How's the Market?
Real Estate News of Chicago's North Shore                                                                                                                                    August  2015


Hello August... Can't believe the summer is in its final stretch.   At least July was great -- at least for me.  I don't think I've ever had quite such a busy month!  For those of you who want to have some fun, come to Lake Forest Day this week!
In This Issue...
How's the Market
Just the Facts...

The market continues along.  

So How is the Market?   Read on....
North Shore's Highest Sales in July

Kenilworth - 315 Essex Road

List Price - $4,495,000
Sales Price - $4,100,000 (91% of asking)
Days on Market - 50
To see pictures and detailed information go to 315 Essex Road, Kenilworth

Kenilworth - 229 Essex Road
  
Original List Price - $3,475,000
List Price - $3,875,000  
Sales Price - $3,700,000 (95% of asking) 
Days on Market - 857 days  (new construction)
Days on Market at Final List Price - 19
To see pictures and detailed information go to  229 Essex Road, Kenilworth 

Winnetka - 795 Lincoln Avenue

List Price - $3,575,000
Sales Price - $3,475,000 (97% of asking) 
Days on Market - 176 days (new construction)
To see pictures and detailed information go to  795 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka

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There are currently 242 houses for sale on the North Shore that are priced greater than $2M.   During the month of July, 9 houses closed in this price range:

Evanston - 0
Highland Park - 0
Winnetka - 3
Glencoe - 2
Lake Forest - 1
Wilmette - 1
Kenilworth - 2
Lake Bluff - 0

Source: MRED (Midwest Real Estate Data) Multiple Listing Service
Street Signs
The Secrets of Street Names and Home Values

In "Romeo and Juliet," the young Miss Capulet poses one of literature's most famous questions: "What's in a name?"

When it comes to a street name, the answer is: a lot.

Street names tell stories. They tell us if a neighborhood is expensive or affordable, brand-new or decades old. With street names alone, we can uncover all kinds of insights....

 
House Value Jumping? 
Save Your Home Improvement Receipts

A tax time bomb is ticking for an increasing number of people who have been lucky enough to see big gains in the values of their homes....single homeowners with gains of over $250,000 and married people who have notched at least $500,000 could end up paying federal tax of as much as 23.8 percent on real estate gains over those amounts when they sell. Additional state taxes loom for some of them as well.

If you are in this situation or think you may be just when you need those gains to live on in your old age, there is a small pile of paperwork you need to start filing away now and keep until you sell the home...
Making Decisions on Elder Housing May 
Take a Team Effort

...elderly people ... deciding what to do next can be an almost overwhelming task. Is it time to move to a nursing home or some other type of assisted living? Or will home care with a variety of support services work? It is an issue millions of people - especially baby boomers and their parents - are grappling with now. The choices are so complex that more and more people are finding they cannot make the decisions alone. As a result, with the number of Americans age 85 and older growing faster than any other age group...
High-End, Built-in Barbecues Get Hot

 To find one of the most popular cooking appliances in a new upscale home, head outside to the built-in barbecue grill in the backyard. Instead of being wheeled out on a cart, many luxury barbecues are built into elaborate islands that form the heart of the "outdoor kitchen." These days at least 75% of sales of high-end grill companies...

 
Location, Location... Investment?: Changing the Definition of Home Value

Homeowners are perceiving home value in some new ways, but homeownership is primarily still about location and making the right investment.  Berkshire Hathaway's first quarter homeowner sentiment survey showed some interesting trends in how people are defining the concept of home value.  The headline seems to be that price and location are no longer the only motivating factors for choosing a home to buy. There's a new sense that homeowners and homebuyers are looking at their homes as longer-term investments that will shape and be shaped by how they live. Ilyce Glink interviews Gino Blefari, CEO of HSF Affiliates, which operates Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, to discuss the results of the survey.  Watch this Big Money Real Estate to learn more about how home buyers are looking at homes differently, and how this could factor into selling your home. 
gardening-items.jpg
For the Gardeners...
August 1

Tour the 2-acre reconstructed prairie at Centennial Park, Crawford and Wilmette Streets in Wilmette. Hosted by the Little Garden Club of Wilmette. Plants will be identified by Charlotte Adelman, co-author of The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants. 10 a.m. Free. Parking in the complex's parking lot. Info: Wilmette Park District at 847-256-9638.
 

August 8 and 9

Gardeners of the North Shore Show. A judged exhibition of flowers, vegetables, herbs and houseplants. Some plants for sale. Amateur gardeners welcome to enter. Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe. Noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Free. Parking $25. Info: 847-835-5440.
 

August 22 and 23

Heirloom Tomato Weekend. Learn to grow and use heirloom tomatoes. Displays, activities, tours and seed saving demos. Chef demos at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Vendors. Children's activities. Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Parking $25. Info: 847-835-5440.

 

Hoping your last days of summer are special.   Enjoy!

 

 

Ann

Ann Jones

Broker Associate, 
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group
Featured Listing
230 W. Onwentsia
Lake Forest
WOW - Stunningly expanded and renovated by Lynch Construction, this house is perfection. Gorgeous high-end kitchen with both breakfast bar, butler's pantry and eating area; exquisite first floor master suite, hardwood floors and beautiful finishes. Mud room and both first & second floor laundries. The exterior is magnificent - private, pool, water element and over an acre of lush landscaping. So many special features -- you have to see it to believe it!  

List Price: $1,850,000
5BR/3.2 Baths

See the details at:
www.230onwentsia.com 
Under Contract in 1 Day!
Best of My Blog:
Do you know this place?
One of my favorite memories of summer as a kid, was when my mother would pack a picnic dinner and we'd drive north to Highland Park to hear a concert at Ravinia. My dad would take the train from the city to meet us after work.

A blanket would be spread out. Mother usually made...
newspaper
In the news...

 "With investors nervously watching the Shanghai stock market, Chinese are the now biggest foreign buyers of American real estate, and they are setting their sights on the biggest state in the Lower 48.

Texas is seeing a huge influx of Chinese buyers, both investors and owner occupants, thanks to more affordable housing. And recent turbulence in China's stock market is likely to boost demand for U.S. property, not hurt it..."


"The crash in housing prices that walloped the economy over the past decade no longer seems to haunt Americans as it did during the recession. For the first time in three years, real estate was the most popular investment option in a survey that accompanied Bankrate's Financial Security Index."
 Survey reveals Americans' top investment choice: Real estate
- bankrate.com
 
"The North Shore and Barrington housing market remains strong as we reflect upon the first half of the year. According to data from the North Shore - Barrington Association of Realtors (NSBAR), the number of closed sales and the median sales price for homes has increased in June compared to this time last year. Closed sales in the North Shore and Barrington region are up to 986, an increase of 12.2 percent compared to June of last year. Comparing year-to-date, the number of closed sales has increased to 3,525-up 7.2 percent..."
Housing Market In North Shore And Barrington Area Remains Strong

- Government and Public Relations Real Estate News


 
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If your property is currently listed for sale with an agent or broker, this is not intended to be a solicitation of that listing.
Ann Jones | 847-691-1111 | ann@rannjones.com | rannjones.com
778 N. Western Avenue | Lake Forest, IL 60045

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