Though we still need to take precautions, there is still much fun to be had in Hendricks County. Here are some great outdoor events to enjoy this holiday season.
The Market at Penguin Park
Saturday, Dec. 5 from 1 to 4 pm
The Market at Penguin Park offers outdoor ice skating. You can skate with the Grinch and Buddy the Elf. There is also great food available from The Grumpy Gringo and The Frigid Frog. Other fun activity highlights include farm fresh Christmas trees for sale by local Boy Scouts, and a good selection of arts and crafts vendors to pick up the perfect unique and one of a kind present. You can also see Santa and mail your wish list to the North Pole while exploring Santa’s Village. For more information, you can click here
Curling at Penguin Park
Once only an obscure winter sport that hardly anyone watched during the Olympics, curling is now a favorite winter pass time. This is the game of sliding a big heavy piece of stone that has an attached handle down a marked space of ice as your teammates use their best sweeping skills to help guide it to the center of the target on the other end of the ice.
Right now at Penguin Park, you are able to rent a curling lane and see why people love the game so much....
The weather gets COLD here in the greater Indianapolis area in the winter. Just a few years ago we saw one of the craziest winters in several decades. If you are not from around here and are moving into the area here are some things that are good to know about an Indianapolis winter.
During Winter Everyone is at the Mercy of the Weather
Have plans? Don’t hold on to them too tightly (well covid has already taught us a little bit about doing this). Things tend to get rescheduled and slowed down at the mercy of harsh outdoor conditions. Some people even make sure they get up just a little bit earlier on cold winter mornings so they can make it to work sort of on time.
Driving, Even in Busy Areas, Can Get Slippery
In Indy the streets are partially plowed and then things begin to freeze and it can become like ice skating, but from inside your car. If you are not used to driving in the snow you might want to pick some very open roads to do a little practice on.
Taking a Walk Requires Special Gear
Getting outside for a bit of fresh air requires bundling to artic proportions. Make sure to wear plenty of layers and invest in a good pair of waterproof snow boots. We say invest because you will want to make sure they are of the highest quality.
Clearing a Path to the Car is a Good Morning Workout
Some people when they first move here look at the price of a snowblower and think they will be okay with a shovel. While a snow shovel does cost much less than a snowblower, the need to remove snow from the driveway could become a daily chore. This becomes a feat of superhuman...
Hummel Park is one of Plainfield’s, and Guilford Township’s, most popular parks. It is great for so many reasons, one of them is it is Plainfield’s best park for running.
On the east end of the park is a 1.1-mile track-like loop. It is a great loop for running one or several laps. The “track” has each tenth of a mile marked which is helpful to measure distance. This is really nice for those just beginning their running journey and looking for helpful tools to build stamina. A runner can push themselves to run from one marker to another and then take a walking break and work up to longer distances. Seasoned runners can practice their work on distance running.
Special Runner Friendly-Amenities of Hummel Park
At the start or head of the running trail is a stretch horse and a plaque/sign guide of great stretches to do before and after running. When you reach a quarter-mile there is a restroom and water fountains. The pavement is marked and divided into lanes for runners and walkers and another lane for skaters and bicyclists. It is preferred that runners use the designated side of the red line in a clockwise direction, while skaters and bikers go counterclockwise.
Getting in a Longer Run
If you get tired of running the loop several times and want to take your long-distance run elsewhere you can extend your run across the Red Maple Path Bridge and into the woods. There are two running paths in the wooded area: the Cottonwood Path or the Blue Heron Path. Cottonwood is an unmarked ½ mile loop and Blue Heron takes runners south along the White Lick Creek. It is a nice scenic run...
How “Coming Soon” Listings Work
Some homes have put up “coming soon” signs in their yards or have listed the home online as “coming soon.” This is simply to notice that the home is about to be an active listing on the MLS. This is a growing strategy in competitive sellers’ markets where the number of buyers outweighs the number of homes for sale. It is a strategy used by some real estate agents to help bring more attention and anticipation to their client’s homes. During this time a seller is usually preparing the home before officially releasing it for sale.
Many states do have regulations for this home selling strategy including how long a home can be posted as “coming soon.” This timeline is generally a couple of weeks.
Buyers can make an offer on a home listed as “coming soon,” but realtors are regulated on how they can promote the home.
Using “Coming Soon” To Your Advantage as a Buyer
If you see one of these listings and you really like the home it is a good idea to get a hold of your agent as soon as possible. The listing agent could have posted pictures to a private site and your agent can pull all the information on the home for you. They can even help you to determine the fair market value of the home and help you make a strong offer. This will prepare you to make an offer and get it in as soon as the listing goes live on the MLS.
Putting together a strong offer is important in any sellers’ market situation, especially with a coming soon listing. You do not want to overpay for the house, but you do not want to come in too low with your first offer either....
When your home is up for sale the day will come when you receive an offer to purchase your home. This will bring much excitement and during a seller's market, this may even bring multiple offers.
When the offer(s) comes in, you may wonder if this or which offer is the best option for you. This is where your real estate agent is going to be a source of very helpful advice. They can help you to look over the offer(s) in detail because an offer is not solely about the amount of money offered.
5 Important Things to Consider Other than the Purchase Price of an Offer
Earnest Money Deposit
This is the amount of money the buyer is willing to put upfront in cash to show they are making a serious (earnest) and solid offer and will follow through on the purchase of the home. This money is usually held by the title company and goes to the down payment at closing. Should the buyer walk away from the purchase for any reason other than allowable through the purchase contract they forfeit the money to the seller.
Standard earnest money deposits are about 1 to 3 percent of the purchase price of the home, but buyers can include higher amounts to win out a bidding war or help entice your offer acceptance to show they are making a serious offer.
Contingencies
Almost every offer is going to come with a contingency or two. A contingency is a request from the buyer that must be met for the sale to go through. The most common are having a professional inspection performed and financing. If a contingency is not met then the buyer has the option to walk away from the home with their earnest money. Other contingencies can include:
The Oasis Diner has long been a Plainfield institution. It has been featured in several internet articles including being highlighted by many road tripping travel bloggers.
Upon driving up to the Oasis visitors are greeted with a cheery yellow façade and neon lights that take you back in time with 1950’s architecture. Some say the Oasis is the best example of a classic American diner you will find in the entire Midwest. It is a favorite among locals and tourists alike, especially for its pork tenderloin.
Diners in America have been around since the 1800s but didn’t soar in popularity until the 1950s with the boom of the post-war economy and production of automobiles. In the 50s the diner was the place to be, so we think the Oasis’s choice of sticking with its 50s theming is a great nod to American history.
The Oasis began in the 50s and saw the same ownership through the 2000s until the original owner’s health declined. The fate of the diner was on shaky ground, but the town of Plainfield and Doug Huff and Don Rector stepped in to save the diner and moved it to its current location and restored it to its first glory days. The Oasis is the ONLY classic diner on US 40 in the entire state of Indiana.
In addition to its history and being a lone star on HWY 40 the Oasis is known for amazing food, especially its pork tenderloin. It has been ranked several times in the top 10 lists for the best-breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and many locals would say there is no...
There are several reasons to hang out in the town of Brownsburg, while you are there you may want to grab a cup of coffee. Here are some of the most notable places for a cup of Joe in Brownsburg.
Opened just a little over two years ago, this coffee shop and the focus behind it are what every neighborhood needs. It was founded by two best friends, Bob Goodpaster and Chico Mbanu who met in college and became lifelong friends. They began the coffee shop after Bob’s wife took a trip to her hairdresser.
While she was getting her cut and chatting with her stylist, the stylists began talking about how they would love for a good coffee shop to come to the southeast part of town. They even named the place it should go. Bob’s wife chimed in and said her husband was the person to do it. The idea made good sense to Bob and he presented the idea to his friend Chico and they got to work on making it a reality. Their main goal was to provide the town with more than just a place to order a coffee and leave. They wanted to create a friendly atmosphere where they could become their customers’ “best friends.”
Today the friends offer a unique array of coffee drinks, Instagram-able frappes, refreshing teas, and all handmade from scratch foods. It is said they have the best biscuits and gravy anywhere. So stop in and grab a cup of well-made coffee and amazing fresh food all with a side of neighborhood friendliness.
Fall is not over yet and there is still plenty of time to enjoy the fall colors in Hendricks County. Here are some great places to take a stroll out in nature and safely spectate how glorious and beautiful Hendricks County is in the fall.
McCloud Park is full of giant gorgeous trees expanding high into the air with millions of fall colored leaves at this time of year. There are 6.5 miles of trails to meander and wind through the 232 acres of fall beauty. With the many different species of trees, there are many colors on display.
McCloud Park is a beloved spot for family photo backdrops and senior portrait sessions.
Add in the scenic beauty of the historic truss bridge, Big Walnut Creek, the wetland preserve observation deck and it is a perfect spot to spend a brisk cold day.
This underrated spot in Avon is 80 acres of land preserve in the care of Central Indiana Land Trust and features oak, hickory, maple, black, walnut, and tulip poplar tree species. All of them put on a painting like display in the fall. There are two walking trails that loop through the trees in the park
The Blue Trail:...
Humbly tucked into a strip in the Crown Liquor Plaza just off of Rockville Road across from Meijer is Marsha’s Specialty Desserts and Tierney’s Catering. It is a locally-owned business that has won several awards for their unique and deliciously amazing treats.
Marsha began this business with six of her family members in tow. When they cater events, more of the family comes in to help out. Comforting family recipes at big special gatherings were the inspiration for what is served. Marsha’s Specialty Desserts offers desserts and full meals for special events including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, anything you are celebrating, or even when you are not and just want a special something for several people.
Marsha works closely with her sister Michelle and the sister's credit their love of baking and catering to their granddaddy. His name is Conwell Avant and he loved to gather his family all together to cook, bring food, and host huge family meals while enjoying each other’s company. One of Marsha’s favorite memories is Soul Food Fridays. They not only put together the best food, they also made it special with coordinating table settings right down to the napkins.
Granddaddy once said that the family was so good at putting on large fancy meals that they should go into catering. 20 years later Marsha began that catering business.
Award-Winning Desserts
Marsha offers a four-page menu of desserts including everything from wedding cakes to fun mini options like mini pies and mini cobblers. There are 30 icing options to top things off with. One of their most popular requests...