Spring is on its Way to Champaign-Urbana IL - 03/17/11 04:38 PM
Spring is on its Way to Champaign-Urbana IL
Sure signs of spring are beginning to appear all over Champaign-Urbana IL. In fact, the picture here is of a little bundle of flowers that recently popped up in my backyard!
Soon enough we'll be spending our Saturday mornings tending to our lawns and gardens, and luckily, several events have been planned here in Champaign-Urbana over the coming month or so to help residents prepare for and welcome in the new spring season...
Spring Leaf Collection: The city of Urbana will be collecting leaves during the weeks of April 11-15 and April 25-29 … (2 comments)

How to Buy a Home: A First-Time Home Buyer's Guide, Part 6 - 03/15/11 04:36 PM
How to Buy a Home: A First-Time Home Buyer's Guide, Part 6
Part 6: Closing
This, my friends, is the final chapter of becoming a homeowner! Let’s recap, shall we?
You began the process by finding a reputable real estate agent to work with, and then you spent some time working with your lender to get your preapproval letter for your loan. From there, you and your agent went on the hunt looking for your dream home until you found… “The One”!!! Armed with your preapproval letter, you wrote a strong offer. After a bit of negotiating, you and the seller … (2 comments)

Champaign County IL Real Estate Market Report, February 2011 - 03/07/11 07:47 PM
Champaign County IL Real Estate Market Report, February 2011
February 2011 Residential Sales Information Compared to February 2010
The following real estate market information concerns only residential sales in greater Champaign County, IL and includes houses, condos, co-ops, and zerolots.
February 2011 Closed Sales Statistics:
115 units sold $124,831 average sale price 95.1% sale-to-list price ratio 123 average days on the market February 2010 Closed Sales Statistics:
106 units sold $116,450 average sale price 95.0% sale-to-list price ratio 98 average days on the market
What's going on in our Champaign IL real estate market?
The number of sales are … (2 comments)

An Active Rain Challenge Pushed Me Over the Hill! - 03/07/11 03:09 PM
An Active Rain Challenge Pushed Me Over the Hill!
Today when I woke up I had right around 98,000 points here on Active Rain and just a few moments ago that number shot up and over 100,000! How did I earn so many points so quickly, you might be asking? Well, I participated in an Active Rain challenge and was finally awarded those 2,500 points today…that’s how!
Sure, I know some of you fellow Rainers out there aren’t crazy about these Active Rain challenges, but I’m all in favor. Everyone needs a boost now and then, and that’s exactly what … (8 comments)

How to Buy a Home: A First-Time Home Buyer's Guide, Part 5 - 03/04/11 05:52 PM
How to Buy a Home: A First-Time Home Buyer's Guide, Part 5
In case you're just tuning in, here are the links to parts 1 through 4:
Part 1- Finding a Real Estate Agent to Represent YOU
Part 2- Getting Pre-Approved for a Loan
Part 3- Finding Your Dream Home
Part 4- Making an Offer
 
Part 5: Under Contract- It’s Where the Real Work Begins
Many times, people think that the most difficult part of buying a home is finding the right house. If only it were that simple!
The real work begins when you’re “under contract," and it’s … (3 comments)