And what time will that be? - 03/25/09 12:11 PM

 
Well, I'm making appointments for another purchase.  See, I've made a commitment to myself to work alot smarter and yes, sometimes it is harder as well as I handle alot of calls during the entire day and evenings, along with weekends.
What amazes me is that the market is picking up and sellers may not really know if their Realtors are available during the day, evenings or weekends.  We all assume.  We all are guilty of making the "almighty assumption". 
Rainchecks are fine when the product is not available and it is on sale at the store.
Rainchecks are … (3 comments)

Hold on tight, you're in for a ride! - 03/24/09 12:26 PM
I know something that you might not know!  Sounds like some kids antics but this past month I dealt with three contracts and have three more in the fires as I am writing this post.  

Here's the scoop:
AREA "15" :  The Portgage Park and Jefferson Park neighborhoods are in the midst of "Seller Short Sales" where there are multiple offers on properties and they are going alot faster then 120 days.  The time frame has dropped down considerably to under 45 days.  The interesting part is that standard resales are closing out at $400,000 to $475,000 in that neighborhood.  … (1 comments)

Chicago Police Detective uses clout to gain access into property - 03/23/09 02:48 PM
Okay people, here's a first one and I have the business card in front of me as I write this post.
WHEN YOU ARE SELLING YOUR HOME AND USING A REALTOR, never, ever allow anybody into your property if your Realtor is not present.  I don't care if they say they have an appointment, they don't.  There are rules that Realtors must adhere to but this one takes the cake.
One of my listings is a short sale. The property is a two flat and over the weekend, the building was shut down so that the tenants had a break from the … (6 comments)

You've Got Just One Shot at it - 03/22/09 12:41 PM
One of the advantages I have over most Realtors is the fact that I'm a former appraiser.  I gave up appraising for a couple of reasons:
I saw alot of high rates and points being charged against buyers and people who were refinancing their homes I saw alot of fraud and saw one former boss do things that weren't legal but USAP wasn't in place in Illinois at the time, so his hand only got slapped.  I saw real estate agents selling a property to a buyer that didn't know what he/she/they were getting into. So, I pulled out of appraising … (6 comments)

Fighting Mortgage Fraud in Illinois and Cook County - 03/21/09 10:28 AM
Read the new law that will go into effect JUNE 1, 2009 regarding Notary Public Act - it's changed big time.
P.A. 095-0988A new Illinois law regarding the transfer of real property in Cook County goes into effect on June 1, 2009.  Public Act 095-0988 amends the Illinois Notary Public Act by describing the manner in which a notary must sign each notary certificate at the time of notarization. The law requires that a paper or electronic form must be completed and retained, for a period of 7 years, for each notarial act relating to real property in Cook County.One key change … (1 comments)

Encouraging Update on My Mom's Heart - 03/16/09 04:22 PM
TODAY IS MY DAD'S BIRTHDAY.  His Present?  He got good news that my Mom should be able to come home from the hospital this coming Friday. 
Yesterday Mom was doing okay but my Cousins from Saginaw drove over to see my Mom in Grand Rapids for 20 minutes.  Ben already lives in GR and hence was the instigator behind peeping in on my Mom.  He told me today that he walked into her room and asked "Aunt Barb do you remember me?" (yes, I'm a junior named after my Mom).   She asked "Ben, have you heard from Barbie?"  See, I'm in … (6 comments)

Pre-wired $6 Million Dollar Mom is For Sale - 03/12/09 06:12 PM
Today has been a difficult day for me because my Mom had open heart surgery.  She is no spring chicken, as most of you know, but the great thing is ... well, she's a fighter and scrapper just like me and she made good on her promise to me.
As a Realtor, most people do not know what goes on in our lives and I have one client that needed some extra special help and it was a decision that my Mom and I made together for me to stay in Chicago while she was operated on in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  … (1 comments)

 

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