At Home in LaGrange County Indiana

Our Local Monthly Newsletter for Shipshewana and Topeka

is called the Hometown Treasure and is published by Aurora Services.  It updates residents on what is happening in Shipshewana, Topeka, and in LaGrange County.   Inside, you'll find school calendars, photos and articles for Westview Schools that include: memorable moments, elementary student birthdays, sporting events and accomplishments.  This month they also featured pictures of the graduating seniors. Calendars for events planned at all branches of the LaGrange County Library, and by the LaGrange County Council on Aging also come in handy all month long.   You can also read reports from city and county government on current topics of interest, check the law enforcement activity or find a local church. 

You will also find regular articles about local history and customs, festivals, nature, astronomy, spirituality, and a mystery farm contest.  Menno Hochstedler writes a monthly column, "Menno's Tech Minutes" with tips on use and care of household appliances.  And Jamie Miller writes, "Upon Further Inspection..." with information about the importance of home inspections and explanations of the structures and systems found in the home

Those columns gave me the idea for a column answering real estate related questions.  In dealing with consumers, I have found many people who don't understand the process and some of the terms that are used.  Part of my job is to educate consumers so they can make informed decisions with confidence.   And the Hometown Treasure seemed like a great place to reach consumers and offer my help.  

My first column is about the first step to take when you are thinking about buying a home.  I also include the monthly activity in the LaGrange County housing market.

Here is a copy of my first article:

Saturday May 3rd from 9:00-11:00 at Pine Knob County Park

Stop in Saturday morning and listen to guest speakers tell us about their government agencies, responsibilities, and jurisdiction in protecting the valuable natural resources in our county.

Is Spring finally here?

When I got up this morning and opened the curtains, I saw the heron!  We enjoyed watching him all last summer.  Even though I knew it was too dark for a good picture, I had to try.  Then, as I was getting ready to snap the shot, the geese swam by.

While I was waiting for more light, I was thinking about how much I have missed watching the wildlife since the weather changed.  Last summer, along with usual kinds of birds and waterfowl, we also had occasional visits from swans.  Across the lake, we watched a mother deer and two little ones come in to drink and swim.   We would sit on the pier and watch the fish, turtles, frogs, and snakes.  There were also squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, and skunks. 

I had to pull myself away to get the kids up and around for school.  As the sun rose a little more, I stopped and snapped another picture.

After the buses came for the kids, I came back to check the light.  It was still a little too dark.  It was so quiet, I could hear all the birds around the feeders and the sounds from the woods.  At dawn and in the evening, we can hear so many sounds from the different animals.  I remembered sitting around listening and guessing sounds with the kids.  And laughing when the sound was from the bison ranch next door.

I had just convinced myself I could be a little late for work.  In a few minutes, the light would be perfect. 

But the heron had other plans.

Open House - Surprising Turnout

I think the best time for an Open House is right when it is listed, it gives the neighbors and the curious a chance to see a house they have always wondered about- who better to sell a neighborhood to friends and family than someone who lives there? 

I just created a survey to give to attendees to find out what they think about the house and its price to use next time.  I heard many comments about what they liked and didn't like.  I'm wondering if maybe they'll offer up even more in writing.  This feedback is valuable in making sure the price and condition are aligned with what buyers expect in today's market.

I hesitated to schedule an open house; the weather this time of year is hard to predict.  When I woke up to snow flurries, I just knew I'd be sitting alone in the cold house for two hours.  As the hour approached, and I was fighting wind and snow putting up the flags and repositioning the signs that had blown over, I was even more convinced.

Right at 2:00, the first visitor arrived.  And they just kept coming!  I had 18 people come through.  I know a lot of agents who think open houses are a waste of time.  And I've heard more than once that houses never sell at an open house.  Many agents only have them when the seller insists.  And while many attendees thought this house needed too much work for them, there was some genuine interest.  I guess time will tell how serious that interest was.

But for me, the measure of success wasn't if the house sold that day, because I got to spend over 2 hours meeting people who are either interested in buying a house or like looking at houses.  And some of them really wanted to talk real estate!  We talked about lenders and the local market.  We talked about how to change the home to accommodate their needs and some of the fun things about a house that was built in 1880.  I handed out a lot of cards and personal brochures that explain how I work with my clients and how the home buying process works. 

It has been a long winter, and it is encouraging to see that there are buyers out there and they are ready to BUY!  Now I just need to figure out what to do with all of these chocolate chip cookies.... 18 people- and only 2 cookies gone. There's another surprise.