North Shore Views

Winnetka- Home of the First Jungle Gym

annewwest — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:59:11 +0000

Here’s a little known bit of North Shore trivia: the first-ever Jungle Gym, constructed in 1920, is still being enjoyed by children at Crow Island School on Willow Road in Winnetka. It was invented and patented by lawyer and Winnetka resident Sebastian Hinton. Apparently Hinton’s father, a mathematician, had built a three-dimensional bamboo frame in their backyard in Japan in order to teach his children about Cartesian-coordinates. But Sebastian and his siblings thought it was just a toy where they could climb and swing like monkeys. As an adult he saw that it could be a fun and space-efficient way to encourage physical development in children and he proposed it to Winnetka school superintendent, Carleton Washburne.

First Jungle Gym Still Stands at Crow Island School in Winnetka

The first prototype was placed at North Shore Country Day School. While it was a big hit with the kids, it also had some design flaws, which needed correcting. A sturdier version was installed at Horace Mann School (where the Post Office now stands). When the school was demolished in 1940, the apparatus was then moved to Crow Island School, where it still sits on the southeast corner of the school’s playground.

Posted in Local curiosities, Winnetka Tagged: Crow island school, North Shore history, winnetka

November North Shore Market Update

annewwest — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:57:50 +0000

North Shore real estate trends are currently a good news, bad news story.
The market is definitely inching towards a recovery, here as well as most
other markets, although the North Shore has benefited less from the first
time buyer tax credit than lower-priced markets. Sales on the North Shore
were up 21% in the latest two month period versus year ago, so reluctant
buyers are getting off the fence and things are moving again. The not so
good news is that prices are down 7% and average time on market has
increased by 14% to 201 days. But that’s an average. Some properties are
selling quickly- those are the ones that are priced right from the
beginning, and buyers perceive a good value.

September-October 2009 vs. Year Ago*

Town	Units Sold% Change	Avg. Price% Change	Days on Mkt% Change
Evanston	+15%	-33%	+58%
Wilmette	-	-7%	-35%
Glenview	+22%	-12%	+51%
Northfield	+40%	-16%	+20%
Winnetka	-4%	-7%	+16%
Glencoe	+79%	-12%	-5%
Highland Park	+11%	-6%	-27%
Lake Forest	+119%	-3%	+12%
North Shore	+21%	-7%	+14%

* Single family homes (Source: MRED)

Posted in North Shore market data Tagged: evanston, glencoe, North Shore market data, north shore real estate trends, north shore sales trends, wilmette, winnetka

5 Things to Do Now to Sell Your House in 2010

annewwest — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:46:36 +0000

If you are thinking of putting your house on the market next spring, don’t wait until then to start getting it ready to list. Traditionally, Super Bowl Sunday marks the beginning of the spring selling season in real estate, which means you’ve only got about three months to get your house in shape. Start now so that you can take advantage of the surge in buyer interest come next February.

Here are five things you can do right now to get ahead of the curve and ensure your home is ready to hit the MLS next spring:

1. Cut the clutter:
If you’re like most people, you’ve accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. Moving provides a great incentive to finally get rid of the junk you’ve been hoarding. Starting now will give you ample time to take that trip down memory lane as you go through old papers, letters, photographs and other mementos. If you set aside a couple hours to do this each weekend, by February you will have weeded out a lot and moving will be much less stressful.

2. Improve curb appeal:
Your yard will still be frozen on Super Bowl Sunday, so it makes sense to get some of those outdoor chores done now, while it’s still relatively mild out. Clean up the yard, edge the beds, fertilize the lawn and plant clusters of bulbs for a show of color in the spring. Make sure your front entry is as inviting as possible. Give the door and door frame a new coat of paint, polish the door knocker and make sure the house numbers, mailbox and porch lights are in a consistent style. In addition to making the house more attractive to future home buyers, you’ll also impress your holiday guests.

3. Paint the interior:
Nothing will give you more bang for the home improvement buck than a fresh coat of paint. Keep your potential buyer in mind and go for a neutral palette. Using the same color family in adjoining rooms will improve the flow of the house and tie everything together. And remember, neutral does not necessarily mean white or beige. In fact, white can be quite stark and cold, while beige can be boring and blah. Go for warmer tones in the main living areas to make the rooms more inviting.

4. Donate to a good cause:
This is the time to edit your wardrobe. Take everything out of the closet and force yourself to let go of those 80’s outfits and anything else you haven’t worn in a year. Be ruthless about what you get rid of. You will thank yourself when it comes time to move. This is also a great time to collect all the winter coats, boots and gloves your family has outgrown and donate them to the needy. Several organizations do winter coat drives for the homeless this time of year and would be thrilled to have your cast-offs.

5. Make a list of needed repairs:
Go through your house, inside and out, and look at it objectively, as a buyer would. Write down everything that needs fixing. These are things you simply must take care of before listing your house. Otherwise, buyers will see small problems and wonder what bigger problems await them. Call a handyman and get those repairs done of by the end of January.

There will be lots more to do when your listing date gets closer, but taking care of these things now should make the whole process less stressful.

Posted in Selling a home, Staging to sell Tagged: preparing your home to sell, real estate, selling your home, Staging to sell