About Naperville:Naperville is a city located in DuPage County, Illinois and Will County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 128,358; a special census in 2003 estimated the population at 135,858. Approximately 95,000 Napervillians live in DuPage County, while about 40,000 reside in Will County.In July of 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Naperville third on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.Naperville Geography:Naperville is located at 41°44'59" North, 88°9'21" West (41.749826, -88.155719). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 92.0 km2 (35.5 mi2). 91.6 km2 (35.4 mi2) of it is land and 0.4 km2 (0.1 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 0.39% water.Downtown Naperville is located... 03/29/2007

Please visti www.newhomes2007.com to get a current list of homes for sale in your area of interest! Thanks Dan 03/29/2007

When you choose a RE/MAX Sales Associate to sell your home or help you purchase a new home, you'll experience a whole new level of service.First, RE/MAX Associates are The Hometown Experts With a World of Experience®. Across the globe, they make their living in the same communities in which they live. They're the people next door, or just down the block.Consummate professionals, RE/MAX Associates on average lead agents of competing brands in advanced real estate education and production. That's why they're known as "The Real Estate Leaders®" and why no one in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX.Customer SatisfactionThe proof of quality service is in repeat customers and in customers who refer RE/MAX Associates to their friends. RE/MAX Sales Associates average 70 percent of thei... 03/29/2007

As a homeowner, you can play an important part in the timely sale of your property. When you take the following steps, you'll help your RE/MAX Sales Associate sell your home faster, at the best possible price. The easiest and most reliable way to improve the appeal of your home is to enlist a quality home service professional. The right professional can help you get everything in order - from repainting the kitchen to providing a thorough cleaning - so you can stay focused on more important things. Make the Most of that First ImpressionA well-manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs and a clutter-free porch welcome prospects. So does a freshly painted - or at least freshly scrubbed - front door. If it's autumn, rake the leaves. If it's winter, shovel the walkways. The fewer obstacles betwe... 03/29/2007

Whether you've spent years saving and preparing to buy a home, or are unsure if you can afford it, the questions surrounding a house purchase can feel endless.You can find the answers - and peace of mind - by working with RE/MAX, the industry leader in experience and service.Here are some tips to help you become your own landlord. Hire a real estate professional.The first step is to select a professional to help you find your dream home and fine-tune your financial expectations. Working with a buyer agent is worth consideration since he or she is legally responsible for representing the buyer's interest in a real estate transaction. Before making a decision, however, have a Realtor explain the pros and cons of using a buyer agent versus a sales or dual agent. Your RE/MAX Associate can g... 03/29/2007

If you're like me when you drive your mind goes into a trance state. It's automatic. And, this morning on my long drive up to the Kosher deli (about 50 miles from me), I passed a street which was named Brier something.And, that started a chain of ideas:1) Why was the street spelled Brier and not Briar? Is there a difference? Hmmmmmmmm, something to look up.2) We have a Brier in our area. So, I wondered how many cities use the same name? Gotta do some research.3) How many people get confused when adjacent towns use the same street name? Especially if town A has Main Street going North/South and town B has Main Street going east/west. Does it make difficult for police and ambulances and taxi drivers?I can't answer question #1 or #3 right now. But, I did some digging and discovered the fol... 03/29/2007

A research paper was just published which disputes our ability to multi-task.  Amen!!I learned first-hand many years ago that multi-tasking was dangerous. I was driving my car on Route 59 (a very busy, commercial street) in Naperville, and the SUV next to me started veering into my lane. I braked quickly and then noticed that the driver was busy talking on the phone and drinking coffee, and hadn't the slightest idea that she was not in her lane. An Ah-ha moment.From that point on, I decided that talking on the phone and driving were as safe as drinking and driving. I do neither. Call me on my cell phone while I'm driving and you'll go into voice mail. I'll return the call when I'm out of the car.The research study showed that it was extremely dangerous to talk and drive at the same time... 03/26/2007

What makes Naperville such a desirable community?  What sets it apart?  There are so many answers to that question, just one of which is its very own Test Track!  Yes, Naperville has a test track!   There's such a preponderance of automobile dealers stacked along Ogden Ave. & Aurora Ave., that when dealership customers took their prospective new vehicles out on the road for a spin it was becoming a little dicey in the surrounding neighborhoods. The solution of course, was the country's very first (Naperville is all over that) public-private automobile test track.  The track can be found between Fort Hill Drive & Ogden Avenue on the South Side of Jefferson Avenue. The track emulates numerous real life conditions.  Some of the areas you'll find at the track are a high bank testing area, a... 03/24/2007

 "We've all heard about impaneling/impanelling/empaneling/empanelling( they're all correct ) a jury... And we all know a museum can deacquisition its artifacts -but did you know a family room can be depaneled?That's what happened to ours today when we removed 28 year old cigarette smoke incrusted/encrusted dark brown fake barn siding...4'x8'x1/4" sheathing that probably cost $3.69 a sheet all those years ago) in one fell swoop.We entered the 21st century and added $10,000 of value to our house...Losing the cave effect has done wonders for my SAD's personality!Now to decide if it can be sanded and filled and smoothed or if i need to learn how to install 1/4" sheets of drywall!And, now we can choose a cheery color that doesn't need to be washed or cover the paneling.All right :) " The abo... 03/23/2007

As of  3/22/2007:Number of Active listings: 1138Average list price: $702,614   Average days on market: 180 The breakdown:There are 198  3 bedroom homes on the market; average price: $407,783. Market time: 135 daysThere are 776  4 bedroom homes on the market; average price: $713,151. Market time: 187 daysThere are 144 5+ bedroom homes on the market; average price: $1,095,040. Market time: 213 days Another 100+  new listed homes have come on the market in the past month. Market times are down by a few days. And, prices have come down for the 3 and 4 bedroom homesA very active price range is the under $400,000 4 bedroom home. Out of a total of 110 homes in this price range, 30 are sold.Stats compiled from Mutiple Listing Service Northern Illinois  03/22/2007

When I first started in real estate, we were taught to preview listed homes every week. Can you imagine? We'd pile into a car after our office meeting and take off.I've noticed in the past 5 to 8 years that previews and even attendance at Broker Open Houses are way, way down. Is it because agents can see the virtual tours on-line? Or the many pictures on-line?While seeing the pictures can give you a general idea...it just doesn't give you the 'feel.' So, I generally go out myself (or with one other agent) and preview 7 to 10 homes in a 2 hour period.I look at homes that my clients seem to be interested in, and that way I can talk intelligently about these properties. Why one is priced higher. Why one sits 30 feet from the train tracks and has been on the market for a year. Why one has n... 03/22/2007

Here in a narrative version are the answers:1) After WWII, builders started sub-divisions with a vengence. After all, there were all these VETS with VA financing wanting to buy a home. So, in the West Ridge area of Chicago (Far North...almost Evanston) the first builders put up housing. West Ridge had been laid out, complete with sidewalks during the 1930's as a WPA project. There was one street which had older homes, some brick bungelows from the 1920's and a few old farmhomes.Enter the modern builder who put up an all brick 2-story Georgian with basement, complete with pink bathroom tile; metal Venetian blinds (anybody know where that name came from?); wood floors in the living room and dining room with walls painted a dark hunter green; white kitchen appliances. This was November, 19... 03/20/2007

After reading Broker Bryant's (aka blogger-boy) blog on the difficulties of passing the Florida's continuing education test, I thought that I'd add some questions.This section is for all you history buffs and this applies mostly to the Chicago Metro area. Guess the decade and for extra points, guess the year(s).1) Pink bathroom tile trimmed with marroon; white kitchen appliances; all brick 2-story house; city-sized lot of 30 feet across; black oil heating tank in the basement; metal blinds.2) Stainless steel appliances; wood floors; granite or corian countertops; fancy staircases; wine cellar in the basement; 52 inch plasma TV screen; 3 car attached garage.3) Harvest gold or avocado kitchen appliances with matching Solarian sheet goods flooring; Avocado, brown, bright red carpeting; fas... 03/19/2007

  Welcome to 4428 White Ash Lane in Ashwood Park , Naperville IL - $1,135,000 SOLD! Simply Spectacular! Naperville's newest pool and tennis community Gorgeous custom home with an eye toward detailed craftsmanship. 5 car garage is roomy three cars wide, third stall is three cars deep. Amazing - two island kitchen with Wolf 8 burner cook top, double oven & sub zero fridge. Two laundry/craft rooms. Gorgeous master suite & bath with walk in shower. Iron spindles, extensive moldings, judges ceilings & more!  For more information about luxury homes in Naperville or for any of your Naperville IL real estate needs contact Angus Woodbury  at 630-717-7386    Specializing in residential real estate in Chicago's Western Suburbs                                                 03/19/2007

If you're currently renting and thinking about buying your first property, I have some advice. And, you may not like it...but, you need to know that times have changed.The Federal Housing Administration or FHA is a governmental organization which underwrites loans to buyers. They require that the buyer put down 3% of the purchase price in addition to closing costs. So, if you're interested in purchasing a $200,000 condo you'll need at least $6,000.But...what about those no-money down loans? Gone. With all the talk these past two week regarding the sub-prime lenders folding, several major companies (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) have decreed that buyers will need 3 to 5 percent down.So, what can you do in the meantime? First, you might want to check your credit report and make sure that it... 03/16/2007

 I only need to correct my credit report with one Credit Bureau. Fact: Credit Reporting Agencies do not share information with each other.Even if one Credit Bureau cannot verify information on your credit report, this is not a basis for removal of information from the other Credit Reporting Agencies.It's important to remember that you must correct the credit reports from all The major Credit Reporting Agencies because you never really know which bureau or combination of Credit Reporting Agencies a subscriber/creditor/finance company may use.  Remember to always look at the three reports and see what can be fixed.  The same letter can not go to all three.  They might report things differently and the letter should reflect that.  With a little effort you can fix mnay of the problems.  Tak... 03/16/2007

Did you know that the Bank of America does a monthly real estate survey?They poll real estate agents across the country every month to get feedback on builders and new construction. It's always interesting reading.Their report for the Chicago Metro area indicated that we're the 6th largest market in the U.S. with 28,619 single-family permits authorized in 2006. And, I suspect that most of these homes are in the far outlying suburbs where there is still land.Their February market trends indicated that the cold, snowy weather limited the amount of buyers thorough homes. Well, yes, I can attest to that. I showed a Relo buyer, in a mini blizzard, where none of the streets were plowed and high snow drifts covered unshoveled walkways. Not fun. But he had to buy!So, I suspect that buyers staye... 03/15/2007

See you there!Downtown NapervilleThe parade will kick off at Naperville North High School and head south on Mill St. to Jefferson, then east on Jefferson to Main, south on main to Water,west on Water to Webster, and south on Webster to conclude at the Municipal Center Parking Deck. Downtown Napervillehttp://www.wsirish.org/st.patrickparade.htmSponsored by West Suburban IrishMarch 17SaturdaySpecial Events10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 03/14/2007

WE all need more info on this!Free to the public. Featuring 30+ major area health care providers, free health screenings and tests, presentations, demonstrations, door prizes every 20 minutes, and speakers: from Edward-Linden Oaks Hospital presenting "Lifting the Clouds of Depression and Anxiety"; and from Walgreens presenting "Dr. Mom - Treating and Recognizing Common Childhood Illnesses."None requiredAge Groups:All AgesThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints1411 95th StreetSheri Mosssmoss@wideopenwest.com communityhealthfair.orgSponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintshttp://www.communityhealthfair.org 03/14/2007

Hello All The spring market is starting to pick up and the inventory is starting to see a fresh new look.  Interest rates are still low and it's a great time to look to find a good deal on homes that have been on the market over the winter months.Dan 03/14/2007