Real Estate Information Archive

Home Sellers... so you have decided to list your home for sale.  How does your home compare to other properties on the market?

In these competitive times, it is all about first impressions.  Your home needs to appeal to the age range of the buyer.  In most cases, your home might need a "make under."  This is not often talked about, but how you live in your house is not how you sell your house.  You need to neutralize, de-clutter, and then make 3 piles:  1)  donate  2)  keep/pack  3)  trash/garage sale.  

Your home needs to be in a state of less is more.  A clean look, not a lot of stuff.  Get advice from an expert - a top agent knows exactly what to do, but those agents are far and few between.  The difference will be just listed, versus SOLD!  Work with the best - hire a CRS - Top 3% of all Realtors nationwide.

Posted by:  Carol Best | Coldwell Banker Real Estate | Licensed since 1992

For a confidential consultation - click here

E-mail Carol Best - click here

BUYERS:  Best Buys - Short Sales & Foreclosures - click here

SELLERS:  Find out what is for sale, pending & sold in your neighborhood - listings will be emailed to your inbox - click here 

Everyone wants to know - which direction are we going in the real estate market... up, down, or sideways.  The answer is that it all depends on your local statistics, graphs and current level of inventory [not to mention days on the market]... but keep in mind that the reason why the median values might be trending up, is because the high-priced foreclosures are selling, not necessarily because of an increase in property value.

Here is a hotlink to an interesting article - take the time to understand the bigger picture.  If your agent is not providing you with charts, facts, statistics, and cannot tell you which way the market is trending, i.e. up, down, etc, then it is probably time to start interviewing new agents and find a pricing expert.  Some listings have been on the market for years with the same agent - hello... something just isn't right.  Read what the experts from the Wall Street Journal, the Housing Wire and Reuters are saying.  After all, you wouldn't go to a podiatrist for heart surgery, would you?

Posted by:  Carol Best | Coldwell Banker Real Estate | Licensed since 1992

For a confidential consultation - click here

E-mail Carol Best - click here

BUYERS:  Best Buys - Short Sales & Foreclosures - click here

SELLERS:  Find out what is for sale, pending & sold in your neighborhood - listings will be emailed to your inbox - click here

Realogy Corporation, a global and domestic provider of real estate and home relocation services to transferees world-wide, is proud to announce that Cartus has acquired Primacy Relocation in a major move.  Realogy is the parent company of real estate franchise brands such as Coldwell Banker and The Corcoran Group on the East Coast.  Translation:  more relocation buyers & sellers for Coldwell Banker & Realogy companies across the United States and global relocation arena.

Cartus will now have a 40% market share of all relocation business - as a comparison, #2 Prudential has approximately 10% market share. 

Primacy, which has approximatelly 700 employees operating in 25 offices located throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe, serves a number of U. S. Government agencies, Fortune 500, and 1000 and Global 100 corporations, as well as smaller emerging-market organizations.  

Cartus has long been the leader in global relocation services - their acquisition of Primacy now positions them as the #1 Leader in Transferee Relocation Services world-wide.  This acquisition also positions Cartus as a major service provider to the government sector. 

SELLERS:  Click here to discuss listing your home for Sale with Carol Best & Coldwell Banker

BUYERS:  Search all homes for sale in Chicago & Northern IL

BUY a DEAL:  Search Luxury Home Foreclosures

E-mail Carol | Carol's Website | Call or Text:  773-799-5939

The market share graph below shows brokers with sales $500,000 and above in Cook County, IL.  The following information is provided by our real estate multiple listing service:  Midwest Real Estate Data LLC:

Green indicates which brokers have the Sellers | Yellow indicates which brokers have the Buyers

Sellers - Need a Market Analysis?

Coldwell Banker | Lake County, IL reaches over $500 million dollars in total single family home sales & has 18.5% market share [Y-T-D 2009].  These numbers are for any price, home sold in all of Lake County.

To view the market share graph of homes sold/closed Y-T-D price above $500,000,  click here - Coldwell Banker has 27% market share!!

Thinking of selling?  Why not put 33 offices to work for you today - Coldwell Banker has hundreds of agents working for you and has exceeded $500,000,000 million dollars in single family home sales alone in 2009. 

Work with a broker that knows what to do in this difficult market.  We're selling and closing homes in your area... work with the Best - call, text or e-mail Carol today - Carol@CarolBest.net

Posted by: Carol Best | Coldwell Banker | Barrington, IL | www.CarolBest.net | Call or text Carol @ 773-799-5939 | Carol@CarolBest.net

Sellers

Sellers in trouble?

Best Buys for Home Buyers

Find Luxury Home Foreclosures

Inman News - by Dian Hymer - 8/24/09:  Making the Right Choice... Listen Up to determine if you will only talk to, hear from, or see your agent @ the appointment to list your home.  Does your Realtor have a team that works for them... will you ever see them again?  Read Dian Hymer's article below:

Assembling the right team of professionals to assist you during a home purchase or sale is imperative, particularly in today's challenging home-sale market. Selecting the right real estate agent can be critical to your ultimate success.

As in any business, there are good agents and agents who aren't so good. Don't confuse years in the business or number of homes sold with quality service. Some top-performing agents provide their clients with excellent service. Agents who do a lot of business have a wealth of experience to draw from that can be helpful when problems arise.

However, some agents are more interested in making a commission than they are in satisfying their clients. They might sign up the listing promising to sell your home quickly for the best price possible. After that, you may see or hear little from that agent. Rather, you'll interact with assistants who may or may not have the experience needed to adequately take care of your needs.

Make certain before you list your home for sale or select an agent to represent you as a buyer that you fully understand what your agent will and will not do for you. Find out if you'll be working one-on-one with your agent or if others will be involved. 

Posted by:  Carol Best | Call or Text:  773-799-5939 | Carol@CarolBest.net | www.CarolBest.net

Help for Homeowners

Search Foreclosures in IL

BUYERS:  E-Z Search of MLS in IL

SELLERS:  What is Active/Pending/Sold in my Neighborhood?

Potential clients are asking the listing agent they interview:  What's the average selling price when your office had the LISTING (seller).  Here are the numbers, through 5/3/09:

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage                          $563,566

Baird Warner                                                                   $488,760

Re/Max - Office A                                                            $427,871

Re/Max - Office B                                                            $451,335

Weichert/McKee                                                             $610,727

C-21 - Office C                                                                $428,588

C-21 - Office D                                                                $367,036

Keller Williams - Office E                                               $341,701

Prudential/Starck                                                            $320,009

Some clients are asking:  What's the average selling price when your office had the BUYER.  Here are the numbers, through 5/3/09:

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage                         $629,590

Baird Warner                                                                   $500,393

Re/Max - Office A                                                            $481,556

Re/Max - Office B                                                            $389,582

Weichert/McKee                                                             $427,090

C-21 - Office C                                                                $457,857

C-21 - Office D                                                                $309,569

Keller Williams - Office E                                               $326,160

Prudential/Starck                                                            $265,761

WOW Factors for Luxury Home Buyers Over 50
Luxury Real Estate Buyers Want:

1)  Outdoor Kitchen

2)  Residential Elevators

3)  Wine room

4)  Zero-threshold shower & a Whirlpool tub

5)  If this is a desert home, unique water features that might mimic the shape of the home

6)  Kitchens that could be wheel-chair accessible, but don't look like it, which includes a bend-free dishwasher

7)  Low-maintenance exteriors which fulfill the homeowner's dream of "lock and leave"

8)  Flexible spaces adjusts to a client's changing needs, i.e. aging parents move in with you, or a room can be converted from a family room to a media room

9)  Walk-in closets with elaborate built-in drawers and glass doors to keep the dust off clothing

10) Kitchen with a pot-filler faucet over the cooking surface

11) Potting room that would include a wide deep sink, cutting boards, indestructible brick floor and ample fenestration - the avid gardeners dream come true

12) For the household Pet:  a pet-feeding station for the mudroom/laundry room and of course a doggie shower

Posted by:  Carol Best - Hunter's Fairway | Sotheby's International Realty
101 S. Wynstone Park Drive | North Barrington, IL 60010

Carol@CarolBest.net | www.CarolBest.net | Call or Text:  773-799-5939

BUYERS in IL:  http://www.FindNorthernIllinoisHomes.com

SELLERS in IL:  http://www.NorthernIllinoisHouseValues.com