Well, then give me a call or shoot me an email!

I work with both sellers and buyers, but I specialize in buyer’s agency. I’ve lived in the Northwest Suburbs for over forty years and have been involved with selling real estate most of my adult life.

I’ve helped happy clients find homes all over Chicagoland. You can find testimonials at my website, askforlaura.com.

Keep in mind, when you work with a real estate agent to help you find a home, the commission is paid by the listing office of the home you buy. The Realtor does not charge the buyer a fee for their services.

Here is the beach in Lake Barrington Shores. I keep trying to get my parents to move to LBS, so I can enjoy all the local amenities with them.

In this summer-y pic, my nieces and their grandmother are walking to the Palatine bike trail in Cottonwood Park on the west side of Palatine.

Please note, Inverness is made up of the 60067 and 60010 zip codes, and is not separated out.

See first and second quarter price trends.

*All data is from Midwest Real Estate Data LLC, November 2009.

Average Percentage of Sale to List Prices

To illustrate, buyers who purchased a home in Palatine in the first quarter were on average getting about 9.4% off of the list price. In Barrington, in the first quarter, buyers were averaging about 10% off of the list price.

All the photos are local, taken in the Barrington, Palatine, Inverness area. I try to capture everyday moments and common places in a beautiful light.

Feel free to comment on the photos. We love reader feedback.

If you already have a home under contract and are waiting to close, I suggest trying to get into see the home to check for water in the basement.  It is better to know now, so you can ask the seller to fix any leaks or problematic grading around the home.

Local Realtors who have been in the area a long time tend to know which areas are prone to flooding.  A good Realtor will help you avoid those areas.  But, it doesn’t hurt to double-check on days like today. Because Inverness, Barrington, Deer Park, and many parts of Palatine are so hilly and filled with waterways, buyers need to pay attention to topography.

Make A Difference Day

Hands of Hope, based in Barrington and staffed by local volunteers, is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting poverty in Africa. They have just posted their 2010 wish list for the annual Barrington Garden Walk & Faire. They’re  looking for furniture, dishes, jewelry and more. Volunteers will pick up items from your home. You can call or email me for more information or to set up a pick-up.

The Baird & Warner Good Will Network is collecting gently used coats and warm clothing (hats, mittens, scarves) for adults and children in need. There will be collection boxes in the front lobbies of all Baird & Warner offices throughout the month of October. You can also drop off items at any Baird & Warner open house. Donations will go to local communities in need.

Our office just listed this beauty. It is over 14,000 square feet and is located on fourteen acres of gorgeous rolling woods and prairie in Barrington Hills. The home is off of Sutton, south of Lake Cook Road in one of my favorite areas to photograph. Horse Farms and quiet estates dot the landscape and make you feel like you’re a million miles from urban life while you’re actually only minutes from downtown Barrington.

Do you want to see the inside?  Take a look: 344 Old Sutton, Barrington Hills

Quarter One 2009,  Average Price Change

60067                                  -23%

60010                                  -13%

Quarter Two 2009,  Average Price Change

60067                                  -16%

60010                                  -22%

This data compares the average home price for 2009 to the average home price of 2008 in the respective zip codes.  Now that we have two quarters of data, we can see that 2009 is shaping up to be a year of price depreciation in Barrington and Palatine.  Keep in mind that some neighborhoods are faring better than others.  The third quarter data should be out soon.

*2009 Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC and National Association of Realtors