There have been a lot of new listings in Hubbard Woods in October - still a good time to list and sell! 1565 Tower Road - $819,000Backs up to Corwin Park     938 Old Green Bay - $910,000Previously listed in 2015 for $1,139,000, this house is now in foreclosure     1244 Forest Glen - $959,0004 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths      1347 Sunview - $1,285,0001/2 acre, 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths      980 Greenwood - $1,389,000Built in 2007, this corner lot home is a very good value with  4 bedrooms (+ one in the basement) and 4 1/2 baths.     1383 Westmoor - $1,795,000This home is located at the end of Westmoor on the golf course and is already under contract.  It has 5 bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths.    1091 Fisher - $2,195,000Located down a private drive, this home was completely remodeled in 2016.  It has lo... 11/01/2016

The Winnetka Village Trustees are trying something new - a sort of grassroots approach to discussing local issues.The Village has planned a series of monthly "conversations" with residents to examine such concerns as stormwater problems or revitalizing Winnetka's business districts.  The idea is that many residents cannot attend evening meetings and so a less formal and more approachable format was chosen.The first meeting will be held this Saturday, October 15 at Peet's Coffee in downtown Winnetka (at the corner of Elm and Chestnut) from 10-11am.  Trustee Kristen Ziv will attend this first meeting with subsequent meetings held on the second Saturday of the month.  Future meetings will be led by different trustees on a rotating basis.If you have a concern, idea, or solution for Winnekta... 10/12/2016

UPDATED 2019 Winnetka may be the most difficult village to find a condo to live in (other than Kenilworth) because there are so few developments.  As of today (November 2019) there are 12 condos for sale priced between $140,000 for a 1bed/1bath to $785,000 for a 2bed/3bath.  There have not been any significant new condos built in Winnetka since 2007 when the building at 720 Green Bay was built with 13 units.  It went on the market at the cusp of the recession and most units were rented for several years before the market recovered and sales began.The One Winnetka project was just rescinded. It would have brought some much need condo and townhome space to the village and perhaps someone else will develop it eventually.In the past 12 months, 22 condos sold in Winnetka, selling at a median... 10/11/2016

By Art Wilson, RealtorWinnetka's September Property sales were 24, up 41.2% from 17 in September of 2015 and -38.5% lower than the 39 sales last month. September 2016 sales were at their highest level compared to September of 2015 and 2014. September YTD sales of 220 are running 11.7% ahead of last year's year-to-date sales of 197. The Median Sales Price in September was $1,262,500, up 27.5% from $990,000 in September of 2015 and up 22.9% from $1,027,300 last month. The Average Sales Price in September was $1,364,354, up 23.0% from $1,109,559 in September of 2015 and up 9.9% from $1,241,992 last month. September 2016 ASP was at a mid range compared to September of 2015 and 2014. The Total Inventory of Properties available for sale as of September was 205, up 4.1% from 197 last month and... 10/06/2016

As of today, October 3, 2016,  Winnetka has 189 homes listed for sale.Low price:  $470,000High price:  $13,750,000 (home not yet built on the lake)Under contract/pending:  28 homesAuction property:  1 home up for auction in east Winnetka listed for $880,000 Sold homes:  24 homes  (13 homes sold in September 2015)Low price:  $512,500  High price:  $4,800,000Median price:  $1,270,000 ($1,135,000 in September 2015)    SEE ALL WINNETKA HOMES FOR SALE 10/03/2016

Quite a few new homes were listed in Hubbard Woods in September.  There were a total of 12 - which is just one less than the 13 that were listed in April which is the height of the spring market. NEW LISTINGS - HUBBARD WOODS WINNETKA 1050 Tower - listed for $589,0004 bedrooms + 3 full baths - newer windows, new air conditioning, upgraded electric and water service plus family room off kitchen    840 Locust - $820,000Large corner lot (1,3 acre) with 5 bedrooms, updated kitchen, newer deck and roof.  Great opportunity to remodel or build new.     1340 Asbury - $895,0005 bedroom + 4 1/2 baths on oversized lot     260 Woodlawn - $949,000Being sold for land value in east Winnetka        900 Pine Tree Lane - $995,000Nicely updated home on 1/2 acre     1332 Sunview - $1,095,0004 bedrooms + 3 1... 10/02/2016

UPDATED 2019 Do you have a house in your neighborhood that has been on the market for a seriously long time? And did you, by chance, notice that same house has had maybe three or four different brokerage signs out front?Well, there you have a seller who is playing Real Estate Agent Musical Chairs. I'm not sure he knows how to play - or more exactly, that he should be playing this dangerous game at all. You see, he usually loses.There are two types of sellers in my opinion - those that cooperate with what their real estate agent proposes in terms of price, presentation, showings, etc. And those that don't. The sellers that don't listen to their agents and make their own decisions, unilaterally, set themselves up for failure. And the hapless person who takes the fall for this - yup, their... 09/28/2016

 Gather your friends and head over to the Winnetka East Elm shopping district for a fun evening sipping wine and shopping.  Sample a variety of different wines curated and poured by the Wilmette Wine Cellar. Appetizers will be served by local restaurants including Trifecta, Guildhall, Little Ricky's, Mariani's, Stacked and Folded, and Bake 425.  Stores will be open for your shopping experience and there will be special offers, discounts, raffles, and street entertainment.  Pay $50 by pre-registering at Winnetka Wine Walk, (before 9/30) or $60 at the door.  Each guest will be given a tour book, goodie bag, wine glass, and discount pricing on your favorite wines!Meet at the corner of Lincoln and Elm Streets in East Winnetka - the event runs from 4-7pm on Saturday, October 1, 2016.All proc... 09/27/2016

By Art Wilson, RealtorWinnetka's August Property sales were 38, up 52.0% from 25 in August of 2015 and 2.7% higher than the 37 sales last month. August 2016 sales were at a mid level compared to August of 2015 and 2014. August YTD sales of 195 are running 8.3% ahead of last year's year-to-date sales of 180. The Median Sales Price in August was $1,047,150, down -14.9% from $1,230,000 in August of 2015 and down -20.4% from $1,315,000 last month. The Average Sales Price in August was $1,263,228, down -21.4% from $1,606,701 in August of 2015 and down -11.2% from $1,421,973 last month. August 2016 ASP was at the lowest level compared to August of 2015 and 2014. The Total Inventory of Properties available for sale as of August was 196, down -10.9% from 220 last month and up 16.7% from 168 in ... 09/15/2016

UPDATED 2019  When I discuss pricing with home sellers in Winnetka and the North Shore, I notice that sellers have different expectations regarding their sale price. Motivated sellers are willing to list properly, hear my advice regarding the comps, and eager to move forward. Then there are those that are looking at building in "wiggle" room to their price to counteract and anticipate the dreaded low offer.Does this accomplish anything?  Yes - it increases market time and could actually net you less profit. The more a house is overpriced, the lower an offer will be tendered. I concede that even with a very well-priced home, an offer could still come in low. But that is a consequence of ill-informed buyers or their agent. A properly priced home will always have comps to support the list ... 09/13/2016

Vacation is over, school is in again, and weather is . . . still hot!  Let's see how hot the Hubbard Woods real estate market has been. NEW LISTINGS 1152 AsburyListed at $859,000 with 3 bedrooms and 3 full baths with lots of updates.  Listed in 2015 for $919,000     1264 Forest GlenOn for $889,000 and has been rented for the past 2 years.        1122 GageThis house sold last year for $530,000 to a flipper who is looking for a buyer who wants to customize the home.  It's now listed at $999,000     CLOSED SALES 1065 VineOriginal list price:  $599,000Last list price:  $579,000Sold price:  $560,000Days on market:  66   900 Gordon TerraceOriginal list price:  $699,000Last list price:  $645,000Sold price:  $620,000Days on market:  126   957 EuclidOriginal list price:  $925,000Sold price:  $88... 09/06/2016

In Sunday's Chicago Tribune, real estate writer and observer Kenneth Harney, writes:"Goodbye big fat McMansions.  Your boom time is over.  Hello townhouses and smaller homes - you're where the action is headed."He goes on to say that the decades-long big-house market is making way for more smaller homes and townhouses.  Square footage dropped in new construction starts by about 3% in the 2nd quarter of 2016. New construction of townhouses has increased by 25% since last year over the 2nd quarter and 13% of all new construction starts are townhouses.The reasons are obvious:  cost is the most important factor.  First time Millenial buyers and downsizers (the largest buying groups) in particular cannot find affordable alternatives.  I myself have recently sold two properties to young famil... 09/06/2016

August had a good number of closes in the North Shore - it's the last month before buyers want to settle in before school starts.WINNETKA WILMETTE KENILWORTH NORTHFIELD  GLENCOE     09/04/2016

UPDATED 2020 The sounds of cement trucks and hammers have been buzzing a lot in the Hubbard Wood area of Winnetka.  Two local and well-known builders both bought single large lots within blocks of each other and divided them into two buildable lots.  Thus four new, large homes for sale.  The first two homes that started construction are on the corner of Gordon Terrace and Chatfield, just across the street from Hubbard Woods School.  They are being built by George Adamczyk and one is nearing completion:855 Gordon Terrace is at the corner with a 70 x 207 sized lot (14,490 sq. ft.)  The home has 5 bedrooms and 6 1/2 baths and an attached 2-car garage.  The builder is stating that the home will have 8050 sq. ft. and I'm assuming that includes the basement which has a great room, bar, and th... 08/29/2016

Good and bad news inWinnetka  real estate - as always.  I've looked at home sales year-to-date in Winnetka from 2015 to 2016.  Below is a chart that shows that more homes sold in 2016, but the prices dropped by 4%. However, home sellers have been pricing their homes better and the list price to sell price ratio has risen to 93%.  Market time, did rise by an average of two months though. This chart shows home sales from January 1 through August 9 in  2015 and 2016.     2015 2016       # Houses sold 141 152 Average sold price $1,456,300 $1,401,000 Ratio of list to sell price 91% 93% Days on market 125 184    08/09/2016

 UPDATED 2019Are open houses a waste of time?  It depends on whose time we're talking about.  If we mean the listing agent and the home owner, then it's usually a waste of time.  But for the open house attendees, it's a fruitful time.  But that, unfortunatley, does not result in sales.A case in point is this past weekend when I held an open house and had four groups of people come through.  It went like this: An agent looked at the property for herself - she lived nearby and wanted to move into something larger.  That's legit - a real buyer. A young couple with a small child - perfect!  Not so fast . . . they were looking for his parents who lived out of state and need to sell first.  They have not listed their home for sale yet so it looks like it this sale won't happen soon.  They wer... 08/09/2016

By Art Wilson, RealtorWinnetka's July Property sales were 37, up 23.3% from 30 in July of 2015 and 12.1% higher than the 33 sales last month. July 2016 sales were at their highest level compared to July of 2015 and 2014. July YTD sales of 157 are running 1.3% ahead of last year's year-to-date sales of 155. The Median Sales Price in July was $1,315,000, up 21.3% from $1,084,500 in July of 2015 and up 4.0% from $1,265,000 last month. The Average Sales Price in July was $1,421,973, up 14.7% from $1,239,467 in July of 2015 and up 1.3% from $1,403,913 last month. July 2016 ASP was at highest level compared to July of 2015 and 2014. The Total Inventory of Properties available for sale as of July was 219, up 2.3% from 214 last month and up 19.7% from 183 in July of last year. July 2016 Invento... 08/03/2016

It's that time again - let's look at the new listings (some very high end ones,) homes that sold, and other crazy foibles that went on in Hubbard Woods in July. New Hubbard Woods Homes for Sale 250 Woodlawn - $649,0004 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths + screened porch      1152 Scott - $875,000Nice house with 4 bedrooms and  . . . 4 1/2 baths!  Only downside is that the home does not have central air.  But for less than $20,000 you can install space-pak and have a great house.    1289 Forest Glen - $899,000Nice home with a great kitchen.  However, only 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths which look original, and a 1-car garage.       1275 Asbury - $1,185,0004 bedrooms + 4 bathrooms.  The home is designed to have a great room - no family room.  Needs updating.      1353 Tower - $1,495,000This house is a gem!  ... 08/02/2016

Here are the sales, by price and address, for all homes sold in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, and Northfield in July 2016. WINNETKA   WILMETTE KENILWORTH NORTHFIELD GLENCOE 08/01/2016

By Art Wilson, RealtorWinnetka's June Property sales were 33, down -15.4% from 39 in June of 2015 and 37.5% higher than the 24 sales last month. June 2016 sales were at a mid level compared to June of 2015 and 2014. June YTD sales of 119 are running -4.8% behind last year's year-to-date sales of 125. The Median Sales Price in June was $1,265,000, up 0.9% from $1,253,500 in June of 2015 and up 21.6% from $1,040,000 last month. The Average Sales Price in June was $1,403,913, down -0.9% from $1,416,038 in June of 2015 and up 12.5% from $1,248,125 last month. June 2016 ASP was at a mid range compared to June of 2015 and 2014. The Total Inventory of Properties available for sale as of June was 210, down -4.1% from 219 last month and up 5.0% from 200 in June of last year. June 2016 Inventory ... 07/19/2016