Plainfield, Naperville, and Aurora Illinois - April 2010 Real Estate Statistics

Spring Maintenance Items in Plainfield and Naperville, Illinois

As spring arrives in the Plainfield and Naperville, Illinois areas we need to remember to take care of the major spring home maintenance items. Below are some helpful hints to protect your real estate in Plainfield and Naperville, Illinois.

•Grass Fertilization & Weed Control

Lawns should be fertilized between 4 and 7 times a year

This time a year, you should use a weed control fertilizer

•Sump Pump

Verify that the pump is operational and the pit is clear of any debris that could obstruct it. Also, if you detached them in the winter, attach your exterior extension hose to prevent soil erosion.

•Asphalt Driveways

The surface of a asphalt driveway needs to be resealed at least every two years

•Gutters/Downspouts

Clean the gutters and downspouts to remove debris that can cause overflowing.

Splash blocks may need to be repositioned to minimize soil erosion

•Pest Control

Spring is a good time of year to use pest control sprays around the exterior of your home. It will keep bugs out all year.

•Mulch

If you use mulch, now is a great time of year to check if you need more. You should have a layer of mulch that is 3 inches thick. If you have less, you should order more this year.

About the author: 

Cheryl Bowers is a Chicagoland Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Plainfield, Naperville, Aurora Illinois or any place in the country. She, also, has experience with residential rentals. Cheryl has created a team of professionals throughout the Chicago suburbs to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.cherylbowers.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Plainfield, Naperville, and Aurora real estate market. 

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in DuPage, Will, Kane, or Kendall Counties in Illinois make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done.  Call me at 630-712-1921 to find out more about Short Sales in the Chicagoland Area.

Cheryl Bowers, REALTOR® (630) 712-1921

(Copyright © 2010 By Cheryl Bowers, Realtor. All Rights Reserved.)

Mortgage Rates Are Still Low!

If you are in the market to buy a home or other real estate in Plainfield, Illinois, Naperville, Illinois, or the surrounding areas, call me or visit www.cherylbowers.com. It is still a great time to buy a house. Prices are still low and despite the April 30^th expiration of the Federal Home Tax Credit, mortgage rates are still low!

For the third straight week, mortgage rates have remained nearly the same.

The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage inched down 1 basis point, or one-hundredth of one percentage point, this week, to 5.21%, according to the Bankrate.com's national survey of large lenders.

There was an average total of 0.45 discount and origination points in the mortgages included in this week's survey. For comparison, one year ago, the mortgage index was 5.2%; four weeks ago, it was 5.23%.

The benchmark 15-year fixed-rate mortgage slipped 1 basis point, to 4.54%. The benchmark 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgage fell 5 basis points, to 4.37%.

About the author: 

Cheryl Bowers is a Chicagoland Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Plainfield, Naperville, Aurora Illinois or any place in the country. She, also, has experience with residential rentals. Cheryl has created a team of professionals throughout the Chicago suburbs to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.cherylbowers.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Plainfield, Naperville, and Aurora real estate market. 

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in DuPage, Will, Kane, or Kendall Counties in Illinois make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done.  Call me at 630-712-1921 to find out more about Short Sales in the Chicagoland Area.

Cheryl Bowers, REALTOR® (630) 712-1921

(Copyright © 2010 By Cheryl Bowers, Realtor. All Rights Reserved.)

It's Moving Season...Take Precautions

Did you recently buy your home or sell your home? Are you going to be moving into or out of the home soon? Did you know that The Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois received more than 850 complaints against movers and storage companies?

Risks with Hiring Movers or Storage Companies:

• Damaged Goods
• Lost Goods
• Final Prices Higher than Original Estimate
• Sometimes Movers Won't Deliver Goods without Additional Payments

Tips (Provided by The American Moving & Storage Association and The Better Business Bureau):

• Movers must be licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
• Verify the movers motor carrier number at www.icc.illinios.gov or www.protectyourmove.gov
• Get at least three in-home estimates
• Be leery of unrealistic low-ball estimates
• Get all agreements in writing
• Ask about any potential additional charges that could be levied

About the author: 

Cheryl Bowers is a Chicagoland Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Plainfield, Naperville, Aurora Illinois or any place in the country. She, also, has experience with residential rentals. Cheryl has created a team of professionals throughout the Chicago suburbs to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.cherylbowers.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Plainfield, Naperville, and Aurora real estate market. 

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in DuPage, Will, Kane, or Kendall Counties in Illinois make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done.  Call me at 630-712-1921 to find out more about Short Sales in the Chicagoland Area.

Cheryl Bowers, REALTOR® (630) 712-1921

(Copyright © 2010 By Cheryl Bowers, Realtor. All Rights Reserved.)

Your Property Tax Information Is Available Now

Your property tax bills have been sent if you live in Will County, DuPage County, or Kane County in Illinois. That includes all of Plainfield, Naperville, Joliet, Aurora, Oswego, and Bolingbrook, Illinois amongst other cities. Be sure to check your Total Amount Due and compare it to last year or the previous five years. Did it go up or down? If it went up, spend a little time determining why! Be sure to check your 2009 Market Value. Do you feel that the Market Value they used to determine your taxes is an accurate representation of what your home was worth in 2009? If you feel there is a discrepancy and your 2009 Market Value is too high, you are going to pay too much in taxes! If there is a discrepancy, contact your county's Treasurer. Most county Treasures are online. If you live in a county not listed below, just Google "YOUR COUNTY Treasurer" or "When are my property taxes due in YOUR COUNTY, IL" to find more information:

http://www.willcountytreasurer.com/

http://www.protectdupage.org/treasurer/index.cfm

http://www.co.kane.il.us/Treasurer/

About the author: 

Cheryl Bowers is a Chicagoland Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Plainfield, Naperville, Aurora Illinois or any place in the country. She, also, has experience with residential rentals. Cheryl has created a team of professionals throughout the Chicago suburbs to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.cherylbowers.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Plainfield, Naperville, and Aurora real estate market. 

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in DuPage, Will, Kane, or Kendall Counties in Illinois make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done.  Call me at 630-712-1921 to find out more about Short Sales in the Chicagoland Area.

Cheryl Bowers, REALTOR® (630) 712-1921

(Copyright © 2010 By Cheryl Bowers, Realtor. All Rights Reserved.)

Plainfield, Illinois - Kensington Club Spring Coloring Contest

Wow!

The children in the Kensington Club subdivision in Plainfield, Illinois really know how to color well. They did such an outstanding job in the Kensington Club Spring Coloring Contest that I decided to post their pictures on my website. You can view all the entries and the winners at Plainfield Illinois Kensington Club Coloring Contest.

For any other Real Estate needs in the Plainfield and Naperville, Illinois area, contact me here Plainfield IL Real Estate or here Naperville IL Real Estate

About the author: 

Cheryl Bowers is a Chicagoland Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Plainfield, Naperville, Aurora Illinois or any place in the country. She, also, has experience with residential rentals. Cheryl has created a team of professionals throughout the Chicago suburbs to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.cherylbowers.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Plainfield, Naperville, and Aurora real estate market. 

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in DuPage, Will, Kane, or Kendall Counties in Illinois make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done.  Call me at 630-712-1921 to find out more about Short Sales in the Chicagoland Area.

Cheryl Bowers, REALTOR® (630) 712-1921

(Copyright © 2010 By Cheryl Bowers, Realtor. All Rights Reserved.)

Attention Plainfield, Naperville, Illinois Residents - Home Tax Credit Expires Tonight... Other Offers Still Available

Did you recently buy a home in Plainfield, Naperville, Oswego, Joliet, or Aurora Illinois? If you did, congratulations on taking advantage of the federal government Home Tax Credit deal!

Even though the federal government's Home Tax Credit deal expires tonight at midnight, you can still take advantage of some great offers. If you recently bought a home or are still looking to buy a home in Plainfield, Naperville, Oswego, Joliet, or Aurora Illinois, I want to remind you of a few of those offers that run through at least December 31, 2010:

1.       30% Credit up to $1,500 for the purchase of energy-efficient products, including:

• Windows and Doors
• Heating , Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Systems
• Insulation
• Biomass Stoves
• Roofs

2.       30% Credit with no cost upper limit  on the following (Good through 12/31/2016)

• Geothermal Heat Pumps
• Solar Energy Systems
• Small Wind Turbines for Residential Use

For more details, contact me here Plainfield IL Real Estate or here Naperville IL Real Estate

About the author: 

Cheryl Bowers is a Chicagoland Area Residential Real Estate Expert, who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in Plainfield, Naperville, Aurora Illinois or any place in the country. She, also, has experience with residential rentals. Cheryl has created a team of professionals throughout the Chicago suburbs to ensure that you enjoy a smooth transition to your new area. Please visit www.cherylbowers.com for your real estate needs.  Please give me a call if you have questions about the Plainfield, Naperville, and Aurora real estate market. 

P.S. If you are listing your home as a short sale in DuPage, Will, Kane, or Kendall Counties in Illinois make sure you hire an agent who knows how to do short sales and has the experience to get the job done.  Call me at 630-712-1921 to find out more about Short Sales in the Chicagoland Area.

Cheryl Bowers, REALTOR® (630) 712-1921

(Copyright © 2010 By Cheryl Bowers, Realtor. All Rights Reserved.)