General Real Estate

The master bath was perfect except for…

Thumbnail image for The master bath was perfect except for… December 26, 2009

My buyers, Lisa and John, and I were curious to see a duplex condo that looked great online. The photo of the master bath showed dual sinks and a huge, tiled shower. However, the “spa bathroom” (as the listing agent described it) lost a little of its luster when we spied the toilet paper roll Click to continue...

Homes For Sale Bloopers

October 24, 2009

Some real estate humor is way overdue on this blog! Gwen Banta with Sotheby’s International Realty in Los Angeles and a blogger for AgentGenius.com published a great list of homes for sale bloopers yesterday. Here’s a sample: “See attached pigs under main photo” “EZ access to fleeway” “Dank room for fotos remolded and espanded” “House Click to continue...

Cook County 2008 property tax rates released

October 21, 2009

Yesterday the Cook County Clerk released the 2008 property tax rates for more than 1,200 taxing agencies in Chicago and suburban Cook County. According to the Chicago Tribune, property taxes will raise a total of $11.2 billion, up 4.2% from $10.75 billion last year. For the full article read, “Chicago property tax: Bigger bills headed Click to continue...

Please bear with my blog layout changes

October 19, 2009

To make this blog more helpful, I’m changing the layout. Unfortunately, I have to make the changes while the blog is live. So if it looks funky over the next few days, please bear with me. I promise you’ll like this blog much better when I’m done!   Click to continue...

IL landlords need to understand that discrimination against gays is illegal

October 17, 2009

Last night I had dinner with Mike and Jim, a nice gay couple that I helped buy a house in Highland Park. Joining us was a gentleman I hadn’t met before named Ron. As the night went on the topic of discussion turned to real estate. Ron shared that he and his partner, Rick, rent Click to continue...

Viking and Subzero Appliances cannot fully compensate for a messy home

August 3, 2009

Yesterday one of the houses I showed advertised a high end kitchen with Viking and Subzero Appliances. It also had 42″ kitchen cabinets and granite countertops which were very nice. However, what my buyers and I will remember the most about the home was the basement. The moment we reached it we all noticed the Click to continue...

It isn’t just about the money when negotiating for a home

July 9, 2009

Yesterday was the closing for one of my listings in St. Charles. Two different buyers made offers on the home at different times. How my sellers chose to respond to the buyers varied a great deal. The first buyer made a low-ball offer and asked for all of the sellers’ furniture even after I told Click to continue...

How do You Test an Invisible Fence Without a Dog?

May 9, 2009

How do you test an invisible fence, if you don’t have a dog with you? That’s the question some buyers and I pondered at a recent home inspection. One of the buyers, Deeya Pavelle, was willing to model the electronic dog collar (shown left), but I couldn’t persuade Deeya to take a walk in the Click to continue...

Zillow Zestimate Stresses New Home Buyer

May 7, 2009

A recent home buyer contacted me this week asking about the value of his new townhouse in the near northwest suburbs. He bought it last fall for $435,000. He contacted me after seeing its zestimate (estimated value) on Zillow for only $120,000! This is one of the more extreme examples I’ve seen of Zillow zestimates Click to continue...

3 Hidden Costs of Buying Foreclosures

April 29, 2009

I had an interesting question yesterday from a new buyer about the costs of buying a foreclosure. She asked who was responsible for compensating the Realtors when it’s a bank selling the property. Compensation works the same way regardless of who the seller is. If the foreclosure is listed with a broker, the bank pays Click to continue...

Earned my Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) Designation

April 26, 2009

I spent last Thursday and Friday earning a Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) Designation. In my opinion, negotiation skills are critical for Realtors. Home buyers tend to agree. The 2008 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers reports that 27% of home buyers said that what they wanted most from their Realtor was Click to continue...

Embarrassed at Starbucks in Lombard

April 24, 2009

I was pretty embarrassed when I met a couple of first time home buyers at the Starbucks on Roosevelt in Lombard Wednesday night. Just the week before I met two first time home buyers at the Starbucks on Lake in Addison. We had a great conversation over coffee at a corner table. When I pulled Click to continue...

Transgender Home Buyers & Sellers Welcome!

February 3, 2009

A transgender woman called me the other morning. She and her partner will be moving from Texas to Chicago. During our conversation she shared that buying a home in Texas had not been a pleasant experience for them. She wanted to make sure they worked with a Realtor they could be comfortable with here in Click to continue...

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →