Windsor Ridge, Joliet IL Real EstateReal estate in Windsor Ridge subdivision in Joliet, Illinois consists of townhomes built between 2006 and 2017. As of 01/05/2018, there are 24 homes on the market in Windsor Ridge subdivision.Townhomes for Sale in Windsor RidgeWith 12 active, 1 contingent and 11 pending listings, the average list price of a property on the market in Windsor Ridge is $273,553, with an average living area of 2,443 square feet. Highest priced house on the market located on Oxford Way with 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath and 3,146 sqft of living area is listed at $339,990. Lowest priced home located on Oxford Way with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath and 1,988 sqft of living area is listed at $228,155.Buying or Selling a Property in Windsor Ridge?Interested... 01/04/2018

Timber Estates SubdivisionReal estate in Timber Estates subdivision in Joliet, Illinois consists of homes built between 1984 and 1988. As of 01/04/2018, there are 2 homes on the market in Timber Estates subdivision.Real Estate for Sale in Timber EstatesWith 1 active, 1 contingent and no pending listings, the average list price of a property on the market in Timber Estates is $469,900, with an average living area of 3,282 square feet. Highest priced house on the market located on Westridge Rd with 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath and 3,700 sqft of living area is listed at $539,900. Lowest priced home located on Westridge Rd with 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, one half bath and 2,864 sqft of living area is listed at $399,900.Buying or Selling a Property in Timber Estates?Interested in f... 01/03/2018

Raynor Park SubdivisionReal estate in Raynor Park subdivision in Joliet, Illinois consists of detached single family homes built between 1929 and 2017. As of 01/02/2018, there are 3 homes on the market in Raynor Park subdivision.Raynor Park Real Estate for SaleWith 3 active, no contingent and no pending listings, the average list price of a property on the market in Raynor Park is $265,500, with an average living area of 2,206 square feet. Highest priced house on the market located on Hosmer St with 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath and 2,300 sqft of living area is listed at $269,000. Lowest priced home located on N Curtis Ave with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths and 1,820 sqft of living area is listed at $259,000.Buying or Selling a Property in Raynor Park?Interested in finding Real Est... 01/01/2018

Neustoneshire, Joliet Illinois Real EstateReal estate in Neustoneshire subdivision in Joliet, Illinois consists of detached single family homes built between 2006 and 2017. As of 12/28/2017, there are 7 homes on the market in Neustoneshire subdivision.Homes for Sale in Neustoneshire, Joliet, IllinoisWith 7 active, no contingent and no pending listings, the average list price of a property on the market in Neustoneshire is $284,586, with an average living area of 2,683 square feet. Highest priced house on the market located on Yorkshire St with 3 bedrooms, 3 full baths, one half bath and 2,400 sqft of living area is listed at $349,900. Lowest priced home located on Ascot Ct with 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath and 1,850 sqft of living area is listed at $231,500.Buying or Selling ... 12/28/2017

Lakewood Prairie, Joliet IllinoisReal estate in Lakewood Prairie subdivision in Joliet, Illinois consists of detached single family homes built between 2005 and 2017. As of 12/27/2017, there are 7 homes on the market in Lakewood Prairie subdivision.Lakewood Prairie, Joliet Illinois Homes for SaleWith 5 active, 2 contingent and no pending listings, the average list price of a property on the market in Lakewood Prairie is $281,110, with an average living area of 2,515 square feet. Highest priced house on the market located on Angelica Cir with 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, one half bath and 3,755 sqft of living area is listed at $324,900. Lowest priced home located on Mossheather Dr with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath is listed at $175,000.Buying or Selling a Property in Lakewood Pra... 12/27/2017

Kearney Glen, Joliet Illinois Real EstateReal estate in Kearney Glen subdivision in Joliet, Illinois consists of detached single family homes built between 2005 and 2017. As of 12/26/2017, there are 6 homes on the market in Kearney Glen subdivision.Homes for Sale in Kearney Glen, Joliet, IllinoisWith 3 active, 3 contingent and no pending listings, the average list price of a property on the market in Kearney Glen is $290,483, with an average living area of 3,186 square feet. Highest priced house on the market located on Treesdale Way with 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath and 3,098 sqft of living area is listed at $335,000. Lowest priced home located on Donovan Dr with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath is listed at $254,900.Buying or Selling a Property in Kearney Glen?Intere... 12/25/2017

Hunters Ridge, Joliet IL Real EstateReal estate in Hunters Ridge subdivision in Joliet, Illinois consists of detached single family homes built between 2008 and 2016. As of 12/22/2017, there are 4 homes on the market in Hunters Ridge subdivision.Hunters Ridge, Joliet IL Homes for SaleWith 3 active, 1 contingent and no pending listings, the average list price of a property on the market in Hunters Ridge is $266,200, with an average living area of 2,452 square feet. Highest priced house on the market located on Cahokia St with 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath and 2,668 sqft of living area is listed at $305,000. Lowest priced home located on Allegheny St with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, one half bath and 2,576 sqft of living area is listed at $240,000.Buying or Selling a Property in H... 12/22/2017

  No Need to Fear the Topic of Private Mortgage Insurance if you Know the Facts If you've done much research regarding mortgage financing, you've probably heard the term "Private Mortgage Insurance" ... You may have also heard that Private Mortgage Insurance is scary or should be avoided.  But in reality, in the right situations ... it can be the solution to your home buying and financing challenges. What do I mean? Let me start by explaining what Private Mortgage Insurance is ... Private Mortgage Insurance, often referred to as PMI, is insurance provided by a private mortgage insurance company.  The insurance protects Lenders against loss (to an 80% Loan Limit) if a Borrower defaults on their mortgage.  This, in turn, enables Lenders to offer financing options to Borrowers making small... 11/14/2017

 Home Buying & Financing: Taking the Steps to Reap BIG Change Have you set yourself a goal of buying a home in the Chicagoland area?  If serious about buying, I'm betting you've tried to grow your savings, improve your credit standing, and raise your credit scores ... and chosen to work with a Mortgage Originator (because that's the fastest most efficient way) to help you do so.You've been successful and you're now in a much more advantageous position to buy.  But what comes next? Because of your decision to work pro-actively with an Originator prior to entering the home buying/financing process, you're ahead of many mortgage applicants.  You're better prepared and positioned to buy as you move forward.  You're organized and you've laid out your purchase objectives.  They're clear to yo... 09/07/2017

 Is a New Chicagoland Home on Your Wish List? If I had one wish ... Remember as a kid how you made wishes all the time?   You made "wishes" over your birthday cake.  On coins you tossed in a fountain.  You "wishes" on the twinkling stars at night ... or the leftover turkey "wishbones" on Thanksgiving.  It seems as we age though, our "wishing" days become fewer and fewer.  We become a bit jaded or hardened to the realities of our lives.   Beyond wishing someone a "Good Morning", our wishing occurs less frequently.  And at times, disappears for days on end.   As adults, we begin to "wish" only for the big important stuff.  Like someone's return to good health.  Or that someone receives the promotion they want and deserve.  Our wishes get meted out, carefully ... judiciously ... frugally. ... 08/21/2017

 Mortgage Transactions Need Game Plans & Options Too  If you watch sports much (and admittedly, I do.  Just ask my wife), you've probably seen clipboards and playbooks in the hands of coaches on the sidelines. Those clipboards and playbooks hold the "game plan" for their team and their path to (hopefully) victory ... By the time the actual game is played, the players have seen, heard, and practiced the game's designated game plan and plays  repeatedly.  The idea being that their actions and reactions become natural, automatic, rote. (Vince Lombardi was legendary for his meetings, film-watching, and practice sessions.  Enjoy the clip attached to the pic!) But even with all the pre-planning, preparation, and practice, it's not uncommon for coaches to introduce new plans and last-minute ch... 07/10/2017

 EMBRACE and LOVE Mortgage and Home Buying Education During a recent face-to-face mortgage application with first-time home buyers, it soon became abundantly clear to me that ... The couple simply Had. No. Clue.  As we talked together further,this also became obvious ... Beyond the time we'd spent together in an earlier phone conversation (and subsequent follow-up email), they'd not given one moment of further thought or effort to their financing.  Zero.  Nadda.  Zilch. However, this couple had professed to me over and over that they "really wanted to buy a house".  They said adamantly they "didn't want to rent any longer".  But they'd done absolutely nothing to help make that happen.   There'd been no planning or preparation performed on their part.  They had arrived at our appointment... 05/25/2017

 Thinking of "Flipping" a Chicagoland Home?   "Flipping" shows are increasingly popular on TV these days ..."Flip or Flop", "Masters of Flip", "Flip this House" represent just a small sampling of the shows currently on air featuring the buying, renovating and selling of homes within a short timeframe for investment and profit.While entertaining to watch, the rise in popularity of these shows really showcases American's ongoing fascination with home and real estate.  It's also is an indicator of the return of a healthier U.S. housing market.  It seems Americans are once again willing and more capable of facing the monetary risks involved in "flipping".  And real estate investors are seeing a higher likelihood of making good money.Most of the shows shown above spotlight couples focused on... 04/18/2017

 Applying for a Mortgage? When "Plan A" Doesn't Work ... One of the social media sites I find most helpful (and enjoyable) is Pinterest.  And I don't mean just business-wise either ...  Need ideas for your home?  Want to know how to repair something?  Ideas for your landscaping, gardening?  Love history?  Travel?  Fashion?  Looking for a new recipe?  You can search almost any topic on Pinterest and find a large array of "pins", info, tips, advice, pictures and more to look at and consider.  I can't tell you the number of helpful and informative things my wife and I've found there.   (Or how many great new meals and desserts I've enjoyed from the recipes discovered there.)  So it wasn't unusual that a pin caught my attention when I visited Pinterest  today.  The pin/meme read:  When I re... 02/23/2017

 What's Your Motivation to Buy and Finance a Home?        During conversations with my new mortgage applicants, I try to discern what their "motivation" is for purchasing a home ...       Is the motivating factor ... the stimulus to buy and finance ... obvious or unclear?  Is the motivation based on need, fact, or emotion?      Why is that important?  It helps me guide them and service their needs as their Originator.  But maybe more importantly, Mortgage Underwriters think it is ... and here's why.     Depending on a Buyer's motivation, the following things (and options) can vary or change within a mortgage: Loan Terms Underwriting Guidelines Interest Rates Down Payment Requirements More      As a result of this underwriting fact, my conversations with my clients must include fact-find... 01/06/2017

 Mortgage Reviews Provide Real Opportunity       Reviews, sometimes referred to as "testimonials", deliver a unique opportunity ...        They provide you a chance to educate yourself regarding the services delivered by a service provider, company, or professional.  They also offer insight into the quality of service you might expect from them.        Reviews are an opportunity to see a service provider, company, or professional through the lens of those that have already had business relationships and services provided by them in the past.  It's kind of like living vicariously through prior clients' experiences.      Most people have a fairly clear idea of what services and quality of service they want and hope for when in a search of a new business or service provider.  They also hav... 12/22/2016

 Interest Rate "Indifference" ... it Can Cost You      Interest Rates are talked about endlessly ...     Will interest rates rise ... or won't they?   How big will the rate hike be? How soon will the Federal Reserve Board raise its benchmark interest rate? What indicators could influence a decision? How will an increase effect the markets? How will an increase effect housing and financing? More ...           Speculation regarding interest rates and their rise has been going on for almost a full year now.  In fact, it's been non-stop since the Federal Reserve Board last took action and raised rates in December of 2015.  That move proved momentous, as prior to that action it was June of 2006 when a movement in rates was last seen.     But because Mortgage interest rates have held steady f... 12/01/2016

 Turning the IMpossible into the Possible via HomeReady Loans      Today's home financing is all about having options available to you as a Borrower.  The wider the selection of financing options you have at your disposal, the better ...      Fannie Mae's HomeReady Program is a recent addition to the menu of options available to current Borrowers.        Primarily a purchase-oriented loan program, this Conventional Loan Program offers Mortgage Originators and Lenders an option to counter FHA's 3.5% Down Payment Program.     Some of the most attractive highlights of the HomeReady Program include:  A 3% Down Payment requirement   Flexible Guidelines for Down Payment Funds The benefits of a Conventional Loan  Common Sense Underwriting guidelines Reduced Mortgage Insurance Costs Non-Borrowe... 11/08/2016

 Knowing the ABC's of FHA Loans           Did you know that the FHA has been around since it was established as part of the National Housing Act of 1934?  Yet, there is a mystique that still surrounds the FHA (and FHA loans), even after its many decades of existence.            The letters FHA are an acronym for Federal Housing Administration, a department of HUD, (another acronym that stands for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).      Perhaps the biggest misconception I hear from my potential Borrowers regarding the Federal Housing Administration is that the FHA itself originates loans.  It does not.        FHA is chartered to insure the Mortgage Lenders that make the loans.  FHA also helps make housing affordable and "financeable" for lower down payment Borrowers (thou... 08/09/2016

How High Demand, Low Inventory, Multiple Offers Effect Chicagoland Appraisals           Media Reports regarding the somewhat limited inventory of homes currently for sale within Chicagoland housing markets are everywhere.  They certainly are supported by a large portion of my mortgage clients' personal recounts. Many have said that they've found a smaller selection of homes for viewing and consideration ...     For Chicagoland Sellers that have priced their homes wisely and correctly, that limited supply of homes has translated into greater demand and possibly ... even multiple, competing offers received on their home. Sometimes, offers fairly aggressively priced too.      Home Sellers receiving multiple high offers is a good thing, right?  Yes and no.     Now why would I say "no"?  Or ... 06/06/2016