Considering Helping Your Child Buy a Home? What Parents and/or Co-Signors Need to Know        Within the current housing market, there is great opportunity to be found, especially if you're a first-time home buyer.  Home prices are down ... lower than they have been for almost an entire decade.  And Interest Rates??  The cost of borrowing, in regards to Interest Rates, is at historic lows ...   truly a gift, should you be able to take advantage of them.       With all the positive opportunities that exist, many buyers, along with their families, are looking for ways to take advantage of these current positives by buying properties with the assistance of Co-Buyers/Co-Signors.  Most considering this path to home ownership are parents and/or relatives.        As a mortgage lender, it i... 02/24/2012

Bring your flashlight to Van Horn Woods (West on Lily Cache Road, North of Caton Farm Road) for our 4th Annual Flashlight Egg Hunt! Kids will have the opportunity to hunt for eggs filled with prizes, gift certificates and candy! MUST pre-register to participate. No on-site registration will be allowed. Event will be held rain or shine. Please plan to arrive prior to your child’s egg hunt time as they will only be allowed to participate in their age-appropriate time slot.  Registration deadline date is Friday, Mar. 23. R $5/NR $7.50. March 30, 2012 from 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Go to www.plainfieldparkdistrict.com to register! 02/22/2012

So much fun to hang out with your kids and get in shape at the same time! For kids ages 3-12 and their parents and no experience necessary! Just bring a yoga mat or blanket and wear comfortable clothes. Barefoot or socks only please - no shoes. And be prepared to move! This event is sponsored by Rep. Tom Cross' Mainly Moms Avisory Council. RSVP to 815-254-0000. Event will be held March 1, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Plainfield Public Library, 15025 S. Illinois Street. 02/22/2012

Don't forget to register for the Plainfield Park District's Annual Mother/Son Dance - 80's Style! Big hair, shoulder pads, blue eye shadow, layers of clothing, leg warmers, huge earrings, fingerless gloves, zippered pants and Members Only jackets! This event is for boys ages 3-13 (with adult) will feature DJ music and refreshments! All boys will receive a photo with their special date. Guests must arrive by 7pm to have their photo taken. One photo per child will be provided. DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24. Residents $27 and non-residents $40.50 per couple The Dance will be held on March 2nd from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Heritage Grove Middle School, 12425 S. Van Dyke Road in Plainfield. Contact Kelly Rathke at 815-436-8812 x35 for questions. 02/22/2012

Every Saturday and Sunday from 8am - 5pm, visit the indoor flea market/arts & craft's exhibit. 90+ vendors with a large variety of products including clothing, collectables, handbags, pillows & linens, jewelry... Cost is .50 for adults. Located at Route 30 Plex, 16300 S. Lincoln Highway in Plainfield 02/22/2012

Recently I have had a lot of buyers ask "How close are home selling to list price?" I remember when I first got into real estate, homes were selling 3-4% of list price. So I went back to 2008 and pulled some numbers for Plainfield. I could only pull the first 500 closed properties because that is what the MLS allows me to do. But in 2008, sold properties closed averaging 95.59% of their final list price. This is a 4.41% difference between property sale prices and their final list price. In 2011 (in Plainfield), the sold properties closed averaging 95.95% of their final list price. This reflects a 4.05% difference. I think a lot of buyers think homes are selling 10% or more under list price. When I get an offer or write an offer, it surprises me sometimes that buyers are still thinking h... 02/21/2012

If you live in Plainfield or if you are thinking about making this great city your home, you might want to keep up-to-date on what's going on in the real estate market.  Are you looking for current information?  Are you looking to sell your home and can't decide whether this is the right time for you and your family? Have you thought about purchasing a home but need more information?  Then this is the site for you! You will find helpful statistics that will open your eyes to the reality of what's sold and what is selling. I have included some great information on what has sold and the price ranges, days on market, month to month comparisons, and year ending comparisons. This information does not target individual subdivisions but is meant to be an overall view of the Plainfield market. ... 02/16/2012

    Dispelling Nasty Rumors Regarding Down Payments                 "Rumours" ... catapulted Fleetwood Mac to the top of the charts during the year 1977 ...          "Rumors" ... was the name of an episode on the TV program Glee this last spring ...           And Rumors ... are once again swirling about the amount of down payment a borrower needs to buy a home and obtain mortgage financing in the current market.         THOSE rumors don't sound pretty.  THOSE rumors don't make you smile or tap your toes.  Nor are they humorous or entertaining.  They're inflicting some serious damage on potential home buyers.            Just recently, I've had multiple mortgage phone calls from potential home buyers having heard rumors regarding the amount of down payment they'll have to save prior to st... 02/10/2012

Don't "Cut Your Nose Off and Spite Your Face" when it comes to your Mortgage Financing              There's an old saying ...          "You're cutting your nose off and spiting your face" ...           Stretching the point just a bit, I want to use this saying to get a message across regarding interest rates ... and the intense focus that most home buyers, and those refinancing, place on them.       Now I know that sounds a bit ironic coming from me, a  mortgage lender.  But as much as I think the interest rates we are seeing right now are a huge HUGE advantage to those seeking mortgage financing ... I also think that the extreme attention and importance placed on rates by consumers can be rather myopic and ultimately end-up being detrimental to their long-term financial health.      U... 02/08/2012

Newly opened La Dolce Vita in Plainfield! This is a must-try Italian restaurant! The staff is awesome and the decor is up-scale. The linguini con scampi e broccoli was to die for and the wine list is fabulous! This is a great restaurant and a great addition to Plainfield! I wouldn't call it "kid-friendly" but it's perfect for adult friends who need a night out or a romantic dinner! Located at 16108 South Rt. 59 in Plainfield. ladolcevitarestaurante.com to view hours and directions as well as their menu. 01/18/2012

During the month of December, 2011, 73 single family homes sold in Plainfield IL. Of the 73, 13 were short sales and 25 were short sales. The average market time was 188 with the minimum being 1 day and the maximum 1,239 days. The minimum home sold for $73,000 and the maximum sold for $495,000. The average home listed at $227,651 selling at $216,008. 01/16/2012

  Champions Know the "Rules" of the "Game"          I can't tell you how many times, as a mortgage lender, I hear rumors or misconceptions expressed to me regarding the mortgage process.         So much of my time is focused on promoting the "un-learning" of what a client thinks they know as they enter the act of obtaining mortgage financing. So much time is used addressing frustrations with the process itself.         No one needs to think too hard or long as to WHY there are so many misconceptions or frustrations.   If the process of mortgage financing was viewed as a "game" of some sort ... you'd definitely have needed a scorecard and notepad to have kept up with all the changes made in the "game" during the last few years.   It's been mind-boggling, for sure.         Last Sunday's B... 01/15/2012

Announcing the "Comeback Kid" ... PMI! (Private Mortgage Insurance)               In the good news department, it appears that the private mortgage insurance companies may be loosening up their guidelines and appear to be regaining a lost share of business that FHA has been enjoying.         Coupled with the higher monthly mortgage insurance costs associated with FHA loans now, and the "availability" of privately issued mortgage insurance, more Conventional loan scenarios are taking hold.         Of those options at 5% down, single premium (paid upfront at closing) is emerging from the pack. With the single premium upfront private mortgage insurance, borrowers pay a lump sum at closing as part of the total costs of their mortgage. This eliminates any monthly private mortgage insurance ... 01/02/2012

Currently there are 669 single family homes on the market in Plainfield, Illinois. The average list price is $261,729 with an average market time of 236 days. There are 36 single family homes with 2 or less bedrooms with an average list price of $183,976 and an average market time of 309 days. There are 224 single family homes with 3 bedrooms with an average list price of $195,434 and an average market time of 214 days. There are 367 single family homes with 4 bedrooms with an average list price of $298,669 and an average market time of 244 days, There are 42 single family homes with 5 or more bedrooms with an average list price of $359,167 and an average market time of 222 days. 01/01/2012

The New Year is Upon Us.  Make '2012' the Year of YOU! The headline reads ...     Average 30-year mortgage rate a record 3.91 pct. Average rate on 30-year fixed mortgage falls to record         3.91 pct., 15-year flat at 3.21 pct.         And yes ... this means if you're one of those that have earned good credit scores, you could receive this record low interest rate for your mortgage.      Remarkable, isn't it??  And to just prove how very remarkable it is ... I tell you, I've been in the mortgage business for 35 years and when I started out back in the mid-1970's, the average mortgage rate was in the 6% range.  Again I say, remarkable!     But this post isn't really meant for those that have good credit scores.  (Although I hope you read it and take action to contact me too!)  No, it... 12/23/2011

In the month of November 2011, there were 77 new properties that began the foreclosure process in Plainfield, IL.  In November 2010, there were 79 new properties that began the foreclosure process.  Not really much of a change when comparing  market snapshots for the same time year to year. Illinois is a judicial state, meaning that the lender must take legal action against the homeowner in a court to regain ownership of the property.  From the time the Lis Pendens is filed the owners have anywhere from 6 months upwards of nearly 2 years before the lender takes back the property.  Some lenders work faster than others, while some lenders seem to almost passively pursue the ability to reclaim the property. I have seen some lenders set auction dates as early as 8 months after the Lis Pende... 12/16/2011

The amount of foreclosure proceedings for 2011 are up from 660 new pre-foreclosure filings in 2010 to 944 new filings in 2011. These numbers are from January 1st through November 30th for both years.  Until the end of this final month of the year I won’t have the final yearly totals, so I compared both years through the end of November to keep the comparisons consistent. This is not good news for anyone looking to sell a home as a regular residential sale in Plainfield IL anytime soon. These homes will most likely sell at discount through either short sale or through foreclosure, which will continue to drive down the prices of regular residential real estate throughout the community in the long term.  But really, how much lower can prices get?  I can’t believe the closed comps on some o... 12/16/2011

        In October, 74 single family homes sold in Plainfield IL.  The homes ranged in price from $89,000 all the way up to $635,000.   While the number of distressed home sales is still holding steady at an alarming 38.9%, we are down from the 50% ratio that consumed most of these reports in 2010 and earlier this year in 2011.   Of the 74 single family homes that closed in Plainfield, 18 of these homes were bank foreclosures that made up 24% of the total sales for the area in October.  Another 11 single family homes that closed during the same time were short sales, consuming 14.9% of the market share.   Without being either pessimistic, or overly optimistic, seeing numbers under the 50% mark is encouraging.  Unfortunately, the lack of any improvements in the economy, or in the unemplo... 11/30/2011

Bring your child(ren) to downtown this Saturday starting at 10am and get some goodies! Starting at the MainStreet Plainfield office located at 24044 W. Lockport Street and pick up your Trick-or-Treat bag and then follow the orange or green plastic pumpkins and treat signs and visit the 29 participating shops & restaurants for some Halloween treats! Make sure they are wearing their costume! 10/27/2011

Alpine Meadows - Arbor Creek - Arbor Creek is a single family and townhome community built in the early to mid 2000's by Krughoff Homebuilders. The town homes feature floor plans ranging from 1,309 to 2,301 square feet of living space. In addition to the townhouses at Arbor Creek, ranch and two story Villa homes are also available. The ranch floor plans range from 2,180 to 2,380 square feet of living space. The two-story plans range in size from 2,221 to 2,901 square feet (including basement). Arbor Creek is located in Plainfield, Illinois south of Lincoln Highway and west of I-55. Arbor of Plainfield - Arbor of Plainfield is a single family community located in Plainfield, Illinois. Ashbury Farms - Ashbury Farms is a single family home neighborhood built in the mid 1990's. Ashbury Far... 09/16/2011