February 2007

Andersonville Fun Places

February 28, 2007

The other night while watching the Oscars, I came across a video by Ian Sklarsky on fun places to go in Andersonville (neighborhood in the Edgewater area of Chicago) that I think is quite good. Just to be clear, the video wasn’t part of the Oscars. I was web surfing during the boring parts. Thank Click to continue...

Googling Homes For Sale

February 27, 2007

Last night I spoke to Dr. Pam Morris’ Internet marketing class at Northern Illinois University about blogging. The students asked a lot of good questions which stimulated my thinking about the future role of Internet marketing in selling homes. One of the things I’ve been thinking about is the role of search engines. Many of Click to continue...

Niles, IL – Free Bus Service to Shopping & Good Greek Food

February 25, 2007

Yesterday I showed houses in Niles and Morton Grove to a couple relocating here. Niles is a suburb adjacent to the northwest part of Chicago. There’s lots of shopping in Niles including the Golf Mills Shopping Center by Milwaukee and Golf. Niles even provides free bus service within the town to retail areas and public Click to continue...

Realtor.Com – Lots of Traffic, But Not the Most Timely

February 24, 2007

This morning I enhanced a new listing on Realtor.Com. The home went on the market on Wednesday, but this was the first chance I had to add a headline, description, and other information since it can take up to 2 business days for a new listing to appear on Realtor.com. From a listing agent’s perspective, Click to continue...

The Value of a Different Perspective

February 19, 2007

If this blog looks different to you from last week, it’s because I spent a huge part of this past weekend fixing it. I didn’t know it needed fixing until I looked at it from a screen other than the one in my laptop. A friend with an older monitor wrote me that something didn’t Click to continue...

It’s Tough Competing with your Developer

February 17, 2007

I had a call last week from a gentleman considering selling his condo in the South Loop. If you’re not familiar with the South Loop it’s a neighborhood bordered on the east and west by Lake Michigan and the Chicago River and on the north by Congress Parkway. The south border is considered Roosevelt Road Click to continue...

Egg Harbor Cafe Good Indicator of Higher Suburban Real Estate Prices

February 15, 2007

After a photo shoot for a new listing this morning, I took a friend out to lunch for her birthday in Barrington. Being an affluent suburb, Barrington has a lot of nice restaurants. She picked the local Egg Harbor Cafe shown left. Egg Harbor Cafe is a chain of 12 restaurants serving breakfast and lunch. Click to continue...

Chicago Street Parking

February 13, 2007

Today’s heavy snow reminded me of an important consideration for Chicago home buyers – street parking. Finding street parking in Chicago is tough enough in good weather and especially challenging on a day like today. If you move to Chicago and own a motor vehicle, you’ll need to purchase an annual City Vehicle Sticker. This Click to continue...

Use the Colors Already in a Room When Staging It

February 11, 2007

Yesterday I did some home staging on a home in Palatine that I’ll have on the market next week. The home is vacant which is not ideal for selling. Home staging helps “warm-up” a vacant home. The first photo shows that the master bath has dark brown cabinets and pink floor tiles. The second photo Click to continue...

Spam Does Not Sell a Home

February 9, 2007

I noticed a newspaper ad today by a discount real estate broker. If you list your home with them, they say they will email thousands of Realtors® about your home. At first, that might sound pretty good, but let’s explore how effective this is in marketing your home. I get a few of these kinds Click to continue...

River North Fixer-Upper Mansions For Sale

February 8, 2007

Want a River North mansion, but your budget is just shy of $4 million? Are you a do-it-yourselfer with a really good line of credit at Home Depot? Then one of 3 19th century Georgian and Romanesque mansions along Washington Square Park may be for you! According to YoChicago.com’s New Homes February issue (print edition), Click to continue...

Looking for a Home on the Web? You Probably Won’t Find it on the Web.

February 7, 2007

The overwhelming majority of home buyers (estimates are between 70% and 80%) use the Internet to search for a home. Yet, according to a recent National Association of Realtors Survey, only 22% of Illinois home buyers found the home they purchased on the web. 40% first learned about the home they purchased from a real Click to continue...

Realtor® Referrals

February 5, 2007

This morning I referred a couple of buyers to another Realtor in Chicago. Into our discussion of their needs, I learned that what they really want to buy is a 2-flat. I don’t have any experience with 2-flats, 3-flats, or any other kind of multi-family housing, so I suggested to the buyers that I refer Click to continue...

A Very Cold Saturday in Lincoln Park

February 3, 2007

This morning I met with a couple about listing their 3 bedroom townhouse in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. Afterwards, I was hoping to shoot some video in their neighborhood, but the wind and bitter cold kept my mittens on my hands which made shooting the video too difficult. Instead, you get a photo Click to continue...

Sellers, Check Your MLS Sheet

February 1, 2007

At a closing on Tuesday, my buyers for a condo in Elk Grove discovered something purely by accident. During the final walkthrough the furnace didn’t look like it had been cleaned as was agreed to after the inspection. The buyers brought this up at the closing and an agent from the listing brokerage provided receipts Click to continue...