The Glen

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

by

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

by

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

The Glen is a commuter’s dream…train to the city in about a half hour

by

“There’s something about the sound of a train that’s very romantic and nostalgic and hopeful.”  So said singer/song writer Paul Simon. To that I would add – though less poetically – that they beat sitting for hours on the Edens and Kennedy expressways to downtown Chicago.

The Glen, a prestigious north shore development in Glenview Illinois, has frequent Metra train service to the city. In fact commuters can travel from the Glen to Chicago’s Union Station in as little as 34 minutes. By driving standards, that’s warp speed. The men and women who designed the Glen wisely decided that the development should have its own train depot (a beauty, I might add). Because of their foresight, on weekdays Glen residents can board any one of 25 trains to the city beginning as early as 5:37 a.m. and as late as 11:03 p.m. There are also 24 weekday trains that return to the Glen, some of which are express trains that leave Union Station in the late afternoon and early evening. The Glen is a commuter’s dream. Not only do Glen residents live in beautiful homes, golf on two great local courses, and eat in any of 17 restaurants in Glen Town Center, they can get to their city offices quickly and enjoyably.

Weekend service is also available for Glen residents who love to go into the city for shopping, dining, sporting events, and Chicago’s many wonderful cultural offerings. 10 trains go to the city on Saturday and again on Sunday. They leave as early as 6:28 a.m. 9 trains return to the Glen throughout the day and evening.

The nearby Glenview train station provides Amtrak service, particularly beneficial for locals who want to catch the Bulls or Cubs when playing in Milwaukee where tickets are more readily available. It takes an hour and 7 minutes, and there are only 2 stops. One of those stops is at Milwaukee International Airport (a 52 minute ride from Glenview), a less busy travel option that many locals enjoy rather than using O’Hare or Midway.

There are countless benefits to living in The Glen including easy access to the city and points in between. If you are interested in living in this incredible community, please contact me.  There are many homes for sale and rent.  I am a Glen resident 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.

by

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

If you love golf you’ll love living in The Glen

by

Name another community like the Glen that has two quality golf courses within walking distance of every home.  (I’m waiting.  Still waiting.  Yup, still here…and still waiting.)

One of the great things about living in the Glen is the easy access to The Glen Club and Glenview Prairie Club…two courses of very high quality and open to the public. The Glen, as you may know, is a Chicago north shore residential and retail development on the grounds of the former Glenview Naval Air Station. There are 2,000+ luxury homes of all varieties; and home prices range from the $300’s to over $2 million.

The Glen Club is well known and highly regarded locally and throughout the country. It’s an 18 hole championship course designed by the legendary Tom Fazio. The course is beautiful to look at and challenging to play. Golf Magazine currently rates it as the fourth best courses you can play in Illinois and among the Top 100 in the United States. When it opened in 2001 Sports Illustrated listed it as a top 10 new course. A stately 48,000 square feet clubhouse offers overnight lodging and first class dining. The club offers private corporate memberships, but it is also available to non-member individual golfers.

Located just across West Lake Avenue you’ll discover a jewel of a public course, the Glenview Prairie Club which offers Paddle Tennis courts as well as golf. The course is meticulously maintained (by The Glen Club!), and it is beloved by Glen residents who prefer a shorter round of golf.

Many Glen homes have great views of these picturesque golf courses, and several are currently for sale. Fifty-five magnificent “estate” single family homes in the Southgate subdivision border the Glen Club’s course as do nine stunning townhomes in Tower Crossing. Several townhomes and villas in the lovely Regency and Patriot Commons neighborhoods also have great views. A new housing development in the Glen (Westgate, still under construction) will have views of one or both courses.

If you are a golfer who may be interested in living in the Glen please contact me for additional information. I am a long time Glen resident and an award winning Realtor with @properties.

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