Vernon Hills Police Department Organizes Veterans’ Coat Drive

Donate a Gently Used Coat and Help a Lake County Veteran

We owe our veterans a huge debt of gratitude. There’s an easy way for residents of Lake County to show their thanks. The Vernon Hills Police Department, in conjunction with the Veterans’ Assistance Commission, is collecting coats for Lake County veterans and their families. Vernon Hills High School (September 30) and Grayslake High School (October 14) join in the effort by organizing a collection of coats during one of their football games. The Vernon Hills Police Department is also accepting donations.

Mike Peck is the Superintendent of The Veterans’ Assistance Commission. On October 18, 2011, they will be conducting a Stand Down for homeless veterans and veterans in need.  A Stand Down allows veterans in need to receive a medical and dental assessment, a haircut, and a referral for other counseling services, if needed.  With winter approaching, the VAC has long strived toward the goal of providing each veteran in need with a winter coat. More than 300 Lake County Veterans are expected to participate this year. Last year the winter gear was all taken within the first two hours.  They need our community support!

The need is greater this year than ever before. 792 Lake County veterans have registered with the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program. These veterans and their families are at risk of becoming homeless as they struggle to make rent or mortgage payments.

Take a look through your closets and find a gently used men’s, women’s or children’s coat. Or, shop a sale and purchase a new one! Also accepted will be new hats, gloves and scarves. If you’re a fan, attend the Vernon Hills or Grayslake High School footbal games and bring a coat. I will also accept donations at the Coldwell Banker Buffalo Grove office (350 Half Day Road) and deliver them to the Vernon Hills Police Department (740 Lakeview Parkway).  If you live in the area and have a donation but just can’t get it to any of the donation points, contact me and I’ll pick it up!

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5 Fun Things To Do This Weekend In and Around Lake Zurich

5 Free or Inexpensive Things To Do This Weekend

The days are getting shorter and the weather is getting cooler. This is a great weekend to get some outdoor time in before it’s too late! Here are 5 fun and inexpensive things to do this weekend in and around Lake Zurich!

1. Take a Forest Fitness Hike: The Lake County Forest Preserve offers a Fitness Hike each week at a different preserve. This week’s is Friday, September 9th at the Half Day Preserve in Vernon Hills. It goes from 8 am to 9 am and the cost is $1 for residents and $2 for non-residents. For more information, visit their website.
2. Visit a Farmers Market: We only have a few weeks left to support our local markets! Visit one of these:
        *Long Grove Farmers Market – Sundays from 8 am to 1pm through October.  
        *Buffalo Grove Farmers Market – Sundays from 8 am to12:30 pm through October 16th. .
        *Hawthorn Woods Farmers Market – Fridays from 3 to 7 pm through October.

3.      Looking for a little more excitement? Attend the Wings Over Waukegan Air Show on Saturday, September 10th. It starts at 10 am and tickets are $5 for adults. Kids 12 and under are free.
4.  Visit the Chicago Botanic Garden. I haven’t been there in a while and can’t wait to see the changes in the Garden. There’s a plant giveaway today and a Roadside Flower Sale on Friday. Check out the full calendar of events.
5. Last, but not least, simply take some time to have an impromptu barbeque with family and friends. Play a little bocce or bags and enjoy the important people in your lives!

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Realtor Terry Dahlem Reports Lake Zurich Real Estate Results – August, 2011

Real Estate for Sale Call Terry

What’s Happening in the Lake Zurich Real Estate Market?

When watching the national real estate news, it’s hard to understand what’s really going on. As the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reminds us, real estate pricing and activity is local. It varies town by town and sometimes even by neighborhood. It’s important to know what’s going on in YOUR town. Here’s a synopsis of the August real estate activity and trends for Lake Zurich.

The average list price in August was $330,496 with the median price being $299,000. The average sale price was $283,342 which was down 16.8% from the $340,562 that it was in August of 2010. It was up 3.7% from the July, 2011 average of $273,132.

There were 26 sales (closed properties) in August, 2011. That’s up 73.3% from the 15 sales in July, 2011. There was also a 52.9% gain from the 17 properties that closed in August of 2010.

Things can change from month to month and we also need to track the year to date figures and compare them to last year. The good news is that Lake Zurich had the same number of closed properties (139) year to date as it had in 2010. If you’d like all the figures, you can view the full report here.

Lake Zurich is a strong community and a great place to live. With excellent schools and parks, it also offers many community events like last month’s Taste of the Towns. Want to check out some of the real estate listings in Lake Zurich? Here’s a link to single family homes  currently available in Lake Zurich priced from $275,000 to $375,000 so you can see how an “average” home in Lake Zurich looks. If there’s a home you’d like to see, give me a call. I’d be happy to arrange a private showing.

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Terry’s Review of “Left Neglected” by Lisa Genova

If You Loved Still Alice, Left Neglected is a Must Read!

The Vegas Book ClubWith the precision of the neuroscientist that she is, Lisa Genova takes us on another unforgettable journey. Once again she creates an unforgettable character in Sarah Nickerson as she struggles to cope with a life-altering condition known as left neglect.

It’s easy for many to identify with Sarah as she is a working mom with a high stress job as VP of Human Resources at a large company. Add her three lovable children and Sarah has an overfilled plate. Her life is altered when she is in a car accident and is left with a debilitating handicap; she doesn’t know that she has a left side! This was a very difficult concept to understand until Sarah explains to her husband, “Okay, now what if I told you that everything you see is only half of everything that’s really here? What if I told you to turn your head and look at the other half? Where would you look?” That was my “aha” moment in the book.

As Sarah struggles to regain her independence, she is forced to slow down and evaluate her life. Her journey is a powerful one as she examines her relationships with her husband, children, and her estranged mother. As I read, I found that I was also thinking about my relationships and my priorities. I love a book that makes you think and this was certainly a soul-searcher.

Left Neglected is not on my book club’s list this year but it should be! If you’ve read the book, please comment as I’d love to have a “discussion” about it. If you haven’t, I suggest that you get to the nearest book store or library and read it. My book club,Vegas, did read Still Alice and I gave it a 10. Left Neglected gets the same high score.

Just a little caution: Have some tissues ready for the last twenty pages!!

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23rd Annual Long Grove Art Fest August 20-21

Acclaimed Long Grove Art Fest Returns

The Long Grove Art Fest draws people from near and far. And why not? With over 90 juried exhibitors showing in mediums that include oil, jewelry, photography, and sculpture, there is something to suit almost everyone’s artistic palate. Visitors will also enjoy free music, entertainment and the famous festival food!

This year my friend Sis Jones’ brother, Wes Cowley, will be exhibiting at the fest. Wes has come all the way from Florida to show his photography this weekend. Take a look at his website to see a sampling of his work. I found his “Faces” quite captivating!

One thing that I definitely want to see is ArtBeat Live. Elliot From creates speed paintings in under ten minutes! Elliot is a local artist and has been seen on local news shows. He has also done quite a few paintings at charity auctions. Check out his videos to see some amazing art. Seeing him work should be quite the treat. I wonder if we have to stand VERY far back?! Elliot will be painting at 3pm on Saturday and Noon on Sunday.

A festival in Long Grove would not be complete without great music. On Saturday at 3:30, popular 7th Heaven will be performing. If you’re a Cubs fan you’ll recognize their “This Summer’s Gonna Last Forever” from the telecasts. On Sunday, The Downhome Sophisticates will show their versatility as they perform selections from Johnny Cash to Bruce Springsteen. Howard Levy’s Acoustic Express entertains at 4pm on Sunday. Just as the name implies, there are no amps and sometimes no microphone!

Whew! That’s a lot of stuff to see in only two days! Festivals in Long Grove are always crowded, so get there early. Admission to the fest is free and free parking is available at Stempel Parking Lot. The Long Grove Art Fest is held in downtown Long Grove (intersection of Old McHenry and Robert Parker Coffin Roads) on Saturday, August 20th from 11 am to 7pm and Sunday, August, 21st from 10 am to 5 pm.

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Kirsten’s Garden at the Lake Zurich Farmers Market

Meet Kirsten Halverson, Young Lake Zurich Entrepreneur and Organic Gardener

Anna (left) and Kirsten

Kirsten Halverson is a young woman who is embracing many things that I love: farmers markets, shopping locally and organic growing. I met Kirsten at the Lake Zurich Farmers Market along with her friend and growing partner, Anna Kaszuba. Kirsten and Anna will be seniors at Stevenson High School this fall. They were kind enough to take a few minutes to talk to me about their vegetable growing business.

Kirsten began growing vegetables simply because she loves veggies! She was encouraged by Robert Boyce, owner of Lake Zurich Florist and Natural Environments Landscapes, to expand her horizons. Mr. Boyce donated a part of his Lake Zurich greenhouse so that Kirsten could have more space and start earlier in the season. He encouraged her to grow organically and sell her crops at the Lake Zurich Farmers market on Fridays and at the Palatine Farmers Market on Saturdays.

Kirsten engaged the help of her friend, Anna Kaszuba. Anna tells me that at first she did it just to help Kirsten out but now she’s really enjoying it. We can encourage Kirsten and Anna by attending the Lake Zurich Farmers Market on Friday afternoons and buying some of their local, organically grown veggies.

The Lake Zurich Farmers Market is held on Fridays from 3 -7 pm at Lion’s Park (81 E Main). This is the first year that it’s been back and the vendors need our support if it’s to continue next year. Pop by; see Kirsten, Anna, and Bob. Tell them Terry sent you!

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Realtor Terry Dahlem Explains 3 Things You Need to Know About Short Sales

Real Estate for Sale Call Terry

The “Short” Explanation of Short Sales

Recently I have had numerous inquiries about short sales, both from buyers and sellers. Addressing both in one post would be long and confusing. So, today let’s talk about the seller side of a short sale. There is a lot of confusion in the marketplace regarding the length of the process, how it affects seller credit scores, and financial responsibility of the sellers. My experience has been that EVERY SHORT SALE IS DIFFERENT. There are a few things that appear to be commonplace.

1. Most lenders are not looking at short sale possibilities until the borrower is at least two months behind in payments. Their thinking seems to be “if they’re paying, why short sell?” Several of my clients paid their mortgages, although they were struggling to do so. At the advice of their attorneys, they stopped paying. Keep in mind that their homes were on the market at the time.

2. Not just anyone will be approved for a short sale. The short sale must be justified. Be prepared to provide extensive financial records and write a letter of hardship. The lender is not going to forgive the debt if you have assets squirreled away. If you qualify, the lender will close without a deficiency judgment against you.

3. A short sale does affect your credit but it’s better than a foreclosure. A person who has a short sale on his or her credit report may be able to purchase a new property after two years with no lending restrictions. With current lending guidelines, a person who has had a foreclosure will not be able to purchase a property for 5 to 7 years and must have a 10% minimum down payment.

If you think that you will need to short sell your home, the most important thing to do is contact a Realtor who has experience in short sales. I am an experienced short sale Realtor. I work with a team of professionals including several attorneys and very qualified negotiators. This year my team has helped sellers successfully close on short sales with no deficiency judgments.

Remember that every short sale circumstance is different. If you or someone you know would like to discuss their particular situation, contact me. I can help!

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Help a Lake Zurich Girl Scout Earn Her Gold Award!

How We Can Help Miranda Flores Earn Her Gold Award

Miranda Flores is a Lake Zurich High School senior and a Girl Scout. She is working hard to earn her Gold Award which is similar to a Boy Scout’s Eagle Scout award. Miranda has chosen the St. Francis de Sales Jubilee Garden as her project. When I contacted Miranda, she explained that the Jubilee Garden benefits the poorer of our community and that she also wanted to help the Jubilee Garden to acquire more volunteers. Read on to learn how our community can help Miranda achieve her goals!

Miranda has organized a Fields of Faith Family Fun Day at the St. Francis de Sales Jubilee Garden to be held on July 23rd from 9 am to 11:30 am. Miranda is asking the community to help her and the garden by joining together and volunteering for a couple of hours in the garden. Volunteers will be helping out with the corn crop. Miranda told me that the corn needs lots of helping hands to weed in order to prosper. Corn provides one of the largest crops for the St. Vincent DePaul food pantry and the Emmaus House Community Dinner. The corn stalks themselves support the garden in fundraising when they are sold at the Fall Harvest Sale in October.

The St. Francis de Sales Jubilee Garden is located on Route 22 just east of Quentin. It is situated on land owned and donated for use by a local family who are also frequent volunteers. Last year the garden produced approximately 3400 pounds of produce which was donated to community food pantries including St. Vincent DePaul, Emmaus House Community Dinner and Faith Acres.

Miranda is a young woman with many achievements. In addition to her activities as a Girl Scout, she  is also involved in the Lake Zurich High School  Interact Club, National Honor Society, Art club, ski club, and band. We can help her to achieve her goal of earning the Girl Scout Gold Award. I plan to be there on July 23rd. I hope to see many of you there!

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Long Grove Summer Concert Series Begins July 10th

Free Sunday Concerts July 10th through August 28th

Long Grove’s sixth summer concert series begins next Sunday, July 10th at 4pm. With very diverse styles of music, the eight concerts will be held at the new Pavilion which was generously built by Sunset Foods. The first band to perform at the Long Grove Summer Concert Series is the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. “Klezmer” originally referred to ancient Hebrew musical instruments. Around the middle ages it became attached to Jewish folk musicians. The Maxwell Street Klezmer Band is one of the Midwest’s premier Klezmer bands. They will entertain us with rich, jazzy sounds of the swing era.

All of the Sunday concerts begin at 4 pm and will end about 6 pm. Arrive early and stop by some of the downtown stores. You can pick up a bottle of wine at the Glunz Family Winery and some snacks at the Farmside Grocery. Or pop by Timmy’s Sandwiches or Enzo and Lucia for some take-out fare to enjoy during the concert. Bring a blanket and enjoy a musical afternoon in Long Grove.

All concerts are held at the pavilion in Long Grove’s Fountain Square. Fountain Square is located between Old McHenry Road and Robert Coffin Road just northeast of the main intersection of Downtown Long Grove. The square is adjacent to the Archer Municipal Parking Lot. I can hear the music from my house but it doesn’t compare to actually being there. I hope you can take advantage of a few of the Long Grove free concerts!

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Lake Zurich Farmers Market is Back!

Lake Zurich Farmers Market on Fridays

I took a stroll around the Lake Zurich Heritage Farmers Market when it opened last Friday, June 17th. Lake Zurich hasn’t had a farmers market since 2006 and local residents are excited to see it back. Sponsored by the Village of Lake Zurich, Lions Club and Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce, the market is held on Fridays from 3-7 pm at Lions Park. (81 E Main).

There are always interesting people to meet at farmers markets and the Lake Zurich Heritage Farmers market is no exception. I met Robert C Boyce of Natural Environments. Rob is the driving force that brought the market back to Lake Zurich. He is also the owner of Natural Environments Landscape and Design and Lake Zurich Florist. You can read my earlier blog post about Lake Zurich Florist here.

Available last week were fresh cut flowers, herbs, perennials, popcorn and kettle corn. Additionally there were several local business owners offering Tastefully Simple, Mary Kay and Tupperware products. The market is looking for more vendors of locally grown produce or handmade products.

Community support is needed if we want the market to continue. Stop by today and show them that we want them in downtown Lake Zurich. You can pick up some locally grown herbs and fresh flowers for your weekend celebrations. Watch my blog for my interviews with some other very interesting people who are committed to the success of the Lake Zurich Heritage Farmers Market.

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