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Hey {{first_name}},
There's a specific kind of quiet that hits Lake County the week after the 4th. Fireworks debris still in the gutters, half the neighborhood recovering from a cookout hangover, and somehow — despite it being July — school supply lists are already showing up in group chats. Kids have about a month of freedom left, and everyone's trying to squeeze the most out of it: pool days at the park district, last rounds of travel baseball, ice cream runs downtown, one more trip up to Wisconsin before the routine kicks back in.
Real estate gets a little slower in weeks like this. Showings thin out, inboxes go quiet, everyone's attention is elsewhere — which makes sense. But the market's still moving in the background, just at a gentler pace.
What the numbers actually say right now:
Median sale prices have climbed steadily for three straight years — from the low $320Ks in 2023 into the $400K–$420K range today (MRED)
Homes for sale have held in a roughly 1,000–1,250 listing range over that same stretch — inventory has loosened, but never gotten truly abundant
Months of supply has stayed between 1.3 and 1.8 for three years running — for context, 6 months is considered a balanced market
Three years of the same story, just slightly softer
Still a seller's market, just not as tight as it was
The Lake County data confirms what the quiet streets are hinting at this week: things have eased up a little, but not nearly enough to call this anything other than a seller's market. A 1.3–1.8 month supply band, held for three consecutive years, means sellers have kept real leverage the entire time — even at the loose end of that range.
The two-tier market keeps widening
Lake Forest and Highland Park are setting price records this year, fueled by equity gains and a steady trickle of Chicago relocations. Meanwhile starter and move-up inventory in communities like Mundelein, Gurnee, and Vernon Hills stays tight enough that well-priced homes keep moving fast. Two very different markets, same county line.
What this means locally
If you're a seller, the data says you still hold the leverage — pricing and preparation matter, but so does knowing you're negotiating from a position of strength. If you're a buyer, the slight loosening means a little more selection than a year ago, but "more selection" and "easy" are not the same thing.
If you want to know what any of this means for your specific street or your specific house, that's exactly the kind of conversation I'm happy to have — just hit reply.
Source: MRED InfoSparks, Lake County single-family, 12-month rolling data as of July 2026.
And if you're a buyer wondering how to time a purchase in a market that's held this tight for years — that's exactly what the Home Buyer Protection Plan is for. If it doesn't work out, we make it right. Just hit reply for details.
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The Big Picture
Quiet weeks are a good reminder that the market doesn't actually pause — it just gets a little easier to hear yourself think in it.
Thank you for being here — I don't take it lightly that you let this newsletter into your inbox every week. If this issue was helpful, pass it along to someone who might be thinking about making a move. The forward button is one of the kindest things you can do for someone who doesn't know where to start.
And if you're not already following along on Instagram, come find me — I share market updates, local content, and the occasional thing that didn't make it into the newsletter. @michaelsteber_realtor
Until next week…
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