Market Report - Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, & Glencoe August 2011 WINNETKA #  Sold Avg. Original List Price Avg. Sold Price Ratio Days on Market 27 $1,483,034 $1,332,371 90% 191 In August, Winnetka had 5 more sales than July but the average list and sale prices are around 4% lower than the previous month.  For this month at least, prices are still coming down, but just by a small amount. WILMETTE #  Sold Avg. Original List Price Avg. Sold Price Ratio Days on Market 41 $757,395 $684,973 90% 111 Wilmette also had higher sales this past month but the average sold price was down by 11% from July.   KENILWORTH # Sold Avg. Original List Price Avg. Sold Price Ratio Days on Market 4 $1,813,500 $1,644,394 91% 310 While it takes longer to sell a house in Kenilworth (average of 310 days) the s... 09/06/2011

Housing Prices Show Increase in First Half 2011 Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, and Northfield "How's real estate?"  That's the question I hear often enough.  Now I've got some new and amazing facts to discuss (and crow about) in the Chicago North Shore communities of Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe and Northfield.   The average sale price of homes in these towns increased by 5% this year in comparing January through June in 2010 and 2011.     Total Sales Original List Price Sell Price Ratio Days on Market 2011 331 $1,240,966 $1,065,246 86% 198 2011 322 $1,186,081 $1,015,414 86% 211 Plus, sales were up by 9 units, and days on market were down by 13 days.  These numbers are, of course, averages for all five towns (Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe and Northfield.)... 08/15/2011

Winnetka School District 36 2011-2012 School Calendar and Book List It's time to start planning for "Back-to-School" again in Winnetka District 36 schools Hubbard Woods, Greeley, Crow Island, Skokie and Washburn schools. School starts August 29 as a half-day and the following day, Tuesday, August 30 is the first full day.  Here are the links for the Winnetka District 36 school calendar and book list: Winnetka District 36 2011-2012 School Calendar Winnetka District 36 Book Reading List 08/10/2011

Sentrilock?  Or Some Other Creative Way to Enter? Every week our local board (NSBAR - North Shore/Barrington Association of Realtors) emails a newsletter with updates, education information, and local and state news. Today, the newsletter included a survey of the top agents and their thoughts on using the Sentrilock lock box.   For those of you that don't know, the Sentrilock Lock Box is approved by the Board and has been determined to be the best and safest way to protect home sellers from unauthorized entry. Their answers varied widely from agents saying they never use them to others grudingly using them and opinions everywhere in between.  Our board has been very pro-Sentrilock -  our members, however, have been reluctant to get on board. Today I made seven appointments for tomorrow ... 08/05/2011

July 2011 Housing Sales in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe and Northfield   Total Sales Average List Price Average Sold Price Ratio Average Days on Market Wilmette 35 $821,843 $764,842 93% 50 Winnetka 22 $1,425,364 $1,379,455 91% 134 Kenilworth 6 $1,874,667 $1,683,667 85% 356 Glencoe 10 $764,591 $734,090 90% 72 Northfield 6 $577,250 $563,052 83% 403 Total sales for all five suburbs in July was 79 single family homes, while June saw 101 closed sales. That makes sense as closings from the peak Spring selling season are winding down. August will certainly have fewer closings as well. Wilmette, while it is the largest of these five suburbs, continues to have strong sales with the highest list price to sell price ratio of 93% and an average of only 50 days on market.  That is incredi... 08/02/2011

Forest Glen is a small neighborhood within the larger neighborhood of Hubbard Woods in the northern part of Winnetka. It is just north of the intersection of Tower Rd and Hibbard Rd., with two entrances onto Tower Rd. marked by pillars. A twenty acre rectangular parcel, Forest Glen was originally the estate of Thomas and Virginia Dennehy, a wealthy Chicago couple who summered here with their seven children during the 1920’s and 30’s. The estate included a mansion, stables and a large greenhouse which housed a swimming pool and exotic plant collection. The land was sold in 1939 to North Shore architect and builder C.A. Hemphill, who subdivided it into 57 lots and began building single family homes. Homes in the west section were built between 1939 and 1941, but building ceased during Wor... 07/31/2011

Get Your Furry Friend Photographed for a Good Cause in Winnetka Classic Kids Photography in the Laundry Mall in Winnetka is hosting a fund raiser to benefit PAWS, Chicago's largest no-kill pet shelter.   Now through the end of August, bring your pet in for a "mini-photo shoot" which costs only $95 - of which $50 will be donated back to PAWS.  The prints will be black-and-white handmade fiber and can be ordered based on size.  Prices range from $110 for a 5 x 7, $130 for an 8 x 10 and $200 for an 11 x 14, plus larger prints are also available.   Call 847-446-2064 to schedule your sitting and help a very worthy Chicago pet cause.   Classic Kids Photography 556 Chestnut St. Suite #1 (exterior entrance is actually on Spruce St.) Winnetka, IL 07/29/2011

Property Tax Info for New Trier Township - Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth & Glencoe Groan.  More information about taxes. Cook County property taxes are notoriously difficult to understand and even more difficult to explain to a new homeowner.  If you have recently purchased your home or made changes to it, you may be reassessed even though this is not an assessment year.  The good news is that if you have received a notice, you have until August 8, 2011 to make an appeal. You may want to use any of the hundreds of tax attorneys who help homeowners with property taxes, but you don't have to.  The New Trier Township office will help you for no charge.  If you need comparables for an appeal, it's as easy as calling the office (847-446-8200) and leaving your name, address and phone number.... 07/27/2011

10 Tips to Help Keep Your Winnetka House Cooler This Hot Summer I have lived in the Chicago North Shore area for 25 years - in Kenilworth, Wilmette, and now Winnetka, and I've seen different kinds of summer weather.  The summer of 2011 is a tough one. This hot and muggy weather has strained our minds, our health, and our budgets. Some people don't worry about it, they just turn the air on in May and leave it that way until October, not matter the weather in between. For those that want to find relief and not stress out about it, here are some good tips for cooling your home in the summer. 1.    Ceiling fans are a great way to beat the heat - they reduce temperatures by 6 or 7 degrees.  Ceiling fans don't use a lot of energy and you can save by being able to turn down the air conditionin... 07/26/2011

A lot of people think that, because Winnetka is an affluent and mostly white suburb, that it is not a very progressive community. So I wonder how many people know that Winnetka was the site of the first-ever civil rights rally in an all-white suburb and that Martin Luther King spoke here before a crowd of more than 8000 supporters in the summer of 1965. Even most Winnetkans under the age of 60 didn’t know about the part their town played in the civil rights movement until a school teacher named Cecilia Gigiolio and her class raised the money to erect a monument to commemorate this historic event on its 40th anniversary. The monument was placed in the southwest corner of the Green, which is now known as “King’s Corner.” Interestingly, despite the fact that Dr. King spent extensive perio... 07/25/2011

Emerald Ash Borer and Infected Trees - Don't Get Fooled in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth & Glencoe The push is on to get infected ash trees cut down - the disease is so widespread that that every ash in the North Shore communites of Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth and Glencoe will probably come down.  In fact, every county in the state of Illinois will soon be affected as the disease spreads - this amounts to 100 million ash trees being destroyed! A notice on the Village of Winnetka website caught my eye - they are warning that it does not cost more to cut and dispose of an infected tree.  A consumer alert states: "Tree care companies which charge homeowners and businesses a higher fee to cut down and remove a tree because it is infested with Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) are overcharging, s... 07/18/2011

Winnetka and Northfield Sidewalk Sale This Friday and Saturday, July 15-16 Notice I included "Northfield."  For the first time, the villages are holding their annual sidewalk sales together since the Chambers of Commerce of Winnetka and Northfield merged earlier this year.  This means four shopping areas and over 145 participating businesses.   Time:  The Winnetka and Northfield Sidewalk Sales start at 9:00 am and close up at 5:00 pm both days.   Where:  All three of Winnetka's shopping districts of East Elm, West Elm, and Hubbard Woods.  In Northfield, shops along Happ Road will be open. New:  Go Green Winnetka-Northfield will sponsor a fair in Hubbard Woods park starting on Friday night at dusk with a series of environmentally friendly animated films for children.  It continues on Sat... 07/14/2011

You earned it. You bought it. You loved it. Now you want to sell it. Your house in Winnetka, that is. Nothing can stop you if this is your must-have goal. You cannot test the market or dip your toes in the water. You have to go full throttle and pull out all stops to make your dream become a reality. Otherwise, you’ll just be spinning your wheels. Listing your house for sale isn’t the same as selling your house If you own a house in Winnetka, consider yourself fortunate to live in such a vibrant and popular community. It may be ‘cooler by the lake’, but it’s still a hot real estate market. Winnetka won’t ever go out of style. During the last 30 days, these luxury Winnetka houses were sold to the highest bidder.   Data provided by the Midwest Real Estate LLC (MRED) multiple listing servi... 07/11/2011

UPDATED 2020  What Does $500,000 Buy You in Winnetka IL ? Five or six years ago, the answer would have been "not much."  At that time, 50 x 180 teardown lots were selling to builders for around $650,000. But in the vastly different marketplace that we have today, Winnetka now has some single family homes for sale that are listed under $500,000, most of which are not teardowns. There has been a lot of discussion in Winnetka about affordable housing and ways to increase the inventory of these types of residences.  For the time being, owners of coach houses will be able to rent them which has not been allowed for many years. While $500,000 is not considered affordable housing, it does open Winnetka up to younger families or seniors looking to stay in town and downsize.  For someone with sc... 07/10/2011

The North Shore is in for a rare treat this Tuesday night when Winnetka Congregational Church hosts a performance by the Imuka Singers, a 30 voice ensemble all the way from Tanzania. Imuka means “rise” in the language of the people living on the Northwestern shore of Lake Victoria. The Imuka Singers “rise” from the villages of East Africa to brighten the world with their soaring melodies, rich harmonies, exhilarating rhythmic vitality and diverse cultural creativity. Their music combines the diverse cultures of East Africa to bring together rare singing techniques, electrifying choreography, hand drumming and elements of traditional dance from the oldest African folk songs and dances. The energetic and uplifting music will appeal to all ages. The Imuka Singers are on their first tour o... 07/10/2011

UPDATED 2022 Randoons - Hip Women's Store in WinnetkaI used to think that Randoons, located on Green Bay Road in Hubbard Woods Winnetka, was just for infants and children. Then one day my  teen-age daughter saw the window display and dragged me inside. So much more than just baby clothes - in fact, the baby stuff is just a small corner of the store.Randi Lamb opened Randoons in 1999, then moved into her current location in 2001. In case you're wondering, as I was, what "Randoons" means, it's her childhood nickname. She began dabbling in her own business by hand painting furniture and clothing and selling her items at craft fairs. The store did in fact begin by selling baby clothes, but after she moved, she expanded the lines to include clothing and accessories for adults. It's now about... 07/06/2011

Hey, buddy, can you spare a dime? If you can spare more than a dime, take a look at the kind of elite residential properties your money can buy in Winnetka. La crème de la crème Is money no object? Then one of these spectacular homes for sale in June 2011 can be yours. Currently, 146 luxury-priced homes are available for purchase. Apart from offering exceptional homes in outstanding surroundings, the top reasons Winnetka is so popular come down to: Nearness to commuter rail lines Proximity to the lake Top-rated schools Data provided by the Midwest Real Estate LLC (MRED) multiple listing service and includes properties listed and sold by various participants in the MLS. Data supplied does not reflect all market activity in the area. Throwing good money after better Housing styles range f... 07/05/2011

North Shore Fourth of July Activities Winnetka, Northfield, Wilmette, Glencoe Here's what's going on around town - please note that all the villages celebrate on different days! Winnetka Saturday, July 2 -     8:00 am - 5K Firecracker Race starts at the Village Green (corner of Maple and Elm)     8:30 am - Family Fun Run/Walk Monday - July 4     10:00 am - 4th of July parade - the route is along Elm Street beginning at Glendale at the west end and finishing up at the Village Green     11:00 am - Flag raising ceremony and more games and races     6:30 pm - at Duke Childs Field activities include moon walk, mini-golf, games and food from local restaurants     7:00 pm - Spoken Four live concert     9:15 pm - Fireworks show begins Northfield Monday - July 4     9:45 am - Bicycles for the Bi... 07/01/2011

 UPDATED 2019 Understanding Real Estate Commissions When You Are Selling Your North Shore Home inWinnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, and Northfield Many sellers (and buyers for that matter) do not understand how the real estate commission they pay to their broker really works. They know they sat down with an agent and negotiated a commission fee for selling their home but beyond that, it's fuzzy. When buyers and sellers are at the closing table, the commission number is often misinterpreted.It is important to know that commissions are negotiated, not set by any person or entity. There is a range and it varies depending on the brokerage, the agent's budget and fees, and what part of the country you live in.  Some agents in certain areas get as much as 7%, but luxury properties may b... 06/24/2011

Chicago North Shore - Winnetka & Keniworth Storm Damage - Some Bad, But Mostly Okay Last night around 8:30 while watching "Master Chef" that we had recorded from the night before, a warning bleeped through the recording to tell us to skeddaddle to the basement - a real TORNADO WARNING.  At about the same time, the tornado sirens began wailing from afar.   Down we went.  Our dog, Marly, was not too pleased - while she likes to come down on very hot days, this felt all wrong to her.  The lights flickered and went out . . . for about a minute - just enough time to foul up all the digital clocks in the house. The wind blew and it rained very hard then suddenly it was over. My street had the usual after-storm debris which did not look too serious.  I hopped in the car and set out to survey t... 06/22/2011