Jana Caudill

Springtime has been peeking in on Northwest Indiana, which means those warm, sunny days are just around the corner! And while Mother Nature gets to work cleaning up the muddy sleet and salty sidewalks, many of us will begin our own spring cleaning projects—some of which might even include upgrades and renovations to our homes.

Whether you’re considering a kitchen remodel in the hopes of increasing your home’s value, or whether it’s just always been a dream of yours to install that Skee-ball Alley in your rec room, it’s a good idea to consider your return on investment for any projects you may have in mind.

Which is why when we came across Forbes’ Real Estate Advisor, Morgan Brennan’s article on The Worst Home Improvements For The Money, we knew we had to share! So take a look. You never know...that complete living room overhaul you’ve been considering might not be necessary. What you really may need is a fresh coat of paint and some smaller touches—and of course all that room-brightening sunshine that comes along with spring! Oh, and if you have any tips to share, please feel free to post them in the Comments! We'd love to hear them!

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 searchNorthwest Indiana Real Estate using our complimentary Northwest Indiana Real Estate MLS Search service. Alternatively pleasecontact 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 Jana Caudill Team is pleased to announce our Summer Reading Club!

Reading is a fundamental part of a child's development and education. Parents are their first and most important teachers. The Jana Caudill Team would like to give your child an incentive to continue to read and write this summer.

All children, 13 and younger, who read a book and submit a short report to The Jana Caudill Team will receive a $5 gift certificate towards the purchase of their next book. The child can then write another report on that book to receive their next gift card.

We will be accepting book reports from June 1^st to August 31^st. All reports must contain the title of the book, child's name, age, and address. We will also accept drawings if the child is too young to write a report.

Parents can send the reports to:

The Jana Caudill Team

Attn: Book Club

503 E Summit Street, Suite 1

Crown Point, IN 46307

Or email to: jana@janacaudillteam.com

Once we have reviewed the report, parents can pick up the first gift card at our office. We will then present your child with their membership card and take their picture. With your permission, the picture will be posted on our website. Additional gift cards will be directly mailed to the child.

We are excited to begin this program and look forward to reading your child's reports. Please contact us if you have any questions.

The sun is shining - well, almost! - here in Northwest Indiana and much like the Cobe Cup Celebration we have lots to look forward too.

May 2010 really kicks off the summer festival season and is right around the corner! With such a great community spirit and families flocking to relocate to some of the best communities in the nation to live work and play no wonder everyone is so excited!

From Valpo to St. John through to Schererville and Crown Point there is something for everyone this summer!

May 1, 2009 - 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm
5th Annual Cinco De Mayo Celebration
Hammond Civic Center, 5825 S. Sohl Ave., Hammond

Tickets are on sale now at the Hammond Civic Center Business Office for $10 each. This popular colorful festival features great Mexican food!

May 02, 2009
Kites & Canines Festival
Sunset Hill County Park, Valparaiso, Indiana

Kite Building and flying, Kids Activities and a K9 2K non-competitive walk. - As we have said before, we are mad on our pooches here in Northwest Indiana - we have written about tips on relocating with your pet through to the cutest pet awards!

May 23 and 24, 2009
Wolf Lake Bi-State Wetlands, Wind and Water Festival

Woah! What an event! Canoeing, kayaking, fishing, kite flying, hiking and more! This is definitely a prestigious event to attend!

May 24, 2009
Valpo Fest
Porter County Expo Center, 215 Division, Valparaiso

Cars, motorcycles, music and more! This is a flagship event for Valpo - Adults $8.00, Children under 12 - $2.00. See http://www.valpo-fest.com/ for more!

May 30 and 31, 2009 - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Spring Antique Show

Love antiques? Well this is the Lake County IN event for you! Admission is $4.00 per person with kids under 12 go free. There are antique dealers offering a variety of wares.

May 31, 2009 - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Art in the Garden Art Fair
Taltree Arboretum and Gardens, Valparaiso

This annual garden event is for all types of artists who display their work for purchase. $5.00 entry fee.

Not forgetting Crown Point, there is the Cruise night on Thursdays 5.00pm - 8.30pm where old cars (pre-1980) cruise the streets which are filled with music from yesteryear! Fun for all the family!

Sounds like we are in for a busy summer as that is just May! If you love the sound of great communities that offer a wide selection of activities for all then Northwest Indiana is for you!

The media may still be a little negative about unemployment and the economy - however, here in Northwest Indiana things are on the up!

Our economy is strengthening locally and the number of job postings are on the rise!

According to findings by the Northwest Indiana Workforce Board (NWIWB), job orders posted by companies through the state WorkOne system have risen dramatically in March.

In fact, the increase is not small, Indiana Career Connect (ICC), the state's online labor exchange, showed a 40% increase in the number of open and available jobs in Northwest Indiana last month.

At the beginning of March, there were a little more than 1,000 open and available positions in ICC. As of Thursday, April 1, 2010, there were more than 1,400 open and available job postings, an increase of 400.

Even nationally, the U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that jobless claims for the nation are down and several national online job search websites have reported that their job postings are up across the board.

The Northwest Indiana Workforce Board (NWIWB) works to mobilize and integrate the leadership, services, and resources of the community to support workforce development. This all goes hand in hand with the general growth of the region.

Northwest Indiana is a great relocation destination for all - including families!