Evanston IL Real Estate

For those of you who have been visiting my real estate blog, I think you will notice some changes which I am excited about telling you. I now own my own business as a real estate consultant. I am very happy about being in business for myself because now I have the freedom and opportunity to help people with what may be their biggest financial investment they’ll ever make : buying or selling a home. My goal is to make this process a fun experience rather than a horror story like you’ve heard about or even experienced.

 To help turn that horror story into a happy ending, I’ll be running my business different than most Realtors. And for those of you who think all Realtors are alike your in for a treat. I have a career “compass”- that is pointing me in a great direction, that will help me make good decisions while maintaining the respect of my clients and colleagues.

Ask your self these three questions:

1. Do you know the difference between a salesperson and consultant?

2. When you want financial advise would you go ask a salesperson or a consultant? 

3. Who is the next person you know that will need my services as a real estate consultant?

For a Free Initial Consultation please feel free to contact me 1-888-307-7311 Ext. 6

 Are you a pet lover? Do you own a cat or dog or are you planning to have a pet? Are you planning to move in the next 12 months? Would you like a  free list of buildings that accept dogs and cats?

Moving is stressful enough and if you are a pet lover how could you ever think about moving to a building that would not accept your pet. Before you plan your next move here are some things to consider. First, there are certain buildings that do  not accept any pets. Yes there are NO PET buildings. Second, there are buildings that accept cats only. Finally, there are some buildings that will accept cats and dogs but restrict the size of the pet. I hope you don’t own an Irish Wolfhound. If you do good luck.

When you think of Sheridan Road what comes to mind? Probably just some major street that runs along the beautiful lakefront. Well, did you know that Congress originally granted Sheridan Road to be used for military puposes during the Civil War? It was used as a road for the military from Fort Dearborn in Chicago to Fort Howard in Wisconsin. Sheridan Road received its named from a Civil War general, Philip Henry Sheridan. He started just as a U.S. Army Officer, but soon became an Union general. Though the battles were exhasting, he still managed to lead his men to many victories. He even protected Chicago after the Great Chicgao Fire in 1871. It was because of his success and leadership in the victories and his many services to Chicago that Sheridan Road was named to honor him. With this well-known road comes many attractions and places of interest such as the Calvary Cemetery, Northwestern University, the Baha’i Temple, Lake Forest College, Ravinia Festival, Plaza Del Lago Shopping Mall, and much more. All of these are great places and attractions, but there is one thing you shouldn’t forget and that is the gorgeous and massive homes.

This is Northwestern University Arch. Northwestern is known for its excellence in its graduate and professional programs. The J. L. Kellogg School of Management has been constantly ranked among the top five business schools in the world. The Medill School of Journalism is considered one of the top journalism schools, and its alumni are regular winners of the Pulitzer Prize.

Though there are six other Baha’i Temples in the world, the one that runs along Sheridan Road seems to be the most attractive along with the one in India. It contains nine sides and a dome. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and fountains.

This is a 1914 Harold White home. It is a prairie style house.

This is a Rogers Park home on Sheridan Road. This is a Frank Lloyd Wright Home. Wright is a famous architect that was primarily known for his Prarie style design houses.

Judge Francis E. Clarke was the owner of this magnificent house.He went from being a teacher to a principal to being an incorporator of the First National Bank of Waukegan. This house went from having an Italianate style to having the Queen Anne style that was typical of the 1870s. This house was built by the Porter Brothers.

According to the Illinois Association of Realtors (IAR) single family and condo sales in Illinois rose during the month of May. Their study showed 14,349 homes sold in the Month of May compared to 12,932 homes sold in April of this same year.

In Evanston, we have also seen an increase in the number of homes sold. For this quarter (April-June) 84 homes have either sold, closed or are under contract compared to 66 homes for the previous quarter (January-March).

The total number of condo sold are down for this quarter (April-June) with a total of 148 condos sold compared to last quarter totals of 197 (January-March).

 I am proud to announce that I am a By Referral Agent serving Evanston, IL.

What does By Referral Only Mean to YOU? 

It means I dedicate 100% of my time and energy delivering first-class service to YOU, my customer. My objective is not only to help you buy or sell a home one time, but to build a strong, lasting, lifetime relationship with you. I want you to be so satisified with my services you fell compelled to refer your friends and family to me, not by obligation, but because you truely believe they will benefit. You see, your referrals are the heart of my business. If you would like to learn more how I can best serve you as a Buy Referral Agent then go to my website for an initial consultation.

Dear Friends,

Here’s a quick mote to let you know how I can help you or anyone you might refer to me.

Newly married couples often don’t know where to start when they’re ready to purchase their first home. I was eager to start Peter and Carol out on the right foot and had them contact past clients I worked with when they asked me for references.

Peter and Carol knew alot about what they wanted in a house, but not nearly as much about what they could afford or what what homes were available in their desired area. During our Initial Consulatation, I spent alot of time discovering what was important to them about owning a home. When we were clear on their goals and dreams, I referred them to my Mortgage Consultant to get them pre-approved, and then we were off to locate their little slice of paradise. Now, Peter and Carol reside in a three- bedroom home in the heart of a wonderful community- their first goal accomplished!

Jack Lewitz, Your Real Estate Consultant for Life

Weichert Realtors, Lakeshore Partners 847-570-9977

 P.S. Who’s the next couple you’d like to help start out on the right foot? Please give me a call to discuss how I can help them.

Downtown Evanston has something to offer everyone. It seems that new construction is everywhere. Central to the revitalization of the downtown was the Century 12 CineArts 6 Movie Theatre at Maple and Church Street.

Century 12/ Cine Art 6 Theatre

In the past 4 years new condominum projects have followed and more are on the way. A 40 story building is being proposed and this will be the tallest building outside of Chicago. This new building will add to the already occupied new units surrounding downtown. Some of these newer buildings are pictured below:

Optima Towers

Sherman Plaza

Mathew Backus of LA Fitness standing out in front of the new health club at Sherman Plaza.

Site of Propossed 40 Story Tower is near Fountain Square where Jenna, Tom and John are sitting during their lunch break.

Across the street from each other is the Orrington hotel and the new Evanston Public Library. The Orrington Hotel is currently going through a 34 million dollar renovation and will have 269 hotel rooms along with conference facilities and fine dining.

The Orrington Hotel

Evanston Public Library

If you would like more information about the downtown, please feel free to contact me personally.

On April 20, 2007 in the New Homes Section of the Chicago Tribune there was an article written by Jane Adler on the Evanston Condo Market. In that article, I was sited as a local realtor who has a real estate blog about Evanston Real Estate.I appreciate the recongnition by the Tribune and have notice more people viewing the blog as a result of the article.

Many homeowners believe to maximize their home sale they should sell it themselves. At first glance, they feel selling a home is simple. Why should they pay a broker fee for something they could do themselves? However, close to half of all FSBO’s were unhappy with the results they achieved by selling themselves. WHY?

Many FSBO’s say the time, paperwork and everyday responsibilities involved were not worth the money they saved in commissions. By the time they figured out fees paid to marketing and advertising, they would have been better off paying a broker’s fee that would have included these charges.

Selling a home requires an intimate understading of the real estate market. In today’s market if the property is priced too high, it will sit and develop a reputation as a problem property.  REMEMBER TIME IS MONEY when selling a home and if you spend too much money on marketing then is it worth trying to sell it yourself?

Before you decide to sell FSBO, consider these questions. A little time spent now could pay off tenfold in the future.

DO I HAVE THE TIME, ENERGY, KNOW HOW, AND ABILITY TO DEVOTE TO SELL MY HOME? 

One of the keys to sell your home effectively is complete accessibility. Many homes sit on the market much longer than necessary because the owner isn’t available to show the property.  If you are going to try to sell by owner, you must devote a certain amount of time each day and it is not going to be according to your schedule all of the time.

AM I PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE ONSLAUGHT OF BUYERS WHO THINK THEY CAN “LOW BALL” THE SELLER?

Another challenge of selling a home by owner is screenign unqualified prospects who thing they can low ball you since your saving money on the real estate commission.

AM I ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT FINANCING FOR THE BUYER?

One of the keys to selling is to haave all the necessary information about the buying process including financing. If you can recommend a lender to assist them in the buying process the quicker your home will be sold.

DO I UNDERSTAND ALL THE LEGAL ISSUES IN SELLING A HOME BY OWNER AND DO I HAVE ALL OF THE LEGAL FORMS NEEDED TO GIVE TO A BUYER?

You should ask yourself : “Am I prepared to handle legal disputes with buyers?” and ” Do I have access to  forms such as real estate contracts, seller disclosure forms, lead based paint, radon, etc.

My hope here has been to educate and help you avoid the pitfalls many FSBO’s go through. I hope you found the ideas valuable and if there is ever any way I can be of service to you or anyone you care about. please have them contact me personally here or at my website: jacklewitz.com. Your initial onsultation is always completely free of charge and you’re under no obligation of any kind. We’ll sit down for 15-20 minutes ….no high-pressure, just plain talk. Go ahead and give me a call. I’d love to hear from you!

Real Estate Sales are beginning to heat up despite the bitter cold weather in Evanston. Within the past 30 days 41 homes have gone under contract and 10 new homes have been added to the market. During the same 30 day period, 75 condo’s, coops, and townhomes have gone under contract with 24 new listings added to the market. It appears we are now into the Spring Real Estate Market.