The Glen

New construction homes in The Glen

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There are two neighborhoods in The Glen available to buyers seeking new construction.  One is available now, and the other will be available soon.

First, a little background:  The Glen is an upscale residential and retail development on Chicago’s North Shore in the community of Glenview, Illinois.  There are several distinct neighborhoods with two things in common:  They have stunning, luxury homes; and homeowners enjoy the “urban living in the suburbs” lifestyle that the Glen is known for.  The various neighborhoods are anchored by our retail hub, Glen Town Center.  OK, now I’ll tell you about the new construction real estate opportunities in The Glen.

Regency:  While nearly sold out, the new Pulte development called Regency still has 5 beautiful townhomes available for purchase.  The development, when completed, will have 149 homes.  Among the available 5 homes are the two models, fully decorated.  These are likely to sell soon, so if you’re interested I suggest you move quickly.

Westgate has cleared the final administrative hurdles, and it should get under way soon.  I walked over to the site this morning, and I see that the sales center is being developed.  This E. R. James Partners development will have 173 homes including 71 row homes, 68 Mews townhomes, and 34 single family homes.  The row homes and single family homes will have first floor master bedrooms making them particularly attractive to downsizing empty-nesters.  This development will be extremely popular.  Not only will this be the last new Glen development featuring single family homes, but E. R. James is known as a high quality builder.

If you are interested in Regency you should contact me now so that I can get you into the models and explain your options.  If Westgate strikes your fancy please let me know so that I can contact you at the appropriate time.  I can be reached at 847-401-1802 or margaretludemann@gmail.com.  Meanwhile you can learn more about these developments at www.homesintheglen.com.

Margaret Ludemann, Glen homeowner and @properties Realtor

Must move quickly to buy in The Glen

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If you want to buy a great home in The Glen (Glenview, Illinois) you need to be prepared to move quickly and decisively.  That’s the theme developing in The Glen’s real estate market in the early months of 2014.

The inventory of Glen homes for sale is extremely limited.  Sellers know that prices are appreciating, and many are waiting to list until prices rise even further.  When a well maintained home comes on the market, chances are that it will receive buyer visits on the first day and up to a dozen or more visitors during the first week…unless it goes under contract immediately.

2299 Thistle is a good example.  This stunning single family home resides in the Landings neighborhood of The Glen, adjacent to the Chapel Crossing development and particularly close to Attea Middle School and the Glenview Park Center.  Built 13 years ago the home was meticulously maintained and offers 5+ bedrooms.  I listed this home on March 20, a Thursday.  I had agreement with buyers within 24 hours at 99.5% of the asking price.  Buyers hoping to see the home that weekend found the property already under contract.

2068 Valor Court is another example.  I listed this luxury townhome in the Tower Crossing neighborhood on January 7.  There was strong interest from day one.  One potential buyer expressed interest, but waited too long to make an offer.  Meanwhile a couple who was prepared to move quickly came in with a strong offer and flexibility in negotiations.  The home was under contract barely 17 days later.

The take aways are these:  1)  If you are serious buyer who wants to live in the North Shore’s premier lifestyle community you need to see newly listed Glen properties immediately, and 2) come to the table with what I call a “Godfather offer”…one that the seller can’t refuse.

If you would like to live in the Glen please give me a call at 847-401-1802 or send an email tomargaretludemann@gmail.com.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Realtor

Glenview, a Top 100 safe city!

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I’ve never started a Glen blog referencing the FBI, but here goes…

According to FBI crime data Glenview, Illinois, home to the upscale North Shore development called The Glen, is one of the safest cities in the United States.  Location, Inc is the firm behind the neighborhoodscout.com website which recently reported on the 100 safest cities with at least 25,000 residents.  (Glenview’s population is 45,549.) The company, according to its website, provides products and data to companies large and small to fuel major investments, mitigate risk, protect company assets and budget resources.  Using FBI data on robberies, assaults, burglary, theft, rape, and homicides Glenview was ranked the 53rd safest city in the country.

I did a little googling to get some perspective on this achievement.  It turns out that there are 19,355 communities in the United States, and, of these, 1,290 have populations of 25,000 or more, according to the Census Bureau.  That puts Glenview’s safety index in the top 4.1% of all cities with that population level.

What does this mean to people considering The Glen as a future home?  According to neighborhoodscout.com, “Glenview is a good choice for families with children because of several factors. Many other families with children live here, making it a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. The village’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic success. Many people own their own single-family homes, providing areas for children to play and stability in the community.”

So, here’s to yet another feather in Glenview’s and The Glen’s caps!  This is a great place to live, a safe place to raise a family, and wonderful place for kids.  You can’t ask for more.

The Glen offers luxury homes of all kinds: single family homes, townhomes, row homes, condo apartments, two-flats, villas, and duplexes.  It also offers a lovely retail area (Glen Town Center), two golf courses, parks, walking trails, and a Metra station for easy commutes to the city.  If you may be interested in learning about homes in The Glen, please contact me.  I’ve lived in The Glen for over 10 years, and I am an award winning Realtor affiliated with @properties.

Margaret Ludemann, 847-401-1802 and margaret.ludemann@gmail.com

Cambridge at the Glen…a great variety of 279 stunning homes

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The Cambridge neighborhood in The Glen (Glenview, Illinois) has the most diverse array of luxury home types among the various Glen neighborhoods.  You’ll find single family homes, townhomes, duplexes, and two-flats.

The Glen is an upscale residential and retail development on the grounds of the former Naval Air Station Glenview.  It has 1,255 homes in nine neighborhoods, excluding senior, rental, and Navy housing.  The Glen is known as the premier lifestyle community on Chicagoland’s North Shore.  It offers scores of shops, boutiques, restaurants, parks, two golf courses (including The Glen Club’s championship course designed by Tom Fazio), a movie theater, spa, health club, art gallery, and Kohl Children’s Museum.

Cambridge Homes (by Richard J. Brown) was the developer of the Cambridge neighborhood which was completed 12 years ago.  It is located along Patriot Boulevard on the west, West Lake Avenue on the south, and Lily Lane on the east.  Or, put another way, it is conveniently located between Glen Town Center (The Glen’s retail masterpiece) and the new North Glenview Metra Station.

279 stunning homes make up this development, and the breakdown by home type follows:

  • 104, traditional single family homes
  • 19, estate-style single family homes
  • 35, duplexes
  • 13, two-flats
  • 108, townhomes

Violet Street is the development’s “main street” running between Mint Lane and Lily Lane; and it offers the greatest variety of homes within Cambridge.  There are 68 homes on Violet.  38 are red brick townhomes (12 of which are end units), 8 are duplexes, and 22 are detached homes.  Of the single family home’s 10 are the large estate models.

My personal favorites in Cambridge are the Rockwellian bungalows with comfortable front porches, cozy yards, and white picket fences.  They are picture perfect properties like you would see in old Saturday Evening Post magazines of days gone by.

Home prices in Cambridge range from the high $300,000’s for townhomes to about a million dollars for the large estate homes.  If you may be interested in living in Cambridge – or anywhere in The Glen – please contact me at 847-401-1802.  I am a longtime Glen homeowner and an award winning Realtor specializing in Glen properties.

Margaret Ludemann, @properties Residential Brokerage.

The Glen’s Tower Crossing townhomes saw a 6.1% increase in prices in 2013

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In a blog about a month ago I wrote about the substantial increase in sales of Tower Crossing townhomes in 2013.  Today I would like to tell you about the increase in prices.  Tower Crossing is a townhome development in the larger development called The Glen in Glenview, Illinois.  The Glen is home to several luxury housing neighborhoods, a “main street” called Glen Town Center with numerous shops and eateries, a lake, park, and two golf courses.  Tower Crossing has 154 stunning brick homes with 2 to 5 bedrooms and 3031 sq ft to 4105 sq ft, depending on model.

The developer began selling Tower Crossing’s luxury townhomes in 2003 and sold out by 2007. Nationally the housing bubble began to burst in 2005/06 with prices peaking in July 2006.  A steep decline followed.  2007, the year of the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage industry, saw the first year-over-year decline in home prices nationally since 1991.  Like the national downward trend, Tower Crossing suffered a sizable and rapid decline in home values.  From peak to bottom, Tower Crossing homes lost approximately 25% of their market value.

Homes in Tower Crossing currently sell in a range from the mid-$600,000’s to about $800,000 depending on size and model.  Prices in 2009 averaged $179.43 p/sq ft.  They rose to $189.02 in 2010 and stayed relatively flat in 2011 ($188.86) and 2012 ($186.88).  In 2013, however, prices in Tower Crossing rose 6.1% to $198.28 p/sq ft.  This represents an increase of 10.5% since 2009.

The Tower Crossing rental market also saw an increase in prices.  11 MLS-listed townhomes rented in 2013 vs. 12 in 2012 and 13 in 2011.  The range of prices paid in 2013 was $3400 to $4400 p/month.  The average rental price paid p/sq ft (using 1 month rental price) was $1.24 compared with $1.15 in 2012, a 7.8% increase.

Tower Crossing is a very popular development in The Glen, and it had a great 2013 in terms of home sales and prices.  If you would like more information about Tower Crossing please contact me at 847-401-1802 or margaretludemann@gmail.com

Margaret Ludemann, Glen resident and @properties Realtor