Chicagoland Northwest Suburbs | Real Estate & Community

Chicagoland NW Suburban IL Real Estate: January Home Sales Data In From National Association of Realtors

joestacy — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:06:54 +0000

NEWS JUST IN REGARDING HOME SALES DATA FROM NAR:

While home sales in January slowed, home sales are still way above January 2009 levels!

Nationwide existing home sales dropped 7.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate1 of 5.05 million units in January from a revised 5.44 million in December, but remain 11.5% above the 4.53 million-unit level in January 2009.

As expected it is the delay between shopping for a home and closing on a home that has caused the slight drop.

However, more excitingly again is the news that the level of inventory fell again, this time by 0.5% to 3.27 million existing homes for sale which represents a 7.8 month supply at the current sales pace. Raw unsold inventory is 9.6% below a year ago and is the lowest since March 2006!

Spring is around the corner and sales activity should pick up dramatically in that time as the extended tax credit it taken advantage of. Particularly as buyers are realizing that values are firming up as the inventory at the bottom of the market is snapped up!

The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $164,700 in January, unchanged from a year earlier. Distressed homes, which accounted for 38 percent of sales last month, continue to downwardly distort the median price because they typically are discounted in comparison with traditional homes in the same area. Also, it was noted that first time homebuyers represented 40% of home sales in January while investors accounted for 17% of sales. Buyers shopping for homes also increased 9.4%.

With rates still around the 5% range it is no surprise that an increase in home sales is expected.

Here in the midwest home sales only declined 6.9% but are 8% higher than January 2009.

What is for sure is that buyer interest in the Northwest Chicagoland area is increasing. With exciting times ahead buyers should get in touch to purchase that great home today!

Whether you are a first time buyer trying to determine how much you can afford, or an experienced buyer who is selling your current property and ready to buy your next home I can help you with all your real estate needs in the Chicagoland Northwest Suburbs Area.

Finding your dream home or finding a buyer is only part of the challenge of a successful transaction. Click here to search Bartlett IL, Schaumburg IL and the Hoffman Estates using our complimentary MLS Search service. You can also view our fantastic range of featured properties!

Alternatively please contact me today if you need more specific assistance in your real estate needs. You can call the office on: 847-874-6731 or Cell phone on: 847-913-2606 or of course email me at: Joe@JoeStacy.com

My expertise, experience and dedication to you and your specific needs are anything but average – it’s why this office is number one in the Northwest Suburbs year after year!

Joe Stacy
2570 W. Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60194

Chicagoland NW Suburban IL Real Estate: Buying a Home Is NOT ALL ABOUT PRICE

kinetic — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:55:23 +0000

Here is a great tip when making an offer on a property – DO NOT FIXATE ON PRICE!

Offering to purchase a property is a delicate balance on what the offer consists of – it is my job as your buyer’s agent to serve you and pitch it to the sellers in the best way I can to ensure that we can all be happy. This is negotiation at its finest.

Too many potential buyers fixate on price. However, it is important not to – if you are selling your home, would you prefer the cash buyer who wants to move in this weekend who was offering $10,000 less than a buyer who needed to obtain financing who offered $10,000 more? See! It is not that easy!

Buyers and sellers need to know that the dollar amount itself is not the most important part of the deal. There are several other componants which make up the offer which should be considered before making an offer (if you are a buyer) or accepting an offer (if you are a seller):

1. Closing Date - This can really make or break a deal. Buyers and sellers need to negotiate to work to find a deal that works for both parties. So, if a seller comes back to your offer with a date that is 8 months away, perhaps you might not be able to make it work for that property as you need to move in a month?

2. Inclusions and Exclusions – these are the parts of the contract dealing with appliances, furniture etc. This is an important element as a home which is unfurnished or needs appliances for its kitchen will cost money to purchase those items as opposed to a home which offers them as part of the deal.

3. Terms and Conditions – an exit strategy for the buyer and seller is key – if the contract seems too stringent and you are worried about the results of a home inspection this is something to consider also.

Ultimately it is all about how comfortable you feel. It starts with pricing but doesn’t end there!

My expertise, experience and dedication to you and your specific needs are anything but average – it’s why this office is number one in the Northwest Suburbs year after year!

Joe Stacy
2570 W. Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60194

Chicagoland NW Suburban IL Real Estate: Tidy Up and Spruce Up Your NW Chicagoland Home For Sale This Spring!

joestacy — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:44:09 +0000

There are several ways in which you can improve your springtime curb appeal here in Northwest Chicagoland.

Ok, I know it is winter, which can be a problem! Snow, ice, dead leaves etc. But really you can make your home cleaner and at the same time taking care of a few small projects to spruce up your homes curb appeal, which will help it show better when selling. Really, it works!

Here are some problem areas to focus on which cost very little and yield big “wow factor” results:

1. Driveway and Sidewalks.

Stain/pressure wash your driveway and walkways. Fix cracks and make sure that everything is neat and tidy – this is the first impression a buyer gets of a property, so make it a good one!

2. Consider accenting your front door.

Use a constrasting color to make your home stand out! Grab a pint of paint and get experimenting, make sure that if you do this yourself that you are careful with the paintbrush around the detailed areas as sloppy paintwork does not yield good brownie points. Make sure to choose sympathetic colors – blacks, dark blues and reds work well for colonials, electric pink does not.

3. Landscaping

Ensure that all your trees and bushes are trimmed and that your lawn, no matter how brown is also tidy. Also, consider some early spring plants, this will add some color to your yard. Baskets of plants are always a great idea as they are relocatable.

4. Inside Cleaning

Clean all windows and skylights, make sure to keep the insides of cabinet and drawers tidy – buyers love to snoop through these – I know that all potential buyers do it! Also, ensure that bathrooms are clean and that all baseboards are clean and if white, make sure they are white! - perhaps give them a new coat of pain for good measure.

All in all when you have done this you should have a home which is show ready which took little effort and money to prepare. Of course, preparing your home is only part of the selling process. Call me today if you need assistance and advice on selling your home in Northwest Chicagoland.

My expertise, experience and dedication to you and your specific needs are anything but average – it’s why this office is number one in the Northwest Suburbs year after year!

Joe Stacy
2570 W. Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60194

Chicagoland NW Suburban IL Real Estate: REAL Trends Housing Market Report

joestacy — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:22:46 +0000

Exciting news for us here in Bartlett, Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates!

The real estate market has long been tooted to have started its road to recovery and the facts and figures back this up.

January 2010 housing sales declined a little from Decembers but remain above a year ago (January 2009) with the price trend continuing to improve with HOME PRICES UP 7.9% FROM A YEAR AGO!

A report by REAL Trend show the housing recovery slowing in unit sales while prices climb in biggest monthly gain in nearly three years. Unit sales up 8.6% in January 2010 over January 2009 while average price of homes sold jumps 7.9% for largest year over year gain in nearly three years. This is very exiting news! Existing home sales rose 8.6 percent across the nation in January 2010 compared to the same month in 2009 – and, sales units were up 17.1 percent over December 2008!

Here in the midwest things were encouraging with the number of home sales however, with unit sales up 9.6 percent over the same month a year ago.

The decline in January from the December unit sales rate was expected, due to the extension of the tax credit from November 2009 to April 2010.

Now it appears the only way is up for the numbers – stay tuned for more as it develops!

My expertise, experience and dedication to you and your specific needs are anything but average – it’s why this office is number one in the Northwest Suburbs year after year!

Joe Stacy
2570 W. Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60194

Chicagoland NW Suburban IL Real Estate: Is Now the Time To Refinance in Suburban Chicago?

joestacy — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:48:30 +0000

Despite the crawl out from the recession, now could be a great time to refinance your mortgage here in Suburban Chicago.

Right now there are a ton of federal programs that you could miss out on if you choose not to reginance now! They could save you money and help in the economic recovery.

Federal mortgage refinance programs have helped more than 2 million homeowners refinance their home loans to help them save money on their mortgage payment and stay in their homes. Also, right now, rates are stable and LOW! Hovering around the 5% mark.

In fact, around 2.2 million homeowners have saved an average of $120 a month on their payment. a 10.5% reduction from their previous payment.

Refinance activity will result in $2.3 BILLION in mortgage payment savings for borrowers who refinanced in the first half of 2009. Over the next five years those savings for 2009 will grow to $11.5 BILLION!

Also, now homeowners do not need to look just to their existing lender/servicer for refinance options.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, homeowners got the option to shop around and refinance through any Fannie or Freddie lender.

In addition to lowering your monthly payment, a refinanced mortgage can move you to a fixed or adjustable rate, shorten the term of your home loan, or let you tap home equity – with a lender’s approval.

Having low rates means that now is the best chance to buy a home before rates rise and prices go up again! Now could be the best chance to take advantage of the market as the recovery continues…

My expertise, experience and dedication to you and your specific needs are anything but average – it’s why this office is number one in the Northwest Suburbs year after year!

Joe Stacy
2570 W. Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60194

Chicagoland NW Suburban IL Real Estate and Community: Staying Healthy in Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates and Bartlett IL

joestacy — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:03:01 +0000

Staying healthy can be a challenge – particularly in the winter months after Christmas, when its cold and the last thing you want to do is get out and exercise.

However, for those who live or relocated to Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates or Bartlett you know that the area offers a high quality of life for all residents and many take advantage of our local facilities to stay healthy!

In Schaumburg there are two fitness centers in the immediate vicinity, in Hoffman Estates and Bartlett there are more! Also, do not forget we have the excellent parks system with walks and trails which you can take advantage of, as well as the State Park I wrote about: More About The Area – James “Pate” Philip State Park

The parks system doesn’t just have outdoor parks, it also manages community centers which occasionally have a fitness area.

There’s also the Schaumburg Bicycle Club and its activities.

What is certain is that there are many ways in which we could all get in shape this winter – whatever the weather! I am proud to serve all of these great communities which offer such a great quality of life for its residents – so, give me a call or email today to talk about when you are going to join us here in Northwest Suburban Chicago!

My expertise, experience and dedication to you and your specific needs are anything but average – it’s why this office is number one in the Northwest Suburbs year after year!

Joe Stacy
2570 W. Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60194

Chicagoland NW Suburban IL Real Estate: Flood Zones and Bartlett, IL

joestacy — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:08:02 +0000

Flooding has been a concern for homeowners for years – it is something which can cause complete destruction of a home in hours or even minutes. Therefore it is taken very seriously.

Flood Zoning and flood maps are used so that homeowners and lenders are able to monitor the likelihood of the chance of having a flood in a developed area.

Here in Bartlett IL we have four drainage areas, The area west of Route 59 and north of Stearns Road drains toward a tributary of Brewster Creek. The central part of Bartlett and south of the Metra tracks drains toward the southwest, through Beaver Pond to Brewster Creek. The eastern portion drains south via Country Creek. Southeast and southern Bartlett drain toward the West Branch of the DuPage River. Country Creek is a tributary to the West Branch. If an extremely heavy storm event occurs, water from these creeks may flood adjacent properties.

Our Village can cope with storing runoff generated by a 100 year storm – that is, in our case 7.58 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. The likelihood of a storm of this size is 1% per year.

Homeowners should check their flood hazard risk – Flood maps are available online, and at the Bartlett Public Library. Parts of Bartlett do lie in flood plains, so it is important to make sure that if you are in a flood plain, that your home is insured against the possibility of a flood – not just for you, but for your lender if you have a mortgage. Homeowner policies do not typically cover flood damage. However, because Bartlett participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, you can purchase a separate flood policy. This insurance is backed by the federal government and available to everyone.

Remember, there are several ways to protect a building from flood damage.

One is to keep water away by regrading the lot or building a small flood wall or earthen berm. This works if the lot is large enough, flooding is not too deep, and if the property isn’t in the flood way. Another way is to waterproof your walls and place watertight closures over the doorways. This is not recommended for houses with basements or if water will get over two feet deep.

What should you do in the event of a flood? Well, if you know that you are going to be flooded make sure you: shut off the gas and electricity and move valuables upstairs as well as making a detailed checklist prepared in advance – not just of possessions – but of procedure.

Over a 30 year period, your home has a HIGHER chance of a flood than of a fire – so be prepared, just in case!

My expertise, experience and dedication to you and your specific needs are anything but average – it’s why this office is number one in the Northwest Suburbs year after year!

Joe Stacy
2570 W. Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60194

Chicagoland NW Suburban IL Real Estate: Bartlett Police Department – Active in Your Community; Bartlett, Illinois

joestacy — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:45:24 +0000

Bartlett is a great community, as you can see by the fantastic video above – which is a “flyover” of an interactive map courtesy of “fantasticplanettv” ’s youtube channel - you can see more of Bartlett!

With such a great community spirit and feeling many people take so much pride in where they live. However, not everyone lives in such a friendly environment, therefore the long arm of the law is often thought of as being the disciplinarian and not as it actually is, a community resource.

For instance, here in Bartlett Illinois, the Bartlett Police Department is hosting its annual, free Open House event on Sunday, March 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This premier event is popular with people of all ages and in the past has drawn crowds as large as 800 people. It allows a great chance to meet and greet with police personnel and it allows guests to see various police evidence and weapon displays, meet police K-9 Brewster, find out how suspects are fingerprinted, hang out with McGruff the Crime Dog, use the
DUI Fatal Vision Goggles, and learn how to ride the Segway.

For more information, please contact Sergeant Michael Rummell at 630-837-0846.

The Bartlett Police Department also offer great winter driving tips which could be useful to all of us;

Make sure to remove any snow or ice from your vehicle’s windshield, windows, headlights, and taillights
before driving.
Monitor weather conditions and allow yourself plenty of time to reach your destination safely.
Reduce your speed and leave plenty of room between vehicles to stop safely.

If you would like more information on Bartlett, IL then please contact me.

My expertise, experience and dedication to you and your specific needs are anything but average – it’s why this office is number one in the Northwest Suburbs year after year!

Joe Stacy
2570 W. Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60194

Chicagoland NW Suburban IL Real Estate: Support Your Local Libraries in Bartlett, Schaumburg & Hoffman Estates IL!

joestacy — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:41:41 +0000

Support your local libraries here in Illinois!

The internet is a great and wonderful thing, but if you, like me, sometimes love to go to the library, not just for peace and quiet, but to research something or to simply check out the latest best seller.

Our libraries are always under threat from our digital age – however, they are not a relic to be consigned to the past, they are an integral part of the community which are growing with new technology.

Libraries over the years have changed their role from a book repository to a general community center.

In the case of Schaumburg, the Schaumburg Township District Library serves in excess 134,000 residents in portions of the municipalities Elk Grove, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Roselle, Schaumburg and Streamwood. With over 1 million visitors each year, the library circulates over 2,000,000 items annually and is the second largest public library in the state of Illinois.

The district is comprised of three libraries. The Central, located on Town Square; Hanover Park Branch on Irving Park Road and Hoffman Estates Branch on Hassell Road. They own over 600,000 items, including more that 500,000 books and over 100,000 audiovisual items. With the Central Library being 166,500 swuare feet, Hoffman Estates branch is 9,700 square feet, and Hanover Park branch is 9,500 square feet.

Hoffman Estates is also served by other Library systems, listed here:

Palatine Public Library District
Freeman Road Branch
1262 Freeman Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60192

Gail Borden Public Library District
270 N. Grove Ave.
Elgin, IL 60120

Barrington Area Library
505 N. Northwest Highway
Barrington, IL 60010

You can find out which you belong to in Hoffman Estates by clicking here.

Also, in Barlett, IL Library District which has many locations which can be used by its members as part of the DuPage system.

Library cards over the years have also kept pace with technology – they are not longer used for simple identification, but also to track an electronic account and more!

In short – libraries are an important part of our community, so here in Bartlett, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg as well as the rest of Northwest Chicagoland, Illinois lets all get out, join our local library and rediscover the joy of reading and become an active member of the community.

Click here to read more on a subdivision here in Bartlett, IL near to the park!

My expertise, experience and dedication to you and your specific needs are anything but average – it’s why this office is number one in the Northwest Suburbs year after year!

Joe Stacy
2570 W. Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60194

Chicagoland NW Suburban IL Real Estate: More About The Area – James “Pate” Philip State Park

joestacy — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:59:39 +0000

Most people think of Chicago and the Metro area as urbane and overdeveloped, but just outside the metro area we have some great communities and locations which help personify small town America.

Within a short drive is James “Pate” Philip State Park, originally called “Tri-County State Park” but names after a Republican politician and encompassing 3432 acres of DuPage and Kane Counties. Despite being a nice rural spot, many people often wonder, why? Often state parks boast incredibly obvious sights of outstanding natural beauty worth protecting. However when you first visit this state park, many are surprised. After all, the area is predominantly old farmland and encompasses the north branch of Brewester Creek and a gravel pit close by. But – Do not be fooled! The park is more important than you might think!

On closer inspection, however you understand why! After all 3432 acres is not a small amount of land, so firstly the fact that it has been left untouched is a feat in itself. Also this area enables breeding populations of animals such as sandhill cranes, herons and Blanding’s turtles to find undisturbed habitat to raise their offspring. The area forms part of the Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve and actually contains the remnants of one of the most diverse natural systems that ever graced the Illinois landscape, the tall grass prairie. In addition a small area of wetland remains in the middle of the park – this wetland is home to an Illinois endangered species, the dwarf bur reed. This fact alone warranted this wetland to be listed as an Illinois Wetland Reserve in 1990.

Like most of the state parks the aim is to preserve the environment as be possible to ensure that natural ecosystems can remain and recover from years of destruction by development. The James “Pate” Philip Park benefits from a great visitors center which highlights the reasons and the need for restoration to occur in natural areas, where ever they may be located.

So if you wish to see natural Illinois then take a drive and see the state park!

Click here to read more on a subdivision here in Bartlett, IL near to the park!

My expertise, experience and dedication to you and your specific needs are anything but average – it’s why this office is number one in the Northwest Suburbs year after year!

Joe Stacy
2570 W. Schaumburg Rd
Schaumburg, IL 60194