Naperville Homes Blog Revamped
Thanks for the patience while I reworked this blog. I have added a photo section, and reworked the Market Statistics section. Each zip code now has its own page, there is a summary page for Naperville that combines all zip codes, and Aurora has its summary page as well as individual pages for each Indian Prairie School District feeder zip.
All detail pages have direct search links that, just by clicking, will bring up a full range of single family homes on the market, in that zip code. Since these listings are pulled from the same data source Realtors use, it is fairly comprehensive to say the least.
In the near future I will be adding similar searches and data for townhomes and condos in these same market areas. Thanks for your patience and let me know what additional information you would like to see included. peace.
#RebcChi Architectural Cruise & Photo Walk
Sometimes 140 characters is not enough, no matter how you compress it. Any way, here is the plan for Sunday’s pre-#rebcchi photo walk and architectural cruise.
- 2:30pm Meet at The Bean in Millennium Park, Chicago.
- 3:00 or 3:30 Architectural Cruise on Chicago River ($32 ticket). We can walk to the ticket both at Michigan and Wacker. Cruise start will vary depending on boat capacity. They leave every 1/2 hour and last 90 minutes. (Great suggestion by @mikesimonsen of Altos Research)
- Post cruise: Walk up Michigan Ave from River north to John Hancock.
After the walk we could grab dinner somewhere before whatever Sunday night tweetup gathering occurs. My cell is 630.542.7732
As of this writing, tweeps that are planning on joining are: @missdibbs, @tboard, @kertwa, @mikesimonsen, & possibles @tamcdonald and @ericstegemann.
Got batteries? Got walking shoes? Got card space? Let’s shoot….
Reuse and Recycle Extravaganza in Naperville
Naperville is hosting its third annual Reuse and Recycle Extravaganza this Saturday (6/6/09) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Alcatel -Lucent, 1960 Lucent Lane, Naperville. This is a great opportunity to “greenly” dispose of those items that are just filling up space in the basement or garage. And it’s free!
What can you dispose of at this event? Check the list, load up the van, and head on over.
Headed for the Recycling event
Electronics: Computers, monitors, printers, speakers, tv’s, vcr’s, dvd players, stereos, radios, cameras, camcorders, fax machines, discs and cords.
Scrap metal: Metal pipes, rusty swing sets, metal lawn furniture, tomato cages, wire hangers, chicken wire, hardware, vacuum cleaners and toasters.
Books: All books are set out for the taking. Leftovers are donated or recycled.
Tattered American Flags: The Naperville VFW is providing this service.
Keys, eyeglasses and hearing aids: The Naperville Noon Lions Club will provide this service.
Bicycles and parts: The Working Bikes Cooperative will collect these items and donate them to Blackstone Bicycle Works.
Cell Phones: These items will be collected and donated courtesy of Alcatel-Lucent.
Ink jet cartridges: These items will be donated to SCARCE.
The city will not accept household hazerdous waste, construction material, lawn mowers, tires, console tv’s, air conditioners or appliances, animal carriers, crates and leashes, gym shoes, or sheets and towels.
Time flies and pix from the west
Wow~ Its Thursday evening and I am in Denver, Co. Planning on attending RebarCamp – Denver tomorrow as part of my trip. Meeting some great folks who are very active in social media and its uses/applicability as a business/personal/networking tool. I drove out here via South Dakota of all places. Thought it was time to see
Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, and other sites I have always wanted to see. One of the weird things about one of the pics I took was the smiley face that showed up in the picture to the right. I did not notice it until I uploaded the pictures from the camera.
What a trip so far. Drove from Naperville to the Badlands on Tuesday. My goal was to get there to take a sunset picture- made it with an hour to spare. After viewing Mt Rushmore, Crazyhorse and Custer State Park (if you go, do the wildlife loop with camera ready). It was on to Denver today. Met some the good folks hosting the event tonight and then dinner with my son and his girlfriend. Looking forward to a great weekend here in Co. (Need to learn how to do picture galleries in here)
Update: OMB has asked FHA to hold off on tax credit bridge loan program
Tuesday evening I blogged about the FHA program that would have allowed first time home buyers to use the expected tax credit as a down payment. Apparently, at the request of OMB, FHA has withdrawn Mortgagee Letter 09-15. Hopefully this action is only temporary.
The text of the withdrawn letter can be viewed here. As more info becomes available I will keep this updated.
(Thanks to my friends at Virginia Association of Realtors for being a great source of information.)
Happy Mother's Day
I enjoyed the following “Thought for The Day’ sent out by an angel in our office and thought I would share it on this blessed day. So, thanks Lauren.
Happy Mother’s Day
Mother
There is but one and only one,
Whose love will fail you never.
One who lives from sun to sun,
With constant fond endeavor.
There is but one and only one,
On earth there is no other.
In Heaven a noble work was done,
When God gave man a Mother.
-An Irish Blessing.
District 204 Policy Change Coming?
Monday night, the Indian Prairie School Board approved a first reading of the proposed change to its discipline policy. There has been much controversy and legal maneuvering over student placement as a result of an off-campus incident involving several students at Gregory Middle School.
The proposed change reads in part “regardless of the location of the conduct, a student who has been charged, convicted, pled guilty or determined delinquent, in a court of law in connection with a violent felony against another student assigned to the same attendance may be assigned to another school within the district for a period of time determined by the administration on a case-by-case basis, if the administration finds that the interests of any student or the school warrant such reassignment.”
What is interesting is that it has taken the Board this long to act to protect students. In contrast, a recent incident at Barrington High School resulted in the student charged with the assault being suspended immediately.
So here is my question: In your opinion, should the Board have acted more decisively and or sooner in putting a proposed policy change forward? Or were they right in proceeding slowly and cautiously so as to not interfere with the rights of the accused? Please share your thoughts in the comment box below. peace.
Naperville Housing Stats thru April
The numbers are in for the end of April and are continuing to improve. This morning, Reuters and others reported on the latest national housing market stats. Pending Sales are up for the second month in a row. On a more local level, the Naperville housing market continues to build momentum. Shown below are summary stats for all of Naperville. If you want zip code specific breakdowns they are also available.
Last 12 Weeks vs Previous 12 Weeks: (Source -Terradatum/MRED, LLC). Numbers shown are based on single family and townhome/condo data combined.
Homes Under Contract, 34 vs 19, up 85%%. The trend we noted last month seems to be continuing There are good values out there and it seems buyers are taking advantage of them.
Median Price , $298.4 k vs $328.1k or a drop of about 9.1%. While volume in April is down vs March, the rate of decline is slower than it was in the previous period.) April usually has a “Spring Break” impact in Naperville – less volume.)
Average Units for Sale of 1,535 vs 1,443 or an increase of 6.4%. The recent trend has been steadily climbing since early February although the weekly number has been relatively flat during April. Higher inventories usually mean more options to choose from for buyers and more competition for sellers.
Units Sold has continued to climb on a weekly basis. The current average of 23 vs 17 in the previous 12 week period is an increase of 31%, possibly indicative of renewed confidence in the market.
Market Action Index is still hovering around the 10 mark which is indicative of a Buyers Market. (Neutrality is when the mark is around 30).
Summary The Naperville market continues to show signs of recovery. Slight variations in Median Price on a period by period basis are more a function of what units sold in that period and not necessarily indicative of a declining market. Has housing bottomed out? I think what we are seeing is a new level in the market – a return to some semblance of reality in values and volume. Just my thought but the numbers on a local and national basis seem to support improving confidence.
Note: If you would like to be updated regularly on housing statistics in your area, just drop me an email and the data will be sent to you automatically.
Anderson's To Host Free Speech Forum – thoughts?
So, the thought of Bill Ayers speaking in Naperville apparently really upset some folks and as a result the event was cancelled, interesting. I was a college student back in those days of the Weathermen, SDS, students taking over buildings on campuses across the country and protests (peaceful and violent) in cities nationwide in protest over an unpopular war. While I do not intend to get into my personal views on that or any war here, it does really get me wondering that there are those among us who are so offended when someone whose views and past history don’t agree with our own. Is civil discourse not something that is encouraged in our community? Share your thoughts, please…civilly
From the Naperville Sun, April 19, 2009
Anderson’s Bookshop will host an evening of discussion on free speech at 7 p.m. Monday, moderated by Dr. Stephen Maynard Caliendo, associate professor of political science at Naperville’s North Central College.
On hand will be a panel of experts representing diverse viewpoints to discuss free speech and the recent controversy about Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn’s canceled visit to Naperville. A period of public participation will be included.
The event takes place at Anderson’s Bookshop, 123 W. Jefferson Ave. in downtown Naperville. No reservations are required for the free program.
“Just bring your ideas,” said Becky Anderson, co-owner of the longtime family-owned bookstore. “We want people to come in and have a civil examination of issues stirred up by the scheduled appearance, and subsequent cancellation, of the Ayers and Dohrn event.”
That initial event, which had been arranged for April 8, was canceled after it met with vigorous opposition via repeated phone calls and angry e-mails that resulted in concerns about the safety of Anderson’s customers and staff.
The plug was pulled two days before the scheduled event with Ayers, a professor of education at the University of Illinois — Chicago, who was a ’60s political activist and radical leader of the Weathermen Underground. Also slated to join him was his wife, Bernardine Dohrn, a fellow Vietnam-era reformer, today the director of the Children and Family Law Justice Center and a clinical associate professor of law at Northwestern University .
Anderson said the new program is being offered as a “town meeting-style outlet for examining how respectful discourse can enrich our lives and our community.” Monday’s forum, to be led by Caliendo, will feature panelists Jane Barnes, president of the Naperville League of Women Voters; Keith Carlson, Naperville Central High School’s communication arts teacher and Central Times student newspaper faculty adviser, and Steve Macek, associate professor of speech communication and coordinator of urban and suburban studies at North Central College. Additional panelists may include a student representative of Naperville North High School’s North Star student newspaper and two other community members whose participation has not yet been confirmed.
For more information, contact Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville at 630-355-2665.
Loaves and Fishes Easter Food Drive Update
Kelley Schwartz of Ryan Hill Realty and her team dropped off the final food donations for the Loaves & Fishes Easter Food Drive on Friday, April 10, 2009. All in all, the collection (done in conjunction with the Naperville Park District collected 1427 pounds of food over the past four weeks. A heartfelt thanks goes out to all who contributed, collected, & delivered. People helping people makes life better for everyone. Have a great Easter!
