If you are currently in the market for your first home, you probably have lots of questions. You are about to be making an important decision for your future, a great investment of both money and time. I have a wealth of experience helping first time buyers like you make sound, informed decisions. Here are some tips that can help make your home buying process successful:
Tip #1: Do Your Homework The perfect home won't find you by itself. The key step in buying a home is doing the proper research. Educate yourself on local schools, neighborhoods, and the kinds of homes available. By visiting my website and reviewing properties, you can start to put together your idea of the perfect home.
Tip #2: Start Planning Most decisions benefit greatly from proper planning, and home buying is certainly no exception. By marking your favorites, you'll start a file that we can review together. My website is a great resource for property information.
Tip #3: Get PreQualified Getting prequalified for a loan normally only requires a short phone conversation with a lender, and can greatly help your home search. Prequalification does not guarantee you a loan, but it does provide you with an estimated monthly payment and a price range to use as a guide when shopping for homes. Being prequalified can also often indicate to sellers that you are a serious, prepared buyer.
Tip #4: Look for Value When shopping for homes, it's important to consider potential value. Even if you're not planning to sell the home some time down the line, it's a good idea to consider the future value of the home. You may not think of a new home as a means to make money, but it's an important investment that requires careful consideration.
Tip #5: Decide What You're Looking For Settle on the home features that are important to you (covered parking, hardwood floors, architectural style, etc.) and make a prioritized list. Having well established guidelines will help narrow down your search and will prevent you from being shown properties that lack your key amenities. It can help you make the decision not to buy an attractive property that doesn't really fit your needs. My website has a search feature that allows you to filter thousands of listings based on attributes that you select. If you know you want a brick house with gas heat and a garage, you can get the results you're looking for.
Tip #6: Relax You don't have to make an offer on the first home you see. Make sure to look at other listings in the area to get a feel for the marketplace. When you decide to make an offer on a house, consult with your real estate professional so that all of your questions are answered.
Tip #7: Shop Around for Your Mortgage Deciding on the financing for your home can be as important as choosing a home itself. The first step is deciding what kind of loan best fits you: a fixed rate mortgage, or an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM). There are benefits to each form of loan, and your real estate professional can provide you with more information.
Tip #8: Protect Yourself B Paying for a quality home inspection is absolutely critical! You can save yourself thousands in repair costs by having a professional evaluate the soundness of the home you are considering.
More information for first time buyers can be found on my website, or by giving me a call. I'm confident that I can provide the kind of exceptional service that will make this process a rewarding one. Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have, I would love to be of assistance to you.
Your Friend in Real Estate,
Richard Ives, ABR, e-PRO, RECS, AHWD, SRES, AIREE, REEA
In my blog today I would like to ask you all for your help with Sending a Care Package to our Illinois Troops in Iraq
Helping Our Heroes is currently sending care packages to soldiers overseas. They have shipped over 75 boxes to our heroes since Thanksgiving week. They are currently looking for additional items to send abroad.
The items the soldiers can use:
personal hygiene items
movies (DVD)
music CD's
dried fruit
hard candy
nuts
playing cards
games
books
even Twinkies, Nutty Buddy and Hostess cupcakes! (we all know Twinkies last forever)
They will try and tailor a package to a specific soldier. For example:
They are supporting a Staff Sergeant who is working with local families and children in Iraq. They have been sending school supplies to her.
They are also working with a chaplain who is with a troop of 5500 soldiers. He has been giving candy to soldiers as he ministers to them.
So as you can see, the sky is the limit. PLEASE NOTE: Flammable items cannot be sent. But they were able to send some manicure/pedicure kits and hydrating lotion to a troop that is stationed high in the mountains.
Every thank you note that they have received had stated that the soldiers are sharing the goodies with their tent or room mates! Everything is appreciated.
Please deliver these items to Richard Ives at RE/MAX At Home 3215 Algonquin Rd. Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 and he will be delivering them to the REALTOR Associtaion of Northwest Chicagoland/Helping Our Heroes who will be sending the items to the troops in Iraq. Thank you in advance for your help. Together we can make a difference.
When visiting your home one of the very first things a potential buyer will see is your front entry door. So to help your home smile welcome to a potential buyer you will want to make sure that your front door is in the best possible condition. If it needs to be painted us a contemporary color. If it is stained but weathered re-stain it. If the door or door frames are not in good condition you may want to consider replacing them.
Read about what my satisfied customers have to say about me and see what I have done to make them happy.
Richard Ives, Broker/Instructor
RE/MAX AT HOME
Testimonial 1
We had been looking for a home since October 2007 and found nothing that we liked! Unsatisfied with our current agent we were recommended by our lender to contact Richard Ives and after all the tools that he provided we found our first home within a month! We were so GLAD to have met Richard and look forward to working with him in the future for all of our investments. Thanks for all your help Richard!
Sincerely,
Shikh & Rahat
Testimonial 2
Richard,
Thanks again. It was, as always, a pleasure to work with you.
Josh
Testimonial 3
Dear Marilyn and Richard:
It is cold and windy out, and I am sitting in my new home. Thank you so much for all the work you did. I never had a question that wasn't answered in less than 12 hours, and most of the time you had answers before I had questions. You handled every detail and kept me informed and educated me as well. This was a really great and fun experience. Not like the horror stories of house buying, but smooth, easy and exciting. You two make a great team and I am so very luck to have met you. I hope that you get to have fun with this profession, because you sure helped me to have fun with house buying.
Thank you.
Terry M.
Testimonial 4
Dear Richard:
Wow! You listed and sold our property in just 11 hours. We wanted to thank you for your informative tips prior to placing the home on the market. Your knowledge and expertise of the market was key in our success. When we are ready to sell another home we will be calling you. Thank you again for all you did to make the sale go as smooth as possible and taking care of all the details throughout the entire transaction.
Sincerely, Dan L.
Testimonial 6
Richard,
Relocating from the East Coast to your area was much easier because of your professional and informative services. Viewing houses to select for my new home in the area was greatly facilitated by the advance coordination you provided during my tow house hunting visits. Once I identified a home to purchase and I returned to the East Coast to pur my home there on the market, you kept me advised of the latest status on my home purchase and also provided many helpful reminders regarding relocation and establishing new utility accounts. I greatly appreciated the fact that you personally checked on the status of various items that were yet to be completed by the builder. This, alone, made me feel that I was in good hands with you as my representative. Your services were thorough, responsive, informative and professional. Thank you for making my transition go smoothly.
Sincerely,
Connie
Testimonial 7
Good afternoon Richard,
It was a pleasure working with you! I am very impressed with the level of service that you provided with our clients! I look forward in working with you again.
Thanks,
Mike F.
Testimonial 8
Richard,
Thank you. I enjoy working with you and your clients on home financing.
Janene T.
Testimonial 9
Good Morning Richard:
I wanted to let you know that I was also very impressed with your professionalism during the transaction. It was nice not having to hunt the Realtor down at any point during the transaction. It was almost like you were one step ahead of me at all times. I will definitely be recommending you to future clients!!
Thanks again Richard
Troy
Testimonial 10
Dear Richard, It is always a pleasure working with you. I have heard nothing but good things about you from our mutual clients. The way you look out for their every need has always impressed me. There are very few real estate agents who work as hard as you representing your clients throughout the home buying process. Your diligence and attention to detail reflect the type of customer service that I am sure anyone would appreciate. I cannot stress enough how the extra effort that you put into watching out for your clients' well being is appreciated. I would confidently recommend you to anyone in need of a professional Realtor.
Sincerely,
Mike M.
Testimonial 11
Through a business association, I had know Richard Ives for quite some time. He had always been friendly, thoughtful, and energetic and we enjoyed a very pleasant relationship. When it came time to sell my business, I immediately thought of him as the most likely person to represent my interests. Richard justified my faith in him by using all the tools at his disposal to inform the public of the sale of my business and to locate and interview potential buyers. Richard's efforts paid off in short order and the sale was completed to everyone's satisfaction. At all times, he was attentive to the events and circumstances which affected the sale and kept me informed nearly daily of developments. Besides his work at actually selling, he also kept the paperwork current and made the legalities clear to me. His wealth of knowledge of the real estate business is well above average and his "desk-side" manner was above reproach. My thanks go to Richard for caring enough to provide the very best.
Dianne
Testimonial 12
Dear Richard, You were there when you were needed the most. Thanks for all the time, effort and devotion you contributed to make this house happen. It will always be appreciated. You're the best Realtor! Luke
Testimonial 13
Dear Richard: You made the sale of our home go so smoothly. We appreciate your hard work, Richard. Thank you again, Chelsea
Testimonial 14
Dear Richard: A very belated thank you is in order for the coffee mugs you sent us. They have become our mugs of choice and are used daily! We have been in our house for over a year now and still love it. You sure made our move and transition to this area smooth. For that we are very thankful.
John
Testimonial 15
Testimonial letter:
Richard Ives sold our home in record time. It was only on the market for six days. Since we were relocating to the East Coast due to a job transfer, Richard handled every aspect of our transaction. He was available to open the house for all inspections and kept us up to date on all that was going on. We are so glad he was at our side. Selling a home can be a nightmare, but Richard guided us through as a real professional. He made the entire transaction very smooth and pain free. We now consider him a friend. Thank you Richard for all of your help! We will definitely recommend you to any who is planning on buying or selling real estate.
David
Testimonial 16
Dear Richard, We wanted to thank you and tell you what a pleasure it was working with you on the purchase of our new home. Our experience with you was just wonderful. Since we were first time home buyers who were relocating from Minneapolis it could have been stressful at times but you were right there to help us with all of the details. From start to finish you coordinated the home inspection, and closing as well as handling every detail of the transaction. We felt very comfortable with you and never felt "High pressured" in any way, and the home you found us was perfect. We could not have been more pleased with you and all of your hard work and we could not have asked for a better Realtor. Rest assured you will be highly recommended to all our friends and family. Catherine It was a pleasure to have Richard as my Realtor; he worked hard and found exactly the property I wanted and could afford. Because I was single and female, many Realtors assumed that I would not be able to purchase any property and therefore totally ignored me, or worse, told me that I was financially inadequate (before they know anything about me or my finances). Richard was the only Realtor in town who took me seriously and treated me with respect as a legitimate business client. I truly appreciate that. Thank you Richard!
Sincerely, Kathy
Testimonial 17
Dear Richard:
Richard Ives was very helpful and knowledgeable about the area. He provided information about local schools, hospitals and details about the area. Richard coordinated the rent-back of the property, finding a lender and setting up the closing of the property. Richard was always available to answer questions, show multiple properties and keep us informed about details and developments of our transaction. I would highly recommend Richard Ives as a Realtor to anyone buying or selling property for a worry-free and enjoyable transaction. Thanks for all of your help Richard! Alan & Linda As a home inspector I have had the opportunity to work with a large number of realtors, one of those realtors is Richard Ives. In the instances I have dealt with Richard he has always proven himself to be competent and thorough person who has performed in a professional manner. While RichardÕs main goal has always been his customer it has been a pleasure to work with him. I would ask Richard to represent me in any home transaction and therefore would recommend him to anyone who has need of his services.
Sincerely,
Scott
Testimonial 18
Dear Richard: Just a note to let you know that I enjoyed working with you on your recent closing. You were efficient and helpful when it came to our insurance problem. Hope to see you soon at another closing. Thank you for all your assistance. Sincerely, Coleen
Testimonial 19
To whom it may concern: This letter is to recommend Richard Ives as a highly professional real estate agent. He assisted me with the purchase of a 1973 mobile home so the commission was a small one. The long distance transaction was stressful and difficult and Mr. Ives went above and beyond the call of duty in helping me complete the transaction. Very truly yours, Pat Montana
Testimonial 20
Dear Richard,
Thank you so much for all your help and patience!!
Thanks! Karen
Testimonial 21
To Prospective Clients of our Friends, Richard and Marylin Ives:
We are writing to tell about the great job Richard and Marylin Ives have done selling our House. We were relocating to Pennsylvania, and needed to sell our house in a hurry. Richard and Marilyn went above and beyond the call of duty. Their advice was critical in arranging a sale to meet the special needs of the buyer in a situation, which would have otherwise been very stressful. Finally we were able to sell the house for a fair profit after having lived in it only 2 and half years. We found them readily available, and kept us well informed throughout the entire process of selling our house. Knowing Marylyn and Richard as both realtors, and also as our friends, we strongly recommend them based on their solid work ethic for a worry free transaction. S
Sincerely Mark and Joan
Testimonial 22
To whom it may concern: I have been a mortgage lender for the past 19 years and I am pleased to recommend Richard Ives as a real estate professional who provides excellent service to his customers. I recently closed a loan for a customer of Richards and I was very impressed with his attention to details throughout the loan process. He maintained close contact with all parties involved and kept me informed to any changes as they occurred. I believe that he provides an excellent level of service to his customers as well as his real estate colleagues. I would not hesitate to recommend Richard Ives to anyone who is in the market to buy or sell real estate.
Sincerely,
Jan
Richard Ives, ABR, e-PRO, RECS, AHWD, SRES, REEA, AIREE
In my blog today I would like to ask you all for your help with Sending a Care Package to our Illinois Troops in Iraq
Helping Our Heroes is currently sending care packages to soldiers overseas. They have shipped over 75 boxes to our heroes since Thanksgiving week. They are currently looking for additional items to send abroad.
The items the soldiers can use:
personal hygiene items
movies (DVD)
music CD's
dried fruit
hard candy
nuts
playing cards
games
books
even Twinkies, Nutty Buddy and Hostess cupcakes! (we all know Twinkies last forever)
They will try and tailor a package to a specific soldier. For example:
They are supporting a Staff Sergeant who is working with local families and children in Iraq. They have been sending school supplies to her.
They are also working with a chaplain who is with a troop of 5500 soldiers. He has been giving candy to soldiers as he ministers to them.
So as you can see, the sky is the limit. PLEASE NOTE: Flammable items cannot be sent. But they were able to send some manicure/pedicure kits and hydrating lotion to a troop that is stationed high in the mountains.
Every thank you note that they have received had stated that the soldiers are sharing the goodies with their tent or room mates! Everything is appreciated.
Please deliver these items to Richard Ives at RE/MAX At Home 3215 Algonquin Rd. Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 and he will be delivering them to the REALTOR Associtaion of Northwest Chicagoland/Helping Our Heroes who will be sending the items to the troops in Iraq. Thank you in advance for your help. Together we can make a difference.
Home composting can be an easy way for your household to make a direct positive impact on the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food residuals and yard trimmings account for 24% of the municipal solid waste stream in the United States. The EPA estimates that 56.9 percent of yard trimmings were recovered for composting or grasscycled in 2000, a significant increase from the 12 percent recovery rate in 1990.
Home owners: Revitalizing your kitchen doesn't necessarily require an expensive, full-scale remodeling project. Upgrading individual kitchen appliances can help refresh the style of the entire room while also enhancing your cooking experience. Obtaining financing on individual appliances is also easier than getting a home equity line of credit or other loan for a full-on remodeling project.
What is Compost? Composting, nature's own way of recycling, is the controlled decomposition of organic material such as leaves, twigs, grass clippings, and vegetable food waste. Compost is the soil amendment product that results from proper composting.
Natural composting, or biological decomposition, began with the first plants on earth and has been going on ever since. As vegetation falls to the ground, it slowly decays, providing minerals and nutrients needed for plants, animals, and microorganisms. Mature compost, however, includes the production of high temperatures to destroy pathogens and weed seeds that natural decomposition does not destroy.
Where to Compost? Composting can be practiced in most backyards in a homemade or manufactured composting bin or simply an open pile (some cities do require enclosed bins). Businesses, schools, and other facilities can also easily compost. Contact your city or county government for information about free composting workshops and discounted or free composting bins.
Homemade bins can be constructed out of scrap wood, chicken wire, snow fencing or even old garbage cans (with holes punched in the sides and bottom).
Manufactured bins include turning units, hoops, cones, and stacking bins. These can be purchased from retail or mail-order businesses. Take the time to consider your options and then select a bin that best fits your needs.
What to Compost:
Eggshells
Coffee grounds and filters
Fruits and vegetables
Cardboard rolls
Grass clippings
Tea bags
Cotton rags
Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
Houseplants
Leaves
Hair and fur
Hay and straw
Nut shells
Sawdust
Wood chips
Wool rags
Yard trimmings
What Not to Compost:
Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
Why? Releases substances that might be harmful to plants
Why? Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
Diseased or insect-ridden plants
Why? Diseases or insects might survive and be transferred back to other plants
Fats, grease, lard, or oils
Why?Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
Meat or fish bones and scraps
Why? Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)
Why? Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans
Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
Why? Might kill beneficial composting organisms
Using Compost It can take anywhere from 14 days to 12 months to produce your finished compost. The time it takes can vary widely depending on the materials and methods used. The point at which the compost is ready varies based on how the compost will be used. In general, though, compost is ready when dark and crumbly and mostly broken down with a pleasant, earthy, soil-like smell to it. For most uses it is acceptable to have some recognizable pieces of leaves or straw remaining.
Finished compost can be applied to lawns and gardens to help condition the soil and replenish nutrients. Compost, however, should not be used as potting soil for houseplants because of the presence of weed and grass seeds.
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Chicagoland Real Estate Information
RE/MAX
Rolling Meadows, Arlington Heights, Niles, Park Ridge, Skokie, Mt. Prospect, Des Plaines, Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Chicago, Skokie, Lincolnwood, Norridge, Elmwood Park, Chicago Jefferson Park, Chicago Edison Park, Lincolnwood
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Make An Intelligent Move with Richard Ives
Richard Ives, Broker/Instructor 
Natural composting, or biological decomposition, began with the first plants on earth and has been going on ever since. As vegetation falls to the ground, it slowly decays, providing minerals and nutrients needed for plants, animals, and microorganisms. Mature compost, however, includes the production of high temperatures to destroy pathogens and weed seeds that natural decomposition does not destroy.
It can take anywhere from 14 days to 12 months to produce your finished compost. The time it takes can vary widely depending on the materials and methods used. The point at which the compost is ready varies based on how the compost will be used. In general, though, compost is ready when dark and crumbly and mostly broken down with a pleasant, earthy, soil-like smell to it. For most uses it is acceptable to have some recognizable pieces of leaves or straw remaining.
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