Not using a Plainfield or Naperville Realtor to purchase your next home never crossed your mind probably for good reason... you don't have to pay for your representation, the seller does it for you! Having buyers representation provided at the cost of the seller is a wonderful thing.  You are protected by the laws and regulations set forth by the state of Illinois in accordance with my licensing, and I get paid at the closing table for my time, knowledge and experience, in maintaining the transaction.  Win-win, right!? Well... almost.  There isn't a single moment in a buyers transaction that I am guaranteed to be paid for my time and effort.  My services are rendered in advance on the assumption that you will be purchasing a home sometime in the near future using me for your buyers repr... 07/02/2008

As you may have noticed I recently transferred real estate offices.  I joined RE/MAX Professionals South in Plainfield, IL this week, and I know that it was not only the best choice for me, but also for my clients. RE/MAX is the industry leader in real estate and they also hold the market share in the Plainfield, Naperville and Shorewood, IL.  I chose RE/MAX because of the brand recognition, and technology and support that they offer to their agents.  I was not only impressed with the office, but also by the brokers and staff the operate the office.  Rich Conte, Lisa Mulcahy, and Dan Persico welcomed me with open arms.  They were not only professional, but fun to be around.  I believe that energy is contagious and I wanted to be part of this from the second I set foot in the office on R... 07/02/2008

 Leave a comment » My husband and I moved here to Plainfield, IL almost 9 years ago.  There wasn't much out here way back then, but over the years I've watched 2 lane dirt roads transform into virtual highways, and strip malls appear out of thin air! I'll admit, back in 1999 it was a bit of a culture shock to leave the only place I had ever called "home".  I grew up in Addison, IL exactly 25 minutes west of Chicago.  It wasn't a metropolis, but compared to Plainfield circa 1999, it sure felt like it.  Now, 9 years later, Plainfield has become a settled and established community much to the likes of the neighboring cities of Naperville, Bolingbrook, Joliet and Aurora.  Speaking from experience, the Plainfield elementary school my children attend has the most amazing staff. Not only do we... 07/02/2008

The Farmstone Ridge neighborhood is located just off of Naperville/Plainfield Rd. and 127th St. in Plainfield, IL. Each home was custom built on a premium lot by local area builders. Construction in Farmstone Ridge began in 2003, and the subdivision neighbors the private nearby gated Lakelands Community. The students of Farmstone Ridge attend Liberty Elementary, John F. Kennedy Middle School, and Plainfield North High School, although Plainfield East High School will be opening as Plainfield's 4th high school this year. I've driven past the new school quite a few times over the last few weeks and it's coming along quite nicely!!! When I was still working at Zen Salon in the plaza at the corner about 5 years ago, I met a lot of clients who lived in the neighborhood, which was nice becaus... 07/02/2008

I'm sure there are lots of reasons why Plainfield and Naperville homeowners find it more appealing to try to sell their homes for sale by owner, and I'm sure the 4-7% commission that a Plainfield or Naperville Realtor would charge them for their service tops the list... but did you know that according to NAR, homes for sale by owner sell for 32% less than homes listed with a Realtor, on average? Wow, even if you figure in a 5% commission from a Plainfield Realtor, homeowners are still losing about 27% of their homes equity anually by chosing to eliminate the professional services of an Illinois Realtor. Yikes, 27% is a lot of money on a $250,000 house!  The median FSBO selling price in 2006 was $187,200, compared with $247,000 for agent-assisted transactions and in a faster amount of ti... 07/01/2008

Should You Buy a Home in Today's Market? Before we start, let us give you one reason to not buy a new home right now. How long do you intend to live there? A rule of thumb is that it rarely makes sense to buy if you expect to move within two years. That's because when you do sell, there are costs associated with selling. We're not just talking about sales commissions to the buying and selling real estate brokers. Most owners rely on home appreciation to pay those costs and to provide the down payment and closing costs when they buy their next home. So buying a home when you expect to move before too long is a risk, especially in an uncertain market. However, most buyers live in their new home an average of seven years or more. If that fits you, it almost always makes sense to buy rather... 06/26/2008

Looking for fun things in Plainfield to do this summer with your kids? Check out http://www.plainfieldparkdistrict.com for a complete brochure of tons of activities including swimming lessons, basketball, arts, fitness, soccer, tennis, golf and so much more.  They also offer open swim Monday thru Friday from 1:00-4:30pm and weekends from 1:00-8:00pm for only $4.00 per resident. Visit www.lanitacates.com if you are thinking of buying or selling! LaNita Cates is a Realtor with RE/MAX of Joliet serving Aurora, Plainfield, Naperville and Joliet as well as surrounding areas. 06/12/2008

Obtain the Best Rates & Lowest Closing Costs When you are ready to purchase a home, it makes sense to negotiate from the strongest position possible. In a strong real estate market, sellers can be more selective in the final buyer they choose to negotiate with. In such a crazed seller's market, it's not uncommon for a home seller to receive multiple offers on their property. With that said; there are certain things you can do to make certain that your offer is the one Seller goes with. The vast majority of Purchaser's today go about the process entirely wrong, putting themselves at an overwhelming disadvantage! Let's look at this from the Sellers perspective for a moment. If you were the Seller and had multiple offers on your property, all things being equal, would you accept the one wi... 06/12/2008

Just over a year ago, it was nearly impossible to imagine buying a Plainfield single family home under $200,000; but right now there are currently 10 properties on the market below $199,900 which is great news for first time home buyers looking for Plainfield real estate. Due to MLS photo cloning rules I can't include the MLS photos of these properties, but you can search for them by address by clicking on the Property Search link at the top of this page or contact me for more information on any of the following homes: (I promise not to stalk you :) 4501 Wood Duck in Pheasant landing is listed at $179,900.  It's a 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath two story home with a partial basement.  Features of this home include walk in closets, fenced in yard, pergo flooring, ceiling fans, and deck.  It is a ... 06/11/2008

Plainfield Real Estate | Mayfair subdivision  Leave a comment » Mayfair by Leach Homes in Plainfield, IL began construction in 1993 and was completed in 1999. The neighborhood consists of a almost 1,000 homes located near Caton Farm Rd. between River Rd and County Line Rd. across from the Ashford Place subdivision and bordering the Clearwater Springs/Aspen Falls neighborhood. Mayfair includes about 10 different floor plans ranging between 3 and 4 bedrooms, all of which include basements. There are several ranch style homes available in the neighborhood as well as bi-level, tri-level and quad-level homes. Closed house prices in Mayfair from January through June 1 2008: 6507 Langsford Ln.6606 Klinger Ln.  2509 Ruth Fitzgerald Dr.6606 Whalen Ln.6609 Irma Harvey2812 Frank Turk Dr.6608 Peyla... 06/04/2008

Recently came across this information thought some of you might find it interesting. The Senate Banking Committee has just passed the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 by an overwhelming and bipartisan vote of 19-2. Buried in the proposed legislation is something new and revolutionary, an effort to stop mortgage walk-aways. Walk-aways arise when a borrower can no longer make monthly mortgage payments or sell the property. Rather than wait for foreclosure, the borrower simply sends the keys back to the lender. This is not a minor matter. Fitch Ratings reports that "the apparent willingness of borrowers to 'walk away' from mortgage debt has contributed to extraordinarily high levels of early default, which is particularly noticeable in the 2007 vintage mortgages." Unfo... 06/02/2008

Plainfield, IL is located approximately 45 minutes southwest of downtown Chicago, on the border of the neighboring communities of Naperville, Romeoville, Joliet, Shorewood, Bolingbrook and Aurora.  Real estate in Plainfield exploded in the mid to early 90's as a new generation of home buyers sought affordable housing in the suburbs of the Chicago.  Easy access to interstate I-55, the highly publicized Plainfield school district, and low county real estate taxes made Plainfield a top choice for buyers looking for affordable new construction. Plainfield became an alternative to the older communities in the northwest suburbs. Approximately 18 years after the buzz that made Plainfield one of the top 5 fastest growing cities in the nation, it is still going strong.  As a 9 year resident of t... 06/01/2008

Looking for Foreclosures? Sharing My Personal Source List! National REO Banks: Bank of America - REO Search Bank One - REO Search Beal Bank - Commercial CitiMortgage - REO Search Compass Bank - REO Search Countrywide - REO Search Downey Savings & Loan - REO Search Freemont Investment & Loan - REO Search First Union Bank - REOs GreenPoint Financial - REO Search GRP Financial Services Corporation - REO Search Home Loan and Investment Bank - REO Search HSBC - REO Search IndyMac Bank - REO Search IAS - Integrated Asset Services - REO Search M&T Bank - REO Search       Ocwen Financial Corporation - REO Search People's Bank - REO Search U.S. Home Mortgage - REO Search Wilshire Credit Corporation - REO Search Regional REO Banks: 1st National Bank of Scotia - New York Coast and Country - South... 05/28/2008

For years, the Veterans Administration has allowed "Jumbo" VA loans; it's just that hardly anyone knew about them. The current VA loan limit with zero down, is $417,000, matching the conforming loan limits set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But the VA does make allowances for VA loans above that amount ... way above. Say around $700,000. Current Jumbo fixed rates are anywhere from 1.00 percent to 1.50 percent higher than conforming rates. That's a lot, and has many Jumbo buyers in a quandary. A 30 year fixed conforming rate might be 6.00 percent while a similar Jumbo rate could be 7.50 percent. That spread used to not be so vast. Prior to the current mortgage mess, Jumbo rates were typically about .25 to .5 percent higher than a conforming loan. But not so with a VA Jumbo loan. VA Jumbo... 05/27/2008

Here's a great article from Inman News: Sellers, pay attention to lowball offers If home's been on market awhile, it's time to rethink strategy By Dian Hymer, Monday, May 19, 2008. Inman News Selling a home can be an emotional experience because most sellers have a lot more than money invested in their homes. So, it's understandable that sellers might be reluctant to respond to an offer that is for less than the asking price. Most sellers have a difficult time being objective about their homes. But, detachment is something sellers should strive for, particularly when the market favors buyers. To be a successful seller in a buyer's market, you need to be able to put yourself in the buyer's shoes. Ask yourself if you were a buyer if you would pay the price you would like to ask for your h... 05/20/2008

I just launched my Century 21 Hometown website featuring news and information all about real estate in Plainfield and Naperville!  You can now search for Plainfield homes for sale from my site and get specific information regarding your favorite Plainfield and Naperville neighborhoods.  05/18/2008

U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy A Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits You can easily conduct a home energy audit yourself. With a simple but diligent walk-through, you can spot many problems in any type of house. When auditing your home, keep a checklist of areas you have inspected and problems you found. This list will help you prioritize your energy efficiency upgrades. Locating Air Leaks First, make a list of obvious air leaks (drafts). The potential energy savings from reducing drafts in a home may range from 5% to 30% per year, and the home is generally much more comfortable afterward. Check for indoor air leaks, such as gaps along the baseboard or edge of the flooring and at junctures of t... 05/14/2008

Illinois 1st Quarter Housing Update Illinois median home prices held their own in the first quarter while sales were constrained by the ongoing credit crunch and a softening economy. According to Illinois Association of Realtors (IAR) first quarter report, home sales totaled 21,576, down 27.0 percent from 29,553 home sales in the first quarter of 2007. The first quarter statewide median home sale price was $187,500, down 4.3 percent from $196,000 a year earlier. "Extreme winter weather on top of shaky consumer confidence due to rising gas and food prices and the uncertain economy affected overall home sales activity statewide. REALTORS do anticipate a boost in activity as we enter the spring housing market from pent-up demand held over for so many months," said IAR President Kay Wirth, ... 05/13/2008

The nation's foreclosure hemorrhage slowed a bit last month, according to Foreclosures.com. Lenders repossessed 74,570 homes following foreclosure in April, down more than 5 percent from March. April pre-foreclosures dropped 7.52 percent from March too, according to California-based Foreclosures.com foreclosure information specialists."The sky isn't falling, and the bottom of the housing market is in sight," says Alexis McGee, president of Foreclosures.com.Foreclosures.com says its analysis is based on the number of formal notices filed against a property during the foreclosure process. That can include notice of default, notice of foreclosure auction, and trustee's deeds/REOs (real estate owned by lender through foreclosure).In the 1st quarter of the year, 2.8 of every 1,000 households... 05/13/2008

Get Your Home Ready To Sell In preparing your house to sell, ask yourself over and over if your house looks like someone else's dream house. Houses in move-in condition tend to be inviting to buyers; houses that are like new typically sell the fastest and procure the best price.With that in mind, here are a few things to consider when getting ready to sell:ExteriorRemember the 60-second rule: that's all the time you have to create a good first impression! Mow the lawn, rake leaves, trim trees and shrubs that keep light out of the house and remove dead plants. Pick up tools, garbage cans, hoses, toys, and building materials and store them neatly in a storage area. Replace broken or missing roof shingles and straighten and clean the gutters and downspouts. Clean all windows and mend torn... 05/09/2008