Recently at the annual Illinois Association of Realtors Graduate Realtor Institute Grad course - http://www.illinoisrealtor.org/gri-grad - one of the speakers Patti Kouri taught on re-calculating our Inner-GPS. She gave us some cool tools to apply to our business.Two of the most memorable tools were an excercise in just making ourselves laugh. She taught us how to fully embrace Joy, as a vital tool to re-gain strenght to face stress head-on, and/or overcome difficult challenges. Another tool helped us to identify what she called "Psychic-Vampires."We learned "PVs" is an old something Patti's given a "New-School" term, which can be a person, place, thing, and/or anything in our lives draining all of our energy. She had us to personally identify anything or anyone we are giving far too mu... 12/08/2012

Living a Life you Love, While Selling Your Home While you are looking to buy or to sell a home, life goes on - parties and holidays, life-events and out-of-town guests happen. Simply living in your home can be a challenge while you are showing it; keeping things neat and tidy, clean and inviting is not something everyone thinks of or can achieve with ease. So entertaining and decorating for special occasions might just seem impossible - but here are some tips and tricks for ensuring your success in showing a home and having fun, too. Celebrating holidays and events with festive décor can make your home more memorable to potential buyers, and this is the time to control those memories and turn them to your favor. There might even be a plus side to entertaining or hosting events in a home... 12/05/2012

Sandalwood Estates, Frankfort, Illinois About Sandalwood Estates Sandalwood Estates is a single family home subdivision built from the late 1990's to mid 2010's. Sandalwood Estates is located in Frankfort, Illinois north of Laraway Road and west of Wolf Road. Average taxes in Sandalwood Estates $10,030 Average association fees in Sandalwood Estates $174 ($120 - $290) Average home size in Sandalwood Estates 3,273 ft2 Average lot size in Sandalwood Estates 0.36 acres Average year built in Sandalwood Estates 2001 Homes for sale in Sandalwood Estates Address Beds Baths Built Price 11348 Cedarwood Ct. 4 3.2 2004 $525,000 11386 Sandalwood Dr. 3 2.1 2001 $355,000 11535 Tea Tree Ln. 5 3.0 2002 $388,000 22198 Jasmine Dr. 3 3.1 1999 $330,900 11324 Cedarwood Ct. 5 4.1 2001 $464,897 11372 Cedarwood... 11/05/2012

Frankfort Square Homes For Sale If you looking to purchase a home in Frankfort Square IL you do have many options. Frankfort Square is an unincorporated section of Frankfort in Will County Illinois. This area consists mostly of single family homes with some homes built as early as the 1960's and some newer homes in the 1990's. Frankfort Square is a desirable area to live with affordable homes. As you tour Frankfort Square you will be impressed with the pride these homeowners take in their neighborhood and the many available amenities. Some of these consists of beautiful parks and ponds, bike trails, convenienlty located schools, store & shopping, easy access to major transporation and much more. Frankfort Square school district is #161 and the high school is Lincoln-Way North located ri... 11/04/2012

If your a home buyer looking to purchase a home in the $300,000 to $400,000 range Frankfort IL has many options for you. As of today, November 3rd 2012, there are 54 active available homes in Frankfort sitting there ready for you buy. Below you will see a link that will give you an exclusive list of these Frankfort homes for sale. Frankfort IL offers a wide range of home styles, age, location and condition depending on what is important to you. If you are not familar Frankfort IL School BreakdownFrankfort Schools there are two basic break downs by district for elementary and grade schools. Both districts have high ratings so if you have a preference the break downs are important to know. The high school is broken down into four Lincoln-Way schools. Lincoln-Way East, North, Central & Wes... 11/03/2012

It's time for a new update on Frankfort Square IL sold homes. Instead of just looking at 2012 current sold home reports lets compare this years prices to previous years for Frankfort Square home sales. Keep in mind we still have two months of sales left and as you can see the number of sales in Frankfort Square is up by 25% from last year. This is good news and as you can see in the charts below average sold prices are up by 3% from 2011 adding some more promising data. If you would like to get more information on your Frankfort Square Home Value you can visit our website at www.FrankfortSquareHomes.com.See chart below showing the Frankfort Square Closed Homes from the years 2007 to 2012 (as of Nov. 3rd 2012). The chart below shows a line graph of the prices since 2007 up to today as of... 11/03/2012

Community Event For Senior CitizensIt's great to see the Lincoln-Way School District come together to help our Senior Citizens. Starting at 9:30am to 1:00pm at Lincoln-Way North High School. Get more information here on this event. Lincoln-Way Auto Students are offering thier time to help senior citizens stay safe for the winter months. They are offering free vehicle checkups, inspections on fluids, headlights, tires and the undercarriage. Seniors will have an oppportunity to prepare their vehicle for a much safer and winter and students will have an opportunity to learn and improve the skills they have learned for auto care and maintenance. They will have speakers discussing safety concerns and refreshements. It's a nice break from the national politics going on and great to see local ... 11/02/2012

What is the best time of year to put your Frankfort Square Home on the market? The common beleif is to put your home on the market in the Spring. Statistically in Frankfort Square and surrounding areas more homes sell in the warmer months vs. colder months for obvious reasons. Some of the more obvious reasons are colder weather, less desireable conditions, kids are out of school prior to registration of the following year and the fact there is a belief that most people sell their homes in the spring and summer months. The number of homes sold in Frankfort Square and surrounding areas does support this but you may find that there isn't really as large of a difference as you may think. Below you will find a break down of the number of sales in both 2011 and 2012. I am going to challenge t... 11/01/2012

Home Warranties - What Are They? Who Needs Them? One of the more stressful aspects of buying or selling a home in the Chicago, Illinois area market-place is the uncertainty that both buyers and sellers face regarding the decision itself. In each instance, there is risk and liability. While there is no real way to overcome the risks involved in purchasing a home, it is worthwhile to understand and consider the value of a home warranty, especially during the period of listing or buying a home. Both buyers and sellers should research home warranties to understand how they work, what is covered, and the limitations of a warranty. Home warranties are not homeowners insurance. Homeowner's insurance covers the house itself, usually against fire, theft, vandalism, windstorms, natural disasters ... 10/28/2012

A few days ago I got an internet request to tour some townhomes in the Village of Matteson, Illinois.  The Buyer selected several properties in the same subdivision.  All of the properties were priced under $100k, some priced above the minimum amount to procure financing, others were priced in the cash offer range. I immediately emailed the Buyer and asked their permission to qualify them, explaining they had selected properties in both the above categories, suggesting before we get together to tour any, I recommended a trusted Loan Officer to consult with them about all of their financing options. This Buyer emailed me back stating they would prefer to tour the properties first to determine if they liked them enough, then would research financing options.  This Buyer stated they did no... 10/22/2012

Frankfort Park District & "Wine Styles" are Hosting a Wine Tasting on November 16th, 2012            If you live in the Chicagoland region, you've already had the "pleasure" of experiencing a bit of what's surely coming .... winter weather!  Many of our recent  Chicagoland  nights have seen temperatures dipping down into the low 30's.   Brrrrr .....        If you're anything like me, these temperatures have sent you scurrying for some warmer clothes, blankets for the bed, and perhaps ... even had you starting-up the furnace a night or two.  Staying warm is definitely something creeping into our minds once again.        But after this last summer with its endless string of red-hot days, I'm finding this change of weather refreshing.  I'm ready for some cold weather activities and pursui... 10/11/2012

Frankfort Square Home Sold - On Friday October 5th 2012 we successfully sold another Frankfort Square home. This 3 Bedroom Raised Ranch Frankfort Square Home For Sale sold for $189,000 even.  Frankfort Square is located South of 191st Street, West of Harlem, East of 88th Ave and North of Route 30 (Lincoln Highway). The main roads running through Frankfort Square road, 80th Ave and St. Francis Rd. Frankfort Square is unincorporated and located in Will County of Illinois. The school district for elementary and grade school is 161. The high school is Lincoln-Way North located right off of Harlem Ave. The area provides easy access to major transportation routes, close to shopping and stores. Since Jan. 1st 2012 There was just under 30 homes sold in Frankfort Square. Roughly 26% of these sol... 10/07/2012

“What do I have to do to get my offer accepted?   I keep making offers and never get one!”. In this fast paced environment, making the winning offer means being prepared beyond belief.   Writing the winning offer is more technical than in the recent past.  Naturally, having a pre-approval letter is still the number one item on the list of things to have.  There are many others too.  I would recommend this list be fulfilled before you submit another offer on any home for sale in the Chicago and South Suburban market. Realtor… A seasoned Chicago area Realtor like me is one asset in the home buying process.  It is very important to me you feel comfortable with me and fully understand how I work for you.  Take the time to talk to me about what you think you are really your relocation goals.... 09/21/2012

34 Tips to Prepare a Home For-Sale for Professional Photography! As you review the tips below please note some key words like De-Clutter, Remove, Clean, Clear, Hide, Replace, Open, and Light, are simple words giving a clue to what it takes to successfully sell a home.  According to a recent survey by the National Association of Realtors®, 89% of homebuyers who shop online notice photos first when looking for a home. Therefore, it is important to either having a critical eye looking through the camera lens to insure realistic, appealing photos, or hire a professional photographer to ensure your cherished home makes a good first impression. Your photos are going to be seen by any number of online consumers, so making your home stand out is my imperative goal, Ensuring I promote your sale ... 09/21/2012

Upon viewing the virtual tour photos of a home in Homewood, Illinois, my Valued Buyers called me demanding to tour the home.  Upon physically touring the home my Valued Buyers looked at me and said, "are we in the same house?"  You can imagine what direction the conversation went after they gave me their immediate feedback. When the Listing Agent called me for feedback, I complimented him on how well he had cleaned up the home, scuffed up hardwood floors, and move the furniture around to make each room look more appealing in the photos.  Even the extensive pet hair on the family room couch did not show up in the photos. He told me he did participate in the professional photo-shoot of the home.  Although not my intention, I could tell he was somewhat insulted by my feedback. I explained ... 09/21/2012

Top questions to ask when buying a condominium What are the condo association rules?  More importantly... My respected Remax colleague Bill Gassett shares very good condominium purchasing tips below.  Before we review his recommendations of questions to ask before purchasing, it is very important for First-Time Buyers to do their financing homework first before touring condominiums. Since most First-Time Buyers are more likely to procure FHA financing, they should first inquire if the Condominium Association has submitted their paperwork to HUD for approval to allow FHA financing. It frightens me to share the following information because it reads like a possible violation of fair housing laws.     Many Condominium Associations prefer to attract Buyers who procure conventional financing... 09/21/2012

To protect the investment in your home, your main line of defense is homeowners insurance. If you are a new homeowner, you’re likely in the market for insurance. If you are an existing homeowner, long-term coverage with one insurer may give you peace of mind, and you may also get customer loyalty discounts; however, it doesn’t hurt to look at your options. Doing some research may uncover a program that will save you substantial dollars, or at least identify coverage issues you may want to review with your current agent.The basics.  Most standard homeowners insurance policies will provide coverage for damage to your home (and many of the items in your home) caused by theft, fire, lightning, smoke and other suddenly occurring conditions. Homeowners insurance typically also provides covera... 09/18/2012

Please help me to know if you are a Serious buyer when you contact me? Please help me to save us both time and energy by asking your-self these questions to know if you are really ready to purchase a home. 1. Are you currently working with a real estate Agent? - If you are and/or have given them your loyalty, please accept there is no need to call me.  All Agents in a specific market-place use the same multiple listing computer system to promote their listings.  Please remember your Agent has Access to the same information you are contacting me about.  Plus, it is so important for you and your Agent to bond as a harmonious team.  In return you will get their unconditionally loyalty in helping you to achieve your relocation goal. 2. When are you interested in purchasing?  Knowing this w... 09/18/2012

Unrealistic Seller Pricing?  My respected colleague Scott Levitt of Oakley Sign company inspired me to share this question - Q: Often Sellers who will become buyers have inflated ideas about their home value, primarily because of "upgrades" they perceive to be high-value.  How do I reason with them? A: First, I make absolutely sure I'm willing to stand behind the price I've proposed.   When I know I've done thorough research about the immediate market place, I'm confident I'm recommending the appropriate price for the home to be priced right, I give this response: "I absolutely understand you want the maximum value for your home. My job is to do everything in my power to secure the best closing price possible. However, I have to be honest and tell you that I can only list a house with a... 09/18/2012

JOINT CENTER FOR HOUSING STUDIES OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY reports The Baby Boomers No Longer Dominate the New Home Market because of THE INCREASING PREVALENCE OF COST BURDENS. The recession took a toll on household incomes but did little to reduce housing outlays for many Americans. Between 2007 and 2010, the number of US households paying more than half of their incomes for housing rose by an astounding 2.3 million, bringing the total to 20.2 million .    While renters accounted for the vast majority of the increase, the number of severely cost-burdened owners also rose by more than 350,000 as many households locked into expensive mortgages were unable to refinance. Moreover, the recent jump in the number  of severely cost-burdened households comes on top of a 4.1 million surge in 2001–7... 09/13/2012