Selling your home in any market as we have said before is tough. But with the right action plan and the right team of agents (The Jana Caudill Team!) you can ensure your best chance of success!

Kitchens are always an important area in any house, not just in functionality but in saleability – when it comes to marketing real estate, staying ahead of the crowd and up with the lastest trends is what buyers will be looking for!

The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), founded in 1963 as The American Institute of Kitchen Dealers, has nearly 40,000 members. Earlier this year it released its top trends for kitchens for 2010 and some are listed here:

1. Concealed Kitchens - Open plan, subtle kitchens are in! This means where the kitchen area blends with the rest of home so that the kitchen doesn’t look too noticable.  Complimentary coloring with the surrounding spaces will help here.

2. Thirst Quenching Stations - Sometimes the simplest things are the best! Electronics like wine coolers and built in coffee stations are all the rage! These are now found in high end kitchens and homes and everyone wants them!

3. Round Edges on everything! – Incorporate archways, rounded edge/cornered countertops (granite countertops are a must remember!) by smoothing off these usually harsh lines it creates a new smooth flow of traffic and softens the look of a room. 

4. Foreign Influences – Years ago everyone wanted an oriental themed kitchen that was simple, minimalist and incorporated clean lines, this trend is ongoing, but how about other parts of the world? A featured piece of art work from a distant land as a focal point in a kitchen can help give inspiration in the remodel and allow you to design the kitchen in a complimentary way. Perhaps a Scandinavian design?

In short when deciding to upgrade or totally remodel a kitchen to help in selling a home spending a little money in certain areas and following the latest trends can pay you dividends by helping speed up the selling process and helping peak buyer interest in your home.

Of course, using the right agent is also key in any home sale! Sellers in  Northwest Indiana and the surrounding area please contact us to let us help you sell your home! 

Thinking of relocating to the Northwest Indiana area? You can use our moving truck for FREE!

As one of the top producing teams of experts in our field both locally and Nationally, our full service team strives hard to make sure your real estate transaction is a truly rewarding experience.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Northwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Jana Caudill and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Northwest Indiana Real Estate needs. You can call the office on: 219-661-1256 or email us on: jana@janacaudillteam.com

We believe you win in life by helping others. Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to help you too!

Now for some news which at first may seem like it is very negative – home sales fell in July in Northwest Indiana.

However this should not be seen as entirely bad or unexpected as of course with the end of the Homebuyer Tax Credits it is natural that numbers should take a hit.

The tax credit very much encouraged buyers to rush to get their foot in the door while they could claiim it. Now that it is over, August and Septembers figures will be even more telling.

But! Buyers still have a fantastic opportunity to purchase a home in Northwest Indiana at a great price and with a low fixed rate mortgage.

Nationally the news is similar, Lawrence Yun, NAR’s Chief Economist has said that slightly lower numbers may continue for a few more months after the surge of buyers but that they should level out due to the high level of affordability.

However, even with sales lowever than they have beed for a few months, annual sales are expected to reach 5 million in 2010 because of healthy activity in the first half of the year. To place in perspective, annual sales averaged 4.9 million in the past 20 years, and 4.4 million over the past 30 years meaning that overall 2010 could be a bumper year!

According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low 4.56 percent in July from 4.74 percent in June; the rate was 5.22 percent in July 2009. Last week, Freddie Mac reported the 30-year fixedand that last week it was down to 4.42 percent!

However, there is some interesting national news on prices! The national median existing-home price for all housing types was up 0.7% from a year ago, Single-family median existing-home prices were higher in 11 out of 19 metropolitan statistical areas reported in July in comparison with July 2009. Also, raw unsold inventory is 12.9% below July 2008 numbers. The level of investor purchases also increased with investors accounting for 19% of sales in July, up from 13% in June.

So despite a pause in the trend of home sales increasing the figures show that now is the time to invest in Northwest Indiana Real Estate!

Thinking of relocating to the Northwest Indiana area? You can use our moving truck for FREE!

As one of the top producing teams of experts in our field both locally and Nationally, our full service team strives hard to make sure your real estate transaction is a truly rewarding experience.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Northwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Jana Caudill and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Northwest Indiana Real Estate needs. You can call the office on: 219-661-1256 or email us on: jana@janacaudillteam.com

We believe you win in life by helping others. Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to help you too!

The news is still great – prices are still fabulous for buyers. NAR has released its second quarter Metro home prices report which goes with the latest pending home sales data we wrote about recently. In the second quarter, 100 out of 155 metropolitan statistical areas had higher median existing single-family home prices in comparison with the second quarter of 2009, including 14 with double-digit increases.

Nationally existing-home sales, including single-family and condo, rose 9.1% with sales increasing from the first quarter in 44 states and D.C., also 47 states and D.C. had increases over year-ago sales levels. Regionally, in the midwest, the median existing single-family home price increased 1.4% in the second quarter from the second quarter of last year. Existing-home sales in the midwest rose 14.5% in the second quarter & are 20.9% above the same period in 2009 – this is very much exciting news for Northwest Indiana.

But wait, that’s not all! NAR have stated again that Homeownership is really good for you! They have said: Homeownership and Stable communities go hand in hand. Generally the higher the level of homeownership in a neighborhood, often the crime rate is lower and the quality of life is higher. Also the level of education opportunities is higher as well as the level of happiness as homeowners are more active in their communities. Homeowners move far less frequently than renters, and therefore are embedded into the same neighborhood and community for longer. This allows for social cohesion within the area. Because of this and their civic pride they often report feeling happier and physically healthier. Crown Point, Hammond, Valpo and all Northwest Indiana communities offer a great quality of life for residents!

In short now is most definitely the time to buy a property in Northwest Indiana!

Thinking of relocating to the Northwest Indiana area? You can use our moving truck for FREE!

As one of the top producing teams of experts in our field both locally and Nationally, our full service team strives hard to make sure your real estate transaction is a truly rewarding experience.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Northwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Jana Caudill and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Northwest Indiana Real Estate needs. You can call the office on: 219-661-1256 or email us on: jana@janacaudillteam.com

We believe you win in life by helping others. Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to help you too!

It is exciting times here in Northwest Indiana!

However home sales right across the nation give a mixed picture to the market and its current state.

NAR (The National Association of Realtors) has released information on its Pending Home Sales Index which shows that pending home sales have decreased due to the ending of the homebuyer tax credit.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said this is expected said lower home sales are thought to be the order for the short term – however Yun notes that with exceptionally low interest rates then the market is expected to absorb the remaining inventory relatively quickly. Yun may be right, mortgage applications have been said to have been on the up according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. However interestingly, home prices have increased. They were around 1.3% higher compared with the month before, but they gained 4.6% year-over-year.1.3% higher compared with the month before, but they gained 4.6% year-over-year.

Of course this is the level of contracts, the level of closings or true sales is quite different. Released at the end of last month, single family sales jumped by 24% seasonally-adjusted basis over May, and were 19% above the totals for June 2009 nationwide.

Despite what appears as a mixed bag of data, overall the feeling is positive here in Northwest Indiana.

Thinking of relocating to the Northwest Indiana area? You can use our moving truck for FREE!

As one of the top producing teams of experts in our field both locally and Nationally, our full service team strives hard to make sure your real estate transaction is a truly rewarding experience.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Northwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Jana Caudill and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Northwest Indiana Real Estate needs. You can call the office on: 219-661-1256 or email us on: jana@janacaudillteam.com

We believe you win in life by helping others. Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to help you too!

Here in Northwest Indiana real estate we have some great homes with fantastic interiors, but sometimes buyers or sellers need to renovate spaces within the home to help sell their property. 

So following on from our article about where to focus on small home improvements here are some great tips specifically helping decorate smaller spaces, which also often includes minor bathroom renovations.

A small space  needs to have style and look as large as it can. With the right color, furniture and accessories it can have all this!

Making the most of the natural light that pours into the room is of great importance. Clean windows, skylights and more! Bright, neutral colors on the walls also help reflect the light around better than darker colors that tend to “absorb” the light.  Using cool lighting for the evening hours is also a great idea.

With accessories and furniture, choose smaller pieces that compliment a rooms size and design.  Don’t forget that less is more! Declutter, declutter and declutter! Using smart storage solutions is a great idea – totes that hide clutter, cases and shelves can reall help. Even in the bathroom.

Cleaning is of course of major importantance, particularly in the bathroom but right now in addition to that buyers are loving green features such as low flow shower heads, toilets and faucets etc perhaps consider installing some of these.

Hopefully these tips will help you homeowners, buyers and sellers here in Northwest Indiana – of course the Jana Caudill Team are here to help!

Thinking of relocating to the Northwest Indiana area? You can use our moving truck for FREE!

As one of the top producing teams of experts in our field both locally and Nationally, our full service team strives hard to make sure your real estate transaction is a truly rewarding experience.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Northwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Jana Caudill and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Northwest Indiana Real Estate needs. You can call the office on: 219-661-1256 or email us on: jana@janacaudillteam.com

We believe you win in life by helping others. Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to help you too!

Despite Northwest Indiana seeing an increase in home sales, NAR has released sales figures and the data nationally shows tat sales have slowed a little after the end of the tax credit. So sellers are very much worried about making their home be “the one” that buyers choose.

So what can sellers here in Northwest Indiana do to help get your home sold? When it comes to selling and staging your home there are a few areas that can always do with a little attention. Here are some suggestions on renovations that are affordable to make and take little to no time or effort but have a great impact:

1. The Kitchen – this is obvious – kitchens sell homes. Asides from cleaning replace or repair splashbacks, damaged cupboards, declutter and replace or add handles to your cabinets.

2. High traffic areas – carpets, doorways, handles, baseboards etc. Dust, clean, polish and scrub!

3. Outside – mow the lawn, water plants, clean out any weeds and trim edges. A little elbow grease goes a long way in this area.

4. Bathrooms – replace cracked tiles and caulk lines, repair or replace grouting and most importantly, clean and scrub to the extreme to make your bathroom shine!

5. Clean windows – this might not seem obvious, but a clean window lets in more light which makes a space look and feel larger – on that note, move certain furniture away from the walls by just 1 -2  feet, this really doesn make a space feel larger.

NAR have released the latest sales statistics for the nation and the news is mixed, home sales may be 8.5% up over last year but have slowed after the tax credit ended month on month.

Don’t forget the whole Jana Caudill Team are here with you every step of the way!

Thinking of relocating to the Northwest Indiana area? You can use our moving truck for FREE!

As one of the top producing teams of experts in our field both locally and Nationally, our full service team strives hard to make sure your real estate transaction is a truly rewarding experience.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Northwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Jana Caudill and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Northwest Indiana Real Estate needs. You can call the office on: 219-661-1256 or email us on: jana@janacaudillteam.com

We believe you win in life by helping others. Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to help you too!

Exciting news for Northwest Indiana Real Estate!

Sales in Lake and Porter counties are up! 28.5% in Lake and 27.2% in Poter County in June 2010 compared to June 2009 according to the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors.

There of course was a slight slowdown after April 30th, but sales are on the up! Portage has an estimated nine month supply of homes and people are rushing to list their homes with the news that sales are rising and some say, hints at prices rising too!

Mortgage rates are of course still low and prices are still great. Those who missed out on the $8,000 need not worry – now is very much still the time to buy! NWI is not as hard hit as other areas of the country and it is still a top relocation destination across the nation.

Thinking of relocating to the Northwest Indiana area? You can use our moving truck for FREE!

As one of the top producing teams of experts in our field both locally and Nationally, our full service team strives hard to make sure your real estate transaction is a truly rewarding experience.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Northwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Jana Caudill and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Northwest Indiana Real Estate needs. You can call the office on: 219-661-1256 or email us on: jana@janacaudillteam.com

We believe you win in life by helping others. Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to help you too!

Ok, so looking for a new home is stressful!

Or is it? You can take out the stress of house hunting in Northwest Indiana by being prepared and knowing what you want! Take some time out of the search, or ideally, before the search begins to think about what you want!

Well, where to start? You need to think long and hard about what you want/need from your new/dream home. Creating a wish list is a great idea. Work with your agent too for pointers!

Think about the following areas as a start:

Neighborhood - Local Schools? Community Features you desire? Crime rate?

Location, Location, Location! – How far away is school, work, friends, family, fun?

Type of home - Brick built traditional? Art deco apartment? Cape cod? Colonial? Townhome? open plan? The choices may seem overwhelming!

Property Features/Must Haves – home office? Mother in law suite? are these features sounding like must haves/needs, think about what you want from a home that could help narrow the search!

Property Condition –  No home is perfect, but we might want the condition to be! New vs an existing property is an age old debate – however most homes these days are excellently built and stay relatively maintenance free for years! But still, do you prefer a home that requires no work, or a handyman special?

By trying to think more deeply about what you want you can really speed up the home search process and narrow down your likes and dislikes. Don’t forget the whole Jana Caudill Team are here with you every step of the way!

Thinking of relocating to the Northwest Indiana area? You can use our moving truck for FREE!

As one of the top producing teams of experts in our field both locally and Nationally, our full service team strives hard to make sure your real estate transaction is a truly rewarding experience.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Northwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Jana Caudill and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Northwest Indiana Real Estate needs. You can call the office on: 219-661-1256 or email us on: jana@janacaudillteam.com

We believe you win in life by helping others. Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to help you too!

From Crown Point IN through to Gary IN, those who have been hunting for a home and who are under contract – before the end of April may have felt they got a raw deal when the clock ticked past June 30th and they were waiting to cose.

However, those Northwest Indiana homebuyers who are under contract right now should be rejoicing!

Exciting news from Congress early this month; the home buyer tax credit closing deadline that expired on June 30th has been extended. In part thanks to the National Association of Realtor’s who were key in pressuring Congress to move the deadline to its new date of September 30th 2010.

 The new legislation will allow the estimated 180,000 homebuyers who are waiting for their under contract homes to close who missed the June 30th deadline to now be allowed to claim the credit if they close by September 30th, which is much more managable for lenders who have been swamped with the amount of buyers rushing loans in at the last minute to take advantage of the credit.

However, even if you are not under contract and can claim the credit, prices are still great and rates are still at historic lows – even without the credit, those considering buying a property now have an enticing market to take advantage of! Start searching now before prices and rates increase here in Northwest Indiana!

Thinking of relocating to the Northwest Indiana area? You can use our moving truck for FREE!

As one of the top producing teams of experts in our field both locally and Nationally, our full service team strives hard to make sure your real estate transaction is a truly rewarding experience.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Northwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Jana Caudill and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Northwest Indiana Real Estate needs. You can call the office on: 219-661-1256 or email us on: jana@janacaudillteam.com

We believe you win in life by helping others. Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to help you too!

Looking after your home can be a tough task. But using this summers weather and longer daylight hours..get out there and do some work on your home!

After all, a properly maintained home is a happy home that will save you money over the years in unnecessary repair bills.

Here are some areas to focus on in summer maintenance in Northwest Indiana:

1. Outside space – This is when to dig out the power washer! Clean all decks and patios. Check and repair cracks in the concrete and if you have a deck, check for any rot and problem areas and replace and treat the wood.

2. Roof – Clean, clean, clean! Debris and dirt can build up on an roof thanks to storms, heating and cooling. Even if you are not worried as your roof has a warranty, spending a little time on it can save you thousands of dollars in potential repairs. Replace broken slates/tiles and visually inspect for problem areas.

3. Water/Piping – Check exposed pipes for loose joints, cracked pipes and leaks. Drain your water heater tank if you have one – this will help sediment build up. This can add years to the lifespan of the tank. Also, if you have a septic tank, why not get it pumped?

4. Air conditioning and heating – give your heating and air conditioning system a miantenance check. Check for any problem areas and have it serviced by a professional. Change air filters to protect your home from allergent and air pollutants – this is very cheap and easy to do.

5. Outside your home – check for areas needing paint touch ups, siding that needs replacing and more. This is an area where being proactive can save a lot of money in the winter if you take care of this now.

We hope these tips will help you have a great, productive summer around the house!

Thinking of relocating to the Northwest Indiana area? You can use our moving truck for FREE!

As one of the top producing teams of experts in our field both locally and Nationally, our full service team strives hard to make sure your real estate transaction is a truly rewarding experience.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Northwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively please contact Jana Caudill and the team if you need more specific assistance in your Northwest Indiana Real Estate needs. You can call the office on: 219-661-1256 or email us on: jana@janacaudillteam.com

We believe you win in life by helping others. Thank you for this opportunity. We would love to help you too!