Waterfront Lifestyles-Small Town and Country Living on the Lakes in Northeast Indiana

Although I am starting my third year at Real Estate Sails, the first two were spent as a licensed assistant.  So this will be my first year as an agent.  One of my best attributes is  my enthusiasm for helping people achieve their goal of home ownership whether it is their first home or their next home.  I have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge that keeps me reading, attending seminars, and asking questions.  While I was taking my prelicensing course, I was also buying a house.  So, I remember how it feels to be a consumer, and my marketing plan and client care promise are a result of that.  I'm also a numbers person so I'm always analyzing the market.  I enjoy the challenge of learning to use the latest technological tools to ensure I'm doing the most I can for my clients.  I really like to take pictures, so I'll be posting local shots to a website called Localism along with local market information and events. 

Working as an assistant gave me the chance to be "hands on" in a lot more transactions than most local agents would see in five years.  I worked on almost 200 transactions.  In my office, most of the agents have a decade or two of experience locally, so it is a great place to learn.  If you would like a little more background about how I got in the business, you can read my online profile at Active Rain which is an online group where all types of professionals in our business gather to share opinions and offer advice.

Another first is building this website.  Wow!  It has taken a lot more time than I thought.  And I still have more planned.  I will be adding updates on the local market statistics.  Right now I'm working on a "Moving with Kids" page.  I also want to set up an information page for many of the lakes with association information, events, rules, fishing info, history, and hopefully some local stories of past and present events and fishing stories. 

And finally, this is my first blog entry in my first blog.  My plan for this blog is for it to be centered around the theme of living in LaGrange County.  I'm hoping to appeal to locals and those who may be thinking about relocating to our area.  Beyond that, the content will vary between real estate topics and tips, local market statistics, and people, places, and things in LaGrange County.  Feel free to add comments or questions.  If you don't want to participate, but have a topic you would like to know more about you can email me at karen@realestatesails.com . 

The Town of Shipshewana is hosting it's annual Pajama Day event this Saturday, February 2nd.  Get up early and don't get dressed to earn special discounts.  Don't miss the pajama contest at 2:00.  For more information about the event and specific discounts at different stores visit their website.

Shipshewana is a small town with a population of under 600.  But, the town is host to thousands of visitors with even more expected once the planned Town Center is complete.  It will offer a water park, Hudson car museum, a visitors center, and a new hotel.  Shipshewana also has a one of a kind shopping district which includes handcrafted furniture, quilts, candles, crafts, bakeries, local artwork, florists, antiques, and much more.  If you like to shop, you'll find something you like!

If you've been telling yourself for years that one of these days you're going to open your own little shop, now is your chance!  It isn't often that a spot opens up in Shipshewana, and this one is on the corner of two of the busiest streets downtown.  Michael Strawser, the principal broker in our office, Real Estate Sails, Inc., has his mother's shop, Peggy's Creations, listed for sale.  If you are "artsy" or "crafty", or have a special knack for making something that you've always known others would enjoy, you should take the time to visit.  The main shop has 10 rooms (over 1500 sq.ft.) for creating and displaying, with a ramped main entrance.  There's a second building that is currently rented for extra income.  And between the two buildings is an empty lot for outdoor activities or extra parking.  Contact me for more information or to schedule a tour.   Here are a few pictures I took early one snowy morning.