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
Chris Garvey is the best of the best! He is extremely responsive, professional and works hard to close the deal. He is very knowledgeable about the Chicago area, has great insight and provides near expert guidance on properties. He truly puts his clients first and provides helpful contacts to other business professionals in the community. I highly recommend him and will continue to use his services for all of my future real estate needs. Overall great experience working with him!
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zuser2016030709585587511/28/2017
Chris has been much more than a regular agent. He was always available and willing to help. For foreigners like us (we are from Brazil), he was very patient and after the closing, he also helped us to settle down with other aspects, becoming a friend of the family.
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carlosadmoura4/12/2016
Chris Garvey is an amazing realtor. He is knowledgeable, kind, thorough, patient and easy to work with. He provides great insight on properties and makes the home buying experience enjoyable! I am grateful to have been able to work with him and highly recommend him to anyone looking for a realtor!
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Kinga B.4/18/2022
Chris is really good, he spends time to explain our questions and is very informative. He is very detail oriented and showed us how to look for water damage and other issues with a house.
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Sunil B.2/16/2015
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
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
From the work done properly pricing our home, the actual advertising campaign, the open houses held and the final negotiations between buyer and seller; I couldn't ask for anything more. We got the price he said we would and in a reasonable amount of time: That was very important to us.
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mauryg5610/10/2016
Chris Garvey is FANTASTIC!After employing him for both a sale of a condo in Oak Park, a purchase of a three-story home in Forest Park, and the sale of two condos in Evanston, Illinois, we can’t say enough wonderful things about him! He and his Team hit a grand slam every single time! We kept hiring him because he’s the right guy for the job!He absolutely loves what he does. He loves his communities. He takes the care, the time, and the resources needed for each task involved in the process, and he pays the attention to detail that is necessary to get the sale and/or purchase done right and done quickly. He has knowledge about Oak Park real estate and history and the surrounding Chicago areas, like no other. His accessibility is unparalleled. Chris Garvey exceeded our expectations every time, in every way. He has obviously devoted his life to this stuff! It is his passion and an experience he loves ... with each individual client, with each of his families, and each of his neighborhoods.Unlike all the others realtors out there (whether local, regional, or national), his knowledge extends to all of the other stuff that you need to know about before and after (and, of course, throughout) the sale/purchase process, e.g., he knows the best contractors, developers, and lawyers, and he has an unmatched working knowledge relative to local and state ordinances and laws and construction, engineering, remodeling, decorating, and design. If he doesn’t, he makes sure to acquire the knowledge and information for you, so that you don’t have to do the work. ... so that you do not have to worry.In short, you get so much more than a realtor when you hire Chris Garvey and his Team!You absolutely won’t be disappointed. We promise!CHRIS GARVEY IS YOUR GUY!Jennifer & David(We have not in any way been paid by Chris to say the above. In fact, please contact Chris if you would like to speak to us about our experience. We believe in him and his Team so much that we are willing to give our time to share our wonderful experiences with him.)
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Jennifer C.3/19/2019
My wife and I started looking at homes in Winter of 2015. We had a low level of urgency, and started off just wanting to explore available options in our desired area (Oak Park). Working with Chris was great early on, because he was willing to work with us as casually as we wanted at that time. He was willing to look at homes with us whenever we wanted, and was well aware of changes in the local market that related to our preferences. It was low pressure, informative, and highly enjoyable.
In the Spring, we got more serious, and wanted to go look at houses more frequently and in a wider area--we had decided that we wanted to look in Naperville and Downers Grove as well as Oak Park. Chris was more than accommodating, and very knowledgeable of all the areas in which we were looking.
In the end, we decided that we wanted to buy a house in Naperville that needed some short-term work, and Chris was very helpful through the finance-securing process to make sure that the decision made sense for us, which we really appreciated. We would probably not be in the house we bought if not for Chris' thoughtful, informative, and low-pressure approach.
Chris has lived in, renovated, and sold many of his own homes, so his knowledge base extends beyond "basic" real estate know-how. He has a strong understanding of the true value of the homes he tours, as well as the potential issues that a buyer may run into. It was great to have his foresight working on our behalf.
Not only was Chris helpful, knowledgeable, and honest, but he was also fun to spend time with. I grew to look forward to house hunting on weekends. We could not be happier with the experience. Thanks Chris!
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tylerjmiller187/05/2016
If you're looking for a home in the Chicagoland, Oak Park, River Forest or surrounding areas, Chris Garvey is your realtor. His knowledge of the areas, market and homes are outstanding. Chris truly goes to bat for his clients and wants what is best for you. He is professional, timely and the best in the business at what he does. I highly recommend Chris Garvey for all of your realty needs.
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Mike H.3/19/2020
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
Thanks for fantastic service, Alexander! I appreciate you coming out so quickly, doing a great job, and being such a professional. I will be coming back to your business for all locksmith needs in the future.
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Stern S.10/19/2020
Chris is very dedicated to his clients and helped us find the perfect home~ He is very knowledgable; we appreciated his enthusiasm and understanding of Oak Park and the surrounding areas. His professionalism and attention to detail were exemplary. We would not hesitate recommending him!
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amadaytaft5/16/2016
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 has been an extraordinary resource and advocate for us during our house hunting, purchasing, and closing experience! He is knowledgeable, personable, and immensely talented in this field. We could not have navigated buying our first home while rangling two young kids without him. I cannot say enough great things about him! I give him the highest recommendation and endorsement to anyone in the market for a home or investment property!
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lewisbase78/03/2018
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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DanRoger12/05/2019
Chris was awesome. He helped me move into my first condo. He also helped do all the paper work and found a awesome attorney for me. Chris was also by his phone 24/7 to answer any questions I had. If you want the best guy in Chicagoland use Chris!!!!!
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Andrew V.7/16/2015
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.
