Yeah, The Fed got it right.  After much speculation, the Fed cut an important interest rate .50%.  What does this mean to you?Well, if you have an equity loan your interest rate probably just dropped .50%.  Long term interest rates won't make a big jump, but 30 year fixed rates just went down about 1/8th today to 6.25%.  This is all positive news for the Real Estate market so if you have a home that has been listed for awhile, stay positive.   Joe AmbroseBroker/OwnerAcorn Realty, Inc - Wheaton 09/18/2007

I'm starting a new series today called Construction Around Town Tuesday.  As the title would suggest I'm going to be writing about new construction in Wheaton and Glen Ellyn on Tuesdays.  As I drive around town, I am amazed at construction projects taking place.  I am use to seeing tear downs.  Those seem like old hat right now.  What I am not use to seeing are all the condo/townhouse complexes going up in both downtown Wheaton and Glen Ellyn.I can think of five condo complexes in Wheaton going up right now - Blanchard Court, Stoddard Avenue of Wheaton, Woodland Oaks, Wescott Crossing and Courthouse Square.  Not to mention the two new subdivisions in South Wheaton - Amberwood Estates and Legends of Wheaton.So in the weeks to come, I will be bringing you as much information I can about e... 09/18/2007

At the creaky old age of 41, I used a power-washer for the first time today.  All men should have one.  If that sounds about right to you, then skip the rest of my commentary, and go to the hardware store and pick you up one.  They'd also make the ideal gift for one of those "man showers" they have now when kids get married.  Maybe somebody special will purchase their first home, and you want to get them the ideal housewarming gift.  If your friend is the man of the house, get him a power washer, and you'll eat steak every time you visit.As a male homeowner, as a house guest who has overstayed your welcome, or as an older son living at home, I promise to you, owning a power washer will result in a cleaner home exterior, driveway, patio, wood deck or neighborhood at large (but you'll nee... 09/17/2007

One of the best things about Wheaton is the town's commitment to family fun.  This year's Autumn Fest, presented by the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce, will once again showcase a weekend full of good wholesome fun.The event will take place in numerous locations around town from September 13th to September 16th.  Craft fair, local booths, food and children's activities will take place at Memorial Park and the Carnival rides will be located at Liberty and Main.The Memorial Park Bandshell will showcase two bands.  The Navy Show Band will perform on Friday night and the Bert Cattoni Band will entertain the crowds on Saturday.And, don't forget to enter the Dog/Owner Look-a-Like contest on at 1pm on Saturday.  I can't wait to post those pictures!!!  For a more detailed calendar of events, check ... 09/13/2007

Well, by now you much know I am talking about Foreclosure.  There are many things you can do to avoid a foreclosure situation.Don't ignore the problem.  No matter how hard you may try, pretending the problem isn't there, won't make it go away.  Contact your lender right away.  They might be able to help you through these hard times.Don't trash letters from your lender.  They might contain helpful information.Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Don't get scammed.Talk with a banker or mortgage broker - maybe they can help with new mortgage productsIf all else fails, talk with a good Realtor.  They might be able to get your home sold before the foreclosure.In an August 31, 2007 White House press release, the President outlines his ideas to help homeowners facing fo... 09/10/2007

No, not that "f" word; but one just as alarming to many homeowners theses days.  The word is foreclosure.  According to Wikipedia, foreclosure is, "the equitable proceeding in which a bank or other secured creditor sells or repossesses a parcel of real property due to the owner's failure to comply with an agreement between the lender and borrower called a "mortgage" or "deed of trust".    We haven't talked much about foreclosures in Wheaton and Glen Ellyn because it hasen't been much of a problem.  But with the current mortgage and real estate climate, the word keeps popping up.  The 2006 foreclosure rate for Glen Ellyn real estate was 39 homes (or 4.88/1000).  The rate for Wheaton real estate was 52 homes (or 3.62/1000).  Our numbers are still pretty low compared to other DuPage County... 09/10/2007

 The table below lists all of the currently active single family detached and single family attached homes in Wheaton, IL. The information is broken into price ranges with average time on market for that range. Included are the activity by number of bedrooms. For detailed information on a property type within a price range, including virtual tour when available, contact me with physical characteristic requirements.   Active Listings   Detached Single Bedrooms # Active Avg. LP Avg. MT All 434 $560,862 167 2 or Less 13 $257,383 98 3 146 $359,051 136 4 223 $637,526 178 5 or More 52 $874,583 224   Attached Single Bedrooms # Active Avg. LP Avg. MT All 137 $282,688 138 2 or Less 89 $245,826 139 3 48 $351,036 135   Two to Four Units Bedrooms # Active Avg. LP Avg. MT All 5 $524,760 84 3 1 $749,... 09/08/2007

This lesson really hit close to home.  And I don't mean "hit" in a figurative way.  Last Thursday's weather report called for severe thunder storms in the afternoon.  Well, between 3pm and 3:15pm a tornado touched down just west of my home.  The storm and wind caused the 45 year old tree in my backyard to drop 2 huge branches.  One landed on my daughter's play house and the other on my roof straddling the power wires. Luckily, nobody was hurt and we somehow managed to keep our power.  Before the storm was even finished we had a call into our insurance company to being the claim process.  The next phone call was to the electric company (ComEd) to discuss the remaining tree and damaged electric meter.Lesson number one - hire a really good insurance company and get to know the wonderful pe... 08/26/2007

       The table below lists all of the currently active single family detached and single family attached homes Wheaton, IL. The information is broken into price ranges with average time on market for that range. Included are the high, low, median and average prices. For detailed information on a property type within a price range, including virtual tour when available, contact me with physical characteristic requirements.  Active Listings List Price Range # Listings Avg. Days on Mkt Less than $149,999 6 211 $150,000 - $199,999 38 117 $200,000 - $249,999 39 99 $250,000 - $299,999 69 124 $300,000 - $349,999 68 135 $350,000 - $399,999 51 143 $400,000 - $449,999 35 128 $450,000 - $499,999 46 103 $500,000 - $549,999 24 151 $550,000 - $599,999 30 152 $600,000 - $699,999 33 171 $700,000 - $7... 08/12/2007

Another good month for Wheaton home sales.  The month of July brought about 54 home sales.  The real estate market seems pretty consistent considering there were about that many home sales last month.  The average Sale Price to List Price ratio mains at 97%, up from the dip to 96% in May.Real Estate Homes Closed in July 2007 08/11/2007

 I realize not everyone can afford Wheaton real estate in this price range, but it's still nice to dream about it.  There are currently 38 homes in Wheaton listed for over $1,000,000.  Since January 1, 2007 only 7 homes have sold for over a million dollars!  The average market time for these homes is 242 days.                                   08/06/2007

Our vacation to South Haven, Michigan couldn't have been more relaxing and enjoyable. The town is quaint, the people are friendly and the Lake is beautiful. We spent most of our time playing at the beach – can you blame us? There is so much going on in this town, it’s hard to know where to start. So, I will begin with nature. I hope you enjoy some of the sites of South Haven, Michigan. South Haven, Michigan is only 2.5 hours from Chicagoland. It’s a great getaway! 08/06/2007

July is the ultimate vacation month.  Little League baseball season is over and football hasn't yet started.  We just gotten back from a one week vacation to South Haven, Michigan.  What a wonderful vacation town on the lake!  Since 1969, South Haven has held the title of the World's Blueberry Capital.  We can attest to the quality of the blueberries - we picked our own at DeGrandchamp Farms and then decided they were so good we brought back 5 boxes for family and friends at home.The photo is where we stayed for the week with another family.  It is called Three by the Sea.  There are three cottages on the property.  From the house it is a short 4 block walk to the lake and only a two block walk to town.  They also have a fully stocked three car garage with bikes, kayaks and other beach ... 08/05/2007

Good news for Wheaton home sales.  The month of June brought about a $22,000 average sale price increase over June 2006.  The average Sale Price to List Price ratio has also gone back up to 97% (from 96% in the month of May 2007).   June 2007 saw 57 homes close.  That is an increase over the 52 homes that closed in May. Sorry about being a month off - July was really busy! 08/05/2007

Name:Diane LynchCompany:Realty Executives PremiereEmail:Contact Diane Lynch Website URL:http://www.energizedteam.com/Office Phone:(630) 260-2838Fax Number:(630) 260-2828Description:As part of The Energized Team I am eager to help in any way. We're moving you in the right direction....serving the Western Suburbs and beyond. 2658 Points   About Us:I would describe my mission as: To Serve Others. I entered the world of real estate in 1996 and joined The Energized Team in 1999. The Energized Team has grown to 7 licensed agents and together we produced $36 million in sales during 2006. I handle a lot of the "behind the scenes" details of the Team transactions. Some of the areas I handle are the marketing, website management, advertising, listing promotion and transaction coordination. I have... 07/02/2007

This year's annual Fourth of July Parade is set to begin at 10am.  The Wheaton Jaycees will plan the event.  This year's theme is "All the World's a Stage"The parade starts at Main and Wakeman.  It will head south and turn right on Wesley and then left on Wheaton Avenue.  It will turn left on Front and end at Cross Street.The fireworks (also sponsored by the Jaycees) will take place at the DuPage County Fairgrounds at dusk.  The fairgrounds are located on Manchester Road just east of County Farm Road.Click on the map for a large image.  07/02/2007

  The table below lists all of the currently active single family detached and single family attached homes in Wheaton, IL. The information is broken into price ranges with average time on market for that range. Included are the high, low, median and average prices. For detailed information on a property type within a price range, including virtual tour when available, contact me with physical characteristic requirements.  Active Listings List Price Range # Listings Avg. Days on Mkt Less than $149,999 7 219 $150,000 - $199,999 39 100 $200,000 - $249,999 42 107 $250,000 - $299,999 65 143 $300,000 - $349,999 66 125 $350,000 - $399,999 53 107 $400,000 - $449,999 34 113 $450,000 - $499,999 39 93 $500,000 - $549,999 32 124 $550,000 - $599,999 31 127 $600,000 - $699,999 34 172 $700,000 - $799... 06/30/2007

As we all know, there life outside of DuPage County.  The Illinois Association of REALTORS released a state of the State report on homes sales in Illinois.  Home sales were up 10.9% in May 2007 (14,349 homes sold) compared to the previous month of April (12,932 homes sold).  Illinois defines homes as both single-family and condominiums. That's the good news.  The unfortunate fact is May 2007 numbers are 18.6% below what they were in May of 2006.  May 2006 saw 17,622 homes sold compared to the 14,349 sold this May.  Wheaton, Illinois homes sales saw similar numbers.Robert Zoretich is the president of the Illinois Association of REALTORS.  He states, "Overall sales are improving each month and we are still seeing positive gains in the median* home sale price in many market areas in the st... 06/27/2007

This kitchen is not included with the sale of the home.  The home owner will be removing not only the appliances, but the cabinets and counters, thus leaving you a blank slate for a complete redesign.Sound to me like a real estate agent's nightmare.I was working an open house yesterday in The Legends of Wheaton subdivision.  The weather was overcast and it was pretty sticky outside.  Not ideal for crowds of buyers.  Even with the front door open, the door bell rang.   I went to the door with my normal, "Hello, please come in."  A young couple with a backpack was standing at the door.  The woman, with a European accent said, "I don't want to take up too much of your time, we aren't really going to buy this house.  But I saw the open house sign, so here we are."I smiled, but my first inst... 06/25/2007

Doom and gloom is all we hear lately about home sales.  However, looking at the numbers to date, Wheaton real estate is right on track compared to 2006 for the same time frame.  From January 1, 2006 to June 23, 2006 Wheaton had 249 properties sold with an average list price of $442,576.  In 2007, Wheaton has had 234 homes sold to date with a slight decrease in the average sale to $435,489. Now why does this feel so different?  The national real estate market is coming off it best year ever in 2005.  From January 1, 2005 to June 23, 2005 Wheaton saw 311 single family properties sell.  That means we are down 77 homes sold from the highest sales year ever.  2007 Closed Single Family Homes  (January 1, 2007 to June 23, 2007) 06/23/2007