Videos

Illinois currently has a Shelter in Place Mandate, asking all of us to stay in our homes and only going out for essential needs, such as food and medical supplies. With that said, Illinois has stated that real estate is an essential service, so real estate is still open for business.

This includes listing properties, buyers viewing those properties in person, and some agents are still holding open houses. Closings are occurring but they’re just being done differently. Most are not happening in a title company with 2 attorneys, 2 agents, buyers, sellers, and the title reps. Many are happening in the parking lot with paperwork being passed through windows with only the title rep & the buyers (sellers are signing prior to the closing by going into

Below you'll see a quick video showing 6 tips for selling your home, and I'd like to add, selling it for top dollar.  That was the mantra when we sold our prior home.  I would say to my adult children, keep your bedrooms (and the house) clean so we can get top dollar!  We made a joke about it.  But it's true.

Today's buyers are extremely picky.  With flip homes as competition in most price ranges, you might be competing with almost "like-new" places.  Many buyers want a home in move-in condition.  They don't want to have to paint or change the old carpet or remove dated wallpaper.  Wallpaper tried making a comeback, but it really isn't working.  Many buyers will accept a smaller floorplan in a clean, updated home vs. a larger home that needs any kind

Don’t wait until you’re ready to move to start preparing financially to buy a home. If you’re like the vast majority of home buyers, you will choose to finance your purchase with a mortgage loan. By preparing in advance, you can avoid the common delays and roadblocks many buyers face when applying for a mortgage.

The requirements to secure a mortgage may seem overwhelming, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. But we’ve outlined three simple steps to get you started on your path to homeownership. Even if you’re a current homeowner, it’s a good idea to prepare in advance so you don’t encounter any surprises along the way.

Lending requirements have become more rigorous in recent years, and changes to your credit history, debt levels, job type,

Following is a guest post written by Lance Mohr, a Tampa, Florida REALTOR

Buying a new home is one of the most exciting feelings anyone can dream of. However, it is not as easy as you might think. Having a lot of money is not all that matters. There are other factors to look into when buying a new home. Even the most luxurious property has its own drawbacks because there’s no such thing as a “perfect home”. Nevertheless, through several years of real estate experience, we have come up with various tips to guide you in choosing the home that adequately fits your style, needs and financial resources, may it be brand new or pre-owned.

Come up with a clear description of your ideal home. This way you have a clear understanding before you and your

I read several years ago that we should only have our sellers sign disclosures that were mandated by law.  Required disclosures are our Property Disclosures (Residential Real Property Disclosure Report), Lead Based Paint Disclosure for homes built prior to 1978  and the Radon Report.  Some lenders require the Lead Based Paint form for all homes, which I think is ridiculous as the form explicitly states that it is for properties built "prior to 1978", so I don't understand why some lenders don't accept the date as lead was removed from paint in 1978.  I do not have my sellers sign that one if their home was built after 1978.  If a buyer's lender requires it we can argue the fact or sign one at that point.

Some years back a Mold Disclosure was created

Interest rates keep going up on a day to day basis.  As I'm writing this, rates are above 4%.  We haven't seen that figure in a while!  

So before anyone panics, I'd like to go down memory lane to when I purchased my first house.  We were given a 10 year mortgage at 10.5% interest with a 20% down payment (the 3 bedroom, 1 bath single level home on a crawl in Evergreen Park cost $18,000).  We made it into a cute little dollhouse.  We didn't balk at 10.5% interest - those were the going rates.  But look at that low price!  In only about 3 years we sold it for $47,500 - those were the days.

I remember when the market went wild when rates fell to 8.5%.  It was definitely a seller's market at that time.  It was difficult for buyers to get their offer

Every once in a while I'll find something fascinating enough to share, and I'm pretty picky about what I put on my blog. Although this blog is more about the southwest suburbs of Chicago, you can get to Chicago's Loop in minutes from many of our locations via car, bus or train. The south suburbs offer the best bang for your real estate buck, with prices for all starting from extremely affordable condos to million+ dollar estates. All offering access to downtown Chicago with suburban living.

This video blew my mind. There's something so surreal about timelapse videos. This was created by Max Wilson and took a very long time. Max shot over 200,000 exposures and he has a job and a family. Take a few minutes to read his explanation.

It's a little long

The video below is a funny rap video put on by REALTOR Brian Block, who works in Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. It has always seemed like the D.C. market was hot compared to the Midwest, even when it was cooling off during the recession. According to Brian, in his area 'houses gettin' sold!"

How Does Orland Park Real Estate Compare?

In the lower price ranges, Orland Park real estate is pretty hot. For instance, a search for Orland Park homes for sale priced under $100,000 brings up two listings, both Contingent (this means there is an accepted offer waiting for attorney review, inspection and financing). Inspection and attorney review periods are 5 business days after contract acceptance, so it's usually contingent on financing a week