The Glen Club

Tower Crossing Prices up 5.3%, Sales Too

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The Glen is the premier lifestyle community on the North Shore of the Chicago metropolitan area, located in Glenview, Illinois.  It is composed of several neighborhoods one of which is called Tower Crossing.

Tower Crossing is a townhome development with 154 stunning homes, built between 7 and 10 years ago.  It borders Glen Town Center (The Glen’s “main street” which offers restaurants, shopping, a theater, and much more) on three sides.  The 4th side of Tower Crossing borders The Glen Club’s Championship 18 hole golf course designed by Tom Fazio.

There are 6 models of Tower Crossing homes (Astoria, Biltmore, Blackstone, Drake, Omni, and Valencia), and they vary in size between 3031 sq ft and 4105 sq ft.  The current price range is between roughly $600,000 and $800,000.  I am one of the fortunate owners of a Tower Crossing home, an Astoria End Unit model.

As the #1 Realtor* in Tower Crossing, I track home sales and prices constantly.  2013 is turning out to be a banner year for the development.  Sales have increased dramatically in 2013.  So far 17 homes have sold vs. 11 in all of 2012, 13 in 2011, 6 in 2010, and 7 in 2009.  There is also one Tower Crossing home under contract waiting to close; and 2 homes are for sale.

Prices are up 5.3% in the first 8 months of 2013.  On average Tower Crossing homes sell for $196.77 p/sq ft.  In 2012, non-distressed Tower Crossing homes sold for $186.88.  (2011 = $188.86;  2010 = $189.50;  2009 = $179).  As you can see, prices were flat for the 3 years immediately prior to 2013 after dropping considerably when the real estate market collapsed.

If you are interested in Tower Crossing or any home in the other Glen neighborhoods (Cambridge, Chapel Crossing, Glen Shore, Landings, Patriot Commons, Regency (row homes, new construction), and Southgate), please contact me at 847-401-1802 or by email margaretLudemannl@gmail.com

Margaret Ludemann, Glen Resident & @properties Realtor

*  Margaret sold or rented more Tower Crossing homes in 2012 than any other Realtor.

Major Employers Near The Glen

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Glenview, Illinois is home to the stunning development called The Glen on the former grounds of Naval Air Station Glenview.  The development is now 13 years old, and it hosts 5,000 very fortunate residents.  The Glen, which is the premier lifestyle community on the North Shore, is like a small town in many respects with its several neighborhoods within walking distance of its quaint downtown called Glen Town Center.  But parts of The Glen also feel very urban with brick row homes within a few blocks of shopping, dining, and entertainment.

I regularly receive calls and emails from people throughout the country (and the world) inquiring about homes for sale in The Glen.  Why?  Well, because Glenview and a few contiguous communities are home to several large corporate headquarters with executives being transferred in from most anywhere.  Within about a ten minute drive of The Glen you will find the headquarters for Allstate Insurance, Kraft Food Group, Walgreens, Anixter International, ITW, Baxter International, and Scotts Foresman.  Often transferees know about The Glen from their relocation teams or home office employees or from prior visits to headquarters for meetings.  The Glen is desirable due to its proximity, upscale homes, vibrant lifestyle, two golf courses including The Glen Club, and the reputation of area schools.

Just in the last month I helped an executive transferring in from Atlanta purchase a home in our Southgate neighborhood; I sold a home to a Kraft exec; and I sold a home for an executive transferring to Boston who had come to The Glen from out of state 8 years earlier.  The latter two sales were in the Tower Crossing neighborhood.  Two of my favorite neighbors were transfers in from England and Australia.  The Glen also attracts executives working in the many Chicago corporations; downtown Chicago is only a 30 – 40 minute train ride.

The Glen is not, however, an overly transient community.  The bulk of its residents are long term homeowners, either Chicago-area natives or professionals who came here for their jobs and decided that the lifestyle is just too great to leave.

If you would like to learn about homes in The Glen, please call me at 847-401-1802 or send an email to margaret.ludemann@gmail.com

Margaret Ludemann, Glen resident and @properties Realtor

Only 31 Homes Left at Regency at The Glen

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I have previously written about a new development under construction in The Glen, Regency.  Pulte is the developer of this new Glenview, Illinois neighborhood.   It is located just north of West Lake Avenue and west of Shermer Road.  For golfers it is an ideal location, walking distance to both The Glen Club’s 18 home championship course and Glenview Prairie Club, a 9 hole course + 4 paddle tennis courts.  All homes are short distances from Glen Town Center’s many shops and restaurants, and also to the Glen’s Metra Station.

149 homes are planned in Regency, consisting of 109 townhomes, 38 villas, and 2 single family homes.  The townhomes come in 4 models.  There are two models of villas (duplexes), both with first floor master suites.  I recently sat down with my friends at Pulte, and received these new updates.

Update:  As of today, all villas and single family homes have been sold, though some have not yet been completed.  Only 1 villa is currently for sale (it just came on the market); and it is a re-sale which I have listed.  It is the first villa re-sale in Regency.  The couple who owns this home have lived there for only 9 months, and they have been transferred.

Update:  Of the planned 109 townhomes 78 have been sold.  This is up to the minute news.  While I wasn’t a math major, I’m pretty sure that leaves 31 homes still for sale.  This is important information for anyone interested in maintenance free, new construction, townhome living in The Glen.  This has proven to be a very popular development, so the 31 remaining homes will not be available for long.

For additional information or to tour a Regency home please call me at 847-401-3325 or email me at margaretludemann@gmail.com.

Margaret Ludemann, Resident of The Glen & @properties Realtor

Update on Patriot Commons in The Glen

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Patriot Commons is a beautiful housing development in The Glen, Glenview, Illinois.  The developer is highly respected Toll Brothers.  This development of condos and townhomes (near Glen Town Center’s many restaurants and shops) really took off a few years ago, but like many new construction projects it hit the wall during the recession.  After completing and selling out phase one, construction stopped, and I haven’t seen activity at the sales center in some time.  Since I occasionally receive emails and calls about Patriot Commons, I decided to do some investigating.

I learned that Toll Brothers does indeed plan to complete this development; however no schedule has been established at this time.  Construction may begin again sometime in 2014.  At that time, the company plans to build 51 more homes, 35 condos and 16 townhomes.  Assuming the configurations remain the same, there will be 6 different condo models ranging in size between 1141 – 1388 sq ft and 3 different townhome models.

I toured the models a few years ago.  They are close to my Tower Crossing home in The Glen.  The homes were stunning, and some had breathtaking views of the championship golf course at The Glen Club.  The materials and workmanship were of very high quality.  I’m sure existing owners love their homes and the Glen lifestyle.  When Toll Brothers begins building in Patriot Commons again, the homes will compete with row homes, condos and villas in several existing Glen neighborhoods including Regency (Pulte’s new development), Cambridge, Southgate, and Glen Shores.  The townhome/villa development recently announced by Edward R. James Partners for the Glen will be coming online next year, too.

Margaret Ludemann, Resident of The Glen, @properties Realtor

New Glen Homes On the Drawing Board

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With less than 1% of The Glen’s existing homes currently for sale, it was encouraging to hear of a new development on the drawing board.

Glenview officials preliminarily approved a plan to sell 29 acres of land in the Glen to Edward R. James Partners.  Upon final approval and closing, the James group proposes to build a new housing development north of West Lake Avenue and west of Shermer Road.  This would place the development to the southeast of the new Pulte development called Regency and within a couple of blocks of two golf courses, The Glen Club and Prairie Golf and Paddle Club.  It will be a 5 – 10 minute walk to Glen Town Center.

While James has not as yet released details, I do know that two and three story townhomes are planned in addition to “cluster homes” which will offer first floor master bedroom suites.  Each home is likely to include three bedrooms.  The target market for the new James homes is empty nesters.  In fact, James predicts that the development will add only 22 children to school districts 34 and 225.  Edward R. James Partners has a reputation for quality, and has won numerous awards during its 50+ years of home building.  It also has experience in the Glen; it was the developer of the very popular Southgate neighborhood.

The James development, unnamed as yet, will compete with other new construction in the Glen.  Regency and Patriot Commons both plan additional phases.  Regency is currently selling phase 2.  Patriot Commons’ development schedule is unknown.  3 existing developments, fully built and sold, provide other town homes and villas, sold by current owners. These are Tower Crossing, Cambridge, and Southgate.

Margaret Ludemann

Glen Resident and @properties Realtor, 847-401-1802