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MAYBE PICTURES DO MATTER? - 05/30/09 09:45 AM
Which home would you look at?
This courtyard welcomes you. The plants are green and the sun is shining. It is bright and full of life. I want to take a look at this building...
Brrr. I get a chill looking at this picture. Is it a prison entrance? It looks cold and uninviting. If I am a buyer, I am probably not looking at this home...
I recently wrote a post that questioned the role pictures take in selling homes. After looking at the above pictures, it is pretty clear I was wrong...
As you may have guessed, the above pictures … (24 comments)
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WHERE IS MY POT OF GOLD? A NAPERVILLE RAINBOW... - 05/28/09 11:40 AM
Great riches have been elusive during my 3 year career as an agent. Sometimes I feel I am looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...
Where is my pot of gold? It must be getting close...
I have always enjoyed thunderstorms. Here in the Midwest we can get some good ones. In the late summer, on a hot humid day, you can almost feel the atmosphere prepare to explode...
During a particularly humid day last week, we had a couple nice thunderstorms roll through. Lightning. Thunder. The works...
Between storms, the sun managed to peek through for a few … (14 comments)
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ARE YOU TRYING TO SOLVE THE REAL ESTATE CRISIS? STOP BLAMING TWITTER. - 05/26/09 04:49 PM
I have just re-read a recent featured post by Active Rainer Jennifer Allan titled "Social Media Is not the Solution to the Real Estate Crisis." In her post, Jennifer writes "I'm among the crowd who "just doesn't get it."
Fine. You don't get the value of Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
That's cool.
But as far as solving the real estate crisis, who said that it would?
Social media is a way to stay connected. It's great for that.
But are you really trying to solve the real estate crisis?
I am not. Honestly, the problem is bigger than me or any … (75 comments)
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"THERE IS A MAN SLEEPING IN A BEDROOM..." - 05/18/09 08:30 PM
It was a gorgeous day to show homes...
My spirits were high. It was Sunday morning. 10:00 AM.
The temperature was in the low 60's. Just a hint of wind. Not a cloud in the sky...
I was showing a home in the Orchard Valley townhouses, just off Orchard Road and I88, in western Aurora.
It's a great neighborhood. The subdivision borders Orchard Valley golf course. The homes are priced between $150,000 and $200,000...
I was early for the appointment, so I took a stroll along the course. The eighth hole, a challenging par 5, runs the length of the subdivision. I catch myself wishing I was golfing...
I am … (21 comments)
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IS THIS A "POCKET LISTING"? AND HOW DOES IT BENEFIT MY MOM? - 05/14/09 08:58 PM
My mother owns a plot of land in southwestern Michigan. She has been working with an agent for three years trying to sell the property...
The agent just sent her a listing agreement to sign. The listing agreement had a section titled "Other Provisions".
Mom's "other provision" was that the "listing would not be placed into the MLS or otherwise advertised until the seller and the agent agree to do so."
The agent didn't think it would be a good idea for the property to "sit on the MLS"...
Hmmm.
Why would anyone sign this?
A buyer for my mom's land would have to … (56 comments)
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A STRESSFUL WEEK... - 05/13/09 09:44 PM
What day is it? Wednesday? Yes.
They tend to blur together when I am busy...
It has been a stressful week...
I think the stressful weeks are probably the one's that butter the Realtor's bread. They are the weeks we make money...
I just finished negotiating a fairly large and important contract this evening.
My buyer seems really excited. She probably should be. She is getting a heck of a deal...
It feels good.
But the negotiation process was longer than I was expecting. Fairly tiring.
I added a new listing too. My first in the city of Chicago...
I have an appointment for another one … (14 comments)
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NAPERVILLE BLOOD DRIVE. MAY 14TH. KW CARES... - 05/12/09 03:50 PM
Give blood. Save a life...
In honor of Keller Williams RED DAY (Renew/Energize/Donate), the Naperville Keller Williams office will be hosting a blood drive on May 14th from 9 AM to 1:30 PM. Heartland Blood Centers will have a Mobile Coach parked in front of the Keller Williams office, located at the corner of 75th and Rickert Avenue (1271 Rickert Avenue).
Every donor will receive a BBQ set, an apron, as well as a t-shirt as a way of saying thank you for helping save lives...
Please, if you are in the neighborhood, stop on by for this great cause...
Ken
To search for homes in Naperville … (2 comments)
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REAL ESTATE AND FROSTED FLAKES... - 05/09/09 11:53 AM
THEY'RE GR-R-REAT!
Crunch Crunch goes the Frosted Flakes between my teeth. Click click goes the keyboard underneath my fingers.
Real estate and Frosted Flakes...
It is Saturday morning. I sit in my PJ's, eating a bowl of cereal at my kitchen table.
I am working. Yes working.
Huh? No office? No suit and tie? Not even a name badge?
No. None of the above. But still getting a lot done...
Setting appointments. Scheduling showings. Updating listings. Downloading photos...
Oh, and the online activity. Facebook. Twitter. ActiveRain. That is almost a full time job in itself...
RING RING. There goes my phone. I have to … (13 comments)
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WORKING ON MY CREDIT REPORT... - 05/06/09 04:55 PM
My family has just started shopping for a home in Naperville, so I called my mortgage broker last week. He was able to look at my credit report over the phone and give me a few simple tips to improve the report...
I actually needed to be added to one of our accounts. There were also a few small errors. One of my credit files listed me as "Enneth Tracy". Things like that...
Fortunately I have never been a victim of credit fraud, so it was surpisingly simple to make the necessary changes...
The websites and phone numbers for the three credit agencies:
TransUnion 800-916-8800
Equifax 800-685-1111
Experian 888-397-3742
I am continuing … (15 comments)
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GONE FISHING... - 05/05/09 02:22 PM
One of my favorite things about being a real estate agent is the flexibility of my work schedule...
Sometimes I am crazy busy. Several appointments in a day. Open houses. Listing appointments. These are the money days. I try to make hay while the sun is shining...
Sometimes things are a little slower. That's OK too...
I had a quiet real estate morning this morning. I spent about two hours in my home office catching up, but then my schedule was clear. I decided to spend it on one of my favorite activites...
FISHING.
I wouldn't be traveling far. I actually walked from my … (16 comments)
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GIVING MY WIFE A BREAK...GOING TO THE PLAYGROUND AT THE ENCLAVE OF COUNTRY LAKES, NAPERVILLE ILLINOIS - 05/04/09 10:29 PM
My wife needed a break this afternoon. We had our second daughter about a month back, and the two young girls can be quite demanding on a mom...
So I took my older daughter Erin to our favorite local playground here in Naperville, the one at the Enclave of Country Lakes....
The Enclave is a community of townhouses located just west of Route 59 and North Aurora Road in Naperville. The townhouses range in price from $175,000 to up to $232,000.
Some of the townhouses have beautiful views of Country Lakes golf course...
While others overlook the fantastic playground...
… (10 comments)
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SO I CALLED MY MORTGAGE BROKER... - 05/01/09 03:24 PM
So I called my mortgage broker the other day. It was quite painless...
My wife and I have been looking for a home here in Naperville the last two months. So far it has been very casual. Mostly online searching, but we have looked at a few...
Ready to take the next step, I called my mortgage broker the other day...
He took a look at our credit reports and made a couple recommendations to improve our scores. He also gave me an idea of what we could be approved for this fall...
Nickie and I are close to making our dream a reality. Buying a home in Naperville...
… (15 comments)
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Ken Tracy Naperville Illinois Real Estate
Naperville,
IL
More about me…
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Naperville
Address: Naperville, Lisle, Plainfield, Aurora, Downers Grove, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn
Cell Phone: (630) 697-0536
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