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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - What is my home worth? - 09/09/08 11:14 AM
What is your home worth?All homes have a price, and sometimes more than one. There's the price owners would like to get, the value buyers would like to offer and a point of agreement which can result in a sale. In considering home values, several factors are important: The value of your home relates to local sale prices. The same home, located elsewhere, would likely have a different value. Sale prices are a product of supply and demand. If you live in a community with an expanding job base, a growing population and a limited housing supply, it's likely that prices
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Do I qualify for a short sale? - 09/03/08 09:38 AM
Do I qualify for a Short Sale? Do You.... Owe more on your Naperville or Plainfield area property than what you could sell it for, especially after real estate commission, closing costs, late payments, interest, etc? Have difficulty covering your expenses each month? Not have money in the bank to cover the difference of what you could sell your house for and what you owe the bank? Are You Having Trouble Making The Payments? Are You.... Feeling the stress mounting with each missed payment and phone call from your bank? Have difficulty covering your expenses each month? Getting confused as to
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - If home's been on market awhile, it's time to rethink strategy - 05/20/08 11:03 AM
Here's a great article from Inman News: Sellers, pay attention to lowball offers If home's been on market awhile, it's time to rethink strategy By Dian Hymer, Monday, May 19, 2008. Inman News Selling a home can be an emotional experience because most sellers have a lot more than money invested in their homes. So, it's understandable that sellers might be reluctant to respond to an offer that is for less than the asking price. Most sellers have a difficult time being objective about their homes. But, detachment is something sellers should strive for, particularly when the market favors buyers. To
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Get your home ready to sell - 05/09/08 10:15 AM
Get Your Home Ready To Sell In preparing your house to sell, ask yourself over and over if your house looks like someone else's dream house. Houses in move-in condition tend to be inviting to buyers; houses that are like new typically sell the fastest and procure the best price.With that in mind, here are a few things to consider when getting ready to sell:ExteriorRemember the 60-second rule: that's all the time you have to create a good first impression! Mow the lawn, rake leaves, trim trees and shrubs that keep light out of the house and remove dead plants. Pick
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Negotiation Tip - 05/06/08 08:17 PM
Negotiation is back in style, and is likely to remain a necessary part of buying or selling a home in today's residential housing market. Needless to say, you need to work with the best real estate professionals you can find in your area. In most cases, it takes a team effort to put a home-sale transaction together and see it through to fruition. HOUSE HUNTING TIP: Successful negotiations usually require give and take by both parties. It has been said that the sign of a successful negotiation is one where both parties walk away feeling they have won. It has also been
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Mold Must Go (6 Things to Know) - 05/02/08 08:27 AM
Mold is a potential health danger for any family and also a legal liability for sellers. Because of the fear over mold contamination there are so many lawsuits flying around today that sales of resale homes are in jeopardy -- and insurance companies are scrambling to avoid liability, with some U.S. insurers refusing to write any new homeowner policies. So what do you need to know about mold ..... 1. Molds are everywhere and have been around forever. Many people have the impression that this is a new problem -- think, "Attack of the killer molds!" -- and that we now must arm
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Aurora Townhome - 3 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom in Oswego School District 308 - 04/30/08 08:55 AM
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Why selling now makes sense - 04/29/08 10:01 AM
Why selling now makes sense Homeowners reluctant to sell because prices have fallen should do the math and realize that the market downturn could work in their favor."People are finding houses at prices they thought they'd never see again," I would like to point out that to potential sellers that if the house a buyer covets used to be $500,000 but its price has fallen 20 percent to $400,000, it is a deal, even if the buyer's own home also has lost 20 percent of its value.In general, the toughest will be for people who bought within the last three years, at
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Home Staging Suggestions - 04/26/08 08:44 AM
Most Popular Home-Staging Suggestions In a slow market, it's particularly important to get a house ready to sell quickly. Here are some of my most frequently made suggestions: Fix any visible problems that might be a red flag for potential buyers, including repainting walls. Cover damaged kitchen or bathroom floors with inexpensive peel-and-stick vinyl floor tiles - if a more expensive change seems out of the question. Repaint public rooms that will garner a lot of a buyer's attention, including the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Clean up the exterior of the house, add potted plants, repair damaged walkways, and put a
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Short sale advantages - 04/07/08 01:16 PM
Short Sale Advantages:1. Short sales appear on your credit report as "pre-foreclosure in redemption", not as "debt discharged due to foreclosure"2. Less impact on your credit score 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. 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 http://www.cherylbowers.com/ for your real estate needs. Please give me a call if
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Top 10 Short Sale Questions Answered - 04/04/08 05:57 AM
Top Ten Short Sale Questions Answered Number 10 I can't make my house payments, but I do have an ability to pay back all or part of the negative equity. Also, I want to preserve my credit score...is a short sale right for me? Probably, not. In cases where the seller can pay back all or part of the negative equity (usually to the 2nd lien holder), it makes sense for them to work out a repayment plan. The lender will then release the lien and allow the home to close. Number 9 If I pay mortgage insurance and default on my loan, why wouldn't
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Should I refinance right now? - 03/21/08 08:40 AM
The economy is going through a rough patch, and the stock market is well below its all-time high. Mortgage rates have been dropping since the end of last year. For homeowners, that can mean only one thing: It's time to think about refinancing your mortgage. If you can save on the interest you're paying, then it's time to do a mortgage refinance. For some homeowners whose adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) interest rates are rising, the low interest rates on 30- and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages offer an opportunity to refinance into something that's a known quantity. If you have a mortgage that's going to
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Capital gains taxes and short sales - 03/21/08 08:27 AM
Will I have to pay capital gains taxes if I sell a property as a short sale?No. If your bank suggested that, they are ridiculous. Capital gains would indicate that you are in some way "better off" financially because of money you have made. In a short sale, you lose and owe money. The only thing the bank could possibly mean is that the deficiency will be reported as 1099 income and you will have to pay taxes on that, but not as capital gains.
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Am I eligible for a short sale or is my only option foreclosure or bankruptcy? - 03/18/08 12:23 PM
I owe more than my home is worth. Am I eligible for short sale or is my only option foreclosure or bankruptcy?Always consult your lender as to what your options are. The options usually are: a short sale, deed-in-lieu of foreclosure (basically an accelerated voluntary surrender), and foreclosure. The banks like to prevent foreclosure when at all possible. They've even been known to lower people's rates and/or payments because of all the new defaults in the past few years. Either way, your first stop should be to get information from you lender on what options they provide.Contact me for an assessment of your costs.
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Will my mortgage insurance cover the difference if I default on my loan? - 03/18/08 09:29 AM
If I pay mortgage insurance and default on my loan, why wouldn't that cover the deficiency amount?The mortgage insurance is not there for your protection, just the lender's. If you are paying PMI (private mortgage insurance) it is there to protect the lender in case you default on your loan. You can usually get the PMI removed after you have enough equity in the home. The lenders will not remove this for you. It is your responsibility to get this removed. Afterall, why do you want to be paying PMI if you don't have to. It doesn't protect you, it protects
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - What is this I hear about Radon? - 03/11/08 11:48 PM
A state law requires radon disclosure as of January 1, 2008. What do you need to know? When a buyer and seller sign a contract on residential real estate property in Illinois on or after January 1, 2008, the new Illinois Radon Awareness Act will apply to the sales transaction. According to the new law, the seller must supply the buyer with two documents before the buyer will become bound on a contract to purchase the property. The first is a pamphlet from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) entitled "Radon Testing Guidelines for Real Estate Transactions." The second is a form to sign called "Disclosure
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - Sell your home by pricing it correctly - 03/11/08 11:38 PM
The secret to selling your home is pricing it correctly. If you are serious about selling then price your home below the comparable homes. A properly priced home will attract buyer showings. The correct price and good condition will cause a buyer to write an offer on a house. It's that simple! I suggest sellers start by pricing their home below the other comparables. Then, slowly reduce the price until they begin getting buyer showings and an offer is negotiated. This is the simple answer to selling a house; however, it's not that easy since we are dealing with human emotions. It is a buyer's market, and today's buyer doesn't tolerate improper pricing and
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selling my home: Plainfield IL, Naperville Illinois Real Estate - ATTENTION SELLERS: Is your home easy to show? - 03/08/08 07:12 PM
If your home is on the market, you better make it easy for buyers to see! I was showing homes yesterday and I had problems showing 3 of the 7 homes I was to show my buyers. At the first home, the home owner was there and unaware of the showing. I guess the realtor never told them. (It's never a good idea to have the home owner at home when the buyers are there.) The whole situation was awkward and the buyers just rushed through the home. At the second home, there was a combination lock box on the home. When I
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Cheryl Bowers, Plainfield, Naperville, IL. Real Estate
Plainfield,
IL
More about me
Keller Williams Realty
Address: 608 S. Washington Street, Suite 100, Naperville, IL, 60540
Cell Phone: (630) 712-1921
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