Homeward Bound - North Archives

Revisiting Castlewood Lane in Deerfield

Are current economic conditions or the state of a home prompting Deerfield neighbors to request its teardown?

The never-ending deer debate in Riverwoods

In a video interview, Riverwoods mayor and first lady, Bill and Sherry Kaplan, outline the opposing views among villagers on the subject of deer.

William Ryan Homes offers to lease your home if you buy theirs

Want to take advantage of historic low interest rates to buy a larger or...

Condo selling below 1999 price in downtown Deerfield

Virtually every piece of property sells, sooner or later. Sooner or later, the common mantra...

William Ryan Homes announces pre-construction sales, preview pricing at The Preserves at McDonald Woods in Lindenhurst

A setting of unspoiled natural beauty enhances The Preserves at McDonald Woods, the latest...

Glenview trailer park in bankruptcy

Sunset Village would prefer to be known as "Glenview's finest manufactured home community," but it's more commonly thought of as "Glenview's only trailer park."

A roundup of north suburban real estate news

Not all the stories linked below are traditional real estate stories, but they are...

Comparing property taxes in Chicago's near north suburbs

How property taxes vary in select near north Chicago suburbs

No seasonal downturn in new listings

This has traditionally been the time of year when real estate activity in Chicago slows to a crawl. This year may be different.

Glenview, Deerfield property taxes on the upswing

Property taxes are on the rise in Deerfield, to fund library improvements, and in Glenview.

A drive down Deerfield's Castlewood Lane

Castlewood Lane has convenient access to major highways and a walk-to-school and parks location.

Glenview, Northbrook schools rank high

Glenview and Northbrook schools compare favorably on test scores to some North Shore schools.

Your crazy aunt in the attic lives in style in Northbrook

Many attics in newly-built homes in Northbrook violate the zoning code, according to a Pioneer Press article.

Price slashed to rock bottom in Northbrook?

Perhaps the tenth price change will be the charm for the new construction 5-bedroom, 7 ½ bath home at 4095 Sunset Ln in Northbrook.

Chapel Crossing at The Glen, in Glenview

Homeowners who bought at Chapel Crossing at The Glen in Glenview are currently attempting to resell at prices barely above 2002 levels.

On and off the market for 40 months in Lincolnwood

The home at 6818 N Kildare in Lincolnwood has been on and off the market for 40 months, with multiple price changes.

Will the seventh price reduction do the trick in Hawthorn Woods?

The townhome at 33 Red Tail Dr in Hawthorn Woods just had its seventh price reduction, and the asking price is 38% below the 2006 purchase price.

Waukegan tops north suburban foreclosure list again

Waukegan once again saw the most foreclosure filings among Chicago's northern suburbs

Are price reductions the norm in Deerfield?

There are currently more than 60 homes in Deerfield priced at or below the median asking price, including a number under the $200k mark.

A little house near the prairie in Morton Grove

Within just a few years patches of prairie grass - often in pots -...

Flexible lease terms at Grayslake apartments

There are many reasons why you might need a temporary place to live. The good news for people who need short-term housing for a month or more is that many apartment complexes offer lease terms to accommodate them.

Fenton Lane, teardowns in Park Ridge

The video takes you on a drive along Fenton Lane, a one-block long street that illustrates the teardown phenomenon in Park Ridge.

Tarns of the Moor in Bannockburn

Orren Pickell's Scottish Manor in Bannockburn features 6 bedrooms, 5 full and 3 half-baths, and 7,200 square feet of living space at a current asking price of $3,618,750. The price was reduced in March from $4,299,000.

New condos selling from the $290s at Patriot Commons at the Glen in Glenview

(The following is a sponsored post for the Chicago Tribune's Fall 2010 Festival of...

Tracking foreclosures in Chicago's north and North Shore suburbs

The level of pre-foreclosure activity in Chicago'[s north and North Shore suburbs is one indicator that price declines may have bottomed out, according to Prudential Rubloff's Honore Frumentino.

Homes under $250K in Skokie

If you had asked, just a few years ago, what you could buy for under $250,000 in Skokie, the answer would have been either "a condo" or "you've got to be kidding."

Downtown Deerfield apartments in an urban setting

If your morning slog up the Edens Expressway to your job in the northern suburbs is wearing you down, and you want to rent a spot closer to work but with an urban feel, you might want to consider downtown Deerfield.

Prices and sales volume decline in Grayslake.

According to BlockShopper, the number of homes sold in Grayslake peaked at 883 in 2003 and has declined every year since. In 2009, only 227 homes were sold, and 2010 sales are at a similar pace to 2009's.

Golf, Chicago's tiniest and least diverse north suburb

According to City-data, the Village of Golf's population consisted of 444 whites, 4 Asians and 3 Hispanics.

Custom ranch homes announced for Libertyville's Enclave at the Merit Club

(The following is a sponsored post for the Chicago Tribune's Fall 2010 Festival of...

Is Skokie Chicago's most diverse northern suburb?

Evanstonians like to brag (some would say bray) about their town's diversity, but Evanston is not Chicago's most ethnically and racially diverse northern suburb. That honor probably belongs to Skokie. That's right, Skokie.

Juniper Road in Glenview, New Trier School District

A small part of Glenview, east of Harms Rd and south of Wilmette Ave, is in Wilmette School District 39 and the New Trier School District. We take a video drive along Juniper Road.

Toll Brothers' ready-to-live rowhomes, just 20 minutes from the Loop

(The following is a sponsored post for the Chicago Tribune's Fall 2010 Festival of...

Home inspector cites structural problems in Skokie, Morton Grove homes

Home inspector Robb Packer talks about structural problems in Skokie and Morton Grove homes built in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Discount promotion at Optima Old Orchard Woods extended into late October

(The following is a sponsored post for the Chicago Tribune's Fall 2010 Festival of...

Morton Grove grows more affordable

The home at 7533 Churchill St in Morton Grove is a good example of the market that was and where the market is. The home sold for $325,000 3 years ago and is currently on the market for $199,000 as a short sale.

Please don't buy my Glenview townhome

The listing for a Glenview townhome contains 13 unappealing photos and not a single descriptive word about the property in the MLS remarks. How long will the property linger on the market?

Live for free in North Chicago?

If you can keep 3 of the units in this North Chicago 4-flat fully-rented you should be able to live free in the fourth and pocket a small return on your equity besides.

Bargain-priced rentals in Waukegan

There are currently 32 rental listings in the Multiple Listing Service in Waukegan. Availabilities...

Living on the edge of The Grove in Glenview

If you're a nature lover Glenview offers lots of options. One of the more interesting is The Grove, a nature preserve and national landmark.

Who pays the most property taxes in Morton Grove?

If you're a data junkie sort of home buyer who wants to get a quick snapshot of real estate stats and activity in a Chicago suburb, it's hard to beat the city pages at BlockShopper.

Twenty percent off 20 units at Optima Old Orchard in Skokie

Optima Old Orchard is offering "20 units, 20% off by September 20." The offer's been successful so far, with 10 of the 20 units spoken for.

$100K price drop in Libertyville

The Enclave at The Reserve at the Merit Club in Libertyville. That's not a phrase that rolls easily off the tongue, but it is representative of the increasingly arcane conventions builders have adopted for naming their "communities."

Lincolnwood is a suburb not a Chicago neighborhood

Lincolnwood's close-in location and strong schools contribute to housing prices that remain relatively high, with a median price hovering around $400,000, despite recent housing market conditions.

Mundelein foreclosures go upscale

I interviewed REO specialist Frank DeNovi yesterday and we talked, among other topics, about the increasing prevalence of foreclosures in higher price ranges.

Condos for rent at Optima Old Orchard Woods

Optima's Old Orchard Woods is a dominant presence on the western edge of the Edens Expressway in Skokie. It appears as a complex city skyline but is actually just three towers comprising the largest recent condo development in Chicago's near north suburbs.

A pedestrian-friendly Higgins Road in Park Ridge

If you're thinking "pedestrian-friendly Higgins Road" is an oxymoron, you're right. But that might change if a recent plan comes to pass.

The state of the condo conversion market

The ARC Q2 2010 report's summary of the state of the suburban condominium conversion market is stark and simply stated: the "market remains at a stand-still."

A drive through Riverwoods with Bill and Sherry Kaplan

Joe Zekas recently introduced you to two of his old friends, Bill and Sherry...

High, low, and in between in Northbrook

The following three homes represent the low and high ends of the price spectrum...