Buying A Home That's Not For SaleYou're ready to purchase an Arlington Heights, South Barrington, Barrington, Schaumburg, Streamwood, Roselle, Itasca, Bloomingdale, Hoffman Estates, and Chicago NorthWest Suburbs Home, but you've looked at everything on the market and can't find the perfect place. You've researched the school districts, neighborhoods and nearby amenities, and you know exactly in which area you want to live. However, anything that comes on the market in that part of town gets snapped up immediately.It's time to get creative when it comes to buying a home. Start looking at places that are not currently for sale. You might have driven past your dream home, but you never thought of going the unconventional buying route. Well, take a look at the tips below to see how you can... 10/05/2016

The new I-REFI program is designed to help homeowners who are current on their mortgage payments but owe more than their home is worth due to declining property values in their community. IHDA offers underwater homeowners up to $50,000 in federal assistance to reduce the balance owed on their mortgage and refinance into a new affordable loan based on the current market value of their home. Get started by contacting an I-Refi lender today. Requirements:Current on your mortgage for at least 12 monthsCredit qualify for a new IHDA mortgage through a participating lenderBe within IHDA’s income and home price limitsCredit score must be at or above 640640 for Conventional, VA and USDA660 for FHA680 for Conventional HFA preferred  ≥ 95.01% LTVPre-assistance combined loan-to-value must be greate... 09/29/2016

Foreclosures Drop to Pre-Crisis Levels Foreclosures are finally leveling off or have tapered dramatically over the last few years. That's good for the economy & good for home prices in general.  Illinois is in the middle of the pack with 1.1%. There are plenty of other states that are above us & well below which you can see.  It is a dramatic improvement over the last few years. Foreclosure prices are no longer marketed at rock bottom prices. Most have been painted & fixed up fairly well before they hit the market trying to get the highest price possible. There are very few that are considered in rough shape for investors. If you are facing foreclosure or are thinking of a short sale, please give me a call so we can discuss a strategy for you & your family.Courtesy KCM 09/25/2016

Towne Place  is a fairly large townhome community built by Lexington Builders located northeast of the intersection of Schaumburg and Barrington Roads behind the Kohls Shopping Center.   A great mix of open areas, landscaping and recreation are available here.  There are two pools and clubhouses in the neighborhood and a walking/jogging path is also provided surrounding a nature preserve and pond.   The Schaumburg Park District also operates Veterans Park which offers soccer, baseball and football fields.  The Metra Train is available at either the Schaumburg Station or the Hanover Park Station depending on your schedule.  Walk to Kohl's, Michaels, Jewel Food Store, Home Depot, PetSmart, Target Greatland & many banks.  Tons of other great Schaumburg shopping too, that is just a small sa... 09/14/2016

Lexington Green - Schaumburg IL Lexington Green is a coach home community located off Meacham Road just south of Schaumburg Road on both the east and west sides of the street.  Lexington Green offers a pool and clubhouse for the residents and exterior maintenance, snow removal, scavenger service and common area insurance and cleaning is included in the monthly assessments. There are 4 models to choose from in Lexington Green and could be either on the 1st (patios) or 2nd floors (balconies).  Each model has something unique to offer with 'C' and 'B' units having closet pantries and are middle units.  'A' and 'D' units offer larger eat-in Kitchens and a formal Dining space.  A one car private garage is included with each home. Lexington Green 1 East Side Sales   C Units 2BR 1BA -  B Units... 09/14/2016

There is a new loan program that I found that can help you become a homeowner if you are looking for down payment help! Here's how this works - as a buyer needing help with a down payment or closing costs you must get pre-qualified by a lender that is offering this program. Not all lenders do this program! Then once you are pre-qualified from Dominic White at Guaranteed Rate Mortgage and have your loan pre-approval in hand we can begin to look for houses that you like in your price range. Please be sure to READ the stated guidelines to be sure that you qualify. So there is 'homework' that must be completed before you can start looking at homes! If you are looking for down payment assistance this is one of the best programs I've come across. Call me, Lyn Sims, when you are ready to take ... 09/10/2016

In the table below lists all of the single family detached and single family attached homes currently on the market in  Schaumburg, IL The data lists available homes by price range with average time on market in each range. Included in this list are many Foreclosures and Short Sales.Should you have an interest in homes in a selected price range, send me your physical characteristics requirements. I will send complete details on those homes that meet your criteria.Active Listings List Price Range # Listings Avg. Days on Mkt $50,000 - $99,999 8 139 $100,000 - $149,999 26 61 $150,000 - $199,999 53 60 $200,000 - $249,999 26 140 $250,000 - $299,999 40 69 $300,000 - $349,999 40 80 $350,000 - $399,999 41 89 $400,000 - $449,999 18 124 $450,000 - $499,999 3 187 $500,000 - $549,999 5 60 $550,000 ... 09/09/2016

Schaumburg Homes for Sale There have been total of 309 closed Single Family Homes in Schaumburg from January to July 2016. The most popular price range is between $250,000 to $300,000 which is very affordable for our area. Let's view some Schaumburg Homes in the $250,000 to $300,000 price range right now.    Looking to buy a home in the Schaumburg Area? In the planning stages and want to do it right? Here's a great infographic that tells you the step by step of how to proceed. Of course, you will need a good Realtor® acting as your buyers agent after these prelim steps. Any questions, please don't hesitate to give me a call so I can clarify these important steps!     08/24/2016

Schaumburg Townhomes, Condos, Quads for Sale There have been total of 443 closed Multi-family homes in Schaumburg from January to July 2016. The most popular price range is between $100,000 to $150,000 which is very affordable for our area. Let's view some Schaumburg Townhomes, Condos or Quads in the $100,000 to $150,000 price range right now.    Looking to buy a home in the Schaumburg Area? In the planning stages and want to do it right? Here's a great infographic that tells you the step by step of how to proceed. Of course, you will need a good Realtor® acting as your buyers agent after these prelim steps. Any questions, please don't hesitate to give me a call so I can clarify these important steps!  08/24/2016

In the table below lists all of the single family detached and single family attached homes currently on the market in  Schaumburg, IL The data lists available homes by price range with average time on market in each range. Included in this list are many Foreclosures and Short Sales.Should you have an interest in homes in a selected price range, send me your physical characteristics requirements. I will send complete details on those homes that meet your criteria. Active Listings List Price Range # Listings Avg. Days on Mkt $50,000 - $99,999 5 150 $100,000 - $149,999 34 70 $150,000 - $199,999 48 55 $200,000 - $249,999 26 123 $250,000 - $299,999 38 72 $300,000 - $349,999 39 80 $350,000 - $399,999 39 70 $400,000 - $449,999 19 104 $450,000 - $499,999 2 219 $500,000 - $549,999 4 58 $550,000... 08/18/2016

Is Now the Time to Consider a 15-Year Mortgage? Five Reasons to Give the 15Y Another Look A 15-year fixed mortgage is, as its name suggests, a mortgage that’s paid off after 15 years. Since it amortizes fully, after that amount of time you won’t have to pay anything else. This type of mortgage has a lot of benefits, and below we’ll share just a few of them. 1) No Need For Payments After Retirement Here it highly depends on when in life you choose to take on the mortgage. However, most people decide to take on a mortgage at around 30 years of age. If this is the case for you, then it means you’ll be 45 years old when your mortgage will be fully paid. There will be no need to worry about having to use Social Security or pension checks to pay it off. Another consideration is the fact that... 08/17/2016

Real Estate Market Update - Northwest Suburbs - June 2016 This is the place to get those Northwest Suburban real estate questions answered for Bartlett, Hanover Park, Streamwood, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg!Each market segment is faring differently but one notice is that days on the market is down from the previous month of June again.  What are Prices Doing?  Average sales prices continue to be relatively stagnant for the Midwest Area overall.  Illinois price increases came in modestly at 4.67% which is in the middle range of a national survey.  Noticeable monthly gains for July. Average Days on the Market came in lower again from the previous month due to the pre-summer buying season.  One thing that most people forget is that if a house closed in July, the buying process actually ... 08/14/2016

Hey Buyers Agents you are making big mistakes ..... Lately it seems that I have been selling homes multiple times for multiple reasons. Very frustrating indeed. But being on the sellers side I have seen an alarming trend happening in my area recently. Buyers Agents that are just not presenting offers on time or in a timely fashion. Everyone knows the real estate adage 'Time is of the essence'.  It states it clearly in our contract warning all parties that you had better do things in a timely fashion within the set time limits. Ok, so none of these Buyers Agents have read that sentence it seems. A couple of quick stories if I could .... Buyers agent that promises you a contract & 3 days disappear.  When the contract does appear 'in the middle of the night' by email it's not completely fi... 08/01/2016

Schaumburg Townhomes - Are prices increasing? Schaumburg Townhomes & Condos are selling at a better pace and at better prices overall for 2015. Based on the monthly numbers that I present, we can see that things begin a little slowly in the winter months & then begin to ramp up for the year.  Average prices reached near the $174,000 mark during the year. Schaumburg Townhome & Condo prices have increased slightly over 2014 levels but nothing exceptional to report like some areas of the country. We have an overall better mix of lower priced and upper priced homes elevating our average prices. Average sales price for June 2016 in Schaumburg was $159,000. Average days on market was 39. Looking to put your home on the market soon? All real estate is local, so you'll need a price analysis bas... 07/16/2016

Schaumburg Homes - Are prices increasing? Schaumburg Homes are selling at a better pace and at better prices overall for 2016. Based on the monthly numbers that I present, we can see that things begin a little slowly in the winter months & then begin to ramp up for the year.  Average prices reaching over the $330,000 mark so far this year. Schaumburg home prices have increased slightly over 2015 levels but nothing exceptional to report like some areas of the country. We have an overall better mix of lower priced and upper priced homes elevating those average prices. Average sales price for June 2016 in Schaumburg was over $310,000. Average days on market was 64. Looking to put your home on the market soon? All real estate is local, so you'll need a price analysis based on your location,... 07/16/2016

Schaumburg Homes -  Schaumburg IL Real Estate - Housing Market Info June 2016Looking for the current real estate market information for your Schaumburg Home? You've come to the right place so let's talk about house sales. Let's talk about a few key market facets here - the months supply of inventory for Schaumburg Homes has been decreasing. We have 23% less in housing inventory then we did a year ago in 2015. There is still competition out there and current market time averages 72 days to contract. An excellent indicator that the Schaumburg housing market is continuing to improve is the percentage of homes that go under contract each month. Currently we are at 20% for homes and 33% for townhomes/condos.        What about the Days on Market?  That has increased 11% over last year with th... 07/13/2016

In the table below lists all of the single family detached and single family attached homes currently on the market in  Schaumburg, IL The data lists available homes by price range with average time on market in each range. Included in this list are many Foreclosures and Short Sales.Should you have an interest in homes in a selected price range, send me your physical characteristics requirements. I will send complete details on those homes that meet your criteria. Active Listings List Price Range # Listings Avg. Days on Mkt $50,000 - $99,999 6 162 $100,000 - $149,999 27 60 $150,000 - $199,999 49 70 $200,000 - $249,999 23 123 $250,000 - $299,999 37 97 $300,000 - $349,999 29 53 $350,000 - $399,999 41 59 $400,000 - $449,999 15 83 $450,000 - $499,999 3 178 $500,000 - $549,999 3 67 $550,000 ... 07/04/2016

Real Estate Market Update - Northwest Suburbs - May 2016 This is the place to get those Northwest Suburban real estate questions answered!Each market segment is faring differently but one notice is that days on the market is down from the previous month of April.  You can see in the attached national recovery graph that different parts of the country are faring differently. What are Prices Doing?  Average sales prices continue to be relatively stagnant for the Midwest Area.  Illinois price increases came in modestly at 4.67% which is in the middle range of the national survey. Average Days on the Market came in lower from last month because of the normal accelerated buying season.  One thing that most people forget is that if a house closed in May, the buying process actually started 45... 06/12/2016

How To Get The Best Possible Deal When Buying Real Estate How To Get The Best Possible Deal When Buying Real EstateNo one wants to pay more than they have to for Real Estate. After all, investment potential is one of the greatest benefits of your South Barrington, Barrington, Schaumburg, Streamwood, Roselle, Itasca, Arlington Heights, and Chicago NorthWest Suburbs Home ownership. You want your home to go up in value while you own it. The less you pay for your home, the more you stand to earn from it. Here are a few tips for getting the best possible deal on your home. Buy at the right time. You find better Real Estate prices during certain times of the year and market conditions. For example, in a slow Real Estate market, sellers are usually more willing to negotiate to sell their home.... 06/09/2016

Lancer Park Schaumburg, Market Update - June 1st, 2016As of 6/01/2016, there are 13 Homes on the market in Lancer Park Schaumburg, with an average list price of $324,673. Highest priced property on the market with 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 1 half bath and 2,239 sqft of living area is listed at $416,750. Lowest priced property with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths and 1,600 sqft of living area is listed at $260,000.Active Listings: 9Under Contract Listings: 4Looking for a Property in Lancer Park?Interested in finding Homes for Sale in Lancer Park Schaumburg? Click on the link to find all the currently available Homes in this area of Schaumburg.Selling a Property in Lancer Park?Interested in finding information on Recently Sold Homes in Lancer Park, Schaumburg? Click on the link to find details o... 05/31/2016