La Grange's December Home Sales Dip 14 Percent Year-Over-Year

By Michael Sewall

The 12 single, detached homes sold in La Grange during December 2013 represented a 14.3 percent decrease from December 2012, when 14 homes were sold, according to the Mainstreet Organization of Realtors (MORe). The 13 homes sold in La Grange Park during December represented an 8.3 percent increase from the previous year, when 12 homes were sold. 

Meanwhile, the median home sales price increased in La Grange and La Grange Park during December. The median price in La Grange went up 1.5 percent to $511,250 from $503,750 in December 2012, and the median price in La Grange Park rose 16 percent, from $258,500 in 2012 to $299,900 in 2013, according to the statistics.

According to Zillow, the most expensive home sold in La Grange in December was at 211 S. Ashland Ave., and went for $975,000. 

Here are the others that sold for more than $400,000 in December, according to Zillow:

• 327 S. Madison Ave. sold Dec. 17 for $870,000
• 58 Drexel Ave. sold Dec. 20 for $840,500
• 111 N. Catherine Ave. sold Dec. 16 for $670,000
• 18 Drexel Ave. sold Dec. 4 for $650,000
• 735 S. Stone Ave. sold Dec. 16 for $503,300
• 50 N. Stone Ave. sold Dec. 16 for $469,000
• 401 S. Catherine Ave. sold Dec. 20 for $415,000

Among the 59 Patch communities surveyed, the number of homes sold increased 8.2 percent, slightly below the rise seen across the estimated 200 Chicago suburbs MORe tracks.

“There’s no question that 2013 was an outstanding year for the Chicago-area housing market,” said Michael Parent, president of MORe and Vice President of Operations for Burnet Title’s Chicago Region. “In some ways it was even better than predicted, especially in regard to the upward trend in prices.”

Parent noted that the extreme cold we’ve experienced in 2014 has slowed the market, but he’s optimistic for the rest of the year.

“We expect to see good inventory coming on the market and an increase in buyers by the end of January,” he said. “Those are the homes that will be closing in April and May of 2014.”

Top Performers

• Largest percentage increase in homes sold: Flossmoor (200 percent)
• Largest percentage increase in median sales price: Downers Grove (56.9 percent)
• Most homes sold in December 2013: Naperville (118)
• Highest median sales price in December 2013: Hinsdale ($997,000)

Related: A chart of December sales for all Patch towns in the Chicago area.