real estate market

The real estate market is strong this year…nationally and in the Glen

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As a realtor I’m asked about the real estate market every day.  And since I live in The Glen, a luxury home development in Glenview Illinois, everyone wants to know how homes are selling here.  Well, the market is strong, thank you very much.

Home sales are up nationally and in in the Glen. New construction is leading the way; and in the Glen that means in the Westgate and Patriot Commons neighborhoods.  It’s anticipated that new home sales will be up over 20% across the country. Existing home sales nationwide will likely increase 5% to 7% this year which is also strong.

The strength of home sales is primarily due to three factors:

  1. First time home buyers. Rents have increased substantially this year, encouraging many renters to purchase homes.
  2. Lending standards have eased up which is increasing the buyer pool.
  3. Continued low interest rates. Mortgage interest rates have trended up modestly in the last few months (about a quarter point), but they remain low by historical standards. Thirty year fixed rate loans are currently at about 4.1%, and jumbos are at this same level. Many home sales in the Glen – particularly in the Southgate, Tower Crossing, Chapel Crossing, Landings, and Cambridge neighborhoods – involve jumbo loans. Jumbos typically carry a somewhat higher rate, though that is not the case currently. Interest rates may increase a bit more in 2016 and 2017 making now a good time for buyers (and therefore for sellers, too).

The Glen is a wonderful place to live. In addition to all of the beautiful homes, the community lifestyle is hard to beat. There are two great golf courses, both within walking distance of any home in the Glen. The central marketplace is called Glen Town Center which has numerous restaurants (casual and upscale), many shops and boutiques, a movie theater, and a book store. If you are interested in living in the Glen, please contact me. I am a long time Glen homeowner and an award winning realtor affiliated with @properties.

Margaret Ludemann   margaretludemann@gmail.com   847-401-1802

Walk to Glen Town Center’s restaurants and shops from your new condo at Patriot Commons

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Condos in the Glen have always sold well. And why not? After all, not only do you get a beautiful home, but you also get the incredible lifestyle that only the Glen has to offer. Let me tell you more.

The Glen is the premier lifestyle community on Chicago’s north shore in Glenview Illinois. The focal point is Glen Town Center with its 17 restaurants, scores of shops including a great book store, a 10 screen movie theater, and much more. There are 9 residential neighborhoods with all types of luxury homes including single family, townhomes, row homes, condos, duplexes, villas, and two-flats. And…new construction is still available!

I would highly recommend the Patriot Commons development which offers breathtaking condos ranging in size between 1050 and 1400 square feet. One and two bedroom units (some with dens) are for sale offering hardwood floors and stunning chef’s kitchens with granite counters, stainless steel appliances, and Kohler faucets. Some units have dramatic views of The Glen Club Championship Golf Course; and all homes have private balconies. Indoor parking is available for all units.

But the homes are only part of the story. Patriot Commons homes are only a few steps from Glen Town Center, so your “commute” to an evening out is – if you’re walking slowly – about a minute or two. You can also walk to The Glen’s Metra Station with train service to Chicago’s Union Station in about a half hour.

Patriot Commons FINAL PHASE is over half sold out, but there are still 14 striking homes available with delivery expected in the fall of 2016. Home prices range between $325,000 and $482,000. If you would like to see Patriot Commons please contact me. I am a Glen homeowner and an award winning Realtor affiliated with @properties.

Margaret Ludemann   847-401-1802   margaretludemann@gmail.com

Beaver Cleaver would love this Glen home, and so will you.

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The Cleaver family would love this home. So would Ozzie and Harriet.

I generally don’t blog about my individual sales listings. And today’s blog isn’t really about this specific house; it’s more about a style of home found in the Cambridge subdivision in the Glen in Glenview Illinois. It’s a throwback to the 1950’s, and I love it.

I scheduled an open house at this home at 2458 W. Lake Avenue in Glenview a few days ago; and after I set everything up I took a glass of lemonade out to the front porch. (Yes, a front porch!) While enjoying the great weather and my view of Lake Glenview and Gallery Park across the street, my husband dropped by delivering some treats I like to serve at open houses. He joined me on the porch, and the stress of life in 2015 just oozed out of our bodies. It was quiet, a little warm but with a light breeze, and…we just sat there. Just like people did when Ike was President, Elvis was king, and cars had fins.

There are many housing types in Cambridge ranging from row homes, townhouses, duplexes, two-flats, large estate homes, and traditional single family homes. Several of the other Glen subdivisions have a single home type. Tower Crossing has its red brick Georgian townhomes, Southgate its huge estate homes, Glen Shore its luxury condos. But Cambridge is a wonderful mix of…well, of everything.

Anyway, if you like the idea of a front porch, tidy yard, and pretty flowers bordering your front walk, maybe you should visit Cambridge. Just give me a call or send an email. I am an award-winning Realtor and a long term resident of the Glen.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Realtor

847-401-1802    margaretludemann@gmail.com

Hey buyers…there are plenty of Glen homes for sale

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The conventional wisdom in real estate right now is that it’s a seller’s market because of low inventory (homes for sale) and high demand (lots of buyers). And that’s right, up to a point. It really doesn’t mean that there are few homes for sale. It only means that there are more buyers than sellers. A serious buyer DOES have options. There ARE homes for sale. In fact, there are currently 24 listed homes in the Glen plus several more new construction properties not yet move-in ready.

The Glen is a north shore residential and retail development in Glenview Illinois. It is composed of several distinctly different neighborhoods, all with luxury homes within walking distance of Glen Town Center, the community’s shopping and dining hub. I’ve described the Glen this way: It’s like you uprooted the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago and dropped it in Glenview. The lifestyle, especially in the townhome neighborhoods, feels “city”, but the map says “suburbs”…as in great schools, less traffic, and hassle free living.

So about those homes for sale. There are seven single family homes for sale ranging in price from $650,000 to $1,699,000. The attached properties include townhomes, row homes, duplex villas and condos. The home prices in this category range from $430,000 to $810,000. Homes listed for sale in the Glen range in size from 2000 square feet to nearly 5000 square feet. Some of the homes are fourteen years old. Some are brand new. In short, a buyer has options. And they are good options.

My proprietary website, www.homesintheglen.com identifies every home for sale, and it includes a wealth of information about each one. Because the site is fed by the Multiple Listing Service which includes homes that are under contract but not yet closed, I suggest you contact me to determine exactly which Glen homes are still available that meet your needs. I am a long time Glen homeowner and an award winning Realtor with @properties. I can be reached at margaret.ludemann@gmail.com or by phone at 847-401-1802.

Margaret Ludemann

The Glen’s reputation is growing nationally and worldwide

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The Glen’s sterling reputation is growing nationally and internationally. You can’t imagine how many calls and emails I receive from prospective buyers who are not from Glenview or even the Chicago metropolitan area. Buyers find me via my proprietary website www.homesintheglen.com when searching the internet for houses in the Glen or just to learn about the area. And due to the borderless nature of the internet, along with employee word of mouth networks of nearby corporate headquarters, the Glen is known as a great place to live.

The Glen is the premier residential and retail development on Chicago’s North Shore. It has over a thousand luxury homes of every type: single family homes, townhomes, row homes, villas, duplexes, two-flats, and condos. Home prices range from $350,000 to over $2 million. Glen Town Center, the Glen’s retail hub, offers upscale and casual dining and shopping. Two golf courses, Kohl Children’s Museum, a book store, park, lake, and gardens add even more to the rich lifestyle in the Glen.

So here is how our reputation has grown throughout the country and indeed the world. Within a few minutes from the Glen you’ll find large corporate offices for such giants as Kraft, Allstate Insurance, Aon, Anixter International, Illinois Tool Works and Scott Foresman. Remote employees of these and other nearby corporations often come here on business; and while here, they visit the Glen for shopping or dining. One look and they fall in love with the place. They go back home – wherever that may be – singing our praises. When employees are transferred to Glenview headquarters the first place many look for homes is the Glen.

This worldwide reputation makes for a healthy real estate market in the Glen. If you may be interested in living the Glen lifestyle, please call or email me. I am a long time Glen resident and an award winning Realtor with @properties.

Margaret Ludemann

MargaretLudemann@gmail.com 847-401-1802