For many years now my past clients have known me to give away gifts throughout the year to show my customer appreciation. I love this months gift because everyone needs a massage every once in a while and Massage Envy is a great place to go. You might be the winner of the Valentines Day give away if you log onto my website www.NorthernIllinoisHomes.com and register to win. Again I want to thank all of my past clients, friends and family for your support over the years. If it wasn't for all of you, I would not have topped off as the #1 Agent and Team at Coldwell Banker in Buffalo Grove and #3 in the Region in 2009. So please sign up and have a Very Happy Valentines Day! If you know anyone who is looking to Buy or Sell a home in Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Vernon Hills or any Lake County ... 02/11/2010

I love Valentine’s day!  My husband thinks it’s another Hallmark holiday, but I think that it is a very special holiday! Hint Hint hubby! Husbands, boyfriends, have you thought of what you are going to do? Valentine's day is just 3 days away... If you live in  Buffalo Grove , here are 6 last minute Valentine’s ideas….   ·      Celebrate Valentines Day with a heart shaped Lou Malnati's pizza(the best  pizza in Buffalo Grove and probably in the world)!   Tastes of Chicago. ·       Take your honey to   the newest chick flick the Valentine's Day Movie with every star imaginable!  I can't wait to see it!  ·       Cook your sweetheart a home cooked meal from Dorfler's Butcher in Buffalo Grove. (see below for coupon)... just print the coupon below and give it to them...  ·       Buy your speci... 02/11/2010

Here is some great infomation that will help out buyers when looking in Buffalo Grove or any Lake County Illinois Area. I was featured in Chicago Agent Magazine this month and was lucky enough to get some great answers about appraisals in the Buffalo Grove and Lake County Illinois Market and wanted to share it with everyone.  Q: SHARRON KELLEY CRS, CDPE, The Sharron Kelley Team, Coldwell Banker Buffalo Grove, 847.465.3638, sharron@northernillinoshomes.com Q. How has the appraisal process changed and why are appraisals coming in low? A: SHERYL ACKERSON, Vice President of Mortgage Lending, Guaranteed Rate, Inc., Skokie Branch, 847.972.5707, Sheryl.Ackerson@guaranteedrate.com The prevalence of foreclosures in the current market is the major reason for the decline in appraised values. In th... 02/09/2010

Information on Buffalo Grove in house loans for Coldwell Banker The National Association of Realtors reports that 14% of home sales were sold directly by the owner. Would you like to have a list of every qualified buyer that looks at a FSBO?  Would you like to be the first the agent that a FSBO talks to when they are finally ready to list? Historically we've asked you to tell your BUYERS to call me your local Mortgage Advisor.  You know the routine...Your customer calls me and we render a lending decision in minutes and immediately let you if your customer is approved.  And as always the service is FREE. Imagine if you went to a FSBO and told them that you didn't want to list their house today.  You were simply stopping by to provide some free literature.  Most FSBOs have no way to asce... 02/08/2010

Great news!  There are real signs that the Buffalo Grove market is improving... As I mentioned in one of my recent posts,  the number of Buffalo Grove home sales in 2010 was two times the number of sales in 2009.     There is also encouraging news to report about the increase in the  Buffalo Grove Median Sales Price and Buffalo Grove  Average Sales Price.   The Buffalo Grove  Median Sales Price in January was $250,000, up 31.0% from $190,903 in January of 2009 and up 4.2% from $240,000 last month. The Average Sales Price in January was $269,294, up 10.1% from $244,493 in January of 2009. This is very reassuring news for Buffalo Grove Sellers.   If you are looking to put your home on the market this spring, it is best to do it now.   As of today , there are only 83 days for a buyer to ta... 02/06/2010

What is going on in the Buffalo Grove Market? We are continuing to see home sales rise in many of the Lake Country Illinois suburbs including Buffalo Grove. So What do you do When selling your Buffalo Grove Home? The first step is to talk to a knowledgeable agent who knows the area. Every seller needs to look at an agents credentials and ask them: What are you going to do to sell my home? Our team gives your home the exposure that it needs. We come up in top searches of goggle, yahoo and even pay for sponsored searches. We advertise in newspapers in print and online. Coldwell Banker Online, Northernillinoishomes.com, Realtor.com and many other websites are the heart of our business. We can go on and on about the website exposure your home we have but you need to see it for yourself. Vie... 02/06/2010

  For those of you who don’t know me, I am a real estate agent for Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.  The Coldwell Banker Buffalo Grove office is located at 350 Half Day Road Buffalo Grove in the Dominicks Shopping Mall.    I am pleased to announce that I recently hired a buyer’s agent Michael Koshaba   Michael has over 18 years in the busines, specializing in the NW Suburbs. He is an aggressive negotiator and great problem solver.  He will support his clients from the time a contract goes together, until the day of closing and beyond.   Why did I hire a buyer’s agent? Although this has been a rough real estate year for many, I have been very lucky that my business has been on the upswing.  As most of my past client’s know,  I have a passion for r... 02/04/2010

Buffalo Grove Real Estate January 2010 compared to January 2009   As a Buffalo Grove realtor, everywhere I go, people are asking me how is the real estate market doing?  Before I answer this 64 dollar question, I want to pose to them one question,  are you a  potential buyer or a potential seller? At  this time I can honestly say that it looks that 2010 is going to a better year than 2009 for both buyers and sellers Here are  the January 2010  Buffalo Grove Illinois real estate facts  compared to the January 2009  Buffalo Grove Illinois real estate facts!   How do 2010 Buffalo Grove statistics compare to the 2009 Buffalo Grove real estate statistics? Although the average Buffalo Grove sales price in 2010 is  $30,000 less than the 2009 average sales price, there were twice as many homes ... 02/02/2010

Buffalo Grove, Long Grove and Vernon Hills Distressed Properties This past year I received the CDPE*Certified Distress Property Expert* Designation. I am now a member of this group and am learning everyday about the new governing laws for Short Sales. There are some really good things coming down the pike, we are continuously completing short sale transactions and are helping clients without them going bankrupt. Basically the turn around time for a short sale is 3 years and then our clients in Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Vernon Hills and all the Lake County Illinois area can purchase again. In some cases not that long. There are so many new things to learn. Below is a great article written by the president and CEO of CDPE Alex Charfen. He gives a great overview on Short Sales, Foreclosur... 01/31/2010

After Superbowl Sunday, After Superbowl Sunday...  I constantly hear that people are going to put their home on the market after Superbowl Sunday. This year, because of the tax credits for new home buyers and repeat buyers, many sellers in Buffalo Grove  have and will list their homes as soon as they possibly can.   If you are thinking of selling your home either this week or after Superbowl Sunday, the posts below can help you sell  your Buffalo Grove home for the highest price with the least amount of hassle... In previous blog posts I discussed,  How do you choose the right  Buffalo Grove realtor? What Boo Boo's your Buffalo Grove realtor and  you should never make?   As most of you know me who follow my blogs on a regular basis, I like to put a little humor in everything I write.   ... 01/31/2010

Are you looking for New Construction in Buffalo Grove..... If you are  looking for New Construction in Buffalo Grove,  Illinois then you might already know many local builders are offering great incentives to attract and motivate buyers. In fact, I was researching options for  new construction for a recent client relocating to the area and found that many builders were discounting their properties by hundreds of 1000’s.  Due to the research I recently did, I can tell you all about each subdivision and the particular prices and nuances.  Prior to looking at  Buffalo Grove new construction homes, it is highly recommended that you secure the services of a Realtor. This is free to buyers so it´s a no brainer - get someone to look out for your best interests!  Home builders have their own co... 01/27/2010

Coldwell Banker had a great year in 2009 based on the enclosed graph below. We had 155 closed transactions which is 18.5% of the Market Share in Buffalo Grove We closed $42,846,000.00 in sales volume in Buffalo Grove Our closest competitors which included two offices combined had 116 sold transactions in Buffalo Grove. This is great news and if your looking to buy or sell, please keep our team in mind when looking to sell your Buffalo Grove Home. General Market Share Information for Coldwell Banker in Buffalo Grove!    01/26/2010

Every agent needs to have a strategy when listing a home.  We walk into your home with strategy on the mind and marketing to back it up.  Listed below are just a few of the websites that we take advantage of when listing your home. Not only do we use Coldwell Banker as an avenue for great advertising.  We go above and beyond the call of duty with Virtual Tours, Agency Logic Tours, Postlets that feed out to 20 plus websites and more. Marketing Your Buffalo Grove Home! It's all about how you present your Buffalo Grove Home to outsiders.  Remember people have to picture themselves living in your home and we can help you do that.  It is important to stage your home, remove any clutter, make it less personal and have great pictures.  On our staff we have two professional photographers.  We l... 01/25/2010

Buffalo Grove tutor, Cheryl Keller can help your child succeed in school.... As a realtor in the Buffalo Grove area, many of my clients moving in the area,  ask me many questions?  Do  I know  a reasonable  painter, a great  Doctor,  a tutor for their children...  If you are looking for the best tutor,  read on... Cheryl Keller, a Buffalo Grove resident, has openings to tutor your elementary aged children. She has 15 years of experience tutoring children in grades K-5.  She individualizes the tutoring program to meet the specific needs of each child.  Cheryl has successfully utilized the University of Chicago Math Program as well as current teaching methods used in surrounding districts including School District 102 and School District 96. Cheryl has seven years of classroom teaching ex... 01/24/2010

I got some great news this week. I placed 3rd in the Northwest region for Coldwell Banker this year and that was pretty exciting for me as I have only been here since April.  Not only was my placement in the region a great surprise to me, but being the number one agent in the Buffalo Grove Coldwell Banker office was a great accomplishment.  Thank you to everyone who helped out, my family, clients and friends.  I work with an awesome team; thanks to Marilyn Smith, Suzan Kopin, Michelle Tessman and Alicia Kelley, I couldn't do it with out you.  So if you are looking to buy or sell a home, we always have someone available to help you out.  01/24/2010

Buffalo Grove Real Estate - Best Deal in Buffalo Grove- As a Buffalo Grove realtor, everywhere I go, people are asking me how is the real estate market doing?  Before I answer this 64 dollar question, I want to pose to them one question,  are you a  potential buyer or a potential seller?  It is a wonderful time to be a first time Buffalo Grove  home buyer or even a  Buffalo Grove repeat buyer that can buy quickly if they find the best deal.   With the extended tax credits in place and interest rates hovering around  5% for a conventional loan - there are some amazing opportunities in Buffalo Grove Illinois. Because of the great opportunities in Buffalo Grove , I decided  to do a series of posts on the Buffalo Grove Property of the Week ( doesn't  even have to be my listing) Buffalo Grov... 01/23/2010

This past year had been very challenging for owners of Buffalo Grove Homes and the surrounding towns. The chart on this page is from Wagner Appraisals and the numbers are taken from our Multiple Listing Service. The market value of the homes in Buffalo Grove has decreased 9.7 percent from the same time last year. The banks will now only let us use sold properties as comparables from the last 6 months. While this may not be the news you want to hear, it is very important to understand this when looking to sell or buy a Buffalo Grove home. If the home does not appraise at the purchase price, the buyer can not get a loan. Please do contact me and I can further explain any questions that you have regarding the buying or selling process. We have the information you need and would love the op... 01/19/2010

  A few days ago I posted information regarding tips that will help you get your home ready to sell. When interviewing agents it is so important to work with an agent that has a Team. I have a sheet prepared that I always send my clients in preparation for the interview that addresses all of those questions. One of the most important factors is when an agent is out on an appointment or showing homes and a call comes in during that time, who is going to answer the questions on the line? The answer is no one will be there and a buyer will call someone else if you do not return the call within 10 minutes. The seller will loose that call. I don't know about you, but I would not be happy about that if I were the seller and that is why they hired you. Working With a Team Will Help When Sellin... 01/15/2010

Preschools in Buffalo Grove- Long Grove- Lincolnshire and the surrounding suburbs   As a Realtor in Buffalo Grove and a Mother of three boys I know that making a decision as to which preschool to choose is important and can be overwhelming. If you're considering relocating to the Buffalo Grove, Long Grove area, Lincolnshire, Lake Zurich, or Vernon Hills, I have attempted to make your search a little easier by providing you a list of the most popular preschools in the area.  This list will be useful if you are moving just across town or from out of the country.  Most parents of preschool age children know the difficulty of finding a preschool for their child. However when you move to a new city, this overwhelming tasking  of finding the right preschool can become even more challenging si... 01/13/2010

Many of you are considering selling your home in Buffalo Grove and are looking for some great tips to help you get ready. Remember that we have a lot of inventory today so your home is in a beauty contest as well as a price war. Our Team is working very hard to help you with all of your needs, and I would be happy to have a consultation visit with you and provide you with a home stager visit as well. Our properties have been selling, so we are doing something right. Please do give me a call and we can set a time to meet. Also, check out my web site and our standings on Google. I believe you will like what you see. Projects That Add Value in your Lake County Home 01/13/2010