Chicago’s Top Growing Cities

Do you want to know how much your city’s population has changed in the 10 year period between 2000 and 2010? Chicago Real Estate Forum recently published an infographic showing the population growth for some of Chicago’s top cities according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

”An infographic is a great tool to take a large amount of data and put it into a graphic image that you can actually understand. Anyone can easily look at this infographic and discern how Chicago's population has grown over the past 10 years,” said Mitch Levinson, publisher of Chicago Real Estate Forum and managing partner of mRELEVANCE.

According to the data, the cities that grew the most between 2000 and 2010 are Aurora, Joliet, Plainfield, Homer Glen and Huntley. Aurora grew by more than 54,000 residents in the 10 year period, while Joliet grew by more than 41,000 people. Plainfield and Homer Glen both saw an increase of more than 24,000 residents, and Huntley grew by almost 19,000 residents. Other large cities with a high rate of population growth included Elgin, Naperville, Waukegan, Evanston and Bolingbrook.

Overall, Chicago saw a massive population increase in the Southwest suburbs and a relative decrease in the near Northwest.

The infographic was designed by Marketing RELEVANCE, a marketing, communication and interactive agency with offices in both Chicago and Atlanta.

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Steps to Teaching Your Child Financial Independence

Strong early childhood financial habits
can lead to stronger credit scores and better
control of money in adulthood.

Parents want the best for their kids, they want them to be successful and happy in life and one of the keys to that is instilling in your children the knowledge necessary for financial independence. Lessons in financial independence can start in as young as elementary-aged children, as explained in the recent Equifax finance blog article “Preparing Your Children for Financial Independence.” These lessons help set up the right habits to have a strong credit rating and the ability to purchase Chicago new homes when the time is right!

Set your children on the right financial path with these tips:

1.    Discuss your child’s financial goals and help them come up with a plan for success.  Tell your children what financial independence means. Let them know when you expect them to manage their own finances. Tell them about earning and appreciating money and learning to live within their means. Find out what kind of lifestyle your child plans for, and help set appropriate goals to meet that lifestyle – what level of education will they need to achieve, how will loans and credit factor into that, and how much should they save.

Lynn Builders Now Selling Custom Will County Homes

Build your custom Will County dream home in the  Waterchase subdivision in New Lenox. Designed by Lynn builders, these Chicago new homes come with stellar in-home details such as quartz counters, contemporary fireplaces, hardwood floors and even custom-built wine racks.

Four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath homes are priced starting at $359,000 and Lynn Builders also specializes in designing prarie-style homes. Prairie-style homes are unique from other custom homes because they emphasize open space, natural materials and lots of daylight.

Waterchase is located in New Lenox, which provides easy acess to I-57, I-80 and I-355. Residents are also only two blocks away from the Laraway Road Metra station. Studnets living at Waterchase will attend the New Lenox School District 122.

Ready to design your custom prarie-style home? Contact Lynn Builders at (708) 922-9425.

Faganel Builders Selling Energy-Efficient New Homes

It's no secret that green building is all the rage right now, and if you purchase a Kane County new home from Faganel Builders, you'll reap the benefits of truly energy-efficient living.

Faganel Builders offers a heating, cooling and comfort guarantee and their homes at Tall Oaks consistenly receive a HERS rating of 60, higher than the average ENERGY STAR rating of 80.
The builder has also several Key Awards as well as a Gold Award from the National Association of Home Builders.

Notable 'green' features of a Tall Oaks home include an energy-efficient sealed home envelope, a 94 percent high-efficient variable speed furnance, low flow toilets and bath fan timers and low VOC paints.

Tall Oaks floor plans include three to five bedrooms, a full basement and three-car garages. Select floor plans also come with second floor laundry rooms and a second family room. Homeowners will also enjoy granite countertops, quality raised birch cabinets in the kitchen, hardwood floors and a direct vent brick fireplace.

Pricing for these Kane County new homes starts at $319,400. Tall Oaks is located in Elgin, where residents can enjoy quality and family-friendly suburban living while still having access to shopping, dining and entertainment options.

For more information, visit the Faganel Builders website or call 630 488-1111.

Purchase a Custom Home From Gort Builders

Gort Builders is now selling spacious Will County new homes in Homer Glen.

Prospective homeowners can choose from a variety of floor plans, and be sure to check out the Ashford model.

The Ashford features a three-car garage, four bedrooms and a bonus room that can become an office or fifth bedroom. Purchase a Gort home, and you'll enjoy stellar home features such as a spacious kitchen with custom maple cabinets and a wet bar, a wood burning fireplace with custom mantle and surround and custom marble counter tops in the bathroom and laundry room. You'll also enjoy the advantage of having a walk-out basement, three walk-in closets and in a walk-in pantry in the kitchen.

Gort Builders builds homes on home sites priced from $65,000 to $110,000 depending upon location with  pricing for a custom designed home determined on a case-by-case basis based upon customers included features and finishes. A complete home package is priced starting at $500,000 and can range up to $675,000.

Owner and builder Gerry Neilan, who is from Ireland, has more than 28 years of hands-on experience in the business and makes sure that each homeowner receives personal attention.

Homer Glen is located 25 miles southwest of Chicago and offers two 18-hole golf courses plus 1,300 acres of Forest Preserve land.

For more information on Gort Builders, call 708-599-1865 or visit the Gort Builders website at www.GortBuilders.com.

Pulte Selling New Homes at Prescott Mill

Don't wait too long to search for a new Kendall County home, because the ones at Prescott Mill are almost sold out. Pulte is currently selling four bedroom, two-and-a-half baths models that start at 2,148 square feet.

Residents can select from three spacious home designs: the Dorchester, Austin or the quick move-in Carrington. Pricing starts at $229,000 end each home offers a wide variety of special features. The Carrington includes a luxury master bath while the Dorchester boasts a first floor den and open layot. Purchase the Austin model and enjoy 2,676 square feet of living space that also consists of flex space off the foyer.

Each home at Prescott Mill also includes a basement and two-car garage plus residents will save plenty on their energy mills with an ENERGY star water heater and ENERGY STAR windows.

Living at Prescott Mill means you'll also have acesss to more than 46 acres of natural wetlands, walking trails and more than seven acres of recreational park. Looking for the latest entertainment? You'll be pleased to know that Prescott Mill is just 15 minutes from downtown Naperville and is close to nearby shopping, golf courses and an AMC movie theater.

In 2011, Oswego was named one of the 100 towns on the Best Places to Live List by Money Magazine.

For more information about Prescott Mill, call 847-302-0470 or visit www.pulte.com.

Get a Great Year-End Deal on Kendall County Real Estate

Purchase a new Chicago home at the Groves at Autumn Creek through December 31 and receive $3,000 towards your closing costs!

The Groves at Autumn Creek by Centex offers Kendall County real estate starting at $114,000. Buyers can choose from ranch-style and two-story floor plans that feature two to four bedrooms and one to two-and-a–half baths. Homeowners also have the option of selecting five unique home designs that include full basements and flex rooms. Ranch floor plans start at 1,309 square feet and two-story floor plans start at 1,594 square feet.

Quality amenties at Autumn Grove include Whirpool appliances, full basements and designer kitchens equipped with Kohler and Moen products.

Autumn Creek is set on 92 acres of open space with walking and bike paths. Located in Yorkville, this community is only 25 minutes from downtown Naperville, which is one of suburban Chicago’s best shopping locations! There is even an on-site elementary school at Autumn Creek and Yorkville offers top-notch schools, plenty of recreational facilities and excellent local parks.

For more information, visit the Autumn Creek website or call 866-885-2253.