West Suburban - Naperville Illinois Real Estate

Why did they do that?

2007-10-27T15:14:00.002-05:00

Naperville was home to four of the 27 homes on the 2007 Luxury home tour. A cornucopia of different designs, a wealth of personal ideas as they relate to comfort and style.

Touring some of these homes you find yourself asking... "I wonder why they did that?"

The owners of the largest and most expensive home on the tour offer a guided tour of their thinking (along with pictures) at this site: Luxury Home In Naperville which is currently for sale at $4,350,000

The Naper Settlement - History in the heart of Naperville

2007-01-16T18:01:00.000-06:00

Central Naperville offers a little of the unexpected... history in the form of a piece of land preserved as it might have been in the 1800's. A cultural museum called the Naper Settlement

Located on Aurora Avenue, just steps from Naperville's thriving downtown and renowned riverwalk... the Naper Settlement preserves a long and rich history to the benefit of the community. A 13 acre 19th century village complete with costumed villagers.

Enter the Settlement at the Pre-Emption house, a hotel and tavern where Grover Cleveland and Abraham Lincoln would stop for a pint or two. Abraham Lincoln once gave a speech from the Pre-emption house roof. This building is a recreation of the original which was located just a couple of blocks away.

The expansive grounds are home to many historical buildings... one of the most notable being the Martin Mitchell Mansion a beautifully restored mansion and carriage home from 1883. A three year renovation at a cost of 2.8 million dollars has returned this magnificient building to it's former grandeur. The Martin Mitchell Mansion is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In addition to it's many magnificient structures, the settlement is home to many of the more modest dwellings of Naperville's early settlers, including a log house, blacksmith shop, chapel (available for weddings) and firehouse.

Not only does the Naper Settlement offer a delightful return to yesteryear but it reaches out as a vital member of the community, hosting numerous events for the town (Civil War Days etc) and hosting many outings for the local schools. Truly one of Naperville's hidden gems and a beacon of community spirit!

Visit my site for more information about Naperville or Naperville Real Estate call Angus at 630-717-7386

More than you probably want to know about me... in my Meme

2007-01-09T18:53:00.000-06:00

I was originally memed by my friend Linda Davis... so I responded with my meme inserted in the comments of Jays enormously popular post .

My friend Teri Isner then was nice enough to meme me... and then Bonnie Erickson & Kay Van Kampen!

So I'm having a chat with my bud (the most awesome loan guy) Jeff Belonger (the g is pronounced like the first g in George) and he wants to know why I didn't post my meme where people could comment on it. So I did, but I inadvertantly made it a members only post on Active Rain.. I am reposting it here for any that might be interested.

I'm going to include my original meme and add to it for Teri, Bonnie and Kay... since I didn't do it the right way the first time.

The Original Post:

I named, and they complied:

Kristal Kraft, Ann Cummings & Elaine Reese - Thanks!

1. I got my first real job at the age of 11 delivering Chinese food for a Rush street restaurant called The Cantonese by bicycle (including in the snow) I always had a job after that.

2. I was an only child for most of my life, raised by my mom because my father passed away when I was a baby. I've always been one to keep busy. Somehow I inherited the job of getting the groceries early in life and to this day I still love to do the grocery shopping.... all of it. So, yes that's me at the store and if it's after midnight it means that I am so busy with Real Estate that it's the only time I can get it done.

3. I have a fear of speaking in groups and frequently can get tongue tied... this would not normally be too bad but I will occasionally sit on panels or make presentations to large groups... it's gone from a major near-heart attack kind of overwhelming fear to a simple heart racing dumbstruck kind of fear. Some of you have been able to witness this... usually I muddle through because it is a requirement to share in some of the groups that I have been fortunate enough to be invited to join.

4. I love to read. I'll read the self help books and how to's... but I really love to read novels... lot's of them, 1-2 per week... usually intrigue, mystery, action, political/legal/financial thrillers... in my younger, less busy days... I would read a book every 1-2 days.

5. At the age of 9, Bobby Schuller broke off pieces of chalk in the locker doors (where you could put a lock, if we were allowed) in the Hall at my elementary school... then told my fourth grade teacher (Mrs Falbo) that I did it. I had just (finally) earned the right to be a "door guard" and she took it away from me. I haven't trusted authority since. (not that I hold a grudge or anything)

The new stuff:

6. I thought I was Scottish... My name is Angus, I could quote Robert Burns (A fig for those by laws protected...) at 5 and they made me wear a kilt and for goodness sakes... I ate Haggis ... isn't that a lot of suffering for someone that just has a Scottish name? My Grandfather (Angus) was named after his Doctor (Angus Beaton)... which I discovered upon his death when I flew to Connecticut to pick up his ashes and drive them to Concord, New Hampshire.... where I met a lot of family that I didn't know. The Woodbury's have been here since the 1600's and we are all related through the 2 brothers that got off the boat (from England)

7. In the mid 90's when I built my first site and submitted it to Yahoo, they told me it might be days or weeks before it would show... but I had impulse control problems and checked frequently... finally the new listing for Angus Woodbury showed up, I clicked the link and it took me to another new site by another Angus Woodbury III.. go figure. His branch of the family came from the "other" brother. We exchanged e-mails for a while.. my oldest Angus the 4th was enthralled... so we asked him if the kids had come up with some of the same nicknames. His list was very much the same as ours.

8. I run 4 miles three days a week and lift weights on alternating days... my body fat hovers at around 10%... as an ex-smoker I am in better shape today than at any other time of my life. But I still like greasy fried foods.

9. I love Thai food!

10. I was born in Seattle, moved to New York (Manhattan and Rye) and Connecticut (Byram) before settling in Chicago at the ripe age of 6. I was mugged by a couple of other 7-8 year old boys within 2 months of moving to the city.

Bonus #11 I love being in the real estate business. I can't even begin to express my gratitude that I found something to do that I enjoy so much.

Angus

Naperville's condos ringing up sales

2006-12-17T20:25:00.000-06:00

The graphs illustrate the strength of the Naperville attached housing market. And were not talking just the first time buyers... but the Luxury Condo & Townhomes in Naperville too. As is expected in this "softer" marketplace... the total number of unit sales are down, conversely the average sales price has risen considerably. Throughout 2006 there were three luxury condominiums that were sold for over $1,000,000, all in DePaulo's 520 S Washington Building on the famous Naperville Riverwalk. it looks as if 2007 will bring another strong showing for the year with the anticiapted opening of the Benton Place Condominiums in the heart of downtown.

Despite there being fewer units sold... another vibrant sector has emerged, condominium conversions and they have taken the Naperville community by storm. Throughout the city large scale, successful conversions are taking place.

The First 11 Months of 2005<>

TOTAL LISTINGS	AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET	MEDIAN PRICE	AVERAGE PRICE	HIGHEST PRICE	LOWEST PRICE	TOTAL DOLLAR VOLUME
962	58	$194,000	$215,947	$785,000	$90,000	$207,741,081

The First 11 Months of 2006

TOTAL LISTINGS	AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET	MEDIAN PRICE	AVERAGE PRICE	HIGHEST PRICE	LOWEST PRICE	TOTAL DOLLAR VOLUME
821	59	$214,700	$254,691	$1,850,000	$100,000	$209,101,406

Sign in? Who do you think you are?

2006-12-06T16:46:00.000-06:00

Why would you want to register on a local real estate website?

Realtor.com is an advertising site owned by a company called Homestore and while it's licensed to operate using the Realtor name it is a for profit company that has yet to turn a profit... forever squeezing out pennies and irritating the agents and companies that it is charged with helping. The properties are used to draw you in so that they can build ads around the listings... this makes the site painfully slow. Realtor.com is an opt-in site missing lots of data... it is notoriously out of date and doen't let you know if a property is under contract... creating an unfriendly and tiresome homesearch. MLS systems are starting to pull out of Realtor.com as it has been discovered that eventually almost everybody chooses to find a local connection.

Eventually, as you get more serious in your home search, you will want to "go local".

Most people don't understand why agents ask them to register on their sites to get more information about properties for sale. The truth is that we don't need it for our own listings or even those of our company (unless they have a rule) the problem lies with showing you another companies listings.

In order to address this... two options were developed; IDX and VOW.

IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange. This is an opt in (or opt out... depending where you are) system. No registration is necessary.. the listings that you are looking at should say something about "compliments of" the listing company (probably in really tiny letters) This is kind of like walking into my office, plopping down in a chair and going through the various homes magazines... it's fun, there is great information but it's lacking in depth and missing a bunch.... and you are so close to all of the information.

VOW stands for Virtual Office Website. This means that I can treat you like the person who walked into my office asking about homes... meaning we plug in your criteria and go through the whole Multiple Listing Service so that you don't miss anything, except that you get to do it in
your own sweet time. The great thing about a VOW site is that you get access to all of the properties... there is no "opt out" for the Real Estate companies and you don't have to wait for days to get the updated info. Some of us can also allow access to recent sold properties... The VOW solution is the ultimate in home information, but it comes with a price... just like if you came into my office, I would have some information about you (you could lie... but that's beside the point) The National Association Of Realtors has set a national policy that all VOW sites require registration.

So, there you go....

I currently feature two different VOW systems... one of them WestSuburban Real Estate was the first of its type in Illinois and has been helping people find their homes since the spring of 2000. The other site that I use: NapervilleLuxury Homes offers a different format for home searches. They both offer multiple pictures, virtual tours and e-mailed updates... it's really
more a matter of preference.

It's not a matter of you giving up your anonymity... it's about empowering you with information for you to enjoy some autonomy. The payoff for us is that we hope you grow comfortable with us and our services, that over time you decide we are the "right ones" to help you with this process.

If not... you can always unsubscribe... I promise, I won't hold it against you :)

It's attached... what is it? Condo? Townhome? What's the difference?

2006-12-06T16:22:00.000-06:00

They both appear to be townhomes... they've got seperate entrances, no neighbors above
or below, attached garage etc... still one is a townhouse and the other is
a condominium.

What's up with that?? We use the term "townhouse" loosely to describe a
style of attached home, yet in a more specific sense... in a true townhome you
would own the land that the property sits on. In this case you would need true
homeowners insurance, even though the exterior may be maintained by the
association, you still need to insure your share of the structure.

This is a Townhome in Cinnamon Glen at Butterfield in Aurora Illinois

Condominium is a form of ownership. With a condominium association you own
your unit but the association owns all of the exterior walls and the land it
sits on too, you are part of the association so you are one of many owners.
Typically you need insurance that is akin to renters insurance, since your
monthly dues actually pay to insure the buildings.

A Condominium in the Woodlands at Oakhurst North in Aurora Illinois

As you can see, you can't always tell by looking. Obviously if it's
a large building... you are probably dealing with a condo (or a co-op in
some markets), but that's because the term Condo describes the ownership.

In our area Multiple Listing Service (MLS) we lump them all together and call them "single family attached homes" and that that seems to cover it.

Manor homes, coach homes, garden homes are also condominiums, just good marketing offering a pleasant sounding way to describe smaller buildings. These can easily be mistaken for
townhouses as well

To search for single family homes (whether they are attached or not... visit)
Real Estate in Chicago's Western Suburbs where you'll have access to the full
gamut of available properties in the area.

Marketing 101 in the Western Suburbs

2006-09-24T07:45:00.000-05:00

I was recently talking to another agent in the office about listings that only offer a picture of the front of the house... We agreed that we always think: " it may be a bad agent... or it may be a bad house... I'm not really sure"

You see, in the Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois (MLSNI) we can add a total of seven pictures.. as well as a virtual tour to the listing. Not everybody likes virtual tours... but pictures are something that everyone wants (buyers and agents included) It costs nothing to use this feature and it can be done at the same time as the actual listing. I was wondering what other people thought about this and posed the question to a national group of real estate agents in one of my networking groups.

These real estate agents all said that if the MLS allows 7 (or more) pictures and the listing doesn't include that many, they assume that something is wrong with the property. This is a real problem for those sellers in a slower market and it's one that they are generally not aware of.

One agent from Florida said that if they talk about the pool in the remarks but don't show a picture they assume that something is not right with the pool.

Another top agent said they definitely make assumptions based on the amount or lack of pictures. Like if the agent only uses interior pictures (or exterior only)

Of the 17 responses to my question 17 (100%) of the agents responded that they assume the worst when photos are not used properly......

One other thought is that these pictures automatically propogate throughout the system, showing up on real estate related sites all over the Internet (assuming that the agent elects to do that...that will be another marketing blog topic!) including Realtor.com if the agent pays a little extra for the expanded listings.

Sometimes it's what you don't say (or show) that influences people..

Going on Vacation?

2006-09-18T11:16:00.000-05:00

If you live in Naperville you may want to take advantage of the "Vacation Watch" service by the Naperville Police Department.

You let them know at least 7 days prior to your departure and they will provide extra patrols of your home.. leaving them a way to contact you in an emergency

You can download the form here "Vacation Watch"

The Department also offers these vacation safety tips (From the Naperville site)

Vacation Safety Tips
Your vacation should be a pleasant experience for you and your family. Take a few simple steps to reduce the possibility of becoming a victim of a burglary or other criminal acts against your home. The time spent preparing your home for vacation could save you money later. Before you leave for your trip:
Notify local police of the departure and return dates of your trip and provide the name and telephone number of a neighbor or relative to notify in the event of an emergency.

Place a �??vacation hold�?? on newspaper subscriptions, mail delivery and include the start and ending dates.

Ask a neighbor to pick up newspapers and mail if the �??vacation hold�?? was not followed. Ask them to remove throwaway papers and circulars from the doorway and mailbox.

Place interior lights and a radio on timers to give the appearance that the home is occupied.

Have front exterior lights on photocells that activate in the evening and shut off at daybreak.

Notify neighbors of your absence and encourage them to contact the police regarding any suspicious activity at your home.

Arrange to have the grass cut and watered, leaves raked and the sidewalk and driveway shoveled during the winter.

Remove all tools, lawn implements, garbage cans and yard furniture to the garage, basement or shed.

Unplug all non-essential electrical appliances such as computers, fans, televisions, irons, washer and dryers to avoid damage from electrical storms.

Be sure the sump pump is functioning properly and free from debris to avoid basement flooding.

Set the home thermostat at a reasonable temperture-85 degrees in the summer and 50 degrees in the winter.

Make sure all entry points into the home are secure.

Close the fireplace flue to prevent birds and animals from entering.

If you have an alarm system, leave a current list of contacts with the alarm company in case of system activations. False alarms may be fined.

Disconnect the electric garage door opener and lock the garage door.

Be sure all vehicles left at home are locked and remove all valuables.

Cingular turns me on!

2006-09-03T10:53:00.000-05:00

In 2005 when Cingular announced that it was deploying it's new 3g service (UMTS) in the Chicago area, I was very excited... until I discovered that they were including everything except the western suburbs!

To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement! Here I am, a guy that revels in tech toys... and I've been excluded from this great service! (Can you say geek?) I use Cingular because it is the only service that works everywhere that I need it to... I've tried all of them over the years. Being a geek, I purchased a 3g modem on eBay for the few times that I would be in an area where I could make use of the service. The modem tells you by color what system you've locked into... red is bad (not working) green is standard service (EDGE in this area) blue when you are in a 3G area.

Cingular said that they hoped to have other areas turned on by the end of 2006, but weren't making any announcements. the City of Naperville is contracting for free WIFI and I was starting to focus that.... and suffering (with dignity) the slow EDGE modem speeds (at the same price as the fast connections elsewhere..I might add)

Sitting in the local Starbucks on 75th street while enjoying a vente coffee and chocolate chip cookie (exercising great restraint by only eating one) expecting the normal, pokey EDGE speeds... when my light turned blue. Working to calm myself (maybe the modem was confused)... I nervously fired up a speedtest... YES! Almost 1mb per second... WooHoo! Broadband at last!

I checked the Cingular site, but the map hadn't changed...hmm... maybe they just turned it on for a test...then I thought that maybe it was working at the Starbucks because there is a Cingular store two doors down. (OK, so maybe I'm a little "overboard" about this stuff)
I drove to the Edard Health and Fitness Center (remember that cookie?) and tried again in their parking lot (it worked!) While I was sharing this reveation in the locker room I was shocked to discover that not all people share my enthusiasm.... imagine that! The great thing is that I still get to look forward to them turning on the even faster HSDPA next year!

Well... to lengthen and already long story, I've happily been using the service ever since. However, a new issue has cropped up... the EDGE speed of my Treo 650 accessing e-mail and the web is driving me crazy and I may have to purchase new phone... but, that's another story.

Best Place to live? You Bet!

2006-07-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

What many of us already know.... others are determined to share.

Once again, Money Magazine has ranked Naperville as one of the best places to live in the U.S. This year coming in 2nd to Fort Collins, Colorado.

Last year we were #3 and going back to 2003 we were named the best place to live in the midwest.

Not bad, but Naperville has so much going for it, that I'm not surprised.

Friendly people, safe neighborhoods, outstanding schools, park district amenities, library system (ranked #1 in the nation), Edward Hospital and the fine transportation choices are just a few of the standards... But the Riverwalk, charming downtown with it's multitude of fine restaurants and shops, the Naper Settlement, Childrens Museum, millennium Carillon, scattered artwork (murals and sculpture!) and our excellent town parties (like Ribfest & Last Fling) are the icing on the cake!

Carillon Club in Naperville to be "Jewel"

2006-06-27T20:17:00.000-05:00

The new Carillon club at 95th and 248th is coming right along. The sales trailer is up and the dirt is flying. I'll be interested to see the new road configuration when they vacate 248th st at 95th.

This is going to be Cambridge Builders third largest Carillon Club (the largest is the original on Weber Road... Cambridge at Carillon) but also their most luxurious. Models are expected to open this fall

County Market Statistics

2006-04-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

I hope you will find the following snapshot of local Real Estate inventory interesting. The table represents aggregated values based on MLS data for the specified date.

Market Watch for Active Listings		April 29, 06
	Avg List Price	Median List Price	Avg Days On Market
DuPage County, IL
Single Family under $500K	$318,760	$317,500	54
Single Family over $500K	$1,040,004	$824,900	92
Condo/Townhome under $300K	$184,276	$181,000	57
Condo/Townhome over $300K	$442,849	$394,394	99
Kane County, IL
Single Family under $500K	$282,844	$274,000	71
Single Family over $500K	$797,175	$685,000	96
Condo/Townhome under $300K	$204,668	$206,900	69
Condo/Townhome over $300K	$369,632	$335,140	100
Will County, IL
Single Family under $500K	$272,572	$262,500	65
Single Family over $500K	$818,588	$689,900	86
Condo/Townhome under $300K	$188,584	$189,900	60
Condo/Townhome over $300K	$436,174	$372,900	90
Kendall County, IL
Single Family under $500K	$275,021	$268,000	71
Single Family over $500K	$703,473	$635,000	101
Condo/Townhome under $300K	$186,078	$189,900	69
Condo/Townhome over $300K	$349,927	$339,000	66

MORTGAGE. National Averages (April 29, 06)*
30-year fixed	Rate - 6.13%	APR - 6.32%
15-year fixed	Rate - 5.78%	APR - 6.08%
5/1 ARM	Rate - 5.78%	APR - 6.97%

* Mortgage rates were collected from publicly available sources (yahoo.com) on the date stated. The accuracy of the information and the availability of these rates are not guaranteed by the publisher. Rates are provided for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice. Actual market interest rates may vary.

More School Referendums

2006-03-22T07:20:00.000-06:00

Plainfield voters resoundingly approved a new $252,000,000 referendum to build a fourth high school, two new middle schools and a bunch (6) of new elementary schools. Now if the state would just wake up and realize this isn't a little farm town anymore and let Edward build that new hospital on 127th....

Yorkville voters said yes to their referendum of $56,000,000 for four new schools. This is very important as Yorkville is a rather new hot bed of building actiovity, with subdivisions "cropping up" in the fields around town.

What the heck happened to Plano? It was just a few years ago that this sleepy little town west of Yorkville was mostly known as the home of the Plano Harvester (I believe the first mechanical reaper) an invention of Cyrus Mcormick in the mid 1800's... Now the big builders are coming to town and huge new developments are sprouting up. Voters just approved $28,000,000 to expand the high school to handle an additional 1000 students.

St. Charles says no... again. Voters have told the school district for a second time that they need to find another way to accomodate the rapidly expanding student base. The school district had asked for $86,000,000 to build a new combined elementary/middle school, as well as make some improvements to one of the high schools.

District 204 Says Yes

2006-03-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Folks are passionate about schools and taxes....

District 204 voters elected to build a third high school (set to open in fall 2009) Near 75th and Commons drive (just west of rt59) yesterday. This was a hotly contested race with strong feelings on both sides.... as evidenced by the bright yellow "Vote Yes!" signs or the bright red "Vote No!" signs.

I'm just glad that all of the "are you a yes or a no person?" questions and subsequent impassioned arguements will be over.

One Kimball Hill Neighborhood Approved

2006-03-20T07:18:00.000-06:00

Edited - in case you don't read the comments, the Planning Commission approved this plan.. but it was later denied by the City Council... who said to bring them plans that don't include townhomes, a real victory for the neighbors concerned about the density

Original Post:
Kimball Hill has been approved for the Mayneland Farms subdivision at the southeast corner of Mill and Bauer Roads. They will be building 59 townhomes and 22 Single family homes... This is a fairly significant development for this end of town where there just isn't much land left.

Kimball hill is no stranger to this area having built most of the homes in the the neighboring subdivision: Century Farms. They are not yet offering any information on their website but you will be able to get that information here when it's available

Realty Times "Site of the Day"

2006-03-15T22:19:00.000-06:00

March 15, 2006 - Our site was just recognized by Realty Times as their "site of the day".. Thanks!

For Millionaires Only?

2006-03-14T14:11:00.000-06:00

What's the buzz?
According to the Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois...

In Naperville there are currently 172 Single Family (there are also 2 condos in the 520 Washington building) homes on the market over $1,000,000 - 24 of them are under contract (meaning pending a sale) leaving 148 properties for sale. In 2005 there were a total of 58 sales over $1,000,000.

What does it all mean?
If the market is as good as it was in 2005.... those 148 properties have the remaining months of the year to grab one of the remaining 36 sales. Leaving 112 disappointed Sellers ready to face the market in 2007. Of course, this is assuming that no other homes will be coming on the market in that time (silly assumption).

So if I'm a buyer what does this mean?
Buying opportunity! There are motivated sellers that will be be anxious to work with you.

If I'm a seller what can I do?
Be aggressive. Cutting edge marketing combined with realistic goals is the key to your success.

Is all hope lost?
No. In fact there is the evidence that this segment of the market may continue to grow, as evidenced by the yearly numbers:
2005 - 58 sales over $1,000,000
2004 - 37 sales over $1,000,000
2003 - 19 sales over $1,000,000
2002 - 17 sales over $1,000,000
2001 - 9 sales over $1,000,000

Another important fact to keep in mind are the increased numbers of custom built premium homes in this range that won't show up in the MLS system.

For a look at some of the premium homes in the Naperville area visit:
Luxury Homes of Naperville

Kimball Hill and Naperville

2006-02-28T15:00:00.000-06:00

Kimball Hill homes is still trying to make things work at the southeast corner (currently known as Mayneland Farm) of Mill and Bauer. A community of 59 and 22 single family townhomes is having a hard time getting passed, neighbors are concerned about density (understandable) and Kimball Hill is concerned about utilizing the property correctly (also understandable)

On another front they are also attempting to build on a large parcel of land just south of Ogden and east of Rt59... a townhome community (280 units - called Townes of Greenbriar) located behind the Krispy Kreme (does it seem like I think of food all the time?) While this spot is contiguous to other residential development, about 30 acres of it is currently zoned commercial... district 204 is concerned about the additional students this could bring.

On a completely different scale Kimball Hill is developing Settler's Ridge (along the RT30 extension... that's the Sugar Grove exit from I88) this will be a "high concept" community of 1300 acres and almost 2500 homes. Lot's of preserved space is in the plan.

Kimball Hill has been building in the Chicago area for many years, including developments in Carol Stream, Naperville, Aurora and Yorkville.

Possibly what they are best known for is creating the city of Rolling Meadows.

Another Favorite Restaurant

2006-02-13T18:35:00.000-06:00

Have I mentioned Angeli's?

This is small storefront restaurant on Chicago Avenue in the strip mall just west of Naper. Family owned, Angeli's is known for their catering... but as a restaurant it's a terrific place. Italian food (betcha guessed that one!) is the specialty... all of the Pastas are good as is the Veal Piccata.

However, I have a favorite that has to be requested: "Santa Fe Chicken" (not on the menu) Yes, Yes I know... it doesn't sound very Italian but it's become the dish that we look forward to. We had the Santa Fe Chicken there as a special once, and later found out that several other people love it too, so they are willing to make it on request. It's a cream based sauce (a little spicy.. southwest!) with spinach and chicken.

Simple decor with abundant locals in attendance. Angelis is a delight not only for the tastebuds, but the wallet as well.

Visit their site here

Interesting Naperville Real Estate Agent Numbers

2006-02-10T08:56:00.000-06:00

Thinking of a carreer in Real Estate?

Naperville's official population in 2003 - 135,858

As of todays date:
There are 1837 Realtors working in Naperville Real Estate offices.
In 2005 there were 3300 real estate transactions in Naperville according to the Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois. This includes houses, condos townhomes, land, rentals, deeded parking spots, mobile homes (not that there are any of those) etc...

So what does that mean? Too many agents.

When agents define their business we do so by counting sides, there are two sides to each transaction: Buyer/Seller, Lessor/Lessee etc.. This is because each side is usually represented by different agents or companies... and each is paid on this principle.

So the 3300 transactions are really 6600 sides (or 6600 transaction as viewed in the industry) 6600/1837 = 3.59 transactions per agent. Even with todays higher prices the agent at that average would have serious problems paying their dues and business expenses, much less make a living. But the reality is much worse.

Most folks like to quote the 80/20 "rule": 20% of the people are doing 80% of the work these days those numbers would be conservative, it is widely believed that in Real Estate it's more like 90/10. But sticking with the 80/20 "rule":
20% of the agents = 367 agents
80% of the Transactions = 5280 transactions
or 14.3 transactions per top 20% agent

Leaving 1470 Agents to share the rest of the 1320 transactions.

What's worse is that Naperville agents aren't the only ones doing business in Naperville. 870 of those properties were listed by agents outside of Naperville.

Is that really what happens? No.

There are several agents in Naperville doing more than 100 transactions per year, there are also quite a few doing 50-100. So what does it mean?

There really are many agents doing little or no business. But what the stats don't show is that the Naperville agent is also a dominant force in the surrounding towns... For example: The City of Aurora had 3849 Transactions in the same period (7689 sides) with only 370 Realtors in town... Naperville agents do a large part of the business that is available in Aurora (1376 of those properties were listed by Naperville agents... and that does not include the selling portion) They also do a large part of the business in Lisle, Bolingbrook, Plainfield, Oswego and Warrenville. Along with a scattering of business in other areas.

As of 1/31/06 there are:

1,265,569 Realtors in the World (an increase of 12.78 % from a year ago)
54,729 Realtors in Illinois (an increase of almost 10%)

California has the most Realtors with 189,063 (an increase of 15.54%)

While Idaho has only 7735 agents they experienced the largest percentage gain of 23%

Just food for thought

Best Festival in the Midwest

2006-01-20T08:47:00.000-06:00

The dates for Naperville Ribfest have been set!

Four days of fun starting July 1, 2006 and culminating in some spectacular fireworks on the 4th. So far, Matt Kaley has done a great job of lining up the Doobie Brothers and the Charlie Daniels band... I can't wait to see who else he gets.

We've been attending Ribfest for over 15 years, I've been a sponsor for the past few and have to say that the Exchange Club does a magnificent job of having fun raising money (more than $5,000,000 to date) for the prevention of child abuse. The folks in the Exchange Club work tirelessly (all volunteers) to make this happen, my hat is off to them.

In addition to the entertainment, we will certainly over-eat. Not only do I have a weakness for good ribs, but all the deep fried stuff (Curly Fries, Elephant Ears, Funnel Cakes, Blooming Onions) too. Hopefully, Lisa will be training for the Susan G Komen Three Day and we will work some of the calories off with several very long walks through town.

2005 Year End Naperville Stats by Subdivision

2006-01-18T22:59:00.000-06:00

We've spent some time compiling the 2005 sales in Naperville by subdivision. The file is large so I posted it here Naperville Real Estate 2005. A Caveat: Until 2006 there was no provision in our MLS for consistent subdivision/area input, so we have tweaked the data to correct misspellings and different opinions on what an area should be called. So the disclaimer "for informational purposes only" applies...

Indian Prairie School District 204 unveils new High School Boundaries

2006-01-16T22:49:00.000-06:00

If the referendum for the building of a new high school is approved there are four potential new plans available on their website . School district 204 serves a large portion of Naperville, DuPage County Aurora and small sections of Bolingbrook and Plainfield. An award winning district, Indian Prairie is highly regarded both locally and nationally.

The subdivision where my family and I live is destined to be in the new school in all four of the plans.

How does my family feel about that? We're kind of excited because it will mean that we've had one of our boys graduate from each of the three high schools. That should make for some interesting rivalries in the house. Truth is, we have been delighted by both of the current High Schools schools and the district in general.

Downers Grove Real Estate 2005 by the Numbers

2006-01-16T22:33:00.001-06:00

2004 Home sales in Downers Grove (Single Family, Condos & Townhomes)
TOTAL LISTINGS	AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET	MEDIAN PRICE	AVERAGE PRICE
1018	50	$278,200	$304,561

2005 Home sales in Downers Grove (Single Family, Condos & Townhomes)
TOTAL LISTINGS	AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET	MEDIAN PRICE	AVERAGE PRICE
1018	74	$312,000	$338,633

In 2005 the Highest Priced home sold in Downers Grove according to MLSNI (won't necessarily show custom builts and private sales) was a home for $1,495,000 and the lowest was a condominium for $78,000.

The average home in Downers Grove appreciated about 11.1% in 2005, virtually the same as the year before

All stats are compiled from the Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois, provided for informational purposes only... not guaranteed

Oswego Real Estate 2005 by the Numbers

2006-01-16T22:24:00.000-06:00

2004 Home sales in Oswego (Single Family, Condos & Townhomes)
TOTAL LISTINGS	AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET	MEDIAN PRICE	AVERAGE PRICE
648	67	$235,000	$239,348

2005 Home sales in Oswego (Single Family, Condos & Townhomes)
TOTAL LISTINGS	AVERAGE DAYS ON MARKET	MEDIAN PRICE	AVERAGE PRICE
753	78	$245,000	$258,014

In 2005 the Highest Priced home sold in Oswego according to MLSNI (won't necessarily show custom builts and private sales) was a home for$1,280,627 and the lowest was a condominium for $62,000.

The average home in Oswego appreciated about 7.8% in 2005 compared to about 7.2% in 2004

All stats are compiled from the Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois, provided for informational purposes only... not guaranteed