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Learn What's New In The Real-estate World.

Beware of Scams

There are several real estate scams that are starting to pop up again that you should be aware of. There are two different scams that have been resurfacing in larger metro areas but could also show up locally. One has to do with rental property and the other one is...

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Local Market Update by Anne Sadler

The real estate market in Freeport is changing. For quite a long time, Freeport has primarily been a buyer’s market and that is no longer the case. The local market has been busy and we are experiencing a low inventory of homes for sale. I’m sure you have all heard on...

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How to Set Up a Home Office

If you are among the many people that have been trying to work from home, you may have had the challenge of trying to create a home office. Since many of us were used to working outside the home, you may not have needed a dedicated office in your home. More and more...

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What Is My Home Really Worth?

What is the most important thing you can do when selling your home? Price it correctly! Pricing a home correctly is the key to getting it sold quickly. Sounds like an easy answer but it isn’t always an easy thing to do. One of the best reasons to hire a local Realtor...

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The Home Buying Timeline

If buying a home is on this year’s To-Do List you may be wondering exactly how long it will take. There is no magic number of days that I can give you, because there are a lot of variables that go in to purchasing a home. On the average it takes about 60 days from...

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What is a Smart Home?

One of the fastest growing trends that todays’ homebuyers are looking for are homes with smart home technology. A smart home is a collection of smart devices connected to each other working together to automate a homes’ processes. There are many different smart...

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What Is a VA Loan?

Today is Veteran’s day so I thought I would dedicate today’s column to all the Veterans out there and to explain one of the benefits of being a Veteran- the VA Guaranteed Loan Program. The program was started in 1944 as part of the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act or the...

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What Is An MLS?

The Multiple Listing Service, or MLS as it is commonly referred to, has been around as a concept since 1907. Originally, REALTORS® would get together and discuss properties they were trying to sell in the hopes that one of their colleagues had a buyer. In 1908 the...

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De-Cluttering Tips for Sellers

Spring may have finally arrived and so has spring cleaning time. If you are thinking of putting your home on the market one of the most important first steps is a thorough cleaning and de-cluttering. If you aren’t in the market to sell right now, I bet you can still...

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Tax Tips for Homeowners

It’s everyone’s favorite time of year again-tax time! For some people, this may be the last year that you can take advantage of deductions that come with being a homeowner. Since most of the tax law changes don’t take effect until 2018, there are still deductions...

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Open House Do’s & Don’ts

Almost everyone has been to an open house at some time in their life. To some people, it is free entertainment on a Sunday afternoon. Other people want to see what the inside of their neighbor’s house looks like or the inside one of those beautiful houses that they...

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How to Balance Wants with Needs

When you decide it’s time to go house hunting, you probably imagine finding your perfect house. Let me give you a reality check- there is no such thing as a “perfect” house. The challenge in finding a home is to strike a balance between what you need in a home and...

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Tax Tips for Homeowners

Tax Tips for Homeowners It’s everyone’s favorite time of year again-tax time! This is my annual column about tax deductions for homeowners so if you are a procrastinator and have not yet completed your taxes, here are some deductions you can use. Let me start by...

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What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

Back in September of 2014 I wrote a column about radon. At that time, most people had never heard of radon unless they had bought or sold a home recently and were asked if they wanted a radon test done. Even then, most people didn’t really know what the big deal was....

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Get To Know HomeStart

It is the beginning of a new year and many people are setting goals for 2017. If your goal is to become a homeowner in 2017, I want to let you know about an organization that might be able to help. HomeStart is a HUD approved non-profit housing counseling organization...

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Preparing Your Home For Winter

We have had the luxury of enjoying a very long fall this year but it is December and winter is here. If you haven’t already winter-proofed your home, here are somethings to do to keep your home safe and comfortable throughout the winter. Starting with the exterior,...

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Priced to Sell

One of the most difficult parts of putting your home up for sale is determining the listing price. Price it too high and it won’t sell, price it too low and maybe you are leaving money on the table. If you are like most homeowners, you are somewhat emotionally...

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Is Your Home Ready to Sell?

Is Your Home Ready to Sell?

There are a lot of things to consider when putting your home on the market. You need to find the right Realtor and the right price. You need to make sure your home is in top condition for potential buyers. Most sellers will fix obvious problems that they are aware of...

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Buyer Agency Options

Buyer Agency Options

In my last column I explained what agency is and why it is important to sellers. This month I would like to explain the different types of agency available to buyers and what you should know about each of them. When you decide to buy a house you will probably work...

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Income Tax Tips for Homeowners

Income Tax Tips for Homeowners

Its tax time again and if you are a homeowner there are some things you should know before you file your taxes this year. If you are not a homeowner yet, what are you waiting for? Interest rates are not going to get any lower and there are some great loan programs...

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Home Décor Trends for 2016

If redecorating is on your to- do list for 2016, here are some of the top trends in home décor for this year and some ideas on how to use them in your home. Some of these trends may be especially useful to you if your house is on the market or you are going to be...

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How to Burglar Proof Your Home

September is Realtor Safety Month and that got me thinking about how most of us don’t give enough thought to safety.  Your home should be your refuge and the place where you feel safe. Having your home burglarized is a traumatic occurrence that we would all like to...

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Fall Home Maintenance Tips

Ready or not fall is here and that means winter isn’t far behind. Take advantage of the beautiful weather now to get your home ready for winter. If you are a new homeowner, you may not know what you need to do to get your home ready for winter.  If you have owned your...

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What is a fixture?

What is a fixture?

One of the biggest sources of misunderstanding in the sale of a home is what stays with the home and what goes with the seller. At the time of sale, fixtures transfer to the new owner with the property unless they are specifically excluded in the purchase contract....

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Big Changes Are Coming

Beginning August 1, major changes are coming to mortgages. Any real estate transaction involving a mortgage will use new disclosure forms created by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). This new disclosures will change the timing requirements for...

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Thinking of Going it Alone?

It ís already March and Spring is just around the corner. Time to think about getting your house on the market. You may be thinking of trying to sell it yourself to save some money. How hard can it be, right? Here are some things to consider before you stick that For...

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Foreclosure Inventory

According to an article written by Brian Honea along with data from Black Knight Financial Services: There is some good news concerning foreclosure properties as of the end of January 2015, foreclosure inventory year over year in January fell by 31.4%--as good as that...

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Demystifying Property Taxes

As a Realtor, the subject I hear most about seems to be property taxes. No one likes them and everyone thinks they are too high, but they arenít going away. From talking with clients about property taxes I have discovered that there are many people that donít...

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Tax Time is Coming

The hustle and bustle of the holidays is behind us and 2015 is here. Before we know it, tax time will be upon us and if you are a homeowner there are some things you will need to think about before you file your income taxes for 2014. In January or February you will...

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Should I List My House In The Winter?

Should I List My House In The Winter?

It ís December and you need to sell your house. You are probably wondering if you should try to put it on the market now or wait until Spring. Houses do sell in the winter and there may be some benefits to listing your house this time of year. Everyone knows that the...

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REO industry

REO industry

On November 20, 2014 I was included in a webinar that was hosted by the President and CEO of The Five Star Institute regarding the REO industry. Mr. Delgado has vast knowledge of the REO industry and his take on REO’s for 2015 is that they will increase 2%-4%...

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My Listing Expired…Now What?

My Listing Expired…Now What?

Having your listing expire is frustrating to say the least. The way the Freeport IL area real estate market is right now, there are a lot of homes that don’t get sold by the end of their listing period.    The unfortunate fact is that there are about 342 homes and...

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Seller Tip #1

Seller Tip #1

I get so many questions from home sellers – from what repairs they should make, to what to do with the dog during showings, that I’ve decided to begin a series on seller tips… Tip #1 – Depersonalize Your House When talking with real estate agents, have you noticed...

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Are Home Warranties Worth the Money?

If you own your home or are considering purchasing a home you might want to consider buying a home warranty. Home repairs can often run thousands of dollars and a quality home warranty could save you from having to pay costly repair bills. What is a home warranty?...

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Why Does A Short Sale Take So Long?

Contrary to what the name implies, a short sale is usually a very lengthy process. A short sale is the sale of a home for less than the amount owed on the mortgage, and the lender agrees to give clear title to the new buyer. This means that the lender is forgiving the...

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Which Home Improvements Really Pay Off?

If you are thinking about tackling a home improvement project this summer, you might be wondering which up-dates will give you the highest return on your investment. Contrary to what you may see on HGTV, you can generally recoup the most value on projects that improve...

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How to Make a Winning Offer

Once you have found the house you want, you need to make a written offer to buy it. There are many things to consider before you write the offer. You will need your pre-approval from your lender, an earnest money check( an amount of money you put down when making an...

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The House Hunt

In my last column I discussed the first step in the home buying process: getting pre-approved with a lender. Once you have been pre-approved you will know what price range to focus your home search in and what type of loan you have been approved for. If you are...

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So You Want To Buy A House?

Spring is just around the corner (really, it is) and youíve been thinking it may be the time to start looking for a home. If you have been on the fence about buying, itís a good time to make that decision. There are many reasons why now is a good time to start your...

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Is a Reverse Mortgage Right For You?

If you watch TV, you have probably seen one of the recent commercials featuring a celebrity touting the benefits of reverse mortgages for senior citizens. It sounds too good to be true, right? Actually, it can be a valuable tool for senior homeowners struggling...

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Preparing your home for sale

It only takes 15 seconds for a prospective buyer to decide how they feel about your house. That is how long your house has to make a good impression and capture that buyer. If you are getting ready to list your house, here are some tips to make yours stand out from...

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