I'm amazed how many home sellers and their representatives do not provide a property floor-plan on line (including $500,000 and up properties). I think the majority of properties on the MLS do not have a floor plan to view.
Let's just say a floor plan would be helpful. No?
As part of my listing package I have a professional floor-plan measured and converted to photo file and Pdf file (unless for some specific reason). These are put on the property brochure and uploaded to the MLS.
-Three bedrooms up!
-Two and one-half baths
-Private Garage
-Huge Family Room
-Storage, Storage, Storage
-Great Elementary School
Here's a few shots I took while walking the neighborhood prior to my appointment.
We took in this 1890s brick and limestone beauty at 435 W St. James on one of our stops. Visit the link for photos... really awesome. It is offered for rent at $3900 a month for a huge three bedroom plus den.
The glass tile on the fireplace was stunning.
Relax in the custom built den... with wet bar.
It's one goal of mine to help as many of my Ravenswood neighbors list and sell their properties. My partner and I are about to roll out several new, very affordable listings this early spring. Check out another neighbor's condo for sale at the photos and links below.
4847 N Wolcott Unit G, Asking 269,900
Features include:
Two bedrooms
Two baths
True dining
Master Suite with walk-in closet and master bath
Exterior storage and bike area
Massive kitchen with extra freezer
Call/email for more details on an MLS listing sheet or a showing.
We visited friends the other night at 505 Lake Shore Drive and sat for a moment in the remodeled lobby. I love this building and recently represented a buyer on a nice deal here. What fun.
It was hard work coordinating the sites with the production crew, lining up properties for filming, getting releases and making sure there were no delays to affect filming. However, it was also really fun and a terrific experience working with the director and crew.
Thanks again Kurt and Kelley for being such great clients! You looked awesome on the show. And thanks to my family and clients for helping me to the TOP 5% of all Chicago Realtors in 2009!
Here's my favorite and best located four bedroom home closings in the last six months that may have made us jump ship.
529 Pinecrest: Closed at $417,000
702 Illinois: Closed at $441,000
2722 Birchwood: Closed at $492,000
If you are genuinely interested in purchasing a single family home in Wilmette for under $500,000, please contact me about these closings and to view available homes for sale.
...while Molli crashed in Sauganash.
Did I scare you yet?
The Federal reserve (Fed) has confirmed their position that it will most likely stop purchasing mortgage backed securities at the end of March. The FED has been buying the securities since January 2009 which kept the housing market from sinking to lower levels than it has. Because of the Fed's actions interest rates have been held at historic lows during a very critical time for the housing industry. With the FED backing out of securities business there is no question that rates will begin to rise, but to what extent?
Most experts are trying to decide how much the rates will increase. Using the 30 year conforming rate as the guide we're hearing anywhere from 5.75% - 6% and fairly quickly. Most experts expect the rates to fluctuate between these two points through the fall and then another potential increase after that. Regardless, rates will begin to go higher and soon.
Here is what we do know; Interest rates today are GREAT, housing prices are lower than in years and the government is proving tax credit incentives for first time home buyers as well as qualified move up buyers. If you're in the market for a purchase this year I would strongly consider moving a little sooner than later to take advantage of today's great rates. I would not however, make a decision to stretch on a property and payment that isn't right for you due to incentives alone. As always, make sure you stay in your financial comfort zone.
Home Mortgage Consultant Kenneth B. Dickerson can be reached at:
RWF Mortgage, LLC
MAC M3241-011
2663 N. Halsted Street
CHICAGO, IL 60614
773.572.6540 Tel
kenneth.b.dickerson@rwfmortgage.com
It's a tough gig to get a real solid, updated move-in family home in Old Irving Park for under $500K... that's not up against the highway of course. A middle residential block location well off the busier streets is very desirable.
The top two reasons to leave our tricked out duplex? Yard and garage!
For some reason, we don't give Old Irving Park the regular looks that I do Sauganash or even the North Shore in Wilmette. Old Irving Park would make the most sense for my career (easy drive to all the neighborhoods I work in) and it's pretty easy on my wife's commute to Lincoln Park (and soon, she may be taking the train downtown). The amosphere is just not quite doing it for us yet... to jump to the single family home, we may need a little more leafy, winding road seclusion that I feel in the above mentioned areas. The schools are a little bit of an issue for us as well (depending on purchase price of the home, we'd go private in this location).
An essential to any sophisticated home; the reading chair. Even if you're "reading" a coloring book.
Rare recent new construction goes prairie style in Ravenswood Manor...fits right in!
About 8 single family homes have sold over the last 6 months in the Ravenswood Manor borders... with a low of $392,000 for a two bedroom home (not bad shape!) up to $1,375,000 for a new construction, fully "green" home at 2924 W Wilson. There is a dilapidated brick bungalow on the river under contract now for $325K... remains to be seen what the final sale will be on that, but it's a big project to bring up to neighborhood standards. A wonderful historical estate (where Charlie Chaplain once lived according to the Internet) is the only home to close so far in 2010 for $1,340,00.
Gingerbread House!
Only three single family homes have traded hands in the last 12 months in Ravenswood Gardens (4400 North to 4800 North and 2400 West to the Chicago River).
-2444 W Eastwood for $375,000 (small,dated, backed up to the train).
-4715 N Campbell for $600,000 (This look like a great deal on a large converted two flat).
-4737 N Rockwell for $672,500 (Very attractive home, beautiful lot... the Zillow link has the price wrong).
Condos can very greatly here... from a $160,000 two bedrooms garden unit (at the bottom, no pun intended) to a $465,000 three bedrooms top floor new construction home at the top of the market for the last 12 months. 40 transactions took place in the Gardens over the past year.
Just west of the popular Lincoln Square retail and dining district, Ravenswood Gardens runs from North Western Avenue to the Chicago River (2400 West to 2600 West) and West Montrose to West Lawrence (4400 North to 4800 North). Not a huge area, but it's picked up by four square blocks of Ravenswood Manor at the Chicago River going west to Sacramento (2600 West to 3000 West) and again Montrose to Lawrence.
Here's a few shots in Ravenswood Gardens on a sunny Wednesday morning. Recent clients offered on a home on North Rockwell Street.
A river runs through it...
Cute tudoresque homes perfectly framed by the snow.
The real estate here was mostly built prior to World War II... almost no new construction!
Our diligence has paid off. Tuesday night's blizzard did not stop us from seeing a town home on it's first day listed. The client's offered on the place that night... and it was accepted.
Asking $529,900
Open House Saturday 2/6/10 12PM to 4PM
I'll be hosting an open house for our new listing on Saturday 2/6/10 from Noon until 4PM. We already have over a dozen inquries for showings this first week, so the open house will be very busy. Traffic for homes in the best Chicago elementary school distrcts, and for three bedroom homes in general, has been really outstanding.
Here's an example of an outdated, but beautiful vintage, Lincoln park condo staged and sold. As Realtors, my group makes recommendations for repairs and staging homes prior to selling. We handle the whole process and actual stage the home too... relatively "cheaply"!
This two bedrooms plus den, two baths home was staged and sold less than two months market time in the tough summer market of 2009.
Before in the bedrooms...
After...
