The first step to purchasing anything with a loan or credit is a credit check. It could be anything from getting a new credit card, an automobile or a mortgage for a new home. Lenders who extend you credit regularly provide information to consumer reporting agencies about the type of credit account you have and how you pay your bills. This information forms the basis for your consumer report, which details your credit history as it has been reported to the credit reporting agency by lenders who have extended credit to you in the past. Every U.S. consumer typically has three reports, one at each of the three major U.S. consumer reporting agencies (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian). Often, lenders report details of your credit history to more than one consumer reporting agency.I have had... 09/21/2015

Evanston IL Real Estate is still really active as of the third week in September of 2015. We have 6.5% gain in new property listings, a 10.6% gain in closed sales and a 1.3% gain in the inventory of new listings to hit the multiple listing service. At this time of year that is just fantastic and shows that people are out there buying homes and condos.Currently there are 143 single family homes for sale in Evanston IL, 69 houses under contract and waiting to close and in the last 30 days we have seen 52 houses close and are off the market. In the condominium scene we currently have 220 properties for sale in Evanston and 94 under contract and waiting to close. In the last 30 days 58 condos have closed and are now sold. Excellent amount of activity for this late in September.If you want t... 09/20/2015

Northwestern University Evanston IL has been rated in the top 25 Most Beautiful Campuses by thrillist. They say, "Just the view of the Evanston campus at sunset could have you anchored to this campus for hours… or four years. Architectural beauty, spanning collegiate Gothic to modern steel and glass, fills the university’s 240 acres on Lake Michigan. On the way to see the impressive stained-glass windows of the Alice Millar Chapel, stop by The Rock (no, not Dwayne) and see one of the university’s most artistic traditions, where student groups paint their message on the boulder as advertisement -- after staking it out for 24 hours for the right to do so."A huge honor for the Northwestern and Evanston IL. We are very proud of our university and NU is a big part of Evanston. I often walk t... 09/19/2015

By Art Wilson, RealtorEvanston's August Property sales were 125, up 10.6% from 113 in August of 2014 and -10.7% lower than the 140 sales last month. August 2015 sales were at a mid level compared to August of 2014 and 2013. August YTD sales of 785 are running 15.3% ahead of last year's year-to-date sales of 681.The Median Sales Price in August was $282,000, down -23.3% from $367,500 in August of 2014 and down -26.8% from $385,500 last month. The Average Sales Price in August was $375,278, down -18.1% from $458,327 in August of 2014 and down -17.6% from $455,650 last month. August 2015 ASP was at a mid range compared to August of 2014 and 2013.The Total Inventory of Properties available for sale as of August was 366, down -9.2% from 403 last month and up 1.1% from 362 in August of last y... 09/18/2015

There is a street in Evanston IL that is a real crack up. It is No Yes street. I kid you not, well actually I am joking with you because the street is Noyes street and always causes confusion. The pronunciation is really something like Noise and that is what the locals call it. I have sold houses on this street and had a few people think it is pronounced something like "noy aze". I sold a really nice house on this street about a year ago and did not want to insult the buyer from Ohio so I shut up and in the closing when the closer and attorney both said "Noise" he said no its "Noy Aze".Either way, say it as you please, it is all good with old Noah.No Yes, make up you mind...........  09/16/2015

A new event is starting Friday for the first time ever. It is the Evanston IL Art & Big Fork Festival. This will be a lot of fun for everyone and we are having excellent weather. The Evanston IL Art & Big Fork Festival says, "arriving the final week of September for its inaugural debut, Evanston Art & Big Fork Festival introduces a weekend-long celebration of local art and flavorful fare. Kicking off 4PM Friday with live music and tasty fare, the Evanston Art & Big Fork Festival will feature local fare, beer, and wine. Live music will fill the streets of Evanston for more fun! The brand-new festival will feature original high-end work from 130 artists will be available for purchase, perfect for gifts or a signature addition to a personal collection. Traditional mediums such as painting,... 09/15/2015

The sales of condos in Evanston IL is up 5.6% over August of 2014 with 608 condominiums sold and closed. With the talk of the mortgage interest rates going up it may be a good time to consider a purchase. At this time there are 218 condos for sale in Evanston IL and 101 pending and waiting to close.If you want to search the inventory on your own, click Evanston 60201 Condos and 60202, sorted by zip code. 60201 is the area north of Dempster that includes the downtown area of town and 60202 south of Dempster and includes the beautiful historic area with streets like Hinman, Forest, Judson, Michigan and Sheridan and close to the Lakefront beaches.Evanston offers fantastic public transportation via the Metra and "EL" trains and can get you to downtown Chicago in 20 minutes and all points in... 09/15/2015

319 Dodge Evanston IL 60202 is now $250K. We just reduced the price and had an open house Sunday that was very busy. 5 couples, a Realtor and a neighbor showed up. This 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch house in Evanston IL is a great price. and always been in the same family since it was built. An Estate sale, this home has been kept up immaculately by one family. Brick exterior in perfect condition with all hardwood floors. Eat in kitchen with table space. Large lot with deck and 2.5 car garage. Spacious front and back yard large partially finished basement with work room. Close to schools and transportation. 09/13/2015

On October 1, 2015 between the hours of 4:30 & 6:30 PM I will be taking part in a program to promote bicycle safety as part of the Evanston Ambassador program. I will be at The Weber Arch at Northwestern University, Chicago Ave. and Sheridan Rd.The city of Evanston says:The City of Evanston will hold its second annual “Pedal Bright” Bike Light Giveaway and Installation event. This exciting initiative will provide bicycle safety information and help cyclists increase the visibility of their bikes as the days get shorter during the fall and winter seasons. Teams of volunteers will install free bicycle lights, distribute city bike maps, and provide a quick tutorial on the rules of the road for bicyclists. Bicycle lights will be installed on Thursday, October 1, from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.... 09/12/2015

Everyone loves to go to the park and enjoy the fresh air right? Well to have parks and beaches that are specifically geared toward children may be a plus when you consider where to go and enjoy some free time. This is especially true if you want to play with your children or just relax and let them enjoy themselves. We are going to talk about three child friendly parks for you to enjoy.Our favorite news source the Evanston Patch recently had an article called "3 'Tot-Friendly' Parks in Evanston and Rogers Park" that got much of it's information from Chicago Parent.Tatiana Hauk, a Rogers Park mother of one who is pregnant with her second child, has identified three cool places near the Chicago-Evanston border to take your toddler for some fun and exercise.In her Chicago Parent magazine b... 09/08/2015

My buyer client just went under contract on 1661 Church Street in Evanston IL, 60201. A 2 bedroom 2 and a half bath town house in a wonderful location. Walking distance to the downtown of Evanston IL and it's public transportation via the Metra and "EL" trains makes this a very desired property. Directly across the street is Mason park with tennis courts, basketball hoops and plenty of space for kids to play. If you are interested in property in Evanston IL click Evanston Homes and Evanston Condos.  Understanding your Expectations and Exceeding themColdwell Banker Evanston(800) 858-7917 09/07/2015

Since it is Labor Day weekend it is time to get out and enjoy the outside as much as possible. Boy the Summer went fast. It's ok because this weekend is hot and balmy so I decided to go out and walk around the beach and lakefront of Evanston IL. There were no plans on photographing the scene but on the spur of the moment I took a few shots with my phone.I hope you are enjoying your 3 day weekend and having nice weather. Whatever you are doing I want you to be happy, healthy and enjoying your day.Peace and Love to everyone in this world and let us pray that one day everyone gets along and lives in harmony.A walk in the park and a look at the Evanston IL boat launchThe pond in the park and the walking trailI really enjoy strolling along the beach in the Summer 09/06/2015

Evanston August Market Update 2015Today we are looking at the Evanston IL Market update for August. There is a 15.2% gain in new property listings for all types of property and a 13.1% gain in closed sales. This shows that the Evanston IL Real Estate Market is still very active. We are still seeing many requests for showings and property listings are still coming on the market for sale. This is encouraging for people who are interested in buying or selling property. It is not too late in the year for a transaction.At this time there are 134 single family homes for sale in Evanston IL and 81 properties under contract and waiting to close. In the last 30 days there have been 53 houses that have closed and are sold in Evanston IL. In the Condo scene, at this time there are 211 condominiums... 09/03/2015

Evanston IL is seeing new construction. We have not seen tear downs and new builds in years. This is welcome news and shows great progress. I stopped to watch this tear down on Central Street and the sign says that a new condo complex will be coming up. We all are very happy about that. Evanston IL is happy to make room to the many people interested in living in this wonderful community.If you are interested in learning more or want to find out about property in Evanston IL you want to contact the oldest and most successful Residential Real Estate Brokerage in Coldwell Banker Evanston.Please click Evanston IL Condos and Evanston IL Houses.Understanding your Expectations and Exceeding themColdwell Banker Evanston(800) 858-7917  09/02/2015

Today we closed 100 E. Bellevue Place #25C in Chicago's Gold Coast. A top of the line 2 bedroom and 2 bath condo for $487,500. A gut remodel awaits it's dated interior and my buyer clients are just thrilled. They are excited to choose the new kitchen and room finishes. In one of the best streets in downtown Chicago amenities are Rush street a block to the West with many fine restaurants and Oak street beach one block East. The Bellevue Place building is one of the most sought after condo buildings in Chicago with 24 hour door person, a huge workout facilities, large pool, magnificent deck on the roof and anything else your heart desires. We got this property by jumping on it right when it came on the market and making it happen for my buyer client. If you want the services of a Professi... 09/02/2015

The City of Evanston IL received an award for "embracing a culture of innovation" by Public Technology Institute. The Public Technology institute gave Evanston IL a special Designation as a "Tech Savvy award Winner.I quote the great Evanston Patch:Evanston is the only city in the United States to receive the Public Technology Institute’s (PTI) special designation as a Tech Savvy award winner, and they have done so two years in a row.PTI’s 2015 Local Government Tech Savvy Designation Award Program selected three PTI member local governments that met a comprehensive list of nine criterions where technology is used to address issues, current challenges and to create future opportunities across the enterprise. Pinellas County, Florida and Sacramento County, California were also selected.“I ... 09/01/2015

913 Chicago Avenue, Evanston, IL is a relatively nondescript building, easy to overlook as you're passing by.Currently there's a wonderful restaurant called Cross-Rhodes (get it?) that serves American/Greek fusion... where you can get a great hamburger, sitting on top of the world's best Greek fries...  yum.Aside from the restaurant, you could easily pass the building without noticing it.  It's a nice building, but easily overlooked, unless you happen to look up.Near the top of the building, there are some lovely details... a great arch over the windows, and a couple of nice arches, and a festooned cow.Yep, that's right... a cow.  And not just a simple Bas Relief, it's a full cow's head, hanging up there, in the same colour as the rest of the brickwork, full three dimensional, as though... 09/01/2015

This morning I went to the beach for a little peace and quiet and found the water to be as calm as can be. It is 75 degrees, no wind and the water is as still without a wave. I thought I would share a small piece of it with you. Please enjoy this with me.  09/01/2015

Northwestern University in Evanston IL has been ranked in the top 20 by Forbes. NU came in at number 16. A great honor to Evanston IL and the country. If you want to read the article click on 17 Best Illinois Colleges, As Ranked By Forbes.Forbes says:"Forbes publishes an annual list of top colleges in the country, and the site recently published its list for 2015. The methodology behind the report includes the analysis of five main factors with the weight of each factor listed:" Student Satisfaction (25 percent) Post-Graduate Success (32.5 percent) Student Debt (25 percent) Four-year Graduation Rate (7.5 percent) Academic Success (10 percent) Northwestern University is the heart of Evanston. The largest employer and the pride of Evanston IL. So many of our restaurants, entertainment and... 08/30/2015

Many people are interested in 5 bedroom homes for sale in Evanston IL. Evanston has a nice selection of houses ranging from new construction to 19th century Queen Anne Victorians. 5 Bedroom single family homes are a very popular size for families. Evanston IL has great schools, the District 65 Elementary and middle schools are top notch and Evanston Township High School offers an education path to prepare your son or daughter for the college or University of your choice. With the excellent public transportation via the Metra or "EL" trains getting to downtown Chicago or all points in between is a breeze.You may click Evanston Homes for sale or take a look at Evanston Condos for sale and search away. This is a direct link to the multiple listing system and the data is updated on the fly.... 08/29/2015