Living Local: November 2026

Real estate market update

September 2026 numbers for Kosciusko County, from the Indiana Association of REALTORS:

• Homes sold: 81 (about 21% fewer than a year ago)
• Median sale price: $280,000 (down 10% from last September)
• Median days on market: 40
• Months of inventory: 3.9 (up from last year)
• Active listings: 302 (monthly average)
• Type of market: shifting toward balanced

Buyers have more choices and a little more room to negotiate than a year ago. One month can swing, and this is not a crash. It's a market moving toward balance, where pricing right from day one matters more than it did a year ago.

Top November outings in Northern Indiana

• Lighting of Shipshewana, Nov 6–7, Shipshewana
• Notre Dame home football, Nov 7, 14 and 21, Notre Dame
• Komets 75th anniversary weekend, Nov 14–15, Fort Wayne
• Night of Lights, Nov 25, downtown Fort Wayne
• Festival of Trees, Nov 25–Dec 2, Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne
• Pokagon State Park toboggan run, opens Nov 27, Angola

Local happenings in Kosciusko County

• Veterans 5K for Magical Meadows, Nov 7, 9 am, Winona Lake
• WCHS Band pancake breakfast, Nov 7, 8 am, Warsaw Community High School
• Heavenly Harmonies (Symphony of the Lakes), Nov 14, 7 pm, Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts
• Herpetology lecture, Nov 17, 6 pm, Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams
• Euchre night, Nov 20, 6 pm, North Webster Library
• Downtown Christmas celebration, Dec 4, 5–8 pm, downtown Warsaw
• Annie, the holiday musical, opens Dec 4, Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts

Dates and times can change, so check with each one before you go. For this week's events, see the events page.

Tip of the month

Thinking about selling in the spring? Winter is the time to get ready. Declutter one room at a time, fix the small things, and gather receipts for any updates you've made. I'm happy to walk through your home now and give you a short list of what's worth doing, with no pressure to list.

Fall home maintenance tips

• Clean gutters and downspouts after the leaves fall so melting snow drains away.
• Shut off outdoor faucets: unhook hoses and drain the lines before the first hard freeze.
• Service the furnace: a fall tune-up and a fresh filter help it run safely all winter.
• Check windows and doors: new caulk or weather stripping keeps drafts out.
• Test smoke and CO detectors, swap batteries, and check the dates on each one.
• Get the chimney cleaned and inspected before the first fire of the season.
• Test the sump pump with a bucket of water.
• Lake homes: book pier and lift removal early.

Grow herbs indoors this winter

Basil, parsley, chives, mint and thyme all do well on a sunny windowsill. Use small pots with drainage holes and a light potting mix, give them your sunniest window, turn them every few days, and water when the top of the soil feels dry. A small grow light helps if your windows don't get much winter sun.

Recipe: Maple Dijon salmon and fall vegetables

Serves 4. Prep 15 minutes, cook 30 minutes. Ingredients: 4 salmon fillets, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper, 1 lb baby potatoes (halved), 2 cups butternut squash (cubed), 1 cup Brussels sprouts (halved).

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
2. Toss the potatoes and squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast 15 minutes.
3. Whisk the maple syrup, mustard, garlic powder and remaining oil.
4. Push the vegetables to the sides, add the salmon and Brussels sprouts, brush the salmon with the sauce and drizzle the rest over the vegetables.
5. Roast 12 to 15 more minutes, until the salmon flakes easily. Serve warm.

Featured business: Bill's Heating, Inc.

My go-to for heating and cooling. Bill's Heating handles furnace and air conditioning installs, repairs and tune-ups, with offices in Warsaw, Goshen and LaGrange. Warsaw office: 226 S. Cleveland St, 574-267-3678, billsheatinginc.com.