Letter: Pawlak Properties Supports D113A Referendum

This letter to the editor was submitted by Wendy Pawlak, a real estate agent at Pawlak Properties in Lemont.

Letter to the Editor

My name is Wendy Pawlak, I am writing today not only as a 15-year Lemont resident and homeowner, but more importantly as top-selling Real Estate agent in the area for the last 15 years with Pawlak Properties powered by Keller Williams. Please strongly consider voting YES on April 6 to pass the District 113A referendum to protect and increase your home’s value.

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, there is a strong correlation between school expenditures and home values. A report titled, “School Spending Raises Property Values,” found that for every dollar spent on public schools in an area, home values increased by $20. (Mar 30, 2020)

District 113A would be allocating our tax dollars to reopen Central School to reduce class sizes and adding full day Kindergarten, both of which we have found is highly sought after for buyers who have children. This is important because according to National Association of Realtors (2020) 61 percent of the largest age group of buyers (30-39) have at least 1 child.

Not only will this referendum help increase your home value in a stable market, but it will also insulate your largest investment in a down real-estate market like the one we all experienced in 2009-2011. According to a study published by BiggerPockets.com, a real estate investor studied schools on SchoolDigger, which uses a five-star rating system based on student to teacher ratios, enrollment, test scores, and various other factors. Schools that had a rating of four or five stars were almost completely insulated from declining home values during a recession, whereas those with one to three stars experienced significant losses.

Knowing this, it will be far easier to sell your home for what it is worth during market volatility. During times when the market is strong, you may even be able to command an above-market price point simply based on the school district where your home is located. We are experiencing this in the current “hot sellers” real estate market. Our team is seeing multiple offers and a 5-15 percent increase in home prices in the Lemont area.

In conclusion, whether you are currently utilizing the Lemont public schools or not a YES vote will ensure to protect and increase the value of your largest asset, your home!
Vote YES April 6