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All 6 models of Tower Crossing townhomes are currently for sale in The Glen

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It’s rare that all six models of Tower Crossing townhomes are for sale at the same time, but that is currently the case. So buyers can view the various floor plans available in this very popular Glen development.

The Glen is the most exciting and popular luxury residential and retail development on Chicago’s north shore. It resides on former Glenview naval air base land in the heart of Glenview, Illinois. Tower Crossing is the ultra-popular townhome development which borders Glen Town Center, the Glen’s retail hub with restaurants, shopping, and entertainment venues.

There are 6 basic models of townhomes in Tower Crossing ranging in size between 3031 sq ft and 4105 sq ft. You’re probably thinking…those are quite large for townhomes…and you’re right. These are magnificent brick homes with stunning Georgian architecture and high end amenities. Depending on the model and upgrades they may have two, three or four bedrooms. Several models offer elevators, and others have roof top decks.

Perhaps the most compelling advantage of Tower Crossing townhomes, however, isn’t really the beauty of the homes. You’ve heard that real estate is about location, location, location. Well, that is what sets Tower Crossing apart from any other suburban neighborhood that I know. Each home is within a few steps of 15 restaurants, dozens of stores and boutiques, a ten-screen movie theater, and a lovely book store. Plus they are an easy walk to two golf courses, Lake Glenview, Battery Park, walking trails, and so much more. The lifestyle, as you can tell by my description is quite urban, yet Tower Crossing is in suburban Glenview.

As I wrote at the start of this blog, there is at least one of each Tower Crossing model currently on the market. So for those who desire luxury townhome living with an urban lifestyle in a suburban setting, please contact me for a tour. I am a long time resident of the Glen and a Realtor affiliated with @properties.

Margaret Ludemann

847-401-1802  margaretludemann@gmail.com

Glen residents are connected by private group email

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The Glen’s Yahoo group connects residents of the Glen with one another via email. The Glen, of course, is a luxury residential and retail development in Glenview Illinois on Chicago’s north shore. This group “list serv” allows residents to ask hundreds of neighbors for recommended service providers in a single email. So if you need a recommendation for a plumber or babysitter or whatever…you can email everyone else in the neighborhood and get numerous replies. And all replies go to everyone in the group as well.

But it’s not just to find quality service providers. Would you like to sell that old bike taking up space in the garage? Or get help in finding your lost dog. Or find out what people think of a new restaurant. Or find tickets to a Bears game that a neighbor is not going to use. It’s like having the whole community right there in your computer…hundreds of neighbors just waiting to help you out. And you can use any email address you want, not just yahoo addresses.

Don’t worry about your inbox being flooded with Glen emails. On an average day you’ll receive about 8 emails. They are clearly marked in the reference line as being from a Glen resident. Or you can receive one email each evening with all of the emails in a day bundled into it.

There are over 700 members of the Glen’s group. It’s open to any Glen homeowner or renter. And it’s free! You sign up with Yahoo which sends notification to the group’s volunteer moderator. The moderator sends the applicant an application used to confirm residency; and you’re in.

If you live in the Glen and are not a member, here is what you do:

Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Glen. Click on JOIN THIS GROUP.

If you don’t have a Yahoo ID to sign in, you can get one by clicking the CREATE NEW ACCOUNT at the bottom of the Sign In To Yahoo box. After you’ve done that, follow the directions to join.

If you DO have a Yahoo ID: After clicking JOIN THIS GROUP just sign in to Yahoo, and follow the directions to join.

If you are thinking about living in the Glen, consider this just one more benefit.  I’ve lived here for 13 wonderful years.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Realtor

847-401-1802  margaretludemann@gmail.com

What if your realtor doesn’t know the Glen neighborhoods?

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Home purchases can go south when buyers are ill advised by uninformed realtors. I run into this all the time here in The Glen (in Glenview IL) where there are ten unique neighborhoods with different types of homes, different sizes, and different price points. This is especially true for attached homes such as townhomes, condos, and duplexes because there typically are multiple models within a development that have their own unique characteristics and price histories.

The Regency at the Glen development is a prime example. Regency offers 104 townhomes, 38 duplexes, and two single family homes. There are four models of townhomes with sizes ranging from 1523 square feet to 1835 square feet. The beautiful duplexes come in two basic models, and like the townhomes there are many upgrades that add value. I was recently involved in a deal in this development where I represented a townhome seller. Another realtor brought a potential buyer to the home, and an offer was made. The offer was extremely low, but the buyer and his agent didn’t think so. Why? Because the realtor found “comps” (the prices of recent sales of supposedly similar Regency homes) that were incorrect. The realtor was not intimately familiar with that market and didn’t realize that he was finding comps for the wrong model which was much smaller than my listed property. The buyer was ill advised, being told that the home should sell for $X. So his expectation was set at an unrealistically low price. I had to educate the buyer’s realtor about the various models, their sizes, their upgrades, and price histories.

This happens frequently in Tower Crossing at the Glen as well where there are six basic townhome models and significant variations even within each model; and some of the upgrades make material differences in price. For instance some models have expensive elevators while others do not. Tower Crossing’s homes vary in size from 3037 square feet to 4105 square feet…a significant difference. Home prices range, based on model and upgrades, between the low $600’s to nearly $900,000. So for a buyer to be properly advised, the realtor has to understand Tower Crossing intimately.

The bottom line is this: If you are buying a home be sure to find a realtor who is very, very familiar with the specific neighborhoods in which you are looking at homes. If you choose the wrong one, you may be making a costly mistake.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Realtor

847-401-1802  margaretludemann@gmail.com

The Glen…urban living in the suburbs

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“It’s not just a home; it’s a lifestyle.” Over the years I’ve said this to scores of my home buyer clients who were considering the Glen, the luxury residential and retail community in Glenview Illinois. I include it in all of my marketing materials. And there’s good reason. You can find a nice home anywhere, but the Glen lifestyle is unique and wonderful.

Many years ago, as a young single woman just out of college, I moved to a condo at Division and Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. I loved living in the exciting urban setting of Chicago. I loved the restaurants, shopping, and the theaters. I loved North Avenue Beach. I loved the convenience of walking to the gym, the grocery store, the laundry, and the train. I loved meeting friends for a drink after work. I loved walking down Michigan Avenue with all of the people hurrying off to work or play. What a life!

There were downsides, too, of course. Traffic congestion. Noise. Waiting in lines. Holding my purse close and tight while walking in crowds. So with all of the benefits of urban living, there were some less than pleasurable things as well.

Fast forward to 2003. I’m married. I have a three year old son. I need to consider safety. I need to think about schools. But, like many city dwellers, I didn’t like the idea of living in the suburbs. But then I heard about the Glen, in the north shore community of Glenview. I was told that it was a perfect blend of urban life in a suburban area, and I decided to take a look. One look was all it took for me to fall in love with the Glen. My husband and I bought a townhome bordering Glen Town Center. I discovered that, like in the city, I could walk to everything…the movies, shopping, restaurants, fitness center, laundry, spa, book store, and the Metra train station. I found a buzz while walking along Tower Drive, just like I experienced in the city.

But unlike the city I found that I could also walk to two golf courses, outdoor tennis courts, quiet walking trails, Gallery Park’s large open spaces, Little Bear Garden, and Kohl Children’s Museum. I also learned about Glenview’s world-class schools. In short, I found an urban lifestyle in suburbia. It’s called the Glen. I call it perfect.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Realtor

847-401-1802  margaretludemann@gmail.com

Million dollar homes in The Glen

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Of the 62 home sales in the Glen in 2014, 18 were for over $1,000,000. The Glen, on Chicago’s north shore in Glenview Illinois, is a luxury home residential development at the site of the former Naval Air Station Glenview.

There are several distinct neighborhoods in the Glen built by a variety of developers. Of these, three experienced $1+ million dollar sales last year: 3 were in Chapel Crossing, 4 were in Landings (formerly Concord), and 11 were in Southgate.

Southgate has the highest percentage of million dollar homes. In fact, of the 237 single family homes in the neighborhood, it is rare for a home to sell for under $1,000,000. The highest price paid for a home in 2014 was $2.2 million dollars, and it was in Southgate on property bordering the The Glen Club 18 hole championship golf course. Homes bordering the golf course have dramatic views, and the lots are larger than in any other area of Southgate and The Glen. The other ten Southgate homes with million dollar sales in 2014 sold for an average of $1,265,000. There are currently three Southgate homes listed for sale at over a million dollars: $2,795,000 and $1,799,000 and $1,689,000.

The four million dollar homes in Landings sold for $1,225,000 and $1,193,000 and $1,100,000 and $1,015,000, an average of $1,113,250.

The three million dollar homes in Chapel Crossing sold for $1,065,000 and $1,055,000 and $1,040,000, an average of $1,053,333.

Of the 18 Glen homes that sold for more than a million dollars in 2014 only 2 realtors sold multiple homes. There are more than 170 realtors in Glenview. I was fortunate to be among the three.

If you may be interested in purchasing a Glen home, please contact me. I am a long time Glen homeowner and a realtor affiliated with @properties.

Margaret Ludemann  

margaret.ludemann@gmail.com   847-401-1802