Latest news with #WestLafayette
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Spending Time': Tippecanoe's hot market leaves some buyers searching for affordable homes
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — In their rural West Lafayette home on Monday, May 19, Andrew Jeffries' family of five is settling in after a day full of work and school activities, passing through the living room of their roughly 1,373 square foot house. Jeffries and his wife, Kourtney, purchased the three bedroom, two bathroom home on Hawthorne Ridge Drive for $135,000 in 2017. Moving from Crawfordsville to West Lafayette, Jeffries said the couple didn't think this home, the third they've owned and lived in since they married in 2015, would be their "forever home." But now, as property values in Tippecanoe County continue to increase, Jeffries said they feel stuck in their mortgage. Amid the nearby incoming development of the "Millbrook," a housing development estimated to build 771 new homes valued between $350K to $1 million, Jeffries said he worries the nearby construction will likely further drive up the cost, and property taxes, of area homes. "I know it means more money coming in (to Tippecanoe County), and I'm not opposed to a housing development," Jeffries said. "I am opposed to the price tag, and I am opposed to doing it without a plan for improving our infrastructure." Joseph Spivey, a real estate advisor with Silver Lining Real Estate Group, said Jeffries isn't alone in his concerns, noting the West Lafayette home owner's sentiments were ones he'd heard echoed through his own clients. "Young home owners have a lot of apprehension about getting into the market," Spivey said. "Yes, home values are going up, but there is not enough clarity out there for how to get to the path of home ownership." As new project developments have come across his desk as a Tippecanoe County Commissioner, Tom Murtaugh said so has the conversation of affordability in new housing developments. In late 2022, Tippecanoe County officials received $30 million in READI funds that were used to fund a regional housing study, improve regional water infrastructure, sewage, sidewalks and broadband projects across the region. Some of those READI funds, Murtaugh said, went to the city of Lafayette to fund the expansion of sewer and water to the south of the city, opening up hundreds of acres for new housing development. While expanding sewer and water access is a key to increasing land access for housing, Murtaugh said another key was finding a way to build more single family units on smaller lot sizes. During Wednesday night's monthly Tippecanoe County Area Plan Commission meeting, APC staff will present an amendment that would allow for a new zoning option for developers called R1C. Amanda Esposito, APC assistant director, said the new zoning would allow for homes to be constructed on lots as small as 4,400 square feet versus the current smallest zoning option for rural developers of R1B, which allows for lot sizes of 6,000 square feet. Steve Schreckengast, member of the Builders Association of Greater Lafayette and president of Citation Homes, said he and other developers first approached APC staff with the idea for an R1C zoning option as an effort to help reduce the cost of housing in Tippecanoe County, placing more homes on a single acre. "There are other options to help drive down the cost, like the new townhouse ordinance, which is single family attached homes. But that requires the construction of two or more within the development," Schreckengast said. "R1C will allow for more single-family detached homes, but they'll just be built on more narrow lots." In recent months, Indianapolis-based Arbor Homes brought plans to the APC for a new neighborhood that initially planned to be majority R1B construction. But neighboring residents in the Raineybrook subdivision voiced their disapproval, leading the developer to move some of the project from R1B to R1A, eliminating some of the planned housing. Given that much of the new construction taking place within Tippecanoe County is outside of city limits, Murtaugh said the concerns such as that of the Raineybrook residents are ones he hears often, noting neighbors are often displeased with anything other than R1 zoning. "I encourage folks in the community to be more tolerant to different developments around them," Murtaugh said. "Housing is a real issue and we need housing of all types." When meeting with new clients who are searching for a home, whether it's their first home buying experience or their fifth, Spivey said he asks the same question. "I always ask them if they think this purchase will be their forever home," Spivey said. "Being as curious as possible for the home buyer and working from their point of view helps quite a bit in navigating the market." Younger home buyers, a client base Spivey said he tends to see a lot of, are warming to the idea of living outside of Tippecanoe County and rural areas, he said, particularly if they are looking at a price range between $200K to $250K. "For them, it's a lot of crunching numbers on where they want their kids to go to school, how far away are they willing to be from family," Spivey said. "But I have also seen situations where I have helped a young family buy a home in the rural areas, and then their aunt or uncle or whoever will reach out to me and want to move, too." New build price tag trends have become common in the low to mid $300k starting range, Spivey said. While younger families have been able to manage budgeting higher, Spivey said buyers realize how quickly the change of a counter top color or the repositioning of a window within a wall space can effect their home's price. "If a builder has a certain layout and style option for the home, they will go off what is most efficient," Spivey said. "I just went through this with a young couple who went through the new build process. Sometimes they will say the homes start in the upper $200K range, but as you add or change things, even as much as going from an electric stove to gas, the price can creep up." For Jeffries and his family, he said he knew when they purchased their home that some additional projects would need to be addressed in order to keep up on the home's general maintenance, but it wasn't anything that deterred them from the home entirely. The reason for the family's move, Jeffries said, was due to his job at Subaru Automotive of Indiana, and the location of their home was partially chosen due to the nearby Tippecanoe School Corp. If the Jeffries were to sell their house today, he said, he believes it could list for around $250K, given neighboring home price listings, the amount of land his home sits on, and proximity to TSC schools. Jeffries said his own health complications make the situation a little less flexible, knowing he will need to pay out-of-pocket costs associated with his illness in years to come that will be several thousands of dollars. The 1,373 square foot house works for his family, Jeffries said, as his son, Alex, plays on the family's computer against the living room wall. While at times he said the home can feel small, he feels comfort in knowing that no matter what happens, he and his wife will be able to make their mortgage payment. But if the family were to sell their home today, Jeffries said he isn't sure where they would go in order to provide more space for a similar price tag. Uninterested in uprooting their children from their schools, Jeffries said, the family of five will likely stay where they are in their 1,373 square foot home. Spivey said if the Greater Lafayette area could find a way to build new homes for less than $250K, homeownership would become more attainable to more residents. "If we could find a way to do this, it would help a lot more people feel stable and secure in our community," Spivey said. "And when people feel that way, especially as homeowners, they become more involved in their community. It creates a ripple effect that we all should want." Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@ This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Tippecanoe's housing market is hot, but 'affordability' can be sparse
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
IHSAA boys volleyball sectional semifinals: McCutcheon advances to championship against Zionsville
WEST LAFAYETTE ― McCutcheon junior outside hitter Kai Inoue found his spots after an early start and lack of energy nearly put the Mavericks behind in the first set in the IHSAA sectional semifinals against Lebanon. "We didn't have energy," Inoue said. "We were slow and we were playing around too much." Advertisement After trailing 14-7 in the first set and a timeout by coach Keith Crisler, McCutcheon collectively played more engaged. McCutcheon battled from its first set deficit and took control of the action to sweep Lebanon 26-24, 25-10, 25-12 and advanced to the IHSAA championship match against Zionsville tonight (Ma 17) at 7 p.m. More: How Zionsville outlasted Lafayette Jeff in IHSAA boys volleyball sectional thriller Inoue had a team-high 13 kills including the closing finish. Junior Korbin Vanette added eight kills and seven digs and libero Khelan Patel had 12 digs to anchor the backrow for McCutcheon (15-9). McCutcheon Mavericks middle hitter Jayden Heygood (13) celebrates with McCutcheon Mavericks Kai Inoue (2) Tuesday, April 22, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball match against the Harrison Raiders at Harrison High School, in West Lafayette, Indiana. Senior Kieraan Jordan led McCutcheon with 21 assists, and sophomore Mason Souligne added 18 assists. Advertisement All it took was a wake-up call from Lebanon (4-8-1) who found early success targeting sophomore Jake Stoller. Middle blocker Jayden Heygood, with Souligne, put up blocks and took Lebanon out of rhythm. The duo combined for a block to win the first set. "Knowing where to be, having court awareness and having fun really allowed us to push through everything," Heygood said. More: Boys volleyball experiencing growing pains despite popularity in first season under IHSAA How it happened set by set between McCutcheon and Lebanon Set one: McCutcheon started the match slow and it nearly got away early after trailing 14-7. But then Patel and the backrow started reacting quicker and began feeding junior Korbin Vanette. Vanette's timing and power with the combination of improved flow with setter Kieraan Jordan allowed McCutcheon to dig out of its hole. McCutcheon scored eight straight points and then received support from Heygood and Souligne. The duo of Souligne and Heygood teamed up to secure a comeback 26-24 in set one. Set 2: Inoue was the star for McCutcheon. Inoue had five kills for McCutcheon who systematically pieced Lebanon across the court. Set 3: The control and hands of Souligne and Jordan led to fluid movement in shot receiving and helped Inoue pick his spots to an easy third set clinch. Harrison Raiders Ian McKinney (11) hits the ball Thursday, May 15, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals match against the North Putnam Cougars at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. Harrison falls to Zionsville "Next season starts now," declared Harrison coach Kristie Hostetler. Advertisement Harrison attacked the net aggressively but couldn't maintain the momentum it built from its first set against Zionsville. Senior Anders Christianson sparked the momentum for the Eagles and Harrison fell in four sets 22-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-21. "I told them in the locker room I couldn't be more proud, especially in a rebuild year and having only three returning varsity players," Hostetler said. "Wasn't sure what to expect as we rebuilt." Harrison (23-6) will return key players including sophomore outside hitter Cole Hess and junior outside hitter Emerson Mohr. Hess led the team in kills and digs and Mohr led the program in hitting percentage. Advertisement "What we witnessed out there was the desire to compete," Hostetler said. "Their desire to work hard brought us here and they defied my expectations as competitors." How it happened Set one: Back and forth between Harrison and Zionsville, but the hitting percentages for the Raiders was much better. Cleaner attacks headed by McKinney, Hess and Mohr. Set two: Christianson and Archer were too much for Harrison to handle. The timing was impeccable, and Harrison struggled to get into a rhythm. Set three: Zionsville was a step-and-a-half quicker. Miller directing traffic kept his team's attack flowing. Christianson and Archer found themselves alone with space. The lowest Harrison could do was cut the deficit to 12-10 on a Baker ace, but overall found little trouble. Set four: Harrison began playing with more confidence at the tail end. Kills by Hess and net play by sophomore Kegan Wargo but Zionsville was too much to handle in the end with Scroggins directing traffic. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: IHSAA sectional semifinals between Harrison Zionsville McCutcheon and Lebanon
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
McCutcheon boys volleyball reflects on turnaround in first IHSAA season
LAFAYETTE ― McCutcheon boys volleyball coach Keith Crisler saw his players meld together after two years of learning the sport together. Boys who picked up the sport for the first time two seasons ago became a formidable group that learned to pass, digs and score points together as a unit. Advertisement McCutcheon was swept in the first IHSAA sectional boys title title on Saturday afternoon to Zionsville 25-19, 25-14, 25-18, but the program summitted after going 11-20 in 2023 and 6-18 in 2024. For Crisler, finishing with a 15-10 record in 2025 was a breakthrough for his Mavericks. More: Boys volleyball experiencing growing pains despite popularity in first season under IHSAA "One word I would say is growth," Crisler said. "Growth as individuals, as athletes and as a program in the sport. Boys volleyball and men's volleyball in Indiana has (some time) to grow, but I feel like we've had a successful season because we took that pioneering step to learn something new and that's not an easy thing to do." Advertisement The number of boys volleyball teams expanded from 35 in 2022 to the 133 competing in the IHSAA playoffs this spring. As the competition grew, so did McCutcheon. McCutcheon Mavericks defensive specialist Jack Smith (9) celebrates Saturday, May 17, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals championship match against the Zionsville Eagles at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. "I don't think anyone should leave this season with their head down and their shoulders slumped," Crisler said. "They are pioneer men and left their mark in their first official year in Indiana." The growth of McCutcheon volleyball was headed by graduating starters senior libero Khelan Patel, middle blocker Jayden Heygood, setter Kieraan Jordan, outside hitter Josh Madsen and outside hitter Malachi Kenner. Patel, Heygood, Jordan, Madsen and Kenner were the "founding fathers of McCutcheon boys volleyball," per Crisler. Advertisement More: IHSAA boys volleyball sectional semifinals: McCutcheon advances to championship against Zionsville "They are the true pioneers," Crisler added. "A lot of what we did this season is because of them. With experiences they had and how they led the younger boys in our program, they should probably have a statue or something like that." Patel was a consistent libero who attacked and placed shot receives in playable directions for his offense. "It just shows the effort and drive we had for the game," Patel said. "I know all of us who have been playing, we go play during the offseason because of how much we love the sport. We really took it upon ourselves to grow the game, build the program and build what we had within our community at McCutcheon volleyball." McCutcheon Mavericks libero Khelan Patel (1) celebrates Saturday, May 17, 2025, during the IHSAA boys volleyball sectionals championship match against the Zionsville Eagles at Harrison High School in West Lafayette, Indiana. Jordan distributed the ball as a setter but could also provide an extra body at the net to make blocks or earn kills and points for his team. Advertisement "It's truly something special to be there during the first year and build this thing from the ground up when it wasn't a fully sanctioned sport," Jordan said. "It's just awesome to see it blossom into this and see it expand like football and baseball." Jordan and Patel saw the culture grow at McCutcheon through their activity, setting an example for future players to come. "It shows how much we've grown from March 10 and the first day of the season to now," Jordan said. "We've been really focused and bought into the program and this was our goal, to make it to the championship. It showed there was so much focus put into this team." Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson . This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: McCutcheon boys volleyball shows growth in 2025 season
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Purdue women's basketball 2025-26 Big Ten schedule is set. What stands out?
WEST LAFAYETTE ― Purdue women's basketball's Big Ten schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 season was released Wednesday. The Boilermakers went 10-19 overall (3-15 Big Ten) last year, failing to make the conference tournament. It's a conference Purdue has not won since 2013. Here's a look at Purdue's Big Ten Conference opponents: Advertisement More: What to know: Purdue women's basketball transfer portal haul and new motivation in 2025-26 Home opponents: Iowa, Michigan State, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Rutgers, Ohio State, Penn State Road opponents: Maryland, UCLA, Michigan, USC, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Minnesota Home and away: Indiana Michigan Wolverines guard Greta Kampschroeder (11) defends the shot of Purdue Boilermakers forward Kendall Puryear (22) Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, during the NCAA women's basketball game at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. Michigan won 87-60. More: Purdue women's basketball hires new associate head coach April Phillips Highlights include Purdue playing UCLA at Pauley Pavilion for the first time, as well as its first trip to the Galen Center to face USC. Among other key matchups to watch at Mackey Arena will be Michigan State, which features former Boilermaker Rashunda Jones. Advertisement A non-conference stretch to watch for Purdue will be playing in the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Mexico from Nov. 27-29. The full field has yet to be been announced. Purdue women's basketball returners and new additions Purdue returns sophomore power forwards Kendall Puryear, Lana McCarthy and guard McKenna Layden and graduate senior guard Madison Layden-Zay. Layden-Zay needs 38 total makes to surpass 2021 graduate Karissa McLaughlin and become the program's career leader in 3-point field goals. Purdue transfer additions include former Northern Arizona guard and incoming senior Taylor Feldman, former Arkansas guard and 2024 NJCAA National Player of the Year and National Champion Kiki Smith, and former UNC Greensboro guard Nya Smith. Advertisement More: Purdue women's basketball guard Madison Layden fueled by family and closure The Boilermakers also maintained 4-star recruit commitments from 6-foot-6 center Avery Layton, an Indiana All-Star and ranked 63rd in the ESPN 2025 HoopGurlz Rankings, plus guard Keona Douwstra of Netherlands. Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue women's basketball Big Ten Conference schedule released
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Purdue women's basketball adds 2025 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year
WEST LAFAYETTE ― Purdue women's basketball added more depth at guard when former UNC Greensboro freshman Nya Smith announced her commitment to the Boilermakers on Sunday afternoon. Smith made her announcement through her Instagram account. The soon-to-be sophomore helped the Spartans advance to the NCAA Tournament last season after finishing 25-7, beating Chattanooga 64-57 to capture the Southern Conference Tournament title. Advertisement UNC Greensboro entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 16 seed and lost to the JuJu Watkins-led USC Trojans, 71-25. Smith becomes the third Purdue addition from the transfer portal after former Arkansas standout Kiki Smith (no relation) joined Purdue on Saturday afternoon. A native of Roswell, Georgia, Smith averaged 10.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and was named the Southern Conference Sixth Woman of the Year and Freshman of the Year to end the 2024-25 season. It's been an active Easter weekend for Purdue with the addition of both Smith guards. Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UNC Greensboro Spartans guard Nya Smith (22) is double teams by USC Trojans guards JuJu Watkins (12) and Kennedy Smith (11) during the second quarter at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images The Smith from Topeka, Kansas and former Razorback shot 40.6% from 3-point range, started in 22 of 27 games during her sophomore year with the Razorbacks. Advertisement Nya and Kiki Smith are joined by Purdue's first transfer portal arrival, Taylor Feldman from Northern Arizona. Feldman averaged 16.4 points, 3.9 assists and three rebounds per game, including 40.9% from the field, 38.3% from 3-point range and 80.4% from the free throw line and was named All Big Sky Conference first team as a junior last season. The Boilermakers will also the return of Madison Layden-Zay, who starred from 2020-21 to 2023-24 before taking a year off last season. Layden-Zay is eligible to play a grad season having with the Boilermakers through COVID. More: Purdue women's basketball guard Madison Layden fueled by family and closure Purdue will also have experience in the paint as well with the returns of incoming sophomore forwards Lana McCarthy and Kendall Puryear. Puryear averaged 7.2 points and 3.7 rebounds last season primarily off the bench with one start, while McCarthy averaged 6.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 26 starts. Advertisement Junior guard McKenna Layden is the lone returning guard for Purdue from 2024-25 after making nine starts, averaging 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds. Along with the transfer portal talent and reemergence of Layden-Zay sees the incoming 2025 class led by 4-star recruits guard Keona Douwstra of Netherlands and 6-foot-7 center Avery Gordon. Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson . This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue women's basketball receives former UNC Greensboro guard Nya Smith
