Tony Lazzari's Naperville Real Estate

Is There a HARP 3.0 in Our Future

Homes in Naperville — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:39:24 +0000

With all the talk about HARP 2.0 since its introduction a month ago there has been talk that this type of program should be available to all home owners, not just those whose loans are backed by Fannie & Freddie. I came across this post by Dan Green of The Mortgage Reports that frames what HARP 3.0 could look like.

If you don’t have a mortgage professional that you normally work with, please give me a call or drop me an email or text and I can put you in touch with some of the best professionals in the business.

365 Naperville – Centennial Beach Plunge!

Homes in Naperville — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:33:37 +0000

Centennial Beach Plunge

image from Google Earth

If you have been around Naperville for a while, you have probably swum at the Beach, had a membership there, or experienced your Junior High student all of a sudden wanting to go to the Beach instead of the neighborhood pool. If you are new to Naperville, you will ge to know it. And there is no better way to introduce or re-introduce yourself to this Naperville landmark than the Pre-Season Plunge!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 12, 2012 @ 1:00pm for the Centennial Beach Pre-Season Plunge. According to the Park District web site, “Guests will enjoy free admission, the opportunity to take the plunge, and free goodies from the Centennial Grill.”

Beach Membership

If you are purchasing a Centennial Beach membership for the first time, please visit the Naperville Park District’s Administration Building located at 320 W. Jackson Avenue and South Maintenance Facility, 3415 Book Road. Please bring proof of Naperville residency in the form of a utility bill or a new pre-printed check in addition to your payment. A photo will be taken of you that will be included on your Beach membership I.D., so you must be present to obtain your card as a first-time member.

RETSO 5.0 It’s for Doers

Homes in Naperville — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:45:41 +0000

Real Estate Technology SOlutions – RETSO 5.0 – It’s for Doers….

For the last several years I have been hearing bits and pieces about RETSO and even dropped in via webcasts on some of the event sessions to see what this conference was all about. I have attended Inman Connect, NAR, REBarCamps all over the country. Another technology conference with the usual players and agendas is what I expected. At the urging of Brad Nix and Mike Pennington, cofounders, I finally anted up and made the trip south. What I found was more a culture than a conference.

I had the opportunity to meet several industry voices that I had only conversed with on line. I was able to reconnect with friends from New Hampshire to Queensland and numerous points in between. People active in the real estate space and people aligned with the industry. Some of the best and the brightest kicking back over good food and beverages as well as conversing in the halls and parking lots.

Probably the best way to describe the experience was, we weren’t pitched: By anyone. We were questioned, shown, and asked to examine and evaluate not only how we were interacting with out clients but also how we were using the tools that have become so popular over the the last 4-5 years. There were so many sessions I obviously did not get to everyone I wanted to but some of the highlights, in brief were:

Jeff Turner’s opening asked us to look at Social Networking and the technologies it spawns. Are we getting lost in the toys instead of defining our strategy and using the tools properly to execute that strategy? How are we demonstrating value? Are we adding value or volume? Ae we improving or impeding?
From a how to perspective, I listened to Heather Elias (www.LocoMusings.com) talk about FaceBook ads and how to target market more effectively. Bill Lublin (he doubled as the emcee for the event) talked about content curation strategies and Seek, Sense & Share. There were sessions on tools and techniques for mobility and blogging.
I was privileged to attend a live Coffee With Krisstina breakfast session where Krisstina Wise of the Good Life Team from Austin, Tx shared her vision of where the industry is going and what the game is. Checkers or chess – what are you playing and and what are they playing……
Matthew Shadbolt’s (Corcoran Group out of NYC) keynote On / Off: Why Social Media Is Making Us Miserable looked at SM and the cognitive dissonance it introduces.

Brad Nix, in his closing remarks talked about the RETSO Community of people who do – not just talk, and how to take it further. “From this moment forward, RETSO is committed to ensuring that the progress towards excellence that was made at our event continues perpetually. We will rely on the strength of you, the RETSO community, to continue sharing your deepest insights and your most meaningful inspirations so that everyone can benefit.” Idealistic? You bet. But with this community of committed people we can continue to work on making this space better for all who participate. Daniel Rothamel, RETSO’s new community manager ended with an incredible presentation on how to keep the flame alive.

I will be back next year. WE ARE RETSO!

365 Naperville Earth Week Cleanup

Homes in Naperville — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:57:37 +0000

Earth Week April 16-22

I think we are all a bit concerned and care about our planet and the environment. And being the community of action that we are, we often choose to become involved in making this a better place to live, work and play. And even though that is a 365 day a year concern for most of us, it does take special emphasis this week, designated as Earth Week. According to EarthWeek2012,

Earth Week 2012 is a time to promote awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment, sustainable living and earth awareness. Earth Week is also known as National Green Week 2012. Environmentalists all over the world will recycle and conserve energy this earth week!

In honor of Earth Day, help the Naperville Park District by volunteering your time to make our community a better place to live. From Monday, April 16 through Sunday, April 22 you can help spruce up our parks by picking up litter, weeding, and removing fallen twigs.

These parks need your help during Earth Week. Check the bottom of the page to arrange a time slot for your group to help

Please contact Lynnette Hoole at lhoole@napervilleparks.org or 630-848-3606 to sign up for one of these opportunities.

Naperville Housing Market Report – March 2012

Homes in Naperville — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:04:12 +0000

Yes, Naperville, the demand for good housing here is improving. Inventory as it compares to the rate of sales is low. Those homes in great market condition? Many are seeing multiple offers. During March 2012, 58 single family homes in Naperville went under contract: 28 of them in under 30 days on market and 51 in less than 40 days! Why? It’s condition and realistic pricing. There are an additional 615 single family home son the market in Naperville: Their average market time is 258 days.

Bank Owned Homes

Homes Sold again dropped to 18 from 22a year ago. And those Under Contract decreased to 18 from 36. Overall, Inventory of available properties dropped to 101 from 135. Months Supply of Inventory dropped to 3.8 months, down from 3.9 a year ago. Roughly 10.5% of the homes under contract in Naperville are bank owned, while 11.5% of those For Sale are bank owned. These numbers are sharply down from the past several months.

Non-Bank Owned Homes

Homes Sold were flat at 66 vs. 64 a year ago. And those Under Contract jumped to 154 from 89, an increase of 73%. Inventory of available properties was down at 780 from 882. Months Supply of Inventory dropped to 3.6 months, down from 8.0 months a year ago.

Overall, Naperville single family homes stand at 3.6 months supply: Traditionally 6 months inventory is viewed as a balanced market favoring neither buyer or seller. The balance is tipping towards a Sellers Market for properly prepared homes! This should start driving prices upwards.

Median Pricing

Prices on Bank Owned homes Sold are down about 19.5% from a year ago. The current Median is $322,250 for sold and $312,400 for those under contract. For traditional sales, Median Sold was at $344,500 and Under Contract at $409,900, both modest changes compared to same period 1 year ago. These prices continue to be consistant with the trend established in late 2011.

90-day stats for Single Family properties in NAPERVILLE, IL as of May 11, 2012
Median List Price:	$444,858	Average List Price:	$541,573
Total Inventory:	787	Price per Square Foot:	$157
Average Home Size:	2,994	Median Lot Size:	11,323
Average # Beds:	4.01	Average # Baths:	3.23
Homes Absorbed:	35	Newly Listed:	54
Days on Market:	216	Average Age:	24

The above statistics are for Single Family properties in Naperville. The numbers and trends can and do vary for different areas in the same town (zip code). The same information is also available for Lisle, Aurora, Plainfield and Oswego. Give us a call at 630-718-2305 or drop us an email with your request. Additionally, you may have reports emailed directly to you for the zip code area you want to explore.

Naperville Housing Market Report – February 2012

Homes in Naperville — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:58:11 +0000

If you have been listening to all the pundits and proclaimers, 2012 is starting out as the year of recovery for housing. Shadow inventory that was supposed to swamp the market last year, never really materialized. In fact, foreclosures are down in many parts of the country. As we reported in January “There is no doubt about it. Homes are selling in Naperville at a pace not seen in several years. inventories are coming down and it appears a level of balance is nearing in the market in terms of months supplies of inventory. Let’s see how that trend continued for February 2012.

Bank Owned Homes

Homes Sold again doubled to 18 from 9 a year ago. And those Under Contract jumped to 33 from 27. As a result, Inventory of available properties dropped to 112 from 119. Months Supply of Inventory dropped to 2.2 months, down from 5.6 a year ago. Roughly 25% of the homes under contract in Naperville are bank owned, while 14.3% of those For Sale are bank owned.

Non-Bank Owned Homes

Homes Sold were flat at 42 vs. 41 a year ago. And those Under Contract jumped to 97 from 65, an increase of 49%. Inventory of available properties was flat at 671 from 666. Months Supply of Inventory dropped to 5.3 months, down from 10.0 months a year ago.

Overall, Naperville single family homes stand at 4.5 months supply: Traditionally 6 months inventory is viewed as a balanced market favoring neither buyer or seller.

Median Pricing

Prices on Bank Owned homes Sold are down about 35% from a year ago.The current Median is $255,450 for sold and $299,900 for those under contract. For traditional sales, Median Sold was at $390,000 and Under Contract at $399,900, both flat compared to same period 1 year ago. These prices continue to be consistant with the trend established in late 2011.

90-day stats for Single Family properties in NAPERVILLE, IL as of May 11, 2012
Median List Price:	$444,858	Average List Price:	$541,573
Total Inventory:	787	Price per Square Foot:	$157
Average Home Size:	2,994	Median Lot Size:	11,323
Average # Beds:	4.01	Average # Baths:	3.23
Homes Absorbed:	35	Newly Listed:	54
Days on Market:	216	Average Age:	24

365 Naperville – Girls High School Soccer Teams Unite For The Cause

Homes in Naperville — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 01:22:34 +0000

Some rights reserved by stevendepolo *

Some might call it a double derby for breast cancer awareness. (Derby – soccer match between crosstown rivals). On Wednesday, March 21, 2012 District 203 & 204′s high school girls soccer teams will square off in two games at North Central College’s Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Waubonsie Valley plays Naperville Central at 5 p.m. followed by Neuqua Valley against Naperville North at 7:30 p.m.

According to Ed Watson, Head Coach of the Naperville Central Redhawks, “Cancer has touched so many lives. This event is a great way for the girls at Naperville Central to honor members of their families that have fought or are fighting Cancer. What should not be missed in the festivities of the evening is that four great soccer teams will get to showcase themselves.”

There will be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, T-shirt sales, and donations that will benefit Edward Hospital Cancer Center and Camp Hope, a summer camp for kids who have a parent or loved one living with cancer. Additionally, players from all four teams have begun a season long effort to create fleece blankets and goody bags for patients at the Center.

Teams will wear T-shirts with their school color but with the same pink ribbon logo.

Mrs. Illinois Zara Johnson, a breast cancer survivor, will speak between games (around 6:45 pm). Cancer survivors in attendance will be invited to the field to join in a survivors circle with Johnson and players from the teams. Children who wear their youth team jersey’s to the game will also be invited to join.

*This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA.

365 Naperville – Getting Your Irish On

Homes in Naperville — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 18:32:29 +0000

Here’s all the details for this Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities here in Naperville from the City of Naperville:

The St. Paddy’s Day 5K race begins at 8 a.m. at the intersection of West Street and Jackson Avenue. The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Naperville North High School, located at 899 N. Mill St. The parade will continue south on Mill Street, east on Jefferson Avenue, south on Main Street and west on Water Street to the Naperville Municipal Center.

Race and parade route streets will be closed beginning at approximately 7:15 a.m. until approximately 11:30 a.m. The race and parade route only will be a no parking, tow zone from 5 a.m. to noon and will be posted accordingly. Race and parade route streets are re-opened to traffic as soon as the Naperville Police Department determines it is safe. Motorists should expect delays through the morning hours in and around the race and parade area and take alternate routes or allow extra time to get to their destination.

The times and locations of the parade and race street closures, parking restrictions and tow-away zones can be found on a color-coded map located on the City’s website at www.naperville.il.us/stpatricks.aspx. The map requires Adobe Acrobat reader to view. Parking is available for event participants and spectators throughout the downtown area. For more information on parking in downtown Naperville, visitwww.naperville.il.us/downtownparking.aspx.

A color-coded accessibility plan for the parade is available for viewing atwww.naperville.il.us/stpatricks.aspx. In addition, an accessible seating area has been designated on Jefferson Avenue, west of Webster Street, on the southwest corner of this intersection.

The St. Paddy’s Day 5K is hosted by the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise. Proceeds from this event will be used to provide health-related services to those in need. For more information on the St. Paddy’s Day 5K, visitwww.stpaddysday5k.com.

The St. Patrick’s Day parade is sponsored by the West Suburban Irish, Inc., a non-profit organization headquartered in Naperville with membership extending throughout the western suburbs of Chicago. For more information on the St. Patrick’s Day parade, visit www.wsirish.org/st.patrickparade.htm.

365 Naperville – Jaycees’ 28th Annual Egg Hunt

Homes in Naperville — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:11:16 +0000

This 28th annual Naperville Jaycees tradition promises lots of colorful eggs to be hunted and a special visit from the Easter Bunny. The egg hunt begins at 10:00 a.m. sharp, so please be on time because the eggs disappear fast! Only children age 2 or younger may have help from a parent. The Jaycees also will be accepting donations of non-perishable food items at the event; no glass containers, please. Event parking is limited.

Location: Frontier Sports Complex Softball Complex – Off Cedar Glade Drive

Date: April 7, 2012 10:00am sharp!

Ages: 1-8

This is a FREE EVENT!!!

365 Naperville – The Polls are Open, Naperville – For Early Voting

Homes in Naperville — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:09:49 +0000

March 20, 2012 is primary day in Illinois. Historically the turnouts are low – and registrations for this presidential primary are down from 2008. (Chicago Tribune). If you are going to be out of town, still away at school, or otherwise occupied on that date, it is not too late to vote early! You still have until Thursday, March 15, 2012 to cast your ballot. Following is information and links for voters in DuPage and Will County who want to make their vote count.

DUPAGE COUNTY

First day to Early Vote - Monday, February 27, 2012

Last day to Early Vote - Thursday, March 15, 2012

List of Early Voting Locations and Hours - English Spanish

WILL COUNTY

First day to Early Vote - Monday, February 27, 2012

Last day to Early Vote - Thursday, March 15, 2012

List of Early Voting Locations and Hours

Just a couple of reminders for this election: You must declare an affiliation to receive the proper ballot. You may be required to show a government issued photo id, depending on the polling place.