9 2008, 17:26

Kate,

I have lived in Hamilton County almost 20 years, and Fishers more than half of it. Yes, there's traffic, but I'm not sure traffic is worse here than it is in other parts of the metro area. I'd suggest first just getting familiar with specific neighborhoods, to see what feels right, and those that are in your price range. Let me know if you'd like my help in finding and then driving through various areas. I also can send you some articles on neighborhoods I've written for various publications, if that would be helpful. There are a lot of homes on the market right now, so you shouldn't have a problem finding something you like.
Laura

Thu Jun 5 2008, 11:09

Kate- There are many wonderful downtown neighborhoods that you might enjoy. For instance, Cottage Home, Woodruff Place, Old Northside just to name a few. These are small "communities" downtown that allow you to live in and enjoy the city. Good luck with the move!

Wed Jun 4 2008, 10:10

Kate I am a Realtor that specializes in the south side of Indy. If you want less people and more of a laid back feel the South Side is where you need to be. Unfortunatly without getting to know you a bit better I can not suggest a neighborhood. Please give me a call

Brad Osborne
Coldwell Banker
317-833-3333

Thu May 29 2008, 09:56

Hi Kate. My wife and I just purchased a home in Carmel a week ago as we are moving to town and had the exact same concerns as you as my company is on the northwest side of 465. We ended up in Brookshire subdivision which is on Keystone and 126th. The homes are right in your price range and the neighborhood was built in the early to mid 70's. The reasons we moved there were very similar to yours in regards to trees, safety and neighborhoods with lots of young kids (we have a 6 and 4 year old). I'm currently at the house painting etc. and I can get to 465 in under 10 minutes and under 15 during rush hour traffic.
We evaluated a lot of the neighborhoods suggested below and while many are nice we found some issues....
South Side - Just not close enough to the action for our family as most of the activities we like were on the north side.
Zionsville - Home prices are a bit higher than your price range and the property taxes are INSANE. Same is true for Brownsburg (please note this is just my opinion). By moving to Carmel with its reidential and commercial tax base we are able to send the kids to private school and still come out about 3-4k ahead annually just on the tax saving alone.
Brownsburg - Great area if you are into the more rural aspect otherwise a bit far out there. They also didn't do a good job with the zoning and you have everything mixed together from 100k - 500k + homes. We were looking for more continuity.
Fishers - Forget it. The traffic on 69 is insane.

I hope this helps and good luck on your move.

Tue May 27 2008, 21:39

I can tell you that I live in Franklin Twp school district & they are wonderful. We live in Wildcat Run & our child attends Thompson Crossing Elementary which is a wonderful school! She will be in 2nd grade for 2008-2009 yr. I noticed that you wanted to live in a wonderful community, close to stuff, & less traffic (unlike Carmel, Fishers, etc) - check out MLS listing #2755472 underhttp:// www.mibor.com, as this is my parents home currently for sale & they are willing to drop the amount just to sell it/they are retirement age & have moved on! This is a awesome home in the Glen Ridge addition, still in Franklin Twp communtiies & great location & schools too. We are just right down the road. Check out the house, awesome place to raise a family...don't let price scare you - we are willing to accept a reasonable offer so we can sell it! Good luck on your decision & were ever you may end up!

Tue May 27 2008, 10:13

Kate,

I'm not a realtor or a mortgage lender. I'm a real person just like you! Just a single mom wanting the best for my now 5yr old. Sometimes I feel like I'm too picky and what I'm looking for just doesn't exist, but it does. If you're looking for a nice place to raise a child with 4 star schools, check outhttp:// www.ftonews.com. I researched quit a few schools on all sides of indianapolis. Franklin Township community cannot be complimented with just one word. If you're like me, then you will be excited to know that these elementary schools offer so much more than just education. Some of the teachers hatch chicks right there in the classroom using an incubator and after the chicks hatch they donate the chicks to local farmers. Some teachers even have the butterfly cages, where they watch/learn about how the caterpillar turns into the cocoon and then turns into the butterfly. There is a jumprope club, math club, program where kids do a radio commercial, once a week bowling after shool - kids are transported by school bus, once a week gymnastics after school - kids are transported by school bus ( just to name a few activities) and all this is offered to the Elementary students?? ** WOW ** Franklin Township has really nice 'neighborhoods' and is still growing. Not to mention that these are new or recently remodeled schools. Last but not least all the teachers in the franklin township school that I met or spoke with via email or phone were very very friendly. It's really great to see a community involved in so much and to make it available at an early age is just great in my opinion. Oh, I forgot to mention that they do a few fundraisers and charity programs throughout the year also. My daughter will be starting kindergarten 2008-2009 school year and with the world these days, I'm terrified. That is why I went to such extremes to research all these schools. My child will be attending "school/kindergarten" is new to me and not knowing what questions to ask I felt these teachers made me aware of EVERYTHING that is offered at their schools. I feel like there is a piece of heaven left on this world. www.ftonews.com has links to everything that is within the franklin township community including apartments, daycare, classifieds, weather, schools, and just all kinds of great stuff, yes even pizza!!!!!

Face it everywhere you go there is crime. I checked out some of the 'neighborhoods' in this area also. mostly cozy and family friendly. new housing community called Thompson Parke, reasonably priced newer houses (top notch on my list) is about 2-3 miles from Emerson and 465 (on the southeast side near Beech Grove) speaking of Beech Grove, Hornet Park Elementary was on the BOTTOM of my list schools. It took the principal 2 months to email me back just to say, here's a link of our handbook. guess what - the answers I was looking for isn't in the handbook. Needless to say we played 'email' tag for a good 4 months, still not getting my questions answered I gave up. Beech Grove may be a 4 star school system but the friendliness and helpfulness of the teachers, principal, even the superintendent himself Dr. Rex Sager was nothing but a joke. I got the impression that they weren't allowed to smile or speak. There, I had to put my 2 cents in!

I want to make you aware nearby is an apple orchard and southeastway park , really big park, which has hayrides during fall season and many walking trails and lots of playgrounds and a fishing pond that you can actually fish out of. All in all I HIGHLY recommend Franklin Township. God Bless and good luck in your move.

Tue May 13 2008, 22:53

Hello Kate,
I am a Realtor and would be happy to help you locate a good neighborhood. Carmel, depending
upon location has ez I465 (loop) access and is a wonderful place to raise a child - I've raised 4. Cicero is too far from the loop. Fishers' traffic is a bear. Homecroft is ez into downtown and safe but the schools are not the best. The New Pal area is very nice and ez into the loop. Noblesville, Westfield are also further away from the loop. I have lived on every side of town. Brownsburg is ez into the loop and the schools are improving every year. BeechGrove also offers homes that are within ez reach of downtown. Ben Davis area is 15 min from downtown. The west side of Zionsville is within ez reach of I 65 and
the schools are great. The area near 37 into downtown that feeds into Lawrence North is also a
good option. What areas are you familiar with, Kate? What price point do you prefer? I can send listings of homes that fit your criteria from various areas near I465 access points that are safe and in mature neighborhoods. Thank you for the opportunity to offer my help, Kate.

Mon May 12 2008, 09:02

Kate,
I'm not a real estate agent but am a mortgage consultant with strong ties to the southside of Indianapolis. The Homecroft area fits your description. It is a quaint 'pocket' of Indianapolis that exhudes the qualities you describe. The area has long been established and represents staying power. Mature Trees, Neighborhood Setting without a subdivision footprint, Close to amenities, Highly Affordable, Curb appeal, etc. etc. I'd check it out. Zip Code is 46227.

Mon May 12 2008, 05:41

Kate,
You seem familiar with the north side,.I would suggest all of Hamilton County. Noblesville Westfield, Fishers and Carmel are all in proximity to 465. Cicero, Arcadia and Sheridan are a little further north. We are in one of the fastest growing areas of the whole country so when you describe the area remaining the same for years, I would consider looking at Cicero/Sheridan/Arcadia, but "neighborhoods" are limited. I would say those are still fairly "rural areas". but they are still close enough to Indy that another 5-10 minutes really does not seem that much for the privacy. Zionsville, Avon, Brownsburg, Pendleton, are all excellent areas to look at. Trees? It's pretty flat here and most of the development that is happening has occured on farmland, thus only new trees unless you are looking at established older neighborhoods. There are many established neighborhoods around though that have all you are looking for. More info is required to stear you in the right direction. New vs. old? Fix up vs/ turn key? City utilities vs. well and septic? Target price range? Ranch/two story/basement? Bedrooms and sq/ft? These would really help define specific neighborhoods or areas to look. Traffic.....Can be an issue no matter where you are located outside the 465 loop. All roads get congested during rush hour in my opinion. All sides of the city can get congested, no matter what town you reside in. But, once your a local, you will get to know the side streets that can get you to the interstate or downtown quicker if things are backed up. Normally, morning and evening rush hour traffic slows you down, but depending on your destination and timing, it's not as bad as you might expect. Still if your caught in traffic, like anywhere else, it can be unpleasant. I can get to downtown Indy in 1/2 hour to 40 minutes most of the time from Noblesville. Barring accidents, the most it ever took me was less than an hour. An upcoming project to consider is the US 31 project. Slated to start in 2011. Still a few years off but if you are going to be here for awhile, it's valuable knowledge. See website: http://www.in.gov/indot/div/projects/us31/hamiltoncounty/
Essentially they are converting a Main north south corredor, US 31, from state highway standards to interstate standards. You will be able to cover almost the whole length of the county without stoplights or interchanges. New off ramps, cloverleafs, etc, are part of the project. This will really change the landscape and travel time within the whole county. I predict it will also open up Sheridan/Cicero/Arcadia to growth and more demand. It would be nice to reach the 465 from these towns on a straight shot without hitting stoplights and stop and go traffic. Off the top of my head I'm thinking of about 20 neighborhoods that are great for kids, have trees, are built out and established, have community parks/playgrounds/pools, are within 20-30 minutes to 465, depending on traffic patterns and accidents.
Please forward me some specifics on your needs and I would be happy to screen the areas I am familar with for homes and pass them along. -Eric

Sat May 10 2008, 15:59

Another suburban area you might consider would be the Plainfield/Avon/Brownsburg area. There are numerous established neighborhoods that are quiet with very low crime rates. A quick search for homes in your price range netted over 200 listings in that area. Many of which are in very nice neighborhoods with larger, wooded lots. Each of these communities have a different "flsvor" and offer something different to the residents. For more information on these communities check out the links on my website athttp:// www.CindyBreneman.com . You can find the links on the bottom of my homepage as well as a link to the Metropolitan Indianapolis Relocation Guide which includes information for all the Metro area. If you have any specific questions about these communities please contact me.

Sat May 10 2008, 14:01

There are many communities in Indy that would fit what you are looking for. First, we need to define what things you need and want. I love the Castlewood subdivision for its peacefulness with lots of mature trees, park and close to shopping. How close to your job do you need to be and how much does commuting affect your decision on location? Contact me for an in-depth discussion on what you are looking for. I would be happy to serve you and your family.

Sat May 10 2008, 13:25

Hi Kate -

You have chosen some great areas to start your search. Although traffic can be a bear near Fishers and Carmel, it really depends on the area you choose in each city. Zionsville would also be a great choice for close to the loop. It is also close to the 65, which is a straight shot downtown.

I did a quick search for homes in these cities with mature trees and price range being the only criteria and netted almost 200 returns. Knowing your wants and needs in a home would be important before trying to narrow down neighborhoods. Do you like older homes, new homes, how many bedrooms, single story or two level? Do you want acreage and what is a comfortable commute for you.

There are many wonderful neighborhoods and communities in these cites. As for crime - i don't believe anyone can tell you the liklihood of a neighborhood remaining low crime. It is best you research the information for yourself, so you can make an informed decision.

Good Luck!

Sat May 10 2008, 13:02

I forgot to put approx. home purchase price of 200,00.00-300,00.

Sat May 10 2008, 12:19