Gary Mancuso's (garymancuso) Blog

  Looking for somethisng to do this weekend? Check out "A Day In Our Village" is this Sunday, June 3rd. It's the biggest festival that Oak Park has all year and has brought up to 25,000 people out to the parks and local businesses—and it does it all with only a couple dozen volunteers. The 39th a...

Houses for sale in Oak Park are starting to going under contract within very reasonable periods of time. As an example, in the month of April there were 36 houses for sale that went under contract. I am telling you that this is terrific news! As a Realtor with Remax in The Village, Realtors and t...

You have been looking and hunting for that "deal" in this buyer's market -- and you think you've found it -- but have you? Understanding what constitutes a Good Deal may be more personal than you think. The thrill of the search and looking at real estate can put your head in a spin and your heart...

While getting the property ready to sell...When conversing with real estate agents, you will often find that when they talk to you about buying real estate, they will refer to your purchase as a "home." Yet if you are selling property, they will often refer to it as a "house" or "property." There...

Washington, DC, December 21, 2011 Existing-home sales rose again in November and remain above a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Also released today were periodic benchmark revisions with downward adjustments to sales and inventory data since 2007, led by a decline in...

Welcome back fellow Oak Park/River Forest/Forest Park area visitors! Mortgage rates were little changed this week, with rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages at or near 4 percent for the third week in a row, Freddie Mac said in releasing the results of its weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey. R...

On this Veterans Day I came across this post from another Realtor that I found so appropriate. We must never forget their sacrifices. Never forget. Gary   Lately I have been seeing lots of protests and even heard of one protester asking why we should give vets who got injured during war money, bu...

  Here are some very important tips that I highly recommend when selling your home. Detach yourself emotionally Over the years I have learned the buying real estate is an emotional decision, but the opposite needs to be true for selling real estate. Emotions can get in the way of selling your pro...

I have found that most home buyers’ biggest hurdle is coming up with the cash for a sensible down payment. Gone are the days of zero-down loans, so if that was your plan, you’re going to need a new one! Coming up with a down payment for a home is a challenge because it’s not chump change we're ta...

Even with the help of an experienced real estate agent, the negotiating process can be frustrating and confusing. Many of us aren't involved in high-level business negotiations in our day-to-day lives, and even buyers who are savvy business persons aren't used to having a personal stake in the ou...