ResalesIllinois" North Shore Communities Offer Rising Values
North Shore communities including Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and Winnetka offer Lake Michigan lifestyles close to the city amenities of Chicago.
Lake Forest
"Incorporated in 1861, Lake Forest is a beautiful, historic community of 20,059 residents on the shores of Lake Michigan," says Realtor Kathleen Reidy, "It is home to many of the North Shore"s most architechturally-significant estates as well as homes in a variety of price ranges. Market Square, the heart of downtown Lake Forest, was designed in 1915 by noted architect, Howard VanDoren Shaw, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979."
Notes Reidy, "This spring has proven to be yet another hot market in Lake Forest. I have characterized this market as neither a buyer"s nor a seller"s market because if a house is priced right it will be gone quickly. Buyers are holding sellers to realistic list prices and sellers are holding buyers to speedy decision making. In certain price ranges, (below $650,000) the inventory is quite low. Prices in Lake Forest rose 6.5 percent in 2002.In 2002, sales in Lake Forest ranged from a low of $247,000 to a high of $5,500,000."
Lake Bluff
"Incorporated in 1895, Lake Bluff is a sophisticated North Shore suburb with a truly small town feel on the shores of Lake Michigan," describes Reidy. "Home to 6,056 residents, it is a sister city of Lake Forest. The two suburbs share a high school as well as several other community organizations. Lake Bluff is 33 miles north of Chicago and the trip on the Metra rail service is approximately 55 minutes. O"Hare Airport is 35 minutes away."
She says, "The secret"s out about Lake Bluff and prices are really climbing here. Sales of single family homes were up 21 percent in 2002. Lake Bluff offers a variety of housing styles and prices . And as in other north shore suburbs, if a house is priced right it will go fast. In 2002, sale prices in Lake Bluff ranged from a low of $140,000 to a high of $3,400,000."
Winnetka
"Winnetka is one of the most beautiful suburbs in New Trier township," says Reidy. "Filled with mature trees and stately homes, it is a community that generations of families have loved to call home. The renowned New Trier High School is located in Winnetka. Winnetka has five beaches, including one for boats and one just for dogs. The Metra train has three stations in Winnetka. On the north end in Hubbard Woods, one in the central business district at Elm Street and a third on the south end of town at Indian Hill. It"s approximately a 40-minute trip to the loop on the train. In non-rush hour taffic, Winnetka is a 25 minute drive to the city."
Advises Reidy, "Home sales are hot-hot-hot in Winnetka this spring. No surprise since sales were up 6.6 percent in 2002. Even more interesting is that sales for homes of $1,000,000 and above now account for almost 50 percent of the sales. As in other sought-after North Shore suburbs, if a house is priced right it moves quickly. Sales in Winnetka in 2002 went from a low of $265,000 to a high of $9,500,000."
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