Number 116 – 365 Things to Do in Naperville – Season of Giving

365 Things to Do in Naperville – Season of Giving

This post is not tied in with any one specific organization or cause in Naperville. Instead, I am asking fans/friends to share with everyone any charitable causes, drives, collections that they are aware of that help others this holiday season. Please include the pertinent information in your post: Cause/Drive Name, How to Donate, Deadline date. If a contact is necessary, please provide a name and contact information. I know there are a lot of good causes supported by this community. Won’t you share that information? This is a Season of Giving. Can you help? Thanks!

The Baird & Warner Naperville office will be participating in several “GoodWill” charities this holiday season.

Clothing & Children’s Book Drive – (Audrey Mital)  We will be collecting items for families in West and South Chicago that are truly in need of the following items; gently used children’s clothes – any size, gently used coats for children or adults, gently used books for children, gas gift cards, Walgreens gift cards etc.  Items will maybe dropped off up at their office (836 W 75th St, Naperville) before December 15th.

Toys for Tots – (Debi Simone) We will be a collection drop off location for new unwrapped toys for the Toys for Tots program that donates these toys to local needy families.  Items will maybe dropped off up at their office (836 W 75th St, Naperville) before December 16th.

So go ahead, add to this list. Enter a link. Let’s see what we can of list we can put together. Thanks!

Number 114 – 365 Things to Do in Naperville – Black Friday Fun Day

Black Friday Fun Day for the kids

It’s less than 48 hours away! Black Friday! Economic stimulus on steroids! If you are joining the masses in hitting the local stores (SHOP NAPERVILLE) and malls, what do you have planned for the kids? You know you can shop better if they are not with you, and think of the questions you don’t have to answer . Here is an alternative way for them to spend their time. Edward Fitness Center, Woodridge, is having it’s Black Friday Fun Day.

While at EHFC, you can enjoy swimming, imagination time, organized gym games, physical fitness, lunch (pizza, cookies and juice) plus lots of fun. Ages 5-11. Friday, November 26th: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00.

August September Real Estate Market Report for Naperville

So what is the real story with the housing market? I’ve been been reading all the national reports, Case- Schiller, NAR, more local reports, and blogs from trusted sources from around the country. I recently had the opportunity to hear Steve Harney talk at the Illinois Association of Realtors Annual Meeting. Here are the highlights:
The federal tax credits brought very few if any, new buyers to the market. The incentives pulled purchases forward, in effect, robbing Peter to pay Paul. Now that those have closed, or will close in the next few weeks, expect to see a slowdown and darker reports on homes sold.
Foreclosures – Illinois is a judicial foreclosure state so it is one of the 23 directly affected by the banks freeze on current homes in the foreclosure process. Foreclosed homes that have either been on the market or waiting to come on the market (in redemption) are effectively off the market until this latest snafu is sorted out.
Locally, showing activity is up, sharply. The first weekend in October was the 3rd highest of the year for our office in terms of appointments for showings.
Homes that have been sitting on the market for extended periods have received multiple offers.
Personally, I have written more contracts in the last 3 weeks than any other month this year.

What does this mean? Smart buyers are starting to take advantage of the low prices and incredibly low interest rates. New buyers with nothing to sell do not view this as a bad market: to them it is an incredible opportunity to buy more home, for less money, than could have been done 5 years ago. Sellers – don’t look for any real pricing recovery for the next 18 months. We may see a temporary blip because of reduced inventory as a result of the foreclosure freeze (depending on how long it lasts), but expect a flat market for the most part.

That all being said, here are the latest Naperville Single Family numbers for August/September 2010:

August-September View

If you want to change the view period, adjust the slider at the bottom of the mini-graph.

Number 102 – Naperville's Ghost Stories In the Park

From the Naperville Park District and Summer Place Theater, a little more flavor for the season…

Join the fun as The Summer Place Theater presents its annual Ghost Stories in the Park…in the Dark! Hair-raising tales, poems and songs will shiver your spine and tickle your funny bone! This is an outdoor event; please dress warmly and bring blankets and cushions. All shows are at the Grand Pavilion at the Riverwalk. Shows are Fridays and Sundays at 7:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Not recommended for children under 5. Tickets are available online beginning Sept. 11. They also may be purchased at the Park District Administration Building, 320 W. Jackson Avenue, and South Maintenance Facility, 3415 Book Road. Tickets are available at the door on a cash-only, limited seating basis. Sorry, no refunds.

Number 100 – Naperville Trick or Treat

The following information comes from the City of Naperville regarding Halloween. Be smart, be safe, and enjoy!

The City of Naperville has no ordinance determining Halloween hours for children; however, there are several safety tips residents should follow to make Halloween a fun and festive time for all:

• Make sure children carry a flashlight and are accompanied by an adult when trick-or-treating.  Glow sticks are also a fun method to light the way!
• Costumes should be light-colored or decorated with reflective tape.  Make sure costumes do not interfere with vision or movement.  Use make-up instead of a mask.  Avoid “terrorist” type costumes and those requiring “weapons” of any kind.
• Have children trick-or-treat in their own neighborhood and in well-lit areas. Be sure they avoid shortcuts or places they cannot be seen or heard by others and instruct children never to enter a house while trick-or-treating.
• Young children should end trick-or-treating when it begins to get dark. Adults should accompany young children.  Older children should be in by 8 p.m.
• Households welcoming trick-or-treaters should leave a porch light or other exterior light on.  Never ask children to step inside to receive their treats and call 911 immediately if you suspect a child is lost or in trouble.
• Tell children not to eat any of their treats unless examined by a parent.  Call the police if there are any suspicious treats.
• Children should remember to look both ways before crossing the street and cross at corners only.  Be sure to “Stop, Look and Listen.”  Never run between parked vehicles.
• Parents should know where registered sex offenders live and avoid placing children in a potentially risky situation.  Check the Naperville Web site for registered sex offender information.

.

Ding! Ding! Naperville Trolley Tours

Number 91 – Naperville Trolley Tours

Learn about old Naperville, and see the new Naperville!  This one-hour Historic Tour of Naperville blends the past with the present, highlights Naperville’s growth, and includes some fun stories!  The Tour includes Naperville’s Historic District, North Central College, charming downtown businesses and shopping areas, state-of-the-art police and fire stations, the scenic Riverwalk, Naper Settlement, Centennial Beach, and more!

All tours are one hour.   All tours start and end on Jackson Avenue at Eagle Street. Reservations are requested as the tours do sell out. No strollers.

June, July, August – every Friday at 11:00am Call 630-420-2223. For more information visit http://www.napervilletrolley.com/

The Boys of Fall with Naperville Central HS

The Boys of Fall

Enjoy this Kenny Chesney video featuring Sean Payton – Naperville Central alum – and Naperville Central football team and Redhawk Stadium.

<

Naperville, IL Real Estate Market Conditions

Median Price for homes in NAPERVILLE, IL All ZIP Codes as of April 2, 2010 is $189,900	Inventory for homes in NAPERVILLE, IL All ZIP Codes as of April 2, 2010 is 592
Average Days on Market for homes in NAPERVILLE, IL All ZIP Codes as of April 2, 2010 is 258	Median Market Action Index for homes in NAPERVILLE, IL All ZIP Codes as of April 2, 2010 is 11.70

Housing Market Continues Strong in Naperville

National news in housing has been good recently, with pending home sales up higher than expected for February. The numbers for Naperville single family homes continue steady on a month over month basis and stronger than a year ago. All statistics used in these reports come directly from Terradatum Inc. Their source is reported multiple listing service transactions.

Sold Homes: The average price for a single family home in Naperville in March 2010 was $387,483. That is an decrease of 7.1% from the March 2009 average price of $417,116. Median prices were also down from $389,000 to $371,000. The gap between average and median price is typically around 12%. Last month it was 26%: this month it is almost 7%. The decrease in the gap is indicative of heavier activity in the lower end of the market, possibly due to an influx of first time buyers getting into the market to take advantage of the First Time Buyer’s Tax Credit before the April 30, 2010 deadline.

The number of units sold is also up for March 2010 vs March 2009 at 91 vs 67 or a 36% increase. Homes under contract had a much sharper increase to 151 from 85 for the same period one year ago; an increase of 78%. This trend has continued throughout the first quarter of 2010.

Months Supply of Inventory is a measure of how long, at the current rate of sales or absorption, would it take to sell out the market. The March  MSI is 5.9, vs 12 a year ago – a decrease of over 50%. On a national level, the number is closer to 10 for this March and 15 months for last year at the same time – another indication that Naperville trends differ substantially from national numbers.

As always, if you want more detailed information or to look at the numbers on a more hyper-local level (zip code or subdivision) simply Order your free Market Report or drop me an email.

Blarney, parades, and fun in Naperville

“Top O’ the Morning To You” was the traditional greeting in my home when I was growing up (yes, I am 1/2 Irish on me sainted Mother’s side). “And the rest of the day to yourself” was the traditional reply. So, I Googled the phrase, and went to the Wiki to find a bit more of the background on this, and lo and behold, it appears to be a bit of blarney that it is an Irish saying at all! According to this source, the phrase actually comes from New Zealand of all places and only came to be attributed to the Irish thru Hollywood movie characters. Who knew?

Be that as it may, this Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 10:00 am, the West Suburban Irish St Patrick’s Day Parade kicks off in downtown Naperville. Route details and suggested parking information is available from the city of Naperville website.

There will be a change in the parade this year as the City has passed an ordinance prohibiting the throwing of beads, candy, etc during the parade. Seems there is the fear that parade watchers are being placed in peril and risk injury from the actions of the parade participants…(seriously biting my tongue here). However, these items may be handed out by people walking the parade route. So I guess you better get there early if you want a curbside seat so your kids can get their share of the swag. Otherwise they may be out of luck!

Personally, I enjoy the parade, the Irish Dancers, the floats, the school bands and the all the groups that participate. So come out Saturday morning and enjoy the festivities!