Karen's story below reminds me of when I was selling my first home. It was a saturday morning and my spouse felt like making homemade yeast rolls. These rolls are so great you'll eat one and before your know it you'll eat four. The glorious smell filling the home just makes you want to eat ev
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02/25/2012
After all my marketing efforts on my listings the telephone rings, or I get a text, or an email and it is a Buyer requesting to tour a home. The first question I must ask is always an awkward one, "have you qualified with a Lender?" The answer I primarily get is, "no, I'd prefer to see if I li
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02/24/2012
When we Realtors get together at Brokers Luncheons we have the opportunity to share some of our transaction challenges. Ginny, below uses the term "credit-bumps!" Her story reminds me of the time I was supporting a valued First-time Buyer at a closing. Everything was going very smoothly. We
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02/24/2012
Government Extends Period to Request Review of Foreclosure Handling to July 31 Borrowers who faced foreclosure in 2009 or 2010 may be eligible for a free independent review of their foreclosures and they now have until July 31, 2012 to make a request for that review. The reviews which were ordere
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02/24/2012
Renee Kosel, Assistant House Republican Leader and Illinois State Representative asked me to participate in a online legislative survey so she could gather a wide range of valuable ideas, suggestions, and concerns. Below is the feeback she received reflecting the opinions of all who participated
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02/22/2012
Recently I was touring homes with a Valued Buyer Couple. They mentioned how much they enjoy watching HGTV. We discovered we are mutual fans. They ask me if Realtors naturally put a positive spin on negative things Buyers point out about homes? Without really giving it much thought the first thin
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02/22/2012
Nick Timiraos has discovered the share of homeowners behind on their mortgages fell to the lowest level in three years during the fourth quarter of 2011, offering the latest sign of how recent job-market gains could help heal the battered housing market, according to a report released Thursday.
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02/21/2012
Small-Home Trend Reverses as More High-End Buyers Enter the Market Single-family home starts were at a 40-year-low in 2011, with just 429,000 homes built. That’s also a 75 percent decrease from a peak of 1.7 million starts in 2005, Multimedia Web Producer Erica Christoffer discovers at the build
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02/21/2012
8 Quick, Hot Design Tips From the International Builders’ Show Looking for quick, easy ideas to bring a home to life, add value, or prep for sale without spending a lot? Learn from the pros! Erica Christoffer, a multimedia Web Producer shares Designers who presented at the International Builder
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02/21/2012
FHA Mortgage Premiums On The Rise Mick Rothblott, Mortgage & Construction Loan Planner informs us the Administration has released the budget for the next fiscal year and included in this budget is a soon to be announced increase in insurance premiums for Federal Housing Administration mortgage
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02/20/2012
