March 2007

Arlington Heights Market Times Rise, But so do Prices

March 30, 2007

Yesterday I met with a family who plan on selling their house in Arlington Heights this fall. They wanted to get an idea of what the house might sell for so they know what kind of money will be available for their next home. I also discussed with them market times which have been up Click to continue...

Featured on First Business Show

March 28, 2007

I made my cable TV debut yesterday at 5 a.m. on First Business, a global morning business news program. Anchor, Beejal Patel, interviewed me about real estate blogging. I’ve made a mental note to smile more in future interviews. I think I came across a little too serious. A big “thank you” to my clients Click to continue...

Pulte’s The Prairies of Winchester Glen in Carpentersville

March 27, 2007

On Sunday and Monday I visited new home developments in Elgin and Carpentersville with a couple relocating from Minneapolis. One of them has a new job with Sears in Hoffman Estates. Their top two picks were 2 different inventory homes for sale at Pulte’s The Prairies of Winchester Glen in Carpentersville. After I reviewed comparable Click to continue...

Albany Park Area vs. Albany Park Neighborhood

March 23, 2007

Yesterday while researching the Albany Park condo market I was puzzled why a condo building had units listed in the North Park area of Chicago. Then I realized the condo building was in the Albany Park Neighborhood, but not in the Albany Park Area. If that’s confusing, let me explain the difference. The Albany Park Click to continue...

New Category: Pets

March 22, 2007

Last night while talking with a new client I couldn’t help but smile when he asked if specific condos in downtown Arlington Heights allow dogs. He doesn’t currently have a dog, but he and his partner plan on getting a dog after they sell their separate condos and buy a home together. A couple who Click to continue...

MLS Listings’ Lot Sizes Often Incorrect

March 21, 2007

If you are using an online Multiple Listing System (MLS) listings system such as Realtor.Com or BairdWarner.Com to search for homes for sale and are searching for homes for sale with a specific minimum lot size here’s a tip that may save you wasted trips to homes for sale on lots that aren’t as advertised. Click to continue...

Another Opinion on Attic Mold

March 20, 2007

Yesterday I met with Dan Horvath of Harry Bellock & Associates (general contractors) at a townhouse where mold was found during the home inspection (see Home Inspection Finds Attic Mold). Dan has done a lot of work for insurance companies whose policy holder’s homes have suffered damage. He confirmed that there were no leaks allowing Click to continue...

How to Avoid Overpaying for a New Home

March 18, 2007

This morning’s print edition of the Daily Herald’s Homes Plus Section includes Jack Guttentag’s column on page two titled, “Unlucky buyer paid more than house worth”. Jack is known as the Mortgage Professor and is a Professor of Finance Emeritus at the Wharton School of Business. A recent home buyer wrote to Jack, “After being Click to continue...

Home Inspection Finds Attic Mold

March 16, 2007

This morning I met with Rob Plachy of American Environmental Solutions at a home a couple of my buyers had inspected last Saturday. During the home inspection, mold was discovered in the attic and it appeared that mold remediation had already been attempted. Rob determined that the mold encapsulant used by the mold remediation company Click to continue...

How to Get a Copy of a Deed

March 14, 2007

Sara Bonert, Market Manager at Zillow.Com, passed along a story to me about a Chicago area deed service which provides certified copies of deeds. The story is available on InmanNews, if you have a subscription. Bloggers and news sites such as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel have been writing about this deed service since at least Click to continue...

Scarsdale Estates in Arlington Heights

March 12, 2007

Shown left is a home for sale I recently showed in the Scarsdale Estates neighborhood of Arlington Heights. Scarsdale Estates also known as just Scarsdale is considered one of the top 3 Arlington Heights neighborhoods along with the Stonegate and Sherwood subdivisions which all started in 1929. Scarsdale is a beautiful neighborhood with lots of Click to continue...

Character Counts in Glenview, IL

March 11, 2007

Yesterday I showed homes for sale in Glenview, Niles, Park Ridge, and Arlington Heights. While in downtown Glenview I noticed the Character Counts banners shown left. Character Counts is a youth ethics initiative which promotes what it calls The Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The national program is administered Click to continue...

Seller Tip: Assume Buyers or Their Realtor will do their Homework

March 7, 2007

When I started playing chess as a kid, I would hope that my opponent wouldn’t always see the best move to make. I soon realized that the best strategy is to assume that my opponent will always make the best move. This is a good strategy to following with home selling. The opponent analogy for Click to continue...

Morton Grove, IL – Good Schools & Parks

March 6, 2007

Yesterday I showed homes in Morton Grove. It’s a northern suburb bordered by Skokie on the east, Glenview on the north and Niles on the west and south. It’s not an exciting town and the residents like it that way. In 1981 Morton Grove became the first U.S. city to ban the possession and sale Click to continue...

How to Calculate Month’s Supply of Homes on the Market

March 4, 2007

Lew Sichelman, a syndicated real estate columnist, wrote about some helpful real estate market statistics in today’s print version of the Chicago Tribune, but I must take exception to his calculation of month’s supply of homes on the market. The online version of the article, “The need-to-know numbers, for buyer and sellers”, isn’t available on Click to continue...

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