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Lake Zurich, IL Real Estate News

By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
I have a little confession to make:     It has always been one of my favorites. When I was in elementary school, I loved that you were able to dress up in your costume and wear it to school! The whole school day was one big party! We would parade around town in our costumes and do Halloween art projects, eat cupcakes and other goodies. As an adult, I loved walking my boys around the neighborhood in their Luke Skywalker or Mummy costumes (yep, that's them in the picture). Now that they are in high school I still look forward to hearing my doorbell ring and the sing-song "trick-or-treat" being called throughout the neighborhood by the next generation. I'm always the first one in the family to hop up to hand out the goodies! There are several ways to celebrate Halloween this year in...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
If you were among the first to register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry, it may be time to re-register if you want to avoid those annoying calls from telemarketers. Simply visit www.donotcall.gov to re-register and enjoy an additional 5 years of peace and quiet! If you are not sure which number(s) you registered or when your registration expires, you can verify your registration information on the website as well. I found out that my registration doesn't expire until December 23, 2009. Now if only the Do Not Call Registry prohibited those "recorded messages" from political candidates...ah, well, nothing is perfect. Remember, unless you specifically request that I contact you by telephone, I will not call you. I respect your privacy, both online and at home. For mo...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
What does it mean when someone claims they don't have the time to do something? Have you heard any of these lately? "I don't have time to exercise" "I don't have time to cook" "I don't have time to watch TV" "I don't have time to blog" The truth is, we all have the same amount of time in each day...it's all about how we spend it. "I don't have time" usually translates as "I don't want to." Not that there's anything wrong with not wanting to do something, but why hide behind the "I don't have time" statement? We all juggle multiple activities as we try to balance work and home life. We make time for the things we really want to do. How about the "I don't have time to blog" statement? I've heard that one from countless real estate agents that I've encouraged to jump on the blogging bandwa...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
When I bought my house, it WAS NOT love at first sight. In fact, I passed it over and continued to look at houses for almost 5 more months before I finally came back and bought it. Did the price go down? Nope. It was 2001...homes were selling like hotcakes! Did the seller do anything to "fix" it up? Nope. In fact, this seller was stuck on his price and unwilling to negotiate. So why did I buy it, if it was UGLY and OVERPRICED? Because it had three of the most important things in real estate:1. LOCATION2. LOCATION3. LOCATIONYou see, I had been targeting the neighborhood (Chestnut Corners in Lake Zurich) as THE ONE for my family for about 8 months. Even though this house was beautiful on the outside, inside it was an early 1990's nightmare. Gray carpet, bleached oak cabinets and laminate ...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
If you have children, or are thinking about having children in the future, you know that one of the most important criteria for your new home is the school district the home will be located in.For information about Lake Zurich District 95 Schools, please visit their website at www.lz95.org.  If you are looking for a way to compare school districts and get school reports, you can also visit www.schoolmatch.com, although most of the information you may be looking for (such as District Report Cards) is available on the District 95 website itself.By the way, school starts this year on August 22 (1/2 day). Please contact the school district for registration information!If you would like to be kept up to date on school district happenings, you can join the Community Unit School District 95 Ke...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
Whether you commute to downtown Chicago every day or simply head to Chicago for shopping, games or other events, Lake Zurich has convenient access to two Metra train stations. The Palatine station is located at 137 W. Wood Street, while the Barrington station is located at 201 S. Spring Street.Either way, you can be downtown in less than an hour! Visit www.metrarail.com for schedule and route information.
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By Joe (Joseph) Heffernan, Helping Owners Make Smart CRE DECISIONS!
(Premier Commercial Realty)
The Village of Lake Zurich is located in Lake county and is approximately 37 miles Northwest of Chicago with a 250 acre lake, one of the cleanest lakes in the State of Illinois. Lake Zuirch Real Estate includes Single Family Homes, Townhouses and Condominiums. Lake Zurich homes offer a mix of both rural and city living with approximately 6,000 housing units.
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
As you may know, more houses will be sold in the next few months than in the entire balance of the year. If you are thinking about buying or selling in Lake Zurich, Hawthorn Woods, Deer Park, Kildeer, Long Grove and any of the surrounding communities...please give me a call! I've been selling off my inventory and I'm looking to add a few new listings over the next few weeks. I'd love to sell your home and help you find your new one!Reminder: School is almost out for summer, so be careful out there when driving through the neighborhoods (watch out for the kids!).Note: Thanks to everyone who participated in the Chestnut Corners and Hunter's Creek garage sale...it was a resounding success! We will be having another garage sale in the fall, so if you missed this one you will be able to part...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
Experience comes in many forms, not just years spent selling real estate. Consider that many agents work part time or sell only a few homes per year. Even the most "experienced" agents rarely sell more than 50 or 60 homes per year. Prior to becoming a real estate agent, I was a real estate paralegal. I closed on average 500 transactions per year. I guarantee that no agent has as much transactional real estate experience as I do. I have more knowledge of the overall real estate process and more experience with issues and problems that can crop up and how to prevent them from derailing your transaction. In addition to my extensive legal background, I've been actively selling real estate since 2003. I love what I do and I will work hard for you. I make it my business to know the market and...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
Simply put, when I am working with a seller (listing and marketing their home) I am representing my client as a "seller's agent." When I am working with a buyer I am representing my client as a "buyer's agent." For many of my clients I am their seller's agent during the sale of their home and their buyer's agent during their purchase of their new home. At all times I am representing them, and only them, in the transaction and always acting in their best interest. But what if I had a listing (where I am representing the seller) and you (where I am representing you as a buyer) wanted to purchase that particular seller's home? You can see that there is a potential for conflict because it is difficult to represent both the seller and the buyer in the same transaction. As a Realtor®, I am al...
Comments 2
By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
In our local market, Tuesdays are agent "open house" or "tour" days. That means that new homes on the market are open for area real estate agents to tour and/or preview for their clients. Typically, the listing agent (or his or her assistant) will be in the home between 10-2 to welcome area agents and discuss the special features of the house.As both a buyer's agent and seller's agent, I am active on Tuesdays! I feel that it is extremely important to be kept up-to-date on the happenings in our market. It allows me easy access (no appointment necessary) to see the new listings, which will help me price your home correctly when the time comes. If I am representing you as a buyer who is interested in our area, it lets me preview the home before bringing you to see it.As a member of the pub...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
Spring has sprung here in Lake Zurich! The temperature is a balmy 78 degrees as I write this! If you want an easy and convenient link to the weather in the Lake Zurich area, check out the National Weather Service Website. It's one of my favorites for a complete, easy to read forecast. Of course, you can enter in your zip code in case it happens to be outside of the Lake Zurich area.With warmer weather underway, my thoughts now turn to GARAGE SALES. This is the perfect time of year to get started on your spring cleaning, de-clutter your basement and garage, and make a little money as well. This year, I am sponsoring the Chestnut Corners and Hunter's Creek garage sale. This year promises to be bigger and better than ever because both neighborhoods will be participating. More homes = more ...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
If you are considering a move to Lake Zurich or a nearby community, you should know that there are some fabulous restaurants to choose from that are very close by. Here are two of my favorites.Stoney River http://www.stoneyriver-steaks.com/ at 20504 N. Rand Road, Deer Park, ILI love, love, love their bread! It is served with a honey (I think) butter that is to die for. Literally, I could make a meal of this bread. Probably not good for the waistline....but who cares! Sometimes I order the mixed greens salad and just have that and the bread. If I'm with the family, I usually share an entree with my 17 year old son. His favorite is the filet of pork, served on a bed of sauteed spinach, marsala sauce and garlic mashed potatoes. The portions are so large that he and I can't finish the whole...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
As both a real estate agent and resident of the Lake Zurich area, I know what a great place this is to raise a family, spend quality time with loved ones and enjoy life in a "small town" atmosphere. I consider it a privilege to be able to help others achieve their goals when it comes to living here. As a wife (20 years in May!!!) and mother of two sons, ages 17 and 14, I appreciate the convenience of living in Lake Zurich. We all do. With a busy career, it is nice to have easy access to everything...shopping, restaurants, parks, you name it and you can find it locally! Lake Zurich is experiencing some positive press lately as well. Did you know that Lake Zurich was named by Frommer's as one of the top hundred "Best Places to Raise Your Family" and by U.S. News as one of the "Top Twenty-...
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By Kelly Sibilsky
(Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.)
If I wait to buy a home, won't prices go down even lower? Many buyers have been asking themselves that very same question. But timing the market isn't a great idea. All the market fundamentals show that now is a good time to buy - prices are down,  interest rates are affordable, there are lots of homes to choose from and you can bargain with sellers. If you try to wait and time the market until it hits rock bottom, you are likely to lose out. Just as no one can accurately predict the peaks and valleys of the stock market (name one person who sold their tech portfolio in April of 2000), the same holds true for housing. If you sit on the fence and wait for the absolute best deal, you could end up literally waiting for years. And most likely, your guess on market timing would be wrong. But...
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