Evanston IL Real Estate

Randy Walker, 52, Northwestern Wildcats Football coach died of a heart atttack on June 29, 2005. Walker Joined the Wildcats in 1999 and led the Wildcats to share the 2000 Big Ten Title and a trip to the Alamo Bowl. Although Walker will be missed we are still excited about the 2006 Big 10 Football Season. The Wildcats Schedule opener is an away game on August 31, 2006 with Miami (Ohio) at 6:30 pm.

The new coach is Pat Fitgerald. Pat was a two time national defensive player for the Wildcats and has been the assistant coach since 2001.

Evanston Townhip Highschool Football team is the Wildkits. They are in the Central Suburban Football League with Maine West, Glenbrook South, Glenbrook North, Niles North, Niles West, New Trier, Highland Park, Deerfield, and Waukegan. The Wildkits lost the home opener (16-0) to Hinsdale Central on August 26,2006. The next game is away at Lane Tech on September 1, 2006. Follow this link to get more information about Wildkits Football schedule.

There has been alot of press about the Real Estate Market becoming a Buyer’s Market and I can only give you the facts about the Evanston Market as I see it. First of all I would like to say that you can do anything with statistics. Second, I must tell you that Real Estate must be viewed as a local market. So what I tell you about Evanston does not apply to the West Coast like California, the East Coast like Florida, or even to Chicago or other suburbs surrounding Evanston. Also, what I tell you about the Real Estate Market for Single Family Homes may not be applied to the Condo Market. Each property type has a different Market. You can also evaluate how the Real Estate Market is doing by subgroups. An example of this would be comparing Condo Sales in a particular building this year compared to last year sales. For purposes of this article, I am giving broader Market information on Evanston. The source of my information is from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). I make no representation to the accuracy of the information provided by the MLS. The categories I have chosen are both Active and Closed Real Estate transactions for Single Family Homes and the Condominium Market in Evanston beginning 1/1/06 through 8/30/06. Any information over a year is old information. Lets begin with the analysis:

ACTIVE: HOMES FOR SALE IN EVANSTON

# of Listings Avg Market Time Median List Price

205 104 $544,000

SOLD: HOMES SOLD IN EVANSTON (1-1/06-8/30/06)

# Sold Avg Market Time Median Sale Price

340 64 $567,250

CONDO: ACTIVE FOR SALE IN EVANSTON

# Active Avg Market Time Median List Price

533 153 $318,000

CONDO: SOLD CONDOS IN EVANSTON (1/1/06-8/30/06)

# Sold Avg Market Time Median Sold Price

586 117 $273,000

Conclusions

Based on the information above, one can see more homes sold (340) than there are active on the market (205). This is good for the market. Yet, it appears that it is taking longer for homes to sell. What was selling in 64 days is now taking 104 days. There difference between list and sale price is averaging 4% which is also good for the Evanston Market.

Now let me discuss the Evanston Condominum Market. I would say the condo market in Evanston is weaker than the Single Family Market. There are an equal number of Condo’s on the Market (533) as there were sold over the past eight months (586). It is taking longer to sell condo’s as a result 153 days instead of 117 days and prices of condo’s do not appear to be dropping. This is not good for the Evanston Condo Market.

A Brief History Of Evanston, IL

1600’s

First settlers were the Potowatomi Indians. They lived on the banks of Lake Michigan and supported themselves by hunting and trading furs.

First European settlers where the French. They referred to the area as “Grosse Pointe” In 1674, the French explorer Jacques Marquette wrote “the land bordering the lake is of no value…” Little did he know that the lakeshore would become prime real estate.

1800’s

After the war of 1812, the United States acquired the land from the French.

Nine Methodists including John Evans, Orrington Lunt, and Andrew Brown, helped found Northwestern University. Today Northwestern ranks as one of the top Universities in the country.

1900’s

Toward the end of the 19th Century Evanston earned the nickname “The City of Homes” because of the many beautiful and archetecturally significant homes built by affluent residents of the time.

Tinkertoys (invented in 1914) was located in Evanston.

Ice Cream Sundae was originally nicknamed in Evanston.

The North Shore stretches from the lakefront due north of Chicago. It is made up of nine (9) suburbs (Evanston,Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe,Highland Park, Fort Sheridan, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff). The largest community is Evanston (population 75,000), the smallest is Kenilworth (population 2,500). Most communities were incorporated in the 1860’s and 1870’s. The North Shore became an area where prominant businessmen (bankers, meatpackers,grain traders,and retailers) lived with their families. Most of these people demanded excellence from their architects and typically they got it. The North Shore represents the best in American Architecture.

Evanston Historical Homes:

Charles Gates Dawes House(1895) Vice President to Calvin Coolidge Home is now home to Evanston Historical Society.Architect: Henry Edwards-Ficken

Charles Comstock House(1897)grain merchant and prominent member of the Chicago Board of Trade. Architect: Jarvis Hunt

James Patten House (1901)fortune estimated at $19 millinon as a speculator in wheat,corn,and oats. In 1909 he cornered the wheat market single handedly and made $2 million in one day. Architect:George Maher,Praire School. (House was destroyed and considered a loss to the North Shore)

Nathan Wilbur Williams House (1912) Real Estate and management of family holdings. House is Praire Tudor Style. Architect: Robert Spencer.

Harley Lyman Clarke House (1927) President of the Utilities Power and Light Corporation is the current home of the Evansston Arts Center. House designed from 16th Century English Tudor.Architect: Richard Powers.

Wilmette:

C Percy Skillin HOuse (1914) received offers from major league baseball before he became an investment broker. House is Prairie Style. Architect: John S. Van Bergen

Kenilworth :

Root-Badger House (1806) Two owners Frank Root and Alpheus Shreve Badger. Frank Root was the first owner and son of E.T. Root, music publisher. Alpheus Shreve Badger was in the lumber business. Architect: Daniel H. Burnham

Lake Forest:

McCormick Estate (1916) Mrs Cyrus Hall McCormick Estate lived up to its name “House in the Woods” because it was tucked in an area known as the old south woods Estimated value of the house in 1923 at $11,778,000. Architects: Dwight Perkins and Jens Jensen, landscape architect.

Lake Bluff:

William V. Kelley House (1916) a manufacturer and financier who hired Jens Jenson to design a one-and-a-half acre pond with a stone bridge hence the name of the house became known as “Stonebridge” Architects: Henry Van Doren Shaw and Jens Jenson

Welcome