Title: Proud founder of Garvey Residential Team and GrtHomes.com. Proud manager of EXP Realty LLc at 1010 Lake St. in downtown Oak Park, IL.
I was born and raised in Oak Park and along with my wife Nancy, raised our three children in River Forest and then again in Oak Park. What an amazing exprience it has been!
We bought our first home in 1986. It was a beautiful Victorian on Ridgeland that we fixed up. We went on to do that with four other homes in Oak Park and one in River Forest. At the time I would never have guessed that fixing up 100-year-old homes would lead to the fantastic HGTV lifestyle that I live now as a realtor.
During my journey through life here, I have seen the amazing evolution of a quaint small town feel village progress into these beautiful, vibrant and full of life villages that still feel small town, but have a harmony within todays slightly hectic world that seems to be working pretty well.
Oak Park and River Forest have been a dream come true as Nancy and I grew up to know the community. We watched our three boys experience these beautifully diverse and multicultural schools and then go on to be wonderfully successful in life.
Nancy and I met at Marquette University where she was studying to be a nurse, while I was studying business. We went on to get married and started looking for our first home. While I was pretty sure we were destined to stay in Oak Park, Nancy grew up in Wheeling Illinois and wanted to live close to her family, so I was keeping an open mind as to where we would eventually be raising our children.
It was around this time that my father offered me a little advice. He said to me “Chris, there is no better place to raise your children or just live your life than right here in Oak Park and River Forest.” Now I am not saying that he may not have had ulterior motives, but when he said it I sensed that he really meant it. He told me that his father had said that to him. I knew my Grandpa and his word still means more to me now then ever. My children are the fourth-generation of Garvey’s to live here.
My father said to us, “Whether you are raising a family or just living your life, your ability to grow in this world, your social interaction with the community, the relationships that you will form at the bandstand’s and in the parks – or a local sporting events, will not only be your greatest times in life, they will become your steppingstones in life.”
Now, as I grow older, I see how this fabric of life – this mixing of people throughout the village, its businesses, parks and many activities – and I see the success of my children and their friends and their friend’s families and I have come to understand what my father meant by these steppingstones in life. I am truly just beginning to learn of the great value this community brings to those who embrace it.
I will leave you with one last quote from my father’s father (the first Garvey to move to Oak Park). He said to my dad that “if you place yourself in the place of most potential, and you are open-minded enough to recognize an opportunity when you see it, success will always come to you.“ Ever since I have lived here, I’ve always found this to be true.
Post Script:
When you are ready, I invite you to tour homes for sale with me while you experience your own HGTV style of exploring homes. How can you make a decision on a home to buy, if you have not seen enough homes to know what a good value is?
Find out everything you need to know about our neighborhoods and buying these beautiful, but often times 100+ year old homes and condos.
Client Testimonials
We were looking for investment properties in Chicago and the western suburbs and found what we think is the best agent we could have ever found. Chris Garvey helped us search through hundreds of properties and gave us honest and accurate assessments of many, many homes and mult unit buildings. Always ready to help 24/7! Super friendly and always on time too!!! We could not have done it without him. If you are looking for an honest realtor that makes you feel at ease through the whole process, we highly recommend Chris Garvey.
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oshc17177/22/2015
I was a first time home buyer and had no idea how to go about the process . I had a previous agent that I felt was pressuring me above my budget as well taking me to listings that I didn’t want to see. Chris was referenced to me so I gave him a shot . One of the best decisions I made . He assisted me in finding a home that I love and can make my own ! I felt very comfortable with him . Chris was very knowledgeable about not only the property, but the area as well as what may need to be fixed. I’m very thankful to have had Chris as my realtor ! I will definitely be referencing him to anyone who is looking!
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TeresaDiCapua11/15/2018
Chris is fantastic! We immediately felt comfortable with Chris. He has a depth of knowledge about our community that is second-to-none. His advice about all of the homes we toured was invaluable. He truly made the home search experience enjoyable, he always called it a "home tour" which made me smile, and he was very responsive to all of our requests. We hope to stay in touch with him for years to come, he's truly a gem. He won't lead you astray!
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alexius o.2/24/2017
Chris has made the selling and buying process so easy! He has a ton of knowledge and lots of resources to take care of everything needed during the buying and selling processes. I would recommend him to anyone.
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Daniel K.3/19/2020
Chris was great! He made selling my home easy and stress free. He is very knowledgeable of the home market in my area and his input on staging my home was invaluable. We were thrilled that our home sold within two weeks and Chris even negotiated a price higher than I expected. The transaction was stress free because of all the guidance Chris provided us throughout the process. He went above and beyond what I expected in every way. I highly recommend Chris to everyone!
Nancy G.
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nagarvey6/11/2015
Absolutely lovely. This was our first home buying experience and Caroline made it bearable. She drove far and wide for us and arranged viewings in a way that made sense for us. When our lender and lawyer were not communicating she helped us smooth out the kinks and we closed on time. At the beginning of the process we knew next to nothing about buying a home, but by the end Caroline had walked us through from start to finish and left us with the ability to do it again easier if necessary.
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drice0089/18/2019
Chris is absolutely the best! We bought and sold a house using his team, after a year passed he was still there for me helping me to solve random things and supporting in other requests! His service goes away beyond the post sale...
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Carlos D.2/26/2019
Chris Garvey was there for us when we were selling and when we were buying. Chris’s knowledge of real estate, the local market and the way to market in today’s digital world really gave our home prime exposure. We received a fair value for our house thanks to Chris’ efforts in also letting other local realtors know that the house was out there and available for a reasonable price. Because Chris had spent so much time with us as sellers, he also made the perfect real estate agent on the buying side. By the time we got to the house we bought, he was fully aware of what we needed in our final nesting place. He always found time to work with me and both of us are very busy. He introduced us to the possibility of a different location which we would not have looked at and as a result we found a wonderful home at our price.
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maureentamillow6/22/2017
This was my first experience buying a home and Chris made it completely painless! I can't say enough positive things about my experience with working with Chris. He was incredibly responsive and called me back the first day I demonstrated interest in a property. He set up a day of walkthroughs and gave me his honest opinion of each property. When I decided on the place that I fell in love with, he expedited the offer and reassured me through the process. It's obvious by working with Chris that he loves his job, enjoys working with people, and has many years of experience. I would definitely work with Chris again!
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user53057153/17/2017
Chris was great for my husband and I as we bought our first house from afar. We needed to move to Oak Park from another state (during the Covid pandemic) and he helped us by giving recommendations, doing FaceTime videos to look at homes, and knowing just about everything about Oak Park. He was also a great resource on getting someone to help sell our condo in Iowa and has a list of contractors and such to help make our home perfect! Chris was amazing!
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loukurdi7/29/2020
Chris has been a great help and a pleasure to work with for the sale of our condo and the purchase of our house. He was always available, very responsive and thorough in his evaluation of properties.
We can definitely recommend Chris to anyone looking for a smooth and turnkey selling and buying process.
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emma l.10/05/2017
bought our first condo with chris and he helped us so much through the process, never rushed us, gave great tips and was very knowledgable about the neighborhoods. He did a great job negotiating as well and we were very happy to work with him.
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mattiehawkinson312/21/2020
Chris has been a blessing to us! He is beyond amazing! His experience on the filed makes your house-hunting process fun and enjoyable. He is honest, always available and very charismatic. I recommend him 100%!
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Nathalie M.2/19/2021
As first time home buyers my husband and I didn't know anything about real estate (or even mortgages for that matter), but wow did Chris make the entire home buying process so painless and even fun! He really listened to what my husband and I were interested in, never rushed us, and was so on top of everything all the time it was just...the best experience! He found us our perfect home and I am so thankful we were able to get it - thank you Chris!!
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zuser2017060618053089610/16/2018
When looking for a home, Chris and Caroline provided such a wonderful experience. They are super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. Chris especially was always available and flexible with last minute home viewings. Not to mention he is extremely honest and I always felt like I could trust him. He helped me find my dream condo! Thank you both!
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Noelle H.3/19/2020
Chris was very helpful guiding us through our first home purchase. He was always available for questions and was extremely easy to work with. I highly recommend him.
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thikibear8/27/2018
Chris was a huge help in my buying my first home. Easy to work with, knowledgeable, and flexible with my needs in both finances and time.
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Daniel H.3/19/2020
Chris was absolutely fantastic! He was so knowledgeable of the area, and knew exactly what we were looking for. He really helped guide our decision making and was so patient as we saw over 30+ houses with our two young children in tow. We trusted him implicitly and would absolutely recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a house! After dealing with a number of realtors over the years, Chris was absolutely the best and we will definitely work with him again if the need presents itself.