There’s a lot of stuff out there you can buy and sell all by yourself. Unloading your old car? No problem. Ordering a sandwich? Hardly requires a buyer’s agent. But when it comes to buying and selling a home, there are many time-tested reasons for working with a real estate agent.

Despite the tangible nature of real estate, a home is really an investment. And when it comes to an investment as large as real estate, working with an agent provides a host of big benefits. Before you decide to go it alone, consider what you’ll be giving up if you do:

1. Real estate agents know what’s really going on in the market. Anecdotal reports about what’s hot and what’s not isn’t the way to price a home or research neighborhoods. Agents provide visibility into the real numbers based on data.

2. Real estate agents understand the process. How many real estate deals have you navigated? Your typical agent has had experience with dozens if not hundreds of transactions. They know the steps and they know what to do when things go wrong.

3. Real estate agents can save you time researching homes. Sure, you can look online, but you can also give your agent criteria and sit back while they create a hit-list of must-visit homes they think are worth your attention. Why wouldn’t you leverage their assistance?

4. Real estate agents negotiate on your behalf. Shield yourself from the frontline stress of negotiations while your agent looks out for your interests. It minimizes hard feelings and insulates you from the headache of negotiating directly.

5. Real estate agents help you see the deal clearly. Buying a selling a home is an emotional experience, and emotions can cloud your decision making process. There’s a lot of money on the line. Can you really afford to act irrationally? Your agent can keep things level.

Invest wisely! Invest with a real estate agent.

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Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Do you believe your negative credit history disqualifies you from buying a home? That might not be the case. And even if you’re not in the position to buy today, there are some simple, effective actions you can take to boost your future prospects.

If you’re like most people, buying a home means securing a mortgage. To secure that mortgage, you need to convince banks you’re a good bet. Here’s how to start on the path to making your dream home a real home:

1. Work towards a 10% down payment: Down payment assistance is very difficult to get without a credit score north of 640. So if you’re below the line, you’re going to help your odds of pre-approval by proving you have 10% down to put on your home. That 10% is especially helpful if your credit score is sub-550. Above 550 you might be able to land an FHA loan with only 3.5% in equity.

2. Make moves to rebuild your credit: You don’t have to be perfect to improve your access to better mortgage terms. Here’s how to put points back on top: 1) Pay down your highest credit card balances first. 2) Get your credit report and look for errors you can correct or dispute. 3) Identify any outstanding debts or collections which you can manage to get cleared either through full payment or negotiated settlement. If you can push your rating above 620 you’ll not only get closer to better terms, but generally you’ll experience less scrutiny during the approval process.

3. Get a realistic picture of your debt-to-income ratio. Focus on doing what you can to bring your debt-to-income ratio below 45%. Mortgages do exist for people with higher ratios, but generally credit scores are well above 600 for this to become a reality.

4. Understand your “seasoning period.” If you’ve experienced a bankruptcy, foreclosure, or short sale scenario, it may not be possible for you to secure a mortgage for at least three years (and sometimes two, depending on the situation). Use this time to work on the three tips above.

If you’d like to begin hunting for your next home, we are happy to help guide you. Or, if you need a referral to a reputable mortgage professional, get in touch! We have a network of trusted folks we work with every year:

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Ever find yourself overwhelmed by maintaining your lawn? Have you worried about the amount of water it takes to keep things green and growing? What if there was a way to transform your lawn to both make it both ecologically-friendly and strikingly different from every house on the block?

Xeriscaping (or xerogardening) is the practice of landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for excess water. Taken from the Greek word, “xeros” (meaning dry), xeriscaping was initially designed to provide landscaping options for areas which are particularly sensitive to drought.

Given that water is the most precious resource on the planet, perhaps you might you might consider this conservationist’s approach to landscaping your home. In addition to reducing the costs of watering and chemical maintenance, well executed xeriscaping can actually improve the curb appeal and value of your home.

Here are a couple of links on the topic of xeriscaping, including the “7 Principles of Xeriscaping”:

“Xeriscapes do not have a single look - almost any landscaping style can be achieved. The principles can be applied to all or part of a yard, in any geographic region of North America.”

Also, check out these Google Image examples of Xeriscaping:

 Xeriscaping can be the perfect way to compliment your new “green home.” If you’re looking for a house with a gentle ecological footprint, get in touch with us today:

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com

Sometimes people inherit a home they simply need to unload and other times they don’t want to make the effort to make repairs or tune up the home’s curb appeal. For these home owners looking for a quick sale, they often think selling a home “as is” is the way to go. If you’re like most folks, you might think the “as is” sale means “take it or leave it” and “what you see is what you get.”

But an “as is” sale isn’t necessarily a cakewalk. It doesn’t mean you’re completely exonerated from taking some responsibility for the home’s condition. While advertising a home “as is” lets buyers know they’re likely to have to do some work, it also broadcasts that the home is probably going to be a relatively good deal, provided they’re willing to take on repairs.

“As is” doesn’t relieve you from disclosing problems with the home. What you know about, you must disclose by law. Failure to do so could get you into hot water. If you know about a problem but hope it slips by the buyer’s inspector, you’re at risk.

And that’s another thing: “As is” homes still go through the inspection process. While your “as is” sale may indicate your unwillingness to make repairs, it doesn’t mean the buyer won’t ask you for compensation based on condition issues. You may not come out of pocket, but it could come right off the top of your listing price, so keep this in mind. What’s more, once these conditions come to light you generally must disclose them to future prospective buyers if the current one bails.

With any luck, your “as is” buyer will be a cash buyer, but if not, prepare for the appraisal. Banks don’t want to loan money unless they deem the value of the home is acceptable. If the appraisal comes in low, your buyer may find themselves without the funds necessary to meet your price.

While selling “as is” may seem like a viable alternative to bringing a house up to its full market potential, recognize there are some trade-offs. Go in informed and you’ll find the process much easier to navigate.

Whether you’re looking to sell “as is” or not, we're happy to help you get the best price possible for your home. Let’s talk when you’re ready!

Realty Executives Midwest
1310 Plainfield Rd. Ste 2 | Darien, IL 60561
Office: 630-969-8880
E-Mail: experts@realtyexecutives.com