The other day I asked Real Estate Agents " What kind of Home is Your Personality".  My reason for doing this was to be a little provacative and ask Realtors who show alot of homes to describe themselves and their personality as a home.I am not sure if everyone who answered understood my question so I am writing about it here. After reading several chapters in a book called "The Language of Houses" I have come to realize that houses have personalities and so do people who live in them.So it is natural to ask someone what kind of house would describe your personality?I will use myself as an example: I consider myself as Mid-Century Modern House because its design is minimal but progressive and complex with radiant floor heat, passive solar energy, large windows, close with nature.  In ter... 07/29/2015

The weekend Evanston IL will be hosting the annual sidewalk sale and art fest in Down Town Evanston. Always a fun event especially with the warm weather we are expecting so get out and shop and browse with the family. I bet you will see me one of the days supporting our local merchants and artists.The city of Evanston says:Calling All Bargain Hunters and Art Enthusiasts!Friday, July 24 through Sunday, July 26, 2015Shoppers, get ready to hit the sidewalks of downtown Evanston and the Chicago/Dempster district during the Evanston Sidewalk Sale! Independent retailers and national chains will set up shop with too- good- to- resist deals on the sidewalks of both districts. Expect to find great deals on apparel, shoes, one-of-a-kind accessories and decorative arts, including the best in speci... 07/24/2015

Today was such a fine day in Evanston IL. In the afternoon I was able to take a little break and check out the beach and the lakefront. I have been rollerblading every day for exercise and took this video with my phone while out for a spin.  I saw the sun, the beach and felt so good about it, I grabbed a shot to share.Enjoy your Summer  07/22/2015

Evanston IL is seeing record breaking sales in Condos. The Real Estate market is really busy and sales of condominiums are booming. Many people are interested in buying property in downtown Evanston. There are allot of folks who want to walk to everything they want and do less driving. We are also seeing people who wish to live near public transportation and skip driving all together.Living in Evanston is very desirable as so many nice restaurants and unique stores are available as is fun entrainment and our lake front. The Metra and El trains make it easy to get around and in the last decade Evanston has really become more and more popular. We are seeing many young couples and singles interested in moving to town and away from the city as well as people downsizing and as usual, familie... 07/20/2015

What Style house do you want depends on many factors. Do you like old, vintage styles like Victorian or Queen Anne or are you more interested in Modern or Contemporary houses.                                                                                                                                             The different choices are tremendous and they tell a story about you. What attracts you to a particular style of home? Do you want a home that is formal or informal looking. Do you want a home that is suited for entertaining others? Do you want a home that looks inviting that says come on in or is gated and says stay away.I encourage buyers to look at different style of houses and find out which ones speak to them.  07/20/2015

The real estate scene in Evanston is really quite busy. We are seeing record amounts of contracts and sales. Home and condo sales are booming and the Spring market is in full swing yet it is the Summer. We have a large number of requests for showings. It is a great time to list your home or condo for sale and also an excellent time to purchase property. The news is that the mortgage rates could be going up soon giving buyers less buying power so as Realtors we are staying very busy these days.Currently in Evanston IL there are 141 single family homes for sale and 159 under contract and waiting to close. In the least 30 days, 58 houses have closed and are sold. For condos there are now 233 properties for sale and 125 under contract in Evanston and in the last 30 days, 74 condos have clos... 07/19/2015

The Real Estate scene in Skokie IL is interesting this month. There is a lack of inventory in single family homes and the condo situation is up 45% since the same time last year. If you are a home owner in Skokie IL now would be a great time to list your house, the demand is greater than the supply. Interest rates may rise soon so if you are thinking of moving, this is the time to place your single family home on the market for sale.At this time there are 164 single family homes for sale in Skokie IL and 132 under contract and waiting to close. In last 30 days, 56 houses have sold and are closed. For condos at this time there are 91 units for sale in Skokie and 69 under contract and waiting to close. In the last 30 days, 26 condos have closed and are sold.If you are interested in search... 07/19/2015

Chicago's weather is never predictable, other than to say that it's unpredictable.If you don't like the weather, here in Chicagoland, wait a few minutes... it'll change.  I think that's what's printed on a banner over the front door of the Mayor's office.  Er, maybe not.So, today, I have a full day of showings.  We're looking at 2nd and 3rd floor walk-ups, of course.Many of these properties are vacant, and in vintage buildings, so I don't anticipate there will be any air-conditioning on.... and the Chicagoland forecast calls for camels.  That's right... camels..... ships of the desert, humpbacked transportation.It's supposed to be 91° today.   I know, many of you in the southwest and even the Pacific northwest are grumbling, "91°??  That ain't nuthin'... we're at 108° today, and for the... 07/17/2015

This weekend is the 30th annual Evanston Ethnic Arts Festival which takes place at Dawes Park at Sheridan Rd at Church St from noon until 7PM. Always a great time we are expecting excellent Summer weather so come on down and enjoy the fest. The city of Evanston says:“Evanston’s lakefront will be transformed into a Global Village for the 30th annual Evanston Ethnic Arts Festival, a two-day celebration of global diversity. This free event features art from an abundance of countries, family crafts activities, international cuisine, and live music, dance, and spoken word performances. Attendees will enjoy continuous performances throughout the weekend at two venues.The Ethnic Arts Festival is sponsored by the City of Evanston Cultural Arts Programs and partially supported by the Illinois Ar... 07/17/2015

Today we closed 1640 Maple 302 at the Church Street Station Condominium building. A lovely one bedroom condo was only on the market 16 days and was purchased by my buyer client. This building is full service with a door person, pool, large outdoor terrace, garage parking and is only steps from everything downtown Evanston has to offer.If you are considering a move to Evanston IL or Chicago Land give us a call and we can help you find the best property for your needs.Understanding your Expectations and Exceeding themColdwell Banker Evanston(800) 858-7917 07/16/2015

Evanston IL Real Estate Market Report Mid JulyEvanston IL has really seen a busy Spring market that continues to thrive for Evanston IL. There are great deals to be had for condos and houses and the sellers of homes and condos are getting a great return and low market time. We are seeing between 95 and 105% list to sale price of all properties in Evanston IL. There is talk of mortgage rates going up and people want to buy and sell while the getting is good. If you want to skip all the reporting and just see property, client Evanston House and Evanston Condo. You will see the latest property listings straight out of the multiple listing service. Many people want to look on their own these days and that is just fine.At this time there are 147 single family homes for sale in Evanston IL an... 07/14/2015

1412 Hinman 1W Evanston IL 60201 Pending SaleMy buyer client grabbed this 2 bedroom condo right in downtown Evanston with one day market time. We had been looking for a few weeks and missed out on a couple of other great condos in town. This time we really got lucky and bid the best possible choice. A very nice courtyard building on an excellent street at 1412 Hinman.If you are considering a Real Estate purchase in Evanston IL or Chicago-land you need a Professional who can help you navigate to rough waters to a smooth transaction. The good properties go fast. Don't miss out, we can set up a personalized search for you. Set to your specifications and emailing you the property listings as they hit the market. The Coldwell Banker Evanston team sets up showings at a time that works for you... 07/11/2015

601 Linden 219 Evanston IL 60202 Pending SaleWe are under contract on 601 Linden #219 at the New Biscuit Lofts in Evanston IL. I am representing the buyer and the seller in this transaction. A really cute condo which I tried to sell a year ago but rented out because my seller had an out of town job he had to get to. Now a year later I helped the tenant become a first time buyer and everyone is really happy.The New Biscuit Lofts are a really unique building, this is the former Nabisco factory turned condo. The inner courtyard has a lush garden that everyone loves and the quality of these condos is very heavy duty. Interested in the Real Estate scene in Evanston? Click Evanston Condos or Evanston Houses.If you are interested to lean about a  purchase or sell of property in Evanston IL con... 07/10/2015

Here's Johnny with some good news about the Real Estate Market in Evanston, Il . In the first 6 months of 2015 there have been 242 homes that have sold compared to 190 the first half of 2014. This represents a 27% increase in the number of homes sold during the first half of 2015The average sale price in 2015 was $560,000 compared to the average sale price of $499,523 in 2014. This represents a 12 % appreciation over the past yearThe real estate market is stabalizing as the number of foreclosure sales has dropped from 18% of all sales in 2014 to 9% so far in 2015.The only statistic that is a little off is the number of days on market which has increased from the average of 75 days in 2014 to 91 days in 2015.  07/10/2015

Welcome To Evanston ILThis video will give you a good feeling for Evanston IL. A great place to call home. We are very proud of our community and want you to learn why. Evanston IL, the great little city sitting on Lake Michigan. Come and visit us some time and we will make you feel right at home. 07/09/2015

Evanston IL House Sales Report JuneEvanston IL single family house sales are up 7.6% from the same period in 2014. At this time there are 238 Single family houses for sale, 115 under contract and waiting to close. In the last 30 days, 64 houses have closed and are sold. The rates for mortgages are expected to go up in the near future and there are still excellent values in Evanston and Chicago Land. The news is good for both buyers and sellers. The Spring market is in full swing and Coldwell Banker Evanston has record numbers of transactions. This is good for both buyers and sellers.Interested to see for yourself? Click Houses for sale in Evanston IL for a direct connection to the Multiple Listing Service. This data is updated on the fly. If you have been wondering about the value of yo... 07/07/2015

The Condo scene in Evanston is booming. One of the most popular areas we see people looking for property is the condos that are near the downtown area. You get everything within walking distance including the public transportation via the Metra and EL trains. You could be in downtown Chicago within 20 minutes and all points in between sooner. Downtown Evanston has so many new restaurants that have popped up recently, dining can be found for any tastes. There is excellent entertainment available and a whole slew of very interesting and unique stores that you can find anywhere else as well as the business you know all over the country.Here is a site that lists some of the more popular condo buildings, called Evanston's Best. If you want to browse even deeper we have 60201 condos which are... 07/05/2015

Once again, we're celebrating the birthday of the United States.  Seems to happen around this time of year, each and every year.And America doesn't seem to be getting wrinkled, or aged at all. In fact she looks better than ever.Here in Evanston, IL, we throw an incredible grass-roots parade down Central street on Saturday... (begins at the top of Central St.... the west end.. at 2:00 p.m.), and runs east ending near Ryan Field, almost directly in front of our office.It's followed by one of the very best home-grown, independently finances fireworks displays in the state.. probably in the country at dusk, at the lakefront (we usually sit our kiesters down around Clark St. beach to watch the display).Little known fact: Did you know that the 4th of July is not really the birthday of the U.... 07/03/2015

In a recent story, a woman's testimony, in court, completely fell apart when the police accessed (with her permission) the data stored on her fitbit (that wearable teeny computer worn like a bracelet that monitors your activity and counts calories).In her account of the story, she told the police that she'd been asleep during the evening, so she couldn't have been... wherever they said she was... and her fitbit showed that she was actually active the entire evening...  so unless she'd been sleep-walking (or sleep-running)... she was lying.It brings into question, as we go forward into higher wearable personal technology, just how much data will be, and should be, available to the authorities.  Apparently the data on your fitbit is far easier for officials to get at, then the information... 07/02/2015

1503 Oak #213 Evanston IL Pending Sale Oak CourtThis property was listed by Realtor Noah Seidenberg for only 13 days and is now under contract. A nice 2 bedroom 2 bath condo in an elevator building in downtown Evanston will get a happy new owner. It had previously been on the market with a different Broker for 239 days and failed to sell. The proper marketing and social media helped to find a buyer for this property. The price was not lowered.It is so important to have the right Professional Realtor market your property for sale. If you want to hear more, contact Coldwell Banker Evanston. We will explain our marketing plan and get your home sold in 13 days the way 1503 Oak #213 worked out.You should consider contacting the largest and most successful Real Estate Brokerage in Chicago Lan... 07/01/2015