This year will go down in most people’s memory as one of quietly hanging on, possibly with some desperation as well. Slowly the market is starting to show signs of recovery and a return to “normality”, or whatever will pass for normality in 2010. Even though closing every deal seems akin to pulling teeth, Rubloff has had a good summer with second quarter sales activity increasing.

We have had a series of statistical revelations in recent weeks all pointing to a more positive housing market. Whether or not a recovery will happen in the near future or the long term future remains to be seen. Nevertheless, here are some reasons to be hopeful:

• Existing home sales were up nationally 7.2% in July over June and up 4% in the Chicago Metropolitan area for the same period. Even more positive is the fact that home sales in the Chicago area inched up 0.3% in July 2009 versus July 2008, the first year on year increase since March of 2006. Existing home sales in Chicago have been up month over month for six consecutive months!

• New home sales were up nationally 9.6% in July over June, and up for the fourth straight month in a row. It is important that we are seeing month over month increases because that indicates a trend upward.

• Home prices are up nationally 2.9% in the second quarter of 2009 versus the first quarter and up 1.1% for the same period in the Chicago metropolitan area. This is the first quarterly price rise in three years, indicating a bottom may have been reached.

• The inventory of for sale homes is decreasing. The Monthly Supply of Inventory is 9.1 months, down from the high of 22.3 months in December of 2008. The number of for sale homes is down 16% from July of 2008, from 32,151 units to 26,946 units in July of 2009.

• The number of homes in the Chicago area that went under contract in July 2009 was 2,335 units, or 23% higher than the 1,900 units under contract in July of 2008.

• The average days on market in Chicago have decreased 8% since January from 170 DOM to 157 DOM in July.

• Consumer confidence rose in July to 54.1 from 47.4. While a score of 90+ indicates solid growth, an increase in this all important “soft” statistic is amazing given the poor job situation. Consumer spending represents about 70% of the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the US. A sustainable upward trend in consumer spending will signal the recession is coming to a close.

• The Conference Board reports their Index of Leading Economic Indicators is up in July 0.6% after a 0.8% increase in June. “The indicators suggest that the recession is bottoming out, and that economic activity will likely begin recovering soon,” said Ken Goldstein, economist at The Conference Board.

• Durable goods orders were up in July an unexpected 4.9%. This was the biggest gain in two years. Durable goods orders represent a leading indicator of the health of the manufacturing sector.

While we may have to hang on in quiet desperation a little longer, the indicators are very positive that the recession is coming to an end and many economists are betting it will end in September. The combination of historically low interest rates and more affordable pricing are already in place. The keys to future improvement will be job creation and consumer spending. Once we see improvement in those realms a recovery in real estate will not be far behind.

Chicago, August 18, 2009 – Weichert Relocation Resources Inc. (WRRI), one of the world’s leading providers of corporate relocation and assignment management solutions, announced that Rubloff has earned the “Excellent Performance Rating” for delivering consistently superior relocation services. This prestigious award is given quarterly to those members of WRRI’s Weichert Broker Network (WBN) who exceed targeted service metrics.

“As the performance targets to which we hold our Broker Network members are already among the relocation industry’s most stringent, the Brokers who earn our Excellent Performance Rating truly represent the best of the best,” said Sorine Belz, Director of the WBN. “Rubloff’s relocation department, under the leadership of John D’Ambrogio has earned a solid reputation in its service region, and we are fortunate that they, like other members of our Broker Network, remain committed to being the most relocation-savvy real estate professionals in the industry.”

The Weichert Broker Network is an elite team of pre-qualified and accredited brokers who demonstrate excellence in marketing, selling, and finding homes for WRRI’s corporate clients and their relocating employees. Through the WBN, WRRI connects its customers with the best real estate professionals throughout North America, regardless of affiliation.

Rubloff Residential Properties has offices throughout Chicago, the North Shore and Harbor Country, and can be reached at 800-480-7816. For more information on the Weichert Broker Network, please contact Sorine Belz, Director of Broker Network Services, at WRRI @ 781-681-3038.

About Weichert Relocation Resources Inc.: Weichert Relocation Resources Inc. (WRRI) is The Next Practices Company®, delivering the next generation of relocation and assignment management services that help some of the world’s leading companies avoid inventory, increase employee home sales, enhance mobile workforce management and reduce program costs. A Balanced Scorecard Hall of FameTM Company, WRRI provides a unique combination of stability, financial expertise and seasoned leadership that has made the company a trusted, proactive partner to clients throughout the world. For more information, visit wrri.com.

Rubloff is pleased to congratulate John D’Ambrogio, Vice-President Director of Operations and Relocation Services, on his nomination to the Board of Directors for the Relocation Directors Council.  John has been recommended by the Nominating Committee to serve on the Board of Directors for a two-year term.

The Relocation Directors Council, founded in 1979, includes some of the best and brightest professionals in the corporate relocation industry. According to their website, members are invited to join based on their experience, education, industry involvement, and a commitment to serve their clients and customers with the highest level of professionalism.

Members of the Relocation Directors Council manage the relocation activities of over 250 of the largest and most diverse residential real estate firms in the country, including, of course, those of Rubloff Residential Properties. For more information on Rubloff’s award-winning relocation department, please click here.

As Creative Director for Rubloff, I am often privileged to a front row seat in viewing the finest Chicago homes for sale. So many images of the most gorgeous residences imaginable float across my desk or screen on a daily basis that I have to admit to becoming just a little bit jaded. I see some of the most fabulous properties in every price range, most of which are beyond the wildest dreams I have for my personal home. Yet, I’ve heard the unimaginable float out of my mouth more than once:


“What’s the list price? Only $1.5 Million?”


“Nice, but where are the his and her baths?”


“The hardwood floors aren’t cut on the diagonal, though.”


I wouldn’t know what $1.5 Million looked like if a bundle of bills fell on my head. And I still jostle for space every morning in the bathroom mirror before heading out to my office overlooking Oak Street Beach.


Well, Rubloff.com isn’t just the place to see the most amazing, over-the-top residences represented by the most experienced luxury marketing experts in the industry. Rubloff.com is the ultimate tool for your real estate search, for any property type, at any price range.


Today, we introduce a new maximum/minimum price field, located right on our home page and on every subsequent page, ready to accept your custom entry, right down to the dollars and cents.





Now, every visitor to Rubloff.com can manually enter the precise dollar amount for the home they are searching for. Have your preapproval amount on a mortgage? Jump right on to the Rubloff home page, enter your max and min prices and press “search.”


Want some more options? Jump to our Advanced Search and break down your choices even further, all with an exact dollar amount entered to reflect your personal comfort level and financial ability.


Want to check out an open house, but don’t have a lot of time to waste? Enter your range on our Open House page, and dash out the door.


Sure, I’m biased. But I daresay that Rubloff.com is the only place I would go to search for my next home (with or without his and her baths). With search functionality that can’t be beat, and cutting edge technology being added every day: Mi casa es su casa. Our website is your website.

When any of my friends or family ask me why I choose to live in the city, invariably my answer always comes back to accessibility. If I need to go to the grocery store at 3 in the morning (which oddly enough, in semi-emergencies, I have done), I can throw on my shoes and walk down the street.


Sure, I have a car, but with public transportation as simple as it is, why spend my downtime before and after work honking at other drivers on Lake Shore, when I could be reading or listening to an iPod on the train or bus?


Yes, my lawn is a little limited, but I have an entire city of parks and recreation areas at my fingertips, or more appropriately, at my footsteps.


For those, like me, that value the walk about town, Rubloff has your interests in mind. Every one of our Chicago homes for sale on Rubloff.com now features a Walk Score. Walk Score is a service that rates the “walkability factor” of any address located in or near the United States’ 40 largest cities.


This is how it works: by locating nearby stores, restaurants and coffee shops, theaters, libraries, schools, parks, and others, Walk Score measures how easy it is to live a lifestyle sans car in your potential new home. According to Walk Score, their ratings work like so:

• 90–100 = Walkers’ Paradise: Most errands can be accomplished on foot and many people get by without owning a car.
• 70–89 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.
• 50–69 = Somewhat Walkable: Some stores and amenities are within walking distance, but many everyday trips still require a bike, public transportation, or car.
• 25–49 = Car-Dependent: Only a few destinations are within easy walking range. For most errands, driving or public transportation is a must.
• 0–24 = Car-Dependent (Driving Only): Virtually no neighborhood destinations within walking range. You can walk from your house to your car!

For example, one of our own Rubloff listings rates a 98 out of 100 for walkability, located at 100 East Huron #2404.

With so many home buyers concerned with living an increasingly green lifestyle, Rubloff.com wants to provide as much information as possible to help make this decision an easy one! And for those who appreciate convenience, there’s nothing like Walk Score to tell you just how close all of life’s necessities are to your prospective home.


So, whether one wants to limit their carbon emissions, support more local businesses, or just get healthier, make sure to check out the Walk Score, located at the bottom of each property details page, on all of the listings at rubloff.com.