1313 E. 57th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46220

Well kept, all brick, 2 bed/1 bath bungalow in desirable Broad Ripple neighborhood. Hardwood floors, formal dining room, stainless steel appliances and built-ins. Basement is partially finished, complete w/office-den. Walking distance to Canterbury Park, Monon Trail and Broad Ripple. Convenient to shopping, downtown & nightlife. Pre-listing inspection performed. Newer roof and water heater. Don't miss out on this fantastic Broad Ripple opportunity. For more information, please call Chriss Cheatham at 317-696-0057 or email her at chriss@macduffrealty.com.

4636 Chatterton Circle - Wonderful Eagle Creek Condo

4324 N. Park Avenue - Meridian Kessler Charmer

Searching for a Home in Indianapolis? There's an App for that!

I love technology. Someone once described me as “gadget-y,” and I can’t argue with that descriptor. And while there’s a tendency for that aspect of my personality to be drawn into gigantic time-sucking distractions, I am also aware of how some hardware and software tools can be enormously time-saving.

One of the most common questions I’m asked is, “Where’s the best place to go online to find available homes?” My clients want to be able to access the most current information available about homes that might suit their needs. More often than not, the common theme is this: how can I – while I’m out driving in neighborhoods – get more information about a house that I happen to drive by?

Thanks to a terrific FREE iPhone app by REALTOR.com®, this task has been reduced to the ridiculously simple. AND IT WORKS ON BOTH THE iPAD and iPHONE!

(There is also a Droid version available HERE.)

Not only does this app permit you to enter MLS number data to search from anywhere, it also uses the iPhone’s built-in geo-locating capabilities to figure out where you are and what houses near you are for sale.

So the next time you’re out driving around looking in neighborhoods, simply launch the app, do a search, and find what you’re looking for. You can even send the listing to me if it’s a property that you’re interested in knowing more about or seeing in person.

Here's a quick tutorial on using the app.

Head to the iTunes App Store

Or, choose the App Store on your iPhone. Enter “realtor.com” as a search term and look for the app. Or, click on the button above to take you directly to the app from your browser.

Register the App by clicking on the "Gear" icon in the lower right of the screen.

You'll then get this screen:

Create a new, free account.

This is a really important step. Use an email address that you check regularly. You’ll then be able to get listing updates, share properties with your family, friends and agent.

Add the email address of your real estate agent. If I’m acting as your agent, enter joe@macduffrealty.com in the first spot of the sharing shortcuts.

You can also add other folks who you want to keep in the loop. Add up to two other email addresses here of the folks you want to be able to send interesting listings to. Your BFF, your S.O., your mom...you pick.

You're done with the registration. Now it's time to search for a home.

The main screen give you several options for performing a search.

When you arrive at a neighborhood or house you're interested in, you can choose the "Homes For Sale" button. You’ll be able to view listings close to where you are currently parked (you did park before performing the search, right?!?) as a list, with a street map view, or from a satellite view.

One of my favorite features is being able to "draw" a search area using the "Area Highlighter" view, and you can also view by satellite of map view in this mode. Super cool!

Find a home you want to share?

Click on the "Send" button in the property view and send it to me and a friend! You can also "Save this listing."

The app also gives you the ability to "Share" the listing on Twitter, Facebook or by text message.

Have fun, and I look forward to being of service!

What's Pie Got To Do With It?

It's rather interesting to me how one Twitter question can turn into a weeks-long quest to re-create the regionally famous, often imitated, never duplicated Sugar Cream Pie recipe that my Grandmother made.

Several weeks ago, I was chatting on Twitter with a few friends, and the topic of pie came up. I was immediately thrust back into my childhood, and the taste memory of my grandmother's pie came flooding back to me.

Immediate. Obsession.

The calls went out to family members who had the recipe. I asked about the finest details. Did she cook on a baking sheet or not? Butter or margarine? Electric stove? Convection or regular?

After a few tries, I knew I was getting close to perfection. Thanks to some brave volunteers who risked their lives sampling my baking finery, I worked through the kinks and have finally arrived at what I believe is a pie as good as my grandma's.

My frequent readers may again be asking, "What in the world does this have to do with real estate?"

Not much...unless you consider your house your home. The place where memories are made and recipes are shared. My home is a fertile testing ground for all sorts of ideas. I make art here. I bake here. I run a real estate company from my basement. I've got stacks of guitar gear and percussion instruments for noise-making. And my kitchen is sometimes converted into a tie dye factory, churning out piles of outrageously gorgeous material.

What's your house for, and how can I help you make it your home?