You might be ready for condo living if... ...your snow-shoveling and lawn-mowing progeny have left the nest ...your precious BMW risks damage from flying baseballs when left in the driveway ...your idea of yard work is watering the flower-filled container on your front porch ...you have a busy lifestyle with little time for home maintenance ...you realize that the only person who goes into your living room, dining room, finished basement and three of your four bedrooms - is the cleaning person (every other week!)   These are all signs that you might be ready for condo living! As with all housing options, there are pros and cons to living in a condominium. While turning over all of the yard work, snow shoveling and exterior maintenance to an association is probably one of the biggest ben... 02/08/2008

I've been asked to come up with an elevator speech. In case you don't already know what an elevator speech is, it's a supposedly crafty little pitch about who you are and what you do for a living that you could deliver in the average elevator ride. Anyway, since Lake Zurich has few elevators, let's imagine that I'm at a networking event instead. Great. Now I'm stuck in a room with a bunch of people all trying out their canned elevator speeches on me in hopes of getting me to understand what they do for a living, as if I'm not smart enough to know what a doctor does, what a loan officer does, what an insurance agent does. Instead, I get treated to: "Hi, I'm so-and-so and I help keep people healthy by diagnosing and treating disease." "Hi, I'm so-and-so and I help buyers with bad credit ... 02/06/2008

With so much negativity about the real estate market in the news, buyers might be inclined to think that they will be able to: Get a fantastic below market value deal-of-a-lifetime on their new home! The reality is, I haven't seen many sellers giving away their homes. While it is true that the upward push on real estate values of a few years ago has come to a screeching halt, sellers have a bottom line, too. They are (more often than not) unwilling or unable to give away their homes (imagine that) and will simply refuse offers that are too low or seen as unreasonable. Regardless of the fact that it is a buyer's market, the seller is still in control... they don't have to sell you their home unless they want to! Now, I know there are some sellers who must sell no matter what and who will... 01/16/2008

The Multiple Listing Service is designed to promote information sharing among real estate professionals in northern Illinois. Through the MLS, real estate brokers exchange offers to cooperate with one another in the sale of a property and arrange for the fee to be paid to the broker who procures the buyer of a property listed for sale by another broker. Do the multiple listing services promote your home directly to the public? No, they do not.This is a common misconception. Another misconception is that all that is needed to sell a home is to place it in a multiple listing service. These misconceptions have resulted in sellers turning to fee for service companies who will place their home in the MLS for a relatively small fee. If the MLS is the only place where your home will be adverti... 01/13/2008

Those of you who read my most recent post know that I am going to be purchasing a puppy this year. It occurred to me while doing my research that the process of selecting a breeder is similar to the process of choosing a real estate agent. Here are the similarities: I asked people I know for recommendations I searched the internet and breeder websites for more information I looked for a breeder that provides service before, during and after the sale of the puppy I read references/testimonials from past puppy purchasers I have spoken with the breeder many times and asked tons of questions Most buyers or sellers of real estate will go through a similar process: They will ask friends, neighbors or colleagues for recommendations They will search the internet and real estate websites for mor... 01/07/2008

With the Holiday Season upon us, I find myself reflecting upon this past year and on those who have helped to shape my business in the most significant way. So many people to thank, so little time! Please know that I appreciate each and every one of you and value our relationship, and I look forward to working with you in the years to come. Glitterfy.com - Glitter Graphics I wish you a very happy Holiday Season and a New Year filled with peace and happiness!     12/19/2007

I received an email from a potential seller in Lake Zurich today. He found me through a Google search which led him to my blog. I called him back and we arranged to meet early next week to discuss listing his home for sale. Yay! This isn't the first time this has happened...and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last! I'd like to say "I told you so" to all the naysayers out there, but I really shouldn't... Oh, to heck with it... "I TOLD YOU SO!" The bottom line is that if he found me through my blog, others will too. My blog gets me noticed, which is good for me - but more importantly, it is a benefit to my potential clients as well. Oh, I can think of other ways to get noticed, but putting my face on a shopping cart or billboard is simply not for me. I have nothing against those forms of ... 12/13/2007

Thank you for visiting my blog.  Below you will find information on local phone numbers for Lake Zurich.  If you would like to know more, please feel free to give me a call.  I can also share with you information about neighborhoods, discuss the real estate market in general, and assist you in finding your dream home.  I can be reached at 847-726-5500 (office) or AngiefromRemax@comcast.net.  Please visit my website at http://www.realestatebyangie.com/. Lake Zurich  Emergency911Fire847-540-5070Police847-438-2349Village Hall847-438-5141TownshipEla847-438-8370County:Lake847-377-2000Post Office847-438-2460Park District847-438-5146Library847-438-3433Train312-322-6777Gas888-642-6748Electric800-334-7661Water847-438-5141Refuse800-964-8988Telephone800-244-4444Cable TV866-594-1234School District:... 12/12/2007

Recently I showed several homes in the Lake Zurich area, yours among them. Here is what I found: A driveway with about 7 inches of snow on it, making it necessary to park across the street and trudge through the snow to your house An icy and un-shoveled front walk, making it very dangerous to get to your front door Empty liquor bottles, food containers and dead roaches on the kitchen counter A cloud of cigarette smoke so thick you could cut it with a knife, and overflowing ashtrays everywhere A basement with mold climbing the walls and obvious major flooding and seepage problems Filthy bedrooms, bathrooms, carpets and walls...filthy everything, really   Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I know you want your home to sell; after all, you do have it listed with a real estate company. You may not want t... 12/11/2007

I received a call yesterday from a woman in Georgia who is contemplating a move to Lake Zurich in January. She will be working for Walmart in Lake Zurich. After spending a few minutes chatting with her about Lake Zurich, her housing needs, reasons and time frame for moving, I asked her how she got my name. She told me she got it from Walmart, but was unable to tell me exactly who referred me. Oh no, how am I going to thank him or her for the referral? So...on the off chance that this wonderful Walmart employee found me through my blog here at Active Rain, I just want to say a big:   I appreciate any and all referrals that come my way. I wish I knew who you were...but I'm grateful to you all the same. The Walmart in Lake Zurich is located at 820 S. Rand Road. Now everytime I go to Walmar... 12/05/2007

Lately, I've had several agents suggest to me that I should approach real estate as a numbers game...that is, that I should concentrate on listing as many homes as possible because in today's market, many listings are expiring or being cancelled and re-listed with another agent before they are finally sold. In other words, in order to have the same volume of sales in the coming year, I would need to list up to twice as many homes as last year. I understand that it is harder to sell homes than in recent years. Market times are up, and it is more difficult to keep sellers happy. I understand the theory behind this practice of listing everything that has four walls and a roof. However, failure is unacceptable to me, always has been. When I list a home I expect to sell it! What about all of... 12/03/2007

So many people over the last few months have come up to me with their sad puppy dog eyes and their comments like this one:  "I've been reading about how bad the market is this year...how are you?" that I decided to do a little research to gain some perspective on the market as it compares to last year. This is not meant to be an in-depth analysis, just a presentation of facts gathered from MLS data of my main market area (which is comprised of Lake Zurich, Hawthorn Woods, Long Grove and Kildeer in Illinois) compiled on 11/28/07.                               While we are definitely lagging behind 2006 by 75 total homes sold, the year is not over, and we have 39 pending sales as of right now. If those do, in fact, close by the end of the year, we would only lag behind 2006 by 36 homes. T... 11/29/2007

Dear 2008, We are coming for you, more determined than ever. Your bully of a younger older brother, 2007, caused quite a commotion over the past several months. Indeed, many have suffered due to his downward pressure on home prices, fluctuating interest rates, high inventory, lengthy market times and buyer indecisiveness. Oh, and let's not forget that whole sub prime mess.     It hasn't been easy, that's for sure. There have been casualties. We've seen agents leave the business, sellers struggle with potential foreclosure, buyers unable to get a loan. 2007 fought a good fight to be sure, but he simply didn't factor in our overall strength, perseverance, work ethic or our absolute desire to adapt to whatever he could throw at us and succeed. Indeed, 2007 may have won a few battles along ... 11/28/2007

I had out-of-town guests for the Thanksgiving holiday and therefore over the past few days I've been doing only what is "essential" as it relates to real estate so that I could spend time with my family. I've been monitoring showings on my listings, processing feedback requests, accepting & responding to website leads, checking the MLS for new listings and price reductions, and making sure the attorney and lender have all the information they need for my new sale. (It's amazing what you do when you're "not working" isn't it?) My guests have now left for home, the Christmas decorations are up, and I finally found a few minutes this morning to log onto Active Rain to catch up between loads of laundry. Several hours later, I'm still here. My husband walked by, noticed I was on AR and said:... 11/25/2007

All eyes in Lake Zurich were glued to the television last night as the Lake Zurich High School football team captured it's first title, beating Wheaton Warrenville South 7-3. This has been a phenomenal year for the Lake Zurich Bears...and the community couldn't be more proud of their efforts.Of course, what really struck me while watching the game last night was the incredible sportsmanship exhibited by these young men. This was truly their time to shine, not just as football players, but as individuals as well. I was impressed, as we all should be. I'm sure some of the credit can go to their coach, Bryan Stortz, who has kept these young men focused on getting prepared and building a foundation for success. True lessons they will benefit from their entire lives. But congratulations shou... 11/25/2007

I was contacted recently by Adam Bartos, of BiO Tile and Grout Restoration. Adam had stumbled across my Lake Zurich Real Estate Blog and called me to talk about how his services could be useful to my customers. We chatted for a while and I explained to him that I don't recommend any services that I have not previously had personal experience with or don't come highly recommended by people that I trust. Adam completely understood and told me that he offers all of his clients a free demonstration of his services so they can see the process and results before making a decision. So we set up a time for Adam to come to my house for my free demonstration. Quite simply, I was impressed. I watched while Adam cleaned my laundry room floor and my tile and grout were absolutely much cleaner after ... 11/18/2007

Sellers are stressed out. Buyers are stressed out too. Part of my job as an agent is to do everything in my power to provide an experience that is as stress-free as possible. In today's market, that's not easy. Both buyers and sellers are worried about what the media is reporting, they're worried about whether financing will be secured, they're worried that this is not the "right" time to buy or sell...they're just plain worried. And worry causes uneasiness, anxiety and stress. To help alleviate buyer and seller stress, I pledge to give my clients the facts. The whole truth and nothing but the truth. Like how long it might take to sell their home. Or how many showings they can expect in a given period of time. I will make certain they have an excellent mortgage professional to guide the... 11/16/2007

  Buying a home can be a piece of cake. Here is MY recipe for success:     STEP 1: We'll preheat the oven (We'll get you pre-approved at the best rate and terms so that you become a more reliable buyer in the eyes of the seller, which can allow greater negotiating power)   STEP 2: We will carefully go over the recipe to make sure we have all of the ingredients we need before we get started baking (I will evaluate your needs and wants and help you locate homes that fit your specifications as to price and location. This includes homes that are both listed in the MLS and unlisted, such as new construction and for sale by owner properties)   STEP 3: It's important that we crack each egg in a separate bowl to make sure it is good before adding it to the mix (I'll prepare a Comparative Market... 11/10/2007

As you know, we've seen many changes in the Lake Zurich area real estate market over the past two years. For the most part, these are welcome changes for buyers...and unwelcome changes for sellers. This period of correction, with higher inventories putting downward pressure on prices, has certainly been getting its fair share of media attention. In Northern Illinois, the average days on the market has increased, and in some areas (though not all) prices have dropped. How will this affect you? If you are considering selling, it is more important than ever to make certain that your home stands out in the crowd. That means extra attention needs to be paid to condition, staging, pricing and marketing. As an Accredited Staging Professional REALTOR® I will make sure your home is priced and ma... 11/05/2007

Welcome to Lake Zurich, Illinois! As a resident of Lake Zurich, I know what a great place this is to live, work and raise my family. But did you know that Lake Zurich was named by Frommer's as one of the top hundred "Best Places to Raise Your Family" and by U.S. News as one of the "Top Twenty-Five Affordable Places to Live in the Country" in 2006? Come on...take a look around!   I'm often asked if Lake Zurich has a lake. Yes, it does! Here are some photos of our beautiful lake and promenade.              In addition, The Lake Zurich Parks and Recreation department offers plenty of programs and activities for the entire family. Whether you are looking for a nearby playground, guitar lessons or yoga classes...you can find it all right here in Lake Zurich.   You may have noticed many road ... 10/26/2007