Real Estate Agent
Wayne Martin
Retired
Cell: 239-826-7400
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Real Estate Agent
Alan May
Residential Real Estate specializing in Evanston, the entire north shore, and northern areas of Chicago.
Cell: 847-924-3313
Office: 847-425-3779
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All About Illinois Real Estate

By Scott Seaton Jr. Bourbonnais Kankakee IL Home Inspector, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Bradley Bourbonnais Kankakee Manteno)
Happy and safe Thanksgiving to all. Click above for our special message.Scott Seaton-The Home Inspector With A Heart  SLS Home Inspections @815-644-6271 Inspecting homes like yours in the Kankakee, Will, Iroquois counties Illinois area since 2007. Real Estate inspections with same day report delivery.  Mold and air quality testing.  FREE 90 day Homeowners Warranty. Included with every inspection. FREE Sewergard protection for the first 90 days. covers up to $4000 of sewer or water main repairs. FREE Recallchek appliance recall service. Included with every inspection. FREE Moldsafe coverage on every inspection. FREE Platinum Roof Protection Plan with 5 year leak repair coverage. FREE $100,000 One Year NXT Structural warranty 18 month warranty available with every inspection Visit my webs...
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By Ken Tracy, Helping clients buy and sell since 2005
(Coldwell Banker Residential)
Good morning!!I woke this morning with love for my son….My son, who we named Auggie, will be seven months old at the end of this month…He is soft and warm, with chubby cheeks. He is full of curiosity and joy…A gift to me and those around him…His smile lights up the room. He is the best snuggler, and will bury his head into my chest as I hold him as I walk, or rock him gently back and forth to sleep…He, as most babies do, looks at the world differently than the rest of us do….He is innocent. Optimistic. Hopeful. And so lovingly simple…He has joy for the littlest things. A new box with which to sit in. A kiss on the cheek. A caress of his back…Again, my son is a baby like many others…But he is also different…You see, my son Auggie, was born special…Born under chaotic circumstances that we...
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By Evelyn Santiago, Managing Broker Heart Realty Group, Inc., Passionate About Real Estate & Our Clients!
(Heart Realty Group, Inc..)
Retirement May Be Changing What You Need in a Home The past year and a half brought about significant life changes for many of us. For some, it meant entering retirement earlier than expected. Recent data shows more people retired this year than anticipated. According to the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, 2021 saw a retirement boom: “At least 1.7 million more older workers than expected retired due to the pandemic recession.” If you’ve recently retired, your home may not fit your new lifestyle. The good news is, you’ve likely built-up significant equity that can fuel your next move. According to the latest Homeowner Equity Insights report from CoreLogic, homeowners gained more than $50,000 in equity over the past 12 months alone. That, plus today’s sellers’ market, presen...
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By Evelyn Santiago, Managing Broker Heart Realty Group, Inc., Passionate About Real Estate & Our Clients!
(Heart Realty Group, Inc..)
Despite the 17.7% drop in closed sales in October, 2021 to 153 from October, 2020's 186, there is good news for home sellers in Aurora, IL.  The Days on Market (DOM) dropped a whopping 50% from October's 2020 46 days to only 23 days for  single family homes.  Sellers will like  the 6.8% increase  in the median sale price from$257,500 in October 2020 to $275,000 in October 2021.Meanwhile with only 70 active  listings currently broken down in the following categories:New - 17Reactivated - 2Price Change - 4Active - 47Already in November we have 189 homes under contract and 17 pending. With 89 homes that have closed in the 1st 15  days of November,  I would not be surprised if an additional 100 homes sell in the next 15 days as the 45 day closings come in.  In October 2021 there were 95 out...
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By Evelyn Santiago, Managing Broker Heart Realty Group, Inc., Passionate About Real Estate & Our Clients!
(Heart Realty Group, Inc..)
Despite the 34% drop in home sales in October, from 2020's 215 closed sales to only 142 closed  sales there is a silver lining - days on market went down 44.6% from 74 days to only 41 days in October, 2021.  Along with a 13.4% increase  in the median sale price from  $467,500 to a new high of $530K - sellers in Naperville, IL can't really complain about the 2021 selling season.As  fall is has about a month left before winter  sets in Naperville, IL has 62 closed transactions this month with 25 in pending status and another 177 under contract.With a total of only 166 active listings in the following categories:New - 8 (7 days or less)Reactivated - 2Price Change - 10Fully Active - 146There is plenty of time to beat Octobers' numbers in November.  Hopefully, the weather will remain mild al...
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By Evelyn Santiago, Managing Broker Heart Realty Group, Inc., Passionate About Real Estate & Our Clients!
(Heart Realty Group, Inc..)
Home sales in Oswego, IL continue into fall with only a 5.5% decline from last  year's sales.  The speed of how fast homes are selling though increased 47.2% from last year's 36 days on the market to only 19 days in October, 2021.The median price increased 27.5% from 2020's $293,000 to $373, 460!!  Happy sellers have been able to get large premiums on their home sales with 69% of homes that sold in October sold for list or more!  Traditionally sales slow down in fall but not this year.Buyer's need a lot of patience and a plan on how to make an offer that will win when in a multi-offer situation.  You can't see homes at the top of your approval limit in today's market unless you have extra cash to make up the difference between the appraised price and the offer price.  With the lack  of ...
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By Margaret Goss, Chicago's North Shore & Winnetka Real Estate
(Baird & Warner Real Estate)
After three decades, Don Juan's Restaurant in Chicago closed at the end of 2020. A great institution and local treasure was gone. Sort of.Don Juan's Cantina and Taqueria opened in July just a mile away - and will continue their tradition of great food, drinks, and service! Same owners (with a new investor) Maria and her son Jacob are back in full swing.With a smaller and refined menu, the emphasis is on fresh traditional and contemporary Mexican food. There is a large assortment of craft tacos made with organic masa plus old favorites like Hogan's oysters, Camarones Don Juan, 6-Chili Pollo, and Carne Asada Tampiquena.    They refer to their margaritas as "legendary" and I have to agree. I take mine with Mezcal, which imparts a smoky flavor that perfectly balances with the traditional ta...
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By Margaret Goss, Chicago's North Shore & Winnetka Real Estate
(Baird & Warner Real Estate)
What Sold In Your North Shore Village in October, 2021Yes, the market has started cooling - which it always does this time of year. The "cooling" mainly pertains to the frenzied bidding that drove prices up with multiple offers.Fewer homes are now selling over the list price which has been common for the year to date. As before, inventory continues to be low, with just a few months of inventory in each village.Since January 1, four-bedroom homes in Winnetka sold for 98% of list price while 5+ bedroom homes averaged 96%.Wilmette homes of all sizes sold for 98% of list price.Kenilworth homes sold for 95-96% of list price.Glencoe homes sold for 97% of list price except 5+ bedroom homes which averaged a sale of 95% of list price.Northfield homes sold for between 94-9% of list price.If selli...
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By Margaret Goss, Chicago's North Shore & Winnetka Real Estate
(Baird & Warner Real Estate)
If you've been listening or reading the news you know that the real estate market  has cooled down. This is normal at this time of year. The one difference is that that Hubbard Woods still has very low inventory.You can see below that there are only 9 homes for sale right now and 10 under contract. Compare that to:November 2018 - 41 homes for sale with 13 under contract November 2019 - 34 homes for sale with 14 under contract.Most pundits believe the market will again be tight and competitive in 2022, but not reaching the heights of 2021. If selling your home is getting close, consider 2022 as it seems impossible that these numbers will continue for too much longer. Particularly with talk of rising mortgage rates. CLOSED HUBBARD WOODS HOMES IN OCTOBER 1507 Tower RoadList price: $950,000...
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By Scott Seaton Jr. Bourbonnais Kankakee IL Home Inspector, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Bradley Bourbonnais Kankakee Manteno)
     The annual Bourbonnais Township Scarecrow festival is always a huge success.      Starting the first week of October, local businesses, charities or individuals can enter the contest for a chance to win prizes and promote their businesses or group.      The contest winners are determined by the appointed judges and also by the coveted peoples choice voters. The transformation from a simple plastic fence on Kennedy Drive into a 2 block display of Halloween fall displays and scarecrows is almost overnight. Lots of hard work and creative designs are displayed that must have taken weeks to work on just to be ready for the big set up. Take a nice walk with your family past all the entries and cast your votes for your favorite. You can even pose in some of the displays for pictures. It's...
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By Scott Seaton Jr. Bourbonnais Kankakee IL Home Inspector, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Bradley Bourbonnais Kankakee Manteno)
     We have two Frank Lloyd Wright homes in our town. Kankakee, Il.      Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) is famous the world over and his homes are known for some of the coolest, most innovative and striking design ideas ever built. Kankakee, IL is proud to have two Wright homes. Next door to each other too. One of them is privately owned and there are not a whole lot of people that have visited that home as long as I can remember. But the B. Harley Bradley home is a very different story. It's long history has several inspiring chapters, several chapters of struggles and near demise, and one single chapter of extreme sadness. The Bradley house is the very first home that FLW designed with his new Prairie Style design concept. Located on the banks of the Kankakee River (the cleanest river in t...
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By Margaret Goss, Chicago's North Shore & Winnetka Real Estate
(Baird & Warner Real Estate)
A PLACE WITH SPACE!Rarely does a condo this large come on the market anywhere in the North Shore. 5020 Arbor Lane, Unit 102 is one such home.Located on the first floor with views of the pond, it includes:3 bedrooms2 1/2 bathsLarge living roomLarge family room and dining roomEat-in kitchenLarge closetsIn-unit laundryElevator building2 indoor heated parking spots across from the elevatorIndividual storage room2,920 square feetPlus: clubhouse, indoor pool, hot tub, fitness center, and outdoor gathering area.Meadowlake is located close to the Edens, Walgreen's, Mariano's grocery, many restaurants, and walking trails.Price: $599,000See all photos and information for: 5020 Arbor Lane, Unit 102, Northfield IL Additional Resources:All About Meadowlake (Arbor Lane) Condos
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By Evelyn Santiago, Managing Broker Heart Realty Group, Inc., Passionate About Real Estate & Our Clients!
(Heart Realty Group, Inc..)
With the current inventory shortages working with buyers has become quite challenging.  One of the interesting things that I have  come across in my latest round of working with a buyer is how many small homes (under 1,000 sq. ft.) are currently for sale  in Aurora, IL.  Mind you, these are not from a small home subdivision that just cropped up!These are existing homes that are  currently on the market, some have been rehabbed beautifully and some are in need of updating but they all have one thing in common - smaller than average square footage and the need for the right type of buyer.Those that follow the "small home" trend know that there are whole subdivisions/communities being built across the country catering to the "small/tiny home" niche.If you are a lover of this trend there is...
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By Scott Seaton Jr. Bourbonnais Kankakee IL Home Inspector, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Bradley Bourbonnais Kankakee Manteno)
Winter weather is coming fast. Bourbonnais, Illinois was 36 degrees last night.      There are a few things that are worse than a furnace acting up in the middle of the winter, but for the life of me I can't think of any right now. Your furnace or boiler needs an annual checkup. REPEATING   Your furnace or boiler needs an annual checkup. Don't wait.     If you put it off until November or December, you're asking for trouble. Waiting until the snow flies means you waited about 3 months too long. Now if you're depending on something like this old furnace to keep you warm through the winter, then you might want to invest in a space heater. Or rent a hotel room and also check your Carbon Monoxide detector, because this Ol Smokey is a death trap. Furnaces need regular annual tuneups for bett...
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By Evelyn Santiago, Managing Broker Heart Realty Group, Inc., Passionate About Real Estate & Our Clients!
(Heart Realty Group, Inc..)
How is the Million plus price category in detached home sales doing so far in Naperville, IL compared to 2020?As of 10/19/2021 - there have been 123 Million dollar and above homes sold.  In 2020 there were only 53 homes sold at this point.   This is a 43.09% increase in million plus home sales!Year to date in single family homes total at this point in 2020 there were 1,587 homes sold.  Currently there are a total of 1,851 homes sold.  In 2019 - pre-pandemic home sales in Naperville were 1,404 in the single family detached category.   There are currently 54 homes available for sale in the Million and above price range with 2 in the $10M and  more category with 15 under contract and 1 in pending status (10/19/21).  There are an additional 11 homes in the Private Listing category with the ...
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By Evelyn Santiago, Managing Broker Heart Realty Group, Inc., Passionate About Real Estate & Our Clients!
(Heart Realty Group, Inc..)
Naperville, IL continues its strong  market showing in September, 2021:There are currently 221 available single family homes.  Of those - 34 are in "New" status, 4 in reactivated status, 13 Price Changes, 170 in "Active" stage.   With October already 15 days in - there are 22 homes in Pending status.Thinking of selling or buying in Naperville?  Give me a call and let's get  the process started!
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By Margaret Goss, Chicago's North Shore & Winnetka Real Estate
(Baird & Warner Real Estate)
There were 7 homes that closed in Hubbard Woods in September. Three of them sold for over the list price, and four sold for below list price. All sold relatively quickly except for one that took many years. There were just two new listings both of which would be considered luxury homes with high prices.   SOLD HOMES IN HUBBARD WOODS September 2021   1381 Asbury List price: $549,000Sold price: $600,000 (9.2% over list)Days on market: 9 960 Old Green BayList price: $1,225,000Sold price: $1,187,500 (3% below list)Days on market: 74 1140 Chatfield List price: $1,599,000Sold price: $1,405,000 (12% below list)Days on market: 139 795 LocustList price: $1,345,000Sold price: $1,459,000 (8.5% over list)Days on market: 4 135 N. SheridanList price: $1,549,000Sold price: $1,500,000 (4% below list)Da...
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By Margaret Goss, Chicago's North Shore & Winnetka Real Estate
(Baird & Warner Real Estate)
What Sold In Your North Shore Village in September 2021  Current Winnetka Real Estate MarketClick to see all Sold Winnetka homes in September Homes currently for sale: 45Private Network homes for sale: 20Under contract or pending: 42Current months supply of inventory: 2.3See all Winnetka Homes for Sale Current Wilmette Real Estate MarketClick to see all Sold Wilmette Homes in SeptemberHomes currently for sale: 56Private Network homes for sale: 11Under contract or pending: 44Current months supply of inventory: 2.0See all Wilmette Homes for Sale Current Kenilworth Real Estate MarketClick to see all Sold Kenilworth homes in SeptemberHomes currently for sale: 13Private Network homes for sale: 2Under contract or pending: 8Current months supply of inventory: 3.1See all Kenilworth Homes for Sa...
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By Scott Seaton Jr. Bourbonnais Kankakee IL Home Inspector, The Home Inspector With a Heart!
(SLS Home Inspections-Bradley Bourbonnais Kankakee Manteno)
Things I wish I knew- As I have gotten older, I realize there are so many things I just don't know anything about. I wish I did, but either I never took the time or didn't realize I really wanted to know about that skill or idea or information to learn about it. For instance, I have always wanted to play guitar, I even own an acoustic giutar, but have never picked it up to play one note. I would like to know how to play golf, but learning to play is just a reason to be able to hang out with my kids or brothers more often. I am a decent athlete, so I'm sure if I played enough, I would be pretty good. Some players are just so serious and I just want to learn to be able to relax and enjoy a good day outside. No pressure.     So when the pandemic became a real crisis and Zoom calls became t...
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By Terri Buseman, Downtown Chicago
(RE/MAX Premier Properties)
Chicago is a world-class city with plenty to offer prospective home buyers – a vast, beautiful lakefront, the stunning architecture of downtown, museums, theaters, restaurants, sports venues, and an eclectic array of historic neighborhoods. With so many choices, buying a home in Chicago can seem like a daunting undertaking, which is why you will want to be equipped with good information upfront. Let’s review three critical considerations when buying a home in Chicago: How much you can afford, the type of home you’re looking for, and the neighborhood in which you want to live.How Much Home Can You Afford?When buying a new home, you will need to determine how much can you afford to pay, both initial down payment and monthly mortgage payment. Be sure to also budget for things like homeowne...
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By Terri Buseman, Downtown Chicago
(RE/MAX Premier Properties)
Parts of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are experiencing record sales since the start of the pandemic. The overall real estate market in Chicagoland is strong. When putting your home on the market, you’ll want to do everything possible to make it attractive to buyers so you can get a good price and sell quickly. This will require a combination of making needed repairs, pricing it correctly, decluttering, and staging so it looks terrific for showings.Getting a home in ‘ready to sell’ condition is one of the most important steps to selling your home. No matter what market, there are key elements that should be addressed to position your home for success. These include: Price Condition Staging How Should you Price your Chicago Home?The first step in the selling process is figuring out...
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By Teresa Ryan - Naperville Real Estate, Naperville IL & Western Suburbs Real Estate Broker
(Ryan Hill Group)
Make this gorgeous well-maintained Bolingbrook IL single-family home yours. Own a beautifully-kept 2-story home in a great location, with all the amenities you are looking for in a single-family home. It features a total of 4 bedrooms, a loft, 2.1 bathrooms, 2,664 square feet of living space, and a 2-car attached garage The home is situated on a large lot in the single family home subdivision of River Hills located on the far southwest side of the Village of Bolingbrook. Enjoy a pristine and bright interior with an open floor plan. Canned lights, neutral colors, hardwood floors and large windows on the main level give it a welcoming and peaceful ambiance.    The main level of this home is open and bright with plenty of room for entertaining The living and family rooms feature new carpet...
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By Evelyn Santiago, Managing Broker Heart Realty Group, Inc., Passionate About Real Estate & Our Clients!
(Heart Realty Group, Inc..)
With a population of over 44K people and a thriving downtown, Plainfield is a favorite among  buyers that want the convenience of living near major highways such as I-88/I-80/I-355/I-55 and an hours drive to Chicago's Midway Airport and Chicago itself.  No longer a sleepy farm town but best known for F-5 tornado's that struck in 1990 it has Rt. 59 running right through it.   With neighboring towns such as Oswego, Naperville, Romeoville & Joliet it is a favorite place to visit for a change of pace.August home sales were at 188 closed sales with over 87% being sold at list or over list price! Compared to the 150 homes that sold in July 2021 it was a definite improvement.   Still not as  many as the 194 closed sales in 2020.  Current inventory has 124 active single family detached homes.  ...
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