From the monthly archives:

December 2008

2008 – The Best of Times & the Worst of Times

December 29, 2008

I look back on 2008 with very mixed emotions. From a business standpoint, it was great, my best year ever. It was my best year financially and I got to work with a lot of terrific clients. Personally, I’ve never felt so much sorrow. My dad, Charles E. Bailey, passed on.
Dad was always there [...]

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Home Seller Drugs Realtor!

December 26, 2008

Here’s a home seller to watch out for! A woman in West Hartford, CT admitted to putting marijuana in gingerbread that she insisted her Realtor eat. The Realtor went to the hospital later that evening after he felt dizzy and blacked out. The Realtor had listed the woman’s home for a couple of months. Was [...]

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Cost of Heating Your Home in Chicago Metro Area Varies

December 23, 2008

With subzero temperatures all day Sunday, I stayed close to my fireplace. As I tried to catch up on business expenses, I couldn’t help but wonder what the natural gas burning in the fireplace (and fueling my furnace) was costing me. So I did some digging and found not only what I’m paying, but what [...]

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Snails and Short Sales

December 19, 2008

At the start of this year I wrote my first blog post on foreclosures and short sales, “Short Sales are Anything But“. The post explains how the process of buying a foreclosure or short sale can take much longer than normal since some banks can take weeks or even months to respond to offers. [...]

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Critical Questions You Need To Ask Before You Buy

December 16, 2008

This morning on the Today Show their real estate expert, Barbara Corcoran, shared what are in her opinion “the critical questions you need to ask before you buy”. Below are a few of the questions where my opinion differs from hers. The entire video segment is at the bottom of this blog post.
Why is the [...]

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Baird & Warner CEO on Consumers and the Market

December 14, 2008

Recently Baird & Warner President and CEO Steve Baird shared his thoughts on the current state of the housing market in the Chicago metro area. Steve joined Baird & Warner in 1980 and became president in 1991.

Why Condo Sales Reps Don’t Lookout for Buyers

December 11, 2008

Yesterday I attended the SPARKt Technology Conference. The conference featured a dozen or so speakers on technology and real estate.
One of the speakers was Blagica Bottigliero, the founder of CondoPerks.com, which gives Chicago condo owners a place to shop online, get discounts and earn money for their condo associations. Blagica shared her story of buying [...]

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Real Estate Humor: “San Pablo Fixer Upper”

December 8, 2008

It’s been way too long since I posted some real estate humor on this blog! Enjoy “San Pablo Fixer Upper” by Cindi Hagley, a Realtor in northern California. After posting this real estate ad on YouTube, Cindi received 8 offers in 48 hours. Congratulations, Cindi!

Call Me Well Before You Visit A New Home Sales Office!

December 2, 2008

Yesterday a woman wrote me looking for help with a condo purchase. Three years ago she signed a contract and put 10% down on a condo in the South Loop. The condo will be ready early next year and she now realizes that she won’t be able to get a mortgage for it. The only [...]

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