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    <title>LaNita's Blog</title>
    <link>http://activerain.com/blogs/lanitaofremax</link>
    <description>Real estate in Joliet, Aurora, Naperville, Plainfield, Shorewood, Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Crest Hill, Montgomery, Oswego, Yorkville, New Lenox.  www.lanitacates.com</description>
    <language>en-us</language>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3249518/can-you-find-us-another-house-like-the-one-you-said-we-should-have-</guid>
      <title>Can You Find Us Another House Like The One You Said We Should Have....</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;"Do you think you can find us another house just like the house we should have written an offer on, but didn't? &lt;img title="real estate joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/7/9/7/8/ar133674121287979.jpg" height="200" alt="real estate joliet il" width="200" style="margin: 3px; float: right;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And the next evening the bank accepted an offer?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You know, the house that matched our criteria EXACT and it was in the location we loved and the price range we wanted to spend?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The house that was perfect and we were so excited and didn't want to leave and was imagining where we would put our furniture and talked about how wonderful the walk-out basement would be for parties in the summer?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The house that was bank-owned and you told us that the agent said there were already offers on it and we would need to come in highest and best?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Can you find us another house exactly like that one?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We know we should have listened to you and should have written an offer while we stood there and you had a contract in your hand and urged us that this was exactly what we were looking for?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We know we have viewed a lot of other homes and were disappointed and when we saw that house, it was perfect.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It was OUR house!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We should have written that offer LaNita! We should have listened to you but we had to think about it. Think about what exactly? We dont' know. It was perfect and it was our perfect house.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But it's going to someone else now.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And we are sad.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So can you find us another house just like that house? We know it's going to be very hard and we should have listened to you and now we know another house isn't going to compare to that one. But can you? Please?"&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 11 May 2012 06:01:49 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3249518/can-you-find-us-another-house-like-the-one-you-said-we-should-have-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3246935/how-hard-can-it-be-selling-your-house-fsbo</guid>
      <title>How Hard Can it Be? Selling Your House FSBO</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;EXCELLENT POST by &lt;strong&gt;Holly Weatherwax--Your Realtor&amp;reg; in Northern VA of &lt;/strong&gt;Momentum Realty,LLC.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are so many pit-falls in listing and trying to sell your home on your own. The safety aspect should be the most important - letting total strangers in your home walking around. There are so many other reasons why selling a home on your own is difficult but safety would worry me more than anything! Great Post by Holly!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="reblogging_tag"&gt;Via &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/3242451/how-hard-can-it-be-selling-your-house-fsbo"&gt;Holly Weatherwax--Your Realtor&amp;reg; in Northern VA (Momentum Realty,LLC)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;:&lt;br&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua; font-size: 20px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I am well aware that the general public believes that Realtors are overpaid&lt;/strong&gt; (I could spend a whole blog post letting you know how the commission we receive is divided and spent until we get a fraction of it to deposit, but I will save that for another day).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="font-size: 20px;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="font-size: 20px;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Friends of mine are always saying, 'we might try to sell it ourselves.'&lt;/strong&gt; My response is always, 'you should.' And then I go on to tell them how they should handle the security issues and how they want to be sure to get legal advice as they go through the contract negotiations. Sometimes they give it a try, and sometimes they don't. I never want to take on a client who does not believe my services and time are value-added. If they are concerned, by all means, they should try it on their own.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="font-size: 20px;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="font-size: 20px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;The truth is, it is far more complex than putting up a sign and buying a&lt;img title="blue house with sold sign" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/2/1/6/9/ar133650721496123.gif" height="95" alt="blue house with sold sign" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" width="209"&gt; combo box.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="font-size: 20px;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="font-size: 20px;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;That brings me to the concept of using a &lt;strong&gt;fee-for-service brokerage&lt;/strong&gt; to advertise your home (which usually goes hand-in-hand with putting up a sign and installing a combo box) . I have seen a couple of things that make me (and I am sure other Realtors) cringe. If you are going to take this on, here is what you should keep in mind.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="font-size: 20px;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div style="font-size: 20px;"&gt;
&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Your choice to discount the buyer commission could negatively affect your traffic.&lt;/strong&gt; I am not saying it will, I am just saying it might. Look to see what competitive homes are offering and give yourself a chance by remaining competitive.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Know your comps and understand how appraisers assess value.&lt;/strong&gt; You might think your new carpet is a huge asset, but the market (and finally the appraiser) determine the value of your home.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Understand how a home inspection works and how you will get technical information during&amp;nbsp;negotiations.&lt;/strong&gt; As a buyer's rep, I can present our requests to a FSBO, but I cannot provide additional information or opinion on how they should respond. As Realtors, we don't understand every system in the house, but we have a strong network we can go to to ask questions and get clarification on issues.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Understand the Home Owners Association rules and laws in your area.&lt;/strong&gt; Here in Virginia, you CANNOT just hand over the packet you received when you bought the house. It must be ordered and updated.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make sure you understand the legal definition of rooms&lt;/strong&gt; and don't misrepresent what you have. The biggest violation here are basement 'bedrooms,' which are often not bedrooms at all.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be kind to the Realtor who brings you a buyer.&lt;/strong&gt; They are likely doing twice the work--and often for less of a commission than they would normally receive as a buyer's agent (see #1).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If neither the buyer or the seller has a Realtor, you would be unwise not to hire an attorney.&lt;/strong&gt; The transferring of real estate is subject to many rules and regulations. Make sure you understand your obligations or hire someone to guide you through the process.&amp;nbsp;The last thing you want is to be sued over your efforts to save some money on your home sale commission.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;
&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Perpetua;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Make sure you understand the laws and regulations in your community and do your part to make sure you do the best &amp;nbsp;possible job of representing yourself in the sale of your home.&lt;/strong&gt; If you decide it sounds like a lot to take on (and it is in our current real estate climate) be sure to hire someone to help you. You may be reluctant at first, but I think you will find it money well spent.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: georgia, palatino;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;If you like what you've read, please consider subscribing to my blog:&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://activerain.com/action/blogs_admin/subscribe?subscribed_agent_id=16480" title="Holly Weatherwax's blog"&gt;&lt;img title="Subscribe to Holly's Blog" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/1/9/1/4/ar132370300041914.png" height="45" alt="Subscribe to Holly's Blog" width="126"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="momentum Realty" src="../..http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/5/9/1/2/ar124768257121959.jpg" height="47" alt="momentum Realty" width="200"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;I believe that buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE.&lt;/em&gt; If I can help you, your friends or family buy or sell their next home in Northern Virginia, please let me know!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: georgia,palatino; font-size: x-small;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;If you need help with a home outside of Northern Virginia, I have an extensive network of referral agents and will make sure you are working with the best!&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: xx-small;"&gt;The contents of this blog may not be copied or reproduced without the permission of Holly Weatherwax.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 03:59:15 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3246935/how-hard-can-it-be-selling-your-house-fsbo</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3241153/joliet-home-sales-april-30-may-4-2012</guid>
      <title>Joliet Home Sales April 30-May 4, 2012</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="remax joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/1/2/5/8/ar133648112885216.jpg" height="152" alt="remax joliet il" width="200" style="margin: 3px; float: left;"&gt;Eighteen single family homes sold in Joliet IL during April 30 - May 4, 2012.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Of the 18, 5 were short sales and&amp;nbsp;5 were foreclosures.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sold prices ranged from $28,000 - $170,000.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Average market time was 147 days.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sold properties closed averaging 89.42% of the final list price which is a 10.58% difference between the sale prices and the final list price.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2012 05:48:07 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3241153/joliet-home-sales-april-30-may-4-2012</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3241135/the-right-buyer-will-come-along-and-she-did-</guid>
      <title>The RIGHT Buyer WILL Come Along and She Did!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;I had a listing with the nicest couple. Original owners and just wonderful, wonderful people. &lt;img title="joliet il remax" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/5/8/6/2/ar133648066726855.png" height="180" alt="joliet il remax" width="208" style="margin: 3px; float: right;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The house was perfect and so well-maintained.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I listed it last July.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We had a lot of showings but not one offer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I could tell my sellers were getting anxious. They always wanted to know the exact feedback and checked in with me before I could check in with them! They didn't want to do any open houses as in our area, they just aren't popular to do anymore. You worry more about nosy neighbors and people that might steal from you!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;FINALLY in March we had an offer and my sellers were thrilled. We closed the end of April and at the closing they found out the lady that bought the home knew their adult children and went to high school together and knew the same people. There was a lot of laughter at the table and updating with people they knew. It was a lot of fun for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;At the end of the closing I thanked them for hiring me as their agent. I said "Thank you so much and I'm sorry it took so long to get you a buyer. But remember I told you there is only 1-2 buyers per home? The right buyer took a little longer to find your home but the right buyer bought your home."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;They laughed and said I was right. She said knowing this lady bought their home made her so happy and that the right buyer was found.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I always tell my sellers that although they think hundreds of people will want to buy their home, the truth is - there are only 1 to 2 buyers that fit a home for whatever reason (location, school, money....).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sometimes it takes 2 days to find that buyer and sometimes it takes 10 months - but that buyer IS out there that is perfect for your house! We just have to find them and they have to find us!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2012 05:39:24 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3241135/the-right-buyer-will-come-along-and-she-did-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3238028/should-i-get-a-sitter-yes-yes-please-</guid>
      <title>Should I Get A Sitter?  Yes.  Yes Please.  </title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Re-blogging this great post from The Christiansen Team of RE/MAX Home Connection in Fort Wayne, Indiana.&amp;nbsp; I always ask my buyers to find a sitter. I ask "Who else is coming to view homes with you?" and if they tell me their kids, I ask the ages. If too young, I tell them it will be a nightmare to view homes with any small kids. 99% of the time, the buyer listens!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="reblogging_tag"&gt;Via &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/3231342/should-i-get-a-sitter-yes-yes-please-"&gt;The Christiansen Team (RE/MAX Home Connection Fort Wayne)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;:&lt;br&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/7/2/0/8/ar133622106780272.jpg" height="300" alt="" style="float: left; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px;" width="300"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I'll never forget the day I met Jack and Jill and their two young hellions... &amp;nbsp;I mean kids. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;The son was six, the daughter was four. &amp;nbsp;They were both out of control. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It was cute at first. &amp;nbsp;Then as the son knocked the vase off of the coffee table in the living room because he was practicing wind sprints, and then the daughter decided to stand on my feet, grab my pockets, and look up at me and scream bloody hell... &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The cuteness quickly wore off. &amp;nbsp;:) &amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This time around I was only showing them one home. &amp;nbsp;The following weekend they wanted to see five more. &amp;nbsp;Let's see... &amp;nbsp;out of control young kids. &amp;nbsp;Five homes. &amp;nbsp;We will probably be out for at least two hours or so. &amp;nbsp;Can you imagine the relief I felt when Jill said... &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;"Should we get a sitter??" &amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Now don't get me wrong here, I love kids and they love me. &amp;nbsp;I just think that young kids these days get bored quickly. &amp;nbsp;When I'm showing homes, the conversation I have with my clients is very important. &amp;nbsp;If there are screaming and out of control kids (of any age), it makes it difficult for me to do my job. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My advice is this: &amp;nbsp; If possible, find a sitter. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;em style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; font-size: medium;"&gt;Whether you are buying, selling, downsizing, or relocating to Fort Wayne...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; font-size: medium;"&gt;THE CHRISTIANSEN TEAM CAN HELP!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: #990000; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;260.704.0843 or JaredChristiansen@remax.net&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;strong style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: x-large;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.WeSellFortWayne.com"&gt;WeSellFortWayne.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.wellcomemat.com/wm_video_1/FF1A3DF074" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getFlashPlayer" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="286" width="448"&gt;&lt;/embed&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 08:53:52 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3238028/should-i-get-a-sitter-yes-yes-please-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3237542/how-many-homes-do-you-show-your-buyer-</guid>
      <title>How Many Homes Do You Show Your Buyer?</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;At a yard sale over the weekend I bought two books: The Book of Useless Information" and "The Best Book of Useless information Ever." These books are AWESOME and very entertaining!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I got to a section that read "The average buyer views 8 homes before purchasing a home." Now this book was published in 2006. But it got me to thinking the average number of homes I'm showing to&amp;nbsp;MY buyers before they write an offer."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So, I&amp;nbsp;went back to the last 15 buyers and pulled all the MLS sheets. I actually keep all the MLS sheets with notes from all the showings I show.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After calculating the numbers, I'm showing an average of 12 homes per buyer. I think that is pretty good actually. I know my buyers and I&lt;img title="remax joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/5/4/3/5/ar133639533453452.jpg" height="180" alt="remax joliet il" width="180" style="margin: 3px; float: right;"&gt; do a lot of legwork at the computer before going out to view homes. I point out "Did you notice how small the kitchen is and you said you love to cook?" Or "I know you said you didn't want to be on a cul-de-sac and 2 of the homes you saved are."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I think with the technology we have, buyers probably view hundreds of homes. So when a buyer freaks out and wants to buy the 7th home they viewed and feel they need to view more, I remind them that they HAVE been viewing hundreds of homes and have narrowed it to the ones we are viewing!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 06:01:02 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3237542/how-many-homes-do-you-show-your-buyer-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3237494/buyers-decide-within-8-seconds-whether-they-are-interested-in-a-home</guid>
      <title>Buyers Decide Within 8 Seconds Whether They Are Interested In A Home</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;img title="joliet il remax realtor" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/5/0/3/1/ar133639379813057.jpg" height="225" alt="joliet il remax realtor" width="251" style="margin: 3px; vertical-align: text-top; float: left;"&gt;I am a huge fan of Real Estate Agent and Mogul Barbara Corcoran. Barbara is a &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="text-align: center;"&gt;Real Estate Contributor on NBC's Today show and the wonderful addition to ABC's Shark Tank. Per Barbara:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;"BUYERS DECIDE WITHIN 8 SECONDS WHETHER THEY ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR HOME."&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I'm not surprised by this at all. It's the first impression when walking in and hearing "Wow, this is cute" or "Ugh, what is that smell?" pretty much sums of the next few minutes of the tour of that home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I always tell my buyers that they will know when they walk in if this is their home or not. If they aren't feeling it within the first 10 seconds, let's move on. They never believe me... AT FIRST. But usually by the 4th house they agree that they know pretty much immediately if they are interested or not when walking in the door.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So buyers pretty much know. Sellers - remember that! That first impression (or at least the first 8 seconds) can decide whether the buyer is interested in your home!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 05:33:27 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3237494/buyers-decide-within-8-seconds-whether-they-are-interested-in-a-home</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3227622/actor-gary-sinise-supporting-veterans-in-illinois</guid>
      <title>Actor Gary Sinise supporting veterans in Illinois</title>
      <description>&lt;p class="first" id="yui_3_4_0_26_1336133340687_197"&gt;Hollywood actor &lt;span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1336119734_0"&gt;Gary Sinise&lt;/span&gt; is helping promote a &lt;span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1336119734_3"&gt;summer concert&lt;/span&gt; in suburban Chicago that will benefit veterans.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p id="yui_3_4_0_26_1336133340687_199"&gt;The "Forest Gump" star helped kickoff ticket sales for "Rockin' for the Troops" on Thursday at the &lt;span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1336119734_2"&gt;Navistar&lt;/span&gt; headquarters in Lisle.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p id="yui_3_4_0_26_1336133340687_198"&gt;The concert is planned for July 21 in nearby Weaton. Sinise is slated to perform with his &lt;span class="yshortcuts cs4-visible" id="lw_1336119734_1"&gt;Lt. Dan Band&lt;/span&gt;, which is named for his character in the Oscar-winning movie.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p id="yui_3_4_0_26_1336133340687_200"&gt;The Daily Herald reports&amp;nbsp; that proceeds will benefit Operation Support Our Troops America. The Naperville-based charity has raised $2 million for projects benefiting veterans, including research on post-traumatic stress disorder and &lt;span class="yshortcuts cs4-ndcor" id="lw_1336119734_5"&gt;traumatic brain injury&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p id="yui_3_4_0_26_1336133340687_272"&gt;Sinise says "we all enjoy what the military provides for us."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p id="yui_3_4_0_26_1336133340687_271"&gt;Officials from Navistar and other companies also announced efforts to hire returning veterans.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 05:11:19 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3227622/actor-gary-sinise-supporting-veterans-in-illinois</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3203908/front-street-cantina-mexican-food-in-plainfield-il</guid>
      <title>Front Street Cantina - Mexican Food in Plainfield IL</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img title="front street cantina plainfield il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/5/1/1/1/2/ar133556091021115.jpg" height="124" alt="front street cantina plainfield il" width="200" style="margin: 3px; vertical-align: top; float: left;"&gt;If you are looking for authentic mexican food in the Plainfield area, come to Front Street Cantina located at 15120 South Des Plaines Street downtown Plainfield.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Lunch specials range from $6.75 to $7.50 while the dinner menu offers everything from Carne Asada to Pedro Pollo to Chile Relleno.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Kids can enoy a taco or burrito of even a hot dog or hamburger.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The bar offers a range of beer, cocktails and the best margaritas!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Go to &lt;a href="http://www.frontstreetcantina.com"&gt;http://www.frontstreetcantina.com&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;for hours and more information!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:12:33 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3203908/front-street-cantina-mexican-food-in-plainfield-il</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3203876/wine-cheese-by-two-cute-chicks-tcc-in-plainfield-il</guid>
      <title>Wine &amp; Cheese by Two Cute Chicks (TCC) in Plainfield IL</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"&gt; &lt;img title="wine &amp;amp; cheese by tcc plainfield il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/3/7/5/5/ar133556024355734.gif" height="72" alt="wine &amp;amp; cheese by tcc plainfield il" width="58" style="margin: 3px; float: left;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;Wine &amp;amp; Cheese by Two Cute Chicks (TCC) in Plainfield has been&amp;nbsp;located downtown Plainfield since&amp;nbsp;the summer of 2004.&amp;nbsp; I've never been inside and always thought "I should go there sometime and check it out" but never have.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;Until last night.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;My friend Kim texted me and said she was going to TCC's for a salad and a trio of wines and wanted to know if I wanted to join her. It was 8:30 which is late for me:) But I thought it would be fun. I'm SO glad I went. The food is incredible and we even tested a few different kinds of wine. The trio of sweet wines were incredible and I ended up buying TWO of the 3 wines!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;TCC is a fine wine and artisan cheese shop, wine bar and cafe! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;Located at 24104 W. Lockport Street downtown Plainfield, IL.&amp;nbsp; &lt;a href="http://wcbytcc.com"&gt;http://wcbytcc.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&amp;nbsp;for hours and additional information!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:03:10 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3203876/wine-cheese-by-two-cute-chicks-tcc-in-plainfield-il</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3203783/bakersfield-patio-restaurant-bar-to-open-may-1-in-westmont-il</guid>
      <title>Bakersfield Patio Restaurant Bar to Open May 1 in Westmont, IL</title>
      <description>&lt;p class="yiv1411906499MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img title="bakersfield westmont il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/4/0/2/8/4/ar133555857448204.jpg" height="97" alt="bakersfield westmont il" width="350" style="margin: 3px; float: left;"&gt;WESTMONT, Ill. &amp;mdash; BAKERSFIELD&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;, 330 East Ogden Avenue, a 7,500 square foot casual, yet sophisticated new restaurant is scheduled to open May 1, 2012. The elegant space will seat 175 inside, 48 on the patio and 23 at the bar. Brian Wright will serve as Executive Chef.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="yiv1411906499MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BAKERSFIELD&lt;/strong&gt; will showcase steaks butchered in-house and prepared on a wood-fired grill. Signature entrees include a Barrel-Cut Filet paired with Wilted Spinach and Red Bliss Smashed Potatoes, the 72-Hour Marinated Cajun Ribeye accompanied by a Loaded Baked Potato, the Five-Spice-Rubbed Rotisserie Chicken served with Wild Rice Salad, and Stuffed Gnocchi and Meatballs. Additionally, seasonal whole fish will be flown in from around the world to be hand-filleted. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="yiv1411906499MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Appetizers include Crispy Thai Shrimp, Smoked Salmon, and Crispy Rice Sushi. Hearty entr&amp;eacute;e-style salads such as the Crab Cake Salad and the Four Farmers Grilled Chicken Salad, and sandwiches like the Lobster Knuckle Sandwich and Mustard-Honey Chicken Sandwich, will satisfy for both lunch and dinner. Sumptuous housemade desserts include Fried Oreos and Tres Leches.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="yiv1411906499MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Whether guests choose to relax on the fully furnished patio featuring a fireplace, fire pit, and communal table; watch the action from the bar-height Chef&amp;rsquo;s Table looking into the open kitchen; dine in the main area featuring a floor-to-ceiling glass-enclosed wine room; or enjoy handcrafted cocktails at the well appointed bar, &lt;strong&gt;BAKERSFIELD&lt;/strong&gt; creates an inviting atmosphere.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="yiv1411906499MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;BAKERSFIELD&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt; provides exceptional food and service and is an ideal restaurant for business lunches, catching up with friends, or dining as a family. Hours are Sundays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For reservations, call &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a rel="nofollow"&gt;&lt;span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;"&gt;630.568.3615&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; or visit &lt;a href="http://www.bakersfieldrestaurant.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"&gt;www.bakersfieldrestaurant.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:30:59 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3203783/bakersfield-patio-restaurant-bar-to-open-may-1-in-westmont-il</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3194155/drury-lane-theatre-presents-the-wizard-of-oz-</guid>
      <title>Drury Lane Theatre Presents..."The Wizard of Oz"</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Wizard and Dorothy are coming to &lt;span&gt;Drury&lt;/span&gt; Lane &lt;span&gt;Theatre&lt;/span&gt; located in &lt;span&gt;Oakbrook&lt;/span&gt; Terrace!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;img title="wizard of oz" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/6/0/4/7/3/ar133531016137406.png" height="251" alt="wizard of oz" width="251" style="margin: 4px; float: right;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;April 25 - June 16th with shows mostly Wednesday &lt;span&gt;thru&lt;/span&gt; Saturday! Children and adults are $12.00 each and groups of 20 or more, just $10.00 per ticket. Seating is assigned and doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There is a special breakfast buffet with The Wizard of Oz characters on April 28, May 12, 19, 26 and June 16 at 11:30am. The buffet and tickets are just $25 for adults and $22 for children 12 and under. Tax and gratuity are included.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;Drury&lt;/span&gt; Lane &lt;span&gt;Theatre&lt;/span&gt; is located at 100 &lt;span&gt;Drury&lt;/span&gt; Lane in &lt;span&gt;Oakbrook&lt;/span&gt; Terrace.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Box office is 630-530-0111.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:46:35 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3194155/drury-lane-theatre-presents-the-wizard-of-oz-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3193973/hairspray-the-broadway-musical-at-drury-lane-theatre-in-oakbrook-terrace</guid>
      <title>Hairspray - The Broadway Musical at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="hairspray oakbrook terrace il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/2/2/1/5/ar133530677151223.jpg" height="268" alt="hairspray oakbrook terrace, il" width="200" style="margin: 3px; float: left;"&gt;I'm so excited! I had no idea that Hairspray is playing at Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace! From April 12 - June 17, come see the cult classic John Waters film! Hairspray was remade in 2007, starring John Travolta and Michelle Pfeiffer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Set in Baltimore in 1962, Hairspray is the story of pleasantly plump teen, Tracy Turnblad, who does whatever it takes to fulfill her lifelong dream of appearing on the popular Corny Collins Show!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Go to &lt;a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com"&gt;www.ticketmaster.com&lt;/a&gt; to order tickets! Or order by phone at 630-530-0111&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:35:40 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3193973/hairspray-the-broadway-musical-at-drury-lane-theatre-in-oakbrook-terrace</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3193176/home-sales-in-joliet-il-for-the-week-of-april-16-20-2012</guid>
      <title>Home Sales in Joliet, IL for the Week of April 16-20, 2012</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Twenty homes sold during the week of April 16-20, 2012. &lt;img title="remax joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/3/9/3/2/ar133529329523932.jpg" height="166" alt="remax joliet il" width="250" style="margin: 3px; float: right;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Of the 20 homes, only 5 were foreclosures and just one was a short sale.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Prices ranged from $14,000&amp;nbsp;- $235,000.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Average list price was $129,169 with the average selling price at $121,460.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Average market time is 175 days.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sold properties closed averaging 5.97% of their final list price.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:50:14 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3193176/home-sales-in-joliet-il-for-the-week-of-april-16-20-2012</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3180191/-highest-and-best-really-means-highest-and-best-</guid>
      <title>"Highest and Best" really means "Highest and Best"</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;We've ALL been there and probably more than once!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We are writing an offer on a bank-owned property. You decide it makes sense to call the listing agent in front of your buyer and ask "Are there any other offers on this property?" You repeat to your buyer who is hoping for a "no" that in there are already &lt;img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/0/4/9/0/ar133493642409408.jpg" height="115" alt="" width="125" style="margin: 3px; float: right;"&gt;multiple offers on this property.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You hang up and tell your buyer that they need to come in "highest and best". You repeat that the house is listed at $154,900 and comps are showing that the home is priced really well. Three almost identical homes sold in the last month for $165,900, $166,500 and $168,900.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You wait for your buyer to process what you just said.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;"I think $144,900 is a good price to offer. What do you think?"&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have no problem telling them "I think, since you are asking, that you are wasting paper as well as everyone's time. Someone is going to come in AT list and someone is going to come in $100 OVER list. Your offer will go in the trash."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I don't know why buyers can't grasp "Highest and best". I just don't get it. I've had buyers that know better because they lost 5 houses to the "highest and best" and just don't get it! Sometimes I'm lucky and a buyer finally gets it and listens to me and they get the house.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;I'm waiting for one right now....my buyer came in at list price and I'm praying everyone else's highest and best was low!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:40:44 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3180191/-highest-and-best-really-means-highest-and-best-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3179973/paula-deen-s-kitchen-at-harrah-s-casino-in-joliet</guid>
      <title>Paula Deen's Kitchen at Harrah's Casino in Joliet</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Paula Deen's Kitchen is the first Paula Deen buffet-style and ala carte restaurant and retail store located outside of the &lt;img title="paula deen harrahs joliet" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/2/3/4/5/ar133493193354327.jpg" height="90" alt="paula deen harrahs joliet" width="160" style="margin: 4px; float: right;"&gt;South. Paula Deen's Kitchen was created with the personal touch of the Queen of Southern Cooking herself and aims to create a memorable dining experience that goes beyond great food, but also provides patrons the feel of a home cooked meal served right from Paula's dining room.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Menu highlights include "build your own" savory skillets and omelets for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, indulge in Paula Deen's renowned crab cakes, baby back ribs, shrimp and grits and much more. The Saturday and Sunday Brunch menu also includes delectable cocktails, including mimosas and the Georgia Peach. Complete the dining experience with scrumptious treats such as butter rum and chocolate layer cakes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to enjoying delicious Southern cuisine, guests can also stop by the restaurant's retail store to pick up some of Paula Deen's signature items such as aprons, cookbooks, cookware and even pieces from her recently introduced furniture line.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Detailed Hours of Operation:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Breakfast&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt; Sunday - Saturday&lt;br&gt; 7:30am - 11:00am&lt;br&gt; A la carte Menu only&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brunch&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt; Saturday &amp;amp; Sunday Brunch $21.99&lt;br&gt; Children ages 3 - 10 $12.99 &lt;br&gt; 10am-3pm&lt;br&gt; Enjoy selections from our Ala Carte menu&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lunch&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt; Monday - Friday&lt;br&gt; 11am - 4pm&lt;br&gt; Buffet $15.99, Children ages 3 - 10 $7.99&lt;br&gt; Enjoy selections from our Ala Carte menu&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dinner&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt; Sunday - Wednesday Buffet $22.99, Children ages 3 - 10 $11.99&lt;br&gt; Thursday Prime Rib Buffet $22.99, Children ages 3 - 10 $12.99&lt;br&gt; 4pm - 10pm&lt;br&gt; Friday Night "Fish Fry" Buffet $22.99, Children ages 3 - 10 $12.99&lt;br&gt; Saturday "Steak &amp;amp; Bake" Dinner Buffet $27.99, Children ages 3 - 10 &lt;br&gt;$12.99&lt;br&gt; 4pm - 11pm&lt;br&gt; Enjoy selections from our Ala Carte menu&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Reservations call 815-740-7800&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:27:46 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3179973/paula-deen-s-kitchen-at-harrah-s-casino-in-joliet</link>
    </item>
    <item>
      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3178771/6-things-you-don-t-want-to-do-after-you-apply-for-a-mortgage-</guid>
      <title>6 things you don&#8217;t want to do after you apply for a mortgage </title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;EXCELLENT post by &lt;strong&gt;San Francisco Real Estate Professionals. &lt;/strong&gt;It is so important NOT to make large purchaces, change your bank accounts. deposit large sums of cash, co-sign loans or apply/close credit. You will risk losing your buying power fast!&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="reblogging_tag"&gt;Via &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/3178764/6-things-you-don-t-want-to-do-after-you-apply-for-a-mortgage-"&gt;San Francisco Real Estate Professionals&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;:&lt;br&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/9/9/2/4/ar133488560842999.jpeg" height="143" alt="" style="float: right; border-width: 5px; border-color: black; border-style: solid; margin: 5px;" width="200"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"&gt;6 things you don&amp;rsquo;t want to do after you apply for a mortgage&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Has anyone heard the saying &amp;ldquo;common sense is NOT common practice?&amp;rdquo;&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;During the time when you are &lt;a href="http://www.sfrealestateprofessionals.com/four-things-to-think-about-before-you-buy-a-home.html"&gt;buying your home&lt;/a&gt;, this is definitely when some people tend to do some non-commonsensical things!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"&gt;Here are a few things that could be deal breakers for &lt;a href="http://www.sfrealestateprofessionals.com/top-5-home-buying-mistakes.html"&gt;buying&lt;/a&gt; a home:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
&lt;li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"&gt;Don&amp;rsquo;t make large purchases.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;When you are buying a home you are going to be bringing in new debt.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;However, after applying for a home don&amp;rsquo;t go out and buy a new car or furniture, this could raise you debt ratio and make it riskier for the loan company to lend to you.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Sometimes after doing this, the previously qualified buyer is no longer able to qualify.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
&lt;li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"&gt;Do Not Change your bank accounts.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;If you have had an account for a while it is easier foe lenders to track and source your assets.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Before you even think to transfer money from one account to the other you should talk with you loan officer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
&lt;li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"&gt;Do not deposit cash into you bank account&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Cash is not very traceable and lenders need to be able to source your income.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Small deposits, which can be explained, are fine, but getting a large lump sum as a gift is not.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Discuss the right way of tracking your assets with your loan officer.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
&lt;li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"&gt;Don&amp;rsquo;t co-sign other loans for anyone.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Once you have co-signed on a loan you are now obligated to that loan.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;With the obligation comes a higher ratio.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Lenders will be counting the payment against you even if you tell them you won&amp;rsquo;t be.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
&lt;li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"&gt;Don&amp;rsquo;t close any credit accounts.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Many clients believe that by closing out credit accounts makes them less risky and that they will have a better chance of being approved for the loan. This is INCORRECT.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;The majority of your score is the length and depth of your credit history.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Closing these accounts can have a negative impact on your credit score.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
&lt;li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle"&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 13.0pt;"&gt;Do not apply for new credit accounts.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;ul type="disc" style="margin-top: 0in;"&gt;
&lt;li class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst"&gt;Anytime you have your credit run, whether its for a new car or a credit card, this will effect your FICO score.Your interest rate is based on your credit score. The lower the score the higher the rate or you may not be eligible for the loan.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;
When deciding to apply for a &lt;a href="http://www.sfrealestateprofessionals.com/finance/"&gt;mortgage&lt;/a&gt; make sure you talk with your &lt;a href="http://www.sfrealestateprofessionals.com/contactus/"&gt;loan officer&lt;/a&gt; before you decide to do anything else financially.&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;Any change in income, assets, or credit will need to be reviewed and all decisions will need to be made in a way to keep your application in the best light.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://boomstatic.com/content/tenant/INDLehrCA/office.jpg" alt="San Francisco Real Estate Professionals" width="230" style="margin-bottom: 10px; border: 1px solid #cccccc;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;San Francisco Real Estate Professionals&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;span class="address"&gt;1641 Laurel Street&lt;br&gt; San Carlos, CA 94070&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt; Phone: (650) 434-2289&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:39:43 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3178771/6-things-you-don-t-want-to-do-after-you-apply-for-a-mortgage-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3171709/i-just-checked-the-experts-at-realty-times-about-our-market-could-you-be-any-more-wrong-</guid>
      <title>I Just Checked the Experts at Realty Times About Our Market....Could You Be Any More WRONG?</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I agree with Don Sabinske, Sabinske &amp;amp; Associates Inc. post that I just read. There are tons of properties getting multiple offers and buyers are just now starting to understand that. Great post and hopefully it gets buyers to understand it's not about the low-ball offer anymore!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div id="reblogging_tag"&gt;Via &lt;b&gt;&lt;a href="http://activerain.com/blogsview/3171702/i-just-checked-the-experts-at-realty-times-about-our-market-could-you-be-any-more-wrong-"&gt;Don Sabinske, Sabinske &amp;amp; Associates Inc.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;:&lt;br&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Realty Times has our market listed as a Buyer's Market today.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Let me tell you that is not the case.&amp;nbsp; Short sales, foreclosures, regular sales, if they are priced correctly are getting multiple offers above list.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Yes, you read that correctly....MULTIPLE OFFERS above list.&amp;nbsp; How do I know this?&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; By being both a listing agent and selling agent, I have the bird's eye view of what is out there.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I know that if a property has good bones, has a decent price and is in a fair area of Sherburne County, it will sell quickly.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;That is the key....correct pricing to put the seller in the cat-bird seat.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But, we don't need the "experts" to put it out there that it is still a buyer's market because it most certainly is not.&amp;nbsp; At least not anymore.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And, with interest rates rising, buyers need to move....and move quickly to get that home that they want NOW.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;At least that is how I see it on this 17th day of April.&amp;nbsp; Don't say I didn't warn you that sometimes the "experts" can see their hands in front of their faces....&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"&gt;Don Sabinske, Broker, GRI&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"&gt;www. donsabinske.com&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"&gt;Sabinske &amp;amp; Associates Inc.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;"&gt;763-350-7960&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:03:57 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3171709/i-just-checked-the-experts-at-realty-times-about-our-market-could-you-be-any-more-wrong-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3161355/-ride-the-rock-in-joliet-</guid>
      <title>"Ride the Rock" in Joliet!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="ride the rock joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/3/6/9/1/ar133442914219633.jpg" height="108" alt="ride the rock joliet il" width="150" style="margin: 3px; vertical-align: text-top; float: left;"&gt;Looking for a fun family event to do in May? "Ride the Rock" is a free, family group bike ride and festival sponsered my the Forest Preserve District of Will County and Provena Saint Joseph Medial Center! This it the 6th year they will be doing it. Ride SIXTEEN MILES!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Saturday, May 12th from 9:00am - 3:00pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The ride will being at I&amp;amp;M Canal Access, located on Empress/Hollywood Road (Houbolt Road), 0.25-mile south of I-80 in Joliet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Additional activities include music, bike decorating, a climbing wall, a stilt walker, face painting and food will be available to be purchased from Heroes West Sports Grill.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Rain or shine, we ride!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Call 815-727-8700 &lt;a href="http://www.reconnectwithnature.org/information/rtr2012.asp"&gt;http://www.reconnectwithnature.org/information/rtr2012.asp&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;to sign up!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sat, 14 Apr 2012 11:46:52 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3161355/-ride-the-rock-in-joliet-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3161295/hairball-at-rialto-square-theatre-in-joliet</guid>
      <title>HAIRBALL at Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;HEY ALL YOU 70'S AND 80'S ROCK BAND FANS....COME TO HAIRBALL!&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;img title="hairball joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/3/0/8/2/ar133442702128033.jpg" height="184" alt="hairball joliet il" width="250" style="margin: 3px; float: right;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When was the last time you saw Guns &amp;amp; Roses, AC/DC, Aerosmith, KISS, Van Halen, Queen Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper, Poison, Bon Jovi, Judas Priest and more all in the same night? Hairball is the world's ultimate "80's Rock" impersonation act, recreating the good-time party atmosphere of the decadent decade with unmatched authenticity. A pyro show that would make KISS jealous, more costumes and make-up than a traveling circus could ever dream of and an ever-evolving, endless play list of hit songs, Hairball produces a rock concert like nothing ever seen before. The lights, the sound and the performance will have you wondering if this isn&amp;rsquo;t the real deal! The dizzying spectical of non-stop rock for two plus hours is a world-class show you&amp;rsquo;ll never forget.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;DO NOT miss Hairball, the most exciting re-creation of the greatest era in rock history!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;May 11, 2012 at 8:00pm at the Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago Street in Joliet. Call 815-726-6600 for more information and tickets!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sat, 14 Apr 2012 11:12:30 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3161295/hairball-at-rialto-square-theatre-in-joliet</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3161285/beauty-and-the-beast-by-alphabet-soup-productions</guid>
      <title>Beauty and The Beast by Alphabet Soup Productions</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Alphabet Soup Productions, winner of the 2008 Illinois Theatre Association Award of Excellence in the Children's Theatre...is bringing "Beauty and The Beast" to Joliet!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;April 23, 24 and 25 with all performances starting at 10:30am&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Billie Limacher BiCenntenial Park Theatre located at Jefferson/Bluff Street in Joliet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Go to &lt;a href="http://www.absproductions.com/"&gt;www.absproductions.com&lt;/a&gt; for other performances at North Central College, Governors State University, Museum of Science &amp;amp; Industry and more!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sat, 14 Apr 2012 11:07:13 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3161285/beauty-and-the-beast-by-alphabet-soup-productions</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3161261/joliet-drama-guild-deathtrap</guid>
      <title>Joliet Drama Guild - Deathtrap</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Come see this five character (3 male roles and 2 female roles), two act thriller! &lt;img title="deathtrap remas joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/8/1/2/7/5/ar133442612957218.jpg" height="109" alt="deathtrap remax joliet il" width="120" style="margin: 2px; float: right;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;"Sidney Bruhl" sorely needs a hit when young playright "Clifford Anderson" offers him a stunning new thriller, Deathtrap. Deathtap is a "play" within a "play".&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Friday, April 20th, 2012 at 8:00pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Saturday, April 21th, 2012 at 8:00pm&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 at 2:00PM&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Location: Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park, 201 W. Jefferson St. at Bluff Street.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:56:48 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3161261/joliet-drama-guild-deathtrap</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3161222/rialto-square-theatre-laughter-reflections-with-carol-burnett</guid>
      <title>Rialto Square Theatre - Laughter &amp; Reflections with Carol Burnett</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;Remember The Carol Burnett Show? It was on for 11 years and earned 25 Emmy Awards!&lt;img title="carol burnett remax" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/4/6/1/0/ar133442524201647.jpg" height="155" alt="carol burnett remax" width="202" style="margin: 3px; float: right;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you were a fan then you remember Carol Burnett, at the beginning of each of her shows, would ask audience questions. This is a rare opportunity to talk to Ms. Burnett in the same enjoyable and intimate audience-interactive format. So bring your questions!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Carol Burnett is doing two shows: Tuesday, May 8th and Wednesday, May 9th; both at 8:00pm.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Go to &lt;a href="http://www.rialtosquare.com/"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;www&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;span&gt;rialtosquare&lt;/span&gt;.com&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span&gt; for more information!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:46:26 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3161222/rialto-square-theatre-laughter-reflections-with-carol-burnett</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3157503/new-price-at-1300-schriber-avenue-in-joliet-il-listed-by-remax-</guid>
      <title>New Price at 1300 Schriber Avenue in Joliet, IL Listed by REMAX!</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;New price of 1300 Schriber Avenue in Joliet. Listed at just $104,900!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Very cute ranch home with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. Updated kitchen cabinets/counters. All appliances stay. True dining room which can also be used as an office. Backyard is fenced and there is a 2 car detached garage. 1,200 sf.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="remax joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/2/9/6/6/ar133432006466927.jpg" height="134" alt="remax joliet il" width="200" style="margin: 2px;"&gt;&lt;img title="remax joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/9/0/1/5/3/ar133432010035109.jpg" height="134" alt="remax joliet il" width="200" style="margin: 2px;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img title="remax joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/1/4/1/5/ar133432012851417.jpg" height="134" alt="remax joliet il" width="200" style="margin: 2px;"&gt;&lt;img title="remax joliet il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/2/8/7/2/7/ar133432015172782.jpg" height="134" alt="remax joliet il" width="200" style="margin: 2px;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Call LaNita Cates with REMAX Realty of Joliet at 630-341-1545 or email me at &lt;a href="http://www.lanitacates.com"&gt;www.lanitacates.com&lt;/a&gt; to learn more and to schedule a showing!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:31:10 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3157503/new-price-at-1300-schriber-avenue-in-joliet-il-listed-by-remax-</link>
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      <guid>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3152933/hud-owned-home-for-sale-in-romeoville-il</guid>
      <title>HUD-owned Home For Sale in Romeoville, IL</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="color: #000080;"&gt;Popular 3 bedroom raised ranch style home. Spacious eat-in kitchen. Large 2 car garage. Newer furnance, C/A, and 100 amp electric service. Huge unfinished lower level ready to be remodeled into additional bedrooms and a large family room. Deck and detached 2 car garage. Walking distance to all schools. Minutes from I55. Case #137-244528 Insured. Located at 203 Fremont Avenue in Romeoville, Hampton Park subdivision. Listed at $49,000.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="color: #000080;"&gt;&lt;img title="remax romeoville il" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/7/4/0/9/0/ar133418832009047.jpg" height="188" alt="remax romeoville il" width="250" style="margin: 2px; vertical-align: baseline;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="color: #000080;"&gt;Call Ken Saieg at REMAX Realty of Joliet at 815-741-5656 or &lt;a href="mailto:kensaieg@remax.net"&gt;kensaieg@remax.net&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span class="value"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style="color: #000080;"&gt;&lt;img title="romeoville il remax" src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/3/0/6/0/4/ar133418826440603.gif" height="51" alt="romeoville il remax" width="50" style="margin: 2px; vertical-align: bottom;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="agent_signature"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: andale mono,times;"&gt;LaNita Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet, Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate needs. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <dc:creator>LaNita Cates (REMAX of Joliet)</dc:creator>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:54:08 -0700</pubDate>
      <link>http://activerain.com/blogsview/3152933/hud-owned-home-for-sale-in-romeoville-il</link>
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