If you have bought or sold a house in the last several years, you were probably asked if you wanted the home tested for radon. ...

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 ...

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. ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

I\’m sure most of you have heard some of the common real estate myths out there. Although they may contain some truth, they tend to ...

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 ...

First, some good news: If you read my last column about the new mortgage disclosure laws going in to effect on August 1, the Consumer ...

The Illinois Association of Realtors Real Property Alliance has launched a new website for Illinois property owners: www.realpropertyalliance.org The Real Property Alliance is a non-profit ...

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 ...

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 ...

Who the Heck is Sep Ted and What Does He Want with My Property? By Kenbob Whiting  What is CPTED (pronounced \”SEP TED\”)? CPTED is ...

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 ...

What is Designated Agency and why does it matter to you? Licensed Illinois Realtors are governed by the Real Estate License Act of 2000. According ...

According to an article in the DS News magazine; FHFA proposed rule for GSES to offer mortgages to three underserved markets: A rule that was ...

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Illinois Association of Realtors. Illinois was among the first in the country to form ...

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 ...

If you have bought or sold property with a mortgage since October of 2015 you probably noticed some things have changed. If you are in ...

You just closed on your first house. Congratulations! You are now a home owner! After all the excitement of finding your perfect home, navigating the ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

What to Expect From a Home Inspection by Anne Sadler If you are currently house hunting you will probably be faced with the decision of ...

Buying or selling a home can be a complicated venture. Laws and requirements have changed significantly over the last several years and most people can ...

What You Should Know About Flood Insurance by Anne Sadler If you were among the lucky ones not affected by the recent flooding then you ...

Now that fall is almost here you may be thinking of tackling some exterior remodeling jobs before winter. If you are thinking of selling your ...

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. ...

For the past year and a half, we have been working on getting an extension of the existing enterprise zone in Freeport. The extension is ...

Both the House and Senate are currently working on a “Tax Cuts and Job Acts” tax reform plan. The House and the Senate each have ...

Everyone like a bargain and saving money is usually a good thing unless it results in a costly mistake. If you are a homeowner you ...

If you are buying or selling a home you will probably need an appraisal if there is a mortgage involved in the purchase. What exactly ...

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 ...

April 11 marks the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act being signed in to law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This historic act occurred ...

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 ...

By now, you have probably received your property tax bill and I’m sure you are wondering why is it so much and where does that ...

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 ...

When you put your house on the market you have high hopes of getting multiple full price offers the first day. Unfortunately for most sellers, ...

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 ...

Have you ever wondered about the history of the house you live in? If you aren’t the first owner then your house has a story ...

Every Real Estate Broker can’t call themselves a Realtor®. Realtor® is a trademarked word for a real estate professional that belongs to the National Association ...

We are already almost to the end of the first quarter of 2019, so how is our housing market looking so far? That depends on ...

The snow is finally gone and you are thinking of getting your home on the market. How do you prepare your home to look its ...

If you own your home you probably carry homeowner’s insurance on it. If you have a mortgage, your lender will require you to maintain insurance ...

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 ...

Many homes built before 1978 have lead based paint in them which can pose a serious health hazard. Federal law requires that sellers and/or landlords ...

Our area has certainly been impacted by the recent flooding and there are many Freeport residents that have not received assistance or have not had ...

There is a chill in the air and the leaves are changing color signaling that soon winter will be upon us. If the Farmer’s Almanac ...

Every year after we change the clocks and we get the first blast of winter weather I get the same question: Should we take our ...

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 ...

As you all know, Illinois is under a “Stay At Home” mandate ordered by Governor Pritzker requiring all “non-essential services” to shut down and asking ...

Since many of us are still staying home and the weather is finally feeling like spring you might want to spend some time outside on ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Do you have an amazing Realtor? Do you know what to look for to find one? A Realtor is not just the person who lists ...

If you plan on buying or selling real estate you will most likely be presented with a contract to sign. The contract is the basis ...

2020 is finally over and we have a fresh start! Most of us have spent more time at home over the last year than ever ...