NEW Spark Montessori school joins Horner Park neighborhood boom

I stopped by Horner Park to check out recent development adjacent to the park.  I ended up learning about the new Montessori school opening soon at 4326 North California Avenue, Chicago IL 60618.

I visited the development action around Horner Park Park District on Monday after showings.  I ran into the owner / developer of Spark Montessori school located right across the street from the Horner Park play lot.  Pretty good location!  Val noticed me taking photos and showed me around the property.  We also enjoyed discussing the local real estate market.

Horner Park play lot and field house are located directly across the street from Spark Montessori.  Lots of parkland for outdoor activities.

You can check out more about Spark Montessori HERE.  They would like to be open for classes by January 2019. With four kids of my own and many young families as clients on the North Side I understand there is strong demand for early childhood education. Several improved CPS schools with swelling enrollments have had to discontinue their PRE-K and gifted magnet programs to adsorb neighborhood kids.

Horner Park, located in the Irving Park community area of Chicago, has seen it's share of booming single family home and condo development over the past five years.  The median price for a single family home in the neighborhood is over $625,000 while the median price of a condo is an affordable $240,000 (however new construction condo median price is double that).

I'll have more on recent Horner Park neighborhood sales later today!

Donate NOW for Chappell School Garden Project in Ravenswood, Lincoln Square

Neighbor have launched an Edible Garden Project for Chappell School here in the neighborhood.  They are half-way to her fund raising goal!!  Any amount will help.

Chappell School (Photo, Eric Rojas, Real Estate Broker, Kale Realty)

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROJECT AND DONATE

Snow what? CPS kids go to school

My three year old pre-schooler "braves" the snow on her way to class this afternoon.

We kept the fact to ourselves around our house that many suburban schools were calling a snow day... last night before it snowed.  The show must go on for CPS kids, many of who, live very close to their neighborhood schools.  In fact, living on the block of our school was a main factor for city living.

NEIU closed it's doors today so no swim lessons this evening. I would however like a half-day tomorrow to take my six and three year old sledding!

Home sales booming in Horace Mann School district...Oak Park!

Here's a look at housing unit sales and prices in Oak Park's desirable Horace Mann School district located in the northern section of town. It's hard to find a more attractive "small town" yet urban area!
The attendance boundaries are roughly Harlem Avenue to East Avenue and Thomas Street to North Avenue.

Produced from www.MREDLLC.com mapping features.

So far this year in 2012 (Jan 1st to April 19th) 10 homes have sold in Mann School District for a median price of about $500,000.  That price will get you a beautiful 3-4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths brick bungalow or a spacious Colonial style home with updates.  The lots average about 50'x150' for $500,000 price point.
That's up 233% over the same period in 2011 which saw only 3 homes sold for $560,000, $670,000 and $675,000 respectively.

Attractive corner lot home on North Marion and Thomas Street in Mann School district

The scoop:
*Currently, there are 20 houses under contract in Horace Mann School boundaries and 23 offered for sale. In all of 2011, 33 houses sold in Mann School district with a median price at about $450,000.  With 10 closed and 20 under contract already this year, 2012 should surpass 2011 unit sales.

Data gathered and analyzed by Eric Rojas, Real Estate Broker from various sales sources.  All photos Eric Rojas

Pawar's Grow 47 to bring TIF money to Chappell Elementary, local schools

 "$2 million in TIF funding for Amundsen High School, Chappell Elementary and McPherson Elementary" 47th Ward Alderman's office

Eliza Chappell Elementary front doors at Foster and Leavitt

Chappell and McPherson Elementary schools along with Amundsen High School in the Ravenswood neighborhood service our local block club area (Damen to Western, Lawrence to Foster). We received the above update from Alderman Ameya Pawar's 47th Ward office last week about significant $2 million in TIF funds being committed to our local public schools. 


The announcement includes major CPS funding for needed Bell and Coonley expansions in addition to funds for several other 47th Ward schools.  My family is in the Chappell school boundaries district, thus the focus here. You can read some early coverage of Grow 47 school initiative at Center Square Journal.


Chappell has increased measurable and "intangible" academic performance over the past 5 years under the current school principal.  The school has been recognized by the State of Illinois for performance goals and has increased neighborhood enrollment and added major infrastructure. Local parents are forming a "friends of" group, volunteering and organizing for the school in conjunction with many administrative improvements.  The parents, teachers and new funds will help make Chappell the new "Bell", "Coonley" , "Blaine" and "Nettlehorst" school of choice.

Ryne getting ready for another day at Chappell Pre-K

The playground at Chappell...the school is located on the attractive Winnemac Park "campus".

 

For a parents perspective on Chappell or to join the Winnemac Park Neighbors update email list, please email ericrojas2@gmail.com. Please contact Chappell School for a tour or open house.

School shake-up in Lincoln Park

The Lincoln Park Community Area is one of the top three sought after areas in Chicago for home buyers in our experience. With popularity comes problems too.  I received an update today from the 43rd Ward Alderman's office on the proposed solutions to Abraham Lincoln Elementary school overcrowding.  And look out! If you think there is grumbling, opposition and craziness to the recent large development plans around the neighborhood...just mess with a parent's school.

Google Street View of Abraham Lincoln Elementary

The plan would "shrink" the attendance boundaries of Lincoln Elementary to West Armitage Avenue and place new attending students living south of Armitage in the La Salle Language Academy.


Schools are the most important factor (initially anyway) to the majority of our single family and multi-unit buyers.  We watch this closely.  Most feel desired public schools will positively impact their property values and quality of life (if they have kids or not). This controversy notwithstanding there are many more great CPS school choices on the North Side than at any time I can remember.  Parents and neighbors have really stepped up and helped talented local school principals create terrific environments. Check out and help support various local schools...you may be surprised.


Click on the links to view our Lincoln Park home sales and many of our posts around the neighborhood.

Lincoln Park street

 All photos Eric Rojas and Bob DePalma Realtors unless otherwise noted.

New! Ravenswood, Northcenter and Lincoln Square school rankings/ charts

The terrific local online publication Welles Park Bulldog has put together data charts for local Ravenswood, Lincoln Square and Northcenter area schools.  The charts are made up from several school ranking sources including CPS, Chicago Magazine and a survey by the University of Chicago.  There are both elementary and high school charts available at Welles Park Bulldog.

Click on schools in the interactive map for a quick synopsis.

Chappell Elementary School main entrance. Photo Eric Rojas, Real Estate Broker

Single family home sales in Lincoln Park's Oscar Mayer school district

Data has been gathered and analyzed by Eric Rojas, Real Estate Broker using www.MREDLLC.com and Chicago Public Schools Locator. We stay on top of schools, home values and demand like no one else!

Just west of Abraham Lincoln Elementary school district in Lincoln Park is the now "buzz worthy" Oscar Mayer Magnet School attendance boundaries. The school is located in the vibrant DePaul University neighborhood amongst top notch educational facilities, million dollar homes and vast local retail.

In the first six months of 2011 , about 18 single family homes sold (excluding row homes) in Oscar Mayer attendance boundaries.

The median price for a single family home in district was about $1,500,000. The highest sale was $4,525,000 and the lowest was $875,000.

Only one home in the district was sold as a foreclosure for $2,225,000 ($25K over list price) . The house needed hundreds of thousands of finish work.

Parents and students work in the Oscar Mayer award winning garden.


See Bell School home sales in Northcenter, Chicago

See Coonley School home sales in Northcenter, Chicago

Parent "buzz" and perceived school performance greatly affect demand and housing prices in a school's attendance boundaries. Even comparable homes on the same couple blocks, but different school boundaries, can vary in demand and price.

Hot Chicago schools making the market

Our client's have been looking for a house in the hot Coonley school district boundaries. They also like the Blaine, Bell and Burley schools. All familiar names to parents with elementary aged kids.

I stopped in to look at the above open house last weekend on North Paulina Street. The house is in the Hamilton school district on a gorgeous block adjacent to the Blaine school district. Hamilton school stretches across some of the best areas of Lakeview.

Despite the house being every bit as nice as $850,000 to $900,000 houses in the former mentioned school districts, it sits unsold at an $865,000 asking price. If it was located on the opposite north east corner in Blaine school it would be sold at list price.

Hamilton from many parent accounts I know in the area is a great school for their kids. There are many instances where some schools with better "buzz" and marketing will be more desired than another adjacent school that has similar test scores. Many parents rely on test scores alone without even stepping foot in a school to gauge if it's a good fit for their children. Others follow the "buzz", even if some standards are lower than an adjacent school district in reality.

Hamilton is not a "buzz" school, but I only see upside. You can get a bargain on a house in this district before it turns into the next Coonley!

Award winning Chappell Elemetary School celebrates last day of Pre-K!

The Chappell preschool classes rock out to the Beatles while the parents go wild!

We enjoyed a fantastic year at Chappell Elementary's Preschool program in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Lincoln Square. Ms. Esmaili and Mr. Newman's Pre-K classes were a joy and the kids really grew over the year. Our son was in Ms. Esmaili's and Mrs. Monica's class and will be back at Chappell in the fall.

Chappell School received the Illinois Spotlight School Award 2010

Kids and parents received a portfolio of the kids' work through the year! Way to go Ryne!

Make Chappell your neighborhood school. At the time of this writing, the preschool had a waiting list. Contact the school for all registration needs for all grades this fall now!

Hawthorne Scholastic Academy in Lake View...smart family fun!

One of the cooler school campus facilities tucked into the Lake View neighborhood is at Hawthorne Scholastic Academy at 3319 N Clifton Avenue. Click the link for the great web site... better the web site, better the school?

I took a couple shots of their back to school "Family Fun Fest". This campus features a turf field and new playground enjoyed by the neighborhood year round.

Hawthorne is a magnet school... learn how to enroll your kids in the top public schools of Chicago! New protocol has given more weight to "neighborhood kids". I like the changes.