Lake County News
Selling in Long Grove: Don’t Dump It, Donate It, Go Green!
February 25, 2010 by Sharron · Leave a Comment
Give your old stuff new life by contributing it to worthy organizations.
Everyone knows that when you are selling your home, you end up with endless boxes of things that you haven’t used in a long time but you just don’t want to throw away, or you end up throwing things away even though it may be useful to other people.
We have a list of websites (nonprofit organizations) that can be extremely useful for anyone in both situations. Our Team recommends that you jump on the band wagon and GO GREEN!
Reuse, Reduce and Recycle!
That is what The Sharron Kelley Team Suggests to all of our clients in Long Grove and all of the Lake County Illinois!
Confession time: How much of the stuff that’s crammed into your closets, attic, and basement do you actually need or use? We’re talking about the bridesmaid dress the bride swore you’d wear again, the books your kid never read, and the inline skates you bought on a whim.
But before you haul your random clutter to the dump, find out if there’s a greener way to get rid of it. These organizations will take all that junk off your hands and recycle it or give it to those in need.
HOME GOODS
Animal shelters are often desperate for donations of soft blankets, thick towels, and linens to use in the animal cages. To find a shelter near you, visit www.Pets911.com.
Contribute your used furniture, such as beds, couches, and dining room tables, to your local chapter of the National Furniture Bank Association visit NationalFurnitureBank.org. The organization provides furniture to victims of hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes. It also helps families living below the poverty level and women and children who are starting over after fleeing violent homes.
ELECTRONICS
The World Computer Exchange is a nonprofit that aims to keep computers out of landfills by giving them to disadvantaged kids in more than 65 countries. Visit WorldComputerExchange.org to learn how to donate your unwanted laptops and desktops.
To find local organizations that accept used computers, televisions, cell phones, and empty ink cartridges (which can be refilled or recycled), visit Earth911.com/electronics.
Donate your old computers, printers, and software to the National Cristina Foundation (Cristina.org), which supplies electronics to charities across the country that support at-risk children, people with disabilities, and the underprivileged.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ncadv.org) accepts used cell phones and gives them to women who might need one in an emergency.
Handheld electronic gaming systems are one of the items most requested by troops stationed abroad. If you have one to donate, visit Games for Heroes (GamesForHeroes.com); the group will send it to U.S. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Get-Well Gamers Foundation (GetWellGamers.org) collects video-game systems and games and distributes them to a network of more than 40 children’s hospitals and treatment facilities across the country.
CLOTHING
Donate old suits, dresses, work-appropriate clothes, and accessories to Dress for Success (DressForSuccess.org), a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged women find and maintain employment. Clients receive one suit when they get an interview and are eligible for another after they land a job.
Career Gear (CareerGear.org) is a similar program that collects used men’s clothes.
Visit DonateMyDress.org to find locations in your area where you can donate prom dresses and formal wear for underprivileged young women.
Brides Against Breast Cancer (BridesAgainstBreastCancer.org) accepts wedding gowns, slips, and veils and sells them at events across the country. All proceeds go to MakingMemories.org, a foundation that grants final wishes to women who have terminal breast cancer.
You can donate worn-out fleece clothing to Patagonia’s Common Threads Garment Recycling program (Patagonia.com). Drop them off at a local Patagonia store and they’ll be recycled into new clothes.
The charity Soles4Souls (Soles4Souls.org) was formed after the tsunami hit Southeast Asia in 2004 in order to provide shoes to people who had lost everything in the storm. Today the nonprofit accepts gently used footwear and sends it to people in need here and around the world.
SPORTS EQUIPMENT
At ILoveSchools.com, teachers post wish lists for items they need that are beyond their school’s budget; many request sporting goods such as jump ropes, hula hoops, and basketballs.
Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe campaign collects all brands of used athletic shoes, which are recycled and turned into everything from basketball courts and running tracks to new athletic shoes and gear. To find drop-off locations, visit NikeReuseaShoe.com.
One World Running (OneWorldRunning.blogspot.com) accepts gently used running sneakers and sends them to people in need. You can also visit RecycledRunners.com to find other organizations in your area that will benefit from your used sneakers.
BOOKS AND MEDIA
The Global Literacy Project collects used books for its worldwide literacy programs; read up on donation guidelines at Glpinc.org. Or bring your old books to your local Salvation Army or Goodwill thrift store.
Donate gently used kids’ books to ProjectNightNight.org. The reading material will be added to the organization’s “Night Night” tote bags — along with a security blanket and stuffed animal — which are given to homeless children.
Before you recycle that stack of magazines, pass them along to someone else. Local hospitals, women’s shelters, and retirement homes may be happy to take them off your hands. If you have DVDs your kids no longer watch, contribute them to children’s hospitals and pediatric wards via Kidflicks.org.
MISCELLANEOUS
If you have a big-ticket item to give, such as a car or truck, consider donating it to Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Cars for Kids’ Sake (bbbs.org). The group will pick it up (even if it doesn’t work!) and resell it; the proceeds will benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters programs in your community.
Other charities that accept vehicle donations include Habitat for Humanity (Habitat.org) and the American Diabetes Association (Diabetes.org).
Uniteforsight.org accepts nonprescription sunglasses and sends them to people in Africa who don’t have access to eye care.
The Sharron Kelley Team knows the Long Grove area and we know how to get homes sold. If you are looking to buy or sell in the Lake County Illinois Area contact us at 847-465-3638 or email us sharron@northernillinoishomes.com
You can visit our website at www.NorthernIllinoisHomes.com or www.SharronKelley.com for more information on our current listings and see how we get homes SOLD!
Vernon Hills Homes: Gregg’s Landing Real Estate!
February 23, 2010 by Sharron · Leave a Comment
Gregg’s Landing Vernon Hills
If you have been through Gregg’s Landing in Vernon Hills, you know it is a very unique area which has a lot to offer. There are 23 different communities within this subdivision, ranging from Townhouses to High End Custom Homes. When the Subdivision was originally built, the communities were called pods, and many different builders were involved in creating this Luxurious area that we know today.
Gregg’s Landing features a golf course and a club house that attracts many of the local residents, as well as people from the surrounding Lake County Illinois towns. The White Deer Run Golf Course is a well kept luscious 18 hole golf course that wraps through many of the Townhomes and Single Family homes. The area also features newly updated parks for the little ones, as well as small ponds and wooded areas. It truly is a great place to live.
The breakdowns of the Gregg’s Landings’ communities are as follows:
Townhomes Prices starting in the Mid $200,000’s and going to the Mid $400,000 range
Single Family Lower Price Range from the high $500,000’s to $700,000’s
Single Family Semi Custom Homes priced from the high $650,000’s to the $850,000’s
Full Custom Homes ranges from the $800,000’s on up
Single Family Zero Lot Line No Maintenance Homes Price from the mid $400’s
Our team is an expert in this area. We have Listed and Sold Many of the Homes in Gregg’s Landing and the surrounding Vernon Hills areas. We are closing in 2 days on a townhouse in Pinehurst, and activating 2 new listing in Baytree and Inverness.
The Sharron Kelley Team knows the Vernon Hills area and we know how to get homes sold. If you are looking to buy or sell in the Lake County Illinois Area contact us at 847-465-3638 or email us sharron@northernillinoishomes.com
You can visit our website at www.NorthernIllinoisHomes.com or www.SharronKelley.com for more information on our current listings and see how we get homes SOLD!
Buffalo Grove Realtor: Tips From The Sharron Kelley Team!
February 21, 2010 by Sharron · Leave a Comment
Top 10 Reasons to List with The Sharron Kelley Team!
Listing With The Number 1 Agent at Coldwell Banker in Buffalo Grove
1. Education and Experience: We work as a team to get the job done. Our team consists of 3 full time agents and 2 administrative and marketing associates.
2. Neighborhood Knowledge: We provide you with realistic and up-to-date advice on the current market conditions. We have the knowledge and ability to properly price your property to sell quickly!
3. Negotiation Skills: We are confident that our team can get the highest sale price for your home. When you price your home to compete in today’s market, you know your bottom line will be met when you list with our team.
4. Comprehensive Multi-Level Marketing Plan: Through agent tours, blast emails, newspaper ads, virtual tours, direct mail marketing and placement in local and national real estate publications, we are able to give your home exposure on 50 plus websites.
5. Honesty, Ethics and a Proven Track Record: Just ask and we will provide you with personal references including phone numbers and client surveys from past clients.
6. We are Internet Savvy: Our website www.northernillinoishomes.com attracts buyers from all over the country, from people relocating to our area that have to move and new home buyers. Your house is being marketed and viewed 24/7. We provide you with reports showing you how many times your home has been viewed online from websites such as; realtor.com, MLS, tour factory, trulia, agency logic which provides you with your own www.address and more.
7. Outstanding Communication and Follow-up Skills: Someone from our staff is available for you talk to every day of the week. With regards to showings, we contact all agents that show your home and get feedback to pass on to you via email so you receive information immediately.
8. Our Network: We work with a team of inspectors, attorneys and lenders that provide you with the utmost of service and expertise just like we do.
9. Free Home Staging Consultation When you List with “The Sharron Kelley Team”: A proven strategy to Maximize the return on your investment is to make your home The Home people want to buy. We bring in a home stager to help you get your home sold, and it is FREE!
10. We Are Experts in Making the Process of Selling Your Home Easy: If you want a smooth transaction, put us to work Now, and let’s make the of sale of your home a “Win-Win” situation today!
If you are looking for Buffalo Grove Real Estate or any home in the Northwest Suburbs of Lake County Illinois contact The Sharron Kelley Team by calling at 847-465-3638 or email us at sharron@northernillinoishomes.com
You can visit our website at www.NorthernIllinoisHomes.com or www.SharronKelley.com for more information on our current listings and see how we get homes SOLD!
Buffalo Grove Real Estate Market Data Report for January 2010
February 18, 2010 by Sharron · Leave a Comment
The Market Data Report for Buffalo Grove Homes from RANWC shows as follows:
12 Homes were sold in January 2010 verses 6 Homes in 2009.
The Medium sale price in January 2010 is $312,583 verses $351,067 in 2009 and is down 6.7%.
The chart below shows the market statistics for detached homes and highlights the surrounding towns closest to Buffalo Grove.
Is the Market Going to Turn Around in Lake County Illinois?
The good news is that Vernon Hills, Kildeer, Long Grove, Hawthorn Woods, and Libertyville pricing has gone up in January. This is very good news for everyone, I know it is early in the year, however homes are selling.
We just sold another home in the Buffalo Grove Rolling Hills subdivision www.1923Sheridan.com
As 2010 continues we can look forward to an upswing in real estate. I know that from last year this time, business is already picking up for me. Although last year was one of the worst for me in a long time, I was still able to top off as the #1 Agent at Coldwell Banker in Buffalo Grove and #3 in the Northwest Region.
As we see a small turn in the market, I am looking forward to a great year from myself, my fellow real estate agents, home buyers and home sellers.
Full Market Report Lake County Illinois Suburbs Detached (PDF)
Full Market Report Lake County Illinois Suburbs Attached (PDF)
I you are looking for more information about the Northwest Suburbs of Illinois including Long Grove, Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills, Libertyville, Hawthorn Woods or Palatine give The Sharron Kelley Team a call at 847-980-0426 or email me at sharron@northernillinoishomes.com
Long Grove Real Estate: Use a realtor who knows the news!
February 17, 2010 by Sharron · Leave a Comment
When is winter going to end in Long Grove? I’m sure everyone in Lake County Illinois is waiting for all of this snow to melt and flowers to start blooming. As the weather begins to turn, we will see all of the events such as the Fine Arts Festival and Strawberry Festival which Long Grove is known for.
Downtown Long Grove is an historical area with businesses and houses that date back to the 1800’s. This thriving town of cobblestone walks that wind include the shops like Bella Donna Boutique, Casa Brasil, Country House of Long Grove and more. The restaurants include Long Grove Café & Restaurant, Victoria’s Mexican Grill, The Village Tavern and there is so much more including art galleries, salons and jewelry shops. These are just some of the places that make up this historical area with unique charm the place it is today.
For a map and list of local businesses (PDF)
Commonly known as the crossroads, Long Grove was first settled by German immigrants who kept their farms in the great plains of Illinois and would come to town to buy supplies. As the years passed the crossroads of the Indian trails, one leading Northwest from Chicago through Buffalo Grove and Long Grove and one Southwest from the Lake Michigan shores crossing in Long Grove, came to mark this lush and beautifully wooded town that we all know and love today.
By 1880 the first settlers of this area, George Ruth and family claimed a remarkable 160 acres of this great prairie land, of course not even recognizing what the value of Long Grove Real Estate would be today. At that time the town consisted of general stores, blacksmiths, wagon and carriage shops, a tavern, a hotel, churches and a school.
If only the crossroads could talk, I’m sure there would be great stories to tell which have made Long Grove the town it is today.
To carry on its traditions, this town celebrates events throughout the year. If you are ever looking for something to do, you have found a small haven in the crossroads.
Coming soon, March 27 & 28, 2010 is the Long Grove Ice Meltin’ Blues Fest.
Although the date has not been announced in April you can look forward to the Flaming Flapjacks Pancake Breakfast. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausages, coffee and fruit – hosted by the Long Grove Firefighters Association and the South Lake County Regional Community Emergency Response Team.
My favorite event that takes place April 30-May 2, 2010 is the Chocolate Fest. It is a celebration of everything Chocolate. It is fun for the whole family and the warm weather gives you a chance to enjoy what this charming village has to offer.
I could go on and on about this amazing town, but I think you should see it for yourself.
I you are looking for more information about Long Grove and the Northwest Suburbs of Lake County Illinois give The Sharron Kelley Team a call at 847-980-0426 or email me at sharron@northernillinoishomes.com
For a List of All of the Events and Information (PDF)
You can visit our website at www.NorthernIllinoisHomes.com or www.SharronKelley.com for more information on our current listings and see how we get homes sold.
Real Estate in Buffalo Grove Sold in the Last Quarter of 2009
February 16, 2010 by Sharron · Leave a Comment
The last quarter of 2009 was very good for us!
We sold homes in the Woodlands Subdivision, 2301 Birchwood Lane,
Green Knolls Subdivision www.1379greenknolls.com ,
Churchill Subdivision www.577Coventry.com ,
Mirielle Subdivision www.2390Chambourd.com ,
Canterbury Fields subdivision www.441Foxford.com , and
We just sold one in Rolling Hills Subdivision of Buffalo Grove www.1923Sheridan.com which is set to close soon.
Online Exposure Sells Your Home!
Most people do not realize that in today’s real estate market, the first showing of your home is online. If the buyers like what they see online they will then schedule a showing of the home with a real estate agent.
A point to mention here is that great photography is a must today and virtual tours that flow well. You need a good professional photographer to do this, and we have two on staff.
One of my favorite sayings that I tell my clients and prospects is, “Your home is in a beauty contest and a price war at the same time. In order to get to the finish line, you have to place in the Top Five, so let me show you what I can do to get you there.”
It is important, and a must that you hire a real estate agent with sophisticated internet marketing and extensive online exposure. We market our properties on over 50 websites, and my listings are selling.
Do I Sell Your Home or Just List it?
If we are showing our properties on 50 plus web sites, we are showing your home to thousands of prospective buyers every day, and that is how a buyer will choose to see your home. My answer is we listed it and sold it as well, even though another agent worked with the buyer and with our Team. That is the magic of The Sharron Kelley Team!
If you are looking to buy or sell a sell a home in Lake County Illinois including Buffalo Grove, Long Grove and Vernon Hills please contact us. You can reach us at 847-465-3638 or email me at sharron@northernillinoishomes.com You can also visit our website www.northernillinoishomes.com or www.northernillinoishomes.com
Buffalo Grove Sold Properties
![[The Sharron Kelley Team]](http://www.northernillinoishomes.com/images/the-sharron-kelley-team.jpg)
