Noah Levy: September 2010

Are You Prepared For A Power Outage In Your Home?

Last night at about 6:15 I was in the kitchen preparing dinner for my family, my husband was doing work in his office and my kids had just gotten home from football practice and were getting cleaned up; simultaneous to  our evening activities  a storm was rolling in.....within minutes the skies opened and the winds kicked in. Boom - a loud noise of thunder and the LIGHTS WENT OUT!!!!! There we were scattered throughout our house with no power!

Being prepared for a power outage can alleviate chaos in a home.

Below are a few tips of how to be prepared for a power outage.

1. Stay calm!

2. Have a meeting place in your home so that everyone can be together.  This is essential if you have young kids.

3. Know where your list of important phone numbers are so that you can call the electric company to notify them of  the outage

4  Have candles and matches together in one place

5. Have a flashlight accessible on all floors of your home

6. Have a battery back up for your sump pump

7. Switch off all lights in the home that were on when the power went out

8. Do not open your refrigerator or freezer

Having a few of these tips in place can truly make a difference.

The above article, Are You Prepared For A Power Outage In Your Home, was written by Noah Levy - a REALTOR assisting buyers and sellers with their Real Estate needs  along Chicago's North Shore Suburbs.

Fun Afternoon Activity For Entire Family - Dogs Included in Highland Park IL

Looking for fun in the outdoors  this afternoon?  How about heading down to Moraine Beach with your Pup?  Today from 1-3 the Park District of Highland Park will be sponsoring Woofstock at Moraine Beach. Our dog loves going to the doggie beach - it's a wonderful place for her to get excercise, go for a swim and mingle with other dogs.

This fun event is free of charge and a permit  for your dog is not necessary for today's event. Let your dog run around and enjoy other dogs. Bring your kids to bounce around in an inflatable.  Various vendors will be at this event promoting their products - from dog food to places to board your dog while you are away.

Moraine Dog Beach is always a great place to visit with your dog! If you have never taken your dog down there then today is great day to check it out as you do not need a permit. Enjoy!

The above article, Fun Afternoon Activity for Entire Family - Dogs Included in Highland Park IL, was written by Noah Levy - a REALTOR assisting buyers and sellers with their Real Estate needs in Highland Park IL and other surrounding North Shore Suburbs.

Is your home feeling tired?  Looking for a simple face lift?

Every now and then I look at my own home and realize that while I'm out and about assisting sellers and buyers with their Real Estate Needs I often times skip over the advise which I give to others. I have written posts about prepping your home for sale and thought to myself....why not take my own advise and apply it to my own home?!?!

No I am not in the market but I thought a few little changes can probably make a difference.  So think about it....Is your home feeling tired? Is your home in need of a  simple face lift?

Below are a few simple tips which will brighten up any home both inside and out - regardless if you are thinking of selling or just looking for a simple face lift for your home.

Exterior:

1. Change out your mailbox

2. Have a welcome mat

3. Get  two planters one for each side of the door - fill with flowers.   Mums are great during this time of year.

4. Paint your front door

5. Trim your bushes and get rid of dead branches

Interior:

1. Buy a fresh bouquet of flowers

2. Repaint a room

3. Go through closets and purge what you and /or your family does not use - make a donation

4. Get new towels for your powder room

5. Get a garbage bag and clean out a drawer or two - you'll be amazed how quickly the bag is filled.

Just pick a few of these tips and you will be amazed what a little face lift can do to a home.  I strongly believe that  - "change is good" and I think that every home deserves  a change once in a while too.

The above article, Is Your Home Feeling Tired? Looking For A Simple Face Lift?, was written by Noah Levy - a REALTOR assisting sellers and buyers with their Real Estate needs along Chicago's North Shore Suburbs.

Have You Had Your Home Tested For Radon?

Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is found in homes but it can be mitigated. It is a natural radioactive gas that one cannot smell, see or taste.  I have sold homes without elevated levels of radon and homes with high levels of radon which had a mitigation system installed. One home may have radon while another home does not.  How do you know if your house has radon? Test it!!

In Illinois when a home is on the market a seller is  required to sign a disclosure pertaining to radon.  The seller is required to disclose  if they are: Aware of elevated levels of Radon, have a mitigation system  or are not aware.  That is all sellers  are required to do - they do not need to test their  home. In turn, when the home goes under contract the  buyer  has  a choice if they would like to do a radon test or not - the cost is around $200.00 depending on the size of the home and if the house has a crawl and a basement. The test  takes 48-72 hours and results are available as soon as the test is concluded.

As a Real Estate Professional  when I am representing a buyer I always recommend this additional testing during the inspection period. Why? This is the buyer's only opportunity to check if the home has a safety deficiency and if the test results show radon levels above 4 then the buyer may ask for the deficiency to be corrected.  The seller will need to install a mitigation system to correct the deficiency or disclose the findings of the test on the radon disclosure to another potential buyer.  I have found that most sellers install a mitigation system if the test results show an elevated level of radon. Once a mitigation system is put in place the home is no longer a health hazard. Also, as noted above one cannot smell, taste or see radon so when a seller hears he has elevated levels of radon they quickly want to resolve the problem for their own health too. The cost of a mitigation system varies in price depending on the size of the home. For further information on mitigating a home I suggest contacting VSI. I have referred many clients to them and all have been very happy and have  peace of mind once the system is installed.

Did you recently move into a home and didn't do a radon test? Have you lived in your home for a long time? No worries. Radon Detection Specialists (the company which I suggest to all of my clients  when they  purchase a home and want to do a radon test) has a home kit that is available.  This home kit is the perfect solution for those of you who have not had a radon test done on your home.  The homeowner leaves the canister out for at least thirty days and then sends the canister to a lab for the results.   The cost of each kit is $25.00- it includes one  canister,  a return label and the results for the test. I highly recommend the home kit - it may show that there is radon in your home (which will be an expense to mitigate) or it will  give you peace of mind knowing that your home is RADON FREE. Either way I think that it's important for all to  find out.

Doing what we can to stay healthy is important!!!!

The above article, Have You Tested Your Home For Radon, was written by Noah Levy - a REALTOR assisting buyers and sellers with their Real Estate needs.

 * Credit to Radon Detection Specialists for pictures.

Chicago's North Shore Suburbs Real Estate Market Update

Are you thinking about moving to the North Shore Suburbs.  Curious what your options may be?  The options are endless - from price, style of home, proximity to the lake and various North Shore Suburbs - there is truly something for everyone.  Vintage homes, new construction, lake front properties, modest homes to luxurious mansions are all available in Chicago's North Shore Suburbs.

Below is a Real Estate Market Update summary of several North Shore Suburbs:

Highland Park:  There are currently 315 active properties on the market ranging in price from $150,000.00 - $8,750,000.00. An additional 51 homes are under contract.  Twenty-one homes closed in Highland Park in the last 30 days.

Glencoe:  There are 125 active listings ranging from $390,000.00 - $7,500,000.00.  Twenty  homes are under contract and 8 closed during the month of August.

Winnetka:  There are 203 homes for sale ranging form $281,000.00 - $28,000,000.00.  Twenty homes are under contract and there were 27 homes which closed in August.

Kenilworth: There are currently forty-nine home for sale ranging from $499,000.00 - $4,837,500.00.  There are 3 homes under contract and one home closed during the month of August.

Wilmette:  There are 178 homes for sale with a list price ranging form $200,000.00 - $4,825,000.00.  Twenty three homes are under contract and there were two closings during the month of August.

As you can see, there are so many options for a buyer who is considering a move to the North Shore Suburbs. Explore and figure out which North Shore Suburb works for you!  When you are ready to look at homes let's connect.

The above article, Chicago's North Shore Suburbs Real Estate Market Update, was written by Noah Levy - a REALTOR assisting buyers and sellers with their Real Estate needs along Chicago's North Shore.

Highland Park High School Football- Go Giants!!!

Yes it's that time of year again....Football Season at Highland Park High School.

I have always enjoyed going to the Highland Park Football games.   This is the first year that I actually have an affiliation to the High School -my older son is  a Freshman at the High School and playing football  so I know that I will be frequenting Wolters Field not only on Friday evenings for the Varsity Games but also on Saturday mornings to watch the Freshman Team play and Win.   Although last weekend was the official start of the season the games were away at Stevenson High School.

This weekend is the first home game at Wolters Field and I can't wait to go watch the games on the new Turf.  The "Field Turf" synthetic grass surface looks amazing and the Giants will be ready for kickoff Sept. 3 against Warren High School.  Getting the "Field Turf" is exciting for kids and parents alike as there will be now worries about the field flooding. The school district paid for part of the cost of the turf and the remainder was paid by the generosity of many donors  from the community.  There will be a special acknowledgment  ceremony for donors before the game on Friday night.

Below  is the Varsity Football Schedule.   Also check out  the other football schedules:  Sophmore , Freshman A, Freshman B.;

Hope to see you at the games - Go Giants!!!!

2010-2011 Varsity Schedule

256 SUMAC Road, Highland Park, IL 60035 Price Reduction! CHARM & WARMTH ABOUND IN THIS CLASSIC & SUNFILLED COLONIAL WITH TODAY'S AMENITIES. HARDWOOD FLOORS, CROWN MOLDINGS, NEW KITCHEN, ARCHED DOORWAYS, BUILT-INS, UPDATED BATHS, LARGE MASTER SUITE , THEATER ROOM & FINISHED ATTIC W/ 1/2 BATH ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS GEM. GORGEOUS LANDSCAPED LOT. A PLEASURE TO SHOW--NOT TO BE MISSED!   www.256sumac.info Price: $725,000 Beds: 4 Full Baths: 3 Half Baths: 2 Property Type: Single Family Noah Levy Coldwell Banker Highland Park-Sheridan Office: (847) 433-5400 Direct: (847) 926-1959 Cell: (312) 203-2416 Fax: (847) 415-6769 View My Profile Contact Me ©2002-2010  Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. The pictured agent may or may not be the designated agent for this property. Please do not reply to this message. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Noah Levy directly. This email was sent from my Coldwell Banker Online website. Feel free to Sign Up or Sign In to your account. To stop receiving further emails, please opt out.

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