Socializing: John Hughes Photography Locations: A Real Estate Journey Through the Heart of Chicago Suburbs
art: Photos of the house can be found here. Hughes, let’s put the broker here too https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/712m1pu1jgk7ec9o3vxo1/h?rlkey=8glytw42ov1ult0dtaach2dri&dl=0
Writer and director John Hughes is best known for two things. One was his comedies as a teen that made him famous (The Breakfast Club, Ferris’ Bueller’s Day Off). Holiday movies (“Home for Him Alone,” “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles”).
His best-known family films in both genres evoke a sense of warmth and coziness, due in no small part to the locations in which they are set. It’s Chicago’s wealthiest suburb, reflecting the white-collar success of the Midwest and setting the scene for a series of shenanigans. In the Hughes movie.
In fact, according to Realtor.com, Winnetka, Illinois (the setting for “Home Alone”) and surrounding towns have the most expensive homes in Illinois, with a median price of $1.65 million and 1 The property is on the market for $8.9 million.
Real estate agents don’t have to worry about Wet Bandits or Principal Ed Rooney dropping by (or invading), but even in such a prominent area, they can’t help but worry about rising interest rates, low inventory, and a weak housing market. You need to worry. Areas like Winnetka.
Still, even in a down market, the idyllic homes featured in Hughes’ films will be interesting. And with the holiday season in full swing, “Home Alone” and “Planes Trains and Automobiles” are in full swing. genuine A North Shore agent asked what would happen if the most iconic item ever hit the market.
“Home Alone” (671 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka, Illinois)
@properties Jena Radnay says there’s a reason Hughes, who wrote but didn’t direct the 1990 holiday classic, chose typical North Shore homes for most of his work.
“We know exactly how the family lives, we know exactly where the bedrooms are. Because what makes the viewer uncomfortable about how the characters live in this house? “We want to give the viewer a sense of security that nothing is going on,” she said. she said.
The 5,400 square foot McAllister home where Kevin thwarted two clumsy would-be robbers certainly fits that description. The red brick Colonial, built in 1920, was last sold for $1.5 million. It has 10 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms and has undergone extensive renovations in recent years.
Radney said if the home were listed today, it would likely sell in the low $3 million range.
“Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (230 Oxford Road, Kenilworth, Illinois)
In the classic 1988 Thanksgiving road trip comedy, the house belongs to Neil Page, played by Steve Martin, who endures a series of pitfalls and foibles on his way back from New York to get there.
Another red brick colonial, the 107-year-old six-bedroom sits on a third of an acre in Kenilworth, about an hour from Chicago. And interestingly, this building is owned by John Mawicke, a real estate agent from his @properties who bought it in 2009.
“I grew up in town. My mother was a local real estate agent,” he said. [the house] reached the wrong number [$1.3 million], that’s how we arrived at that number. ” (He paid $1.4 million)
Morwicke, 56, said she’s a fan of the movie and that several tourists (some from as far as California and Canada) visit the site each year to take photos and get a glimpse of Hollywood history. Some are more passionate than others, like the woman who filmed her YouTube videos in public wearing costumes, but Moycke takes it all in stride.
“If you’re going to buy a house like that, you have to live with it,” he says, adding that he lives about three-quarters of a mile from New Trier High School, where Hughes was inspired to write “The Breakfast Club.” Ta. ”
Moicke says if she were to sell her house now, although she doesn’t want to, it would probably fetch around $2 million because of some of the work done on the house, including a new kitchen, and because supply is tight. says. within the area.
No one knows because the town doesn’t have any in stock. ” However, a 6,500-square-foot, six-bedroom, five-bathroom home a few doors down at 244 Oxford Road sold in 2022 for $2.2 million, he said.
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (370 Beech Street, Highland Park, Illinois)
In contrast to the typical Hughes home exterior, this four-bedroom, four-bathroom steel-and-glass ranch overlooking the canyon was once home to Ferris’ friend Cam Frye. This is where the adorable 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider convertible died in the 1986 movie. .
“It’s like a warden’s house in the woods. It’s sitting in a valley,” Radnay said. “This is a showcase, an exhibition house. It’s just that Cam is not friends, but his parents are. That’s why Ferris is best friends with him.”
The 1953 home, about a 40-minute drive from Chicago, sold for $1 million in 2014 and would be valued at about $2.2 million today, Radnay said. That’s a significant turnaround from the early 2010s, when homes were listed but couldn’t find buyers, according to DNA Info. The main reason is that they are uninhabitable. Because of the windows, it was not possible to maintain a temperature above 52 degrees inside the house. The home has gone through extensive renovations, both inside and out, and is now more functional and marketable, Radnay says.
“People love the ranch because it’s a ranch,” she said. “That’s desirable and efficient one-floor living is now sought after. It’s a great home for an empty nester. It’s on the North Shore, on the lake, and today it’s very marketable.” It is rare to compare houses on an apples-to-apples basis.
“16 Candles” (3018 Payne Street, Evanston, IL)
Radnay said the opening line of “Sixteen Candles” (“Ginny, Mike, Sarah Sam! Come on, everyone wake up!”) is a reference to a large family living on a 3,250 square meter property. , said it was one of the most famous lines in the movie. – Walk-in, 6-bedroom, 6-bathroom home with walk-up path to the door.
“It’s a typical American family with a front door and mom carrying a briefcase,” she said. “[The home is] Not too big, not too small. Of all the houses he has photographed, it is the smallest. ”
While some aspects of the movie fall short (we’re looking at you, Long Duk Dong), this home, about a 30-minute drive from Chicago, still stands out due to its location and tight market. Very popular. A few doors down, a five-bedroom, six-bathroom home at 3022 Payne Street sold to him in 2022 for $1.6 million.
Radnay says he can make a little more money.
“It was listed for $1.7 million a few years ago, and now it’s probably just under $2 million,” Radnay said.
“Uncle Buck” (2602 Lincoln Street, Evanston, Illinois)
Another traditional selection that indicates the family (where the children are under the care of Uncle Buck) has a little more money and stature, according to Judnay.
“The arch here is cedar clapboard, very traditional,” Jadnay said. “[Hughes] I wanted to draw a quaint house, but some people might get lost and not know where to go.
The four-bedroom, five-bathroom, 5,200-square-foot home, built in 1924 and on about a third of an acre, is likely to sell for about $2 million, Judnay said. Ta. However, it should be noted that there aren’t many deals on this property in the Evanston Things to Do area. A few blocks away, a 2,900-square-foot, five-bedroom, four-bathroom home is listed for $1.6 million.
Mr. Judnay believes that “Uncle Buck’s” home would sell quickly in today’s market.