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Dylan’s Blog
A downtown legacy, and the power of community.
This post highlights our family’s deep connection with Downtown Indianapolis—a story steeped in dedication to mutual aid, resilience, and the art of shaping neighborhoods into inclusive havens.
The story begins with my maternal grandfather, John Liell– a luminary in both academia and activism. As a sociology professor at IU Bloomington, and later IUPUI, he balanced his work at the University with ardently advocating for the cause of civil rights and fair housing. His unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and community empowerment was a guiding light for our family’s ethos.
John Liell (aka Papa Doc) in his element.
Fast forward to the late 1970s and the move to IUPUI, Papa (as we called him) fell in love with and bought a house that would become a family and community hub. Located in Herron Morton, (a historic area that had seen a long period of divestment and neglect) this choice wasn’t merely about property acquisition, it was about becoming a part of the existing neighborhood and investing in preserving the beauty that was there.
The legacy of community building continued when in 1983, Dave & Becky Hostetter, (my folks) moved to the Davidson’s subdivision of Downtown Indy later known as Cottage Home Neighborhood. There they helped to form a dynamic, inclusive neighborhood association—one born from a collective desire to safeguard the heart of community already embodied by the area’s long-time inhabitants.
Our family home on Dorman St during renovations.
This safeguarding was a necessity, as a looming INDOT proposed freeway exit ramp threatened to displace lives and erase history.
With impassioned vigor, our family and our neighbors rallied and formed a united front against the impending threat of eminent domain, and in the process helped to form the neighborhood association that still thrives today. The people ultimately triumphed in their remonstrations, preserving the soul of Cottage Home and ensuring its survival and vitality despite the odds against them.
Former mayor William Hudnut with my brother Demian, my mom Becky, and Tim Harmon, at the 1985 Block Party.
The Hostetter Crew in front of the Ruskaup building across the street from our house.
It’s impossible to have a conversation about the Downtown revitalization without acknowledgment of the deeper complexities involved. The fight for preservation and renewal is often juxtaposed with the racist history of redlining (among other dubious practices) and the enduring impact on these communities, the struggle against displacement, and the painful erosion of diversity. Facing this history, we are compelled to fortify our commitment to champion a future where everyone can find belonging, and every voice resonates.
With all of this in mind and in the spirit of honoring our legacy, Kat and I are fully invested– in mind, body, and spirit– in being in community with our neighborhood, as exemplified by our support of local non-profits, community service, and the renovation of our Windsor Park/Springdale home in 2022. This dwelling is more than brick and mortar or home equity; for us it’s putting into action what we’ve learned “home” should be all about: a place for friends, family, and neighbors to gather and be in community together.
Today, as we celebrate our heritage, we extend an invitation– to share our fervor for living in community, and for working toward inclusivity.
Join us in this collective endeavor to shape the future of Downtown Indy—a journey not just of transactions, but of enriching lives and fostering vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. Together, let’s continue weaving a tapestry where lives and legacies intersect, and past struggles inspire present action.
Welcome to our legacy, welcome to Downtown Indy—a testament to resilience, hope, and the transformative power of community-driven change.
Warm Regards,
Dylan & Kat
A Message From Sarah Grain
As I sit and reflect on my adventures in real estate from 2024, what strikes me most is how honored we are as agents to be included in the incredible stories of transition and transformation that our clients undergo during the process of buying and selling a home. I am undoubtedly grateful for my clients’ business this past year, but I am even more grateful to be a part of those stories.
When a person gets to the point of taking action on their homeownership journey, they may have spent many years visualizing this move. They may have nurtured this little seed, this dream, and fed it regularly until it grew enough to take shape into a vision big enough for action. And then, they pass that little sprout to us, their real estate agent, and trust to find the perfect place for planting. Not only that, but they trust us to foresee and respond to any barriers and roadblocks, believing in our ability to get their dream planted safely so it can flourish.
On the other hand, some real estate moves are not anticipated but rather are responses to traumatic events in someone’s life. A death, a divorce, or an unexpected job transfer; these events introduce a great deal of anxiety, hesitancy, self-doubt, and panic. Again, we as real estate agents are trusted to take this wilting plant of someone’s unfulfilled dream and help it find new soil, new sun, and a wind of change to bring new life and second chances. We are let into incredibly intimate moments of someone’s pain and loss, and invited to walk with them toward a new dawn.
I have a lot of wishes for my clients in the New Year:
- for my clients who moved to Indy to be closer to their children, I wish them much laughter, delicious roasts in the oven, and games to be enjoyed together.
- for my client who is now living on his own after 40 years of marriage, I wish him the serenity and joy of discovering his tastes, his aesthetic, and in transforming his new home into his happy place.
- for my clients who moved across the country unexpectedly after a job transfer, I wish them the delight of new friendships and excitement in the adventure of exploring a new city.
- for my clients who downsized so they could spend half of the year in Costa Rica, I wish them the beauty of sunrises and sunsets with good Costa Rican coffee in hand … Pura Vida!
- for my client who bought a historic fixer-upper with his dad, I wish him many fulfilling, productive hours in the presence of the person who is most proud of him.
- for my client who sold his home to move to Sweden with the love of his life, I wish him many cozy nights by the fire in their Nordic cabin, and awestruck moments watching the splendor of the Northern Lights.
- for my client who sold her investment condo to pay for her daughter’s college education, I wish her the fulfillment of a mother’s unconditional love.
- for my clients who bought their first home together, and got engaged during the home-search process, I wish them the deep joy of weaving the fabric of their lives together, now and always.
Sometimes, helping someone on their real estate journey feels like a simple act of giving back. One of my clients this year was also my children’s elementary school teacher for 4 consecutive years, during the most formative time in their lives. He shaped them, inspired them, challenged them, and made them who they are today. How could I possibly reciprocate what he did for our family?
These and other stories inspire me, humble me, and fill me with pride and gratitude that I was trusted and invited to be a part of them. I’ve never seen being a realtor as “selling houses.” To me, we are service providers, counselors, cheerleaders, and advocates. We are problem-solvers, puzzlers, and barrier-breakers. We are the ones to break the bottle of champagne to celebrate our clients’ successes, and the ones to sweep the floor.
And we, in fact, are the lucky ones.
