Data: Altos Research · Single-Family Homes · lynwisegroup.com · (312) 860-7294
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS WEEK
Every single market we track in this report improved its MAI this week. All five. That has not happened in this series before — and it is the most important thing in this report.
Northbrook surged from 65 to 71 — its cautionary tone from last week completely erased. The entry segment absorbed five homes against one new listing. Deerfield continued its recovery for a second consecutive week, climbing from 50 to 52 with 19% of listings seeing price increases. Highland Park ticked up from 53 to 55. Glencoe posted its third straight week of MAI gains, moving from 42 to 45. Lake Forest edged up from 38 to 39 with its narrative turning positive for the first time in weeks. Rates remain steady in the mid-6% range.
The practical summary: if you have been waiting for a clear signal that the North Shore market is finding its footing heading into summer, this week's data is that signal.
WHAT CHANGED FROM LAST WEEK
Last week we said Northbrook and Deerfield appeared to be converging. This week the data answered that question clearly.
Northbrook did not converge. It accelerated. The MAI jumped six points in a single week, back to 71 — its highest reading since the peak of this cycle. The cautionary language we flagged last week was a one-week pause, not a trend. The narrative is unambiguous again: home sales are outstripping supply, prices are rising, and there is no sign of that changing.
Deerfield, meanwhile, continued its own recovery — second straight week of gains, 19% of listings seeing price increases, inventory down, narrative constructive. The recovery we identified last week held and strengthened.
And then the broader market did something genuinely remarkable: every other community improved too. All in the same week. Heading into midsummer, the North Shore is not cooling — it is consolidating upward across the board.
MAI 71 · Strong Seller's Market · Inventory: 28 · Median DOM: 35 days
Northbrook is back at its strongest reading this cycle and the segment data tells you exactly why. The $979,000 mid-market had three new listings and five absorbed — buyers doubling sellers. The entry segment at $680,000 had one new listing and five absorbed — five buyers for every home that came to market. At the top, the $2,999,000 tier had zero new listings and one absorbed, quietly clearing luxury supply without competition.
Inventory held at 28 homes — among the lowest we have tracked here all summer. New listings are entering at a median of $839,500, well below the $1,297,500 market median, which continues to signal that accessible inventory is being snapped up the moment it appears.
For sellers: Last week carried a note of caution. This week that note is gone. Northbrook is as strong a seller's market as we track anywhere on the North Shore. If you are priced correctly, the buyers are there — and there are more of them than homes available.
For buyers: The entry and mid segments are the most competitive environments we have documented this summer. Five absorbed against one new listing at entry level means you are not browsing — you are competing. Pre-approval, clear criteria, and the ability to move the same day are not advantages here. They are requirements.
For first-time buyers: Five homes absorbed at the $680,000 entry tier against a single new listing is simultaneously encouraging and urgent. The demand from buyers like you is real and strong. But so is the competition. Come fully prepared or expect to watch the right home go to someone else.
DEERFIELD · IL 60015
MAI 52 · Strong Seller's Market · Inventory: 31 · Median DOM: 56 days
The recovery story we started tracking last week is real. Deerfield's MAI climbed from 50 to 52 for the second straight week of gains. Inventory dropped to 31 homes. And nineteen percent of listings saw price increases this week — one of the highest price increase rates we have tracked in this market all summer. The narrative is consistent with last week's positive turn: sales are outstripping supply and upward pricing pressure is possible if the trend continues.
The segment that defines this recovery is the entry tier at $599,900. Three new listings, three absorbed — perfect equilibrium at the most accessible price point. The $887,000 mid-market absorbed six homes against one new listing, a ratio that rivals Northbrook's intensity at that tier. The $1,187,297 upper-mid had zero new listings and three absorbed — buyers clearing supply without any new competition.
For sellers: Two consecutive weeks of MAI gains, rising prices, and inventory declining. The window that was uncertain two weeks ago is now open. If you have been watching Deerfield wondering whether the moment had passed — it had not. The data says the market is behind you again.
For buyers: Deerfield's mid-market is the sleeper story of this week's report. Six absorbed against one new listing at $887,000 is a ratio that would make Northbrook buyers nervous. Come prepared and move quickly in that price range. The entry tier is more balanced — three and three — giving first-time buyers the most realistic opportunity anywhere in the seller's markets this week.
For first-time buyers: Three absorbed, three new at $599,900 — that is the most balanced first-time buyer environment across our three seller's markets this week. You have time to evaluate, but not unlimited time. New listings entering at a median of $892,000 give you a range of options. This is the right moment to be actively looking in Deerfield.
HIGHLAND PARK · IL 60035
MAI 55 · Strong Seller's Market · Inventory: 39 · Median DOM: 63 days
Highland Park's MAI ticked up from 53 to 55 and inventory dropped slightly to 39 homes, both modest improvements from last week. The market is technically strengthening — but the narrative continues to carry a cautionary tone, noting that prices are already moving lower and that the cooling trend is expected to continue unless the MAI turns persistently upward.
The 46% relist rate remains the most important number in this market. Nearly half of all active listings have already been through one failed attempt. That figure tells you that pricing discipline separates the sellers who transact from the sellers who sit — and the gap between those two groups is wider here than anywhere else on the North Shore this week. The entry tier at $550,000 absorbed one against one new — balanced. The $885,000 mid had one new and four absorbed — buyers winning that race decisively. The $1,762,500 upper-mid had two new and two absorbed in 52 days. New listings entering at a median of $742,000 keep the lower end of this market accessible.
For sellers: The MAI improvement is genuine but the 46% relist rate is the number that matters more than the index right now. Your pricing decision before you list is the single most important factor in whether you join the 54% who transact or the 46% who don't. Come to market at the right price — the buyers are there at the correct number.
For buyers: 39 homes, a 46% relist rate, and a market where prices are described as already moving lower creates a genuinely useful environment for buyers who do their homework. Some of those relisted properties now have sellers who have been educated by the market and are ready to negotiate. An experienced agent can identify which ones represent real value.
For first-time buyers: The entry tier at $550,000 absorbed at parity this week — one and one. New listings are coming in at $742,000. With 39 total homes available, Highland Park gives first-time buyers more to evaluate and more time to think than either Northbrook or the active mid-market tiers of Deerfield. It is the least frantic seller's market on the North Shore right now.
GLENCOE · IL 60022
MAI 45 · Strong Seller's Market · Inventory: 18 · Median DOM: 32 days
Glencoe posted its third consecutive week of MAI gains — from 39 to 42 to 45 — and this week the narrative explicitly turned constructive for the first time in months: the market continues to get hotter, sales demand is exceeding new inventory, and prices could climb if the trend continues. That is a meaningful shift from the cautionary language that had accompanied this market for most of the summer.
The segment data reflects an active but concentrated market. The $2,490,000 mid tier had one new listing and two absorbed in 21 days. The $1,899,499 lower tier had zero new and one absorbed. The top tier at $5,599,900 had two new and zero absorbed — ultra-luxury remains patient. The genuinely interesting development is the median price of new listings: $4,299,900 — dramatically above the $3,125,000 market median. Sellers entering Glencoe right now are not pricing with caution. They are testing the ceiling. How buyers respond to that will define the next chapter of this market's recovery.
For sellers: Three straight weeks of MAI gains and a narrative that just turned explicitly positive. If you have been watching Glencoe's recovery wondering when to act, the data is closer to supporting that conversation than it has been in months. The caveat is the new listings entering above market median — if buyers resist that pricing, the recovery stalls. The sellers who price at or below median have the clearest path.
For buyers: The lower tiers in Glencoe are moving in 21 days or less with minimal competition. If you have been waiting for Glencoe to stabilize before engaging, three consecutive weeks of improvement and a positive narrative suggest that waiting much longer may work against you. The top tier remains patient with zero absorption — but mid and lower tiers are genuinely competitive.
For first-time buyers: Glencoe's entry at approximately $1,899,499 absorbed in 28 days with zero new competition this week. For buyers positioned at this price range, Glencoe's three-week recovery trend is the most encouraging signal this market has sent all summer. The combination of a stabilizing MAI, constructive narrative, and realistic lower-tier pricing makes this the most favorable entry window Glencoe has offered in this cycle.
LAKE FOREST · IL 60045
MAI 39 · Slight Seller's Advantage · Inventory: 45 · Median DOM: 49 days
Lake Forest posted its first positive narrative in several weeks — sales continuing to outstrip supply, the MAI moving higher, and upward pricing pressure as a possibility if the trend continues. The MAI edged up from 38 to 39, and the segment data shows genuine activity at two of four tiers. The $2,749,000 mid tier had three new listings and four absorbed in 56 days. The $899,000 entry had two new and two absorbed in 49 days. The top tier at $3,445,000 had zero new and one absorbed. The $1,749,000 upper-mid had one new and zero absorbed.
Inventory grew slightly to 45 homes — the most of any community we track — and new listings are entering at a median of $2,475,000, just below the $2,499,900 market median. That pricing realism is a positive signal. The 27% relist rate, while still elevated, is the lowest it has been in Lake Forest in several weeks.
For sellers: The narrative has turned. After weeks of explicitly cautionary language, this week's report describes Lake Forest as a market where sales are outstripping supply. That does not mean the challenges of the past month have disappeared — 45 homes and a 27% relist rate are reminders that pricing discipline still matters. But the direction is right and sellers who price correctly have a real market behind them.
For buyers: The top tier absorbed one home this week with no new competition — a reminder that even in a recovering market, motivated sellers at the upper end exist. The mid tier at $2,749,000 saw more buyers than new supply for the second week running. If Lake Forest has been on your list, the window of maximum leverage is narrowing as the narrative improves.
For first-time buyers: The $899,000 entry tier absorbed at parity — two and two — in 49 days. For buyers targeting Lake Forest at the accessible end, inventory exists and pace is measured. The improving overall market narrative means competition for entry-level Lake Forest could intensify in coming weeks. The best time to engage is before that happens.
MORTGAGE UPDATE
The 30-year fixed rate remains steady in the mid-6% range for the eighth consecutive week. The sustained stability has done something important for buyer psychology across the North Shore: it has made rate uncertainty essentially irrelevant to the current decision. The buyers active in every community we track right now are making decisions based on value, timing, and lifestyle — not rate speculation. That behavioral shift, combined with this week's broad-based MAI improvement, suggests the second half of summer may be more active than many observers expected.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Five communities. Five MAI improvements. One week. That has not happened in this reporting series before, and it is not a coincidence. The North Shore market is consolidating upward heading into midsummer in a way that rewards people who act with current information rather than waiting for certainty that never fully arrives.
Northbrook is as strong as it has been all cycle. Deerfield's recovery is holding for the second straight week. Glencoe's narrative just turned explicitly positive for the first time in months. Lake Forest posted its first constructive week in a while. Even Highland Park, with its persistent challenges at the upper end, is technically improving.
The right time to act is rarely obvious in the moment. It usually becomes obvious in retrospect — which is precisely why we publish this data every single Tuesday.
Be Wise About the Market. The Lyn Wise Group is here for your questions — reach out directly.
Lyn Wise Group | www.lynwisegroup.com | (312) 860-7294
Data sourced from Altos Research. Updated every Tuesday.
