Geothermal in Evanston

With rising chatter of green talk, I thought it would be interesting to mention some of the buildings in Evanston that are using geothermal technology, which uses the earth to cool and warm a building.

Geothermal systems use underground pipes that pump and circulate water mixed with an anti-freeze solution that is heated or cooled by the Earth’s constant temperature between 50 and 60°F. In winter, heat from the relatively warmer ground goes through the heat exchanger into the house. In summer, hot air from the house is pulled through a heat exchanger into the relatively cooler ground. Heat removed during the summer can be used as no-cost energy to heat water.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, geothermal systems use 25-50 percent less energy than traditional heating and cooling systems. The following are buildings equipped with geothermal systems.

2500-green-bay

2500 Green Bay – Evanston – Attention developers. This is the deal of a century! This foreclosed development has about $300,000 of excavation and foundation work done, including the geothermal system. The previous owner sunk about $1.5 million into the project. The site is 50 x 200. The price – $550,000!!!! 

 

929-sherman929 Sherman – Evanston – Along with the geothermal system, this four bedroom historic landmark home has a recycled tire roof, recycled ash flooring and FSC certificate Brazilian cherry flooring. Price tag – $649,000.

 

 

church-st-village1613-1691 Church – Evanston. The 40-unit townhome development, Church Street Village, is one of the nation’s first large residential developments to use a geothermal system. The system provides 100% of the heating and cooling energy. Evanston’s own Indie Energy installed one geothermal energy well beneath the slab of each town home, to a depth of 400 feet. This energy well provides all of the heating and cooling energy for the individual unit-there is no auxiliary system. The majority of the units have sold. There are two active listings – from $350-425,000.

1111-sherman1111 Sherman – Evanston – This home has not been built but the developer is offering a geothermal, solar and green roof options. Price tag- $875,000.

 

 

 

801-st-johns801 St. Johns – Highland Park – This Energy Star certified  home was designed by Evanston’s green architect, Nathan Kipnis. The home has a geothermal system and radiant floor heat. It sold during a foreclosure process for $1,082,500 on Sept. 26, 2008.

 

 

boocoo1823 Church – Evanston – The Boocoo Cultural Center and Cafe has a geothermal system that was installed by Evanston’s Indie Energy. The 5,000 square foot facility, previously a gas station, grocer, and dollar store, now contains a music school, recording studio, 125-seat performance space, yoga and fitness classes, and a cafe specializing in organic and free-trade fare.

Today’s Closed Properties
1403 Greenleaf – Evanston – $250,000
901 Hinman #3D – Evanston - $291,000
807 Davis #1612 – Evanston – $607,500
853 Laurel #0- Highland Park – $625,000
1896 Hackberry – Lake Forest – $715,000
25 Sheridan – Highland Park – $725,000
931 Pontiac – Wilmette – $740,000
898 Beverly – Lake Forest $950,000
Based on information from Midwest Real Estate Data for the period Jan. 28, 2009 through Jan. 31, 2009. Listing and solds by various Participants of MRED

For more real estate information, please call me at 847-512-2724 or email me at TPareti@rubloff.com

Homes going under contract fast

In a declining real estate market, the average market time to sell a home typically increases. The days of placing a price tag on a home and getting multiple offers the next day are over, at least for now. But even in this challenging real estate climate, there are a few recent cases this month where a home on the North Shore has gone under contract in less than 15 days.

919-hill-winn919 Hill Rd – Winnetka – This six-bedroom mansion with a hefty price tag of $6,800,000 went under contract in 15 days.

 

 

222-woodbine-wilm222 Woodbine – Wilmette – This six-bedroom East Wilmette home priced at $1,050,000 went under contract in 10 days.

 

 

 

115-bertling-winn115 Bertling – Winnetka – This four-bedroom brick Georgian being sold as is for $819,000 went under contract in 14 days.

 

 

 

2222-colfax2222 Colfax – Evanston – This four-bedroom brick Colonial on Evanston’s famous Backlot is priced at $685,000 and went under contract in 4 days.

 

 

Today’s Closed Properties
400 Main #4C – Evanston – $195,000
4940 Jarvis – Skokie – $248,000
897 Elm – Winnetka – $509,400
619 Laurel – Wilmette – $900,000
Based on information from Midwest Real Estate Data for the period Jan. 27, 2009 through Jan. 28, 2009. Listing and solds by various Participants of MRED

For more real estate information, please call me at 847-512-2724 or email me at TPareti@rubloff.com

Tuesday Broker Tour

2808-lakesideToday, my time was limited due to the fact I took my 5-year-old son for a routine doctor checkup. But I did manage to see one property that I think is very interesting.

2808 Lakeside Court is an upper-bracket  modern- home lover’s delight. The 6,000 square-foot contemporary home has four terraces, two patios and an indoor pool in an enclosed room. The east side of the four-level home has views of Lake Michigan, which can be seen from the kitchen, living room and three bedrooms. 

There’s a dumbwaiter that starts on the first level near the garage door  and goes up two levels to a pantry just above the kitchen. It’s convenient to walk in from the garage with groceries – just place them on the dumbwaiter and up the groceries go to the pantry.  The home has six bedrooms – three on the first level, two on the second level and another on the third level.

The home, built in 2001, has been on the market since May 2008 at the same price – $2,750,000.

Today’s Closed Properties
823 Ingleside – Evanston – $585,000
2127 Forestview – Evanston – $585,000
9153 East Prairie – Skokie – $240,000

Based on information from Midwest Real Estate Data for the period Jan. 26, 2009 through Jan. 27, 2009. Listing and solds by various Participants of MRED

For more real estate information, please call me at 847-512-2724 or email me at TPareti@rubloff.com

Foreclosures at low prices

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In 2008, there have been  foreclosures in Evanston that have sold for half of what the previous owner had paid. Some experienced big losses after buying a home “as is”, fixing it up and then selling it for less than original cost.

 

 

 

2209-emerson12209 Emerson sold for $145,000 on Dec. 31. The owner had bought it for $455,00 in 2006.

 

 

 

1225-mcdaniel1225 McDaniel sold for $150,000 on Nov. 20. The same home had sold for $270,000 on April 5, 2005.  

 

 

 

1223-mcdaniel1223 McDaniel sold for $214,000 on Aug. 1. It sold for $328,000 in 2005.

 

 

 

1703-madisonA two-flat, 1703 Madison sold for $243,000 on Oct. 31, 2008. That same property came on the market on Nov. 14, 2007 for $475,000. It never sold and the bank eventually purchased it. The property had sold for $260,000 in 2000.

 

 

625-case-img_6901604 Case sold for $210,000 on Nov. 13, 2008. It sold for $625,000 in 2006.

 

 

 

1945-jackson1945 Jackson sold for $127,500 on Oct. 30, 2008. It sold for $374,000 in 2004.

 

 

 

1621-dodge1621 Dodge sold for $165,000 on Oct. 29, 2008. It sold for $450,000 in 2006.

 

 

 

2833-park2833 Park that was rehabbed sold for $470,000 on Nov. 25. It sold as is for $530,000 in 2006 .

 

 

 

1122-darrow1122 Darrow sold $180,000 on Nov. 10, 2008. It sold for $333,000 in 2004. 

 

 

 

 There are 33 Evanston single family homes on the market that are in the foreclosure process. The most expensive home is 1505 Dewey at $399,000 and the least expensive is 1826 Foster at $149,000.

Today’s Closed Properties
2333 Central #305 – Evanston – $180,000
Based on information from Midwest Real Estate Data for the period Jan. 24, 2009 through Jan. 26, 2009. Listing and solds by various Participants of MRED

For more real estate information, please call me at 847-512-2724 or email me at TPareti@rubloff.com

Evanston History Center and Dawes House to reopen

charlesdaweshouseThe Evanston History Center plans a phased reopening of the Charles Gates Dawes mansion, starting next month with the opening of the home’s basement research center on Feb. 3.

The Evanston History Center also plans to reopen the national historic  landmark mansion, located  at 225 Greenwood Ave., beginning in May with a series of  new tours,  exhibits, the EHC’s annual Mother’s Day House Walk and special events, including the 100th anniversary of  the Burnham Plan of Chicago’s scenic lakefront.

Last April,  Northwestern University closed the Dawes mansion on the lakefront because officials said it would need millions of dollars in upgrades to meet fire and building codes, and a 30-year lease with EHC had expired. Northwestern and EHC are still negotiating the long-term preservation of the Dawes House.

The Research Center will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 1-4 pm. The center contains historical information about Evanston, including property permits, deed transfers, old newspapers, maps, telephone directories, plat surveys, photographs and real estate listings. Reservations are required to use the Research room. For more information email evanstonhs@northwestern.edu or call (847) 475-3410 or go to EHC’s website.

As a member of the Evanston Historical Center, I’m very excited about this news. Last July, Rubloff Residential Properties sponsored its annual Ice Cream Social. It was a lot of fun but participants were unable to take a tour of the Dawes House. I’m hopeful that participants of this year’s Ice Cream Social will be able to see the beautiful interior architecture of the Dawes House. It’s certainly worth it.

 Today’s Closed Properties
400 Main #4C – Evanston – $195,000
8711 St. Louis – Skokie – $280,000
656 Country Lane – Glencoe – $850,000
642 Country Lane – Glencoe – $1,025,000
824 Sheridan – Glencoe – $1,490,000
Based on information from Midwest Real Estate Data for the period Jan. 21, 2009 through Jan. 23, 2009. Listing and solds by various Participants of MRED

For more real estate information, please call me at 847-512-2724 or email me at TPareti@rubloff.com

Tuesday Broker Tour Report

animatedforsalesign

Every Tuesday, I trudge out in rain, sleet, snow or sunshine and visit broker open houses, usually in Evanston. 

For me, it’s fun. I get to chat with my fellow Realtors, and view properties that are either new on the market or there’s a price change. I went to see  five single family homes and one condo that I thought were the most interesting. With the listing’s agent’s permission,  here’s a brief synopsis of what I saw.

1) 2408 Noyes – This three-bedroom, two-bath Colonial showed well. It has  a circular floor plan with hardwood floors, a first-level bath, a partially finished basement and a comfy living room that opens to a large wood deck. The upstairs has three bedrooms and one full bath (no master bath). The lot size is decent – 40×180 – and the taxes are $10,852.24. The price might be a little on the high end for a 3-bedroom - $625,000. 

2) 801 Roslyn- This four-bedroom, 4.1 bath and 4,000 square-foot Ranch home is located on a cul-de-sac, a half block from Baker School and very close to Lake Michigan and my favorite Evanston beach, the Lighthouse Beach. Clearly, one of the best features of this home is an open glass-enclosed open courtyard smack in the middle of the home. This is a rare and excellent feature of the home because you can access the courtyard from any of the four sides – living room, family room, several bedrooms and foyer. The courtyard also brings in tons of light to the interior of the home. The rest of the home is updated, and has a finished basement.  Another nice feature is a large cedar deck, leading to a cozy backyard gazebo. I liked just about everything except some of the rooms were carpeted and for the price a lot of buyers probably would want hardwood floors (nothing that can’t be amended). Price tag-$1,395,000.

3) 604 Sheridan #3E- If you like vintage details in a condo this one-bedroom would fit the bill. This top floor condo gets a lot of light, and has lots of  vintage features – wood-burning fireplace, crown molding, picture frame molding in the dining room, high ceilings and hardwood floors. The kitchen is updated with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. And, it’s a block from the beach. But the best feature of this condo is the fact it comes with deeded parking. That’s important because residents who live on that stretch of Sheridan Road can no longer park on Sheridan Square, just east of Sheridan. That took away a lotof convenient parking spaces for Sheridan Road residents, who now either have to get lucky and find limited space on Sheridan or on the side streets of South and Keeney. But deeded garage parking – voila! Price tag-$200,000.

4) 2427 Hastings- This newer 4-bedroom, 2.1 bath Northwest Evanston home built in 2001 has a lot of space and was designed by Nathan Kipnis, known for his energy efficient homes. The home has a decent-sized kitchen that is connected to a breakfast room and opens to a living room. Another nice feature is an attached 2-car garage in the back. I like this feature because the garage is not out front, spoiling the home’s curb appeal. Most homes in the area have detached garages as mine does, and it’s inconvenient to trek back and forth from garage to home, vice versa. The unfinished basement has high-ceilings and can be easily finished. The sellers just dropped the price to  $825,000 from $845,000.

5) 2640 Central Park- If you have a taste for bungalows this four-bedroom, 2.1 bath, red-brick home might whet your appetite. This home has a new kitchen and bathrooms and really shows well for the price – $559,000. There are two bedrooms on the first floor and two on the second level – a typical bungalow layout.  Another nice feature is the close proximity to Willard Elementary – 1/2 block away – an EZ walk for the kiddos.

 Today’s Closed Properties
1811 Davis- Evanston – $102,000 (short sale)
1567 Ridge #302 – Evanston – $135,000
644 Hibbard #644 – Wilmette – $165,000
1919 Lee #O – Evanston – $175,000 (Short sale)
1503 Oak #108 – Evanston – $220,000
7734 E. Prairie – Skokie – $260,000
480 Saunders – Lake Forest – $672,000 (Short sale)
580 Orchard – Glencoe – $1,227,500
Based on information from Midwest Real Estate Data for the period Jan. 16, 2009 through Jan. 20, 2009. Listing and solds by various Participants of MRED

For more real estate information, please call me at 847-512-2724 or email me at TPareti@rubloff.com

Open House Sunday 1/18/09 in Lake Forest

11_linden_sunroomSay hello to a good buy.

You are cordially invited to my open house tomorrow 1-3 p.m. at 11 Linden in Lake Forest.

It’s a beautiful 4-bedroom home on a cul-de-sac with an extra deep lot (two pin numbers). Some of the many features include newer counters in an eat-in kitchen, a newer master bath, a 22′ x 36′ custom deck, two fireplaces, a sprinkler system, a paver driveway and a sun-filled family room with skylights and vaulted ceilings. This home gets great southern exposure, and is close to the train and highway. Lake Forest has great schools, and sits along Lake Michigan, north of Chicago.

So, please come buy and say hello.

To see more pics, click here

Today’s Closed Properties
2205 McDaniel – Evanston – $618,000
1624 Madison, #0 – Evanston – $185,000
8746 Kedvale, Unit C- Skokie – $218,000
8626 Lawndale – Skokie – $245,000 (short sale)
653 Broadway – Highland Park – $300,000
311 Noble – Lake Forest – $330,000
1101 Grant – Evanston – $521,000
675 Blackthorn – Winnetka – $1,500,000
Based on information from Midwest Real Estate Data for the period Jan. 15, 2009 through Jan. 17, 2009. Listing and solds by various Participants of MRED

For more real estate information, please call me at 847-512-2724 or email me at TPareti@rubloff.com

Welcome to Evanston Homes and Condos

evanston-lighthouseWelcome to my web blog. It’s a New Year so why not start a new web blog? Right?

My aim is to write informative and fresh pieces on a variety of real estate-related topics about Evanston and the North Shore. I am hopeful that this site will be a useful and valuable resource to Evanstonians and anyone interested about Evanston and the North Shore.

I am excited about this web blog for many reasons but primarily that I am able to apply my journalistic skills once again. For more than 10 years, I had worked as a reporter and editor for several newspapers and legal publications as well as a full-time stringer for the Chicago Tribune. I have also as a freelance writer contributed to several legal publications, including Paralegal Today. In addition, I earned a Master of Science degree in journalism from Texas A&M University.

To be honest, I’m not sure how this web blog will evolve. Will I spend more time writing about people, places or businesses or will I focus primarily on the real estate market? I’m not sure at this point. Only time will tell. But I do know I will be focused on trying to make this site interesting and fresh.

Some of the features of this web blog include an easy to use property search and links that are conveniently categorized for those who are looking for something to do in Evanston – museums, theatres, movies or live music. Also, I will at the end of each post include the current closed properties so that readers can get up-to-date property closings in Evanston and the North Shore.

I hope you enjoy this web blog and please feel free to post your comments. I’d love to read your opinions and share your ideas.

Today’s closed properties:
2216 Madison Place – Evanston-sold for $250,000
2615 Prairie #204- Evanston – sold for $542,719
436 Prairie Ave. – Wilmette – sold for $550,000
1254 Ridge- Lake Forest – sold for $1,225,000
Based on information from Midwest Real Estate Data for the period Jan. 12, 2009 through Jan. 14, 2009. Listing and solds by various Participants of MRED.

For more real estate information, please call me at 847-512-2724 or email me at TPareti@rubloff.com

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