condos

Home buyers…by the numbers

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I’m a data freak. I love to sift through all kinds of numbers about the real estate market. And I think it makes me a better Realtor.

The Illinois Association of Realtors recently crunched it’s wealth of data to determine who buys homes in our state, and I thought you might be interested in the information it uncovered about home buyers. So here goes…

  • 69% of home buyers in Illinois are married, 17% are single women, 5% are single men, and 8% are unmarried.
  • The median income of a buyer (or married buyers) is just over $90,000.
  • 13% of buyers are veterans.
  • First time home buyers make up a little more than a third of the total (37% to be precise).
  • 92% choose a previously owned home; 8% buy new.
  • 14% of buyers are purchasing senior-oriented homes.
  • Home buyers expect to live in their homes for, on average, 15 years.
  • Particularly important to a Realtor like me, 86% use the internet during their home search; and they found photos to be extremely important to them. (No surprise there!)

It is important to understand, however, that there is no single real estate market in Illinois. These numbers include buyers in small towns, suburbs, and the city of Chicago.   Some buyers buy multi-million dollar single family homes while others purchase starter homes or condos. There are even multiple markets in The Glen (in Glenview Illinois), where I live and work. They are defined by home type and price point. To find a home in a market that is right for you (whether a community, a development, a neighborhood, or even a street), an experienced Realtor can inform and guide you.

Margaret Ludemann

@properties Realtor and Glen homeowner

847-401-1802   margaretludemann@gmail.com

Listing your home for buyers with children

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In areas which cater to families with school age children, it’s important to time the listing of your home appropriately. The basic rule is that you need to get it on the market in time for buyers to close, get moved, and settle in prior to the start of the school year. Often sellers list their homes too late, and they miss the real estate market for buyers with kids.

Let’s take The Glen as an example. The Glen is an upscale housing and retail development on the former grounds of Naval Air Station Glenview in Glenview Illinois. It is home to a couple of thousand luxury homes of various types, including single family homes, townhomes, row homes, duplexes, condos, and two-flats. Prices in the Glen range from the high $300,000s to over $2 million.

Children in the Glen attend District 34 elementary and middle schools, including Westbrook Elementary School, Glen Grove Elementary School, and Attea Middle School. For high school they attend Glenbrook South High School in District 225. Naturally, there are wonderful private schools available in the area as well, but for purposes of this exercise let’s look at the public school calendar. From there, we will work backward to determine the best time to list your home.

The first day of District 34 schools for next school year will be August 23; for District 225, it will be August 25. If we assume a family would like to get their kids settled in their new neighborhoods to make friends two or three weeks before school starts, we’re looking at a move-in date of around the first of August. Prior to moving in, we can assume a time on market of a month or two…so to be safe, let’s say two months. After the agreement is signed, there is usually a 45 to 60 day period before closing. So, doing the math we find that getting a home on the market would be best to occur by early-April.

This means that home sellers in the Glen who wish to attract families with children should be moving rather rapidly to get their home ready to be listed. You need to find your Realtor and get your home prepared for showing. There’s really not a lot of time to spare.

I am an award-winning realtor who lives in and sells extensively in The Glen. If you are interested in selling, buying or renting in the Glen (or greater Glenview), please contact me right away.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Realtor

847-401-1802  margaretludemann@gmail.com

Glen Town Center to get a nice facelift in 2016

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The Glen is about to receive a very nice upgrade in 2016. The Glen is an upscale residential and retail development in Glenview Illinois on property that was once a naval airbase. It was developed beginning in 2010, and it continues today with new homes still being constructed.

I live a half block from The Glen’s main shopping and eating area called Glen Town Center. It’s filled with scores of boutiques and eateries as well as a theater, coffee house, and book store. Over time some parts of the sidewalks have shown their wear as freezing and thawing have done minor damage. And some of the trees along Tower Drive, the main street through the area, have suffered, too. Don’t get me wrong, the place still sparkles…I mean it looks TERRIFIC…but it’s going to look even better!

The updating planned for next year will feature new sidewalks, trees, other landscaping, and signage. My neighbors join me in my excitement for this project which will add to the already strong appeal for shoppers, diners, current residents, and yes to those who are considering living in The Glen. Plans have been created, vetted and approved by the Village Trustees. Work will being in March, and completion is forecast for September.

If you haven’t been to The Glen I urge you to stop by for a meal and shopping. If you’ve been here before I suggest you think about making it your home. We have single family homes, townhomes, row homes, two flats, duplexes, and condos. Home prices range from the high $300s to over $2 million. For more information about homes in The Glen, please contact me. In addition to being a Glen homeowner, I am an award winning Realtor focused on Glen properties.

Margaret Ludemann   @properties Real Estate

847-401-1802   margaretludemann@gmail.com

Kids in The Glen

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Kids. Lots of them. Right here in The Glen!

In fact we have 1,336 children (ages birth through the 12th grade) in the 1,254 privately owned homes in this upscale residential and retail community in Glenview Illinois. As a long time Glen resident and as a Realtor who focuses heavily on The Glen, I know what a wonderful place this is for children. I have a 15 year old son who has grown up here, and he loves everything about it. Gallery Park, Lake Glenview, soccer fields, tennis courts, Kohl Children’s Museum, Arclight Movie Theater, and so much more.

We have eight developments with privately owned homes in The Glen, not counting Westgate which is under construction. Here is a breakdown of children in each:

Chapel Crossing: 167 homes 284 kids 1.7 kids p/home

Landings: 143 homes 236 kids 1.65 kids p/home

Southgate: 299 homes 413 kids 1.38 kids p/ home

Cambridge: 244 homes 234 kids 0.96 kids p/home

Regency: 148 homes 76 kids 0.51 kids p/home

Tower Crossing: 154 homes 73 kids 0.47 kids p/home

Patriot Commons: 68 homes 16 kids 0.24 kids p/home

Glen Shore: 31 homes 4 kids 0.13 kids p/home

Not surprisingly the developments with the most single family homes have the highest percentage of children p/home: Chapel Crossing and Landings. Southgate and Cambridge have a mix of single family homes and attached housing. On the other end of the spectrum, the developments with the most attached housing (mainly townhomes and condos) have the lowest percentage of children p/home: Tower Crossing, Regency, Patriot Commons and Glen Shore.

If you would like to know more about The Glen please give me a call.

Margaret Ludemann, Realtor, @properties

847-401-1802   margaretludemann@gmail.com

Great schools serve children living in The Glen

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A dozen years ago my family and I were moving back to the Chicago area after living in Boston for a few years. We began our home search in downtown Chicago where we had previously lived. But the more we thought about it the more our focus turned to school quality, and that led us to The Glen in the near-by north shore community of Glenview.

We have been thrilled with the schools here. Our son recently graduated from Attea Middle School located in The Glen, and one week from today he’ll start high school at Glenbrook South. GBS, as it’s known, is one of the highest ranked high schools in the country. Academics are strong, and the offerings go well beyond the normal curriculum one finds in most high schools. For instance the foreign language program offers courses in five languages. Five! French, Spanish, German, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. Oh, and American Sign Language. I guess that makes six languages. My son will be taking Japanese, and he can’t wait. Many of his friends will also participate in the Glenbrook Academy of International Studies in English, Social Studies, and World Languages. And the results? Well, 95% of graduates go on to college; the average ACT score is 25; and 89% of students earn AP scores to qualify for college credit.

The GBS experience, though, goes well beyond the classroom. There are 48 clubs at GBS. My son will be joining the fencing club and a few others. Yes, there is a fencing club. Imagine that. And it gets even better. If a student wants a club that doesn’t yet exist, he or she is encouraged to start one. In addition to clubs, GBS offers 8 boys sports and 14 girls sports. There is something for everyone in this outstanding high school.

So, if you are thinking about a move, you should take a long look at The Glen. Homes of all kinds are available including single family homes, condos, townhomes, row homes, duplexes, and two-flats. Home prices range from the $300’s to over $2 million. If you would like to know more about The Glen, the schools, and homes currently listed for sale, please give me a call at 847-401-1802. Or you can email me at margaretludemann@gmail.com.

Margaret Ludemann,   @properties Realtor and Glen homeowner