In another year of taxes due, I wanted to remind everyone that the Cook County Assessors office has released the new tax assessments for the 2005 first installment on your property tax bill.
If you don’t receive it in the next few days you can contact the treasurers office at 312.443.5100 or visit their website here.
First installment taxes are due by March 1 and can be paid at any Chase Bank.
If you have any questions call me or visit my site and email me.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
December Homes Sales
December Homes Sales Data Down; 2005 Homes Sales Set Record
Here is a report of the continuing mixed messages from the media on home sales across the nation. On the one side, we see “RECORD SETTING HOMES SALES” for the year as headlined in the USA Today newspapers. On the other hand, we are seeing the focus on the December reports which are showing a decline in existing home sales of 5.7%. As I’ve stated in my previous blog posts, this news to me is good news for the overall national economy, as the trends which were artificially escalating home prices have begun to wane, and the industry is (I hope) beginning to settle into a more ‘normal’ pace of growth for the year.
Here is a partial article published by the National Association of Home Builders on the annual 2005 stats and the December reports for existing home sales. For a link to the article see below and as always, if you are looking for a real estate professional of choice in the City of Chicago, Don't Forget to Remember Jim!
(January 25, 2006) -- Existing-home sales declined in December but easily set an annual record, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.There were 7.07 million existing-home sales in all of 2005, up 4.2 percent from 6.78 million in 2004. This is the fifth consecutive annual record; NAR began tracking the sales series in 1968.However, total existing-home sales for December — including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops — were down 5.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.60 million units from an upwardly revised pace of 7.00 million in November. Sales were 3.1 percent lower than a 6.81 million-unit level in December 2004.David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, expected the monthly sales decline. “This is part of the market adjustment we’ve been discussing, with a soft landing in sight for the housing sector,” he says. “The level of home sales activity is now at a sustainable level, and is likely to pick up a bit in the months ahead. Overall fundamentals remain solid, driven by population and employment growth as well as favorable affordability conditions in most of the country, so we expect the housing market to remain historically high but lower than last year’s record.”
For a full view of the NAR article click here
Here is a report of the continuing mixed messages from the media on home sales across the nation. On the one side, we see “RECORD SETTING HOMES SALES” for the year as headlined in the USA Today newspapers. On the other hand, we are seeing the focus on the December reports which are showing a decline in existing home sales of 5.7%. As I’ve stated in my previous blog posts, this news to me is good news for the overall national economy, as the trends which were artificially escalating home prices have begun to wane, and the industry is (I hope) beginning to settle into a more ‘normal’ pace of growth for the year.
Here is a partial article published by the National Association of Home Builders on the annual 2005 stats and the December reports for existing home sales. For a link to the article see below and as always, if you are looking for a real estate professional of choice in the City of Chicago, Don't Forget to Remember Jim!
(January 25, 2006) -- Existing-home sales declined in December but easily set an annual record, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.There were 7.07 million existing-home sales in all of 2005, up 4.2 percent from 6.78 million in 2004. This is the fifth consecutive annual record; NAR began tracking the sales series in 1968.However, total existing-home sales for December — including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops — were down 5.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.60 million units from an upwardly revised pace of 7.00 million in November. Sales were 3.1 percent lower than a 6.81 million-unit level in December 2004.David Lereah, NAR’s chief economist, expected the monthly sales decline. “This is part of the market adjustment we’ve been discussing, with a soft landing in sight for the housing sector,” he says. “The level of home sales activity is now at a sustainable level, and is likely to pick up a bit in the months ahead. Overall fundamentals remain solid, driven by population and employment growth as well as favorable affordability conditions in most of the country, so we expect the housing market to remain historically high but lower than last year’s record.”
For a full view of the NAR article click here
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Why We Love the City of Chicago
Here is a link to a pictorial review of why we love this great City of Chicago.
If you are interested in seeing more about the real estate information and statistics for various neighborhoods in the city, in the region and nationally, visit our website.
Jim Gramata
Broker Associate
Friday, January 20, 2006
Edgewater Live!
Check out my Edgewater podcast on the beginnings of what I hope will be a useful resource for our Chicago Edgewater community.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
3rd Quarter 2005 Market Stats Video Podcast
Here is a republishing of the Third Quarter real estate market statistics which we published last month. It is a general summary of the data including National statistics, regional statistics for the East coast, Midwest, Mountain, South and West Regions as well as a detailed review of the Chicago area market for the quarter. You can check out my video podcast here for a full audio review of the recent market statistics and property listings. As always, all of this information is available at www.REMEMBERJIM.com including free pdf downloads of all of the reports referred to in this audiocast. You can also check out my audio podcast here for a full video and audio review of the recent market statistics.
Download it, store it to your ipod or mp3 and listen to it anytime that's convenient for you. I hope you enjoy this recording and please subscribe. There are lots more to come and they are free!. Also, feel free to call me and ask any of your real estate questions at 773.252.HOME or visit www.REMEMBERJIM.com.
Fourth Quarter market stats are available for Chicago here and a full 4thQ report is coming soon once national data are released Jan 25, 2006.
Link: http://www.jimgramata.com/market/Chicago3Q05V2.mov
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