New Trier High School Will Expand Use of iPads New Trier High School is expanding its iPad pilot program by increasing their use from the current 165 to 735 next year.  600 of the iPads will be used directly by students, sixty will be kept on carts that will move from classroom to classroom, and the remaining 75 will be loaned to teachers. Knowing that New Trier has almost 4000 students, this may seem like a drop in the bucket but the school feels it is important to test-use them while continually assessing their usefulness and effectiveness. Technology updates happen so rapidly and nothing new lasts very long. Students and teachers love using the iPad and they spoke enthusiastically about it at a New Trier School Board meeting recently.  It works for note taking, research, and the bigg... 04/23/2012

The Low Hanging Fruit Has Been Picked From The Vine As is the case in much of the country, the Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe and Kenilworth markets are experiencing a very small inventory of fresh, well-priced, new listings.  We are seeing competitively priced properties in move-in condition, selling in a matter of a few days, often with multiple offers.  The best barometer of changes in true market value is looking at resales of recently sold homes.  For many of those few homes that sold in the last year or two and are returning to the market this spring, we are commonly seeing prices that are equal to or higher than the earlier transaction.  Most of the low hanging fruit has been picked from the vine. This is a pretty good indication that the bottom of the North Shore market is now bein... 04/22/2012

Was There an Old Mother Hubbard?There was an Old Father Hubbard, an early landowner, Gilbert Hubbard, who moved to Winnetka in 1871 after the Chicago fire, but no knowledge of his wife exists. The neighborhood that later developed on Hubbard’s land became known as Hubbard Woods and the elementary school (eventually) took its name from the surrounding neighborhood.Hubbard Woods is located in the northern part of Winnetka. The neighborhood is bounded on the east by Green Bay Rd., on the north by Scott Ave., on the south by Pine St. and on the west by the Skokie Lagoons. The elementary school also serves a small part of Winnetka that is east of Green Bay between Tower Rd. and Woodlawn Avenue.Homes in Hubbard Woods are typically traditional in style: Tudors, Colonials, Georgians, etc. Many ... 04/16/2012

UPDATED 2019  Noah's Ark Pet Supplies in Winnetka Noah's Ark Pet Store in Winnetka is owned by Angie DeMars - and as far as animals go, she walks the walk.  Her pet store caters to all things animal, but she is a dedicated and passionate advocate for for adoption and works closely with PAWS Chicago (Pets Are Worth Saving) a no-kill shelter. Angie grew up in Colorado and is a life long animal lover.  After graduating from college, she bought a one-way ticket to Chicago because she had seen the city so many times in movies and felt it would be a great place to live.  She went right to work at KPMG as a data base manager and eventually got married and settled down in Winnetka. She adopted a sickly Maltese named Mimi from PAWS, and through the rigors of taking care of her dog, she became pa... 04/11/2012

  Where to Board Your Pets in Winnetka Wilmette, Kenilworth, and Glencoe Updated 2022This is one agonizing decision! Vacations have not happened because no one could take care of the beloved dog or cat. There are several options for this problem from the mundane to the very specialized.Personally, I have tried leaving the animal at home and having someone stop by; having a pet sitter stay in the house, or strong-arming a gullible neighbor. I have not ever boarded a dog and I have no personal experience with kennels, but many pet owners use and love them.If you feel like you just can't leave your dog at a kennel, then your best bet is to find someone to stop by or stay at your house. Since these types of arrangements are always changing, you could ask around, or better yet, check out Nex... 04/10/2012

Winnetka's March Property sales were 13, down -7.1% from 14 in March of 2011 and 62.5% higher than the 8 sales last month. March 2012 sales were at their lowest level compared to March of 2011 and 2010. March YTD sales of 27 are running -20.6% behind last year's year-to-date sales of 34. The Median Sales Price in March was $1,370,000, up 59.8% from $857,500 in March of 2011 and down -5.5% from $1,450,000 last month. The Average Sales Price in March was $1,239,231, up 9.4% from $1,132,857 in March of 2011 and down -21.5% from $1,578,688 last month. March 2012 ASP was at a mid range compared to March of 2011 and 2010. The Total Inventory of Properties available for sale as of March was 165, up 4.4% from 158 last month and down -11.8% from 187 in March of last year. March 2012 Inventory wa... 04/09/2012

UPDATED 2022 Finding Your Perfect Shelter Pet in theNorth Shore Suburbs near WinnetkaThere is no shortage of places to go if you want to find a family pet in the North Shore area.  I am a supporter of recycling -  recycling cats and dogs that is!  I have never owned an animal other than one "saved" from a shelter or rescue group.Buying a puppy from a puppy mill pet store is a big no-no in my world.  Some people feel the need to buy from a breeder for specific reasons and there are certainly many reputable breeders. But I will be discussing  local animal shelters in this post.There are so many abandoned, unwanted and abused animals being cared for by hundreds of volunteers in the Chicago area.  These animals have been medically evaluated, have gotten all their vaccinations, been spayed, ... 04/07/2012

The Worm Has Turned     It’s been a long wait.  There have been many “fits and starts”.  We thought it might have happened several times over the past several years, only to be disappointed.  This time it seems to be the real thing.    Of course, I’m talking about a residential real estate recovery on the North Shore.         All real estate is local.  Therefore, I’m not talking about a national, or even a regional recovery.  I’m specifically speaking of a strong upswing in the Winnetka, Wilmette and Evanston markets.  The Kenilworth, Glencoe and Highland Park markets are showing some new strength and Glenview, Northfield and Northbrook are holding their own.     New listings that are well priced seem to be “going under contract” within days, often with multiple offers.  Showings are wa... 04/04/2012

Here’s a great house in a wonderful neighborhood on the north end of Winnetka. This delightful brick home has all the charm of a vintage house and all the modern amenities you’d find in a newer home. Listed for $739,000, it’s bigger than it looks from the street. Downstairs it has an elegant living room with floor to ceiling arched windows and a fireplace. The formal dining room opens to a cozy sunroom and to a comfy sunken family room. The eat-in kitchen has been recently updated with granite counters and stainless appliances. On the second floor there’s a large new master bedroom and bath as well as two family bedrooms and bright and fresh hall bath. Up on the third floor is a fourth bedroom with sitting room/office and half bath, a perfect teenage suite. Out back is a lovely shaded ... 04/01/2012

The Winnetka Market is Picking Up -  Why is Your House Not Selling?   The Winnetka and North Shore real estate market has woken up - buyers are flocking here after staying put most of last year.  This doesn't mean that prices are going up - but the good news is that they are holding steady - but just so. But your home is languishing on the market?  Why?  Consider these important factors: Your house is priced too high - This is the single most important reason why your home won't sell - in any market!  This is where a knowledgeable and experienced realtor can help you with comparable homes for sale and sold properties.  It always come down to price. Not Staging and Repairing- unfortunately, many of us live with the little idiosyncrasies of our houses until we get ready to sell.  We think... 03/24/2012

Is Redfin Trying To Become a Listing Agent?I read a very interesting news story this morning.  Redfin has introduced a home pricing tool which seems to be created along the same lines as Zillow’s “Zestimate”.  I haven’t found the next logical step...which is how they are going to help homeowners market it on their own, but I sense that is the direction of their business plan.Many real estate professional have found the Zestimate to be one of the most unfortunate innovations of the electronic age.  While Zillow has staunchly defended their accuracy, many in the real estate industry believe that they are grossly inaccurate and dangerous in creating false illusions among homeowners.  Many homeowners love the concept.   Comparing homes in subdivisions and in condo complexes may allow for “a... 03/23/2012

Thoughts on Winnetka/North Shore Homes for Sale Home sales are picking up in Winnetka and other North Shore villages.  But not for everyone.   Recently, a home in the Mackenzie area of Wilmette sold in less than two weeks.  Two other Wilmette homes sold in less than three weeks.  They are shining stars in the galaxy of tired, overpriced homes that swell the local marketplace. There are now 440 homes for sale in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, and Northfield, up from 375 a month ago.There are 127 homes that are under contract - also up from a month ago.  Of those 127 homes, 31 sold in less than 30 days - double the percentage of a month ago!! Around 3 weeks ago while touring broke open houses I noticed something strange.  Yikes!  Two homes that had been listed last year and didn... 03/20/2012

Real Estate Cannot Operate Like Goldman Sachs Real estate is a client centered business.  All of our business is the direct result of referrals or recommendations from current or former clients.  We realize that our reputation is the result of the hard work we perform every day for our clients, both buyers and sellers.  We also understand that reputation can be a very fragile commodity.  I had written previously about how “reputation” is only as good as the worst thing you have ever done. We also cannot rely on what we have done in the past.  In a “client focused” business, we understand that every client may be asking “what have you done for me lately?”   We treat all of our clients with the utmost respect and do not treat the $125,000 first time condo buyer any differently from the $3... 03/15/2012

Winnetka Real Estate It's an exciting time to buy a home in Winnetka!  There is ample inventory and many good values to choose from.   Winnetka Homes Up to $1 Million Winnetka Homes from $1-2 Million Winnetka Homes $2 Million+ 03/12/2012

"Home Alone" Home Sells at Sizable Discount Winnetka is home to many blue ribbon properties.  From incredible lakefront mansions to turn of the century Victorian masterpieces to newly constructed “McMansions”.    However, there is no Winnetka home that is more frequently visited by tourists or photographed in the media than 671 Lincoln....commonly known as the “Home Alone” home.  Yes, this is the house where the 1990 classic staring Macaulay Caulkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern and directed by the late John Hughes was filmed. Although born in Lansing Michigan, Hughes' family moved to Northbrook when he was twelve or thirteen and never looked back. Hughes filmed a series of hit films on location at North Shore venues, but none have held the endearing and deep memories that are associated ... 03/08/2012

Winnetka's February Property sales were 7, down -36.4% from 11 in February of 2011 and 16.7% higher than the 6 sales last month. February 2012 sales were at their lowest level compared to February of 2011 and 2010. February YTD sales of 13 are running -35.0% behind last year's year-to-date sales of 20. The Median Sales Price in February was $1,300,000, up 49.0% from $872,500 in February of 2011 and down -26.6% from $1,771,813 last month. The Average Sales Price in February was $1,493,500, up 32.3% from $1,128,744 in February of 2011 and down -19.8% from $1,863,271 last month. February 2012 ASP was at highest level compared to February of 2011 and 2010. The Total Inventory of Properties available for sale as of February was 157, up 18.9% from 132 last month and down -14.2% from 183 in Fe... 03/07/2012

February Real Estate Market Report Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe & Northfield It seems like February surged with homes going under contract, but that won't be reflected for another month or two.  Sales were strongest in Wilmette, with 10 closed sales, but that was down from January's number of 18. Total Sales by Village for February 2012 Winnetka:         7 Wilmette:        10 Kenilworth        1 Glencoe            7 Northfield         6 What I found interesting is that of the 30 sales for February, 7 of them (or 23%) were either foreclosures or short sales.  That was much higher than I had previously thought and obviously, these sales are having an impact on all sales numbers. There are a whopping 95 homes that are under contract, of which some may come back on the market bec... 03/06/2012

  Wine and Beer Tasting at the Winnetka Community House This Friday, March 9, the Winnetka Community House will be hosting its Third Annual Wine and Beer Tasting.  Offered for your pleasure will be over 50 different wines as well as premium and mincrobrew beers. You will have a chance to pair your wines with hors d'oeuvres, cheese, and chocolate while relaxing and socializing in a lounge area prepared by Lee Thinnes of Lee's Antiques.   The wine and beers will be specially sale priced for attendees plus case discounts will also be offered - delivery is free with pick-up in Winnetka.   Prices are $45 online or $55 at the door - you can order tickets here:  Winnetka Community House Wine and Beer Tasting Tickets Winnetka Community House 620 Lincoln Ave, Winnetka, IL 847-446-0537 7:00 pm 03/05/2012

The Mating RitualThe process of negotiation in a real estate transaction is very much like a mating ritual.  It is a complex interplay between tactics and assets.  There is the display of plumage and then the dancing and singing which eventually results in either the culmination of the deal or one of the parties walking away and seeking out a different partner.     (photo courtesy of aussiegall's photostream on Flickr  http://fr.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-936410667 ) If it is rushed and the elements of the ritual are not fully executed, there is little chance of a successful transaction. I have heard recommendations that buyers should present a strong or even “best and final” offer at the first strike, but this can only be effective in a few, very specific circumstances. One would be in... 02/29/2012

Are You Ready to "Leap in the Lake" This Saturday Glencoe Beach, Glencoe, Il Glencoe and other North Shore residents know that we have had a mild winter thus far - and that is why jumping into Lake Michigan might not seem so frightening as it normally would. Alas, a new winter storm arrived today and left about an inch of mushy white stuff.   Will this deter you from joining in Glencoe's Leap in the Lake this Saturday, February 25 at the Glencoe Beach (one of many events that Glencoe is hosting this year to celebrate their 100 year history.).   Find out just how cold Lake Michigan's water really is (hey, I don't go into the water in the summer because I think it's too cold!) After your quick dip, you will be able to go into a warming area and enjoy hot chocolate or coffee.  Emergency me... 02/23/2012