Elmhurst real estate blog archive

There are 102 counties in Illinois, and Elmhurst’s own DuPage county has been ranked among the healthiest in the state. The ranking comes from a national study released recently from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. DuPage County ranked higher than the state average in all categories but one – the percentage of restaurants that are fast food-based. The state average is 50% for this category, and our average came out at 54%.

According to an RWJF press release, the study is intended to examine “25 factors that influence health, including rates of childhood poverty, rates of smoking, obesity levels, teen birth rates, access to physicians and dentists, rates of high school graduation and college attendance, access to healthy foods, levels of physical activity, and percentages of children living in single parent households.”

The study found that DuPage County has the lowest rate of premature death, the best health behaviors, and the best clinical care in the state. Other factors, however, such as morbidity rankings (25th of 102) and physical environment (64th of 102) brought the county’s overall score down to sixth place. On a positive note, DuPage finished ahead of all of its neighboring counties – Kendall (7th), Kane (12th), Will (25th), and Cook (78th).

As well as being a healthy place to live, DuPage County offers its residents some of the best real estate professionals, too. Coldwell Banker Elmhurst released its list of top sellers for February, and The Gracik Makinney Group was the highest producer with seven transactions totaling $4.1 million. Our parent organization, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, is part of the nation’s largest residential real estate brokerage company, NRT LLC, and serves Chicagoland, Northwest Indiana, Southeast Wisconsin, and Southwest Michigan with 54 offices housing more than 3,400 sales associates.

All of us here at The Gracik Makinney Group are proud to call Elmhurst home, and we’d be happy to help make it your home, too. With personal dedication, community knowledge, and a wealth of industry experience, we’re ready to do our best to help you realize your real estate goals. Drop by the office today at 190 North York Road here in Elmhurst, or give us a call at 630-441-5570, and let’s get started.

If you want to know more about living in Elmhurst, or to discover the benefits of living and working in DuPage County, IL, check out the newly designed Choose DuPage website.

New features include facts and figures on each of the 39 municipalities in the County as well as information that will benefit companies, investors, business professionals and families who currently reside in or are relocating to DuPage County.

We truly live in a great place!  Communities in the County, including Elmhurst, are regularly voted as among the top places to live and work in the country. The new website highlights this, and also offers links for what ‘Choose DuPage’ describes as the three R’s: Resources, Reports and Regulations.

Site visitors can drill down to many specific topics such as business climate, quality of life, employment sectors, and transportation for each municipality or for the County as a whole.  There are also success stories of business that have set up shop in our County.

Greg Bedalov, president and CEO of Choose DuPage stated, “We truly believe in the value of our community and are proud to show it off. This website allows us to do just that, and show visitors that as the heartbeat of the Midwest, DuPage County is ideal for business and families.”

The website is maintained by the Choose DuPage organization, a public/private nonprofit entity that promotes the benefits of living and working in “the heartbeat of the Midwest.” 

Whether you’re a resident of Elmhurst or any other DuPage community, learn more about your County at Choose DuPage.  If you’re looking to buy or sell Elmhurst real estate or properties in the surrounding area, contact the Gracik Makinney Group, or call (630) 567-5902.

Home renovations can be costly and stressful, but we go through them because they generally provide some return on investment or they simply give us the feeling of freshness in our home. 

The key is to know what will and what won’t pay back all that work when you sell your DuPage County home. From CNNMoney.com, here are four common renovation mistakes to avoid.

1.   Being Trendy – Things that are hot today will likely be passé in five or ten years. This includes fads like glass tiles and the vessel sinks that sit on top of the counter. Better choices are things that match the original style of your Elmhurst, Illinois home. For example, you might not want contemporary styling in a vintage 1920’s house.

2.   No Specific Design Plans – For more involved projects like additions or moving walls, think about hiring an architect to draw up some plans. You might spend anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000, but it could help avoid disasters mid-way through the renovation. Showroom salespeople and some contractors just don’t have the special training that comes with an architect.

3.   Over-the-Top Kitchens – In reality, a kitchen only represents from 5 percent to 15 percent of your home’s value, so that’s about what your renovation budget should be. And know that you probably won’t recoup the costs for those extra-special appliances or countertops. Most experts feel that a full kitchen renovation isn’t necessary unless the room is truly a disaster.

4.   Overconfidence in Green – Making your Elmhurst property more energy-efficient is a good thing, but it shouldn’t be the sole reason for a project as you likely won’t get a huge return from it. The salesperson at the window company will claim that new windows will save you 50 percent on your energy bill, but experts know that windows really only account for about 15 percent of heat loss. Typically that’s a savings of just $50 to $175 annually. If you want new windows, your selling advantage will be the added value to the house—not the green factor.

In today’s market, buyers are looking at more than new or updated kitchens and bathrooms. They want the total package, and they know they can get it. Remodeling done with thought and attention can absolutely add value to any real estate in DuPage County, IL, make it more marketable, and pay you back accordingly in the sale.

Our commitment to customers means we’ll be there for all of your real estate needs. If you’re looking to buy or sell Elmhurst real estate, contact the Gracik Makinney Group, or call (630) 567-5902.

The decision to purchase a property in the Elmhurst area is just the first step.  From the initial viewing of the property, to the closing, to the preparation and the final move, your decisions will have an effect on your level of satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with the results.  It can all be a bit overwhelming.

Your real estate agent (Ahem!  That’s me!) is in a position to know where to go for the answers to all your needs.  It is in the best interest of your real estate agent to refer you to the people and companies that will make your transition as smooth as possible.  After all, if you are happy with your property, and the way the preparations to take possession went, you are a walking testimonial to the reliability of your agent.

Does your new property require updating or renovation?  We know the best (and worst!) contractors in the business.  Whether the job is waterproofing, or moving a wall, or just a cosmetic spruce-up, tell us what you need and we will put you in contact with the people who can do it beautifully, and for a reasonable price.  Perhaps the property needs landscaping, or even just a good cleaning on the inside.  Please, just ask us, and we’ll give you our best contacts.

By the same token, if you have a property to sell, and it needs preparation, we can help you find the right people for the right job.  We want your property to sell, and we want you to be happy with our handling of that property, so, again, we will send you to the best companies for your needs.  It’s a mutually beneficial service.

If you want service that goes beyond finding or selling your property, and you’re looking for property in the Elmhurst and DuPage County area, call me, Tom Makinney, at our home office, (630) 567-5902, or check out my website. 

A new school year is just around the corner!  The kids might be ready, but are you? 

Before you head out to the mall, take inventory of last years items, there might be some ‘essentials’ that are in good condition (and still fashionable).  Be prepared, and make a list of what is needed. 


Next, check the schools updated dress code.  New rules may have been applied, or if your child is starting at a new school, the guidelines may very well be different.  


With back to school shopping as an integral part of the new school year, a state tax holiday has been issued in Illinois for the occasion! From August 6th to August 15th, a five percent reduction will apply to qualifying back to school items purchased. From pencils and paper to gym shoes and cool tees, shopping locally for back to school items is great for local businesses, and for your wallet!

Details of the Deal:
 During this ten day period, you’ll save on basic classroom items, clothing and footwear valued at $100 or less.

If a store is having a promotional sale, the item must be under $100 before the marked down sale price in order to qualify.

When purchasing bundled items, (items that don’t qualify along with items that do qualify) the reduced rate of sales tax will only apply if the value of qualifying items is greater.

Among the items not eligible for the sales tax reduction are computers, printers and printer ink, cell phones, text books, cameras and video cameras, jewelry and cosmetics.  For a complete list of qualifying vs. non-qualifying items, see the Illinois Department of Revenue Informational Bulletin.

If you are relocating to the Elmhurst area and need information on schools, visit the district website for more information.  For your real estate needs, contact the Gracik Makinney Real Estate Group.  We are always awaiting your call!

Tom and Maria
Gracik Makinney Real Estate Group
Phone: 630-617-6014
Email: Tom@MariaandTom.com | Maria@MariaandTom.com
www.mariaandtom.com
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As we all experienced last week here in Elmhurst and Chicago's near west suburbs, nature can catch us off guard and leave a mess!  We’re fortunate to live in a region that doesn’t experience this type of severe weather often, and gratefully the officials and local representatives have been extremely helpful and attentive to the needs of all residents.  It’s great to see neighbors helping neighbors, and times like these truly awaken the core solidarity of the community.

Instances like this make us more aware of our disaster preparedness and even the unavoidable can teach us a thing or two about how to respond.  While the water levels have dissipated, there are still precautions to take and a bit more adapting to do.
If you’re among those wondering what more you could have done ahead of time, here are a few things to keep in mind for the next time a storm hits:

1.     Make sure your home has a Disaster Kit.  Water, non-perishable food, a first aid kit, portable radio and batteries are the most essential to your family’s kit.

2.    Keep waterproofing materials like sandbags and plastic bags in the garage or basement.

3.    Have safety-routes for a family evacuation, and go over them once a year.

4.    Keep storm drains clear of clutter and debris.

5.    If you’re driving, park and find an open, safe building, don’t attempt to drive on flooded roads.

6.    Stay informed, either by radio or television for instructions.

If your home experienced flooding or roof leaks, you’ll want to take the proper steps to clean and avoid mold growth for the sake of your health and your house. The EPA website features an overview of how to deal with this.  

Contact us at the Gracik Makinney Real Estate Group for recommendations regarding home repairs if needed, be sure you’re hiring trustworthy professionals with references.

Lastly, the stress of a disaster can take its toll!  Make sure you’re rested and don’t allow the projects that may have been brought about by the storm to overtake you.  Even a great place like Elmhurst is not immune to the occasional storm, but only a strong community like ours can weather it together and come out wiser, and more prepared.

Tom and Maria
Gracik Makinney Real Estate Group
Phone: 630-617-6014
Email: Tom@MariaandTom.com | Maria@MariaandTom.com
www.mariaandtom.com
Our Featured Properties
Follow Us on Twitter