Wonderful Handyman Found!

Hello homeowners! As we head into fall you may have found some projects on your to-do list that didn't get done over the summer. I heard today about this excellent company Restoration General Contractors They charged my friends $55/hour plus materials for handyman services. The work was done efficiently and professionally. It's a restoration company so you might not think about this kind of service.  When the need arises to complete your nagging repairs, check them out!

If you run across a great company or provider, please contact me. I like to share referrals to small businesses who provide the same level of service I strive for in my business. Have a nice weekend! Caroline

OMG! Wives can you relate to this?

I had to laugh when I read this in the local paper just now. This was totally me on Sunday when my Packers fan hubby had to first watch Bears, then the Pack for 6 hours. I'm thinking when do I ever get to sit on the sofa for that amount of time? Must be nice... Ellen Baer this is for you.

Beautiful Updated Farmhouse in Historic Arlington Heights

312 W Euclid, Arlington Heights

Ice Cream Social Success!

Thank you to everyone who came to the ice cream social on Friday! We had great weather, over 80 people came, and the kids loved playing soccer, throwing water balloons and of course loading up their bowls with Oberweis ice cream sundaes. If you missed it, we are definitely making it an annual event! We will see you at another client party in the near future. Coming soon-The Hobbit Movie party!Tell your friends.

Kitchen Re-do

Check out this amazing transformation of this kitchen my recent Glenview buyers just finished. It doesn't even look like the same house. Wow! Nice job guys! What's for dinner?

 

Congratulations Kelly, Darrell and Sophia. Welcome to your new home! Best wishes for many happy memories here.
Sold! 439 Sunnyside Avenue
Gurnee, IL  60031

Call me when you hear of pleasant folks like yourselves!

Video: How to wash windows for squeaking clean results!

Video: How to wash windows for squeaking clean results

Bring back LIME green Skittles

Hey,

My son Peter and his friend Danny started this. Read their hilarious letter! Join in the fun-we are half way there!

I just signed the petition "Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company: Bring back LIME Skittles!" and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name.

Our goal is to reach 100 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/wm-wrigley-jr-company-bring-back-lime-skittles-2?share_id=rGhlRenMmf

Watch my interest rate update

Interest Rate update Monday June 24

3128 N Daniels, Arlington Heights

923 Harvard Lane, Wilmette, IL 60091

923 Harvard Lane, Wilmette, IL 60091

Just Sold! Congratulations Larry! Thank you and best wishes as you move on to the next chapter in your life.

Real Estate is blooming... Homes on the North Shore are selling at the quickest pace since 1998! If you or someone you know has been thinking of moving, now may be the time. Call or email me to discuss your real estate goals. Caroline

Shredding Event @ CB Northbrook office

FREE~ Bring as much stuff as you want. Spring clean those old files.

Happy First Day of Spring!

Chicago no. 2 in super-fast home sales

By: Abraham Tekippe
March 15, 2013

www.chicagorealestatedaily.com

Chicago ranked No. 2 for so-called “flash sales” — homes that go under contract in 24 hours or less — with 261 sales recorded in the past five months, according to a report released today by Seattle-based Redfin. Only Phoenix ranked higher, with 540.

“Your average person now knows that now is the best opportunity that they'll ever have probably in their lifetime to buy real estate,” said Thaddeus Wong, co-founder of Chicago-based @properties. “There are so many buyers that are looking that have lost out on houses in multiple-offer situations that when the buyer finds the house that they really want, they just pay the asking price.”

The “flash sale” numbers point to pent-up demand in the local housing market, where the inventory of homes for sale dropped to a six-year low in 2012. The number of existing homes for sale in the Chicago area fell more than a third last year to just under 39,000, about 4.7 months of supply, according to multiple listing service Midwest Real Estate Data LLC (MRED).

Those numbers, coupled with rising home prices, which increased 2.2 percent in the Chicago area in 2012, are forcing buyers to act quickly to take advantage of current market conditions.

“In this market, we have pressure from a couple of variables: No. 1, you have the pressure of increasing interest rates; and No. 2, you have the pressure of appreciation,” Mr. Wong said. “The speed at which somebody enters the market right now is crucial to their investment.”

Still, the limited supply, particularly in the city's most desirable neighborhoods, hasn't translated to buyers paying more for homes than they're actually worth, Mr. Wong said.

“When a home goes on the market today and it's overpriced, it still doesn't sell,” he said. “Buyers are not willing to overpay for real estate today.”

Mr. Wong added that as frustrating as the fast-paced market can be for some homebuyers, it's a necessary step in housing recovery that will likely continue into 2014.

“The only way that we're going to get back to a balanced market is if we go through this period,” which will help generate confidence in the market, he said. “Once that confidence reaches the average consumer, where they feel that the foundation of the market has stabilized, then we will see continued growth.”

Congratulations! Another Hyperion Homes thrilled resident. Best of luck Marcella and Paul!

I can help you too! Would you like a rent to own home as nice as this?

Inventory Reduction: Number of local homes for sale falls

Slim Pickings

Inventory reduction: Number of local homes for sale falls

By: David Lee Matthews February 28, 2013

Realtors have a new problem as the residential market approaches the key spring selling season: not enough sellers.

The number of existing homes for sale in the Chicago area fell more than 36 percent last year to just under 39,000, or just 4.7 months of supply based on current sales trends, according to multiple listing service Midwest Real Estate Data LLC (MRED). That's the lowest inventory since 2006, when the market was cresting.

Buyers, who all but disappeared as the market drifted down, are back, fueling a 37 percent jump in local home sales in January. As a result, the supply of homes for sale has plunged in Chicago neighborhoods such as Douglas, McKinley Park and Avondale, and suburbs like Rosemont, Romeoville and Skokie.

The number of listed homes fell the most in the Near South Side, a community including the South Loop. A division of New York developer Related Cos. recently relaunched sales of about 500 units in three failed South Loop towers pulled from the market last year, but only a fraction are currently listed for sale.

It's still slim pickings for many buyers in the neighborhood who can't compete with investors paying cash, can't finance a purchase in a building full of renters or don't have the patience for banks to approve a so-called short sale, a red tape-heavy transaction resulting in a loss for the lender. Nearly 44 percent of all sales on the Near South Side last year were distress-related, according to MRED.

“Not everybody has eight to 10 months for the bank to decide,” said Kevin Thornton, managing broker and owner of South Loop-based brokerage Thornton Properties. “I definitely have guys looking and they just can't seem to find anything decent.”

Low supply is an issue in the suburbs as well, where new listings receive multiple offers daily, said broker Cathy Bier of La Grange-based Smothers Realty Group. Only 53 homes, or 2.6 months of supply, were for sale in the western suburb, in the fourth quarter.

“As a buyer's agent, you have to be the first person in,” she said.

A few areas were anomalies, with listings rising. In north suburban Bannockburn, for example, 11 homes were marketed for sale in the fourth quarter, up from six at the end of 2011.

Though the supply drop means buyers have fewer choices and less leverage in negotiations, it's good news for many sellers, who can sell their homes more quickly than before — and have more power to hold the line on prices.

Indeed, local home prices have stopped falling. The S&P/Case-Shiller index of Chicago-area single-family home prices rose 2.2 percent last year, the first annual gain since 2006. Still, that was the weakest year-over-year gain of the 20 cities tracked by S&P/Case-Shiller.

The local residential market still faces challenges. Foreclosures and distress remain a problem in many neighborhoods and suburbs, and many homeowners are still “underwater,” owing more on their mortgage than their home is worth.

“The market is in a transitional point,” said Geoff Smith, executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University. “It's kind of a chicken-and-egg situation: Prices need to go up and consistently go up before you see a lot of homeowners come out from underwater or owners who aren't underwater are comfortable selling.”

- See more at: http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/article/20130228/CRED0701/130229750/#sthash.ztlBUSMd.dpuf

Read more: http://www.chicagorealestatedaily.com/article/20130228/CRED0701/130229750/inventory-reduction-number-of-local-homes-for-sale-falls#ixzz2MDvjM3uo
Stay up-to-date on Chicago real estate with our free, daily e-newsletter

Caroline recommends Dave Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover. Give balance back to your life and tell your money where to go instead of the other way around.

Eat at Golden Chef

Head over to Golden Chef on Milwaukee in Wheeling. The owner took very good care of me today and sent me home with complimentary special recipe chicken soup to help my cold. Wonderful service and healthy food.

Sold! 3087 Lexington Glenview

We need more inventory! If you have been considering selling your home, this may be a good time. Call me to discuss your opportunities. There are plenty of buyers out now. Don't be left in the cold. The market is heating up! Caroline
(847) 412-9771

5 Reasons You Should List Your House TODAY!

by THE KCM CREW on JANUARY 28, 2013 · 1 COMMENT

Many homeowners are waiting until the Spring ‘buying season’ to list their homes for sale. Here are five reasons why that might not make sense this year:

1.) Demand Is High

Homes are selling at a pace not seen since 2007. The most recentExisting Home Sales Report by theNational Association of Realtors(NAR) showed that annual sales in 2012 increased 9.2% over 2011. There are buyers out there right now and they are serious about purchasing.

2.) Supply Is Low

The monthly supply of houses for sale is at its lowest point (4.4 months) since May of 2005. The current month’s supply is down 21.6% from the same time last year. Historically, inventory increases dramatically in the spring. Selling now when demand is high and supply is low may garner you your best price.

3.) New Construction Is Coming Back

Over the last several years, most homeowners selling their home did not have to compete with a new construction project around the block. As the market is recovering, more and more builders are jumping back in. These ‘shiny’ new homes will again become competition as they are an attractive alternative to many purchasers.

4.) Interest Rates Are Projected to Inch Up

The Mortgage Bankers’ Association has projected mortgage interest rates will inch up approximately one full point in 2013. Whether you are moving up or moving down, your housing expense will be more a year from now if a mortgage is necessary to purchase your next home.

5.) Timelines Will Be Shorter

The dramatic increase in transactions caused many challenges to the process of buying or selling a home in 2012. We waited for inspections, dealt with last minute appraisals and prayed that the bank didn’t ask for ‘just one more piece of paper’ before issuing a commitment on the mortgage. There are fewer transactions this time of year. That means that timetables on each component of the home buying process will be friendlier for those involved in transactions over the next 90 days.

These are five good reasons why you should consider listing your house today instead of waiting.

Do you want an 8% higher sales price this year? Contact me to discuss marketing your home.
Caroline (847) 412-9771