They are starting to give some "thumbs-up" news about the real estate market in Illinois. Our philosophy has always been.... the best decision you can make is a well informed and educated decision. We create value by providing you with all the information needed to make that educated decision! Each week we blog about the market acitvity of the week prior. We report on the new properties on the market, how many price changes happened in a week, how many properties went under contract (contingent/pending) and how many properties closed for the week. Properties that are "under contract" or marked "contingent or pending" are homes that have received offers, negoitated and agreed on terms and are now waiting to go to the closing table. As REALTORS, we pay close attention to these numbers. Th... 12/12/2007

We guess bad news always sells better than good news. The media would love to continue to report on high foreclosures and dropping of home prices but not in Chicago or the surrounding suburban real estate market. We have been experiencing just the opposite.Please, don't misunderstand us, things have definitely been much slower than in years past. We have gone from a sellers market to a buyers market however, our Chicago suburban market has been doing quite well. For example, for the week of December 3 through the 9, 2007 in 5 surrounding suburban towns in Dupage County, there were a total of 37 homes that went under contract. One town had 11 homes go under contract in that 7 day period. That is fantastic considering that this is typically a slow time of year with the holidays.According ... 12/10/2007

 Some encouraging things are starting to happen in the Carol Stream real estate market and with Carol Stream homes for sale. Over the weekend we started negotiating 3 offers on 3 different properties!! HOW EXCITING IS THAT!!!!! At a time of the year when typically things are slowing down due to the holidays. Just goes to show you that people are doing more than just Christmas shopping. They are shopping for homes too!! That is very encouraging for all you home sellers too!!Interest rates are also very favorable for buyers too. It is best to check with a mortgage lender to see what current rates are and what programs you qualify for.As we sat down at our computer this morning to see what the Carol Stream real estate marketing statistics were for last week, we were amazed that we were not... 12/10/2007

The holiday festivities are in full swing! Everyone is busy shopping for that special gift. Home shopping has actually been quite active. We are starting to see an increase in acitivity in the Dupage County real estate market. Are you aware of the current interest rates? Wow.....they are quite attractive. If you are considering making a move, there is no better time than now. Be sure to contact a mortgage lender and see what current loan program and interest rate you qualify for. Let's take a look at the real estate market statistics in Dupage County for the last 30 days.This Dupage County real estate market report is based on the last 30 days and features ALL single family homes for sale and currently active on the market as well as ALL townhouses, duplexes and condos for sale and curr... 12/06/2007

We think people are finally getting it! We had 2 properties go under contract this week. People are starting to realize that things are not as bad as they are being led to believe! AND HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE INTEREST RATES???If you are looking to make a move, please contact a mortgage lender too. You will be surprised at how low the interest rates really are. There are still homes to choose from. The Carol Stream real estate market is still moving along!Let's take a look at how homes in Carol Stream and the Carol Stream real estate market did for the month of November and the year-to-date report.Here are some statistics on available homes currently on the market and statistics on year to date home sales and market times.Here is a chart of ACTIVE (Single Family)  LISTINGS in CAROL STREAM an... 12/04/2007

It is that time of year again for good cheer, good will and Where is Santa? Information for tracking him  is available through http://www.noradsanta.org  Norad (North American Aerospace Defense Command) has been tracking Santa for over 50 years. This year they have teamed up with Google Earth to track his trip. Access begins December 1st with new kid friendly family type games each day, leading up to December 24th. You can  track his real-time location on December 24th by adding the NORAD Tracks Santa iGoogle gadget. Don't forget to follow Santa along on his trip, beginning 1am PST on December 24 while he makes his way across the globe.  Laura Resnick - Realtor - RE/MAX Associates West - Carol Stream, Illinois 12/03/2007

Looking for a townhome, condo, quad in the Carol Stream area?   This is a great time to get your first home, move to a smaller home, or move to a larger home.  Interest rates are stable and recently lowered despite all the media hype and is available to all with fairly decent credit.  In fact, I do still have 100% financing if that is your requirement!  These are the current market numbers and availability for Multi-family or attached homes in Carol Stream, IL.  The best selections are in the $150,000 to $200,000 range and we've got great larger executive styled homes for price ranges above that!  The median listing price for Carol Stream is $197,450.  Some "handyman specials" and "fixer uppers" are available for buyers trying to get "instant equity" in the market by doing the work them... 11/27/2007

We hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend. A lot of people took the opportunity to start decorating and putting up Christmas lights outside.The Carol Stream real estate market has been holding it's own! It could always be better but certainly not as bad as some markets. This week's numbers are a reflection of the holiday week and the start of Christmas shopping.We have seen a definate pick up in activity so hopefully that means people are starting to realize that this really is a good time to buy!Here is the Carol Stream real estate statistics for the week of November 19 through November 25, 2007. These numbers include ALL SINGLE FAMILY HOMES FOR SALE and ATTACHED HOUSING FOR SALE including Townhouses, Condos and Duplexes.SINGLE FAMILY HOMES:2      NEW3      PRICE CHANGES3      CON... 11/27/2007

As the Holiday Season is upon us, the flurry of shoppers has already begun. Intersections by the mall have begun to fill up with Thanksgiving Dinner shoppers, and I suspect some early Christmas purchasers. I admit to having already obtained a couple of gifts. The statistics for the Carol Stream, Illinois Single Family Home Sales Market may seem like a Gift for Some, but I look forward to the Media finding something else to do besides scare the public about the state of the housing market. This is the best time in years to make a home purchase. That is what they should be reporting. New on the Market            4Under contract                   2Price change                      9Closed                               4 information obtained through the multiple listing service and is deeme... 11/20/2007

                               It is that time of the year to remember the things we are thankful for. The Carol Stream real estate market has not been as good as it has been in the past years, but we should be thankful that it is not as bad as the coastal real estate markets. Homes are selling and buyers are buying. Patience is the key in this market. Patience, proper pricing and extensive marketing.This is a really good time to buy a home. You can choose from a wide variety of homes and styles. Sellers are willing to negotiate on their asking price and interest rates are still at all time lows. From the time a home goes under contract to the time of closing, on an average, takes about 45 days. However we have seen closings happen anywhere from 2 weeks to 60 days.Here is the Carol Stre... 11/19/2007

With many of us turning to the internet when doing research or making a purchase, it is important to find a website that is user friendly and provides the most current and up to date information available. There are tons of real estate websites available to research areas and find homes of interests. Most websites upload their information from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). These sites include most of your franchised real estate companies and popular sites like REALTOR.com, Chicagotribune.com and Chicagosuntimes.com. Unfortunately, this process can take anywhere from 24 hours to sometimes 5 days making your new finding on these websites "old news."RE/MAX Northern Illinois and their agent websites now upload and update their websites EVERY 4 HOURS bringing you the most current homes... 11/17/2007

                                                         The Village of Carol Stream would like to invite you to attend the 2008 Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Ross Ferraro Town Center located at Gary Ave. and Lies Rd. on Friday, November 23, 2007 at 6:20pmThere will be caroling with the Jay Stream Middle School Choir....Some kids games and crafts....Capture some memories with Santa taken with our digital photo....And of course lots of hot chocolate and sweets.Come join us as we ring in the holiday season....It is sure to be a lot of fun!!The real estate services The Orze Team provides is continueous updates and information on not only the real estate market and real estate in general but, as Carol Stream residents for over 15 years, we can also educate you on the community and c... 11/16/2007

I am excited that RE/MAX will soon have listing updates posted every 4 hours that includes any new photos, videos and pricing information. This is a great value added feature and reason to use RE/MAX to buy or sell a home. No other real estate website can claim this. I have posted things on Realtor.com and it has taken them 48 to update. According to RE/MAX this upgrade will be implemented by the end of this week. 11/15/2007

Area Market Survey CriteriaStatus: Active, Back on Market, Contingent, New, Price Change, Re-activated, Temp Off Market, Pending, Closed Property Type: Detached Single, Attached Single Area: Carol Stream Months Back: All Months Active Listings List Price Range # Listings Avg. Days on Mkt Less than $149,999 37 154 $150,000 - $199,999 34 130 $200,000 - $249,999 72 152 $250,000 - $299,999 65 133 $300,000 - $349,999 30 171 $350,000 - $399,999 19 89 $400,000 - $449,999 6 191 $450,000 - $499,999 1 228 $500,000 - $549,999 4 104 $550,000 - $599,999 6 242 $600,000 - $699,999 6 173 Active Listings Summary # Units Avg. MT Median List Price Avg. List Price Max. List Price Min. List Price Total Volume 280 146 $249,000 $265,682 $679,900 $86,999 $74,391,081 Sold Properties Sold Price Range # Listings... 11/13/2007

I think that people are finally figuring out that this is THE best time to make their home purchase. What they might compromise on the profit from their current home value, will be made up on their next purchase. The history of home sales and purchases prove that purchasing a home and remaining in it for several years, bodes well for the theory that pricing will correct. In town we celebrated a Glenbard North Football Team win over Palatines Fremd High School, who was previously undefeated.  Great job football players and devoted fans..click the Glenbard North High School banner below to be directed to their website..  Attached home statistics for the week ending 11-11-07  New to the market                    4Price Change                            9Closed                              ... 11/13/2007

I think that people are finally figuring out that this is THE best time to make their home purchase. What they might compromise on the profit from their current home value, will be made up on their next purchase. The history of home sales and purchases prove that purchasing a home and remaining in it for several years, bodes well for the theory that pricing will correct.In town we celebrated a Glenbard North Football Team win over Palatines Fremd High School, who was previously undefeated.  Great job football players and devoted fans..click the Glenbard North High School banner below to be directed to their website..  Single Family Homes Statistics for week ending 11-11-07.............  New on Market                                         6Under Contract                                ... 11/13/2007

If you are a buyer in the market to buy a new home......this is the perfect market for you! With a wide variety of homes on the market, you can have your pick. Sellers know that they will be negotiating their asking price. That doesn't mean they have to give their homes away but you will see more compromises rather than the take it or leave it kind of attitude. Sellers also realize that with as many homes on the market, their homes need to have any issues addressed before being put on the market. Which means....many updates and upgrades for buyers.Interest rates are still at all time lows. Check with your mortgage lender to see what kind of program and interest rate you qualify for.With the information we provide we hope to show you that there is no time to buy like the present. With th... 11/12/2007

Don't believe everything that you hear or read in the press. Carol Stream still has a fairly healthy real estate market. Here are the stats for single family detached homes SOLD. Data from the MLSNI. The stats reflect the period of 5/1/07 through 10/1/07 and are closed transactions. Off-Market Listings Detached Single Bedrooms # Sold % Sold Avg LP (Sold) Avg SP SP:LP Ratio Avg MT (Sold) Avg LP (Unsold) % Expd All 67 100%$312,570$300,40896%77 $00% 3 45 100%$275,442$263,97696%82  0% 4 21 100%$379,162$365,40296%68  0% 5 or More 1 100%$584,900$575,00098%14  0%  11/12/2007

See all the Carol Stream Homes For Sale when you register! MLS rules and regualtions require registration. Registration also includes a FREE email subscription to our Real Estate Update newsletter loaded with valuable consumer real estate information. We've also added a new feature that allows you to find your home's estimated value. See my Carol Stream Homes links page for community links. Beware or other real estate websites especially those that are not a traditional real estate brokerage. It is critical that your home's listing information is up to date. Many of the non traditional sites have outdated listing and price information. My RE/MAX site is updated daily with all of the home listings including those of our competitors.  Carol Stream Homes For Sale at http://www.remax-allpro... 11/11/2007

 The table below lists all of the currently active single family detached and single family attached homes in Carol Stream, IL. The information is broken into price ranges with average time on market for that range. Included are the high, low, median and average prices. For detailed information on a property type within a price range, including virtual tour when available, contact me with physical characteristic requirements.    Active Listings List Price Range # Listings Avg. Days on Mkt Less than $149,999 36 154 $150,000 - $199,999 33 130 $200,000 - $249,999 69 146 $250,000 - $299,999 65 133 $300,000 - $349,999 28 173 $350,000 - $399,999 19 85 $400,000 - $449,999 5 217 $450,000 - $499,999 2 129 $500,000 - $549,999 2 201 $550,000 - $599,999 5 233 $600,000 - $699,999 6 169    Active Lis... 11/10/2007