The Kernahan Group

09/18/2026

The Fed raised rates a quarter point on Wednesday. Mortgage rates are now knocking on 7%. So, buy now or wait for spring?

Here's the math on a $1M purchase with 20% down: 🍂 Buy this fall at 6.95% → $5,296/mo ❄️ Wait, rates rise a half point → $5,566/mo 🌱 Wait, rates rise AND spring prices climb 3% → $5,733/mo

That's $271 to $438 more every month for the same house. And the fall market has fewer buyers competing, which means more room to negotiate.

Sellers, you're not off the hook either. If you're thinking "we'll just list in spring," you need to know the conversation buyers are having right now. It shapes your spring.

Full breakdown for buyers AND sellers, link in bio. 👆

09/01/2026

Who says nothing in life is free?

Stop by tommorrow from 9:30-12:30 for a Specialty Coffee on us! ☕️

08/24/2026

Is it normal to get teary at a museum?

We had a fantastic visit to the Obama Presidential Center and were so impressed with the entire museum and campus. The emphasis on hope, human rights and an American for All was just what we needed. Highly recommend a visit - don't forget to see the grounds!

08/06/2026

Plot twist: Chicago's Lincoln Park and Lake View are now selling faster than New Trier Township. 🏙️⏱️

New Trier Twp: $1.45M median (+13.7% YoY), 36 days on market
Lincoln Park & Lake View: 29 days — nearly a week faster than the suburbs
Near North Side: still the slowest at 78 days, but tightening quicker than anywhere else

A few highlights from our latest market report:
→ New Trier Township's median sale price is up 13.7% YoY to $1.45M
→ Lincoln Park and Lake View have both fallen to just 1.0 months of supply — tighter than New Trier
→ Lincoln Park and Lake View are now selling in 29 days on average, faster than New Trier's 36
→ Near North Side (River North/Streeterville) remains the most spacious of the four, though its single-family inventory is contracting the fastest

Full breakdown of the numbers, and what they mean for buyers and sellers on both sides of the city line, is up on the blog now.

07/21/2026

Chicago is overachieving — and the numbers tell the story.

While national home price growth flattens out, Chicago's luxury market keeps climbing: 6.1% price growth in March vs. just 0.66% nationally. Lincoln Park's median just hit $800,000, up 8.8% in a single year. The $4M+ market logged 62 sales in the first half of 2026 — the third-highest total on record. And homes here are selling in 27 days on average, nearly half the national pace.

The data doesn't lie: Chicago isn't just holding steady, it's outperforming.

Curious what's driving it? Full breakdown on the blog — link in bio.

07/09/2026

Woke up early, walked the whole loop — zoo, conservatory, the nature museum, both ponds, straight out to the lake. 🦩🌿🏙️
This is the thing about Lincoln Park that never stops getting us: 1,200+ acres of genuine wild space, and it sits right up against the best skyline in the world. No either/or. Just both, all the time, for anyone willing to get up early enough to have it mostly to themselves.
Lincoln Park Zoo has been free since 1868. The ponds are full of herons if you're quiet. And the walk from the conservatory to the lakefront takes about the same time as your coffee gets cold.
If a morning like this is part of what you're looking for in your next home, that's a conversation we love having. 📍 Lincoln Park, Chicago

06/09/2026

We love positive feedback. But what we love more? This ⬇️

"I had the pleasure of working with Maria Kernahan as our buyer's broker, and I can't recommend her highly enough. Our search spanned Chicago and the North Shore suburbs — where I grew up in — and she adapted quickly as our criteria evolved. Maria never missed a beat. She was consistently responsive, quickly recalibrating her recommendations each time she learned more about our interests, and always kept us focused on our priorities. What set Maria apart was the quality of her guidance. She didn't flood us with options; she was thoughtful and strategic, pointing us toward properties that genuinely fit our needs with specific understanding of the communities and market. Her deep market experience was evident at every turn — from how she framed our offer to how she navigated the negotiation — and ultimately she helped us secure our first-choice home within our budget, and in a highly competitive environment. If you're looking for a broker who combines real expertise with genuine care for her clients, Maria is the person to call." — R.C.

Finding the right home for the right people. That's the whole job. 🙏 If you're ready to start your search, let's talk. 📲 847-877-7100

05/20/2026

☕ tomorrow morning, we're buying! ☕
swing by (2275 N Lincoln) between 9:30–11:30am for your free medium coffee — no strings attached, just our way of saying thanks for being part of this neighborhood we love.

Because great communities are built on great coffee (and great conversations 😉.

🔴 × Christie's International Real Estate
✨ Co-Sponsored by OriginPoint & Rate Company

who's coming? tag a friend you're bringing! ⬇️

05/19/2026

We're getting ready to list an incredible 3,000+ sq ft apartment in a Lincoln Park co-op — and it got us thinking: most buyers have never even considered a co-op. That felt like something worth fixing.
So we put together a deep dive into Chicago's cooperative apartments — what they are, how they work, why they were built, and why they might be the smartest move you haven't made yet.
Inside you'll find:
🏛 The history behind Chicago's co-op buildings
🔑 How co-op ownership actually works (it's different than you think)
💰 The real deal on pricing, financing & monthly assessments
🏢 A list of notable co-op buildings across the city
Link in bio ✨

05/07/2026