From the category archives:

Home Selling Tips

Can you over stage a home for sale?

Thumbnail image for Can you over stage a home for sale? June 7, 2010

Michael M. wrote me last week, “I was just wondering, is it possible to over stage a place, or go too far with the decluttering?” Yes and maybe.
According to Stager Invasion’s Lisa Lynch, a home can be over staged when there’s something in every space. Check out her video on over staging. What Lisa refers [...]

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Changes in FHA approvals add challenges for Chicago condo buyers

Thumbnail image for Changes in FHA approvals add challenges for Chicago condo buyers May 1, 2010

The purchase of a Rogers Park condo advertised as FHA Approved (not the condos shown left) by my buyer, Art, hit a bit of a snag last week. His mortgage banker, Michael Poland with Baird & Warner Financial Services, discovered that the condo development where Art was buying hadn’t been recertified for FHA approval. Michael [...]

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Irving Park 5 bedroom houses for sale

Thumbnail image for Irving Park 5 bedroom houses for sale April 25, 2010

Last week a seller wanted to talk with me about taking over the listing for her 5 bedroom house in Irving Park. It’s been on the market a while and she’s looking for a Realtor to do better marketing. It’s a beautiful house and I could see numerous ways of improving the marketing, but I [...]

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Worst exterior home for sale photo I’ve seen!

Thumbnail image for Worst exterior home for sale photo I’ve seen! February 26, 2010

This morning I was searching for a house for sale on the north side of Chicago for some clients who want to move up to a larger home. Shown left is the exterior photo for one of the houses I came across. The home has a nice new sidewalk, but I do think the house [...]

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Should you view homes above your price range, if they’re on market 30 days or less?

Thumbnail image for Should you view homes above your price range, if they’re on market 30 days or less? February 19, 2010

This week I received a great question. Michael M. asked, “Is it wise to see a home that only recently came on the market (let’s say less than 30 days) and is $25-50K out of your price range? Or should you wait until there is a price reduction that brings it closer to your comfort [...]

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Home sellers should insist on electronic lockboxes

Thumbnail image for Home sellers should insist on electronic lockboxes January 17, 2010

Yesterday when I tried to schedule a second showing for a house in Park Ridge I was informed that showings were canceled since the key was lost. I recall from the first showing that the house only had a manual lockbox. Such lockboxes invite problems. There’s no record of who opened the lockbox and when. [...]

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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 [...]

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How not to sell a home – ugly marketing materials

Thumbnail image for How not to sell a home – ugly marketing materials November 29, 2009

Friends passed along to me a flyer they picked up in front of a home for sale in Arlington Heights. Shown left is part of it. With color printers priced less than $100, there’s no excuse for such an ugly flyer. Marketing materials not only provide information about a home. They give the reader an [...]

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Time to clean the gutters

Thumbnail image for Time to clean the gutters November 22, 2009

Here’s a photo of the front gutters on a house I showed yesterday. To be full of debris is one thing, but to be sprouting new growth is another!
Similar Posts:

Bathroom Ranks Among the Worst
The Ugliest Door in America
Use the Colors Already in a Room When Staging It
How not to stage a dining room
How NOT [...]

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Homebuyer tax credit extended and expanded to include current homeowners!

Thumbnail image for Homebuyer tax credit extended and expanded to include current homeowners! November 7, 2009

Yesterday President Obama signed into law an extension and expansion of the homebuyer tax credit. The new legislation benefits both first time homebuyers and current homeowners who sell their current home and buy another home. Buyers must sign a contract before April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010 to qualify for the tax [...]

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Paint fumes are a great way to drive away home buyers

September 24, 2009

I showed several houses in Naperville on Tuesday evening. My buyers quickly ruled out the first home which as shown left clearly wasn’t ready for market. Not only did it not show well, the drying paint fumes were horrible!
Can you imagine car dealers selling cars that smell like exhaust fumes inside?
A fresh coat of paint [...]

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1st time home buyers who procrastinated are making some home sellers very happy!

September 20, 2009

Home sellers in the starter home price range are enjoying a brief sellers market as first time home buyers who waited until the last minute to make offers on homes now find themselves bidding against other first time home buyers who also waited thinking home prices would continue to decline.
First time home buyers must [...]

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FHA 203(K) loans great for marketing homes that need work

September 16, 2009

Yesterday I attended a seminar on FHA 203(K) rehab loans. I wrote about these from the buyers perspective back in August in my blog post “FHA 203(K) loans great for buying homes that need work“.
FHA 203(K) rehab loans should also be considered by sellers with homes that need work. By paying up front for [...]

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When in doubt, disclose even though IL real estate laws not as strict as CA

September 7, 2009

Inman News which covers the real estate industry recently reported the story of home buyers in California who are suing their sellers for not disclosing known noise issues. California has stricter real estate disclosure laws than here in Illinois. In California home sellers are required to disclose “known neighborhood nuisances, noise issues (including parties), [...]

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How not to stage a dining room

August 31, 2009

Each room in a home for sale should have a clear identity. If not, it makes it harder for buyers to imagine how they would use the rooms. Just one item such as the scale in the dining room of a house I showed in Glen Ellyn shown left can make buyers wonder about a [...]

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Take advantage of advanced pricing analysis!

August 28, 2009

On Wednesday I attended a pricing analysis seminar. I’m a big believer in taking advantage of any tools that can help my sellers and I more effectively price their homes.
I will definitely be incorporating some of the new tools demonstrated! Among other things, they’ll give me the ability to look at the distribution of prices [...]

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