We are just finishing up two day of brutal and record-breaking cold. It’s winter - what else is new in Winnetka and the North Shore of Chicago! Staying warm is a fine art but staying safe is an imperative. According to USA Today, the cold kills 20 times more people than the heat.  10 Weather Safety Tips Layering with several lightweight layers will keep you warmer than just one heavy sweater. Gloves are essential - but never forget to cover your head.  It's astonishing how warm you feel when your head is protected. Even inside. Pets - I have one that loves being outside year round. But even a quick errand when wind chills are present can be devastating. Keep them inside or provide adequate shelter. Have you heard of the 3-feet rule?  Keep your space heater on a level, hard surface and r... 01/31/2019

 2018 Winnetka North Shore Condo Sales Review Remember “Field of Dreams” when Kevin Costner’s character hears someone whisper, “Build it and he will come”? Often misquoted as “they will come,” it nevertheless always reminds me that we need more condos on the North Shore. This chart shows 2018 sales of all condos in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Northfield, and Glenview. Clearly, Wilmette, Glenview, and Evanston have built them and they (buyers) have come!     This lack of attached style living will not change in the foreseeable future. Winnetka has one large project planned (One Winnetka) that only offers luxury units. While I believe they will sell quickly, they were not built for the masses. One other building on Green Bay Road is under construction but will only offer 3 un... 01/30/2019

2018’s real estate market in the North Shore villages of Winnetka, Wilmette, and Glencoe presented some challenges to both buyers and sellers. The year started out in a fast rush with lots of inventory and many fairly quick sales. This continued through the end of May when suddenly the market fainted and keeled over.  Sellers (and we agents) were bewildered by the abrupt change in the market thinking it would recover in the fall. Which it did - but just slightly.  While economics and the political climate will always play havoc with housing, I think that the market will again rebound this spring. For those that didn’t buy last year - for whatever reason - this could be the time.  Interest rates are currently around 4 ½% but predicted to clamber up over 5% by the end of the year and this... 01/11/2019

SEE WHAT SOLD IN YOUR VILLAGE IN DECEMBER 2018(scroll down) WINNETKA  WILMETTE  KENILWORTH  GLENCOE  NORTHFIELD  To CONTACT Margaret Goss, please call 847-977-6024 or email:  margaret.goss@bairdwarner.comMargaret Goss is a full-time real estate agent since 1998 servicing the North Shore communities of Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Northfield, Glenview, and Evanston. See full BIO for Margaret Goss.    01/11/2019

 No new listings in Hubbard Woods in December.SOLD HUBBARD WOODS LISTINGS - 3 closed sales in December 1505 TowerList price: $459,000Sold price: $400,000Days on market: 11    780 LocustList price: $625,000Sold price: $605,000Days on market: 1991427 EdgewoodList price: $959,000Sold price: $900,000Days on market: 131      CURRENT HUBBARD WOODS MARKET: Houses for sale: 31Price range: $550,000 to $8,499,000Under contract: 9Absorption rate: 5.5 months (balanced market)Condos for sale: 1Price range: $679,000SEE ALL HUBBARD WOODS HOMES FOR SALE HUBBARD WOODS LOCAL UPDATES: Several store closings along Green Bay in Hubbard Woods including Le Chic Boutique and Beat Street.WINNETKA EVENTS Saturday, January 12 fro 9-12 is Winter Carnival. This fun community event is for children in grades 7-12 and... 01/09/2019

WINNETKA IL 2018 REAL ESTATE REVIEW In Winnetka, 2017 and 2018 were almost identical years for real estate statistics. Look at this chart comparing the two years:  Total sales were down only slightly, the median price was similar, list price to sell price ratio was exactly the same, and market time was down just by two days. The one worrisome statistic as we go into 2019 is the list price to sell price ratio at an average of 90%. This indicates that initial list prices are high with many price reductions resulting in a much lower sell price.  A soft spot in the market is new construction homes. Today's buyers are still coveting newly built homes but they're not busting down the doors. They are willing to wait it out for price reductions. Also note that Winnetka's low current inventory i... 01/03/2019

See North Shore home prices for properties that sold in November 2018 plus statistics, and all homes for sale are listed here. Just click on your village!WINNETKA WILMETTE KENILWORTH GLENCOE NORTHFIELD  To CONTACT Margaret Goss, please call 847-977-6024 or email:  margaret.goss@bairdwarner.comMargaret Goss is a full-time real estate agent since 1998 servicing the North Shore communities of Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Northfield, Glenview, and Evanston. See full BIO for Margaret Goss.   12/12/2018

WINNETKA HOME SALES for November 2018 17 homes closed in Winnetka in November, more than double the number that closed in October. The median home price was $1,137,500 for last month’s sales.    WINNETKA REAL ESTATE MARKET TODAY Homes for sale: 99Price range: $245,000 to $9,999,999Under contract: 28Absorption rate: 4.8 months (low because of homes being taken off the market for the holidays. Condos for sale: 7Price range: $270,000 to $679,000  Median sales price has risen in 2018:     . . . but days on market is up:   SEE ALL WINNETKA  HOMES FOR SALE To CONTACT Margaret Goss, please call 847-977-6024 or email:  margaret.goss@bairdwarner.comMargaret Goss is a full-time real estate agent since 1998 servicing the North Shore communities of Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Northfiel... 12/10/2018

What is the Best Time to List my Winnetka Home? A very common question from home sellers interested in knowing when the market is hottest. In Winnetka and other North Shore villages, the spring months see the highest number of new homes coming on the market. The flip side is that there are also a large number of buyers looking for homes. The peak of this year’s market was April (see chart below) when 73 new homes came on the market. That’s a lot of competition meaning buyers will be choosy, prices will need to be competitive, and your house will need to stand out to get noticed. That is not a bad thing but it would behoove sellers to understand that listing at other seasons would mean fewer buyers - but also less competition. So it comes down to lots of inventory coupled with lots of bu... 12/09/2018

  November saw just one new listing in Hubbard Woods. Priced to sell and needing work - could be torn down: NEW HUBBARD WOODS LISTINGS 1505 Tower Road$459,000        SOLD HUBBARD WOODS LISTINGS - 5 closed sales in November (and one delayed to December)    955 GreenwoodList price: $770,000Sold price: $625,000Days on market: 234     1501 TowerList price: $929,000Sold price: $818,000Days on market: 28     727 ArdsleyList price: $1,750,000Sold price: $1,300,000Days on market: 123     1148 OakleyList price: $1,599,500 Sold price: $1,435,000Days on market: 148      110 GlenwoodList price: $1,695,000Sold price: $1,490,000       870 Locust (closed 12/7)List price: $779,000Sold price: $605,000(Sold to a builder who is building a home for his family)       CURRENT HUBBARD WOODS MARKET: Houses for... 12/07/2018

Santa is Coming to Hubbard Woods Park in Winnetka! There’s no need to drive to the mall and fight for a parking spot when you can easily head over to Hubbard Woods Park to see Santa Claus.  He - and his elves- will be there on Saturday, December 8 from 10am to 12pm.  You’ll also be able to get hot chocolate, pet his reindeer, ride on a trackless train, decorate cookies, and more! Your children will have the perfect opportunity to hand-deliver their letter directly to Santa. This fun event is free and no registration is required. Just stop by on Saturday, December 8 from 10am to 12pm. This event is sponsored by the Winnetka Park District.    To CONTACT Margaret Goss, please call 847-977-6024 or email:  margaret.goss@bairdwarner.comMargaret Goss is a full-time real estate agent since 1998... 12/06/2018

Winnetka Holiday Red Invitation Sale - December 2018 This will be the 39th year of the Winnetka Holiday Sale called the Red Invitation Sale. That’s an unbelievable run! It’s a great time to support the community by shopping local with most stores offering various discounts and promotions on purchases. Remember that both Winnetka and Northfield will be participating. Date: Sunday, December 2 (stores with additional days are noted below)Time: See list below - times vary If you are a resident you will have received the red invitation listing all stores partaking in the sale. In case you didn’t - here’s the list! (Please note that numbers correspond to map, shown at bottom.)WINNETKA - HUBBARD WOODS 10. Bedside Manor 12pm-4pm920 Green Bay RoadPromotion: free gift to first 25 customers 11. Cr... 11/29/2018

Are You Making These Costly Mistakes on Your Winnetka Home? We live in a harsh climate in Winnetka and the North Shore with extremes that can send heating or cooling bills off the charts. I love seeing the low gas bill in the summer (no heater on!) but conversely see the money going toward a higher electric bill (air conditioning on!) Everyone loves saving money and here are some home maintenance tips that will help you do that. If you can identify problem areas in your home you can tackle them before they become bigger and lose you even more $$. Leaky Windows and Doors With the exception of new construction homes, this is a problem we all have and know about. Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe - all have a healthy number of older homes. Those cold blustery winds can easily enter y... 11/27/2018

 Here are home sales and real estate statistics for October 2018 in the North Shore villages of Winnetka,Wilmette, Keniliworth, Glencoe, Northfield, and Glenview. WINNETKA WILMETTE KENILWORTH GLENCOE NORTHFIELD GLENVIEW   11/06/2018

Hubbard Woods had 5 homes close in October 2018, with one selling as a foreclosure. CLOSED HUBBARD WOODS HOMES IN OCTOBER 2018 1518 EdgewoodList price: $795,000Sold price:  $500,000 (foreclosure)Days on market: 844      1336 ScottList price: $1,095,000Sold price: $1,000,000Days on market: 105      927 Forest GlenList price: $1,349,000Sold price: $1,190,000Days on market: 183      653 BlackthornList price: $1,499,000Sold price: $1,300,000Days on market: 82       675 BlackthornList price: $3,795,000Sold price: $3,050,000Days on market: 470    NEW HUBBARD WOODS LISTINGS IN SEPTEMBER 2018909 Old Green Bay - $2,175,000 Great house just north of Tower        987 Asbury Ct. - $3,195,000Proposed new construction    CURRENT HUBBARD WOODS REAL ESTATE MARKET Homes for sale: 41 (5 less than last mo... 11/06/2018

WINNETKA HOME SALES for October 2018 16 homes closed in Winnetka in October, slightly less than last October when 19 homes closed. The most positive thing to see (in the stats below) is that the absorption rate in Winnetka is 6 months. This means that if no new inventory came on the market, a home would take six months to sell. This might seem impossible because of the prevailing belief that there is a lot of inventory - but the math doesn’t lie. The Winnetka real estate market would now be considered on the high side of normal, trending toward a buyer’s market, but just barely.  WINNETKA REAL ESTATE MARKET TODAY Homes for sale: 119Price range: $475,000 to $9,999,999Under contract: 39Absorption rate: 6 monthsCondos for sale: 8Price range: $279,000 to $679,000 See all Winnetka Homes for ... 11/05/2018

UPDATED 2019 Quartz Countertops in Winnetka and North Shore Kitchens The long dominance of using granite for kitchen countertops has been waning for several years. It is no longer the reigning high-end countertop despite its durability and popularity. The new queen of the kitchen is quartz - and it is, in fact, more durable than granite. About 94% of a quartz counter is made of crushed quartz with added polyester resins and pigments (for color) - thus the term “engineered.”  It’s come a long way from its beginnings with manufacturers offering slabs that are indistinguishable from granite. Buyers can get their quartz countertops polished, honed, embossed or sandblasted and with glass or metallic flecks and swirls added. It can mimic just about any granite look you fancy. As for colors, w... 11/01/2018

Has the Winnetka North Shore had a Big Drop in Home Sales? Nope - we haven't. Crain’s Chicago Business just ran an article about the Chicago housing market, “What’s Behind Chicago’s Big Drop in Home Sales?” On the North Shore, we’re accustomed to hearing that the city (Chicago) is selling fast, multiple offers, not enough inventory. So this was news to me. Home sales in Chicago were down 16% in 2018 and 12% in the nine-county metro area surrounding Chicago (which would include the North Shore.) This is apparently four times the rate of the national slowdown! I decided to take a look at our September sales, comparing 2018 to 2017 - the same data that Crain’s used. The below numbers are for Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Northfield and Glencoe. September 2017 - 47 homes sold with the ave... 10/24/2018

 See North Shore home prices for properties that sold in September 2018 plus statistics, and all homes for sale are listed here. Just click on your village!WINNETKA WILMETTE KENILWORTH GLENCOE NORTHFIELD GLENVIEWTo CONTACT Margaret Goss, please call 847-977-6024 or email:  margaret.goss@bairdwarner.comMargaret Goss is a full-time real estate agent since 1998 servicing the North Shore communities of Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Northfield, Glenview, and Evanston. See full BIO for Margaret Goss.    10/10/2018

UPDATED 2019 How Not to Determine Your Home’s Value Settling on a list price for your home is a multifaceted process. It involves knowing the local inventory, studying the comps, and to some degree, an agent’s gut intuition. Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth and other North Shore villages have wildly diverse inventory and seldom are two homes alike. When I walk into a home for the first time, I leave with a narrow price range that usually ends up being correct. Most local agents work like this and we have the seller’s best interest - even though you may not always agree. There are, however, things that Do Not Determine the value of your home. Here are some of them:  Zillow, Trulia, etc. How much you paid for your home How much you owe on your home How much you would like to spend on your n... 10/10/2018