The North Shore Weekend, October 1st, 2022

SAT,

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

WEATHER

MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CLUB

ENLIST THE NORTH SHORE’S MOST ELITE REAL ESTATE

TO TALK ABOUT THE

LUXURY

MARKET AND WHY IT’S BECOME ALMOST UNTOUCHABLE, EVEN AS HIGH INTEREST RATES ARE LOOMING.

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

While real estate brokers around the nation keep a sharp eye on the Fed and its handling of interest rates, one area of the real estate market that has not been heavily impacted is the upper end of the price bracket.

Jena Radnay, a luxury broker with @ properties in Winnetka, says that as recently as 2019, a buyer could look at six or eight houses in the luxury market at any given time.

When COVID-19 hit in March 2020, people started realizing they wanted more room in their house and they valued their property differently.

“That's when people started buying even more luxury. People thought if they were going to be stuck in their houses, they might as well have more space,” Radnay says. “Where we are today is we have literally no inventory of luxury. It's very limited and when it comes on the market, it's picked up right away.”

To increase inventory, sellers are needed, and that’s the other side of the coin.

Luxury homeowners who might have thought about downsizing sometime over the past few years have stayed put because they like the extra space that buyers are craving.

It’s a residential catch-22 and seems a far cry from the state of the luxury market in the buildup to 2020, which included many large estates built decades ago lingering on the market.

“Houses that are old and big can be in timidating,” says Radnay. “Some of them have

INSIDE

Lake Forest Country Day School hosts a national boarding school fair P10

This classic English manor estate at 41 Indian Hill Road in Winnetka features spectacular grounds with a Boilini pool and pergola. Listed by Dinny Dwyer of Coldwell Banker Realty.

“In our opinion there are not enough superlatives to adequately describe our experience using Cory Albiani as our REALTOR®...As a couple who have bought/sold homes at least 10 times, that is saying a lot! He had the perfect combination of being patient with us while also keeping us updated as we searched for ‘just the right place’. His professionalism, communication and negotiation skills resulted in us finding the perfect place, and he continues to be a wonderful resource for all things in the area. We would give him TEN stars if we could!”

beautiful and sunny East Highland Park house is the one you’ll fall in love with. It’s a century old this year, with a picturesque wood shingle exterior, a freshly painted interior, new deck, new air conditioning unit, and graciously proportioned rooms with lovely finishes situated in a stellar location East of Green Bay Road and walking distance to downtown Highland Park, train, Green Bay Trail, parks and Lake Michigan. An unbeatable opportunity to live in a great neighborhood convenient to everything with lots of house. Come and see it!

NEWS

10 one-stop shop

More than 75 boarding schools from around the U.S. are expected for Lake Forest Country Day School's 17th annual fair

12 cooper roberts comes home

Fundraisers continue as the 8-year-old victim of the Highland Park Fourth of July shooting begins his long road to recovery

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

14 sunday breakfast

Michael Kutza's love of movies and the "Windy City" formed the basis for the creation of his Chicago International Film Festival in 1964, which returns next month

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accepting consignments of Chinese paintings, calligraphy, and works of art.

Chinese Art specialist

area October 17 - 19 offering in-person complimentary and confidential auction estimates of single items and entire collections.

(773) 267

On the upside, Radnay says most of those old, large houses have been purchased and are going through renovations, a number of them on Woodley Road and Indian Hill Road in Winnetka, an area in which Radnay is intimately familiar. She says that’s a good sign for the future.

As far as the state of the luxury market for the rest of this year, Radnay says she doesn’t see the inventory situation improving, although lately she’s been on a bit of a hot streak.

“I think it's going to be limited inventory. To day, I put on a house for $15 million and tomor row I'm putting on a house for $8 million, so I'm going to have a handful of really incredible luxury listings,” she says. “But there's not many options. I just kind of got lucky with these.”

Highland Park @properties broker Cory Albiani, says that while the frenzied market of the past few years has levelled off, he agrees with Radnay that demand in the luxury space will stay strong.

“Although we are returning to a more stable, normalized market, there is still plenty of de mand,” Albiani says. “Compared to the suburbs, I am seeing less demand for Chicago homes in the lower to mid-price points. I also have multiple high-end buyers who missed out, waiting for the right property to come online. So, demand is there, with variations on location and price point.”

Albiani says the initial shock of higher interest rates might give some buyers pause, and those determined to purchase a home are still looking but with a more cautious eye.

“I am seeing a good mix of cash and financing for luxury properties. It's interesting because cash is a major tool to win out in bidding wars, but due to rising rates and seasonality, multiple offer situa

tions have dropped off,” he says. “With such high rates, luxury buyers may still choose an all-cash option as it may be the most cost-effective.”

Spencer Terry, a broker with Terry Residential Group and Coldwell Banker Realty in Glencoe, says the Chicago area as a whole is seasonal and typically experiences a bit of a dip in the fourth

quarter, regardless of interest rates. Though with limited inventory, he believes home demand and home prices in the luxury market will endure.

“There are plenty of buyers waiting in the wings for the right house to hit the market, particularly those who lost out due to bidding wars. This may be a good time to get back into the

game with less competition.” Terry says, adding that he expects market times to increase slightly, and that homes that are not priced correctly or are not properly prepared for the market may struggle more than they might have a few months ago.

“The properties that are move-in ready and priced fairly at all price points are still selling quickly and after multiple offers,” he adds. “The properties that are not move-in ready and perhaps priced too high are sitting, forcing price reduc tions. Fundamentally, the market is still strong with a lack of inventory. The market is normal izing after coming off two years of unprecedented activity.”

Rising interest rates haven’t yet impacted the majority of luxury buyers, who are paying cash, Terry says. He believes the luxury market will remain strong through the rest of the year.

“The luxury market shows no signs of slowing down, and it should continue to be strong as buyers in this category pay cash and are generally immune from interest rate hikes with the excep tion of the effect on the stock market,” says Jamie Roth, a broker with Engel & Völkers in Highland Park. “However, most of these buyers are sophis ticated investors and know how to navigate the financial markets.”

Jena Radnay says from its early days the North Shore has been a luxury market. It’s combination of being on or near the water and close to the big city will always be a draw.

“The North Shore is a luxury market that defines itself. Historically, it’s the go-to place for people who have money—The Wrigley Estate, the Granger Estate—big money always came to the Shore. That's what it was notorious for, and that's why it's still here. It's called the lake effect.”

MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CLUB

PG

Just this week Jena Radnay of @properties listed 445 Sheridan Road, a majestic lakefront estate set on the premier “Sheridan to Shore” block in Winnetka.

Cory Albiani of @properties recently sold this luxury property at 439 Moraine Road in east Highland Park on the Ravine.

long market times and can impact the long-term luxury market.”

ONE-STOP SHOP

SCHOOL HOSTS ITS 17TH ANNUAL

FAIR ON OCTOBER 6.

BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

More than 75 boarding schools from around the country will be on hand for Lake Forest Country Day School’s (LFCDS) Annual Independent Board ing School Fair on October 6. Secondary boarding schools from California to New Hampshire and states in between will have representatives on hand to showcase their schools and programs.

The fair started 17 years ago with just a few boarding schools participating and has grown exponentially over the years to become a top resource and opportunity for parents and students to learn about boarding school options.

While the fair is part of LFCDS’s high school placement and matricula tion services, which are overseen by Ted Stewart, Director of Student Programs and Engagement, Stewart says the fair has become an event for the whole North Shore Community and beyond. He credits its success to the efforts of his colleague Susan Murphy, Assistant to the Head of Upper School at LFCDS, who is the real force behind the effort.

“It packs the gym, and it’s people other than just our families,” Stewart says. “In the past we’ve had families come from as far away as Wisconsin and Indiana who come to our fair to meet with schools and see what their options are.”

Stewart says the fair’s success if a reflec tion of LFCDS’s commitment to provide the best opportunities for its students to succeed in high school. With so many

department for the last eight years.”

Stewart has worked in admissions for schools on the East Coast and in the admissions office at Lake Forest Academy just prior to his current position. He says his past admissions experience plays an important role now.

“It worked out well in that I know the inner workings of boarding school and private day school admissions offices,” he says. “I'm able to leverage that and help families figure out the best fit for each graduate.”

The placement process starts when students are in 7th grade. Stewart will meet with every 7th grade family in the spring to get a read for the family’s cur rent thinking and lay out some options. Then he’ll meet with them again later in the summer.

“If you know anything about 7th and 8th grade kids, they change a lot during that incoming 8th grade summer,” Stewart says. “Our conversations might take a U-turn. They may start by thinking they want to go to public school and then they go away to camp, and all their buddies

to which they are applying. The major ity of schools, he says, look at the whole student.

“Most schools are holistic, so they look at of all the components. We help with

school choices—public, parochial, board ing—being able to help students and families with one-on-one attention is key.

“One thing that differentiates us as an educational institution is our placement. We’re one of the only schools in our area that has a dedicated, secondary school placement department,” Stewart says.

“I've been fortunate enough to head the

are boarding school kids. They may come back at the end of summer and suddenly, we’re doing a boarding school search.”

Stewart’s prep work with students focuses on preparing them for the in terviews that are part of the high school admissions process, as well as the various standardized tests they will be required to complete, depending on the type of school

looking at essays and making sure we're hitting deadlines,” Stewart says. “It’s a lot of conversations with kids and families and nailing down the best fit academically and socially.”

Stewart also plays an external role for the school, developing relationships with admissions officers and ensuring they know what LFCDS is about.

“It’s really important for us when they hear the name Lake Forest Country Day School, they understand the academic rigor and the kinds of kids we have,” he says. “We really want them to know our program and why we do what we do.”

The Lake Forest Country Day School Boarding School Fair will take place on Thursday, October 6, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the school gymnasium, 145 S. Green Bay Road, in Lake Forest. For more informa tion and a list of participating schools, visit lfcds.org.

COMES

BY SHERRY THOMAS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

More than two months after being paralyzed during a mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, 8-year-old Cooper Rob erts returned home to his family last week.

“We are at a total loss of words to express how filled with gratitude, love, and wholeness we now feel given that we are able to finally have Cooper back at home,” said the boy’s parents, Jason and Keely Roberts, in a statement released to The North Shore Weekend. “There was a time, not all that long ago, where we were desperately and feverishly praying just for Cooper to live. To be able to have Cooper home and our family all reunited together again is such an amazing blessing.”

Cooper’s journey home came after a life-sav ing surgery at Highland Park Hospital the day of the shooting, numerous additional surgeries, and stays at Comer Children’s Hospital and Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. He needed to be fully intubated and on a ventilator at times, enduring weeks of pain and suffering as he was separated from his parents; twin brother, Luke; four sisters; and a beloved French Bulldog puppy named

George.

“You take for granted how wonderful it is to be able to have all your children together and how important they are to each other until it is taken away,” said Jason and Keely. “Having our children reunited as a sibling unit and knowing that they can be together whenever they need or want to, is so special to us and to Cooper. They have held each other up and through so much during what has been the most horrific time in their lives.”

Cooper is paralyzed from his waist down and will continue to undergo rehabilitation on his road to recovery. As part of his welcome home, the family is embracing new activities and sports they can share together.

“We know that Cooper continues to face a heartbreakingly cruel and unfair road ahead. The transition to having Cooper’s extensive medical needs being addressed at home vs. at the hospital or rehabilitation clinic is a gigantic learning curve for all of us. And now that he is home, Cooper has to deal on a daily basis with the sadness and grief of recognizing all the things he’s lost—all that he used to be able to do at his house, in his community, that he cannot do anymore,” the family said. “Yet, we choose to focus on what we do have. Cooper is alive and home and our sweet

and lovely athletic little boy has made up his mind that he is going to figure out new ways to play sports.”

Over the last week, they say he has embraced wheelchair tennis, and has already been to the court with his brother several times.

To help during this challenging transition, fundraising efforts go on for the Roberts family. In addition to the Go Fund Me page (gofundme. com/f/kxwjn-the-roberts-family-fundraiser), a fam ily-friendly fundraiser is being held on Sunday, October 16, at Whiskey River Bar & Grill, 1850 Waukegan Road, in Glenview. The event will run from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and include a magic show, live DJ, face-painters, a tie dye station, and other activities with 100 percent of proceeds going to the Roberts family for Cooper’s ongoing medical needs and other expenses like home adaptations, medical equipment, and assistive devices.

“That little boy just tugs at our heartstrings,” says bar owner Kathy Karowsky, who arranged the fundraiser even before Cooper was sent home.

As the family said in their statement, Cooper’s story continues to inspire the community and the nation at large.

“He is brave and kind ... and it is because of the love and prayers you have all sent and con

tinue to send to him that we believe he continues on a path of healing,” they said. “Please continue to pray for our sweet little boy ... we know he will show the entire world that love really does win in the end.”

Admission to the October 16 fundraiser is $20 for those 10 and older and includes food. Admission is free for children 9 and under. Alcohol is available for purchase with a percentage going to the Roberts family as well. For more information, call Whiskey River at 847-486-1007.

KUTZA-PAH

BY BILL MCLEAN ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT

Wondering what spaghetti sauce had to do with luring Sophia Loren to attend the Chicago International Film Festival in 1990?

Bet you are.

Or why the silent screen comedienne Colleen Moore Hargrave ordered the festival’s founder, then-22-year-old Michael Kutza, to wear glasses and tell everyone who mattered that he was 27 in 1964?

Or about Kutza’s interactions with Charlie Chaplin’s daughter Geraldine and her famed Chilean cinematographer husband, Patricio Castilla, while the trio spent 10 days together at the 2015 Havana Film Festival in Cuba?

Answers to all of the above, and much more, are in Kutza’s debut book, Starstruck: How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More Than 50 Years (BearManor Media, 2022). It’s informative, inspiring, funny, revealing, and edgy. Kutza ran the Chicago International Film Festival—North America’s longest-running competitive film festival—and served as its artis tic director until stepping down in 2018.

A native of Chicago’s West Side and the son of physicians, Kutza, 82, remains CEO emeritus of Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago Inter national Film Festival. This year’s festival—the 58th—presents 92 feature films and 56 shorts and runs from October 12-23, with screenings at several locations, including AMC River East 21 and the Music Box Theatre.

“All I ever wanted to do was bring the world of international cinema to my hometown,” Kutza, a Weber High School graduate, writes in the chapter “All The King’s Men” (each chapter is a movie title). “Who knew you had to spend half your time proving to people that there was value to them in doing the festival? (Actually, maybe everybody).”

“With the Chicago International Film Festi val,” he adds, “we continually promoted coming to Chicago to make your next film, working closely with the various film offices and at the Cannes and Berlin festivals, hosting receptions heralding the city and the state. My purpose in starting the festival was, through film, to show my hometown and what they were missing to the world.

“It certainly succeeded in doing that.”

Kutza, who moved to a River North highrise six months ago, remembers a time—in the 1980s, in particular—when making a movie in Chicago and its striking suburbs (take a bow, North Shore villages) was “a big deal.” Flicks like The Untouchables, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and The Dark Knight enthralled Kutza and showcased the Chicago area’s beauty and muscle.

What saddened him most about the 2002

Academy Award-winning film version of Chi cago had nothing to do with its script or score.

“It was shot in Toronto,” Kutza notes.

Kutza was 8 when he produced his first film at his West Side home. His mother took care of the footage, having shot scenes using a 16-milli meter camera at conventions and on trips all over the world with other female doctors.

movie out of what she handed me when she got home,” Kutza recalls. “She told me, ‘The lady doctors will be coming over Sunday.’”

involved only putting your toys away, taking the garbage out, and folding laundry.

with music and special effects when he wasn’t planting himself at the neighborhood movie theater and watching—wide-eyed and slack-jawed—horror films, science-fiction movies, and musicals.

Michael hit the books hard and become a doctor.

thing I had zero interest in,” Kutza writes. “Z-E-R-O.”

earn degrees in biology and psy chology at Roosevelt University in Chicago, before completing his post-graduate studies at the Institute of Design at the Illinois Institute of Tech nology. He’d become an award-winning graphic designer, but nothing he’d do for a living would come close to the passion he had for developing his only “child”—the Chicago In ternational Film Festival.

cago Sun-Times columnist Irv Kupcinet had heard about the West Side upstart with the audacious quest to establish an inter national film event in

the city, so he treated him to lunch at Fritzel’s Restaurant. Kup then introduced Kutza to the aforementioned Hargrave, who had retired to Chicago after starring in silent films in the 1920s and 1930s.

Hargrave (1899-1988) invited Kutza to her place for lunch. They clicked, pronto. The idea of

Kutza writes.

One day, Hargrave said, “Michael, meet Joan.”

“Joan” was Joan Crawford.

It was around that time when Hargrave told Kutza to add five years to his age “because nobody trusts someone who’s 22.”

The inaugural Chicago International Film Festival started on November 9, 1965, at the original Carnegie Theatre at Rush and Oak streets. It grew steadily from there, featuring director Martin Scorsese’s first film (I Call First, Who’s That Knocking at My Door) in 1967; presenting the world premiere of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in 1975; and honor ing Jodie Foster in 1996 and Clint Eastwood in 2002 and Steven Spielberg in 2006.

Tom Cruise made a surprise appearance on Spielberg’s big night.

“Famous actors and directors are ordinary people who happen to be highly talented and respected people—that’s what I learned, prob ably more than anything else, while running the festival,” says Kutza, the recipient of an extraordi nary recognition in 2015, when the President of the French Republic named Kutza a Knight of the Legion of Honour.

“I wrote the book because people kept telling me, ‘You must have plenty of stories to tell about the stars and the directors and what went on behind the scenes all those years’,” Kutza says of the two-year project.

About Sophia Loren and the spaghetti sauce

It might be Kutza’s favorite story.

“I went to Los Angeles and drove a few hours out to Hidden Valley,” he begins. “I met Sophia’s husband (Carlo Ponti) and told him about the festival and how we could honor Sophia. … We worked out the details and I had a fun idea, which Sophia loved. She always claimed that her success was due to spaghetti. Seriously.”

Kutza offered to serve Loren’s spaghetti sauce recipe on one of the dishes at the

“Sophia gave me the recipe, and I had Joey Mondelli of Kelly Mondelli’s restaurant make it,” Kutza continues. “But first, she had to approve it. Joey made it and I flew out with a gallon packed in dry ice back to Hidden Valley. True story. All turned out fine.”

A quote from Loren—“Michael is the real deal”—appears on the back of Kutza’s book.

“Sophia,” Kutza counters, “is the real deal.”

For more information about the 2022 Chicago International Film Festival, visit chicagofilmfesti val.com. Michael Kutza’s book, Starstruck: How I Magically Transformed Chicago into Hollywood for More Than 50 Years, is available via all the usual online platforms, including amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

BOLD, CONFIDENT MICHAEL KUTZA LAUNCHED THE CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO AND HAD WILDLY ENTERTAINING STORIES TO TELL ABOUT IT AND MEGA MOVIE STARS. SO, HE WROTE A BOOK.

Michael Kutza