Foreclosure rate down; New Lenox Holds the Line

Southwest suburban New Lenox weathers recession and comes up strong.

We All Scream for Ice Cream—But Which Town Buys the Most?

Indulge. It's National Ice Cream Month with a special day, National Ice Cream Day, on Sunday, July 15. See how much of the sweet treat your neighbors buy.

Ice cream is a summer favorite that many people enjoy, but who likes the sweet treat the most?  In the south suburbs, no town buys more ice cream than Homewood, according to a recent report by Crain's Chicago Business. Residents in Robbins own the cone the least.  How much ice cream do people in your town purchase? Use Crain's map to find out if your ZIP code falls above or below the national average (represented by an index of 100). According to Crain's, "If your area has an index of 105, then you and your neighbors spent 5 percent more that the national average (an index of 95 means the area spent 5 percent less)."  Is ice cream a luxury treat, or does the town in which people buy it speak more to the quality of ice cream shops there? …

• Photos (2)

New Lenox Home Prices Drop Most in Will County

Homeowners' biggest asset is losing its value in New Lenox with bigger price drops than Mokena and Frankfort.

Single-family home prices fell last year in most Chicago-area towns, but none more in Will County than New Lenox's. According to Crain's Chicago Business, 238 of 252 Chicago-area zip codes tracked by Fiserv Inc. saw their home prices fall in 2010, with the overall drop being about 5.2 percent. New Lenox home prices dropped slightly below the average, at 5.8 percent, but it was the worst in the county. See below for a chart of the sales price drops for all area Patch towns. In a video covering the prices drops, a Crain's reporter said the biggest declines were in the city's southside neighborhoods. South suburban Harvey suffered the biggest drop, 19.6%, and other area Patch towns closer to the city also took bigger hits than New Lenox. …

•  7 Comments
• Photos (1)