LIL' BUDDY'S BLOG - CHICAGO'S SNOWIEST WINTER IN 2008? Not by a Long Shot! - 02/28/08 10:20 PM
THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Ok, you warm-weather dogs! You Floridians. You Californians. You Texans, or Carolinans. You can gloat now, if you'd like! YES, IT DOES SNOW HERE IN CHICAGO! Often, quite a lot. Despite what you've … (2 comments)
CHICAGO FORECLOSURES DROP IN JANUARY - But Not So for the Rest of U.S. - 02/28/08 04:26 PM
Hey, gang! The more you know about the real estate market here in Chicago, the better you understand we don't have just ONE market here. There are DOZENS of micro-markets! Some Chicago Neighborhoods and suburbs are selling well - although, globally, price points have dropped. Others are struggling, especially in areas where middle … (0 comments)
STARBUCKS - The "BREAKFAST OF REALTORS" - In Need of a Face Lift? - 02/27/08 01:44 PM
Hope you're having a productive afternoon, everyone! The snow is beginning to melt here in Chicago! I'm sure you've heard by now of Starbucks publicity-laden move to close their stores last night for three hours to "re-educate" their barista crews and other staff on how to make better coffee, and make visiting … (8 comments)
CONTRACTORS, HOME IMPROVEMENT RETAILERS Feel Pain of Housing Market Shift! - 02/26/08 05:35 PM
It wasn't that long ago - 2005, to be exact - that home prices in most parts of the U.S. were flying high. So to were sales by national do-it-yourself retailers such as Lowe's, and industry-leader The Home Depot. Right here in Chicago, and all over the suburbs, contractors were busy completing … (4 comments)
IN CHICAGO, SUBURBS, Home Sales Continue to Fall! - 02/25/08 10:14 PM
By now, you've heard about the continued weak sales pace nationally for single-family homes and condos. The 0.4% drop year-over-year in January, 2008 is the sixth straight month of declines across the U.S. The annualized sales estimate of 4.89 Million Units Projected Sold is the weakest projection since 1999. Median sales prices … (3 comments)
Chicago IL Market Statistics Update - February 25, 2008 - 02/25/08 07:28 AM
Happy New Week, Everyone - Here are updated Chicago Real Estate Market Stats for the week ending February 25, 2008. Total Active Listings increased this week - perhaps more sellers are listing their properties in advance of the Spring selling season - but not a substantial jump. Properties Pending Sale still sluggish. Sales Volume up … (1 comments)
BUYERS ON THE FENCE? What are they Waiting For? - 02/24/08 11:21 AM
Here in Chicago this Sunday morning, it's cool, crisp - and sunny! Hope its beautiful where you are. Relax - it's Sunday Morning! Buyer's Agents? Do you have any FENCE SITTERS among your currently-active clients. You know the type - they are waiting for prices to drop even further? Or, they they … (3 comments)
"TRIM THOSE EXPENSES!" What's YOUR Big Trim for 2008? - 02/23/08 06:15 PM
Hey, everyone, from icy Chicago! Many years ago, my very rich uncle from St. Louis gave this young kid some valuable pieces of business. One,"You don't get rich by WORKING HARD - you get rich by MOTIVATING OTHERS TO WORK HARD with you!" Today, however, let's focus on the classic saying, that I … (52 comments)
CONDO GROWTH EXPONENTIAL in Evanston IL - Chicago's Closest Northern Suburb! - 02/22/08 04:49 PM
Hey, Gang! Get your single-game Chicago Cubs tickets yet - today is first day of box office sales? No need to rush, though - as usual, most of the biggest Cub games this coming summer are already sold out! You might have heard of Evanston IL. It's the home of prestigious Northwestern … (1 comments)
Lil' Buddy's Blog - It's Worth Knowing About PAWS Chicago - Pets are Worth Saving! - 02/21/08 11:12 PM
THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Here I am - getting set to root for the World Series Champions of 2008 - The Chicago Cubs! (A Lil' White Dog can dream - can't he?) Each year, the Human members of … (6 comments)
Strapped for New Home Buyers, Several Chicago Home Builders Offer Price Protection! - 02/21/08 10:12 PM
Boy, how the new home market has changed over the last few years. Two years ago, here in Chicago and across the country, many new home builders were shooing away Realtors with buyer clients. Some had elaborate, exclusionary registration procedures for prospective buyers - making it very difficult for affiliated buyer's agents … (3 comments)
THE ELDERLY - A Tragic Saga in Today's Foreclosure Nightmare! - 02/20/08 12:01 PM
A tragic angle involving financially-distressed home borrowers involves the plight of seniors facing foreclosure. Our Team has several elderly clients facing tough times financially here in Chicago, and we are working closely with them to avoid lender action. Many in this particular demographic group have been in their home for years. Most have paid off, … (1 comments)
CELL PHONE WARS - Unlimited Minutes Plans May Change the Landscape of Telecommunications! - 02/19/08 06:46 PM
Hold the Phone, friends (sorry, no pun intended)! Verizon, AT & T Wireless, and T-Mobile have just introduced new Unlimited Monthly Plans - only $99.99 per month, including, in unlimited long distance and roaming. T-Mobile users will have unlimited Text Messages included, Sprint's plan, being tested in several markets, but not yet … (8 comments)
Beware, Chicago Condo Owners - Illegal Behavior by your Property Manager Can Leave You Funds-less! - 02/19/08 05:47 PM
Good Afternoon, you wonderful AR folks! Late yesterday, one of our Preferred Real Estate Partners, Chicago Real Estate Attorney and our good friend Ron Hayden, wrote me some important things to consider if you're considering buying a condo within Chicago, or in the area. The article has a lot of relevancy, however, … (1 comments)
YOUR HOME - Not an Automatic ATM Any Longer? - 02/18/08 01:39 PM
Remember the olden days of the Home Equity Line of Credit? Way back - maybe, 18 months. Wanna new boat? Write an Equity Draw Check! New HDTV? Hit the house line! Go to Europe? Pay this semester's college tuition bill for your son or daughter? Re-do the kitchen and master bath? "Honey, … (0 comments)
Chicago IL Market Statistics Update - February 18, 2008 - 02/18/08 08:22 AM
Good Morning, All - Here are updated Chicago Real Estate Market Stats for the week ending February 17, 2008. A bit of bright news this week, as Total Active Listings grew just a bit, and Properties Pending Sale having a positive increase as well - although small. Sales Volume very low, even for the mid-month … (1 comments)
IT'S SQUEEZE TIME - Even for Those with GOOD CREDIT! - 02/17/08 11:14 AM
These days, it seems, even those with good credit are not immune from the current squeeze. No-doc loans, even for folks with strong business records and excellent credit histories, are getting harder to come by - although you can find them, with greater effort than before. Now, those with low down … (2 comments)
Professional Partners - Your LIFEBLOOD! What if One of Them Lets You Down? - 02/16/08 10:30 PM
Just a crazy guy, working here in Chicago on a Saturday night! Here's a bummer of a story, this one involving a challenging short sale. It's bothering me, but I feel it could happen to any Real Estate Practitioner who produces in volume, and works in today's real estate market. We all know, … (4 comments)
Condo Bargains May Be Found in Downtown Chicago as Inventory Grows, Sales Fall! - 02/16/08 11:00 AM
Hi, gang! Looking for potential condo bargains in the heart of the big city? What's happening right now to the Downtown Chicago Condo Market might interest you! Here in Chicago, sales of new condominiums continue to fall, especially in the Loop, South Loop and West Loop Neighborhoods of Downtown Chicago, while inventory is … (2 comments)
Lil' Buddy's Blog - Why I am a Keller Williams Dog - AR EXCLUSIVE! - 02/15/08 05:39 AM
THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Woof, y'all! Just got back from Hot-lanta, and Keller Williams Family Reunion, with our Human Team Members Dean & Sue Moss. What a Great Time! What a Great Town! What Great KW … (1 comments)
President's Economic Stimulus Package Unlikely to Provide Fast Housing Turnaround, Say Some Experts! - 02/14/08 11:07 PM
Within the past year, as home resales across Chicago, the suburbs, and elsewhere fell considerably, the plight for new home builders was even more pronounced. Some saw sales fall as much as 50%, a few filed for bankruptcy. The news that comes out of this week's National Association of Homebuilders Conference in … (5 comments)
BUYER'S AGENTS: When is that Lowball Offer . . . TOO Lowball? - 02/13/08 10:59 PM
Hey, folks! Our Buyer's Specialist, Kathleen Weaver-Zech, wrote an offer on a short-sale property while we are out of town at Keller Williams Family Reunion. And it's not that simple to figure! The house the buyers wanted was a large, 1929 four-bedroom brick Chicago-style Bungalow, in the upper-middle-class Gladstone Park neighborhood on the Northwest … (12 comments)
BUSH PLAN TO AID HOMEOWNERS FACING FORECLOSURE - Too Little, Too Late? - 02/13/08 10:45 PM
Currently, there are nearly 31,000 homes in Chicago either in foreclosure, or very close to it, according to RealtyTrac.com. Will the President's new initiative, which will give some borrowers a 30-day pause in the process, cause relief? Perhaps not! His new initiative, "Project Lifeline,"will require several large lenders who voluntarily signed on for … (1 comments)
PRE-QUALIFICATION QUESTIONS - This Time, for SELLERS! - 02/12/08 06:47 AM
Good Morning, Y'all! (I learned a new word down here in Atlanta at KW Family Reunion 2008!) Heard from the folks back home in Chicago snow not as bad as predicted - and that's a very good thing! Yesterday evening, we listed a few BUYER QUALIFICATION QUESTIONS in our post. Today, let's fishbone … (6 comments)
BEST QUALIFICATION QUESTIONS FOR BUYERS, SELLERS - From Our KW Dinner Mastermind! - 02/11/08 11:32 PM
Hey, folks - You know, I hear it's only 10 degrees in Chicago - with up to seven inches of snow due by Tuesday afternoon. Sue and I are getting spoiled her in Atlanta - sunny and upper-50's! All good things must come to an end, however - we'll be back in Chicago … (1 comments)
KW FAMILY REUNION - Economic Cycles, Home Affordibility, and 12 Things We All Have to Do - NOW! - 02/11/08 10:56 PM
Incredible Keller Williams Family Reunion this year! Atlanta GA is rocking, from the crazy annual Red Bash Party - featuring all-agent talent, and a rock-and-roll show with Keller Williams Founder Gary Keller and Vice Chairman Mo Anderson playing guitar and keyboards, respectively, on stage - to very insightful presentations on stage … (3 comments)
Chicago IL Market Statistics Update - February 11, 2008 - 02/11/08 05:56 AM
Good Morning, All - Here are updated Chicago Real Estate Market Stats for the week ending February 4, 2008. Total Active Listings have been fairly stable since the beginning of 2008 - we're missing the usual jump in listed properties usually occurring right after the 1st of the year. On an ongoing basis, … (3 comments)
GUESS WHAT? More Taxes In Chicago, Cook County Going UP - Perhaps! - 02/10/08 10:33 PM
Hey, everyone - writing tonight from the Keller Williams Family Reunion 2008, in beautiful Atlanta GA. Boy, the people are so friendly here, and, compared to this time of year in Chicago - the weather is almost summer-like! Almost hate to leave, end of this week. I was just checking the Chicago … (0 comments)
STRANGERS ON A PLANE - BUT STRANGERS NO LONGER! - 02/09/08 11:26 PM
TWO-HOUR FLIGHT FROM CHICAGO TO KW FAMILY REUNION IN ATLANTA = COMARADERIE + GREAT IDEAS! Think of your average plane ride. The hustle, the rush. Jamming big bags in little overhead bins. Hording stale pretzels, milking that precious can of Diet Coke. For the most part, on most flights these days, today's air travellers have little interaction … (3 comments)
START YOUR ENGINES, GUYS! The BIG SHOW in CHICAGO is HERE! - 02/08/08 08:34 PM
GENTLEMEN - WANNA SEE A VERY SEXY PICTURE? CLICK HERE! No ladies - I'm not being sexist - you can click, too! Every year in Chicago, at the huge, 1.3 Million Square Feet McCormick Place Exhibition Center on the Near South Lakefront - THE CHICAGO AUTO SHOW COMES TO TOWN! The 2008 Version runs now through … (1 comments)
Lil' Buddy's Blog - Chicago Pothole Season, 2008! Watch Your Axles! - 02/07/08 10:49 PM
THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Wasn't sure if I posted my Christmas Eve, 2007 photo. Here it is! It was taken by Santa himself - I was a lil' elf that night. Man, you haven't lived until … (3 comments)
CHICAGO REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX UP 40% - Now $10.50/M of Sales Price! - 02/07/08 03:35 PM
Buying real estate in Chicago? Beginning April 1st, buyers of homes, apartment buildings, vacant land, condos, and commercial properties in the City will pay an additional $3.00/M Chicago Real Estate Transfer Tax, under a measure passed by the Chicago City Council yesterday. At the new tax level of $10.50 per thousand of sales … (6 comments)
IS REDLINING BACK? Recent Moves by Countrywide, Other Lenders have Critics Wondering! - 02/05/08 11:43 PM
It was a common, but very quiet practice years ago for lenders and some insurance providers to "redline' certain areas or neighborhoods. They wouldn't write mortgages or home insurance policies in certain parts of town they considered "in decline." The end result - these neighborhoods would decline even further, as many … (33 comments)
Chicago IL Market Statistics Update - February 4, 2008 - 02/04/08 08:56 AM
Good Morning, All - Here are updated Chicago Real Estate Market Stats for the week ending February 4, 2008. Similar to last week, there are fewer new listings than I would expect by now, weak pending sales, but a slight drop in Average Market Time - let's see if this trend continues in … (0 comments)
RE-FI May Be the Answer for Some Sub-Prime Borrowers - 02/03/08 02:57 PM
Sometimes, people miss the obvious solution - like plugging in the toaster that doesn't seem to work, for instance. For certain borrowers with sub-prime loans, especially here in Chicago and Illinois where home values have not dropped precipitously in recent months, refinancing may still be an option. This, of course, unless these … (1 comments)
MOVING TO CHICAGO? Red-light Cameras - City, Suburbs - Are Watching You! - 02/03/08 11:56 AM
Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everyone! Enjoy the game - responsibly. Perhaps, by this time tomorrow, history will have been made with an undefeated New England Patriots Team - let's see! Last week, I was cleared of an apparent Chicago Parking Ticket received in front of my North Side office. Apparently, the meter-person … (1 comments)
BUYERS, OH BUYERS! Where have you gone? - 02/02/08 04:09 PM
Here in Chicago, virtually all of our main streets and most smaller residential streets have been plowed and salted after our 11" snow of Thursday afternoon into Friday. Amazing how quickly things get taken care of here - in an election year! I'm generally not a big fan of quoting NAR statistics … (1 comments)
SNOW DAY! Limit Your Activity? Affect Your Mood? Impact Your Business? - 02/01/08 06:36 PM
Here in Chicago, we had a little snow today. Just a dusting, mostly - 11" or so (well, maybe a bit more than a dusting!) Now, at the end of the day, you would have hardly believe there was a snow storm at all - except for the massive piled snow on … (5 comments)
Lil' Buddy's Blog - What Happens to Us Pets when Our Humans Lose Their Homes? - 02/01/08 12:38 AM
MAN - IS IT COLD - AND SNOWY - HERE IN CHICAGO. JUST GOT DONE SHOVELING OVER 10" OF THE WHITE STUFF HERE TONIGHT! A couple of winters ago, when I was but a pup, this photo appeared on the Channel 5 News here in Chicago. If you look closely, you'll see a … (16 comments)
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THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG!
