lake zurich...and beyond

This is one of my "classic" posts that I thought I would share with all of you who didn't know me back in the beginning of my blogging days. This post was originally written way back on 3/21/07 and was one of my first posts. Enjoy!

"Everybody has a photographic memory. Some just don't have any film..."

I was listening to the radio this morning in the car (The Eric & Kathy Morning Show on WTMX 101.9 FM-The Mix) and heard the quote above and thought I'd share it with all of you.

Do you ever have one of those days when you are so bombarded with information from every direction that your brain simply freezes and can't absorb another detail? Have you driven half way out of the neighborhood and wondered "did I put the garage door down?" Now, I'm a pretty together, organized person, but sometimes I find myself standing in line at the grocery store after swiping my debit card and wondering, "what is my PIN?"

Most of us start the typical workday wading through tons of emails, checking our voice mail, running "hot sheets" to gather the latest listing & market information...then there's the actual showings, calls to make, meetings, errands and actual work to do. Information overload. And we do it several times a day. It is our business to keep up with all of this stuff and most of us manage it pretty darn well.

So where am I going with all of this? And what does this have to do with real estate?

It got me thinking that if we can be overwhelmed, so can our clients. Think about all of the information that we dump on our buyers and sellers during the the home selling and buying process. We are used to the terminology, used to the vast quantities of information, used to multi-tasking. But to them, it's all new and can be really overwhelming. The truth of the matter is that selling or buying a home is not an easy matter. That's why people hire REALTORS. We need to remember the key principle of KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) to help our clients navigate this process.

Just my thought for the day. Have a good one!

Nope, not with envy.

And I'm not a newbie, that's for sure.

I don't feel ill, either.

I'm simply a little greener this year than last because I have not used the automatic sprinkler system all summer!

Admittedly, my Lake Zurich yard is not the perfect carpet of soft green grass I'm used to. Actually, it looks a lot like all the rest of the lawns on the block, a little tired and dry. But it has saved a ton of water, and that is something that I feel really good about.

I'm still working on going green in other ways, such as remembering to bring my own shopping bags into the store every time. I recycle, use organic fertilizer on the lawn and have switched most of the light bulbs in the house to compact fluorescent ones.

In business, I'm doing a lot more scanning and emailing and I've cut down on as much paper waste as possible.

One little green step at a time.

However, if you are thinking about selling your home, you should pull out all the stops so your lawn will look it's absolute best. How you live in your home and how you live while selling your home is completely different! For more tips on preparing your home for sale, give me a call.

There is a chart on the NAR site which shows the NAR Membership Count by Month, 1970 - Current. According to the numbers, membership hit a high in October of 2006 with 1,370,758 members. July of 2008 shows the membership count to be down 113,267 to 1,257,491.

Were they all part-timers or agents who got in the business to make a fast buck and bolted the minute things got tough? Were they agents who got sidetracked due to illness or family matters who found it necessary to take on a full-time job instead? Were they agents who were spending $2 to make $1 and just got in over their heads in terms of advertising and self-promotion costs? Were they agents who were only just getting started and were unable to compete against more experienced agents with a large database of past clients? In this challenging real estate market, what is the difference between someone who will make it through this market and someone who will not?

Truthfully, it doesn't matter whether you are an agent, a buyer or a seller. The current real estate market is challenging to all. Buyers may have many properties to choose from, but getting a mortgage is more difficult. Sellers are struggling with loss of equity and more competition. Agents are finding their expenses to be higher, while their commissions are lower. We can't ignore the realities of the market, but we can choose how we will react to these circumstances, and that may make all the difference.

As an agent, I've gotten creative in managing my expenses, particularly in the area of self-promotion. Keeping close tabs on expenses is one key to surviving this market, and makes us better business people as well. I've also found that many time and money-saving opportunities exist when we are willing to do the work ourselves and put some time into learning new things. It may also be a good idea to stick with what is time-tested and known to work, instead of investing in new or costly coaching, advertising or other programs. Equally important is seeking out like-minded agents to associate with and avoiding those with a negative attitude.

If you are a potential buyer, you should be diligent about the pre-approval process and monitoring your credit rating. I suggest that you choose a mortgage professional who is skilled in mortgage planning, i.e. showing you how your mortgage can be part of your overall financial plan so you can be as financially independent and secure as possible. Cutting out unnecessary expenses so that you have a little extra money in the bank is always a smart strategy and can ultimately mean the difference between qualifying for a mortgage or not. It may be difficult to forego that new pair of shoes or that weekend in Vegas, but you'll be glad you did when you sign on the dotted line and receive the keys to your new home.

Sellers face a different dilemma altogether. If you are in the position of owing more than your home is currently worth, you are in for a tough ride, there's no sugarcoating it. The most important thing you can do is to make sure your home looks its absolute best at all times. At the very least, your home should be clean and well-kept inside and out, which won't cost you much (if anything) if you enlist the help of friends and relatives. Perhaps someone will help you paint (who doesn't have leftover paint in their basement that they could donate?), trim the bushes or wash windows. Maybe you can borrow furniture or use someone else's garage as temporary storage so your home is less cluttered. Don't be hesitant to call in a few favors; after all, that's what friends are for! The key is to remain as positive as possible and do everything you can to increase or maintain your property value. When you give up, your home looks like you have given up, and you will end up making less money when you ultimately sell. If at the end of the day you end up in short sale or foreclosure, you will at least know you did everything you could.

The current real estate market is challenging to everyone. What do you think it will take to make it through?

I'm corny, I admit it.

I love locally grown and freshly picked corn on the cob!

For me, late summer is all about the sweet corn. Truly, if you've only had grocery store corn (I pity you, really I do) then you have no idea how sweet, tender and delicious fresh corn on the cob can be. You've simply got to try it!

For the freshest and most delicious corn grown locally, head on over to W. Henry Lane in Barrington, Illinois. This little farm stand is one of Barrington's best kept secrets but totally worth the gorgeous drive through the Barrington countryside to get there. A few homemade signs help mark the way, but to help you out, here is a map of it's location:

Of course, you can get much more than corn on the cob. Freshly grown tomatoes, beets, green beans, onions and other fruits and vegetables are available as well.

Last Sunday, we picked up some fresh tomatoes and corn on the cob. Then we went home, grilled a little chicken, steamed the corn, and made a delicious tomato/mozzarella/fresh basil salad with olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Heaven on earth. You have no idea.

Will I'll see you there next Sunday?

July was hot and muggy. August is full of back to school shopping, shipping kids off to school and college, and squeezing in that last minute vacation before we lose the last of the carefree days of summer. It is both a busy time (at least in our private lives) and a slow time (in the real estate market).

A recent Slate article: August. Let's Get Rid of It caught my eye on MSN this morning. It is a rather humorous look at the month of August, what the writer calls a "useless" month. Good for a chuckle or two.

Of course I've noticed the slight downturn in showings (or downright lack of showings in some markets) and a somewhat sleepy market over the past few weeks. Our office compiles a report showing the average showings per month and, sure enough, when I took a look at the latest report, I found that showings have slowed to an average of approximately 1.9 per month. If this year is to be like the past two years, this trend will continue until we reach our lowest point in December, before starting to rise again.

May I interject here just how wonderful it is to have an office that takes the time to create these wonderful reports for us on a monthly basis? I love my supportive office!

There is a bright spot as well. My website has been hopping lately. In fact, in the past 14 days, my website is the #2 website in my office in terms of activity (just slightly behind someone who has an extensive pay-per-click program, BTW). Anyone who thinks that blogging is a waste of time should think again!

Much of my website activity has been repeat visits from web clients who first signed on months or even years ago. They've been much more active of late, so perhaps it is a sign of pent up demand in our market. Maybe some of these web clients are getting ready to get off the fence and into the housing market? That would be a very good thing, indeed.

This past weekend was sunny and in the 70's with very low humidity. Perfectly lovely. If these are the dog days of summer, Zoey and I will happily take them!

Many people only think of contacting their real estate agent when it's time to buy or sell. But your Lake Zurich real estate agent is an excellent resource for you in many other ways as well. 

Are you thinking of making some improvements to your home and want to know which improvements would be better for resale? Contact your Lake Zurich real estate agent! 

Are you curious as to what your home may be worth in today's market, even though you aren't ready to sell? Contact your Lake Zurich real estate agent!

Do you need a recommendation for a roofer, nanny service, appraiser, painter, carpet cleaner, attorney, sump pump installer or other local service professional? Contact your Lake Zurich real estate agent!

Are you wondering how a local issue, such as widening the road in front of your house, may affect the value of your home? Contact your Lake Zurich real estate agent!

As you can see, YOUR Lake Zurich real estate agent will assist you in many ways other than helping you buy or sell your Lake Zurich area home.

These services are offered to you free of charge, with no obligation on your part.

Call me. Text me. Email me. Stop me on the street. Ask questions in the grocery check out line.

I'm at your service & look forward to hearing from you, however you choose to contact me!

I have first time buyers that I am working with who wrote an offer last week on a cute little duplex. These are real buyers, not looky-loos. It was a serious offer.

Unfortunately, the seller refused to come down off their price enough to get the deal together. Just another reminder that some sellers just don't get it at all. Some sellers are still holding out for "their" price which is not the same as the "market" price.

What is most amazing to me about this situation is that the seller's agent kept telling me, "I don't think we'll get this deal together."

In my opinion, with an attitude like that, you are most certainly not going to get a deal together!

When I am negotiating, I will work a deal until it can't be worked any more. Who knows what the buyer or seller may agree to? This house had been on the market since October of last year and is now vacant. The seller let my buyers walk away. My buyers who are pre-approved and ready to go with an 800+ credit score. Sellers take note: buyers like this are hard to come by! They are priceless!

So today, I'm meeting with my buyers and we are writing an offer on another property. As the saying goes, maybe second time's the charm?

Some of you may know that St. Francis Parish in Lake Zurich feeds those in need with a food pantry every Thursday afternoon. 

A friend of mine recently emailed me to let me know that the pantry shelves are literally bare. They have been experiencing a significant increase in families that are in need of the basics: a bag of food to get through the week.

The need is so great that they may not be able to open their doors this week due to lack of food. 

The pantry usually serves around 60 families a week. Two weeks ago they had 85 families come and last week they served 100 families. The need however is even greater than that. The pantry relies on donations from people like you and me, and from local food stores.  

In the hectic days of summer, it is usually not on the top of our minds to donate food, but I am requesting it now. If there is any way that any of you can donate food to the pantry, please drop off the food to the Ministry Center of St. Francis (the FORMER library on Buesching, directly south of the church which is at 135 S. Buesching in Lake Zurich).

Thank you in advance for your help and donations! And thanks, Barb Lane, for bringing this to my attention!