Jim's Blog on Real Estate and Other Issues in Muncie and Delaware Co. IN

I recently read an article in USA Today addressing the decline in home prices throughout the country. The article went on to say that in some areas, prices had gone up as much as 178% in the years since 2000 and have now fallen as much a 87%. They quantified the "housing bubble" as occurring when...

I have been a music lover all my life, though I've never had any formal music training. During my 40 years in the Muncie area, however, I've been a choir member in two churches and a participant in two community choirs. It's been my good fortune to serve under and to learn from several directors ...

It's been a long time since my last posting. I must admit that I was all excited about Blogging when I first joined Active Rain, but as time went by, the amount of time involved in maintaining regular postings got to be too much. Therefore, I put off doing it and then got out of the habit. With a...

I'm 67 years old and have been a gun owner, shooter and hunter since I was a youth. My son is an FBI agent and carries firearms as part of his work. I'm saying this to show that I have no aversion to guns. Yet, the idea of the Ball State police carrying weapons is frightening and totally unnecess...

After three years of bucking downward national home sales, our housing market in Del. Co. has finally stumbled. Nationally, home sales were driven down by excess inventories, over-building, the sub-prime mortgage mess and inflated values fueled by speculation. In spite of the news media's attempt...

Well, it's been a while since I posted. We've had a busy summer with a grandaughter graduation and visiting kids and grandkids from New York. Also, I've made major additions to our flower garden and landscaping. Grandaughter Sarah graduated 8th in her class at Blackford High School and won a numb...

My wife, Bev is currently visiting her son in Gainsville, VA. and getting aquainted with her new grandaughter, Bella, born March 22. Bella makes 11 grandchildren between the two of us. Bella's mom and dad, Mark and Regina, live in a 4BR, 2 story house with a finished basement on a small lot. They...

I recently did a presentation to the Muncie Homebuilders Assoc. and in preparing my data, I noticed a significant trend. First, the only segment of our population predicted to grow in the coming years is the 55 and over age group. Second, condo/villa/duplex sales grew 37% from 04 to 05 and 81% fr...

In spite of the soggy weather, I spent the past weekend with my two youngest grandsons, Alex 11 and Mitchell 8. While we mudded around, I looked at my lawn and planting beds. Spring is officially here, but we're still many weeks away from frost-free weather. Now is the time to ready your plant be...

We have a lot of choices in affordable housing that range from smaller conventional dwellings to patio-style homes, duplexes, and condominiums. The chart below shows most locations in Del. Co., along with type of dwelling and price range. You may be surprised at how many there are.Location       ...