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Westgate at the Glen Update

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It has been a couple of months since I last blogged about Westgate, the new construction housing development in The Glen in Glenview Illinois. At that time I told you about the “reservation event” which allowed early registrants to receive more information about the proposed development and arrange appointments with developer E.R. James Partners to select home types and locations. Two months later the vast majority of homes have been sold, though many are still available. Home construction has not yet begun, though as you can see from the attached photo, the builder has initiated grading. Work on underground infrastructure should begin soon.

Westgate, which is located on nearly 30 acres of land at the northwest corner of W. Lake Avenue and Shermer Road, offers 173 luxury homes. There will be 71 row homes, 68 mews townhomes, and 34 single family homes with first floor master bedroom suites. The development will have professionally landscaped common areas; and it will provide nearly maintenance-free living.

The early interest in Westgate suggests that this will be a popular addition to The Glen which already has 8 lovely neighborhoods with a wide variety of home types including single family, townhomes, row homes, duplexes, two-flats, villas, and condo apartments. In addition to beautiful homes the Glen offers two golf courses, upscale shopping, and over 20 restaurants in Glen Town Center. A local Metra station gets residents into downtown Chicago in 44 minutes. The development is also convenient to O’Hare International Airport by car.

If you are interested in living in The Glen, please contact me at 847-401-1802 or by email, margaret.ludemann@gmail.com.

Margaret Ludemann, Glen homeowner and @properties Realtor

Mid-Year analysis of Tower Crossing home prices

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Since I haven’t written about the Tower Crossing neighborhood in The Glen since February, I thought I would provide an update on pricing. Tower Crossing has 154 luxury townhomes ranging in size from 3031 sq ft to 4015 sq ft depending on model. Yes indeed, these are large homes! They reside in The Glen, the North Shore’s premier lifestyle community in Glenview Illinois. All homes are of brick construction, and they are 4 stories high. A particularly attractive benefit of living in Tower Crossing is that it borders Glen Town Center on 3 sides. GTC is The Glen’s main shopping and dining “main street”.

Like every housing development in the country, home prices rose rapidly between 2003 and 2006; then they dropped from 2007 until late 2012. Since then, they have recovered nicely.

2014 PRICES:

The price p/sq ft of the 3 non-distressed Tower Crossing homes that have sold in the first half of 2014 is $215.21. This was heavily influenced by an $850,000 sale, the highest price paid for a TC home in at least 6 years.

2013 PRICES:

The prices of the 8 homes that sold in the first half of 2013 averaged $195.78. Thus, Tower Crossing prices increased by 9.9% comparing the first halves of the two years.

PRICES 5 YEARS AGO:

In 2009 (during the heart of the real estate market collapse) Tower Crossing homes sold for an average of $179.43 p/sq ft. Thus prices have increased by 19.9% from 2009 to the first half of 2014.

Price appreciation in 2012 through 2014 has brought original homeowners back roughly to where they began in 2013. Most homeowners who bought in the 2005/06 timeframe still have some catching up to do on prices. Most who bought in 2009 through 2013 have realized a gain in the value of their homes.

If you would like to learn more about living in The Glen please call me at 847-401-1802 or send an email to MargaretLudemann@gmail.com. I am a long time Glen homeowner and an award winning realtor affiliated with @properties.

Margaret Ludemann

Glen Town Center Sold

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Glen Town Center has recently sold. Owned by the Oliver McMillan Company out of San Diego since inception, it sold to Dallas, Texas based Tabani Group, Inc. last month. Glen Town Center is The Glen’s shopping and dining hub, basically the neighborhood’s “main street.”

The Glen is an upscale residential and retail development in Glenview, Illinois; and it’s generally considered the finest lifestyle community on Chicagoland’s North Shore. Nine residential neighborhoods reside in The Glen offering homes of all kinds including single family homes, town homes, row homes, apartments, duplexes, two-flats, villas, and condos. Home prices range from the $400,000’s to well over $1,000,000.

At the center of it all is Glen Town Center’s excellent restaurants (many with outdoor dining in the summer), shops & boutiques, a movie theater, a book store and a spa. Some of the popular spots along Tower Drive (main street) include Von Maur department store, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Glenview Jewelers, Hot Mama, and numerous small boutiques. Restaurants include Bravo Cucina Italiana, Yard House, MooYah, Jamisons, Ted’s Montana Grill, RA Sushi, and The Curragh Traditional Irish Pub. 90% of retail space is filled.  It is only Glen Town Center that sold, not the residential areas.

Glen homeowners love the lifestyle created by the vibrancy of Glen Town Center. It’s not just the restaurants and shops that attract area residents; Oliver McMillan sponsored many activities including an annual art festival, classic car days, weekly concerts on the green, and many things for children. The new owner promises even more activities in Glen Town Center.

The real estate market in The Glen is strong. Most homes sell rather quickly here and at a very high percentage of asking price. If you may be interested in living in The Glen, please contact me at MargaretLudemann@gmail.com. I am an original Glen homeowner and an award winning Realtor affiliated with @properties.

Margaret Ludemann

“It’s a Wonderful Life”…at Tower Crossing in the Glen

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Every now and then as I walk from my Tower Crossing townhome to Glen Town Center (all of one short block away) I half expect to see Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart, the director and star respectively of the Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. Why? Well, it’s obvious. Living here is indeed wonderful. In fact, it’s as good as it gets.

The Glen, as most of my readers know, is an upscale residential and retail community on Chicagoland’s North Shore in Glenview Illinois. It is composed of several distinct neighborhoods with single family homes, condos, apartments, townhomes, two-flats, villas, and duplexes. At the center of it all is Tower Drive, Glen Town Center’s main street with scores of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. It’s also home to an annual art festival, antique auto show, and weekly outdoor concerts in summertime.

Surrounding Glen Town Center – literally SURROUNDING these lovely boutiques and eateries – is the Tower Crossing development, 154 striking townhomes, every home within steps of all the fun. These breathtaking 4 story brick homes, depending on model, offer between 3031 sq ft and 4105 sq ft of luxury living. The Georgian architecture, professional landscaping, superb floor plans, hardwood floors, and top-of-the-line everything make these among the finest townhomes to be found anywhere in the country…yet they are right here in lovely Glenview…convenient to downtown Chicago’s cultural and sports venues, Ravinia, the Botanic Garden, and O’Hare Airport.

But there’s even more. Within a very short walk of every Tower Crossing home you’ll find Battery Park, Lake Glenview, Little Bear Garden, Glenview Park District’s pools and health club, walking trails, and two stunning golf courses.

Life in Tower Crossing is indeed wonderful, I think even better than Capra’s fictional Bedford Falls. If you are interested in living Tower Crossing’s “wonderful life” please contact me. Not only do I live here, but I am an award winning Realtor who sells many of its homes. Tower Crossing townhomes sell for between $650,000 and $850,000.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Realtor

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

The Glen, not just a home, a lifestyle

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The Glen in Glenview Illinois.  Perhaps you’ve driven through it at one time or another.  You’ve seen our lovely homes…townhomes, row houses, duplexes, two-flats, condominium apartments, and of course single family homes.  Many are quite large.  In fact the townhomes in our Tower Crossing neighborhood are between 3031 sq ft and 4105 sq ft.  These are townhomes!  And the single family homes in Southgate and Chapel Crossing are typically over 4000 sq ft.  Other homes in the Glen are more modest in size, and quite wonderful.  Some in our Cambridge neighborhood have lovely front porches, tidy back yards, and picket fences.  Yes indeed, we have homes!  1,255 of them currently with more on the way.

Our real estate market, however, is only part of the Glen’s story.  People select homes because they like their style and appearance.  But they select neighborhoods based on community lifestyle.  And that’s where The Glen really shines.  Whenever I meet a prospective home buyer I always point out that buying here is much more than buying a home, they are buying a vibrant lifestyle that is unequaled on Chicagoland’s North Shore.  Within walking distance of nearly every Glen home you can find scores of restaurants and shops, a book store, Glen 10 movie theater, art gallery, spa, heath club, Gallery Park, Lake Glenview, Kohl Children’s Museum, walking paths, jogging and biking trails, 2 golf courses, paddle ball courts, tennis courts, playgrounds, our own Metra station, and a feeling of…well, a feeling of community.

My neighbors in Tower Crossing, for instance, have what we call “mailbox parties”.  We drag out our tables and chairs, and set them up in our beautiful common area near our community mailboxes.  We share stories, catch up on one another’s lives, and enjoy the setting sun.  In winter our get-togethers move to one of our homes or perhaps to the Glenview Prairie Club (open to the public) across the street.

Here in the Glen we have the best of both worlds.  There is the vibrancy of urban living yet enveloped by the beautiful suburban setting of the North Shore.  If you would like to know more about living in the Glen please contact me.  I’ve been a homeowner here for over a decade, and I am a leading Realtor specializing in Glen homes.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Realtor

margaretLudemannl@gmail.com    847-401-1802