buying a home champaign il: Can We Ask the Seller to Fix it? - 10/07/11 11:05 AM
Can We Ask the Seller to Fix it?
Every home has its quirks and its little flaws, a fact that any new homeowner will quickly discover. There may be cabinet doors that stick in the summer, a temperamental motion-sensor light out back, or that one daggone step that’s always broken... even after you fix it (any fans of Modern Family? anyone?).
Even so, most buyers these days are looking for something “move-in ready” meaning there are no major repairs needing to be done. And so a common question that comes up when I’m working with Champaign-Urbana home buyers concerns what to … (2 comments)

buying a home champaign il: Surviving the Home Inspection: A Buyer’s Guide - 09/21/11 03:41 PM
Surviving the Home Inspection in Champaign IL: A Buyer's Guide
A buyer and a seller unable to come to an agreement on the repairs/credits following the home inspection is one of the top reasons that a real estate transaction falls apart, but it's been my experience that when both parties have reasonable expectations of themselves and the other party, an agreement CAN most often be reached.
So today we’ll talk about surviving the home inspection from the buyer’s perspective, then tomorrow we’ll address the home inspection from the seller’s point of view. A few tips for Champaign-Urbana home buyers...
First, don’t … (0 comments)

buying a home champaign il: How Many Homes Will I Show? As Many as it Takes - 08/08/11 02:21 PM
How Many Champaign-Urbana IL Homes Will I Show? As Many Homes as it Takes...
Recently fellow blogger Stephen Proski wrote an article entitled "Do You Limit the Number of Homes You Show Your Buyers?" and my answer to that question is a resounding "no!"
Today I helped two wonderful buyers, and dear friends of mine, close on a home in Urbana. I showed them 28 homes before we wrote an offer. Some agents will only show a buyer 10 homes or so before forcing a decision, but I prefer a more flexible approach with emphasis on the individual client's needs.
Of … (13 comments)

buying a home champaign il: Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should (Spend That Much) - 07/18/11 04:56 AM
Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should (Spend That Much)
One trial home buyers face, especially first-time home buyers, is figuring out how much money they’re comfortable spending on the purchase of their home…and then sticking to their budget. You may be thinking “Not me! I know what I can afford and I don’t overspend!” And if that’s the case, then great. You can stop reading now :-) But like with most situations in life, it’s hard to know how you’ll handle being in this exact situation until you’re in it. And I can tell you from what I’ve … (10 comments)

buying a home champaign il: How to Buy a Home: A First-Time Home Buyer's Guide, Part 6 - 03/15/11 09:36 AM
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)

buying a home champaign il: How to Buy a Home: A First-Time Home Buyer's Guide, Part 2 - 02/20/11 01:13 PM
How to Buy a Home: A First-Time Home Buyer's Guide
Part 2: Getting Pre-Approved for a Loan
Unless you’ll be paying for your home entirely with cash, you’ll need to have a plan for financing your purchase. In other words, you need to find a lender who is willing to lend you the money.
What is a Pre-Approval Letter?
A pre-approval letter is given to you by your lender after you have been preliminarily approved for a loan to purchase a home up to a specified price. When you make an offer to purchase a home, you will submit a … (6 comments)

buying a home champaign il: The Snow Storm vs. The Closing: A Tale of Two Happy Homeowners - 02/02/11 10:29 AM
The Snow Storm vs. The Closing: A Tale of Two Happy Homeowners
This morning around 7am I received a call from my buyer client. "Shannon, are we still doing the walk-through in half an hour?" he asked.
My response was something to the effect of "If you're in, I'm in."
Since there were about 6 to 8 inches of a mix of ice and snow freshly fallen on the ground, we decided to travel in one car together to the other side of town for our final walk-through of the home that the buyers were to close on in just a … (4 comments)

buying a home champaign il: Things You Can Do to Be Better Prepared for Buying a Home - 09/24/10 12:02 PM
Things You Can Do to Be Better Prepared for Buying a Home
Thinking about buying a home? It's a big decision, as you know, but one that can immensely improve your lifestyle, as well as put you on a path to a rewarding financial future when done with discretion.
Here are a few tips that can help prepare you to move forward with the purchase of a home:
1. Get a free copy of your credit report. You can get a free copy of the report from each of the three credit bureaus annually at www.annualcreditreport.com. Take a look and make … (0 comments)

buying a home champaign il: How to avoid a real estate DISASTER when purchasing a home! - 04/21/10 04:49 AM
Like anything else in life, real estate transactions don’t always go exactly as planned. Sure, we’d all LOVE to have our own home purchase go perfectly smoothly. The seller would just accept your first offer (and you’d get a GREAT deal), the home wouldn’t have a thing wrong with it and you’d move in 30 days exactly after signing the contract. Done.
But that would be boring. Instead you usually have a moment or two where you’re not sure if you’ve made the right decision. Rarely does the seller accept the first offer, and the home always has at least a … (1 comments)