FRESH PRODUCE = AMAZING MEALS !!

Visit The famous Lake Bluff Illinois Farmers’ Market. Known for it's fresh produce and lively ambiance, people visit from all over. Come early and have a fresh cup of gourmet coffee while you walk around and plan tonights dinner. For more info visit our website Farmer's Market.

It is conveniently located on the west side of East Center Avenue and the south side of Scranton Avenue adjacent to the Village Green. The Market is scheduled to take place each Friday, from June through October (7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.).

Located @ West Side of East Center Avenue and the South Side of Scranton Avenue Lake Bluff, IL 60044

Map to Farmers Market

WHAT DOES "UNDERSTANDING YOUR PERSPECTIVE" REALLY MEAN

Aside from the necessity to listen completely...my definition of "Understanding Your Perspective" has at its origin...
Understanding that...
... my clients are the most important people in my business
...clients are not an interruption of my work: they are the purpose of my work
...my clients are not dependant on me; I am dependant on them.
...I am not doing them a favor by serving them; they are doing me a favor by allowing me the opportunity to do so.

Please let me know what other "values " beside professionalism, market knowledge, and honesty that you expect from YOUR Realtor?

GOT SCHOOL??

Relocating is a strain on any family. That's why Alan has put together a helpful kit to make your next move as smooth as possible. Request your copy now!

Lake Forest, Illinois, is located in beautiful Lake County. 7 miles south of Waukegan and 29 miles North of Chicago and a booming part of the surrounding Chicago Metro area. Lake Forest is a well planned city and among one of the most desired affluent communities in the United States. Home to more than 20,000 people, Lake Forest schools are rated amongst the highest rated public schools in the country.

I understand how important picking the right school is for your families future, as a member of this community I can share with you the in's and out's of Lake Forest. Give me a call or email me today and let's talk about what your options are in today's changing market. http://www.alanlurie.com/

PLEASE READ ON ABOUT...BUYER HESITATION DISSOLVING...

Buyer Hesitation Is Dissolving
ECONOMIC
By Robert Freedman September 2009
After four years of declines, home sales on a national basis finally appear to be turning around. Closed sales, which have risen three straight months, and pending contracts, up for five straight months, are at levels above normal spring and summer increases.


First-time buyers in particular have stepped up to take advantage of deeply discounted prices, low mortgage rates, and the buyer tax credit. In a few markets, the rebound has been quite heated, with sales doubling from year-ago levels. In some cases there's even multiple bidding—though mostly over foreclosed and other distressed properties. Nonetheless, it's clear that buyers are returning.

What's more, home prices and mortgage payments in relation to income are comfortably below historical levels, at least in many markets. That suggests home prices have overcorrected downward.

Some markets, as a result, could experience a snap back in home prices, with price gains in the high single digits or low double digits, compared with historical average annual price appreciation of 4 percent. Houston, Denver, and San Diego are among the markets on track to have better-than-average price gains in the next two years.

Still, the housing market is far from being out of the doldrums.

The economic rebound will be one of the most tepid we've ever seen. Consumers are being extra cautious, saving more to pump up their depleted retirement accounts. The unemployment rate in 2010 is expected to be at around 10 percent. The federal budget deficit will force up mortgage rates next year, though not alarmingly.

But because consumers' view of home values is fundamentally changing, the momentum of rising home sales will likely continue in 2010. Buyers are no longer hesitant about home purchases on the fear of further price declines. And that sets the stage for a steady release of pent-up housing demand.
___________________________________________________________________
Robert Freedman is a senior editor of REALTOR® magazine. He can be contacted at rfreedman@realtors.org.

$8000 Homebuyer TAX CREDIT will be ending soon

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Use any metaphor you want: the ticking clock, sands running through the hourglass or pages falling away from the calendar. The fact is, time is running out to claim the $8,000 first-time homebuyers tax credit.

Passed earlier this year as part of the economic stimulus package, the credit is good for up to $8,000, or 10% of the purchase price, and applies to people who have not owned a home in the previous three years. (There are some income restrictions.) The best part: Unlike a similar program from 2008, the credit does not have to be repaid.
The bad part: It ends on Dec. 1.

Because it usually takes around 90 days to close on a house after a contract is signed, buyers have very little time left to act. As of Thurs., Aug. 27, there were only 96 days left before the credit ends.

"Buyers have to get a home under contract very, very soon," said Tom Kunz, CEO of Century 21. "They probably should get out looking."

SALES ARE BEING MADE...

Sunday...
In the last few days there has not been a lot to write about...but thought I'd share the over-riding sense of the market as exchanged by a lot of agents...

Most of my colleagues up and down the Shore do think that there is more activity in the last few weeks than we have seen in many months...that's a good sign. BUT there doesn't seem to be any sustained strengthening on the price side of the equation.

Consistent with my earlier writings..foreclosures and short sales still dominate the market on a National basis... Locally, there has been a slight increase in units sold in Lake Forest over the last 3 month...June saw 14 single family homes sold, while July and Aug saw 19 each month.

Lake Bluff and Lincolnshire did not fair as well...Lake Bluff went from 6 up to 9 and back to 6 in Aug. Lincolnshire went from 12 down to 5 then up to 6 in Aug. Market time was a function of realistic pricing on the seller's side.

These figures reflect units sold in ALL price points...so no trend can yet be seen. Every once in awhile an upper bracket home was sold...but that was the exception to the rule.

Again, I implore sellers to be sensitive to what the market is telling them about their pricing. Homes that are energy priced are selling...if you are considering putting your house on the market, I'd like to help you...but, in the end, regardless of who you use...consider my advice. You'll get your home sold much more quickly. Market time is the cause of angst.

Tomorrow, I'll share a thought or 2 on how to determine an energy price!

I'M NO BROWN COW...

THINK METAPHORICALLY... (think... Realtor)

To quote directly from the synopsis penned about the introductory premise of Seth Godin's wildly acclaimed marketing manifesto entitled " THE PURPLE COW" (Penquin Group,2003)... It was written ...

"...Cows, after you've seen one, or two or ten, are boring. A PURPLE COW , though...now that would be something. PURPLE COW describes something phenomenal, something counterintuitive and exciting and flat out unbelievable. Every day, consumers come face to face with a lot of boring stuff...a lot of brown cows...but you can bet they won't forget a PURPLE COW. And it's not a marketing function that you can slap on to ...a product or service...
PURPLE COW is inherent. It's built right in, or it's not there. Period"

"Among the herds of 'cows' grazing in the green fields, there was one PURPLE cow among the brown ones..."

...AND I WOULD RATHER BE IT, THAN SEE IT...