365 Things to Do in Naperville #160

Ever wonder about the origin of Halloween (All-Hallows-Eve)? According to Wikipedia it has been linke to a Roman feast of Pomona, goddess of fruits and seeds. Others tie it to the Celtic festival of Samhain which celebrated the end of summer. Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, “Trick or treat?” The word “trick” refers to a (mostly idle) “threat” to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. In some parts of Scotland children still go guising. In this custom the child performs some sort of trick, i.e. sings a song or tells a ghost story, to earn their treats. All that being said, be on the lookout this Monday as children in the area will be out looking for treats. Here are the recommendations from municipalities in the area.

Naperville - Naperville has no city ordinance regarding trick-or-treating hours on Halloween (Monday, October 31st). The Police Department recommends that young children finish by the time it starts to get dark and older children by 8:00pm. It is common practice to only go to those homes that have a light on. For more tips, you can visit the Naperville web page.

Lisle - The Lisle Police Department reminds parents that the recommended Trick-or-Treating hours on Monday October 31st are between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Safety tips and guidelines can be found here.

Oswego - Halloween Trick or Treating hours for the Village of Oswego are from 3:30 – 8:00 p.m. on October 31st. Please contact the Village of Oswego at 630-554-3618 or visit www.oswegoil.org for more information.

Plainfield - The designated Trick or Treat hours for Halloween (Monday, 10/31) are 4-7 p.m. The Plainfield Police Department, Plainfield Fire Protection District, and Plainfield School District 202 Foundation for Excellence will be hosting the Village of Screamfield Haunted House at the Police Department, 14300 S. Coil Plus Drive.  Be sure to check out all of the scary fun on October 28-30!  Click here for Haunted House details.

Aurora- The City of Aurora is asking residents to adhere to its official trick-or-treat hours, which are 4 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31 and should make safety a top priority when collecting Halloween candy this year. Aurora’s safety tips can be found here.

NAPERVILLE 365 – #159 Will County Area Halloween Activities

Other local sites to get your fright on in Will County include the following.

KORNOW’S CORN MAZE

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! September 24 – October 30 • 10am – 7pm

Address:  16849 S Cedar Rd Homer Glen, IL 60441

The Corn Maze: Konow’s offer two mazes – one for the serious maze player who enjoys finding their way through approx. 3.5 miles of twists and turns and a smaller maze for those who want the excitement of walking through the tall corn or those with small children and only wish to walk a short distance (approx. 0.9 mile). Please wear the proper shoes and clothing.

Other activities include a Corn Pit, Hayrides, Straw Playground and more. Visit their site for more details.

BENGSTON’S PUMPKIN FEST

Open October 1st thru 30th, 2011, EVERYDAY from 10am-8pm.

Address: 13341 W. 151st in Homer Glen, IL.

You’ll experience hours of enjoyment including a relaxing Tractor pulled Hayrack ride, pumpkins…of course, a completely animated Haunted Barn, a giggling animated Fun Barn, the “famous” action-packed Pig Races(running 10x a day on the 1/2 hour), an adorable Petting & Feeding Zoo,The 3 Acre Crazy Corn Maizey & Pony Rides.The All NEW 90′ Mega Fun Slide included with admission. NEW Playground for the kids; for kicks and giggles!

If you know of any more, please feel free to add them in comments or shoot me an email and I will update. Be safe, have fun, and beware of Zombies!

Naperville Single Family Home Sales Report September 2011

The best we can say is that this months numbers for Naperville single family homes are mixed. Compared to September 2010, volume numbers are improved across the board. And this is consistant with national numbers and trends.  We see greater than a 10% increase in homes sold and homes under contract. Homes For Sale and Months Supply are significantly down – reduced inventory should have a positive impact on pricing.

*Source of above – MRED – Midwest Real Estate Data through September 2011.

Median Sold prices dropped 11.6% from the same period a year ago to $362,500. Median For Sale prices increased to $474,859. What this points to, in our opinion, is seller expectations of value are still higher than the market realities.

90-day stats for Single Family properties in NAPERVILLE, IL as of February 3, 2012
Median List Price:	$439,909	Average List Price:	$545,567
Total Inventory:	667	Price per Square Foot:	$159
Average Home Size:	3,085	Median Lot Size:	11,226
Average # Beds:	3.97	Average # Baths:	3.19
Homes Absorbed:	38	Newly Listed:	20
Days on Market:	246	Average Age:	24

New this month, we are adding a Trend Graph to show the trends over time. As you can see, while inventory bubbles in the mid year time frame, Homes Sold and Homes Under Contract are fairly constant with some slight seasonal variation. There is constant demand for homes in Naperville and we view that as good.

The above statistics are for single family homes in Naperville, non-bank owned. The same information is available for Lisle, Aurora, Plainfield and Oswego and for bank owned. Give us a call at 630-718-2305 or drop us an email with your request. Additionally, you may have reports emailed directly to you for the zip code area you want to explore.

Naperville Single Family Home Sales Report September 2011

The best we can say is that this months numbers for Naperville single family homes are mixed. Compared to September 2010, volume numbers are improved across the board. And this is consistant with national numbers and trends.  We see greater than a 10% increase in homes sold and homes under contract. Homes For Sale and Months Supply are significantly down – reduced inventory should have a positive impact on pricing.

*Source of above – MRED – Midwest Real Estate Data through September 2011.

Median Sold prices dropped 11.6% from the same period a year ago to $362,500. Median For Sale prices increased to $474,859. What this points to, in our opinion, is seller expectations of value are still higher than the market realities.

90-day stats for Single Family properties in NAPERVILLE, IL as of February 3, 2012
Median List Price:	$439,909	Average List Price:	$545,567
Total Inventory:	667	Price per Square Foot:	$159
Average Home Size:	3,085	Median Lot Size:	11,226
Average # Beds:	3.97	Average # Baths:	3.19
Homes Absorbed:	38	Newly Listed:	20
Days on Market:	246	Average Age:	24

New this month, we are adding a Trend Graph to show the trends over time. As you can see, while inventory bubbles in the mid year time frame, Homes Sold and Homes Under Contract are fairly constant with some slight seasonal variation. There is constant demand for homes in Naperville and we view that as good.

The above statistics are for single family homes in Naperville, non-bank owned. The same information is available for Lisle, Aurora, Plainfield and Oswego and for bank owned. Give us a call at 630-718-2305 or drop us an email with your request. Additionally, you may have reports emailed directly to you for the zip code area you want to explore.

365 Naperville – #158 – Halloween, Corn Mazes, Hay Rides & More

Dupage County

• Blue Freedom Farms Pumpkin Patch - pumpkins for sale in the shop or farmstand, pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, we also have pie pumpkins, farm market 681 West North Avenue, Elmhurst, IL 60126. Phone: 800-626-7582. Email: blue@bluefreedom.com. Open: Open 7 days a week from 9 am to 7 pm; September 15 to October 31. Directions: We sit on the Northwest corner of Illinois Route 64 (North Avenue) and Illinois Route 83 (Kingery Highway) in Elmhurst, Illinois. Click here for a map and directions. Payment: Cash, Check, Debit cards, Visa/MasterCard, Discover, AmEx. Apple Cider, Fresh Apples, Straw Bales, Indian Corn, Gourds, Pumpkins, Painted Pumpkins and other fall decorations.
• High Point Harvest Acres - pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field, Fall festival, corn maze, tractor-pulled hay rides, wagon rides, snacks and refreshment stand, face painting, Bouncy castle or moon bounce, pony rides 30 W 225 Ferry Road, Warrenville, IL 60555. Phone: 630-878-6350. Open: Friday through Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm every weekend in October. Click here for current open hours, days and dates. Directions: From 88, head north on Route 59; turn left onto Ferry Road. High Point Harvest Acres is approximately 1/2 mile west on the left side of the street. Click here for a map and directions. High Point Harvest Acres is open every weekend in October (Friday through Sunday) from 11 am to 6 pm. Payment: Cash, only.
• Sonny Acres Farm -  pumpkins, Hay rides, haunted houses, Petting Zoo 29W.310 North Ave. , West Chicago , IL, 60185. Phone: 630-231-9515. Phone: 630-231-3859. Directions: Sonny Acres Farm is located on Rt. 64 one mile east of Rt. 59 in West Chicago . Open: daily 10 a.m. to 6 pm, from mid-September through October 31, Sonny Acres is host to family fun and activities. amusement rides, cotton candy, roasted corn, and much more.  See the Dizzy Zone, or scream in our Haunted Barn, you are going to need tickets to do so. Tickets are $1.00, purchase a full sheet of 40 tickets for $40.00 and get 5 free tickets. Amusement Rides – Daily – 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. – 3 to 5 tickets per ride Kiddie Koral – Daily. – 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. – 2 tickets (Parents Free!) Haunted Wagon Ride – $8.00 per ticket – 7 p.m. to 9:40 p.m. Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights during October. Sonny Acres Haunted Wagon Ride lasts approximately 18 minutes. Tickets go on sale at 5:30 p.m. on evening of Wagon Ride.
• Wheaton Landscape and Garden Center - pumpkin patch- already gathered from the field,  626 East Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL 60187. Phone: 630-668-0947. Email: wheaton1895@comcast.net. Directions: 2 miles West of I 355 on Roosevelt Road * 4 miles North of I 88 use Naperville exit to Roosevelt Road go east 4 blocks on right * 2 miles east of County Farm Road on Roosevelt Road. And for a map to our farm, click here. Crops are usually available in October. Open: Monday to Saturday from 9am to 9pm; Sunday from 10am to 5pm; Open for Christmas trees from Thanksgiving until Christmas eve. Payment: Cash, Check, Visa/MasterCard, Discover, AmEx.