August, 2010 

Good News:  Sales are up!  The number of sales of attached and detached homes in Lake County for the first half of 2010 was up 37% over 2009!  The number of sales in all Chicagoland is up 33% over the first 6 months of 2009.  And some sale prices are up as well:  The average sale price in Lake County for the first half of 2010 was $314,668, up 4%  over the first half of last year.  The bottom line is that it's still a terrific time to be buying, and the market appears to have bottomed out in terms of sale prices. If you've been waiting to make your move, now may be the time!  (7/8/10)

Market Update:    Check out our August Market Update.

Home Financing:  Fixed-rate, 30 year loan rates are still low:  4.75 to 5.25% for loans under $417,000. And in some cases, you can still borrow up to (incredibly!) 95% of appraised value.  The appraisal and underwriting process is still a bit unpredictable, but a good Realtor and a reputable, experienced loan officer can make it a lot easier. We're still of a mind that it's smart to lock up a long-term, fixed rate loan at current low rates, as inflation and higher rates are inevitable -- at least in the long run.  (7/8/10) 

SchoolStreet in downtown Libertyville! This is about the coolest thing to hit the local real estate market in years: 26 brand new, "Front-Porch Revival" single family homes in the heart of historic Libertyville, and priced from $450,000 to $650,000 with most in the low $500's.  Within two blocks of commuter train station, and all the restaurants, specialty shops and MainStreet activities that Libertyville is known for, SchoolStreet embodies the "New Urbanism" with bungalow style homes with arts and craft influence and a strong sense of community.  All single family homes have front porches, 3-4 bedrooms,  at least 2 stories, 2 car garages, basements, distinct architecture (no two facades the same!), and customizable room layout.  And starting under $500,000, they are by far the best value in new construction near downtown Libertyville in years!  Century 21 Kreuser and Seiler is thrilled to be exclusive listing office for SchoolStreet, which also includes 15 proposed loft condominiums in the historic Central School building. Call or stop by and we'll give you the whole story! But don't wait too long -- There are only 26 single family homes! SchoolStreet update:  As of 7/8/10,  eight of the twenty-six homes have reservation agreements.

Congratulations to our Top Producers in June!  Listings taken: Jeff Matheson, Val Dunn, Debbie Paoli, Elena Ford, Liz Anderson, Donna Barry, Christine Bong, Elizabeth Bryant, and Linda Dlabay. Unit Sales:  Elizabeth Bryant (8!), Dan Timm, Renee Devedjian, Elena Ford, Pam Hideriotis, Pat Bell, Chuck Shattuck, and Judy Stark. Sales volume:  Elizabeth Bryant ($2.8 Mil), Dan Timm ($2.0 Mil), Renee Devedjian ($1.7 Mil), Judy Stark ($1.5 Mil), Elena Ford ($1.3 Mil), Chris Wegren ($1.0 Mil), Chuck Shattuck, Pat Bell, Laura Reilly, and Liz Anderson.

And to our Year-to-date (6/30/10) Sales Leaders :  Listings taken:  Pat Bell, Debbie Paoli, Elizabeth Bryant, Chuck Shattuck, Jeff Matheson, Christine Bong,  Dan Timm, Louise Cerbus, and Val Dunn. Unit Sales: Jeff Matheson, Elizabeth Bryant, Dan Timm, Patty Kreuser, Renee Devedjian, Laura Reilly, Pat Bell, Judy Stark, Christine Bong, Mary Tokarz, Peg Styler.  Sales volume: Judy Stark ($7Mil), Jeff Matheson ($6.7 Mil), Dan Timm ($5.3 Mil), Renee Devedjian ($4.8 Mil), Elizabeth Bryant ($4.6 Mil), Patty Kreuser ($4.5 Mil), Liz Anderson ($4.1 Mil),  Pat Bell ($3.9 Mil), Chris Wegren ($3.7 Mil), and Laura Reilly. ($2.9 Mil). (7/8/10)

We welcome John E. Blair to our sales staff! John is new to our office, but he's not new to selling real estate. John previously sold over $10 Million in new homes annually for over 10 years with DRH Cambridge Homes (Chicagoland's largest homebuilder) and won numerous sales awards.  Prior to that, John had a distinguished 23 year career in the US Air Force, retiring as a Lt Colonel.  John has earned a Bachelors Degree and Maters Degree in Education  He and his wife, Lennie, have lived in Libertyville for 17 years.   John now specializes in helping people buy and sell new and existing homes throughout Lake County. We're thrilled he's chosen to join our office! (7/8/10)

"Staging" your home -- Does it make sense?  With few exceptions, it absolutely does!  It's like detailing a car before selling it (only ten times more important!).  Buying a home is typically more an emotional decision than a rational one, and impressions are extremenly important. A good home stager has a handle on current buyer "hot buttons" and can often suggest minor improvements that will make a home sell faster and for more money!  Many of our own agents are good at this, but we can also recommend professional stagers who have helped previous seller clients. Either way, getting a pulse on what current buyers want, and then making a few "modifications" in that direction will pay off handsomely. (7/8/10)

Thank you for your business!  Thanks to our very loyal (and sometimes very patient!) clients, our office was the 2009 market leader in all Lake County for homes sold between $250,000 and $1 Million during 2009. We are also the top-selling office in central Lake County (combined 5 zip codes of 60048, 60030, 60031, 60046 and 60060) plus a number of local markets including Libertyville and Gurnee. (Closed sales volume reported by MRED, the MLS serving Chicagoland 1/1/09 - 12/31/09).  We couldn't do this without the support and referrals of so many of you.  We will continue to work hard to retain your trust.  Again, Thank you! (7/8/10)