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

   Where to Park in Winnetka, ILUPDATED 2022I am often asked by buyers who are new to Winnetka about parking, particularly for commuters.  The Metra North Line runs right through the eastern side of Winnetka and the village has three stations: Indian Hill (at Winnetka and Green Bay,) Winnetka (at Elm and Green Bay,) and Hubbard Woods (at Gage and Green Bay.)All three of these stops are easily walkable for many people, but if your location is just too far, then driving and parking is the best option. First, you'll need to go to Village Hall at 510 Green Bay Road to purchase parking stickers for ZONE C which is for commuters and residents who live in apartments without parking.  There is ample Zone C parking near all three stations in Winnetka, but it's first-come, first-serve. The fees a... 06/21/2011

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 on Chicago’s North Shore. La crème de la crème Is money no object? Then one of these spectacular homes for sale in June 2011 can be yours. 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. As you can see, these homes are in the best North Shore communities money can buy. Far North Shore: Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Mettawa Heart of North Shore: Highland Park, Glencoe, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Wilmette Near North Shore: Evanston West of North Shore: Deerfield, Northbrook, Northfield, Glen... 06/20/2011

Where Are Home Prices Headed in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth and Glencoe There is much confusion about this question - as there should be since predictions are hard to make and even harder to stand behind in this ever changing market.  My opinion has been , backed by MLS statistics, is that home prices in the Chicago North Shore suburbs of Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth and Glencoe are still falling but only slightly.  I may have to change that. Today I reviewed single family home sales to date for 2007 through 2011 and saw something a little different.  2011 prices have declined by 22% calculating from January 1 through June 16 since 2007, but the decline from last year to this year - was not a decline!  There has been a 2% increase in home prices from 2010 to 2011.   Many are weighi... 06/16/2011

Winnetka Memorial Day 2011 After days of rain and cold, the skies cleared and the temperatures soared.  I think half the people of Winnetka came out of hibernation to walk, run, bike or drive over to Elm Street to see the Memorial Day Parade, invocation, and speeches at the Village Green. At about 90 degrees and very muggy I don't think anyone was complaining.  Although Winnetka is a sophisticated and modern place to live, it still feels like small-town America on days like this.  Regular folks coming out to honor our country's veterans.   05/31/2011

Closed Home Sales May 2011 Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, Kenilworth, Glencoe # Sales Average List  Price Average Sell  Price Ratio Days on Market Winnetka 18 $1,789,556 $1,555,028 87% 234 Wilmette 21 $792,796 $709,748 90% 112 Glencoe 12 $1,760,116 $1,328,834 75% 182 Kenilworth 5 $1,159,400 $1,021,000 88% 250 Northfield 3 $2,599,333 $1,714,000 66% 128 The month of May saw closed sales go up in Winnetka,Wilmette, Kenilworth and Northfield and  were down by 3 in Glencoe.  Winnetka saw the largest increase doubling from 9 to 18 homes sold.   The list price to sell price ratio also improved in Winnetka, Kenilworth, and Wilmette.  But I really can't make too much of some of these changes on a month-by-month basis since some of these homes could easily have sold in April or June - better to lo... 05/31/2011

MIKA BRZEZINSKI Hosted by the Book Stall MSNBC's Morning Joe co-host, Mika Brzezinski will be speaking at the Union League Club about her new book, "Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You're Worth,"  on Wednesday, June 1.   Her book is based on interviews she had with prominent business women - she discusses issues like equal pay, women in the boardroom, and getting capital for a startup.  She interviewed such varied professionals as Joy Behar, Norah Ephron, and Valerie Jarrett.  She also got the male perspective on these issues by interviewing heavyweights Jack Welch, Donald Trump, and others. Union League Club65 W. JacksonChicago, IL  60604Wednesday, June 112:00 noonCall the Book Stall for reservations:  847-446-8880 05/29/2011

North Shore Memorial Day Schedules Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe Winnetka - Memorial Day Parade at 10:00           The parade kicks off at 10:00 at the corner of Glendale and Elm Streets and heads east toward the Village Green where a ceremony will follow.  In case of rain, the ceremony will be held indoors at Skokie School, 520 Glendale Ave.  The guest speaker this year is Arlene T.Walsh, Winnetka Community Service Officer and Army Reserve Staff Sergeant . Sergeant Walsh is currently one of the Senior Intelligence Analysts for a military intelligence detachment DET 3 3100 Strategic Intelligence Group.  Since 2000 she has been a Winnetka Police Department Community Service Officer and Child Passenger Safety Seat Technician.  She also handles the dogs in town and sometimes helps at school ... 05/28/2011

Wild and Wet Spring in Winnetka and the North Shore Suburbs Hold on to your hat (if you're smart enough to wear one!)  It's not just the rain, but wind and hail too. Whatever little sayings you have heard about Midwestern weather, they are surely all true this Spring of 2011. One of the first things that transplants moving here must get used to are the wild swings in weather - 80 and sunny on Monday, then 45 and blustery on Tuesday.  This spring has seen many of those kinds of days but mostly it's been just plain . . . damp. If  you have taken to watching the new HBO show, The Killing, where Seattle is the backdrop, you will have an idea of how much rain we've been getting.  I've been buying umbrellas only to have them whipped inside out and made dangerously unsafe with spokes dangling ... 05/26/2011

I Saw the Home Alone House Today in Winnetka Today, the Home Alone house, at 671 Lincoln St. in Winnetka, IL,  was open for brokers to preview - a business card was required to insure that only licensed real estate agents were viewing the home. The home was built in 1921 and is gracious, comfortable, and . . . well, famous.   But other than a few Home Alone posters, it feels like all well-kept homes built in that era.  Beautiful moldings, large rooms, high ceilings and enough updates to feel like you could move right in.   The dining room is enormous (17 x 15), the family room is off the thoroughly modern kitchen but the real delight is the lovely screened porch that overlooks a very deep and lush backyard (lot size:  114 x 206 or about one-half acre.)   There are three bedrooms on the ... 05/24/2011

Toni Preckwinkle Coming to Winnetka Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is coming to the Winnetka Community House to discuss "The State of the County."  She is planning to answer questions about taxes, programs and goals of her administration.  Toni Preckwinkle has an aggressive and reform minded goal for Cook County, which she took control of after the election against Todd Stroger in November of 2010.  She was the first woman president of Cook County and took two-thirds of the vote. Registration for this event is required and can be done by emailing:  newtrierdems@sbcglobal.net with the subject line "Preckwinkle Forum" and you must add the names of all attending. Did you know that Cook County is the second-most populated county in America and 19th largest government in Americ... 05/19/2011

Buying a Home in Winnetka?  Hire an Agent That Represents YOU You've been looking for homes online for months that might work for you in Winnetka or another North Shore village. Sometimes you go out on Sundays and check out a few open houses to get a better feel for the area and neighborhood.  Then Boom!  You see the perfect house for you online and can't wait to call and make an appointment, or you've walked into an open house and know you've found your new home. What happens next?  Regardless of how you found the house, you may be tempted to call the listing agent and set up an appointment with them to see the house.  After all, they are the ones who put up all the advertising or sit at the open house with their names and contact information readily available.   Don't do it!. When you... 05/17/2011

Winnetka Public Schools - "Little Learners Program" In September 2010, the Winnetka Public Schools launched a new preschool program entitled "Little Learners," in coordination with the Northern Suburban Special Education District.  The program is held at Greeley School in Winnetka and is open to 3-5 year olds. This blended class has a maximum enrollment of 14 students, of which seven spaces are for students with special needs.   The program is designed to target 50 different goals for young students in various areas of development including cognitive, language, motor development and social-emotional.  Children in the class will explore interests such as dramatic play, games, art, sand and water, music and movement, cooking, computers and outdoor activities.   The program is open to Winn... 05/15/2011

Whether you are in the market for a home for your family or looking for a place to foil burglars, the home from the 1990's movie Home Alone can be yours. On today's CBS Moneywatch blog, I give you the scoop about this iconic piece of real estate and movie history. Home Alone was ranked number one in the box office and grossed $476,684,675 worldwide. The protagonist "Kevin!" played by Macaulay Culkin, is left behind over Christmas and successfully defends the 4 bedroom, 3 bath 4,250 square foot, three-story home from burglars. The home could be yours for just $2.4 million. The home is located in Winnetka, an affluent suburb of Chicago and is just blocks from the shores of Lake Michigan. The property was built in the 1920s and features a red-brick, Georgian-style architectural design. Of ... 05/11/2011

UPDATED 2022   Is Your American Flag Ready for Retirement? I know that you are not supposed to let an American flag touch the ground and that it should be burned when it's too old and tattered for use anymore.  Did you know that it is disrespectful to fly an old faded and torn flag?  Did you know that burning them used to be easy when they were made of cloth, but nowadays many are made of nylon and burial is actually proper for those types of flags.There are some very explicit directions to follow when disposing of an old flag - just tossing it whole into a burning fire is not proper protocol.  The flag needs to be treated with dignity and respect as befitting our national symbol. It has led the way in many American battles, untold numbers have died for it, and it even is proudly situat... 05/10/2011

There are currently 21 homes under contract/pending that are priced over $2 million in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth and Glencoe, with the high end home priced at $7,785,000.  That breaks down to 7 in Glencoe, 4 in Kenilworth, 1 in Wilmette, and 9 in Winnetka.   I think that's a tremendous rebound from a sluggish high-end market, particularly in light of the fact that there are only 25 homes under contract priced under $500,000! Check out the numbers in this chart:     The highest number of under contract homes is still under $1,000,000.  The total of under contract homes is 167 across all price ranges, which leaves 473 homes still for sale. An interesting side note is that these 167 homes wipe out the equivalent of everything for sale in Winnetka.   Not all homes close, and some of th... 05/09/2011

Winnetka Spring Town Meeting The 2011 Annual Winnetka Spring Town Meeting will be held Wednesday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m.  The meeting will be held at the Washburn School auditorium at 515 Hibbard Road.  There will be reports by the presidents of the Winnetka/Northfield library Winnetka Park District, Winnetka District 36 Board of Education Village Council. There will be a question and answer period with a microphone at the front of the auditorium, and residents only are allowed to ask questions and are limited to one. For more information, please see:  The Winnetka Caucus Council Spring Town Meeting 05/08/2011

UPDATED 2019  "Home Alone" House in Winnetka  Plucky hero, Keven McAllister (Macaulay Caulkin), hasn't set foot in this Winnetka house since 1990, but the memory of him setting off wildly inventive booby traps lives on in this Winnetka home.  On any given day, cars can be seen slowing down in front of the home to snap photos and imagine the young child left behind trying to thwart off the two home burglers, Harry and Marv.   The 14 room, four-bedroom brick home famously features the staircase that Culkin sledded down, and sits on approximately 1/2 acre, just a few blocks north from downtown Winnetka. The current homeowners purchased the home for $1,585,000 in 2012.    SEE ALL WINNETKA HOMES FOR SALE  Sign up to get monthly North Shore real estate news delivered to your inbox.It's free, ... 05/07/2011