naperville: WORKING ON MY CREDIT REPORT...
- 05/06/09 09:55 AM
My family has just started shopping for a home in Naperville, so I called my mortgage broker last week. He was able to look at my credit report over the phone and give me a few simple tips to improve the report...
I actually needed to be added to one of our accounts. There were also a few small errors. One of my credit files listed me as "Enneth Tracy". Things like that...
Fortunately I have never been a victim of credit fraud, so it was surpisingly simple to make the necessary changes...
The websites and phone numbers for the three credit agencies:
TransUnion 800-916-8800
Equifax 800-685-1111
Experian 888-397-3742
I am continuing … (15 comments)
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naperville: SHOPPING FOR A HOME...
- 04/26/09 12:55 PM
My wife and I packed up our two young girls this afternoon and did a little house shopping.
After what has seemed like an endless winter, my family has been suffering from a serious case of house coop. The dark and rainy weekend we had here in Naperville wasn't helping. We needed to get out...
We have been searching for homes online over the last month or so. Today was the day we would see them on the inside...
I made a few quick calls, set up three appointments, and we were off to search for a home. We would be seeing homes in Brookdale, … (10 comments)
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naperville: OPEN HOUSE. SATURDAY APRIL 18TH. ESSEX PLACE CONDOS. NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS
- 04/15/09 10:15 AM
I will be having an open house at my listing in Essex Place this Saturday from 1-4 PM. Essex Place is a cool condominium building just blocks from downtown Naperville and the train...
Stop by and see this great corner unit. Two bedrooms. Granite. Stainless. Open Floor plan. Deck. Like new...
Great location. 104 E. 11th #202...
Ken
A Realtor you can trust.
… (3 comments)
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naperville: "NO WONDER NOBODY BUYS HOMES!"
- 04/13/09 02:14 PM
"This is awful..."
It was Nicole, my wife. She was looking through our files...
"No wonder nobody buys homes!"
She was looking for our 2007 tax returns. She was frustrated...
She had been gathering the documents we will need before we apply for a mortgage...
We hope to buy a home in Naperville by the end of 2009. We have contacted a mortgage broker, and he sent us what we need to get started.
We are very excited about today's real estate market...
The dramatic drop in prices, the $8000 tax credit, and the low down payment requirement (3.5%) on FHA loans is bringing my family into the real estate market sooner than I had … (15 comments)
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naperville: SO YOU WANT TO BUY A HOME? I DO TOO...
- 04/07/09 09:42 AM
So you want to buy a home? I do too.
My wife and I are hoping to purchase a home by the end of the year.
I am just getting excited...
Here are some of my reasons:
1. I am tired of renting. I have rented for three years, and I want to set some roots.
2. Mortgage rates are very low. They are currently under 5%.
3. Homes are cheap. Homes are selling at prices 20-30% below their peaks.
4. The tax credit. An $8000 tax credit is being offered to first time home buyers (or anyone else who has not owned a home for 3 years) who purchase a home … (24 comments)
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naperville: "HEY KEN, I HEAR THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IS PICKING UP..."
- 03/29/09 04:10 AM
I have had four or five friends say it to me in the last week...
"Hey Ken, I hear the real estate market is picking up."
Hmmmm.
I am not so sure. I just haven't seen it...
Am I a Negative Ninny? Perhaps.
But I do watch the real estate market here in Naperville very closely. I have yet to see the turnaround...
Yes, I heard the news. Home sales were up in February versus January. But they were still way down year over year. Prices were way down too.
Yes, I also know the stock market has rallied 1500 points in the last … (17 comments)
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naperville: THE REAL ESTATE MARKET HAS CHANGED...
- 03/25/09 10:36 AM
The real estate market has changed...
This morning, as I was going through today's real estate activity in Naperville, one transaction caught my eye...
728 Chateaugay had just been sold.
This was one of the first homes that I ever showed...
It was three years ago. My first clients. They loved the neighborhood (Hobson Village), the trees, the lot, the layout...
The home needed a bit of updating. A remodeled kitchen would have been great...
They liked the home enough to make an offer, the first of my career...
My clients lost out to another bidder (again, this was three years ago). The seller was asking … (23 comments)
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naperville: INTERNET EXPLORER 8...
- 03/21/09 12:16 PM
Have you downloaded it yet?
When I posted on Facebook I was downloading, I was warned...
"Don't do it!"
Well I have only had it for a day, but I have had no troubles so far...
I was told of compatibility issues with certain sites. The only trouble I did had was on the Facebook site. A quick fix...
Click on Tools, click "compatibility", and my problem was gone.
I have heard it is roughly twice as fast? Maybe. It is certainly not slower...
Everything is cleaner.
No regrets here. I say give it a shot...
UPGRADE TO INTERNET EXPLORER 8.
Anyone else have any thoughts?
Ken
A … (9 comments)
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naperville: OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY MARCH 22 1-4PM-GORGEOUS 2 BEDROOM CONDO-NAPERVILLE-NEAR TRAIN AND DOWNTOWN
- 03/20/09 10:49 AM
I am having an open house this Sunday at my new listing in Essex Place.
The building is near the corner of Washington and Ogden Avenue in Naperville.
The address of the property is 104 E 11th Street #202. MLS # 07110612
Cool building. Cool condo...
The open house is Sunday from 1-4PM. We just lowered the price from $324,900 to $299,900.
If you are in the neighborhood, please stop by and say hello.
Thanks much,
Ken
… (11 comments)
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naperville: LOWBALL OFFERS...
- 03/17/09 02:51 PM
Can an offer be so low that it is offensive?
I received an offer on one of my listings last night. A real nice two bedroom condo near Naperville's train station and downtown.
The condo is beautiful. It shows great. We've only been on the market 19 days...
Anyway, we received the offer last night. They bid $200k. We are asking $325K...
I must say I was surprised. In my three years as an agent, I haven't had an offer near this low.
Does this seem odd?
It seems strange to me...
We will sell this home. But not for 62% of our asking price after only 19 days … (82 comments)
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naperville: ONE YEAR OF BLOGGING...AND BEYOND.
- 02/25/09 03:13 AM
On February 15th of 2008 I made a committment to writing my real estate blog.
I wrote the following post...
A New Commitment
Hello again. I have been abusing my blog. And by that, I mean abuse by neglect. I love the idea of this community, I just need to participate more. I will become more active on this blog!
I hope all is well,
Ken
That was my 5th post here on Active Rain. I took 8 months to write the first four. I have written more than 350 posts since...
What a crazy 12 months it has been.
So many highs … (15 comments)
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naperville: OPEN HOUSES
- 02/08/09 06:20 AM
I think open houses are great. I feel the open house shows a Realtor is both active and energized.
I held one at my listing in south Naperville yesterday. It was a beautiful day. 57 degrees and sunny.
Despite the great weather, only two groups came through, yet I was happy.
At 4:00, when I picked up my signs, I snapped a few pictures:
Thousands of cars drove by these signs. Thousands of people saw my name and number...
They knew that I was working, that the real estate market hadn't stopped me...
When you keep working, good things happen.
Ken
A Realtor you can trust.
… (38 comments)
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naperville: I HAVE BECOME A NAPERVILLE "MOM"...
- 02/05/09 12:12 PM
My wife Nicole went back to work last July. She is a pediatric dietician at Central DuPage Hospital.
While Nicole works, I watch our little girl Erin. It is working out quite well...
Despite some challenges, I am running a fairly active and growing real estate business.
Nicole's steady paychecks are nice too...
Recently, however, "fatherhood" has gone a little too far...
I think I have become a Naperville "mom".
Let me explain. Today went like this...
After driving my wife to work, my daughter and I go to the health club, Lifetime Fitness...
I drop Erin off at day care. It's awesome. They have a great staff and facility. It's … (17 comments)
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naperville: IT'S NOT THE LOCATION. IT'S THE PRICE.
- 02/04/09 09:48 AM
I was speaking with a Realtor friend of mine today.
I had recently shown one of her listings on the eastern side of Aurora...
It was a real nice four bedroom. Showed great. Cool layout. Finished basement.
The home did back to a fairly busy street. There were trees and a berm in back, so you couldn't see it.
But you knew it was there...
My buyers liked the house, but ended up choosing another...
"It's that location!" my friend said. She was frustrated. I understand.
However, IT'S NOT THE LOCATION. IT'S THE PRICE.
After all, you can't move the house.
So lower … (20 comments)
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naperville: MY IMPROMPTU "OPEN HOUSE"
- 02/01/09 01:11 AM
What the heck...
I have a listing on Alan Road in Naperville. It is a short sale. Late stages. We need an offer...
The bank has "removed" our lock box.
Apparently this is a common practice for lenders in the Chicago area. If a home is vacant and not paying the mortgage, they do not wait to foreclose.
They take control immediately and put on a new doorknob.
Anyway, I now have to attend all showings. Makes it very difficult.
This week, we have lowered our price to $274,900.
The house has lots of potential and is on a big lot … (30 comments)
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naperville: THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY? STOP THE MADNESS!
- 01/27/09 04:47 AM
I have heard the following phrase countless times: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT!
Tell it to the river that carves the canyon...
To the wind that changes mountains...
Yet I continue to hear this "definition" almost daily.
Doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result?
This is the definition of determination. The definition of persistence.
Sometimes you have to fight through tough times.
Are you working hard? Do you take care of your clients?
Then keep doing what you are doing.
Persistence wears down resistance.
… (11 comments)
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naperville: INVESTING IN MY BUSINESS FOR 2009
- 01/19/09 12:37 AM
I was fortunate to have couple of closing at the end of December.
It not only assured my family a very Merry Christmas, it also allowed me to make some investments in my business:
1. Global Positioning system (GPS): Garmin Nuvi 260
I love it. It gives me so much confidence. There is enough anxiety involved in real estate. It is nice not worrying where I am going. Price $189.
2. Hard Drive: Maxtor
An insurance policy for my computer. I have so many files, pictures, contacts, etc. that I do not want to lose. Now I won't. Probably more space than I will ever use. Price $80.
… (32 comments)
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naperville: IT'S A STEADY SOURCE OF BUSINESS...GROWTHLEADER UPDATE
- 01/15/09 09:38 AM
Do you ever have one of those blah days?
I was having one today when and an email I received made me smile.
From: Vision.
Subject: New prospect.
Congratulations! You just received the following new prospect:
Name: xxxxxx
Phone:
Website: servingnaperville.com
Action: Use the initial contact wizard.
Be sure to make personal contact and build the relationship.
Best success!
Vision Team
I love those emails!
It's a steady source of business.
New prospects are signing up on my website, www.SERVINGNAPERVILLE.COM.
Some are good. Some are not.
All are worthwhile...
My business just generated another new lead.
That makes me smile.
Ken
A Realtor you … (17 comments)
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naperville: THINKING ABOUT BUYING A HOME? GET STARTED EARLY.
- 01/06/09 11:15 AM
I have been showing a nice young couple homes the last few weeks.
As many of my buyers do, they did a bulk of their searching online, selected their favorites, and then called me with a list of homes they wanted to see.
All of their favorites ended up being short sales.
Why?
Because short sales HAVE to be priced more aggressively to get an offer.
They do.
Why would any serious buyer deal with the additional hassle of buying a short sale except to save money?
That being said, their is money to be saved buying short sales.
But be prepared...
Normally, a … (21 comments)
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naperville: THE SHORT SALE EXPERT
- 12/30/08 02:22 PM
As I write the title of this post I chuckle...
"THE SHORT SALE EXPERT"
I am not actually a short sale expert.
Not even close. But I will be soon...
It's a rapidly growing portion of my business.
It seems like every home I show these days is a short sale.
I had a listing appointment tonight. Another short sale.
I expected my business to be nice homes for nice people....
Now, every home is "lender approval required."
I guess I better roll with the punches...
And become a short sale expert.
Ken
A Realtor you can trust.
… (21 comments)
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My family has just started shopping for a home in Naperville, so I called my mortgage broker last week. He was able to look at my credit report over the phone and give me a few simple tips to improve the report...
;)
;)
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