Wheaton, IL

The DuPage Art League has been a hidden treasure in DuPage County since its inception in the spring of 1957. The goal of this not-for-profit art school and gallery is to promote the visual arts using classes, workshops, and exhibits.

As a teenager, I remember going to local galleries in Glen Ellyn and being amazed at the creativity of the artists and the passion they give to their work. I would spend hours looking around; secretly wishing I could create such beauty; to be a teenager again…

Well, I got my wish in a round about way. My eldest daughter is extremely creative and loves to draw and paint. We were looking to find her some art classes and the DuPage Art League classes seemed to be perfect. I have walked past the building at 218 West Front Street, Wheaton for years, but never ventured inside.

Don’t make my same mistake. This is a wonderful place to enjoy local artists and traveling art exhibits. The art teachers are wonderful. They even have a gift shop with one of a kind artistic gifts tucked away in the back.

As of March 1, 2008 there were 372 active single family homes on the market in Wheaton. If home sell at the same rate as they did for the last 6 months, it will take 14.88 months to sell off the current Wheaton inventory. Ouch!

The picture is a little brighter for town homes and condos – 10.72 months.

What does this mean for people with their homes currently on the market or hoping to come on in the Spring?

Price is KING.

In order to be competitive in this market, you need to correctly price your home. Buyers are very educated. They know what is out there (trust me - they have seen it all). They know inventory is high. They are waiting for a good deal.

A well priced home will get more showings and sell faster than one that is listed to high.

The table below lists all of the currently active single family detached and single family attached homes in Wheaton, IL. Data includes high, low, median and average prices.

For detailed information on a property type within a price range, including virtual tour when available, contact me with physical characteristic requirements.

Active Listings

List Price Range # Listings Avg. Days on Mkt Less than $149,999 15 67 $150,000 - $199,999 36 165 $200,000 - $249,999 28 194 $250,000 - $299,999 50 196 $300,000 - $349,999 52 217 $350,000 - $399,999 47 163 $400,000 - $449,999 34 168 $450,000 - $499,999 31 211 $500,000 - $549,999 25 197 $550,000 - $599,999 25 198 $600,000 - $699,999 27 218 $700,000 - $799,999 20 217 $800,000 - $899,999 16 421 $900,000 - $999,999 12 294 $1,000,000 - $1,999,999 41 273 $2,000,000 - $2,999,999 1 4

Active Listings Summary

# Units Avg. MT Median List Price Avg. List Price Max. List Price Min. List Price Total Volume 460 206 $402,450 $509,916 $2,349,000 $129,900 $234,561,278

As I write this, I realize that I missed in-person registration, however, you can still mail in your registration by February 10. Tryouts for teams will be held in the Glenbard South Field house on March 1^st and 2^nd.

There are so many wonderful things about this league; the parents, the coaches, the teaching philosophy, and the kids just to name a few. Now here is an insiders view of the fringe benefits to Briarcliffe Baseball: wonderful game fields, a field house with indoor bathrooms, a well stocked concession stand (when you don’t have time to feed the kids before the games) and of course the newly purchased refrigerated golf cart. The food actually comes to you! It doesn’t get any better than that.

Now, a refrigerated food cart might sound like an extravagance, but it’s really not. Unlike other leagues that need to have the kids sell coupons or candy door-to-door, Briarcliffe Baseball raises money from the sale of food, candy and drinks at the games. So there are two benefits, I can feed the kids at the games and I help support the league – a win, win situation all around.

(Now if they were able to sell alcohol at the games, the league would be swimming in money. Not a games goes by were someone walks up the cart and asks for beer.)

I am sure I’m biased in my opinion. It could be the fact that I have four kids or that I love museums of all kinds; but the DuPage Children’s Museum is a true local treasure. The museum is located at 301 North Washington Street in Naperville.

There are three floors of bubbles, windmills, blocks, scales, waterways and math toys. They even have a workshop for kids to experience the joy of creating items with real tools – although small in size.

The energy and excitement when you walk in the door are amazingly evident. Children are everywhere, laughing, playing, and experimenting. The kids don’t know it, but they are learning so much while having fun.

Grab your child, a niece or grandchild and head over for an afternoon of fun and enjoyment. It is a short 20 minute ride from both Wheaton and Glen Ellyn.