Jody Jones Elkhart County Real Estate Agent

When I was a child my grandma possessed some delightful Singer Sewing cards that had bird and bird egg illustrations on them. I attribute my love of birds, gardens and sewing to my Grandma Jones. She also taught me about being patient.

I have put out 3 bluebird houses for the last 3 years. I keep 2 heated birdbaths for the birds and have been rewarded each year in those long cold days of winter with groups of bluebirds stopping by for a drink. The brilliant flash of blue feathers against the grey skies brought me hopes of spring and the thought "next spring they will come back to make nests in my houses". Up until now, I was disappointed, although a couple of house wrens were very happy to find the "deluxe" bluebird accomodations available for their nests.

In 2009 we have hit the JACKPOT! A nesting pair settled in the tiniest of my houses and have now raised 2 broods of 4 babies and are currently laying a third brood, with 3 tiny blue eggs currently in residence. Each day I faithfully reward them with meal worms to feed hungry babies. I also do nest checks daily to make sure all is well and pests havent attacked the babies. My reward is seeing these tiny bits of fluff grow into flying youngsters.

I feel the same sense of accomplishment watching them fly as I do when I wrap up another transaction. Even when its been a tough one to close, it is still time to "give yourself a pat on the back". We all get so caught up in what we are doing, in reacting to the last call, text or email. Grab a lemonade, find a shady tree and take some time today to reflect on how things are going. Take a few moments to get excited about the possibilities coming your way and get out there and MAKE IT HAPPEN!

From a just released report from the Indiana Association of Realtors, we find a continuing down trend in the state and the local Elkhart County market.

For the State through May 08 compared to May 09

Total Units Sold Down from 5,811 to 4,660 or a 19.8% decrease

Median Prices Down from $115,000 to 110,100 or 4.3% decrease

For Elkhart County May 08 compared to May 09

Total Units Sold Down From 131 to 121 for a 7.6% decrease.

Median Price Down from $115,000 to $86,500 for a 24.8% decrease.

Year -To-Date Sales Totals for the State

Total Units Sold Down from 23095 to 18498 for a decrease of 19.9%

Median Sales Price Down from $107,000 to $97,000 for a decrease of 9.3%

For Elkhart County Year-To-Date Sales

Total Units Sold Down from 601 to 461 for a decrease of 23.3%

Median Sales Price Down from $108,000 to $85,000 for a decrease of 21,3%

Links to original statistics, courtesy of the IAR (used w/ permission)

http://www.indianaishome.com/4_0_Reports.asp

Have we found the bottom yet? One would hope so, but with foreclosures and short sales continuing to batter our home values and sales, it remains to be seen. Although we have seen some upward movement in activity this year, the numbers unfortunately don't reflect this.

So if you are a homeowner who is being forced to move due to relocating your job to another state, you will have to have a brutally honest agent helping you to determine an agressive pricing strategy along with a marketing package that will put your home in front of the pack in condition and price.

Even if you are relocating to a market that has not been hit hard, its likely you will be paying less on the other end as well, so take that into consideration when your agent suggests marketing your home for several thousand dollars less than you think its worth. In addition to having your home in tip top condition, you need to calculate how much its going to cost you to carry this home from month to month. The last thing you want to do is hang on to that higher price for too long and after a few months of paying double payments you find yourself in a financial box.

Be smart, be aware and GO SELL YOUR HOUSE!

Lots of people have heard of Twitter by now. A good portion of you are "tweeting" regularly to stay in touch with your network, friends, family and people tweet in hopes of finding their next client or referral.

How about helping someone find their next job via Twitter? From a single tweet on January 29, 2009 has come a great idea for helping people desparate to find a job. "Job Angels" are joining up right and left. Those needing work describe their expertise in 140 characters or less (quite a talent in itself). Meanwhile those who have jobs to fill are becoming Job Angels to read the tweets and get in touch with folks who can fill the jobs they have to give.

Many people in the world today look at the US and think we are going down for the count. Some of them are rejoicing at the thought. How little they actually know the American people and their spirit. From the food bank drives being held all over the country. From the school kids saving their pennies to help another in need. Job Angels is another example of light in the dark that we all need.

If you or someone you know could become a Job Angel, will you do your part by telling them of this worthy effort and directing them to the newly created Job Angels Website? http://www.jobangels.org/ You can also Tweet @JobAngels to get more information.

Winter does not deter me, I enjoy its frosty days and even the occasional blizzard. This time of year I am ready for winter to be gone and spring to arrive. My internal clock wants spring days and my appetite wants something different, something thats not comfort food, that has some crunch. This is a recipe that I use to give me the crunch I am craving, bright color on my plate and the promise that soon it will be warm again.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Winter Coleslaw

Place in a large mixing bowl

1 cup chopped walnuts ( alternate choice: 1 cup toasted, chopped or sliced almonds)

1/4 c sunflower seeds

1 tsp. celery seed

1 cup shredded carrots

1 c. dried cranberries

2 cups red cabbage

2 cups green cabbage

2 Tbs chopped fresh chives

Dressing:

1/3 cup of white balsamic vinegar (can use white vinegar if balsamic is not available)

1/4 cup sugar or to taste

1/4 cup canola or light olive oil

Salt and pepper to your taste

Mix dressing ingredients in a shaker, shake and mix well until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over salad ingredients, let set a minimum of 4 hrs or more before serving. This is a salad that gets better with each day.

Will keep for 5-6 days.