Chicagoland Home Prices Are Up 7.7% — and the NW Suburbs Are Absolutely Here for It

The national real estate market has been doing its best impression of a sad trombone lately. But Chicagoland? We're playing a completely different song — and it goes up.

According to data released June 25 by Illinois Realtors, the median price of homes sold in Chicagoland in May 2026 was up 7.7% year-over-year. Crain's Chicago Business covered it with the headline "Chicago housing market defies national downdrafts as prices hit another high," which honestly sums it up perfectly. While other markets are softening, sitting on inventory, and slashing prices, we're over here posting new highs.

I've been doing this for over twenty years and I'll tell you: a market that shrugs off national headwinds isn't lucky. It's structurally sound. Chicagoland — and the northwest suburbs in particular — has things working in its favor that don't evaporate just because mortgage rates get squirrelly or the stock market catches a cold.

Why Chicagoland keeps holding its ground

Inventory is still tight. We've been saying it for years and it keeps being true — there are more people who want to live here than there are homes for sale. When supply is low and demand is steady, prices don't tend to fall. They tend to do exactly what they did in May.

The NW suburbs add a layer on top of that. Towns like Algonquin, Huntley, Carpentersville, Crystal Lake, and Geneva offer something genuinely rare: good schools, actual land, relative affordability compared to Chicago proper, and easy access to major employment corridors. In May, homes were closing in the $445K–$475K range in Huntley alone. That's real money, but it's also a house with a yard — not a condo above a bar.

Meanwhile, renting in Chicago is getting more complicated. Mayor Brandon Johnson just introduced the Protecting Renters Ordinance, which would tighten the screws on landlords citywide. Whether you think that's good policy or not, it's creating uncertainty in the rental market — and uncertainty in the rental market tends to push people toward buying. Suburban buying, specifically.

What this means for you right now

If you're thinking about selling: this is not the moment to sit on your hands. A 7.7% year-over-year gain means your home is worth more today than it was a year ago. Inventory is still competitive. Buyers are still out here. Price it right and it moves.

If you're thinking about buying: yes, prices are up. But so is the competition for rentals, and so is your likely purchase price next year too (see: the trend). Waiting for a dip in a market that keeps posting highs is a strategy that tends to cost money, not save it.

The data from Illinois Realtors doesn't lie. Chicagoland is outperforming. The NW suburbs are a big reason why.

Questions about what your home is worth, or what you can get into right now? I know this market. Let's talk.

--- POST: Summer Is Officially On: Crystal Lake's Lakeside Festival Is Back (Plus Every Other NW Suburbs Party You Need to Know About) FILE: 2026-07-01-crystal-lake-lakeside-festival.html

Summer Is Officially On: Crystal Lake's Lakeside Festival Is Back (Plus Every Other NW Suburbs Party You Need to Know About)

Every summer I say the same thing: you cannot put a price on living somewhere that throws a good party. And NW suburbs? We throw excellent parties.

Crystal Lake's annual Lakeside Festival is officially back, bringing its well-loved lineup of rides, food, and music to the shores of — you guessed it — Crystal Lake. Per the Daily Herald, the festival returns this summer with the full experience: carnival rides, local food vendors, and live music. If you've never been, it's the kind of event that reminds you exactly why people move out here in the first place. The drive is short, the parking is (relatively) painless, and the skyline view is a lake, not a skyscraper.

And Crystal Lake isn't the only game in town. Shaw Local's summer festival roundup for northern Illinois highlights parks and events scattered across McHenry and Kane counties through July and August — including spots right here in Lake in the Hills. For families especially, this is the summer calendar that city folks have to drive 45 minutes to find. You just have to cross your own subdivision.

Why this matters beyond the funnel cake

I always say community amenities don't just improve your quality of life — they protect your investment. Towns that draw crowds to their parks and lakefronts are towns where people want to live. When people want to live somewhere, inventory gets tight. When inventory gets tight, home values hold and climb. The Lakeside Festival isn't just a good time; it's a data point about what Crystal Lake is as a community.

If you're a buyer trying to choose between Crystal Lake, Lake in the Hills, and Algonquin — spend a Saturday at Lakeside Festival before you decide. Not to analyze it, just to feel it. The lifestyle you're buying into matters just as much as the square footage.

Mark your calendar before it fills up

July and August in the NW suburbs go fast. Between the Fourth of July celebrations (almost every village in a 20-mile radius is doing something), the Lakeside Festival in Crystal Lake, and the northern Illinois festival circuit through August, there's something on nearly every weekend. This is peak "I'm so glad I live here" season. Take advantage of it.

Check with Crystal Lake Parks & Rec for exact Lakeside Festival dates and the City of Crystal Lake's official pages for updated programming. Lake in the Hills park events are posted through the village website and McHenry County's community calendar.

Buying near Crystal Lake or Lake in the Hills? I've got the neighborhood lowdown beyond what Zillow will tell you. Give me a call.

--- POST: Woodstock Just Got a BratHaus in Its Old Courthouse — and That's a Very Good Sign FILE: 2026-07-01-woodstock-brathaus-old-courthouse.html

Woodstock Just Got a BratHaus in Its Old Courthouse — and That's a Very Good Sign

Forget everything you know about courthouses being boring. Woodstock's historic Old Courthouse just became home to a BratHaus with a basement pub and an upstairs event space. Defendant, you are free to go — to get a beer.

The Woodstock BratHaus officially opened its doors this week inside the town's Old Courthouse, according to Shaw Local. The concept delivers exactly what the name implies: brats, German-inspired food, and now a multi-level venue with a basement pub and an upstairs space for events. Oh, and it created 48 jobs — most of which went to local hires.

This is the kind of story that makes a REALTOR's ears perk up, and not just because I'm hungry.

What a courthouse-turned-restaurant actually means

Historic adaptive reuse is developer-speak for "we took a beautiful old building that was just sitting there and made it do something." When it works — and this sounds like it's working — it signals a few important things about a downtown: there's enough foot traffic to support a new concept, there's investor confidence in the neighborhood, and the community has decided to invest in its historic fabric rather than bulldoze it for a parking lot.

Woodstock's downtown has been on an interesting trajectory. The Woodstock Square is genuinely one of the most charming town centers in McHenry County — walkable, architecturally intact, the kind of place that real estate writers describe as "authentic character" (which is code for "this took decades to build and you cannot manufacture it"). When a new business moves into a centerpiece historic building and brings 48 jobs with it, that's not just a restaurant opening. That's a vote of confidence in the whole zip code.

Why Woodstock buyers should be paying attention

Here's the thing about walkable downtowns with live music, local restaurants, and historic architecture: people want to live near them. And when people want to live somewhere, prices do the predictable thing.

Woodstock isn't Naperville. It doesn't have the same profile or the same price tag — which, for the right buyer, is a feature, not a bug. If you're looking for a town with genuine character that's still on the upswing, Woodstock should be on your radar. The BratHaus is one more reason why the "we'll wait and see what happens to Woodstock" conversation has been losing steam for a while now.

I sell in Woodstock regularly. If you want to know what the market looks like right now — not the Zillow estimate, the actual picture — reach out.

--- POST: Bougie on a Budget: 15+ Home Hacks That Look Expensive and Aren't FILE: 2026-07-01-home-hacks-bougie-on-a-budget.html

Bougie on a Budget: 15+ Home Hacks That Look Expensive and Aren't

Two home hacks roundups landed in my Google Alerts this week, which the universe is clearly telling me to combine. Consider this your summer upgrade to-do list — no contractor required.

First, from Apartment Therapy: a homeowner tackled her basement toy situation with IKEA shelving and came out the other side with a clutter-free space she's apparently willing to show on the internet. Which means it actually looks good. The basement is the room that stops buyers dead in their tracks at showings — it's either "oh wow" or "oh no." IKEA's KALLAX and TROFAST systems have become the unofficial storage religion of organized suburban parents, and for good reason: they're modular, affordable, and make even a chaotic toy collection look intentional.

Second, from Upworthy: frugal people share 15 "fancy" home hacks that feel bougie while saving money. This is my people. After 20+ years of walking through thousands of homes, I can confirm: the difference between a house that feels like a million bucks and a house that actually cost a million bucks is often a $40 decision made with good taste.

The hacks that consistently move the needle

I'll add my own field notes from years of prepping homes for market. These are the low-cost moves I've seen make an outsized impression on buyers:

Hardware swaps. Pulling old brass cabinet pulls and replacing them with matte black or brushed nickel is a morning project that costs under $100 and photographs like a kitchen renovation. It's not a renovation. It's new hardware. Buyers don't know that.

Paint, always paint. A fresh coat of a warm neutral — nothing trendy, nothing that dates itself — is the single highest-ROI move in real estate. The Upworthy roundup almost certainly has a version of this and they're right. I've seen a $300 paint job add perceived value in the thousands.

Organized storage beats more storage. The IKEA basement strategy works because it makes the storage visible and legible. Buyers aren't just counting square footage; they're imagining their life in your space. A labeled, organized basement says "this house is manageable." A dark, overstuffed basement says "run."

The REALTOR angle: hacks that help at resale

If you're even thinking about selling in the next year or two, here's my blunt take: don't spend money on anything that won't photograph well or that a buyer won't notice in the first ten seconds of walking in. The fancy hacks that pay off are the ones that hit the senses immediately — smell (bake something, use a diffuser), light (open blinds, replace dead bulbs, add a lamp), and first impression (clean entryway, fresh paint on the front door, potted plant that isn't dead).

The basement IKEA project? Absolutely worth it if you're selling. Buyers open that basement door and brace themselves. Give them a reason to exhale instead.

Getting your house ready to list and not sure where to spend your money? That is my exact specialty. Call me before you renovate anything.