Bill Bein's (wbein) Blog

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Real Estate Agent - Chicagoland2to4Flats.info
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Where is the market headed? We don't have a crystal ball but can provide a link to what we think is the best regularly updated report on national real estate trends, the quarterly Economic and Real Estate Trends from the people who issue PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance). Their report includes co...
09/28/2010
What to watch for with single-family homes:: In general, be aware that it is very easy to make a home sound good on paper-we always recommend drive-by's before setting up any showings!!! Our agents will be able to help you see how each neighborhood breaks on the price points-cheaper property may ...
09/27/2010
What to Watch For, with 2- to 4-flats: In general, be aware that it is very easy to make a multi-unit building sound good on paper-we always recommend drive-by's before setting up showings!!!  Secondly, watch for estimates of rent; (if there is no lease date or security deposit listed, any rent l...
09/23/2010
What to Watch For, with condos: A gut-rehab should mean that everything is new, including the kitchen and bath. Walls and room sizes may have been adjusted to allow for a second bath, in-unit laundry, new heat/AC, etc. The price may be higher, but-theoretically-everything from the mechanicals to ...
09/20/2010
We'll set you up with all listings that fit your price, size and neighborhood goals-and ask you to pick which properties to go visit. But therein lies a dilemma... how will you know which ones to prioritize on? It's important to understand both what the listing sheets DO say and DON'T say in orde...
09/18/2010
When a client agrees to work exclusively through me in their next purchase of real estate, they are, in essence, ‘hiring' me. But that doesn't mean it costs them anything. If the property they buy is in the MLS or is a "FSBO" (For Sale By Owner) that pays a Buyer's Agent commission, I only get pa...
09/15/2010
1.  The FIRST law in real estate: Big and cheap NEVER equals wonderful. Many people, when they first start picking property to see, focus on properties that are big and cheap... They are hoping, of course, for big, cheap AND wonderful, but that is like winning the lottery-and never applies to pro...
09/09/2010
Unless you have recently purchased a home or refinanced the home you're currently living in, you may not be aware that insurance companies, not just lenders, are now looking at credit scores.  According to the Insurance Information Institute (a non-profit organization, www.iii.org), insurance com...
09/07/2010
Although some renters believe that renting is "maintenance free," they are actually paying for maintenance in their rent - whether they need it or not.  Renting offers you no equity, no tax benefit, and no protection against regular rent increases.  If you're paying rent, you're really just payin...
09/02/2010
These are the kinds of agreements (formally called an Expressed Buyer Agency Agreement) on how ‘you' as the buyer and an agent will work together in the purchase of the property you desire. There are four options, and the choice you make will affect (1) how much freedom you as buyer will have in ...
08/31/2010
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