This week's featured open house is 111 S. Racine at the Chelsea Townhomes in Chicago's West Loop. This 2 year old townhome built by the Belgravia Group, a company with over 60 years of experience. This spacious 3 bedroom, 3.1 bath extrawide home was thoughtfully upgraded and is tastefully decorated, ready for its new owners.
This property will be open Sunday, May 3 from noon -2pm and always can be shown by appointment.
Open houses provide a great way to to learn about the local real estate marketplace and meet your local Realtors. Pictures are never a substitute for actually seeing the space.
This Weekend's Open Houses:
Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3, 11am-4pm
Fletcher Row Townhomes: Model at 2452 W Fletcher, Chicago
Sunday, May 3,
Noon-2pm - Edgewater: 5555 Sheridan Road, Unit 316,
Noon-2pm - West Loop: 111 S Racine,
11am-1pm Lakeview: 3330 N Ashland, Unit 2,
Start your Chicago home search at http://hotpropertychicago.listingbook.com/.
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Chicago Open Houses Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26
Open houses are always a great way to to learn about the local real estate marketplace and meet your local Realtors. Pictures are never a substitute for actually seeing the space.
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Model at 2452 W Flethcer, Chicago
Sunday, April 26:
Noon-2pm Edgewater: 5555 Sheridan Road, Unit 316, Chicago
1pm-3pm West Loop: 111 S Racine, Chicago
1:30pm-3:30pm Lakeview: 3330 N Ashland, Unit 2, Chicago
Start your Chicago home search at http://hotpropertychicago.listingbook.com/.
Sunday, April 26:
Noon-2pm Edgewater: 5555 Sheridan Road, Unit 316, Chicago
1pm-3pm West Loop: 111 S Racine, Chicago
1:30pm-3:30pm Lakeview: 3330 N Ashland, Unit 2, Chicago
Start your Chicago home search at http://hotpropertychicago.listingbook.com/.
Follow me on on Twitter
Thursday, April 16, 2009
This morning I attended the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leaders Breakfast. The panel discussion was the “Art of Negotiation” featuring Cliff Stein, Senior Director of Football Administration & General Counsel of the Chicago Bears and Dave Hanna, President of the Chicago Association of Realtors. Both are agents with fiduciary duties their client. Although one negotiates contracts for football players and the other for real estate, the message was the same. It is the skill that comes from experience and preparation resulting in a successful negotiation.
Both men articulated the same course of action in their own way. Stein’s process was identifying the parties, the goals, the rules of engagement, preparation and the how to structure the plan. Hanna said it this way: Identify the client, the goal, the process, expectations and the negotiating strategy.
What I walked away with was as an agent for my clients, I am an advocate. My advocacy comes from the skills I have learned through my experiences in the many transactions I have participated in, what I have learned from others in the Realtor© community and putting that game plan in place for each client I represent.
Both men articulated the same course of action in their own way. Stein’s process was identifying the parties, the goals, the rules of engagement, preparation and the how to structure the plan. Hanna said it this way: Identify the client, the goal, the process, expectations and the negotiating strategy.
What I walked away with was as an agent for my clients, I am an advocate. My advocacy comes from the skills I have learned through my experiences in the many transactions I have participated in, what I have learned from others in the Realtor© community and putting that game plan in place for each client I represent.
Monday, April 13, 2009
"Should I Buy Now or Should I Wait?"
There is an over load of information between the media and the "experts" for those that are considering buying a home right now. Are prices going to fall more? Are you eligible for the home buyer credits being offered? What are the loan options? Are the rates as low as they are going to go? Will something better come on the market tomorrow or next week or next month and so on and so on and so on..........
Do you have your finances in order to own a home and are you ready for the responsibility of home ownership?
If you are considering buying a property as your own residence, first and foremost on your list should be is there a property out there you want to call your own. This will be where you will be living for at least the next several years. How does it work with your lifestyle? You won"t know that until you go out and start looking. Pictures only can tell you so much.
Even if you don't think you are looking for an immediate purchase, work with your Realtor® to start helping you sort listings out. A true professional knows that most clients are not ready to go buy something the first time out but expect to work with you from 30 days to 18 months. If you don't have an agent you have worked with or been referred to or want to interview several, open houses are a great place to start. You get the feel of a variety of spaces and neighborhoods as well as get to personally meet with many agents.
Because of the attention brought to foreclosures and short sales, many buyers are just focusing on this segment of the market. You need to be educated on the process to make sure you are suitable for this type of purchase. Both are sold "as is" meaning there are no inspection contingencies. Regardless of the condition of the property at the time of contract, a seller can go in and strip the home of appliances, fixtures and cabinetry and you are still obligated to close on the property. In some cases we are seeing the copper plumbing taken out. Typically, if it is a true foreclosure, you must be a cash buyer. The short sale transaction is totally in the control of the mortgage holder's bank, not the buyer or the seller. The time line is up to them not what is in your contract. There are so many ins and outs you need to be experienced in these transactions or work with a Realtor® who is. The perceived bargain could very well end up costing you more than the property would be worth at market value.
Day by day we are seeing more buyers out looking and they are writing contracts that are getting negotiated. More and more sellers are now accepting the difference of getting a property listed and listing it to sell. The fat is coming out of the pricing. With that being said, if you find a place you would like to call home, go for it! As in any market, everything is negotiable!
Do you have your finances in order to own a home and are you ready for the responsibility of home ownership?
If you are considering buying a property as your own residence, first and foremost on your list should be is there a property out there you want to call your own. This will be where you will be living for at least the next several years. How does it work with your lifestyle? You won"t know that until you go out and start looking. Pictures only can tell you so much.
Even if you don't think you are looking for an immediate purchase, work with your Realtor® to start helping you sort listings out. A true professional knows that most clients are not ready to go buy something the first time out but expect to work with you from 30 days to 18 months. If you don't have an agent you have worked with or been referred to or want to interview several, open houses are a great place to start. You get the feel of a variety of spaces and neighborhoods as well as get to personally meet with many agents.
Because of the attention brought to foreclosures and short sales, many buyers are just focusing on this segment of the market. You need to be educated on the process to make sure you are suitable for this type of purchase. Both are sold "as is" meaning there are no inspection contingencies. Regardless of the condition of the property at the time of contract, a seller can go in and strip the home of appliances, fixtures and cabinetry and you are still obligated to close on the property. In some cases we are seeing the copper plumbing taken out. Typically, if it is a true foreclosure, you must be a cash buyer. The short sale transaction is totally in the control of the mortgage holder's bank, not the buyer or the seller. The time line is up to them not what is in your contract. There are so many ins and outs you need to be experienced in these transactions or work with a Realtor® who is. The perceived bargain could very well end up costing you more than the property would be worth at market value.
Day by day we are seeing more buyers out looking and they are writing contracts that are getting negotiated. More and more sellers are now accepting the difference of getting a property listed and listing it to sell. The fat is coming out of the pricing. With that being said, if you find a place you would like to call home, go for it! As in any market, everything is negotiable!
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