The city of Champaign has finally expanded to the point where a new subdivision falls into the Mahomet School District. If you haven't heard about Jacobs Landing it's one of Champaign's newest developments located at the corner of Kirby and Rising Road. There are currently 60 lot's available with construction starting as soon as June of this year. Why not give me a call to schedule a 1 on 1 appointment with the builder to find out more about Jacobs Landing and see if a Champaign address with Mahomet Schools is right for you.   Click Here For The Builders Website   http://www.onjacobslanding.com/news.html 02/24/2008

When I bought My first home I was self employed and no bank wanted to give me a mortgage. I felt trapped because I couldn't buy, thats when I met Randy Hughes. Randy is a local real estate investor who lease optioned some of his homes and I decided to take him up. I negotiated a price of $99,000 in 2000, bought out the option in 2002 then prices took off! My $99,000 is worth over $135,000 today and became my first rental. In 2003 my wife and I purchased a brand new home and Randy said, "Why don't you buy more rentals?" I told him I had no money to put down but he said he would teach me how to buy with little or no money down. I took him up on his offer and studied all if his courses and now have a portfolio of more than 20 homes. To show some gratitude for his education I thought I woul... 02/23/2008

 It's pretty tough to break this topic down to 4 basic tenants but the book "Your First Home, The Proven Path to Home Ownership" has made a very good effort.The "Rules" of real estate are always localThe best deals are usually win-win Price does not equal valueChoose with your heart and with your head #1 - It's easy to get jaded by what you hear on the national news, but what you really need to pay attention to is your local newspaper's business section and the sales in your target neighborhoods.  Talk to a knowledgeable Realtor in your area.  If you would like an update on the Champaign real estate market email me or visit www.ChampaignExperts.com #2 - It's tempting to try and land 'the deal of the century' in your home search.  If you spend all your time looking for this elusive targe... 02/19/2008

As a busy family man and Realtor in Champaign County,  I'm always looking for ways to save time. One resource I've come to rely upon is http://www.illinoishomepage.net/.  It's a great source for local the local weather forecast and up to date school closing information. My favorite feature is Frugal Friday's,  every  Friday there's a new restaurant that  sells $50.00 in gift certificates for ½ price!!  There is also a link where you can place classified ads free of charge. Take 5 minutes and check it out it just might be a site you'll come to rely on like me! 02/17/2008

Believe it or not, there are some markets still doing ok and Champaign County looks like a bright light during a dark time in Real Estate. Take a few moments and review our numbers and contact me with any questions!  Year To Date Comparison 2006 vs. 2007     Jan. 1,2006 - Dec. 31,2006         Jan. 1,2007 - Dec. 31, 2007Total # Sold and Closed - 3351          Total # Sold and Closed - 3114Dollar Volume - $494,160,463           Dollar Volume - $474,845,704Average Price Home - $147,467          Average Price Home - $152,487 One Month Comparison: 2006 vs. 2007     Dec. 1,2006 - Dec. 31, 2006               Dec. 1,2007 - Dec. 31,2007    Total # Sold and Closed - 197            Total # Sold and Closed - 149Dollar Volume - $29,409,205             Dollar Volume - $23,019,805Average Price Home - ... 02/13/2008

Determining how much home you can afford, or what payment you feel comfortable with, can be a trying process. Calling lenders, looking at mortgage loan programs and interest rates can be confusing, to say the least. There is an easy way to get started, and give yourself an idea of where you stand.The first step is to find out what mortgage interest rates are at the current time. You can typically do this with a couple of phone calls to lenders or some quick looking on the Internet. Get your rates on conventional fixed rate loans. Now use this handy table to see what your payment would be at different price ranges and interest rates. Payments might be higher or lower than those shown in the chart depending on current interest rates. To obtain a very clear picture of how much home you can... 02/09/2008

In order to judge if home warranties are in fact helpful in selling and buying real estate it is a good idea to look at benefits for all parties involved: Sellers, Buyers, and Agents.Agent Benefits: Creates Hassle-Free experience between the Buyer and Seller in real estate transactions. In addition, since listings with home warranties tend to sell with more speed this can make real estate agents stand out in their markets.Seller Benefits:  According to the National Home Warranty Association properties with home warranties sell 60% faster.  By providing peace of mind, buyers are attracted to homes that offer them protection.  Whether a home is 20 years old, or new construction providing a home warranty will give the buyer of your home confidence during and after the purchasing process.Bu... 02/06/2008

One of the basics of news is, "If it bleeds it leads", and while thats great for most stories it bad for others and the real estate market is a perfect example. While it's true the housing market nation wide has seen better days what we're experiencing today we've seen in years past. This isn't the first time housing prices have flattened or went down and the economy has hid harder times. Thats why the NAR, National Association of Realtors has started a new website, www.housingmarketfacts.com to better help you understand the facts about real estate. Please take a few moments to look through the site and get the facts about real estate and call me if you have any questions. 01/27/2008

The most important thing to be aware of with insulation, other than the safety issues of urea formaldehyde and asbestos (covered elsewhere), is the R value, or the insulating factor. The higher the number, the better the insulator. Don't be too shocked if the insulation in the 15 year old home you are considering isn't near the R value of a brand new home. While there is no question you could save on heating bills by adding more insulation, sometimes it can take many, many years to recoup the costs.Often, gas or power companies have financial assistance programs including low interest loans or even grants available if you boost your insulation. Talk to your home inspector about any upgrade recommendations before purchasing your next home. More on insulation is available here.  Please bo... 01/24/2008

As reported in the NewsGazette today Carle Foundation Hospital plans to file an application next month with the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board seeking permission to undertake its most ambitious modernization project ever on the central Urbana campus. What does this mean for Champaign/Urbana? That's yet to be seen but at the outset the news is good. Our local economy is somewhat insulated due the nature of it's makeup. The UofI, Kraft Foods and two large hospitals just to name a few of our employers. In times of economic uncertainty food production goes up at Kraft because people eat out less, undergrad students go to graduate school because good jobs are harder to find, and with the onset of the baby boomers healthcare will explode! For more information about our community pl... 01/21/2008

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that construction was started on 1.353 million new homes and apartments last year, down 24.8 percent from 2006. It was the second biggest annual decline on record, exceeded only by a 26 percent plunge in 1980, a period when the Federal Reserve was pushing interest rates to post-World War II records in an effort to combat an entrenched inflation problem. Many economists believe that the current slump in housing will rival the dive in the late 1970s and early 1980s when housing construction fell for four straight years before beginning to recover after the severe 1981-82 recession. For December, construction fell by a bigger-than-expected 14.2 percent, marking the weakest pace of home building in more than 16 years. Building permits fell 8 percent... 01/17/2008

If you decide to check for RADON make sure you choose the right technician to do the test. As part of my service as your agent I can recommend professionals to help you with the buying process including testing for RADON! I highly recommend Troy Doehring the owner of TechSpec home inspection service. Troy performs all the work himself and always puts the clients needs first. Click the link below to watch a video about RADON and decide for your self if you want to test for RADON before you buy a home.  Check out Troy's website http://www.techspector.com/Click Here For Radon Video Please bookmark or RSS this site for all news relating to real estate in Champaign County.http://www.champaigncountyrealestatenews.com/     01/15/2008

New protocols regarding Radon are now in effect.  Just like the Lead Based Paint Disclosures, we are now required to have buyers and sellers sign Radon Disclosures.  For more information on the Radon Disclosure, please click here http://iema.illinois.gov/radon/pdf/radontestguidelineforrealestate.pdf.  If you have any questions or concerns about Radon Disclosures, please give me a call at 217-352-5700 or send me an email. Keep in mind, when buying or selling a home with Aaron Gallagher of Cain and Company, my team will take care of all of the appropriate disclosures, so you can relax! Please bookmark or RSS this site for all news relating to real estate in Champaign County.http://www.champaigncountyrealestatenews.com/       01/15/2008

Which are:Not understanding a local market and all that is available.Not screening the masses-trying to see everything, both in their own price range and not.Not understanding pricing and the value of certain amenities.Weak negotiating. This mistake alone can cost a buyer thousands of dollars.Not requiring the proper inspections.Not understanding all available financing.Looking for the perfect home.Not previewing schools, shopping, and other neighborhood amenities.Avoid these most common buyer mistakes by working with a REALTOR in your area. Call Aaron Gallagher with Cain & Company today for your FREE buyers book that will explain the buying process to from start to finish. 217-373-4804Please bookmark or RSS this site for all news relating to real estate in Champaign County.http://www.c... 01/14/2008

The table below shows 2007 sales numbers for Champaign County Illinois. Even though our market is slower than normal we didn't get punished as bad as other parts of the US market. I will be posting the statistics monthly throughout 2008 so please RSS or bookmark this site! Count3,113Listing Price Total488,682,268Listing Price Average156,981Selling Price Total474,070,704Selling Price Average152,287List-to-Sell Variance4,694List-to-Sell Percent97.0Average Days on Market75 Please bookmark or RSS this site for all news relating to real estate in Champaign County.http://www.champaigncountyrealestatenews.com/  01/08/2008

MAYBE !!! In case you haven't heard Michael Jordan's son is playing basketball at the University of Illinois and rumor has it MJ is looking for a place downstate. Michael was spotted late last year at the UofI basketball facilities with his Ferrari talking to some fans! It's not often we get a celebrity like Michael Jordan in Champaign/Urbana let alone a purchasing a home, even if it's one of many. Hopefully over the next few years our community will benefit from his celebrity status and a few wins from the Fighting Illini! Stay tuned for further detials ............... Please bookmark or RSS this site for all news relating to real estate in Champaign County.http://www.champaigncountyrealestatenews.com/  01/06/2008

Thank you for taking the time to stop by my new blog, Champaign County Real Estate News. All through 2008 check out up to date information about real estate in Champaign County. I'll be bringing you updates on prices, new sub-divisions and foreclosures just to name a few. Don't waste time searching the internet for local real estate news when you can get it right here at www.champaigncountyrealestatenews.com  If there are topics you would like covered please feel free to email me with requests. There are RSS links at the bottom and I will be updating the site at least once per week with fresh, new content you'll be sure to want to read. I look forward to becoming your #1 source for real estate news in Champaign County, help me spread the word by telling your friends and co-workers. 01/01/2008

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone. Make it a safe and Joyous time, see you all in 2008!!!! 12/21/2007

If you think the Fighting Illini have a great year why not consider taking 30 seconds and help get Ron Zook the coach of the year award! It simple just go to  www.coachoftheyear.com and click on Ron Zook. 12/13/2007

The weakening dollar has created many issues for US consumers, but could it be help our housing economy with foreign investors looking for an investment or even a second home?"European investment is likely to pick up," said Mark Vitner, chief economist for Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia Corp. "Now is the time to come over and take advantage."This winter we are foreseeing that foreign investors will step in and replace first-time home buyers who have been squeezed out of the housing market during the recent downturn. This surge of foreign investors in turn will enable current homeowners to sell and trade up to larger homes, a process that has been crucial in our economic growth.As the real estate market has slumped the dollar has also sunk to all time lows compared to other foreign curre... 12/08/2007