City Active Listings: There are a total of 269 properties actively on the market with the average price of $751,916 in Northbrook.
City Sold Listings: 53 properties closed last month in Northbrook with an average sales price of $493,565. The average time on market for these properties was 60 days.
City Active Listings: There are a total of 303 properties actively on the market with the average price of $941,606 in Highland Park.
City Sold Listings: 61 properties closed last month in Highland Park with an average sales price of $463,904. The average time on market for these properties was 61 days.
City Active Listings: There are a total of 190 properties actively on the market with the average price of $1,920,188 in Winnetka.
City Sold Listings: 24 properties closed last month in Winnetka with an average sales price of $1,499,750. The average time on market for these properties was 38 days.
City Active Listings: There are a total of 135 properties actively on the market with the average price of $654,144 in Deerfield.
City Sold Listings: 24 properties closed last month in Deerfield with an average sales price of $462,441. The average time on market for these properties was 64 days.
City Active Listings: There are a total of 97 properties actively on the market with the average price of $1,438,373 in Glencoe.
City Sold Listings: 7 properties closed last month in Glencoe with an average sales price of $1,136,429. The average time on market for these properties was 149 days.
Summer is typically the season that North Shore homeowners decide to tackle all of the necessary home improvement projects. Whether they include landscaping, cleaning out the garage or renovating the kitchen, each project has a proper way to achieve the look you want.
Painting is no exception either! If the rooms in your North Shore home could use a fresh coat of paint this summer, keep the following in mind to achieve great results and impress your guests (and if you're planning to sell, homebuyers!).
Before you can start rolling on a fresh coat of paint, it's important to clean the surfaces you intend to makeover. Remove any dust, dirt or grease spots as they can ruin the look of a smooth finish. You can clean these spots with water, a mild dishwashing detergent and a sponge. After, simply rinse with water to remove residue.
Using a two inch trim brush, "cut in" with about three inches of paint along the edges where the ceiling meets the wall. Alternate between cutting in and painting the ceiling to keep a wet edge and prevent any lines from showing.
Remove any excess paint on your roller by rolling it back and forth on the paint tray. Make sure you're painting across the width of the ceiling, instead of length-wise, and roll across your body instead of along your body. Start near the corner of the room and always blend the paint into the ceiling line painted prior.
Once the ceiling has dried, "cut in" once again with a trim brush in the corner of the room where you started. Cut in about two to three inches from doors, windows and moldings and then use your roller to fill in the rest of the field.
You can begin painting the trim when the walls have dried, using painter's tape to tape along the where the trim meets the wall. Start by painting the tops of the doors and windows first and then work your way down so you can remove drips as you go. The baseboards should be the last thing you paint.
Giving your home in Glencoe, Winnetka, Deerfield, Northbrook, Highland Park a fresh coat of paint is just one of many ways to impress homebuyers on the North Shore this summer. If you have questions about the real estate market or how you can go about selling your home, do not hesitate to contact me!
Buying a home on the North Shore is such an exciting time that many get swept up in the thought of moving, decorating and settling into life in a new community. Oftentimes, potential buyers start by browsing properties and moving right into the purchasing process without realizing that there is much preparation involved— months in advance!
One of the worst things you can do before buying a home is go credit crazy. Don't purchase all of your furniture until after the closing, do not buy a new car or even boat this summer. Anything being purchased on credit should wait until after your loan closes as these expenses will raise red flags for local lenders.
If you plan to move money around for your down payment, you'll need to keep a paper trail for lenders. The pre-approval process will require them to look deep into your bank statements and accounts and any unusual deposits or withdrawals will require an explanation. Being able to back these up will keep the process moving along.
Even if you'll be pushing off those furniture purchases until after the new home purchase, think twice about co-signing for others. Adding another debt to your credit profile could cause lenders to pause which may not be a risk you want to take this summer. Going to help your child purchase a new car? Just wait until after you buy that new home.
Of course this is a general rule of thumb, but especially while you're being approved for a mortgage on the North Shore. Just one late payment can tip your credit score in the wrong direction— knocking it as much as 60 points! If that late payment is a mortgage, some lenders will pass altogether!
As your real estate expert in Winnetka, Highland Park, Deerfield, Glencoe and Northbrook, I can share the many ways to prepare yourself for the home buying process this summer. There are many beautiful homes for sale that could be just what you're looking for— let's explore your options together!
Summer is typically a busy season for local real estate markets— the kids are out of school, the weather is warm, there is more time for house hunting and later, more time for moving. You may have already even visited a few open houses on the North Shore or scheduled showings at homes in Winnetka, Glencoe, Deerfield, Highland Park, Northbrook.
Tax season is behind us, so you can already cross this one off of your list! However, if you filed an extension or are making payments, be prepared to show your lender additional documents, as well as your past tax returns. The bank will want to see your returns as proof of income before you buy a home.
The more assets you can show, the better! Lenders on the North Shore will want to know you have funds to cover at least two months of mortgage payments, plus insurance.
A recent report showed that most homebuyers do not know their credit score when house hunting. If you fall into that category, it's time to change that! Look into your report now and be careful to correct any errors you find as they can take months to update. For this reason, it's always wise to start well before your serious home buying timeline.
Before you can start falling in love with homes on the North Shore, get to know the communities! Tour neighborhoods to find which ones may suit you best, look into the local schools, talk with your Realtor about what areas fit your needs. With my expertise in the local market, we can peg exactly the community in which you're likely to find your dream home!
Buying a home is a wise decision this summer in Glencoe, Deerfield, Highland Park, Winnetka and Northbrook as mortgage rates are still low! As your local North Shore real estate agent, I'm happy to walk you through the home buying process and show you available homes in the area— just give me a call!