How Can a Home Warranty Give You Peace of Mind?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search  Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation  Call me at (630) 674-2051 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation
Today's topic is how home warranties can help you as a buyer or a seller in a real estate transaction! 

So, what exactly is a home warranty policy? Well, usually, a home warranty policy is a 12-13 month contract a seller can offer a buyer or a buyer can purchase on their own behalf. If you're a first-time buyer who is purchasing a home that is old and might have certain liabilities, there is a good chance you won't have the funds necessary to make repairs right away. A home warranty gives you peace of mind in situations like this! 

An insurance policy will protect the buyer for that 12-13 month period of time against any problems with the furnace, dishwasher, air conditioner, or any other appliances. The benefit to the seller is it gives the buyer peace of mind that they are protected for at least a year after purchasing this property; the benefit to the buyer, on the other hand, is if there is any major problem in the first year with the newly purchased home, they will not have to make a huge financial sacrifice to address it. 

The price of the policy depends upon the age of the home. On older homes, buyers are often expecting there to be a home warranty included in the asking price, as there is a high chance that there may be defects with major appliances. Often times, it depends on the financial capabilities of the buyers. For example, cash buyers will likely not expect a home warranty to be included in the home purchase. On the other hand, there is a good chance that people who are putting less money down will expect a home warranty to be included.

If you have any questions about this  topic, or if you need our assistance, give us a call or shoot us an email at any time. We would love to hear from you!   

How Should You Price Your Chicagoland Home?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search  Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation  Call me at (630) 674-2051 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

As I'm sure you're aware, the Chicago real estate market has been improving. A lot of home sellers have been selling for top dollar.

However, this brings a new challenge in the fact that picking a price that's fair to the market has become a little difficult. Some people try to price high, and others put a fair market value on their home to ensure that it sells. I price my homes differently, though, and I'll be showing you how today.

My strategy involves pricing a home to sell with multiple offers. Savvy home sellers understand that the more buyers you have, the easier you can get a sale price that is above market value. 

Right now, we have a unique opportunity to capture top dollar for your home. The market is currently performing well and this will allow you to scrape a few extra dollars out of your home sale. 

If you're looking to sell in Chicago, please be sure to contact me. I would love to put some extra cash in your pocket!

Will an Open House Help You Sell Your Chicago Home?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search  Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation  Call me at (630) 674-2051 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation
Hello, and welcome back! Today, we discuss the pros and cons of open houses, so you can determine which strategy is right for you when selling this spring. 

Back in the early 1990s, one thing all Realtors did pretty regularly was hold open houses. We did these because we didn't have a lot of the tools that are available today, such as online digital marketing and photography, among others. Today, there are a lot more great tools to use when selling, but open houses aren't necessarily a thing of the past. 

If it's the right property and the right season, open houses can be a great way to get a home sold. When you do an open house, most of the people who stop by are your neighbors. They are curious about the condition of your home and can sometimes even help the home get sold by telling their friends and families about it. 

More often than not, we run into buyers in certain price categories who want to be catered to. With the current supply of inventory in the Chicago market, buyers have the luxury of sitting down with an agent and setting up multiple showings. It's efficient and they view many homes in a timely fashion. 

While open houses are nice, they are not the magic answer to selling your home. Scheduled appointments are ideal because the agent has more leverage to get buyers in the home. The house itself might be exactly what buyers are looking for, but there might be something about the neighborhood that puts the buyer off. When working with a Realtor, they will put these things into perspective and can help the buyer overcome minor hangups.

If you're a seller with certain time restraints, open houses are sometimes the best option. We can funnel buyers to the home on days that work for you, so people come through at just the right times. We have worked with many sellers who have had a situation like this and it works great.

As you can see, whether an open house is right for you depends on your specific situation. If you have any questions about how we can get your home sold and help you accomplish your selling goals, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to give you a hand!

Where's the Chicago Market Heading?

There are many great Chicago area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (630) 674-2051 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Are you thinking about buying or selling in 2015? Today, we take a look at some of the trends we saw in 2014, and what they mean for our market, and for you, moving forward.
Right now, inventory is very low in the Chicago area. There are large numbers of first-time home buyers in the market right now, so homes under $250,000 are few and far between. Combined with the many people who are re-entering the market after a foreclosure or short sale sidelined them years ago, we're looking at a pretty active marketplace.

Typically, the real estate market tends to pick up once mores homes are put on the market in the spring. The market typically stalls around this time, but we're expecting a flurry of homes to be listed in March. We're currently seeing multiple offers on homes that are in good condition and priced right. Overall, it's a pretty competitive market, so if you're selling you need to play to win, and if you're buying you have to act fast!

For starters, if you're looking to buy you need to get a pre-qualification letter. It not only helps you save, but it gives you leverage when negotiating and when trying to lock in a home you love. We've had clients who failed to get pre-qualified and missed out on the home they loved as a result. We don't want that to happen to you! 

Give us a call or shoot us an email if you have any questions about how you can make the most of the current market. We look forward to helping you with your particular real estate needs!