Searching for Your New Home Alone?   Really? Think That Over ...  Pt. 2               Are you presently contemplating ... or actively searching for a new home to buy?  If so, you're not alone ...        Are you thinking of "going it alone" ... without the aid and assistance offered by a real estate agent?          In  Part 1 of this blog,  I addressed some of the reasons new homebuyers might think about tackling this venture on their own.  Pursuing a home purchase alone is something a potential homebuyer might want to think long and hard about, especially if that decision is based upon a poor prior experience with a real estate agent or another real estate professional.        I'm hoping after reading  Part 1 of this blog, that you have decided that utilizing the services of the RIGHT ... 05/13/2011

Searching For Your New Home Alone?  Really?  Think it Over ... Pt. 1                     Are you presently contemplating ... or actively seeking ... a new home to buy?  If so, you are not alone ...        An article offered on May 5th, 2011 on  SmartMoney.com (written by Annamaria Andriotis) states that the above is indeed true.  More Americans ARE presently out looking for homes to purchase. YOU are not alone in your housing search.             But the article goes on to state that you may also be a portion of another growing statistic ... homebuyers actively searching for their new home without the aid of a real estate agent.            Now, before I go any futher, I want to offer-up some facts regarding my own personal mortgage lending business ... and from where it is derived.  I be... 05/11/2011

Tips for a Successful Kitchen Remodel There’s no way around it—everyone gathers in the kitchen. Often the heart and soul of our home, the kitchen is also one of the critical areas that contributes—or detracts—from the value of your home. As a Member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I have witnessed over and over how the kitchen can make or break a home buyer’s decision. Whether you’re planning to put your home on the market soon or simply want to enhance the functionality and atmosphere of your home, a kitchen renovation is always a good idea—it will pay dividends in terms of value, whether in the near or far future. Your kitchen remodel should be approached with careful consideration and planning to ensure the best outcome. As all kitchen experts will tell you, the best designs ar... 05/10/2011

    I've seen the topic written about often.  Real estate agents and mortgage lenders expressing that they are called upon to perform duties outside and beyond those typically associated with their professions. Real estate agents helping clients out in emergencies.  Walking dogs.  House sitting for repair appointments.  Mortgage Lenders performing counseling of all types.  Helping with financial planning, budgeting, and cleaning credit mishaps.  Both real estate agents and mortgage lender hand-holding and providing a sympathetic ear on family issues, jobs, money, repairs, more.  Most real estate agents and mortgage lenders don't even blink when faced with performing these tasks. For most real estate professionals ... it's just considered "part of the job" and what you do to assist a cli... 04/25/2011

          Hannah Rey is not your typical 13 year old girl from Joliet, Illinois.  Hannah has a mission ...     "Mission: Jammies"_ ... to be exact ...      Hannah is hoping to collect 500 pairs or more of children's pajamas before the end of June.   All donated pajamas, "jammies",  will go to  Lamb's Fold,  a local charity in Joliet that serves homeless women and children and victims of domestic violence,  as well as other charities in need.  Hannah volunteers at Lamb's Fold as part of the youth group at her church.  She has seen firsthand that many of the children at this shelter do not have pajamas to sleep in ... or enjoy the comfort that those pajamas can bring.      Hannah has devised and implemented a plan to help children in need of the warmth and security provided by new pajamas... 04/11/2011

       Here's a cold hard truth ... Buying and Selling condominiums in the current real estate market can be very challenging.             Market conditions have made condominiums harder than ever to sell in many regions of the country.  Guideline requirements have made the condominium properties themselves difficult to qualify for financing.            Being successful in condominium transactions is achievable.  But doing so demands hard work, large amounts of documentation, access and accruing of vital information, and partnership with an experienced and knowledgeable mortgage lender.  They together determine if listing (or viewing) the condominium is something you will find worth time and effort ... or if it will be a successful transaction.              Establishing the basic eligib... 03/25/2011

      Tick ... tick ... tick ...      That's the sound of time slipping away on lower-priced mortgages, smaller-downpayments, lower interest rates, and cheaper closing costs.     Getting worried?     If you're a first-time buyer ... or live in a high-priced region of our country ... maybe you should be.         As of April 1st and after ... there are many things in play that could drive-up the cost of seeking and securing your home loan.       Fees paid for small-down payment loans are rising.  This type of loan is typically a launching-pad into homeownership for first-time buyers.  There is talk of ending Fannie Mae and FreddieMac.  Mortgage program options may dwindle.  A rise in costs or availability of mortgage programs hurts this demographic greatly and slows their path to owning ... 03/22/2011

           Babies ... and taking good care of them ... is a very important and popular topic at our house as of late.  As I've related in past posts, my wife and I became grandparents for the first time this last fall, courtesy of our younger son and his wife.      Yesterday, we learned that our oldest son Tom and his wife Jenny are expecting their first baby .. and are adding to our growing family.  To say the least, we are absolutely beyond thrilled.      Our recent good news definitely played a part in my eye catching the Joliet Herald News' article,  "Silver Cross OB/GYNs Host Discussion on Preparing for Pregnancy".      Physicians, Dr. Dexter Arrington, OB/GYN, and Dr. Richard Jones, OB/GYN (on staff at Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet, IL) will be hosting a FREE discussion on plann... 03/17/2011

       What do you think of when you think of Spring?      Warmer weather .. budding trees ... plants popping up. Newborn animals ... grass turning green ... kids outside playing again ... adults out sprucing up their yards. They all come to mind.  But to me, nothing says Spring like Baseball. The two are simply synonymous.      I guess it's not surprising then, that for someone that makes his living in the real estate mortgage industry ... the Spring Real Estate Market always takes on the feeling of a new baseball season. I view it as a time of renewal for the housing market and homeowners, just as it is for baseball players and fans. There's an aura of hope ... of energy to the Spring home sales market and to baseball that is definitely shared.      So ... during this Spring home sale... 03/14/2011

    Remember the song from Sesame Street, "One of These Things is NOT Like the Other"?  The song was trying to teach a valuable lesson.  There ARE differences between things ... between people. Well, let's face it ... in the world of mortgage lending, there are few real mortgage program differences that separate service providers.  Yes, it is a fact that there are some lending institutions and lenders that can offer a handful of financing programs that others may not ... or "twists" on these programs.  Those differences are important to be aware of and know.  But it's my contention that even if that should prove the case ... should a service-oriented individual mortgage lender not have a particular advantageous mortgage program within their personal, or company's, arsenal ... they will ... 03/10/2011

Word: routine (rū-tēn') Definition: A prescribed, detailed course of action to be followed regularly; a standard procedure. A set of customary and often mechanically performed procedures or activities. See synonyms at method. A set piece of entertainment, especially in a nightclub or theater: The audience laughed at the comedian's routine. Slang. A particular kind of behavior or activity: Must you go into your hurt routine when you don't get your way? Computer Science. A set of programming instructions designed to perform a specific limited task.        When a job is performed each day, year after year, I think it's only natural that a "routine" gets developed. I know I do this with certain tasks.  In my mind, I'm providing myself some order ... avoiding chaos.       "Routine" can also... 03/07/2011

     Okay ... you've made the big decision. You're not buying a house ... now.    After taking all things into consideration, you've decided that buying a home is just not in the cards or right for you at this time.       Now what?    My answer is the same for you, as it is for someone that has come to the opposite conclusion regarding buying.    Contact a professional lender!    Why? Because if you ever hope to buy a home in the future, you should not procrastinate or waste time that could be put to valuable use! NOW is the perfect time to start planning for that future home purchase.    And that planning and preparation should start, whether buying now or later, with having your credit checked. It can take time to correct or raise credit issues and scores. By taking this simple step n... 02/14/2011

         Timing is said to be everything ...      And whether you live in the Chicagoland area or elsewhere, right now, that has never been more true.  Timing the market ... for stock purchases or buying a home ... is very important.        Many people are presently asking themselves,  "Do I jump into the market now?  Or, will values (real estate or stock) begin to rise or fall even more?           If you've been trying to make your mind up about buying a home  in Chicagoland, or elsewhere across our nation for some time now ... say during much of '2010' ... you personally waited during a period of time that saw stock prices rise 10% or more.  Mortgage interest rates rose too ...  .75%  in just the last 2 months or so.      Let's do some math with some actual market examples.  Some time... 02/08/2011

        Pretty much everyone knows the children's story about "Goldilock and the Three Bears".  It's become almost mandatory reading for any child and their family and it's been made repeatedly into children's movies too.  You most likely know the storyline.      But just in case, the tale goes that a little girl named Goldilocks enters the home of "The Three Bears" and wanders around testing things out in their house.  Precocious little thing, this Goldilocks.        Goldilocks is a picky little thing.  Something she tries is always too this or too that.  Too big ... too small ... too cold ... too warm ... and then finally the third option is always "just right".        Now being the opportunistic parents that we were, Marilyn and I used to tell this story to our sons when they were re... 01/12/2011

         Establishing relationships, and then building upon them with reliable, trustworthy, and knowledgeable referral partners can make the world go round.  There is just a never-ending list of reasons you want to keep doing business with these professionals ... and refer them and their services to others.             For me personally, and with my mortgage services and clients, Stringham Insurance Agency... located out of Mokena, Illinois, is such a referral partner.  I  have written of this Agency, and its' owners Richard and Mary Ann Stringham, in a prior post.  (See: Stringham Insurance Agency in Mokena, IL.   Your "Small Town Professionals".)             I receive timely tips, reminders, personalized information, suggestions, notices, and more ... besides great service and rates ... 12/02/2010

       I grew up and have lived near Joliet, Illinois my entire life.  So has my wife.  My wife's family was one of the earliest settlers and farmers in the area.  You'd think between us we'd know a little something about the area.        But over the weekend, we both learned something about the history of Joliet that neither of us had every heard before or knew.          The WORLD'S  first  Dairy Queen ice cream stand opened in Joliet over 70 years ago!      Now THIS ... is important information to know!      This historic first Dairy Queen location still stands at 501 N. Chicago Street in Joliet.  The building that served up those first ice cream treats served by Jim and Grace Elliott (the managers of the original business) has had a varied and interesting past.  It's also been a moto... 11/22/2010

October, 2009 83 single family homes sold in October, 2009 in Joliet IL. Average original list price was $152,366 Average selling price was $130,891. Selling price : List price was 95%. Average market time was 167 days. October, 2010 60 single family homes sold in October, 2010 in Joliet, IL. Average original list price was $132,403 Average selling price was $114,793 Selling price : List price was 93% Average market time was 97 days. So although homes are selling for a lot less on average, market time seems to be a lot less. 11/17/2010

There are currently 812 active single family homes in Joliet, IL. This includes new, active, back on market, pending, and contingent homes.  Average market time is 214 days and the average list price is $153,155. Of those 812 single family homes: 165 have 2 or less bedrooms, average list price is $100,172 and 175 days average market time. 418 have 3 bedrooms, average list price is $146,073 and 208 days average market time. 189 have 4 bedrooms, average list price of $197,030 and 257 days average market time. 40 have 5 or more bedrooms, average list price is $238,409 and 226 days average market time. 11/17/2010

Great home ready for a new family! Four bedroom, 1.1 bath. Large eat-in kitchen with breakfast area as well as a seperate formal dining room. Hardwood in entry, dining room and kitchen. All appliances stay. Patio doors goes out to huge yard with large deck perfect for entertaining. Large full basement. Detached 2 car garage. Listed at $149,500 1714 Delrose Street, Joliet, IL  60435     11/12/2010

Friday, October 29 at 8:00 pm"When I Was Your Age Junior High Halloween Dance" The Department - Downtown Joliet at 205 N. Chicago Street (815-714-2280)www.thedepartmentjoliet.com Admission = $7 advance purchase and $10 night of the event and part of the proceeds benefit the TRIO Animal Foundation that provides medical care for homeless pets. The ticket gets you a free drink, free admission to the Tony Carr Comedy Show at 8 p.m. in the banquet room, D.J., chance at door prizes, and entry in the costume contest.  It'll be a fun night and we hope to make it a big success for TRIO. 10/16/2010