How to Dispose of  Old Electronics & Appliances if You Live in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Northfield and other North Shore Suburbs If you are anything like me, you have a few cardboard boxes in your basement filled with old electronics like computers, keyboards, wires, chargers, connectors etc.  Or another closet might hold some unused and broken small appliances, air conditioners, fax machine, printer, or DVD player. It just feels wrong  (and is wrong) to toss them in the garbage along with the regular trash.  The proper disposal of this type of waste must be taken seriously. Well, now Abt Electronics in Glenview has opened a recycling center that is open to the public from 2-7 pm Thursday through Saturday.  The center is in a free-standing building west of the main store... 03/30/2011

The Book Stall Hosts Erica Kane!  (well, um Susan Lucci, actually) "All My Children" was a staple of my college days - the only time and the only soap I watched.  I couldn't resist the tumultuous and wildly neurotic lifestyle of heroine Erica Kane played by actress Susan Lucci. She has been called "Daytime's Leading Lady" and is reportedly the highest paid daytime actor.  She repeatedly made the news because of her 21 nominations for best daytime actress - losing year after year and finally winning just one time. Susan Lucci has penned a memoir "All My Life - A Memoir" of which the Book Stall said:  "It shines a spotlight on one of our most popular stars and reminds us of the power of dreams and how we may find the courage and tenacity to make them come true." The Book Stall will be  ho... 03/26/2011

  It's Spring Break in New Trier Township - What's In Your Itinerary?   9 Things To Do     When my two children started school at Sears School in Kenilworth (way back when), I learned about  a phenomenon called "Spring Break".  Very bad movies have been made about it. Newscasts  in March and April are filled with videos of  joyous, but inebriated, college students at various beach hangouts. And I learned that EVERBODY goes away for it. If you are not part of EVERYBODY, and have kids at home with you - What To Do? The North Shore communities that are within New Trier Township (Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Northfield, and bits of Glenview and Northbrook) are eerily quiet during the last week of March when we have our Spring Break.  The restaurants, stores, and roads are empty ... 03/25/2011

In my experience the term, “antique” is often used rather loosely to describe anything that’s “pre-owned,” and anyone’s cast-off junk seems to qualify. But if you want to shop for antiques that actually fit the time-tested definition (”An item which is at least 100 years old and is collected or desirable due to rarity, condition, utility, or some other unique feature.”) then a visit to Winnetka’s antiques shops will be worth your while. You won’t find any old coke bottles, Beanie Babies (with or without the tags) or Hummel figurines here. No, this is the good stuff, which is just what you’d expect in a village like Winnetka. So let’s take a little tour, starting at the southernmost shop and working our way north to Hubbard Woods. Country Shop 710 Oak St., Winnetka, IL 847-441-8690 Hour... 03/23/2011

Winnetka and North Shore TreesUpdated 2022I was just reading a post that a fellow realtor wrote about the magnificent views from her perch on Palos Verdes Peninsula overlooking the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles.  While salivating looking through her photos, I tried to think of the views that we flat landers have here on the North Shore.  Yes, there's a little bluff area along Sheridan Road where one can get a sense of "height." There are a few streets off Ridge Road in Kenilworth that, sort of, roll downward toward Green Bay Road. Okay, so glorious views from up high are not the providence of Winnetka or Wilmette. So what is?I am originally from Los Angeles, and I never have been sure if I really like the four seasons. Fall is beautiful but it portends winter; winter is beautiful but i... 03/15/2011

It’s time to turn off the TV, log off of Club Penguin and put away the Wii. At least for the next week. For one week every March North Shore families are challenged to turn off  their TVs, computers and video screens and explore other non-electronic interests and activities. The 17th annual TV Tune Out Week starts this coming Sunday, March 6 and runs through March 13. The theme this year is “Create Your Own Adventure.” It offers kids the chance to run wild with their creative energy and families the opportunity to grow closer and experience new activities together.  The kick-off event, called “Sideswipe” will take place Sunday at 3:30 in the Wasburne School gym in Winnetka. The entire week is chock full of events and activities for children from pre-school to 8th grade, including arts a... 03/09/2011

UPDATED 2022 Sweat the Small Stuff When Selling Your Winnetka Home I know that not all sellers want to do an all-out staging of their homes - they feel their homes are in good shape, show well, and are updated. So they go ahead and list their homes for sale but overlook the "small stuff." Those things that take little time or money to fix but are glaringly obvious to the potential buyer.Here's what I mean. These photos were taken during a Tuesday morning broker's tour of homes in the area. In otherwise nice homes, these flaws are out in the open yet cheap to fix - buyers will discount them because they show a lack of attention to detail. So they start wondering. "what else might be wrong with the house?"  Just a little paint, a little mortar and these issues can be cleared up in one we... 03/01/2011

Not your typical North Shore Sunday worship service, the Jazz Vespers program presented by  Winnetka Congregational Church on February 27, will stir your soul. The service will feature the Tammy McCann Quartet in a set of worship motifs, which will include familiar titles as well as new fare. Tammy McCann, a Chicago jazz vocalist, was recently featured on the front page of the Tribune’s Arts and Entertainment section. Her voice has been called, “sumptuous,” “luxuriant” and “supple.” According to Francis Kiernan of the Nelson Riddle Foundation, McCann has the “vocal apparatus of a Rolls-Royce.” McCann is one of the last of Ray Charles’ Raelettes and also a protege of Chicago great, Ramsey Lewis.  A classically trained singer who spent six years in Europe, she has succesfully mastered the... 02/21/2011

Save 20% on Everything at the Book Stall in Winnetka How?  Stop by the Book Stall all day on Saturday, February 12 to celebrate the store's 24 year anniversary.   This venerable store has outlasted and outsold all the local big box booksellers and is celebrating this accomplishment by offering everything in the store 20% off all day.   Before becoming a Real Estate Broker, I worked at the Book Stall in the 1990s and saw first hand the dedication and determination of owner Roberta Rubin and her staff to keep her store a viable resource in the vast book selling marketplace.  She had a regular schedule of book signings, author appearances, luncheons, book clubs and promotions.   So stop by and support this great Winnetka institution and get 20% off everything you purchase.   The Book Stal... 02/07/2011

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like . . . Blizzard The blizzard arrived, just as forecast.  Fierce wind bringing huge drifts which I have not seen in 25 years of living in Chicago.  Just a few photos taken from the safety and warmth of my home.                                             I believe my exercise today will be . . . shoveling. 02/02/2011

Home Sales for January 2011 Winnetka, Northfield, Wilmette, Kenilworth & Glencoe Wilmette had a significant edge over the other villages in closed home sales for January 2011, and this is a trend I've been seeing for the past several months.  Average market time is still very high indicating that the original list prices are still too high. Good news in Glencoe as well - the 10 homes that sold there in January sold for 92% of list price and had the lowest average market time of  125 days. Northfield's numbers are skewed as there were only 2 sales, but one was on the market for an incredible 1,097 days (or over 3 years!) Wilmette 21 homes sold Average List Price $801,447 Average Sold Price $710,453 List Price to Sell Price Ratio:  89% Average Days on Market:  182 Winnetka 6 homes sold Av... 02/01/2011

This is What Happens When You Overprice Your Home Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, and Northfield The importance of pricing your home properly has never been more critical.  I firmly believe that a home should never be overpriced, and at the present time we have too many houses to choose from. What better way to be overlooked, dismissed and even snickered at than overpricing when there are so many other options for buyers.   Sellers are tempted to "test the market" and I say those days are over.  Testing the market will only test your patience, determination, and sanity.  There is no better way to lose tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars than setting the price too high.  Buyers who can afford it at the high price will compare it unfavorably with other similarly priced ... 01/12/2011

December 2010 Closed Home Sales in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe & Northfield Sales in the area continued at about the same pace as previous months with Wilmette still the leader in closed home sales.  Town                # Sold          Average List             Average Sold               Ratio                   Market Time Winnetka           9                      $1,399,878           $1,173,522                     84%                   140 Wilmette           17                     $  740,459           $ 652,941                        88%                   140 Kenilworth          4                       $2,133,000           $1,696,250                    80%                243 Glencoe             9                       $1,185,200            $ 918,889                      78% ... 01/03/2011

 Christmas Shopping in Winnetka - Keep it Local!East ElmThere are just some things that need to be purchased in a big box store - electronics, computers, brand names, or outdoor equipment.  But for almost everything else, there is a store in Winnetka that can meet your needs.  In fact, Winnetka has 50 retail stores scattered throughout its three shopping areas:  Hubbard Woods, East Elm, and West Elm.  Shopping locally has been touted for years as a way cut down on driving, keep the money and taxes in town, and discover hidden treasures that no mall could possibly have (or if it did, you'd need a sturdy pair of walking shoes, a backpack for provisions, water . . .)  Here's what else it means to whittle your list down in your own town: Local stores are more tailored to local tastes and th... 12/17/2010

Rocky Wirtz - Owner of the Chicago Blackhawks - at the Book Stall in Winnetka In 2010, the Chicago Blackhawks brought home the Stanley Cup for the fourth time.  Chicago was ecstatic to see this young (in terms of player's ages) team plow through the competition and emerge victorious.  The Blackhawks are, in fact, one of the original six NHL teams and have been playing professional hockey in Chicago since 1926. Tonight, December 16, Rocky Wirtz, owner of the Blackhawks, will be at the Book Stall in Winnetka to autograph his new book "One Goal Achieved:  The Inside Story of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champions" chronicling his team's 2009-2010 season.  The book is out of stock everywhere, but the Book Stall has limited copies for the event. Where:  The Book Stall              811 Elm St., Winne... 12/16/2010

I’ve written before about my partner Maureen Spriggs and how she never settles for the “standard” way of doing things. True to form, she had a great idea for this week’s broker opens. As usual she had a big spread of food and refreshments at the home that we held open. But she also sent out personal invitations to all the agents in the area asking them to bring food donations for the New Trier Food Pantry. And, for each person who brought a donation of food, she personally donated $5.00 to Coldwell Banker’s Charitable Foundation, which supports the Ronald McDonald House, Habitat for Humanity and other agencies focused on home and family. Even though we have held a couple other broker opens at this house, we still had thirty agents show up, most bringing food donations. Maureen was parti... 12/14/2010

Two Christmas Events in Winnetka at The Winnetka Community House This month of December, The Winnetka Community House is hosting several events just perfect for your holidays celebrations. Families with young children will love Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 11, from 8:30 to 11:00 am.  A delicious full breakfast will be served and children can have their pictures taken with Santa.  Craft making and goodie bags will be available.  Cost is $20 per person and pre-registration is recommended at:  Breakfast With Santa. Another holiday favorite with a definitively American twist is Entre Nous' version of the Nutracker Ballet, called The Nutcracker!.  American dance forms will be interspersed with classical ballet and sign language. This production has been a hit at the Winnetka Co... 12/07/2010

Christmas Shopping in Winnetka - Keep it Local! West Elm There are just some things that need to be purchased in a big box store - electronics, computers, brand names, or outdoor equipment.  But for almost everything else, there is a store in Winnetka that can meet your needs.  In fact, Winnetka has 50 retail stores scattered throughout its three shopping areas:  Hubbard Woods, East Elm, and West Elm.   Shopping locally has been touted for years as a way cut down on driving, keep the money and taxes in town, and discover hidden treasures that no mall could possibly have (or if it did, you'd need a sturdy pair of walking shoes, a backpack for provisions, water . . .)  Here's what else it means to whittle your list down in your own town: Local stores are more tailored to local tastes and ... 12/04/2010

Closed Sales for November 2010 in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, and Glencoe     # Sales Avg. List Price Avg. Sell Price % List to Sell Avg.Market Time Winnetka 16 $1,895,000 $1,707,000 79% 201             Wilmette 16 $662,000 $615,000 90% 137             Kenilworth 3 $1,592,000 $1,480,000 80% 265             Glencoe 11 $1,141,000 $1,035,000 82% 327             Northfield 1 $425,000 $407,500 96% 476 Sales have remained fairly steady from October in Winnetka, Wilmette and Glencoe.   Northfield had 6 closed sales in October and Kenilworth had 1, but that is not important over a one month's period.   One notable sale was at 1175 Whitebridge Hill in Winnetka which started at $10,750,000 and closed for $6,500.000.  There were several new construction homes that sold in the $1.5 to $1.7 mill... 12/03/2010

Christmas Shopping in Winnetka - Keep it Local! Hubbard Woods There are just some things that need to be purchased in a big box store - electronics, computers, brand names, or outdoor equipment.  But for almost everything else, there is a store in Winnetka that can meet your needs.  In fact, Winnetka has 50 retail stores scattered throughout its three shopping areas:  Hubbard Woods, East Elm, and West Elm.   Shopping locally has been touted for years as a way cut down on driving, keep the money and taxes in town, and discover hidden treasures that no mall could possibly have (or if it did, you'd need a sturdy pair of walking shoes, a backpack for provisions, water . . .)  Here's what else it means to whittle your list down in your own town: Local stores are more tailored to local tastes... 11/30/2010