The Northbrook real estate market is seeing a slight correction as prices drop and demand returns to historic levels in the neighborhood.

According to the Chicago Association of Realtors, the number of condos sold in the neighborhood dropped to 56, a 30 percent drop from two years ago. However, total sales are right in line with the average for the third quarter in the neighborhood.

However, this isn’t good news for condo owners and developers who have their property on the market. If you’re selling your condominium in Northbrook, it will take you an average of 145 days to find a buyer. This is the longgest turnover time that the neighborhood has seen since 1993 and a 79 percent increase over last year.

Buyers should start to see better prices in Northbrook if the inventory of unsold condos sits on the market longer. The average sales price for the neighborhood has already dropped by 3 percent during the third quarter.

Demand could continue to drop in the neighborhood if buyers continue to face more stringent requirements from banks and lenders for new mortgages.

However, if you’re in the market and looking for a good deal on Chicago Real Estate, Northbrook is an excellent choice.

Technorati Tags: Northbrook Real Estate News, Chicago Real Estate, Chicago Condos

Buyers looking for Skokie Illinois Condos should check out one of the newest developments to come to the market in the city. The development is located at 9645 Woods Drive, just off I-94.

Optima Old Orchard Woods Condominiums offer luxurious condos ranging in size from one to four bedrooms. Floor plans range from 700 square feet for a one-bedroom to as much as 3,100 square feet for the largest four-bedroom unit.

Amenities at Optima Old Orchard Woods include the standard array of stainless steel appliances, designer cabinets, and granite countertops. However, it’s the two story fitness center with a pool and spa and the green roof that really set this condo development apart from the rest. Green roofs are one of the newest technologies in urban development, helping reduce pollution and improve air quality.

Residents will also love the heated indoor parking included with each unit, reflecting pool, and the party room for entertaining friends.

Residents are minutes from the Old Orchard Shopping Center, with its many retail and dining options. Commuters have quick and easy access to downtown Chicago via the Metra and I-94.

The development is close to several neighborhood schools. Families with young children can opt for the Jane Stenson School, a widely acclaimed elementary school just a few blocks away. Old Orchard Junior High School is also minutes from home. .

Technorati Tags: Skokie Real Estate, Chicago Luxury Condos, Chicago North Shore Condos, Optima Old Orchard Woods

I never have considered myself overtly-PC. Annoying PC. So much PC that I’m no fun to be around. I still laugh at dirty jokes, and most importantly, I can laugh at myself. I don’t run screaming for a civil rights attorney just because someone told a “dumb blonde” joke in my presence.

However, the older I get, the more uncomfortable I become with symbols that mock other cultures. While searching for kids’ Halloween costumes this weekend, I was acutely aware of how some people can still be so offensive. I’m not talking about the big butt prosthesis - although I’m sure the overweight may not find that funny. Or even the Appalachian buck teeth, although - making fun of the fact there are places in this country where access to good health care - or any health care - isn’t all that funny. I’m talking about the kid-sized “Indian” costumes, complete with feather headdresses and tomahawks, and the “Mexican” costumes - sombreros and blankets.

I can understand the whole “little boy wants to play cowboys and Indians” thing - and why wearing the feather headdress could be seen as fun. But the tomahawk? Really? And the Mexican costume struck me as wildly offensive. But that’s just me.

The hardest thing, though, is trying to explain to my 10-year-old why I would not let him dress up as a pimp or a rapper. To be fair, it’s not as if these costumes are mixed in with the kids’ costumes. No - but they are usually prominently displayed on a wall somewhere where the kids can see the bling, the bright fuzzy hats, the pimp canes and “gangsta” rings. My 10-year-old hasn’t even had sex ed yet - and I’m supposed to explain what a pimp is and why there’s no way I’d ever let him dress like that?

For the record, Chloe is going as a fairy, Zack got away with a ghoul mask, and my 10-year-old is going as a biker in a Billy Gibbons beard. And I’ve got another year to hope the pimp craze goes away.

Technorati Tags: Halloween costumes, politically correct Halloween costumes, PC Halloween, pimp and rapper costumes for kids