Parent Source Fall 2015 | Parent Source | 1
Serving DeKalb County
Home Trends in DeKalb County The new SAT: What students and parents need to know to prepare
Gaming on the go
Fall Resource Guide for Parents
2 | Parent Source | Fall 2015
Dekalb Corn Fest august 28th – 30th
FREE admission to the fest FREE parking $500 Sound Stage admission per day
Community Stage Kids Fest Sponsored by:
FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 5:00
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Kid Fest - Free
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3:45
Harmelodics
4:30
Barbed Wire Betties
SUNDAY, AUGUST 30 12:00 Ax in Hand Guitars 12:45 NIU STEM Outreach
12:00 Performing Arts Academy
1:30
Chakra Cave
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12:45 DeKalb H.S. Marching Band
Beth Fowler School of Dance
3:00
Ovation Performing Arts Studio
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Northern Illinois Dance Center
4:30
Just for Kix
1:30
Dance Dimensions
2:00
Salamandra Mexican Traditional Dance
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Inflatable Obstacle Course, NIU STEM Outreach interactive Science Booth
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Fall 2015 | Parent Source | 3
Table of Contents 4
Local Businesses to Customers’ Pets
6
Home Trends in DeKalb County
10 Gaming on the go 12 4 tips for taming
back to school stress
14 The new SAT:
What students and parents need to know to prepare
15 The top food trends
to focus on in 2015
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4 | Parent Source | Fall 2015
Local
Businesses Catering to Customers’ Pets By: Aimee Barrows
Photo taken by: Monica Synett • msynett @ shawmedia.com
Americans have a love affair with dogs. In fact, dogs often share the same status as children in families, so it’s no surprise that people are taking their four-legged friends with them while shopping, travelling, and even while dining. More businesses than ever are becoming “petfriendly,” and are catering to customers who bring Fido along with them wherever they go.
Dawn Sukach, owner of D & D Jewelers in downtown Sycamore, actually brings her dog with her to work at the store. She said she likes to have her dog with her, and her employees enjoy seeing the dog. “Some of our customers know she’s there, and actually stop in to visit with her, and our delivery guys look for her too,” Sukach said. Dogs are welcome to shop with their owners as well. Sukach said she has several customers who bring their dogs while shopping, and she’s never had a problem. “Their pets are a big part of their lives, so when they’re walking their dog and they want to stop in the store, we’d rather have them bring the dog inside rather than tie them up outside on the mirror,” she said. D & D Jewelers isn’t the only pet-friendly retail outlet in the area. Several stores in Geneva Commons allow customers to bring their animals while shopping. White House Black Market is one store that allows dogs inside. “We all love animals, and for women who take their dogs out, it’s nice for them to bring their animals,” said Lori Jakupi, manager at White House Black Market. “Our customers really appreciate it because it gives them time to shop, and they’re not rushed to get back to their animal in the car.” Ann Taylor also allows customers to bring their animals inside. Lindsey Campobasso, store manager at Ann Taylor, said her store has always been pet-friendly. She said they’ve never had any negative experiences with an animal in the store. In fact, Campobasso said she sees other customers often stopping to visit with animals who are in the store. “We see dogs in our store quite a bit. We’re an outdoor mall, so that lends itself to people having dogs with them,” she said. “Our clients with dogs are so grateful to be able to bring them into the store.” While most restaurants only allow service animals, one local pub lets their customers
Fall 2015 | Parent Source | 5 bring their pets while they enjoy a meal on the patio. Mel Witmer, owner of O’Leary’s in downtown DeKalb, said his restaurant has welcomed dogs ever since they opened the patio. “My wife is a dog lover, and she started putting bowls of water out for the dogs who walked by,” he said. “And before we knew it, they were dining with our customers on the patio.” He said having customers bring their dogs is becoming more and more popular, but hasn’t seen anyone bring food for their pets to eat. “We don’t have a doggie menu… yet,” he said. “But I think people give their dogs table scraps. It’s a dog’s world.” Even banks are catering to their pet-loving customers by giving out doggie biscuits. Luis Gonzalez, personal banker at Castle Bank, said all of their locations give treats to their “four-legged customers” who come into the lobby or who are in cars in the drive-thru. “The dogs look forward to coming in because they know they get a treat, and it’s just very good customer service because it makes them happy,” Gonzalez said. And making pets happy is the biggest reason people spend so much money on them, according to Michelle Bejbl, owner of Gone to the Dogs, which offers doggie daycare, training and grooming. “People do what they can afford to keep their dog happy, and they will make sacrifices to provide for their dog,” she said. Bejbl’s DeKalb business has been growing over the past five years. She said they take care of between 20-30 dogs a day in the doggie daycare. “People are relieved they can bring their dogs to a place where they’re watched, and they can play and come home tired. The dogs are happy, and they have a really good time,” she said. Bejbl believes businesses are becoming more pet-friendly because they’re realizing that “dogs aren’t a problem” and can even have a calming effect on people. “Animals and people have a long-term bond, and people are understanding the health benefits of having a dog,” Beibl said. “Animals give so much back to us, and to come home to a dog that can’t wait to see you… it’s invaluable.”
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6 | Parent Source | Fall 2015
“It’s always a good time to buy and sell,” says Diane Hammon of Coldwell
T r e n d s in DeKalb County By: Stephen Haberkorn
Banker/Honig-Bell in Sycamore. The trend for homes in DeKalb County is continuing to grow and sales are increasing. “Overall, the market has been improving about 5% per year, on average, since 2012 as it slowly recovers from the big collapse that began in 2007,” said Alison Rosenow of American Realty in Sycamore. Sue Elsner of Century 21 Elsner in DeKalb agrees. “I think overall, in DeKalb County, we’re doing better than we have.” Elsner said the market started unexpectedly strong this year and they didn’t have a lot of inventory, which drove up the prices. Hammon believes that it’s about 60/40 seller-to-buyer right now – especially for less-expensive homes. Because of the low inventory, homes are spending less time on the market. “The good ones go fast,” said Rosenow. But while the overall market favors the sellers, as you move up into the higher end of the pricing scale, it becomes more of a buyers’ market. “People are looking for inexpensive homes,” said Hammon. The average market price that people are buying in this area, according to Rosenow, is about $150,000. “I’ve been telling people, pretty much anything over $275,000 in this area is considered high end,” said Rosenow. “We need the entry-level buyers to come in, because if we’ve got the entry-level buyers, which we haven’t had for a while, then they
Fall 2015 | Parent Source | 7 buy into the middle level,” said Hammon, “The middle level buys up. And the upper level buys and goes into the condos, so they can travel, so they can have less maintenance. But, without the entry-level people buying, the middle-level people can’t buy up, and the upper-level people can’t sell their properties to go into the condos or to buy smaller homes.” One of the problems in this area is that most of the houses that are above $400,000 were built in the last ten years, so those homes never had a chance to build any equity, since that’s right when the market tanked. And there are fewer buyers in that price range. What Rosenow says to those high end sellers is that if they take a hit on the sell side, they’re going to be getting a good price on the new house, so it ends up evening out.
What Buyers Want in Homes
Just as there are overall trends in home sales, there are also trends in what buyers are considering “must-haves” when they decide on a home. Even though it is helpful to keep up with current home trends, Elsner does give one caveat: “I would never tell anyone to try to become trendy,” because trends end. That being said, let’s look at some of the features and amenities buyers currently want.
Things that are in: • Open-concept floor plans • Third-car garages • Home offices • First-floor playrooms for kids right off the kitchen • More bathrooms • Hardwood floors • Granite or Corian countertops • Finished basements • Stainless steel appliances • Big laundry rooms • Larger, well-landscaped lots “I would say the number one thing they’re looking for is a house that is done. Finished. And finished with the right amenities,” said Elsner “And it doesn’t matter what price point, whether it’s a 90k home or a 400k home; they want it in pristine, move-in condition, and they want it to have all the bells and whistles.” Since the open floor plan/ great room concept has been popular for several years now, people are even opening up older homes by adding headers and removing walls to combine the kitchen and dining room into one open area. A feature that used to be considered a luxury is now becoming a “must-have” for many home buyers. According to Elsner, a three-car garage is almost standard now, even for 150k homes. For many people, the third-car garage is not necessarily for a car, but for a motorcycle, boat, or kids’ bikes, so that they can still get both cars in the garage, said Hammon.
As baby boomers grow older, said Elsner, ranch homes are still high in demand, as are two story homes with a first-floor master bedroom, so that couples can “age in place” and don’t have to move after the kids are gone. Finished basements are high in demand, and may be a selling point for an existing home over a newly-built; however, sellers probably won’t recoup the money they put into them. Rosenow estimates that if you put $40,000 into finishing a basement, it will probably only increase the appraisal value by $10-15,000. It will help the home sell faster than neighboring houses without finished basements, though. A trend that Rosenow has experienced is people wanting to negotiate-in personal items such as cars, play sets, pool tables, or tractors in the case of a farmette. Those things usually don’t make or break a deal, but are often negotiated after the home sale. One final incentive Rosenow has seen people offer to entice buyers is covering the closing costs or offering closing cost assistance. On the other end of the spectrum, one of the biggest things that is being phased out of homes are formal dining rooms and living rooms, in favor of the open concepts. This is a generational trend, as older buyers may still want them. “Even if they are topof-the-line, most people in this area think white glass or black appliances look cheap,” said Elsner. They only want stainless steel. Also,hot tubs and pools are not in demand in this area. Pools, especially, can be a deal breaker for many home buyers. “They’re beautiful to look at, but they’re high maintenance,” said Elsner, “And in this area, you have a nine or ten week window to use it, at the most.
Impact of Technology on Real Estate Market
Home buyers are using technology more to assist them with their real estate searches. There have been some benefits to these new tools, but the real estate agents warn that the Internet comes with its own set of pitfalls. “Technology is a benefit and a curse,” said Elsner. “It provides a lot of information for the buyers. The buyers make decisions based on the information they see, which is not always the correct information. It may look really good on the Internet,” adds Hammon, “but when you get into the actual house, it may look totally different.” Internet listings can also be inaccurate for two reasons. The first is due to the large amounts of real estate sites and they use different formulas for computing a home’s market price. They may be missing information (such as a finished basement) or they may not update often enough. “Realtor.com is going to
Featured Photos: 1424 N. 1st Street • DeKalb, IL Listed By: Century 21 Elsner Reality
8 | Parent Source | Fall 2015
be your best source,” said Elsner. “That’s my feeling, because they update directly from the MLS’s. However, the other sites, Trulia, Zillow, they update quickly as well. The more obscure sites, they have some old data out there.” The second inaccuracy which commonly occurs with Internet listings is many houses listed for sale are already under contract. With the MLS, if there is a contract on the property, but it has a contingency, it goes in as contingent, but not under contract. That’s the problem, explained Elsner. The realtors know it’s under contract, but the public doesn’t. Until it goes to “pending,” it will stay out there as being available when it’s not. Because realtors are writing blogs and buyers are using smartphone apps, there is a lot of information out there. Apps give people price changes, new listings, and what homes sold for right away. You can sign up to get automatic email notifications on any properties listed within a certain radius. “I’ve been doing this more than ten years and they’re more wellinformed than they ever used to be,” said Rosenow. In some ways, it makes the realtor’s job easier because they don’t have to show homebuyers as many houses because they’ve
s Join u at the
already eliminated many during their research. It has affected their industry’s open houses, too. They used to do broker caravans where they would invite other realtors from other offices, but people aren’t going to open houses or broker caravans as much because everything can be viewed on their computer or their smart phone. “Some people are sitting in front of the home, scoping through twenty-five photos and deciding that they don’t want to look at the property,” said Rosenow.
Final Tips
Consider that interest rates may start going up.“Interest rates are low. There is talk they may be going up. There’s already pressure on them and they are starting to rise a little bit,” said Elsner. It’s still tough to get a loan, so people need to save as much as possible for a down payment. Also, learn to settle a little. “Aim high, but everyone has to start with the first step. People want to move out of their mom and dad’s house and they want to move into their mom and dad’s house. They have to remember, their mom and dad didn’t start at that house,” said Elsner.
And just as we started with a well-known realtor cliché, we will also end with one. “Pick your location, fix your house,” advised Elsner.“People discount the ‘location, location, location,’ and they’ll buy the ‘pretty, pretty, pretty.’ But pretty ages; locations don’t age. Drive the neighborhoods. Focus your search on where you want to be. You can always fix your house.” Fortunately for DeKalb County residents, there are many great locations in the area. “I moved here from Naperville, originally,” said Rosenow. “A lot of people get nervous moving from a larger area, because there’s not as many amenities. But I love it out here because there is that smaller-town feeling. I feel like it’s less crowded than those larger communities. I love that there’s not a large rush hour. I can go over to Target and find a parking spot easily. I don’t get road rage like I do when I have to go back to Naperville. Being from Naperville, you could never be somewhere within five minutes. That’s what I love about this town; I can be anywhere in like five minutes … People are friendly. They wave you to go into a parking spot. I feel like it’s less stressful to be out in this area.”
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10 | Parent Source | Fall 2015
Gaming on the go Hot trend allows favorite games to break free of the console
More Americans play video games than don’t. In fact, 67 percent of U.S. households play video games, according to the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Many gamers, however, have either been leashed to a console in order to play their favorite games or have had to find new favorites available for mobile devices. The hottest new trend in video games, however, is changing all that.
Mobile gaming has moved beyond games designed specifically for mobile devices. Console makers are now creating app versions of top games, like the Skylander franchise, to ensure gamers can play their favorite games from anywhere. Of course, mobile gaming is not a new concept. In fact, the concept emerged in the ‘70s, roughly around the same time game consoles for in-home use reached the market. Handheld modules were basic, generally allowing users to play a single game designed specifically for that device. There was no crossover between console games and mobile games. In the late 1980s and 1990s, handhelds that could run more than one game emerged, and some of the most popular console games issued mobile versions. Meanwhile, cellphone manufacturers began including basic games (like Nokia’s Snake) in phone operating systems.
Fall 2015 | Parent Source | 11
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The development of smartphones and the App Store revolutionized mobile gaming. Virtually anyone with a smartphone and an App Store account could download and play a host of games designed to be played on smartphones. While mobile games have traditionally cost less than console games, playing a favorite game on a console offers a depth of play that apps have had a hard time matching. Mobile gamers still couldn’t play favorite console games, like Skylanders, or app versions of their favorite games were poor imitations of the console versions. Source PB | Parent
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The next revolutionary step in mobile gaming has been the emergence of apps that allow users to play console-based games on a mobile device, like a smartphone or tablet. Popular game franchises like Skylanders now provide a full gaming experience via mobile. In 2014, Skylanders Trap Team launched the gameplay into a mobile environment, and in 2015, Skylanders SuperChargers will follow the trend. A starter pack for iPad users will allow players to move seamlessly from console to tablet. Both versions offer the new vehicles-to-life feature that will enable kids to play with toy vehicles in the real world and then see them come to life in the game via the game’s Portal of Power. While introducing a new class of heroes, moves, attacks, vehicles and weapons, Skylanders SuperChargers will support all 300-plus Skylanders toys from previous games.
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12 | Parent Source | Fall 2015
tips for taming back to school stress
Beating the stress of back to school: what you can do to help your anxious student
(BPT) - Do you or your child have the back-toschool blues? If so, you’re not the only ones. Saying goodbye to slower summer days can be difficult. For almost three months, you have felt free from the structure of the classroom and the accompanying homework. When the upcoming school year rolls around, it’s common to feel some sadness. For children who suffer from anxiety, this stress may be harder to handle, and it may stem from more than just pop quizzes and earlier bedtimes. These children need extra attention as the new school year draws near. The best thing you can do to prepare your child is to give the gift of your time and attention. Instead of dwelling on things like tests and homework, talk about how to make the transition into the exciting new school year the best it can be. Lauren Zimet, director of the Early Insights Healthy Foundations Program, is a mother herself and has pinpointed the top four back-to-school tips and tricks to make the transition easier. These tips will help to reduce the stress and tension felt by you and your child, not only for the first weeks of school (the hardest time to adjust) but throughout the year as well.
1 2 3
Connected communication. Engage in a conversation with your child and ask what he or she is excited and concerned about for the upcoming school year. Give your child the freedom to speak openly and avoid asking too many questions at once. You’ll know you are connecting when he starts volunteering information. When you listen to your child, and he can see the genuine interest and attention in your eyes and through your body language, he will feel more comfortable discussing the upcoming year.
Creative calendars. Planning ahead makes adults feel prepared, which is a huge de-stressor. The same goes for your child. Younger children only need a day or two to look forward to their big day. Older children may benefit from discussing the year weeks before the first day, especially if those conversations include working on things like organization, planning, prioritizing, and sequencing (those important executive functions of the brain).
Visualize the goal. Get specific and help your child visualize the first day of school. Have your child tell you or draw out the sequence of the day, from waking up in the morning, to dressing in an outfit chosen the night before, to what she’ll be enjoying as her brain-boosting energy breakfast. The more your child can visualize her routine(s), the more she will be at ease when the big day finally arrives.
Fall 2015 | Parent Source | 13
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Load up on brain food. Breakfast is coined “the most important meal of the day,” and rightly so! Food is the fuel for the brain and body, and the quality of the fuel matters. Whatever you choose to give your body and brain each morning will enable you to do a certain level of thinking. American breakfasts are often unbalanced, heavily favoring carbs, which are only a tiny part of the good-breakfast equation. Encourage your child to pick a protein each morning, as well as fruit, veggie, and healthy fat and carb options. From there, complement his or her diet with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement from a reputable fish oil company like Nordic Naturals. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to help soothe anxious brains as well as support the entire nervous system, so don’t miss out on this simple improvement opportunity. Research on omega-3 fatty acids can be found at www.omega-research.com.
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The new school year is on its way and while this time of year may cause some children to feel anxious, there are things you can do to help. Employ any of the suggestions above to help your child start feeling more excited about the new school year with each passing day.
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14 | Parent Source | Fall 2015
The New SAT:
What students and parents need to
Know to Prepare The SAT - widely considered to be one of the most important exams a student will take in his or her academic life - is changing drastically. When students sit down for the test in March 2016, they’ll encounter a completely redesigned format that places significant emphasis on college and career readiness and skills such as reasoning, data analysis and critical thinking. “The redesigned SAT will demand more from students than ever before,” says Dr. Raymond Huntington, co-founder of Huntington Learning Center, a tutoring and test prep company that places curricular knowledge at the center of test prep. “In the history of the SAT, preparation has never been more essential to success than it will be with the redesigned exam. Students must have deep foundational knowledge and demonstrate ability to reason, analyze and think critically in real-world contexts. Cramming for the test or employing test-taking tricks will not get students the knowledge or scores they need to enter and succeed in college.” To prepare properly for the exam and achieve the desired result, here are tips for both parents and students:
Understand the changes: The exam has been overhauled with changes to both format and content. Test length, timing and score components for the redesigned SAT will be different than its predecessor. For example, students will no longer be penalized for answering a question incorrectly. With regard to content, students will be expected to master concepts that address college and career readiness, and key skills such as analysis and reasoning. For instance, all reading content will be passage-based and will place strong emphasis on students’ ability to understand vocabulary in context, focusing on more commonly used words, rather than simply demonstrating reading comprehension.
Know the dates: The first administration of the redesigned SAT is scheduled for March 2016. The class of 2017 and 2018 are most affected by the change, but
Fall 2015 | Parent Source | 15 the class of 2016 still has an opportunity to take the current SAT in January 2016, which is likely the safest bet. Regardless of the format, it is never too early to start preparing for these exams, as it is the best way to ensure success and avoid last-minute, ineffective cramming. Some students begin preparing a few months in advance; for others, it’s several months or longer.
Be aware that tips and tricks won’t work: The redesigned SAT requires a mastery of core academic concepts and an ability to apply these concepts in real-world scenarios. For example, in the Evidenced-Based Reading and Writing section, reading questions will feature charts and graphs similar to ones students will most likely encounter in science and social science majors as well as their careers. Math questions will also test more complex skills, and questions will build on one another.
Know your options: As the SAT will see significant changes, which could cause uncertainty on the part of students and parents, the ACT is another viable collegeentrance exam option. The ACT, which focuses on core high school curriculum and what a student has learned, is accepted at all four-year U.S. colleges and has overtaken the SAT in popularity. Huntington, whose team of educational experts analyzed the new test’s blueprint to uncover key changes and developed a rigorous curriculum to address them, is launching a new SAT prep program in July that will be available in its 260 centers across the nation. For more information about the redesigned SAT, including key dates and considerations, visit www. huntingtonhelps.com/program/sat-redesigned and download a free copy of “Huntington’s Guide to the Understanding the Redesigned SAT.”
The top food trends to focus on in 2015 (BPT) - No two days are ever the same in the restaurant industry. Every hour new restaurants open, expand or franchise to meet the needs of their customers. Meanwhile, visionary restauranteurs are constantly creating new processes or taste sensations that create and respond to demand. To keep up in this industry and grow your market share, your restaurant must capitalize on the latest trends. Restauranteurs looking for the latest trends in food should start with the National Restaurant Association’s 2015 Culinary Forecast, highlighting the year’s top 20 food trends. While the list itself includes a variety of tastes and considerations, four common themes exist throughout.
Trend one: Locally sourced products
The popularity of locally sourced products has dominated the restaurant trends list for several years and does so again in 2015. Locally sourced meat and seafood tops the list, with locally grown produce finishing second. Hyper-local sourcing is seventh. If you’re a restaurateur who hasn’t yet made the push toward local sourcing, consider doing so this year; this trend won’t disappear anytime soon.
Trend two: Environmentally conscious decisions
The restaurant industry is going green to protect the environment that has provided it with so much. Environmental sustainability was the number-three trend on the 2015 list, while sustainable seafood and food-waste reduction/management finished eighth and ninth. Now more than ever, restaurants must strive for great taste and less waste.
Trend three: Healthy options
Restaurant menus are healthier now than they were a generation ago, and healthy menu options remain one of the top trends for 2015 with an amazing seven points among the top 20. Healthy kids’ meals finished fourth on the list, with natural ingredients and minimally processed food finishing fifth. Dietary restrictions saw non-wheat noodles and pasta take 11th and gluten-free cuisine at 12th. Whole-grain items in kids’ meals came in at 14th, while general nutrition and fruits and vegetable kids’ side items were 17th and 19th overall.
Trend four: Creative flare and unique tastes
Patrons are still flocking to restaurants to be amazed and delighted by something new. The top 20 list is loaded with food trends that center on new taste sensations, starting with new cuts of meat at number six. The classic taste of ancient grains comes in at number 13, while non-traditional fish and ethnic-inspired breakfast items are 15th and 16th. House-made or artisan ice cream was sweet enough to land at 18th on the list, while artisan cheese closes out the list at 20th. Like the restaurant industry itself, the top 20 trends for 2015 feature an intriguing mix of traditional mainstays and up-and-comers. While capitalizing on these trends now will benefit you in 2015, the trends of 2016 are already being created in an industry where no two days are the same. To get the tools you need to grow your business in 2015 and in the years ahead, visit ACityDiscount.com.