How's the Market?

Real Estate News of Chicago's North Shore April, 2014

How do you like the new look?

Effective April 1, Prudential Rubloff is now part of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. Same address, same phone number, and same exceptional client service. You should start seeing lots of cabernet colored signs all over the North Shore as the Koenig & Strey and the Prudential Rubloff signs are swapped out for the new BHHS signs.

Here's the text from the official Press Release:

Prudential Rubloff Properties and Koenig & Strey Real Living will

officially become Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty

Group April 1. The company's brand launch will take place on April 2, 2014

at 11:00 am at the 778 N Western Avenue office. Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

Chamber of Commerce members are invited to attend the ribbon-cutting

ceremony and enjoy refreshments.

If you're around on Wednesday, feel free to stop in for the event -- should be great!

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices seems to be taking off across the US. In fact, Warren Buffett's real estate franchise has the strongest brand equity of all the real estate brands according to a new Harris Poll.

With a change of brokerage affiliations, my newsletter seemed to need a new look, too. Hope you like it. I've also added a new section, For the Garden.

With all these changes, I thought it was a good time to survey to my readers. I want to make sure that the newsletter continues to be relevant and interesting. It's a quick survey; just a few questions (see blue box, upper right side of newsletter). I'd appreciate your responses!

In This Issue...

Just the Facts

North Shore's Highest Sales

Creating the perfect mudroom

Tools to use when buying real estate

In the News

Just the Facts...

Are you ready for spring? I love to see the beginnings of grass and greenery trying to make its way to the surface and the snow melting - finally! After this challenging winter, the real estate market is looking for spring as well.

So, how is the market?

120 Mary Street
Glencoe

North Shore's Highest Sales in March

Glencoe - 120 Mary Street

Original List Price - $4,475,000

List Price - $3,975,000

Sales Price - $3,650,000 (92% of asking)

Days on Market - 845 days

Days on Market at Final List Price - 182 days

990 Ringwood Road
Lake Forest

Lake Forest - 990 Ringwood Road

List Price - $3,749,000

Sales Price - $3,600,000 (96% of asking)

Days on Market - 5 days

475 E. Deerpath
Lake Forest

Lake Forest - 475 E. Deerpath Road

Original List Price - $4,800,000

List Price - $3,900,000

Sales Price - $3,483,750 (89% of asking)

Days on Market - 260 days

Days on Market at Final List Price - 126 days

* * * * *

There are currently 193 houses for sale on the North Shore that are priced greater than $2M. During the month of March, five houses closed in this price range:

Lake Forest - 3

Glencoe - 1

Winnetka - 1

How to Create the Perfect Mudroom

A mudroom is a terrific room to have in your home especially as the wet winter months approach. This room serves as a barrier between the outside yard and the rest of the home. The perfect mudroom is designed to be neat and clean in terms of organization. However, it's intended to get messy so it's set up with durable furniture and easy-to-wipe floors and counters...

This Mudroom Is Just Plain Hot

To be honest, saying a mudroom is swoonworthy is a bit like saying Uggs are sexy. Like a fleece-lined boot, the mudroom does a job, but seldom does the utilitarian space inspire a second look. But we challenge any parent out there to gaze at the mudroom in the home of mother and interior designer Cory Connor and not feel faint. Her ideas for storing all the stuff of a busy family, and keeping it out of view but close at hand, are just plain hot.

They are calling this year's New American Home "the greenest in history."

30 years ago, the International Builders Show introduced The New American Home. It was 1500 square feet, had advanced framing, water saving appliances and a heat pump. It sold for under $100,000. Since then, the New American Home has become more bloated, less efficient and insanely more expensive and out of touch with the bulk of American citizenry. But hey, The 2014 New American Home is touted as "the greenest New American Home in history."

Top 5 kitchen trends of 2014

Move over robot vacuums and single-cup coffee makers, vintage cookware and gadgets controlled by a smart phone are poised to be the next big trends in kitchens.

This year, home chefs can expect to see a lot of products on the shelves that allow them to cook healthier and fresher, often without slaving over a...

Stoves-So Hot Right Now

High-tech features and high-design finishes are the latest warming trends; sending your oven a text message. Busy professionals may have little time to cook, but many are still willing to pay top dollar for restaurant-worthy-and sleekly designed-kitchen appliances... And a new crop of high-tech features include apps for monitoring food temperature or turning on the stove remotely...

source: Wall Street Journal

For the Garden...

April is National "Call Before You Dig" Month. So, before you pick up that shovel for spring landscaping, call 811 to have your utilities located, for free.

Learn More

Events this month at the Chicago Botanic Gardens
April 11-13 - Antiques and Garden Fair
April 26-27 - Midwest Daffodil Society Show

With spring comes hope and change: a change that is always welcomed and exciting -- new life, new beginnings with flowers blooming and trees taking shape. Spring is always such an invigorating time -- particularly after this winter!

Somehow it seems fitting that this new organization of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group (that's a mouthful!) starts anew in the Chicago area in spring.

That said, a special chapter is closing for me. Being part of the creation and building of our Prudential Rubloff presence in Lake Forest was so fulfilling, so much fun and laden with many, many joyous memories. It's hard to say goodbye to something that has been so special.

But the one certainty in life is change. I like this quote by Socrates:

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy,

not on fighting the old, but on building the new."

I'm focussing on the new and am hopeful that this combined group will be thought of as the most professional and caring office of real estate agents in town, just as the Prudential Rubloff agents have been.

As always, if there is any way that I can help you with all your real estate needs, please don't hesitate to ask.

All the best and Happy Spring!

Ann

Broker Associate,

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group

Featured Listing

1065 Cahill Lane

Lake Forest

Located in beautiful Middlefork Farms, 1065 Cahill Lane is an elegant brick and cedar residence. Fabulous architectural details, superb millwork and finishes combine to create a both luxurious and comfortable home.

List Price: $1,675,000

4BR/4.1 Baths

See the details at:

1065cahill.com

Best of My Blog

Tools to use when buying real estate

It's Sunday. The sun is shining. There is no football game on TV. It looks like a great day for buyers to explore properties on Open House.

That said, many buyers have altered their behavior when it comes to....

In the news...

"It seems to be a good time to be a home seller. Prices are higher than a year ago in most markets, and good homes are selling fast.

Unfortunately, that positive environment can sometimes trip up sellers, turning confidence into cockiness, and real estate agents working with new clients have to bring them down to earth with some do's and don'ts. Here's a sampling of..."

Do's and don'ts for sellers in today's housing market

Chicago Tribune

"Information was as abundant as optimism at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, where home builders and suppliers gathered to discuss topics ranging from new building products to buyers' preferences.

Many economists predict that 2014 will build upon the home-market gains from last year, bringing big increases in the number of homes built and of new homes..."

Three Takeaways From the International Builders's Show

Wall Street Journal

"After a winter freeze, home sales will soon heat up in the city. Here's how to make sure your dream home doesn't get bought by someone else..."

How to Win a Bidding War on Chicago Real Estate

- Chicago Magazine

"Rising home prices and interest rates made housing less affordable last year than at any time in the last five years, according to data released Tuesday by the National Association of Realtors. So is it time to sound the siren over a housing bubble?"

Is U.S. Housing Unaffordable?

- Wall Street Journal