Home Search

September 19, 2007

Did you know that you could search from over 150,000 listings in Northern Illinois free by clicking my real estate banner at the top of this page? Just click the red button, fill out a small form and volla you have access. Your information comes to me and I promiss there will be no spam.


Search From Over 150,000 Listings
in Northern Illinois

Residential

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Free Cash

September 18, 2007

If you live in a state outside Illinois and you’re planning on selling or buying a house let me know first. That way I can make a referral and I’ll split the fee with you.

For example, You’re buying a 200,000.00 house in Mississippi. The approximate commission would be $5,000.00. A referral fee is 20% (in this example $1,000.00). So I call up an agent you want (ahead of time) tell them I have a friend that wants to buy or sell a house… Then after closing I send you a check for $500.00 :mrgreen:

It’s that simple.

Here’s some stuff you could buy with $500.00…


IPhone

PS3

Tickets

Sony

… and don’t forget…

Oreo's

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Home Security Tip

April 20, 2007

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It’s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key chain.

It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won’t stick around….after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won’t want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.

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Home Value Q&A

February 1, 2007

Here’s the most common questions I’m asked about regarding home value.

Q: What is the difference between market value and appraised value?
A: Appraised value is a certified appraiser’s opinion of the worth of a home at a given point in time. Lenders require appraisals as part of the loan application process; fees range from $300 and up. Lenders often increase appraised home values during a refinance.

Market value is what price the house will bring at a given point in time. A comparative market analysis is an informal estimate of market value, based on sales of comparable properties, performed by a real estate agent or broker.

Q: What are the standard ways of finding out what a house is valued at?
A: A comparative market analysis and an appraisal are the standard ways consumers, lenders and realty agents determined what a home is worth.

I would be happy to provide a free comparative market analysis, an informal estimate of value based on comparable sales in the neighborhood. You also can research “the comps” yourself by checking on recent sales in public records. Be sure that you are researching properties that are similar in size, construction and location.

This information is not only available at your local recorder’s or assessor’s office but also through private companies and on the Internet.

An appraisal, which generally costs $300 to $400 to perform, is a certified appraiser’s opinion of the value of a home at any given time. Appraisers review numerous factors including recent comparable sales, location, square footage and construction quality.

Q: What is the difference between list price, sales price and appraised value?
A: The list price is a seller’s advertised price, a figure that usually is only a rough estimate of what the seller wants to get. Sellers can price high, low or close to what they hope to get. To judge whether the list price is a fair one, you or your agent should consult comparable sales prices in the area.

The sales price is the amount of money you as a buyer would pay for a property.

The appraisal value is a certified appraiser’s estimate of the worth of a property, and is based on comparable sales, the condition of the property and numerous other factors.

Q: Can I find out the value of my home through the Internet?
A: You can get some idea of your home’s value by searching the Internet. A number of Web sites and services crunch the numbers from historic public records of home sales to produce the statistics. It’s extremely important to make sure your internet source is updated in a timely fashion. It is my experience that the majority of real estate related websites are usually six plus months outdated. That could result in costly pricing errors.

Neither of these services produce official appraisals. They also don’t factor in market nuances or other issues a certified appraiser or real estate professional might in assessing the value of your home.

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Free MLS Access

January 13, 2007

Did you know you could access the MLS for free by going to my real estate web site?
http://www.brianlis.illinoisproperty.com/

Select the red residential button. There will be a short form to fill out. That form comes to me and you won’t be spammed for leaving your information. Then you’ll have direct access to search the state of Illinois.

Use this tool to search for new homes, or find the value of your current home. Maybe you just want to find out what your neighbors selling their house for. Whatever the reason give me a call when you’re ready to make your next move.

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