About Lagrange County, IN

HOWE was the first white settlement in LaGrange County, Indiana in 1834 then known as Mongoquinong because of the Potawatomi Indians who were native to this region. the name was changed to Lima and then to Howe, afer John B Howe, a founder of the community's first bank.

The Howe Military School was founded in 1884-it is a military school with co-educational military private college preparatory boarding school for students in grades 5 through 12. The school is located on SR9 in Howe, Indiana and is affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The St James Chapel (which I have posted a photo) has hand-carved interior and holds recitals and concerts which are open to the public.

Howe also has a United Methodist Church as well as the Lima Presbyterian Church establised in 1833 (photo posed).

The Town Square Park is located in the center of the quaint village of Howe, Indiana and serves a a gathering place for ice cream socials, Farmers Market and various events for the community. Howe has a population of approximately 1,000 with a volunteer fire department and a number of historic buildings and homes.

Elementary studenst attend Lima-Brighton School (Kindergarten through 5th grade) then to Lakeland Junior and High School in LaGrange, Indiana.

May 2008

(Numbers in parentheses are average list prices). As of May 31st, 2008, there are 289 homes currently for sale (174,480). They have been on the market for an average of 191 days. 76 are lakefront (287,598). 32 homes are located channelfront (177,981), 72 are on ski lakes (321,088) or lakes with access to ski lakes (169,269). 36 are on non-ski lakes (178,005) 29 have association or deeded access (101,209). 152 homes have no lake access (131,163).

In May 2008, there were 10 homes sold with an average sold price of 169,038. They spent an average of 82 days on the market, and were originally listed at an average price of 174,450. There were 43 new homes listed for sale this month at an average list price of 142,644.

The Summer lake season has started. Of the 10 homes that sold in May, 6 were on lakes. If you have been thinking of moving to the lake or getting a second home at the lake, there has never been a better time. Interest rates are still low and there is a great selection of homes in many price ranges. I pulled some stats on what is available today in LaGrange County on our lakes. These prices are all for single family "stick built" homes.

You can get a lakefront home on a ski lake for 174,900! There are 6 others for under 200,000. 14 homes in the 200's, 9 homes in the 300's, 7 homes in the 400's, and 4 homes in the 500's.

You can get a channelfront home on a ski lake for 62,000! There are 3 homes under 200,000, 2 homes in the 300's, and 1 home in the 400's.

You can get a lakefront home on a lake that has access to a ski lake for 249,900! There are 3 homes in the 200's, and 1 home in the 400's.

You can get a channelfront home on a lake that has access to a ski lake for 69,900! There are 3 homes under 100,000 and 6 homes in the 100's.

If you enjoy the peace and quiet of a fishing lake, you can get a lakefront home for 63,900! There are 3 homes under 100,000, 13 homes in the 100's, 9 homes in the 200's, and 3 homes in the 300's.

There is one channelfront home on a fishing lake for 111,900 and 5 other homes in the 100's.

If you would like make a move to the lake this summer, contact me today. I would be happy to help you find what you are looking for and I can show you any home listed by any company or agent in the area.

All figures are based on data supplied by the Northeastern Indiana Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service for the period starting 05/01/2008 to today.

April 2008

What is currently for sale?

(Numbers in parentheses are average list prices). As of April 30th, 2008, there are 280 homes currently for sale (178,429). They have been on the market for an average of 191 days. 73 are lakefront (297,624). 33 homes are located channelfront (176,675), 90 are on ski lakes (280,258) or lakes with access to ski lakes (162,682). 44 are on non-ski lakes (161,446) 28 have association or deeded access (98,973). 146 homes have no lake access (134,465). There were 50 new homes listed for sale this month with an average list price of 185,384.

What sold this month?

In April 2008, there were 10 homes sold with an average sold price of 128,890. They spent an average of 139 days on the market, and were originally listed at an average price of 138,900.

*These figures are based on data supplied by the Northeastern Indiana Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service for the period starting 04/01/2008 to 04/30/2008.

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.

The LaGrange County Lakes Council has a mission "To promote, protect, and preserve the quality of the lakes and watersheds in LaGrange County". An important part of that mission is to educate the public.

Guest Speakers Include:

Brad Baldwin of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management

Jeremy Price, Lakes Compliance Biologist, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Ryan Cassidy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The event is being held at the Pine Knob County Park. It is located 3 miles east of Howe on SR 120. If you haven't been there yet, it is absolutely beautiful. So take a drive up there this Saturday, see the newest addition to our wonderful county parks, and stop in to learn about preserving the natural beauty and resources we are blessed with here in LaGrange 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.