Happy Thursday!
I hope your week’s been a good one.
I found a few things happening around the South ’Burbs that are worth passing along, so let’s get right to it.
Here's what's inside:
🎭 Joliet approves $2.5M loan to save the Rialto Theatre
🛍️ Harmony Square is getting a new local retailer
🏊 Centennial Park pool earns a 5-star safety rating
📺 Almost every client who sold in Chicago regrets it - here's the data
🎵 Free concerts, CBD dog treats, and a patriotic singalong this weekend
🏡 Two listings worth a look
🔍 $450K in Chicago vs. $450K in New Lenox
🚪 Gas prices, jobs, and your weekend weather
LET'S GET INTO IT ↓
Local headlines this week
🎭 Joliet Approves $2.5M Loan to Save the Rialto Theatre
The historic Rialto Square has been closed for weeks amid a $9M HVAC and asbestos project. City council just approved a $2.5M loan to keep it moving.
🛍️ Harmony Square Is Getting a New Local Retailer
Tinley Park approved the New Bremen Trading Post for Harmony Square, with plans to open in late summer or early fall. The shop will feature local art, crafted snacks, seasonal drinks, Tinley Park merchandise, and products tied to downtown events.
🏊 Centennial Park Pool Earns 5-Star Safety Rating
After the E. coli closure, Centennial Park Aquatic Center just earned a 5-star rating from StarGuard Elite. Lifeguards, emergency response, facility ops, all top marks. Good news for Orland Park families.
🤝 All Saints Lutheran Kicks Off Summer Picnics for St. Coletta's
Twice-monthly summer picnics for St. Coletta's Community Day Services participants kicked off June 16th at All Saints Lutheran in Orland Park. 65 people, hamburgers, games, and a community that shows up. Good stuff out south.
Almost Every Client Who Sold in Chicago Regrets It. Here’s the Data.
I can count on one hand how many clients regret buying. Sellers are a different story.
Here's what the data shows:
Chicago grinds, it doesn't spike. Home prices up 130% since 2000, through the '08 crash and everything after. The Case-Shiller index sits at 230 today vs. 100 in 2000. Consistent upward movement, year after year.
Illinois ranked #1 in the nation for home price appreciation last year. Sellers didn't exit at the peak, they walked away and watched it keep climbing without them.
Almost nobody sells unless life forces their hand. Divorce, relocation, and health situations. Most of my sellers wish there had been another way.
There's a third option most people never explore. Run the cash flow math before you list. Typical homeowner net worth: $430K. Typical non-owner: $10K. That 43-to-1 gap came from staying in, not perfect timing
Buy first, prepare in parallel, launch when ready. Selling under pressure makes you reactive. Flip the sequence, and you're calling the shots
If you're sitting on a Chicago property and figuring out whether to hold, sell, or plan your next move, watch this one first
🎥 Watch the full breakdown here
New videos every week: market breakdowns, local development, what's actually moving in the suburbs.
Subscribe here so you don't miss the next one.
Free concerts, CBD dog treats, and a patriotic singalong
🎵 Concerts on the Green (Frankfort)
Bernie Glim takes the stage Sunday evening in Historic Downtown Frankfort at Breidert Green. Free admission, bring your lawn chairs and a picnic. One of the best summer evening setups out south.
📅 Sun, June 28th | 6:30–8 PM
📍 Kansas & White St, Downtown Frankfort
🐾 Free CBD Dog Treats at SunKissed Greenz (Mokena)
4th of July fireworks stress your dog out? SunKissed Greenz is giving away free handcrafted patriotic CBD dog treats on Friday and Saturday while supplies last. No purchase necessary, bring your dog for a photo at the patriotic backdrop, too.
📅 Fri, June 26th & Sat, June 27th | Starting 10 AM
📍 19121 Wolf Rd, Mokena
🎙️ Salute to Veterans Concert (New Lenox)
The Saddle Shoe Sisters bring retro patriotic songs and USO-style boogie woogie to the New Lenox Public Library on Sunday afternoon. Free, all ages, registration encouraged.
📅 Sun, June 28th | 1–2 PM
📍 New Lenox Public Library
Featured Listing: Chicago
Brick bungalow on the southwest side at $175K. New roof, new furnace, quiet street with easy highway and transit access. Guardianship sale, sold as-is. If you've got a vision and a contractor, this one pencils out.
📍 3748 W 54th St, Chicago
Featured Listing: New Lenox
Ranch under $500K with three beds, three full baths, a finished basement, a heated garage, and a big backyard. 2024 appliances, new carpet, freshly painted deck. Metra access, Old Plank Road Trail nearby, schools, and parks close by. A lot of boxes checked at this price point.
📍 760 Bon Terre Road, New Lenox
Thinking about making a move in 2026? Text or call me directly. 📞 708-612-0644
$450K in Chicago or $450K in New Lenox?
Chicagoland home prices are up 130% since 2000. Illinois ranked number one in the nation for home price appreciation last year. Both sides of this comparison are strong markets. But they're very different bets.
At $450K in Chicago, you're likely looking at a condo. Great location, walkable, city energy. And thousands of new units are coming online in neighborhoods like the Near West Side over the next decade.
In New Lenox at $450K, you're getting a house. Three bedrooms, finished basement, yard, garage, Metra access, and Old Plank Road Trail out your back door. New Lenox has been one of the fastest-growing communities in the southwest suburbs for a reason, and the infrastructure investment is only accelerating.
Same budget. Condo in the city or a house in one of the south suburbs' best towns.
Typical homeowner net worth is $430K. The gap between building equity here vs. there starts the day you close.
👉 See what $450K looks like in New Lenox
👉 See what $450K looks like in Chicago
Thinking about making the move? Reply to this email, and I'll walk you through both sides based on what actually matters to you.
⛽ CHEAPEST GAS IN THE SOUTH BURBS!
Prices as of 06/24/26 (Website)
📍 New Lenox — ~$4.19 ⬆️ From Last Week
📍 Mokena — ~$4.29 ⬆️ From Last Week
📍 Frankfort — ~$4.29 ⬆️ From Last Week
📍 Manhattan — ~$4.10 ⬆️ From Last Week
💼 LOCAL JOBS & VOLUNTEER PICKS
🌤️ WEEKEND WEATHER: FRANKFORT, IL
Friday: 78°/59° — 🌤️ Mostly sunny — 💧Low
Saturday: 78°/59° — 🌤️ Mostly sunny — 💧Low
Sunday: 74°/58° — 🌧️ Showers likely — 💧Higher
Thanks for reading this week’s edition of the South Suburbs Scoop.
Every Thursday, I'll be dropping this in your inbox.
Local news, what's going on this weekend, where the market's at, and a few things to make your week a little easier.
If there's something you want to see more of, just reply and let me know. This thing gets better when you tell me what matters to you.
Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you right back here next Thursday.
— John
📞 708-612-0644 | [email protected]
