America is a great nation and despite what the press might sometimes have you believe is always at the forefront of embracing new, green technology.

Right now there are 30,000 wind turbines spinning across our vast country and the economic effect of this blooming industry is being felt.

Wind turbines contain around 8,000 parts and they are often manufactured in the US (in fact, about half the components used in wind farms are made in the U.S., compared with 25 percent in 2004) – in particular here in the midwest. Which is poised with the right manufacturer mix to be able to feed the supply chain with parts.

In Indiana, potential component manufacturers could create 25,180 new jobs out of the total $62.2 billion in investment. It is also estimated that 398,000 jobs could be created from the 185,000 megawatts of wind generation that should be installed in upcoming years. Indiana is among the top 10 states for investment and job-creation potential with the state ranking sixth in the number of employees – 53,064 of them – working at firms that have the technical potential to become active manufacturers of wind turbine components.

Even more local, here in Northwest Indiana, LaPorte County is listed among the top 20 counties in Indiana supplying component parts.

This is an excited time for 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!

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!

Northwest Indiana is a beautiful place in Summer – Crown Point, Valpo and Hammond as well as all other communities in the region shine in the summer sun – flowers are in bloom and everyone has vacations on their mind!

However, something that is not at the forefront for homeowners in the region this summer is their electricity bill. As we all know in summer as we all turn on the air conditioning costs go up! However,  small habit changes can add up to big savings when it comes to electricity. But where to start?

Well here are some summer electricity bill cutting tips!:

1. Unplug – Standby? No! Devices draw a small amount of electricity just by being plugged in, so pull the plug!

2. Lighting – Switch old fashioned lightbulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs – these last ten times longer than traditional bulbs, will pay for themselves in six months and use 75% less energy! A winner all round!

3. Washer, Dryer & Dishwasher etc: These use alot of energy, so if yours is on its last legs then replace it for an energy star rated machine as these use alot less energy and save you big bucks over their lifetime.

4. Thermostat: Turn up the AC Thermostat when you are out during the day and turn the temperature down when you are in to make yourself comfortable. Most modern systems have this feature automatically – make sure it is turned on!

5. Not in a room? Turn off the light – it may be an old one, but its true!

Just by following these tips you save yourself some money as well as help the environment here in NWI.

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!

Yes we have said before, but it is being shown to be more and more true that Northwest Indiana’s economy is robust and that the area makes an excellent relocation destination.

Even in terms of comparing the region to the rest of the state – NWI is faring great!

Elkhart, Howard and Kokomo counties all need double digit rises in their economy to get it back on track, whereas Lake and Porter Counties only needing around 4%. Meaning that a small change will cause the region to be properly out of recession. Right now the recovery is very much underway with higher employment, lowever unemployment, more home sales and more and more industry moving to the region to take advantage of its fanstatic proximity Chicago.

Pending home sales have risen for three consecutive months nationally with double digit rises compared to 2009. Also, Job wise Indiana added 22,700 jobs in April, the largest over-the-month increase in employment since February 1999 according to the Building Indiana blog. The region of course also has its own development district championing growth in the area!

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!

Corn, Corn and more corn!

St. John is a vibrant and fun community and now that summer is here it is time to let down your hair and have a little fun in Northwest Indiana!

The St. John Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club will hold their annual community Corn Roast this coming Friday, August 13th 2010 from 4-8pm. Mark your calendars now!

This exciting event is in its 7th year now and will be helf on the lawn at the community hospital outpatient centre. Last year there were around 2,500 local’s in attendance making it a great successful event all round. Residents should be made aware that proceeds are invested straight back into the community, so local residents are helping themselves and having fun in the process!

Those coming out to enjoy this year’s event will receive a sandwich, chips, beverage and all the corn they can eat. – In addition to the corn there will be live music from a band, kids activities and much, much more! Fun for the whole family!

Tickets are available for $5.00 in advance at all St. John financial institutions or by calling the chamber office at (219) 365-4686. Tickets will also be available at the door for $7.00.

See what a great community we have here in Northwest Indiana? No wonder there are people relocating to the area everyday!

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 Carnegie Library here in Crown Point, Indiana is part of the 1,700 libraries that were created from funds from the donations of noted philanthropist and steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie.

Carnegie’s money helped construction of 9 libraries here in Lake County as well as 2 in Porter County in the early 1900’s.

However, the city is considering selling the Carnegie Library in Crown Point, Indiana when its new facility opens in the next couple of years. Officials hope to find a buyer who appreciates its place in history when it could go for sale in under two years. Afterall, this is a part of Crown Point as well as our nations history! Many of the buildings which were part of the 1,700 have been destroyed, whereas others serve as gift shops and museums.

The library is 102 years old and once served as one of the main community focal points for Crown Point, IN. But now it is too small and is currently used for library offices, storage and meetings.

Stay tuned to our blog for more news on this important Crown Point icon!

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!

HOT OFF THE PRESS!

NAR praises senators who are proposing that the homebuyer tax credit be extended!

Three Senators have been trying to introduce a measure to extend the deadline to September 30th 2010.

The measure was offered as an amendment to H.R. 4213, a tax extension bill now in the Senate. The Senators supporting the bill are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sens. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn.

NAR and all of us are acutely aware that there are so many buyers rushing to close on their home before the deadline! In fact, NAR estimates the number of home buyers who have qualified for the tax credit and met the contract deadline of April 30, but who would not be able to close their transaction by the June 30 deadline, could go as high as 180,000. Delays are often on the mortgage side of things as the sheer volume of applications is delaying processing.

After all these buyers have worked hard to secure a home before the contract deadline but might not close due to a work flow jam.

An extension of this date to the end of September would allow some much needed breathing space for those buyers here in Northwest Indiana.

We will keep you posted on what happens.

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!