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


Hard to believe it's November.  Where has the year gone?  Real estate starts to slow down a bit, although I'm finding there are still buyers out there looking and interested in finding a home.  My experience has been that there is always a sale to be had in these holiday months.  There continues to be some nice homes for sale.

For those of you thinking about holiday shopping, I hope you'll stop by the Northwestern-Lake Forest Hospital Women's Board Holiday Boutique November 19-21st at the Lake Forest Rec Center.   I'll be working the Harbor Sweets booth again this year -- there are some terrific vendors so hopefully you can get a head start on the holidays. 
In This Issue...
How's the Market
Just the Facts...

November is generally when the fall market comes to an end.   Looked like sales were a bit slower this October as compared to last year.  That said, there is also a shortage of inventory in many of the suburbs.   

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

Lake Bluff - 600 Lansdowne Lane
Original List Price - $6,499,000
List Price - $4,299,000  
Sales Price - $3,750,000 (87.2% of asking)
Days on Market - 1173
Days on Market at Final List Price - 108
To see pictures and detailed information go to  600 Lansdowne, Lake Bluff

Winnetka - 113 Woodley Road
  
Original List Price - $4,290,000 
List Price - $3,795,000  
Sales Price - $2,900,000 (76.4% of asking) 
Days on Market - 142 days  
Days on Market at Final List Price - 88
To see pictures and detailed information go to  113 Woodley Road, Winnetka

Lake Forest - 172 Laurel Avenue

Original List Price - $9,680,000 
List Price - $4,299,000 
Sales Price - $3,750,000 (87.2% of asking)
Days on Market - 1448
Days on Market at Final List Price - 73
To see pictures and detailed information go to  172 Laurel Avenue, Lake Forest

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There are currently 241 houses for sale on the North Shore that are priced greater than $2M.   During the month of October, 7 houses closed in this price range:

CommunitySold this Month# for Sale
Evanston06
Wilmette110
Kenilworth120
Winnetka156
Northfield04
Glencoe022
Highland Park126
Lake Forest288
Lake Bluff19


Source: MRED (Midwest Real Estate Data) Multiple Listing Service
Selling Stocks to Buy a Home? 
How to Do It Right
Many home buyers sell stock holdings to finance a home purchase. But there are alternatives to pulling out of the stock market...There are no hard and fast rules regarding if and when to cash in stocks to make a home purchase. Lenders and financial planners, however, advise borrowers not to panic, just plan ahead, especially in periods of market volatility. They will caution against...
Ceramic Is the New Granite: Tips From the World's Coolest Kitchens
Kitchen

Hey, want a new kitchen? Maybe a better question would be: Who doesn't? The kitchen is one of the two most popular rooms to renovate, and quite possibly the star attraction for most buyers looking at a home. After all, It's a place to make food, share food, socialize (while eating food), and spend time with...
Tips for Tax-Savvy Homeowners
Autumn chores: raking leaves, weatherproofing, storing the patio furniture and preparing for next year's tax returns.
With nearly three months left in the year, jumbo-mortgage borrowers still have time to make tweaks that can lessen what they owe in April. Here are some tips from tax experts-but be sure to consult a tax professional for specifics...
6 Home Projects That Save Energy and Money
The average American homeowner pays about $2,300 a year in utility bills, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Almost half of the energy we use goes to heat and cool our homes, and more than one-third goes to keeping the lights on and running our appliances and electronics...
Martha Stewart: Thanksgiving Decorations

Martha Stewart and florist Michael George give simple tips for arranging beautiful Thanksgiving arrangements using tulips and sandersonia flowers.
For the Garden...
Winter is the great forgotten season in the garden. Flowers have turned brown and crispy, as have leaves that mere weeks ago launched their fall-foliage spectacular....
The off-season yard doesn't have to be desolate and sleepy. 
When I think of November - I think of Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday.   I love that we as a country take one day out of lives to express gratitude for all our blessings.   I know how grateful I am for my family, my home, my country, and my friends.  But the gratitude extends to my clients and colleagues who support me in my work.  Thank you. 

I love this quote by Melody Beattie:
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  It turns what we have into enough, and more.   It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into home, a stranger into a friend."

Here's to a very happy Thanksgiving. 

Ann

Ann Jones

Broker Associate, 
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group


p.s. If there is anything I can do to help you with your real estate needs, please don't hesitate to call!
Featured Listing
341 Granby
Lake Forest
Be amazed at this delightful in town property... walk to train, town, schools and beach.  Kitchen has been recently remodeled -- all new appliances and open to the family room.  It's available for rent or for sale.

List Price: $549,000
Rent Price: $2,975/month
3BR/2.1 Baths

See the details at:
341granby.com
Best of My Blog:
Full Disclosure
We spend weeks or even years looking for our new home.  We finally find what we want.  All we think about is where am I going to put that sofa or what color am I going to paint that wall or which mover am I going to hire.  The last thing we want to hear is what issues...
newspaper
In the news...
"
The stars love livin' in the Big Apple.  New York has more celebrity-owned real estate than any other city in the United States, with Los Angeles trailing closely behind.. 
But instead of contributing to the city's expensive market, our sources said that New Yorkers generally aren't willing to pay more just because digs were owned by a star..."

"The City Council has approved Mayor Emanuel's bad-news city budget, including plans for a record $543 million city property tax hike over the next four years...."
 Emanuel gets his huge property tax hike
- Crain's Chicago Business
 
"Amid all the good news for housing lately, foreclosure starts were up by 7 percent in August-driven by a rise in the amount of repeat foreclosures, according to the.."
 Repeat Foreclosures Are Driving Uptick in Foreclosure Starts
- DSNews
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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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