From the monthly archives:

March 2009

Named One of The Best Chicago Real Estate Blogs by Relocation.com!

March 29, 2009

This morning I discovered that this blog was picked as one of “The Best Chicago Real Estate Blogs” by Relocation.com. I am very flattered for a couple of reasons!
First, I work with a lot of relocation buyers, so the honor means a lot to me coming from a site dedicated to helping people relocate. Buying [...]

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Wrigleyville in Chicago’s Lakeview Area

March 27, 2009

This morning some buyers and I took a look at a beautiful duplex condo in the Wrigleyville Neighborhood within Chicago’s Lakeview Area. Wrigleyville doesn’t have well defined boundaries, but is generally considered the area around Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, at the northeast corner of Addison and Clark.
You might feel a little out [...]

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How to Identify a True Blue Ribbon School

March 24, 2009

Sunday’s Daily Herald had a very informative article on schools that tout Blue Ribbon Awards not from the U.S. Department of Education, but from paid consultants!
If a school displays a Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence as shown, the award was earned, not purchased from the U.S. Department of Education. If a school displays a [...]

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30 Year Fixed Rates Drop to 4.75% for Well Qualified Home Buyers!

March 20, 2009

Wednesday the Federal Reserve said that over the course of the rest of the year, they will purchase up to $750 billion of Mortgage Backed Securities. This move is designed to help shore up the housing market by pushing mortgage interest rates down further. Mortgage rates (already in a historically low range) moved [...]

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Even Internet Gurus Need a Realtor

March 19, 2009

A while back Missy Caulk, an Ann Arbor Realtor I follow on Twitter, shared a great story about a Google executive who thought he and his wife could find the right home for themselves without using a Realtor.
Like 85% of home buyers they started looking at homes for sale online. They soon learned [...]

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95% Condo Mortgages Back for People with Good Credit!

March 17, 2009

Starting late last year and until this week condo buyers had to put a minimum of 10% down unless they bought an FHA approved condo. Condo mortgages requiring only a 5% down payment with no FHA restrictions are now available for well qualified condo buyers!
According to Baird & Warner Financial Services Loan Consultant, Michael Polera, [...]

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Daily Herald’s Property Values Statement Grossly Inaccurate

March 16, 2009

I just sent the following letter to the Daily Herald.
“The lead in for your front page article, “Why are assessments up when values are down?” is grossly inaccurate. The article starts, “As property values tumble to lows not seen in a decade…” On what planet? Chicago area property values are not at their lowest for [...]

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Safety – Another Reason to Use Realtor When Buying a Home

March 14, 2009

Yesterday I scheduled a showing for a house in Schaumburg. When I called the seller I explained that I’d like to show his home between 3:30 and 4:30 pm Saturday (today). He asked if I could show the home at another time and I explained that I had scheduled all of the other showings for [...]

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Save Time Looking at Homes For Sale by Using Satellite Map Views

March 11, 2009

One of the best tools to use when looking at homes for sale online is the satellite map view. Satellite maps show you what surrounds the property.
The house on the left in this “birds-eye view” is a house in Barrington some of my buyers wanted to see until I reminded them to take a peek [...]

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Northbrook 2 Bedroom Condo Market Stats

March 9, 2009

This morning I met with a seller looking for a new listing agent for her 2 bedroom condo in Northbrook. She wasn’t thrilled with the market data I provided, but I believe in telling sellers what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear.
The median sale price for Northbrook 2 bedroom condos [...]

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