About Champaign County, IL

I've enjoyed finding all sorts of interesting things at BusinessWeek.com lately but I really love to find articles where I have a personal attachment.

That most recent find was Business Weeks 2008 survey of the top undergrad business schools, The University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign ranked in at #18, up two spots from 2007. GO ILLINI! As an alum from the UofI with a bachelors in finance I always enjoy seeing the UofI near the top in these annual rankings. Although the fact that Michigan and Indiana are both ahead of Illinois is really eating at me.... :)

Here's a link to a summary table from the report.

Kiplingers.com gave the UofI some more solid press with a ranking in the top 100 best values in public colleges. UIUC came in at #32 in that study. That's great news, but I still cringe every time I see that the costs of tuition continue to increase. Most recently, that would be the 9.5% increase currently proposed by the Trustees.

The UofI's continued success is one more factor helping our local economy and real estate market. These top rankings help bring in quality teachers and staff which continually filters throughout our economy.

Interested in real estate in Champaign or Urbana? View homes for sale to get started.

Despite the general doom and gloom from the majority of media outlets it is possible to find reports that focus on specific real estate markets instead of blanket statements that may or may not apply to your specific area.

A recent article from BusinessWeek.com, College Towns: Still a Smart Investment, provides a nice glimpse at college towns and how their local real estate markets have fared. Like many other college towns, real estate in Champaign/Urbana, IL has remained a successful, long-term investment.

One of their biggest points is that a university typically provides a very solid basis for the local economy, which is usually the driving factor in the condition of the local market. That is definitely the case in Champaign/Urbana. In our area the University brings quality jobs and consistent demand for properties, both investment and owner-occupied.

One disclaimer, I might have also enjoyed the article because I was briefly mentioned... :)

Interested in investment real estate around The University of Illinois? Contact me through www.ChampaignExperts.com

Have a Great Day!

"Smart Buys in College Towns" that was the headline in a recent AOL real estate article written by Business Week Magazine. Click Here We made the list along with Athens GA, Chapel Hill NC, College Park MA just to name a few locations. Please contact me with any questions about our great market and find out why investing in Champaign/Urbana real estate might be right for you!

aaron@aarongallagher.com

217-649-6602

Year To Date Comparison 2007 vs. 2008

Jan. 1,2007 - Feb. 28, 2007 Jan. 1,2008 - Feb. 29, 2008

Total # Sold and Closed - 305 Total # Sold and Closed - 282

Dollar Volume - $43,841,934 Dollar Volume - $41,222,633

Average Price Home - $143,744 Average Price Home - $146,180

One Month Comparison: 2007 vs. 2008

Feb. 1,2007 - Feb. 28,2007 Feb. 1,2008 - Feb. 29,2008

Total # Sold and Closed - 154 Total # Sold and Closed - 145

Dollar Volume - $21,765,642 Dollar Volume - $22,033,041

Average price Home - $141,335 Average Price Home - $151,952

Well, Spring is just around the corner and the weather has started to look A LOT better. That is starting to translate into a lot more home sales with. Their are now 316 pending home sales reported in the CCAR MLS. That reflects some big increases over the last week.

Looking at the year to date totals it seems that our local market continues to be a stable place to own a home but did have a bit of a slow start. A good portion of that could be attributed to the weather as we kept getting hit with winter storms.

Comparing YTD 2007 to 2008 the average sale price rose 1.7%, from $143,744 to $146,180. But the dollar volume and number of sales is actually down a little bit, 7.5% and 6% respectively.

Total # Sold and Closed: 305

Dollar Volume: $43,841,934

Average Price Home: $143,744

January 1, 2008 thru February 29, 2008

Total # Sold and Closed: 282

Dollar Volume: $41,222,633

Average Price Home: $149,180

If you'd like a more detailed breakdown of the local market statistics feel free to contact me through my website at www.ChampaignExperts.com