Hicks Team Real Estate

Home
United States
Avilla, IN
Hicks Team Real Estate

Call Directions Website

As a team of REALTORS we are here to serve you in your Real Estate needs. Our team is your team. Buying? Selling? Building? We've got you covered!

We are here to guide you through the process, making it an easy transition as possible while getting you into your next home.

10/16/2026

This one comes up in almost every transaction, and it is worth setting the record straight.

Myth: Once an inspection report comes back, the buyer can ask for repairs or credits on every single item listed.

Reality: You can ask for anything. What you can actually get depends heavily on what the market is doing, what the contract says, and how the inspection items are categorized.

Home inspections routinely come back with 20, 30, or even 50 line items. That does not mean you have 50 things to negotiate. Inspectors are thorough by design, and their reports include everything from major structural concerns down to a missing outlet cover plate or a dripping faucet. Experienced buyers and their agents learn to sort those items quickly into two buckets: things that matter and things that do not.

Major systems, safety issues, and structural concerns, things like a failing roof, a cracked heat exchanger, evidence of water intrusion, or faulty electrical work, are legitimate negotiating points. Cosmetic issues and minor maintenance items generally are not, and pushing hard on them can signal to the seller that you are difficult to work with, which can cost you goodwill at a critical moment in the transaction.

In a competitive market like DeKalb County, where homes are selling in 10 days and inventory is tight, inspection negotiations need to be strategic. A buyer who comes back with a list of 30 repair requests risks losing the deal entirely. A buyer who focuses on the two or three items that genuinely matter is far more likely to reach a resolution that works for everyone.

Inspections are not a second chance to renegotiate the price. They are a tool to make sure you are not walking into a serious problem. Used correctly, they protect you. Used poorly, they can cost you the home.

10/14/2026

Butler has been a cornerstone of DeKalb County since before Indiana was even a state, and that kind of history gives a place a character that is hard to replicate.

The first settlers arrived in what would become Butler Township in October 1834, cutting their own roads through the timber to reach the land they had chosen. The town itself was platted in the 1850s, incorporated as a town in 1866, and elevated to city status in 1903, built largely around the railroad that came through and made it a hub of commerce in the eastern part of the county. The name Butler came from Charles Butler, a director of the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Railroad at the time it was built through the town.

Today Butler is a city of around 2,600 people with a public library, a weekly newspaper in the Butler Bulletin, and the DeKalb County History Museum at 201 E. Main Street, which collects and preserves artifacts, photographs, and records tracing the full story of the county. It is a genuinely worthwhile stop for anyone curious about where this corner of Indiana came from.

The Butler Community Mausoleum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, sits just east of the city and is a striking example of Classical Revival architecture built in 1914. It is the kind of detail that tells you Butler has always taken its community seriously, in life and beyond.

For buyers looking for a community with real roots, reasonable size, and that distinctly Northeast Indiana feel, Butler is worth a closer look. I would love to help you explore what is available.

10/12/2026

September's numbers are in for DeKalb County, and this is the most recent full month of closed data available. There is a lot to unpack here, and one number in particular deserves some honest context.

The median sale price came in at $250,000, down 4% year over year. That is the one figure that might give people pause, but it sits alongside a 23% jump in closed sales and a 10-day median days on market that is down 63% from last September. Homes are selling faster than they have in years and transaction volume is up significantly. A dip in median price in that environment often reflects a shift in the mix of homes selling rather than a loss of value across the board. When more entry-level or mid-range homes close in a given month, the median moves down even when individual properties are holding their value just fine.

The sale-to-list ratio holding even at 96% confirms that sellers are still landing close to asking price when they are priced correctly. Inventory is tight at 1.9 months of supply, down 4% year over year, and with 54 closed sales in a single month the market is clearly active.

The overall picture in DeKalb County heading into fall is one of strong activity and competitive conditions. If you want to talk through what September's numbers mean for your specific situation, I am happy to have that conversation.

10/09/2026

Halloween Is Coming. Fort Wayne Is Ready.

October is in full swing and Fort Wayne has no shortage of ways to get into the spirit. Here are some of the best Halloween-themed events happening right now and through the rest of the month.

Kuehnert Dairy Fall Festival is running every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through October 25 out at Kuehnert Dairy Farm. Think 6-acre corn maze, pumpkin picking, hay rides, farm animals, and the newly opened Milk House retail store and cafe. It is a great option for families and one of the better fall traditions in the area.

Zoolooween is happening every weekend through October 31 at the Fort Wayne Zoo. Break out the costumes, hit the treat stations, and enjoy each weekend's special theme. Kids love it, and honestly, so do adults. Just note that guests 13 and older cannot wear costume masks or hoods.

Haunted Brickworld kicks off this weekend, October 10 and 11, at the Memorial Coliseum. Thirty-eight thousand square feet of LEGO creations, interactive play areas, and activities for the whole family. If you have a kid who is into LEGOs, this one is a no-brainer.

The Pumpkin Path Display is also running now through October 25 at the Botanical Conservatory, with pumpkins, gourds, hay bales, and gnomes decorating the outdoor gardens for festive fall photo ops.

It is Curious Events Day today, which feels appropriate given that list. Go find something a little out of the ordinary this weekend.

10/07/2026

Churubusco has one of the most recognizable identities of any small town in Allen County, and it earned it honestly. Known as "Turtle Town USA," the city's famous connection to the American snapping turtle goes back to 1898, when a large turtle reportedly nicknamed "Oscar" was spotted in a local lake. The legend stuck, and Churubusco has leaned into it ever since with annual Turtle Days celebrations that draw visitors from across the region.

Beyond the turtle lore, Churubusco is a genuinely pleasant small city of around 2,000 people sitting about 20 miles north of Fort Wayne. It has the feel of a community that takes care of itself, with a downtown that maintains its character and a population that shows up for local events and each other.

Whitley County technically borders the area, but Churubusco sits squarely in Allen County and has long been part of the fabric of this market. For buyers looking for that small-town feel with reasonable proximity to Fort Wayne amenities, it is a community worth knowing about.

Today is also National Coffee with a Cop Day, a great reminder that the relationships between communities and the people who serve them matter. If you see a local officer out today, a simple thank you goes a long way.

10/05/2026

August's numbers are in for Allen County, and this is the most recent full month of closed data available. There is an interesting story in this data worth paying attention to, particularly for anyone who has been watching the market closely.

Year over year, the trends remain solid. Median sale price is up 6%, days on market are down 22%, and inventory is down 8% from last August. Those numbers reflect a market that has maintained strong footing over the long term.

What makes August particularly interesting is the month-over-month picture. Inventory ticked up 3% from July, days on market climbed 17%, and closed sales dropped 6% from the previous month. In isolation, those numbers might raise eyebrows. But context matters here. What this tells us is that the scorching pace of the summer market is beginning to normalize as we head into fall, which is a completely expected seasonal pattern. The year-over-year trend is still pointing in a healthy direction, and a 97.4% sale-to-list ratio holding even confirms buyers are still paying close to asking price on well-priced homes.

The short-term data is a flicker, not a trend. The long-term data is still telling a good story for Allen County.

Happy National Do Something Nice Day, by the way. If you have been thinking about reaching out to someone about buying or selling, today seems like a fitting day to make that call.

Address

Avilla, IN

Telephone

+12608971776

Website

http://hicksteamrealestate.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hicks Team Real Estate posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed law practice in Avilla?