November 2005 
There are 16 blog entries for November 2005.
Illinois Condo Sales Remain Strong
Wednesday, November 30th, 2005 at 11:55am. 644 Views, 0 Comments.
I read an interesting article in an e-mail I received from the Illinois Association of REALTORS®. Sales of single family homes dropped off 2.9% compared to October of 2004. However, the Illinois condo market has remained strong. Condo sales were up 10.2% from October, 2004.
I don't remember condo sales outpacing single family homes. I certainly could have missed some past statistics but this surprised me. I guess with the huge price increases we've seen in the past 2-3 years, many first-time buyers are simply being priced out of single family homes. Or, maybe it's that baby boomers are downsizing. Could be a bit of both.
The median home price in October went from $184,000 in '04 to $209,900 this year, a 14.1 percent increase.
…Cleaning Tips to Get Your Home Ready to Sell
Tuesday, November 29th, 2005 at 10:56am. 436 Views, 0 Comments.
This post goes hand-in-hand with Staging Your Home for Sale. The first step to marketing your property is getting it as clean as possible. I'd like this to be an interactive post. I need more tips! Here are a few I've found and I'll keep adding to this.
when you open the bag (stand back). Use a soapy sponge (the rough or green side) to wipe everything and it should fall off.
Median Income in Illinois is Dropping
Monday, November 28th, 2005 at 1:01pm. 504 Views, 0 Comments.
I was surprised to read an article about some of the negative state of affairs happening in Illinois regarding wages and income levels. Although our employment status is showing moderate growth, there has been a continuing decrease in higher paying jobs with the usual perks and benefits. That might not affect most of us, but there has also been a decrease in median income in Illinois. In fact, it has fallen 12% since 1999! On a positive note, diversity in the work force has increased.
I think we can all understand how this can affect the real estate market. Have you ever driven through another new upscale subdivision being built and wonder how so many people can afford these kinds of homes? If things continue as they are, those types of
…Staging Your Home To Sell
Saturday, November 26th, 2005 at 1:08pm. 343 Views, 0 Comments.
If you've heard of the term "staging" your home, you're probably wondering how important it really is. I believe it is 
very important. The past seller's market has come to an end. There are now more properties on the market than buyers. And buyers continue to get more picky. What this means is that your home has to be the best for the price in order to get an offer.
Multiple offers are happening less often than in the past 3 years. So how do you make sure your home is the best in its price range? Choosing the correct price is the first step, the next step is "staging" your home for sale.
What is staging? It is doing as much changing as you can, within your budget, to make your home look as close to a model home as possible. You might be looking
…Lake Katherine Walking Trail in Palos Heights
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005 at 5:45pm. 797 Views, 0 Comments.
Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens is one of my favorite walking trails. The surroundings are beautiful and the actual trail winds around Lake Katherine in Palos Heights. There is a waterfall to the east which allows a view from the top (I've used a few photos of Lake Katherine on my photo slideshow on my Cook County Real Estate website and blog).
You can start at the waterfall and catch up with the main trail, but if you have strollers there is a steep incline going up. The trail is mulched and no bikes are allowed, no picnics nor can you fish. I prefer a pure walking trail over a bike/walking path any day. However, be prepared to empty your shoes of mulch.
If you want to bypass the waterfall you can cross over the bridge
…The Quarry Theatres
Monday, November 21st, 2005 at 3:28pm. 436 Views, 2 Comments.
Yesterday my youngest son, Matt and his girlfriend, Jamie, invited me to go see the newest Harry Potter movie. We have many movie theaters in our area but they insisted on going to the Quarry Cinemas at 9201 W. 63 St, Hodgkins, IL 60525. The phone number is 708-352-0767.
My husband asked them why they wanted to travel farther to The Quarry Cinemas as we have closer theaters. But I didn't have to ask since The Quarry theaters are newer and offer stadium seating. I didn't actually take a count of the actual number of theaters but on one source I saw the name listed as The Quarry Cinemas 14, so I'm assuming that's the number of available theaters. Harry Potter was running on a different theater almost every hour. There were also 12 other
…Home for Sale in Stickney, Illinois
Saturday, November 19th, 2005 at 4:32pm. 515 Views, 0 Comments.
This Stickney home is sold! - This family cape cod style home is located on a quiet, dead-end street. Drive by and see the great curb appeal with new landscaping and a new cement side drive to the big 2 1/2 car garage with double overhang doors; one for driveway access and one for alley access. They each operate on an automatic garage door opener. This charming home offers 4 bedrooms, a formal dining room (currently used as an office) and a bonus room that is now being used as an eat-in area but could be a family room, office, etc. The bathroom features a whirlpool tub. The back yard is privacy fenced with a built-in gas grill for entertaining.
Call Judy Orr at 708-536-8200 if you're looking for a new home. Or fill out the Automated Home
…Married But Not Living Together?
Friday, November 18th, 2005 at 5:29pm. 563 Views, 0 Comments.
I read another article yesterday that was almost unbelievable. It stated that recent census reports show that more than three million couples actually live in separate residences.
The article was about a couple that got married and stayed in their respective homes instead of moving in together because they already had their pet peeves about each other. One was that she was a neat freak and he was a pack rat. The other was the fact that he had a music studio in his place and she needed quiet to do her work at home. They actually split up the wedding gifts between the two homes and they do spend nights with each other and have dinner together. They also conveniently live across the street from each other.
I consider myself to be open but
…Is the Grass Always Greener?
Thursday, November 17th, 2005 at 8:52pm. 335 Views, 0 Comments.
I read a short article a while back that really interested me. Unfortunately, I didn't save it as I didn't have a blog and didn't think I'd use it for anything. So this is not scientific and I don't have any source or statistics. Basically, the article asked the question if people living in warm climates are happier than those that don't.
It interested me because I hate winter and cold weather. I don't think I would ever miss snow or slush. I certainly feel different in the winter; I almost feel like hibernating at times. I can almost feel my endorphins rise when I see a palm tree, even in a photo.
The one thing I look forward to about aging is having a "winter home" in Arizona or New Mexico or someplace similar. Since writing this blog
…Chicago Weather
Wednesday, November 16th, 2005 at 6:46pm. 522 Views, 0 Comments.
I was going to write about something else but it was snowing today and it brought my attention to weather in Chicago. It's cold outside! We were just walking a trail with a light jacket last week and I don't even want to go out today. I'm freezing inside.
So I created a
Chicago Weather
page for my Cook County Real Estate site. This blog is for residents of the area but it's also for those considering moving here. I've been meaning to create a weather page and today's snow gave me the push.
We've all got to get used to the cold weather again. It's time to use those storm windows and doors, weatherstripping, caulk and whatever else to keep the drafts out. Not to mention get ready for those high heating gas or electric bills.