Moving across the country is not an easy task; so why did we pack up our home in Houston, Texas, drive 17 hours, and put down roots in Hancock County, Indiana?
The short answer: to be close to family, to homestead, and to build a real estate business.
We wanted a place where our businesses and family could thrive. It was important to us for our children to know and develop deep relationships with our family; something we would have had a more difficult time doing while living in Texas.
We also wanted to homestead and live on a large piece of land; Indiana, and specifically Hancock County, has a low property tax rate so purchasing a large piece of land is more budget-friendly. Hancock County also has healthy and fertile soil for growing a garden and maintaining livestock.
Additionally, Indianapolis is consistently rated a top choice for real estate investors as there are many inexpensive properties available to invest in; most investors renovate these properties and then either
1) sell them for profit (top choice for investors recently)
OR
2) keep in their portfolio as a rental and create a passive income stream.
To me, anyone who purchases their home is a real estate investor! You are adding an asset to your portfolio that will build wealth for you and your family for years to come.
The Pandemic Changed It All
Did the COVID-19 pandemic turn your life upside down? Make you question what you truly value and want to put your time, money, and effort into? For my husband, John, and I the pandemic made us slow down and re-evaluate what was important to us and develop a plan to help us both succeed at home and the workplace.
When the pandemic hit, our daughter, Lily, was a little over 1 year old and we were still getting used to our life in Houston, Texas. My husband was getting into a good groove at his new job and I had just started meeting other moms to develop friendships (and playdates) for Lily and I. Then BAM…all of a sudden there were no more mommy meet ups, John was working from home all day, every day, and there was no toilet paper or diapers to be found!
In all seriousness, 2020 was a tough year as my husband’s workplace grew increasingly stressful and I was itching to start working again as Lily was getting more independent and clearly very interested in socializing with other people. John and I had been discussing real estate investing since we purchased our first home in 2018 but hadn’t “pulled the trigger” to purchase one yet. It was then that we realized that the best use of my time would be to get my real estate license so that we could easily purchase investment properties and build a scalable business that could replace John’s income. This became our goal as the pandemic made us realize that, at our core, John and I are both very entrepreneurial and we wanted the flexibility that comes from having multiple streams of income.
What Propelled Us to Move
Fast forward to June 2021 and I finally got my Texas real estate license! I was so pumped as I had so many business ideas and was eager to get my business off the ground. One of my mentors said it best, “You are the CEO of your business!” This motivated me to find the best strategies to build a sustainable real estate business and serve my clients the best way possible.
At the same time, I longed for a second child. I was an only child and growing up and I always wanted a sibling to “do life” with. Like so many things in life, when I least expected it and was just launching my Texas real estate business…SURPRISE! I found out I was pregnant with our second baby.
So there we were…on the edge of growing a business that would require time, effort, and money as well as experiencing the immense joy that comes from answered prayers for a second child. We kept asking ourselves…is Houston REALLY where we want to put down roots? To have our businesses and family thrive here? The answer, we soon realized, was no. John desired to homestead, away from city life, and I wanted to put down roots in a place where our kids could grow up and have stability in those important early years.
OK OK…so where does Indiana come in? Why did we choose Indiana specifically to homestead and build our businesses?
- Be Close To Family
The pandemic made us realize that family ties are incredibly important to us and we wanted our kids to grow up knowing their extended family, grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, etc. John’s parents live in New Palestine and he has other extended family that live in the Indianapolis area. We also have family in Illinois and Missouri so, we realized that our best choice for a new home would be in a location that was closer to everyone (at least driving distance, instead of flying!) We specifically looked for properties that were within a 45 minute drive to New Palestine so that our kids could easily visit with Nana and Papa.
- Build Our Homestead
John has a green thumb (me, not so much) and wanted to create a sustainable food source for us as a family; not only to reduce our grocery bills but also to know the exact quality of the food that we consume. We also wanted to live outside of the city, on a quiet piece of land.
When researching homestead locations, Indiana was continuously rated a top choice for a number of reasons. One of those is low property taxes; in Hancock County, our property tax is less than 1% and with the homestead exemption, we are paying just over $2,000 in taxes…a fraction of what we were paying in Houston!
Another reason Indiana is highly rated for homesteading is because of the climate; we can grow a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as maintain most domesticated animals because the soil is very rich and healthy. Where we live, many of our neighbors have chickens, sheep, cattle, horses, (even llamas!) and beautiful, lush gardens that provide food for their families.When we looked at this data it was a no-brainer; Hancock County, Indiana was a great option for us to purchase our next home!
- Build Our Real Estate Business
Indianapolis is a top choice for real estate investors because there are many inexpensive properties available to renovate and add to your portfolio. One of the main reasons I got my real estate license was to purchase investment properties for our family as well as help others invest in real estate as well. To me, anyone who owns real estate is an investor; you are investing in your family’s future by purchasing a home and maintaining an asset that will grow in value for years to come.
Are you thinking about making a big life change that better serves you and your family? Are you thinking about moving? Maybe to another state? Contact me today- I’d love to connect with you and hear your story.
