I’m not breaking any news in suggesting that Americans are facing one of the toughest housing markets in a generation.

We feel wildly fortunate to have purchased our home in Geneva in 2021 before mortgage rates skyrocketed. For many younger folks, owning a home feels like a pipe dream.

It’s unclear what we should expect this year. Experts suggest that our area will see more inventory in 2024. Mortgage rates could continue to drop, but nothing’s guaranteed.

Median home sale prices in Chicago metro:

For a more hyperlocal snapshot of the housing market, I thought it’d be interesting to look into February home sales in Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles.

Here’s what I found:

I have to admit, it was surprising to see St. Charles blow away Geneva for highest average selling price. It’s a relatively small sample size, sure, but I certainly didn’t anticipate a discrepancy of nearly $90K.

I guess the two $800K+ homes and one $700K+ home that sold in St. Charles may have skewed things a bit. The most expensive home to sell in Geneva was about $680K.

Batavia trends aligned more closely with expectations. It makes sense that more affordably priced homes would sell at a higher rate, right?

Most recently, residential property sales for the week ending Feb. 24 included six in Batavia, four in Geneva and four in St. Charles.

These are three of the most expensive homes currently for sale in the Tri-Cities:

Let me know if you liked this overview; we can bring it back in future months if so.

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☑️ Official twister: Last Tuesday’s storm that damaged more than 20 properties as it swept through Geneva has been classified as an EF-1 tornado.

🔒 IL House endorsement: Citing his energy and fresh ideas, the Daily Herald endorsed Arad Boxenbaum of Geneva over incumbent Matt Hanson in the for Illinois House District 83 race.

🔒 Recorder endorsement: The Daily Herald makes the case that Brenda Rodgers of Elgin is the top Democratic candidate for Kane County Recorder.

☑️ Split vote: With some members citing a need for more information, the Kane County Board delayed its decision on funding a new $30 million health department headquarters.

🔒 Birder’s surprise: A Ross’s goose — which is quite rare in this part of Illinois — was recently spotted by a local wildlife photographer.

☑️ Expect delays: Ongoing construction at Prairie & Wilson in Batavia starts today.

☑️ Requesting comments: A Wednesday night public hearing at Batavia City Hall will solicit input on several amendments to the text of the Zoning Code, including changes to a variety of permits.

☑️ Watch this video: Go behind the scenes with particle accelerator operators at Fermilab to see how they conduct their remarkable research and make important discoveries.

☑️ Say cheese: The Batavia Parks Foundation is looking to set up a selfie station and sign on the downtown Donovan Bridge, facing the Peace Bridge.

☑️ Nature nerd: Pam Otto, naturalist and storyteller for Hickory Knolls Discovery Center in St. Charles, demonstrated her charisma and expertise in a fun WGN News segment about owls in Illinois.

☑️ Storm cleanup: Today through Wednesday, Geneva will be conducting a special brush collection to help clear tree damage from the tornado.

☑️ Emergency preparedness: Illinois experienced more tornadoes than any state in 2023. This two-hour class in Geneva later this month will cover topics like home safety and emergency planning.

*Below are “listed” start/end times — actual play times tend to vary. The 🎟️ symbol indicates an admission fee. Links to band/event info are provided where available.

✔️ Ryan Worthy: Firewater BBQ | Geneva | 5-7PM | Musician info

✔️ Riley Bros Duo: Flagship on the Fox | St. Charles | 6-9PM | Musician info

✔️ Pete Jive: Firewater BBQ | Geneva | 5-7PM | Musician info

✔️ Mike Hayes: Flagship on the Fox | St. Charles | 5-8PM | Musician info

✔️ Barley Priest: Preservation| Geneva | 6-9PM | Event info + video

☑️ Local eats: Batavia MainStreet has released a Downtown Restaurant Guide showcasing 35 dining/drinking establishments that are helping to invigorate downtown Batavia’s food scene.

☑️ Down by the boardwalk: Speaking of Batavia MainStreet, the Boardwalk Shops have announced their 10 vendors for the 2024 season.

☑️ Signs of spring: Pottawatomie Golf Course in St. Charles is now open for the season (weather permitting, of course).

️Rediscovering the 1849 Richards Riot | Wednesday, 1PM | Norris Cultural Arts Center, STC | Steve Gibson, former St. Charles History Museum president, will share the infamous and macabre story of the 1849 “Richards’ Riot” in St. Charles. Registration required.

☑️ First Annual Spring Fling | Friday-Sunday | Grow Geneva | My wife Katie’s all-time favorite shop will kick off the spring growing season by celebrating all things houseplants with raffles, demos, new products and more.

🎟️ Maple Magic | Saturday, various times | Delnor Woods Park, STC | Enjoy a pancake breakfast with real maple syrup, then head off to learn where that syrup comes from and how it is made. Registration required.

All three City Councils will hold meetings tonight:

☑️ Batavia: The agenda for tonight’s meeting includes approval of ordinances regarding the Tesla/storage facility development on Randall Road and a presentation on Severe Weather Preparedness Week (which is this week).

☑️ Geneva: The agenda for tonight’s meeting includes a special item proclaiming March as Women’s History Month and a closed session on pending litigation.

☑️ St. Charles: The agenda for tonight’s meeting includes motions to approve liquor licenses for Maple Leaf Coffee House, Domo Sushi and Thornton’s Gas Station, plus additional committee reports.

Consider a sponsorship with Tri-Cities Central. Simply reply to this email if you’re interested in discussing newsletter ads, sponsored content or additional marketing services.

Happy to share a media kit detailing specific opportunities with anyone interested.

🌩️ Today: High 73F | Low 41F | Another summer-ish storm?

⛅ Tuesday: High 54F | Low 33F | Back to normal

🌤️ Wednesday: High 53F | Low 35F | Mostly sunny

🌤️ Thursday: High 55F | Low 41F | Another nice one

🔥 Loved it, keep up the good work [this]

😐 Mediocre, could take it or leave it [this]

🛑 3 minutes I’ll never get back [this]

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