What's Next for Neighborhoods

Earlier this month, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation presented its third installment of the “What’s Next for Neighborhoods: A Public Conversation Series.” This forum focused on housing in Indianapolis’ urban core neighborhoods.  As an organization focusing on the health of downtown neighborhoods, LISC felt it was important to talk about the challenges these neighborhoods face. As a REALTOR® who hears daily the concerns and desires of homeowners, I was pleased to be asked to be part of this important discussion.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Indianapolis witnessed large-scale suburbanization, with subdivisions springing up north and west of the White River, along Allisonville Road, east to Fort Benjamin Harrison and along East and West Washington Street to accommodate veterans home from World War II and their growing families.  As suburban neighborhoods continued to grow over the decades, Indianapolis’ once thriving urban neighborhoods began to decline.

While downtown Indianapolis has received several notable upgrades recently — including the most recent Georgia Street Corridor and the Near East Super Bowl Legacy Initiative, which was impressive to Super Bowl visitors from all across the country — our urban core neighborhoods have more than 14,000 vacant homes and the highest rate of foreclosures in the state.

As we look ahead and ponder economic growth and development opportunities for our city, our starting point should be not only accommodating, but attracting a variety of residents — from young professionals who wish to live, work and play within the urban core to empty nesters and families alike.

Bill Taft of LISC and Rob McPherson of the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership laid the groundwork for the discussion, and panelists Leigh Riley Evans, executive director of Mapleton-Fall Creek Development Corporation; Adam Thies, director of the City’s Department of Metropolitan Development; and John Watson, managing member of Core Redevelopment LLC, made up the balance of the panel to discuss solutions for this challenge facing the ultimate growth of our city.

As a REALTOR®, I was excited to bring the concerns and desires that I hear from central Indiana residents each day to the table and I look forward to continuing to work with community and city leaders to find innovative ways to strengthen and rebuild our urban neighborhoods.

Debbie Morris

2012 President

Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of REALTORS^®

^{It's YOUR turn. What are your thoughts on ways to strengthen and rebuild our urban neighborhoods? Leave a comment below!}

Centennial Photo of the Week: Ringing the Bell

Ringing the bell at Ed French's annual stag party was a time-honored tradition for that year's president. Having the first female president do the honors caused a stir, but Helen Hirt was up to the task. www.mibor100.com

The Evidence is Everywhere…

Celebrating MIBOR’s Centennial has come about in so many ways. Recently I saw another great example of something meaningful and lasting. Every time I think the centennial is just a birthday, a milestone that has come and will soon be gone, I get my wake-up call. At the Chase Legacy Center on the Arsenal Tech High School campus there is one more reminder that so many people came together to create the Building  a Living Legacy project. And of course that project was the philanthropic splash of the entire centennial year. 

On Tuesday, October 30^th, it was rainy, cold and windy. Not the ideal setting for an outdoor reception. So inside we went to unveil a unique sculpture that now stands just outside the garden at the Legacy Center. The sculpture is colorful and dynamic just like the Near Eastside neighbors of Indianapolis it represents. On one side, the names of the most generous Building  a Living Legacy donors are embedded in  clay and mosaic tiles – designed by local artist Jude Odell and created by elementary, middle and high school students. The other three sides celebrate the renewed spirit of the Near Eastside brought about by the completion of many elements of the area’s Quality of Life Plan and of course the 2012 Super Bowl and its Housing Legacy Project.     

Bill Hacker

A few people spoke at the brief reception including Odell and one of the high schoolers who volunteered. Bill Hacker from the Building  a Living Legacy campaign cabinet also spoke quite emotionally and eloquently about what the project has meant to him and how helping families make better lives for themselves strikes at the heart of what real estate professionals care most about. It was a fantastic reminder that because of so many partners and donors, 32 families have fresh starts and are free from the insecurity and uncertainty of homelessness.

The piece itself is beautiful and tells a story. It’s made up of more than 800 mosaic pieces. It’s been fired countless times to withstand the elements. It will last. You should check it out. 

Claire Belby
MIBOR Communications Director

Just 3: Featuring Beth Blake

Today's "Just 3" features MIBOR Centennial Chair, Beth Blake:

Question: If you had to pick one person that you think has defined MIBOR's history, who would they be and why?

Bud Tucker

Answer: There are two equally important people that come to mind. Both were outstanding leaders in the local, state and National Association of REALTORS®. Bud Tucker for his leadership in the development of the city, promotion of the REALTOR® image and his example to give back to the industry, which he referred to as 'paying your civic rent.' Helen Hirt was ahead of her time in the advancement of technology in our industry as well as her advancement and recognition of women in MIBOR. Helen introduced the first computer system to MIBOR and was instrumental in developing much of which is used today.

Helen Hirt

Question: Times and technology have changed. Describe the way showings used to work back in "the day"?

Answer: Good grief! Where do I begin!? First of all you must go back in time 40+ years ago to the old days of BC. Not the biblical reference, but 'before computers'. No MLS books to leaf through and no print outs compiled by areas! Showings were determined by word of mouth at division meetings, calling your fellow REALTORS® at other offices, driving areas and looking through single home flyers which contained limited information delivered in bundles weekly to the various offices by courier. Once you sorted through all those print outs by area and price you placed them in a loose leaf binder for reference. This was a weekly ritual that was performed in order to be current. Once the selection of possible homes to show was made, you placed a call to EACH real estate office for an appointment and then drove to EACH office to pick up the keys. When your showing day was complete, you got in your car and returned all the keys back to the respective offices. When you wrote a purchase agreement, you hand delivered it to the listing agent' and original and three copies written with carbon paper. Sorry, NO fax machines either! You also were responsible for calling the other agent for feedback, sorry NO emails, voice mails or cell phones either! There wasn't the luxury of lock boxes until the 80's. Not all offices used them and not all boxes were the same. One of the larger companies had their own version that hooked over the top of the front door. Since I have always been vertically challenged, showing houses to a normal sized client required carrying a cinder block or ladder to stand on in the trunk of my car. Only then could I reach the key box at the top of the door to access the key to show the house. Sure miss those days!

Question: What advice would you give to a new member about this industry?

Answer: Don't take today's luxuries for granted. Many REALTORS® before us have laid the ground work for MIBOR's success. Now it's your turn to carry on the tradition by being the best REALTOR® ever! Get involved!

Building Stronger Communities...

Cinda Kelley-Hutchings

Today's blog post comes from a guest blogger, Cinda Kelley-Hutchings  who is the Executive Director of the Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership. 

As local REALTORS® work every day to help families find the best homes in healthy neighborhoods, MIBOR is helping to build stronger communities. MIBOR and the Hendricks County Economic Development Partnership (HCEDP) also work together to strengthen communities through a highly targeted approach that helps companies create jobs.

While the nation has struggled economically over the last five years, Hendricks County has enjoyed a net job growth. Like the nation, Hendricks County is primarily made up of small businesses, and HCEDP’s public entities and private partners such as MIBOR have developed programming to support these local employers. Locally based companies make up 61 percent of the Hendricks County businesses community, with 38 percent employing between 10 and 99 people (41 percent employ fewer than 10, and 9 percent are sole proprietors). Those three categories account for nearly 88 percent of jobs in Hendricks County.

In 2010, MIBOR asked HCEDP to implement the Edward Lowe Foundation program in Central Indiana, providing critical expertise to Stage II companies that are facing barriers to growth. Several companies have already been able to take advantage of no-cost expertise that helped them grow, create jobs, and make new investments in their communities.

HCEDP and the REALTORS® working through MIBOR are helping to create opportunities that will strengthen our communities and provide better lives for local residents today and for the next 100 years. We congratulate MIBOR on 100 years of community engagement and service, and are excited to work as your partner for many years to come. 

Moving Forward...MIBOR Takes Transit

As champions for improving public transportation in our region, the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of REALTORS® (MIBOR) staff walked the talk Wednesday, October 10th by commuting to and from work via various forms of public transit. Staff members who typically travel to the office by car experienced getting to work by IndyGo or the Indy Express Bus to highlight the advantages and challenges to our current infrastructure.

Seventeen MIBOR staff (65%) participated in the transit day. Some rode to and from work while others took the bus to and from meetings and lunch. 

Overall, the challenges noted were bus stop amenities like lack of shelters, sidewalks, etc. Staff members also faced longer commutes than usual, especially those coming from outlining areas of the city. Staff definitely noted a need for more frequency. In order to get to work on time, many of our staff had to start their day very early. The challenges reinforce our support for improving the built environment through Complete Streets and the Indy Connect Plan. 

Staffers were impressed by the safety and cleanliness of the busses. Many noted the camaraderie of the passengers and operators and the diversity of the riders. Staff also noted that the busses were full – many citizens rely on this mode of transportation. 

On transit day, staff members captured their experience in photos, tweets, Facebook posts, and e-mails.  

Here are some of their comments and photos:

Pat Cline - Strong ridership this AM, at lunch and now. It seems the demand for transit does exist in Indy. 

Tom Renkert - Nice quick trip on route 4B, did a bunch of email. Time well spent.

Lacey Everett - Easy trip to and from lunch. We're transit pros now!

Sara Laycock - Great 16 minute bus ride into the office. Hardest part was crossing at 20th & Capitol. Let's get more pedestrian friendly Indy!

Chris Pryor - Most riders are busy on laptops and iPads or their phones. One rider just told me this the most productive hour of her day.

Claire Belby – I was surprised how easy bus access way. There are lots of stops. The challenge of course is the limited scheduling. My travel time was long but I went to two distinct areas to drop off my kids - I was surprised at how easy the plan your route tool is online.

Kristi Howard – This commute is absolutely a realistic alternative for my family should we want to save money and go down to one car, or if someone had a car in the shop. 


Kari Smith – I liked to see the interaction among the people who seemed to be regulars. The bus drivers knew them and they all talked to each other as if they were friends.

Jenny Norris – What surprised me the most was the diversity of people on the bus…students, professional people in suits, all ages and all walks of life.

As we look forward to the 2013 legislative session, MIBOR will continue to be an advocate of enabling legislation for the authority to conduct referendums to dedicate local revenue to transit and moving the Indy Connect plan forward. MIBOR is vitally interested in the future of the communities where REALTORS® do business and believes the expansion of transportation infrastructure, including bus, light rail and bike/pedestrian pathways, is an important investment in the growth of local economy and the community-at-large in central Indiana.

Looking Back...MIBOR Political Advocacy

With all the talk of Super PACs and special interests during recent campaign cycles, it is easy to think that these things are a new phenomenon. Political activity has certainly amped up in recent years, but it isn’t a new game. 

In fact, recognizing the importance of having a voice and participating in politics isn’t new. Pericles famously recognized that “[j]ust because you don’t take an interest in politics, doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you” back when Ancient Greece was first toying with a new idea called “democracy.”

In present day, the same concept lives in the common political axiom that if you aren’t at the table, you’re on the menu.

This isn’t lost on REALTORS®.  I love history and was excited to get my hands on early drafts of MIBOR’s Centennial history book, REALTORS®: Opening Doors for 100 Years.  I am proud to work for MIBOR and wanted to learn more about the organization’s history. And while I shouldn’t have been, I was surprised to see page after page of stories detailing the political involvement of MIBOR and its members.

Reading the stories from the book about the origins of RPAC and the early days of political advocacy is both humbling and inspiring for me as MIBOR’s Political Affairs Liaison.  The books shares tales of REALTORS® working on the Fair Housing Act, advancing the rights of women and minorities, economic development and protecting and promoting home ownership.  It talks of our members working with LBJ, Nixon and a visit to one of our board meetings from Robert F. Kennedy.  When I sit in our board room, adorned with the portrait of every past president of MIBOR since 1912, it has a different feel than it did before reading the history; the portraits used to strike me as the kind of old timey photos* you might see at an antique store.

Instead, now I feel like a baseball fan in Cooperstown.  I see the faces of the giants who transformed the role of REALTORS® in the political arena.  I see the face of Delbert Ludlow, who worked with the Indianapolis Human Rights Commission during the civil rights movement.  Just above the spot on the wall where I’ve often stood while pouring myself coffee is the face of Fred “Bud” Tucker, Jr. who was one of 13 REALTOR® leaders from across the country who pushed to establish the REALTORS® Political Action Committee in 1969. While leading NAR, he emphasized the importance of RPAC and Governmental Affairs. He noted that “[t]he REALTORS® of America are in the business of politics and they are in it to stay.”

There are many more portraits on the wall of leaders whose stories are recounted in the book, and for each one of them are a dozen other men and women who worked alongside to advance the cause.  The history of REALTOR® involvement is interesting and humbling, but it also gives me a new perspective.  I see the scores of members who volunteer their time to interview candidates, fund raise for RPAC or meet with their town councilor, mayor or congressman regarding an issue. Often, it is easy to get caught up in the issue of the day – township government, rental registration agreements, TIF districts, the mortgage interest deduction, property assessments, etc. . . – but not recognize the big picture.  I love that I work for an organization that has long recognized the need to be a part of the political process. I see the commitment of the leadership and the members over the decades and I feel the passion when I talk to members who recognize the next hurdle and roll up their sleeves rather than assign blame.  
As MIBOR starts its second century, I enjoy knowing that the members who are currently writing RPAC checks or volunteering their times for an issue may be the same names listed on the first few pages of MIBOR’s bicentennial book.  Our political involvement is rich with history, but also has a bright future.

As the election season we’re currently enduring mercifully comes to an end in less than two weeks, it is comforting to know that the issues important to REALTORS® and homeowners are being advocated. Politics is a messy, and often ugly game, but it isn’t going anywhere. I’m just glad that the REALTORS® aren’t either.

*I’m only referring to the really old photos on the south side of the room, NOT the more recent photos. If you can read this, I’m not talking about you. Don’t hurt me. Please.

Pat Cline
MIBOR Political Affairs Liaison