September 2006

Rainbo Village in Uptown

September 25, 2006

Yesterday, a couple of buyers and I visited Rainbo Village, a new Uptown area development just south of the Andersonville neighborhood. The development offers a variety of condos, lofts and townhomes priced from $250K to $750K. The location is walking distance to both Red and Brown Line “L” Stations and the Metra Ravenswood Station. Underground Click to continue...

Picking a Lot is Part of Buying a New House

September 18, 2006

Yesterday, a couple of buyers and I visited the Toll Brothers’ Hawthorn Woods Country Club Development. Hawthorn Woods is a beautiful, quiet area in the northwest suburbs. When you buy a new house the lot it will sit on typically isn’t included in the price. As with the houses, lot prices vary depending primarily on Click to continue...

What to do if a Buyer’s Agent Shows up Unannounced

September 14, 2006

One of my sellers informed me that a buyer’s agent showed up at her house to show it with no notice. We had agreed that my office would call her whenever showings were requested and not schedule any showings without her confirming them. She has a dog and needs to remove it from the home Click to continue...

Where to Get the Best Look at Homes Online

September 13, 2006

One of the features buyers love when looking for a home online is multiple photos. The traditional photo of the front of a home is a start, but doesn’t give you any idea what the rest of the home looks like. So I did some checking into what real estate websites are best at providing Click to continue...

Selling a Lifestyle

September 12, 2006

Yesterday I sent the following note to my sellers. The real estate section of the Chicago Tribune had a good article yesterday [Sunday] on the challenges of selling a home in today’s market. I think there are 2 points you’ll find of interest. First, the market has shifted from a seller’s market to a buyer’s Click to continue...

What to do When Your Home Goes on the Market

September 7, 2006

This past week I’ve been pretty focused on 2 houses I just put on the market. One is a smaller, older house in the Hermosa area of Chicago (just west of Logan Square) and the other is a large, newer house in Crystal Lake. Between photo shoots, entering all the home details in the 2 Click to continue...

Chicago Transportation Webs

September 4, 2006

In the Chicago area, transportation options are typically a major consideration when deciding where to buy a home. Here are some of the Chicago area transportation websites I find most helpful. The Chicago Transit Authority provides trains and buses primarily in the city of Chicago, but with some stations/stops in nearby suburbs. The trains are Click to continue...

Pick Your Mortgage Company Carefully

September 1, 2006

Some buyers of mine were supposed have a closing for their Edgewater condo last Thursday. I didn’t happen until yesterday afternoon and even then, the closing took over 3 hours while my clients waited for the mortgage company to wire the funds. The closing was delayed a week because the mortgage company was missing a Click to continue...