FAQS
Q: How do I know if I qualify for SEND housing?
A: There are various home buying options with different qualifying criteria. SEND staff will work with you to determine which program meets your needs. Contact us with income information to determine which program best fits your needs.
Q: Why would I want to make a monthly payment that might be more than my rent?
A: Rent is, in a way, like paying for utilities. You can’t hold the heat or the electricity you pay for at the end of the month and you certainly can’t sell your electricity when you’re finished with it. Owning a house is a physical investment. If you completely pay-off your mortgage, then no more monthly housing checks! And if you decide to move, well, you’ll make a few bucks off your house if you own it. Here’s proof.
Q: What’s a mortgage? I’m new to this house buying business.
A: In a nutshell, it’s a loan. Most of us don’t have enough money just sitting in our bank accounts to buy a house, so typically you’ll make a down payment on the house and then pay an agreed sum over a set period of time until you’ve paid off the loan and then the house is yours! Like most loans, a mortgage will involve paying interest, so the sooner you can pay off your house, the less it should cost in the long run.
Q: What if I have bad credit? Can I still buy a house?
A: Typically we’ll start by referring potential homebuyers struggling with credit to the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP) but that doesn’t mean you can’t become the owner of a SEND home.
Q: How can I be sure about the structural integrity of my new home?
A: SEND homes are completely renovated. We strip the interior walls and sometimes the flooring completely down to the framing so that we expose any problems needing a fix. Then we start the re-construction process with any repair that the foundation might need. We install all new plumbing, electric, heating, and air conditioning, which you’ll be thanking us for every day. And the walls and floors are recovered.
The bathrooms and kitchens are fitted with completely new sinks, tub/showers, and cabinetry. The kitchens included a new stove, refrigerator, garbage disposal, and laundry area. And, last but certainly not least, the exterior of the home is completed with new insulated windows, a new roof, and new siding.
Q: I have kids. What does education look like in the area?
A: We have traditional public schools and the SENSE elementary charter school, and the Fountain Square Academy, housed in the same location as SENSE, which takes the students all the rest of the way through high school.
Q: Do I need to have a car to get around in the neighborhood?
A: You really can get by without a car here. Both pocket and environmentally friendly, our area is serviced by Indy Go and we’ve got a local grocery store, library, affordable dining, and shopping all within walking distance.
Q: What’s the nightlife look like on the southeast side?
A: We’re certainly open later than 5:00PM if that’s what you mean. There’s Action Duckpin Bowl & Atomic Bowl Duckpin which is open until midnight six nights a week, a wide variety of dining selections, The White Rabbit Cabaret, occasional wine tastings, special events with Big Car or Radio Radio, the art fair in September and the Tonic Ball in November. And if that isn’t enough, there are plenty of other options nearby.