The Stress of Selling your home

This writer has a great attitude and some valuable instights into the Seller Stresses of your house on the market now. My home wrecked me when I tried to sell it - chicagotribune.com

Bigger home loans won’t spur more foreclosures: Realtors | News | Crain's Chicago Business

Raising the limit for Jumbo loans would give larger home owners more options for where to get their mortgages. In the Chicago market the limit of $417,000 does not seem like such a large home.

Read this article for more....

Bigger home loans won’t spur more foreclosures: Realtors News Crain's Chicago Business

Spring Cleaning Ideas

Quick Green Spring Cleaning Ideas

It’s too early to do much outdoors here in Chicago, which leaves us working inside with the sun shining on us.  Here’s a few ideas!

1. Open the windows. The best way to get dirty air moving out and fresh air moving in is to open the doors and windows. Feel the breeze.

2. Skip the air fresheners. Buy fresh flowers! An open box of baking soda, cedar blocks, or dried flowers also add natural fragrance to the room.

3. Use vegetable-based cleaning products like those made with coconut oil.  Many detergents are made from petrochemicals, just like expensive gas.

4. Nature’s cleaning miracle, vinegar can be used to clean just about anything. Use it straight to clean kitchen floors or wash windows, mix it with baking soda and essential oils to clean sinks and more.

5. Recycle what you are not using.  Donate first. Then take items that don’t belong in our Blue or Black Carts to the City of Chicago site at 1150 North Branch Street for disposal of these items --- use the link here    http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/doe/supp_info/household_chemicalscomputerrecyclingfacilityoverview.html

Bucktown/Wicker Park closings this week: 2 Detached single family homes and 5 Attached homes –

1510 N Wood 3 bedroom 3 bath renovated house $640,000

2012 N Hoyne  4 bedroom 3 ½ bath house $708,000

2039 W Webster  3 bedroom 2 ½ bath end unit townhouse w/garage $375,000

2031 W Pierce #1A  2 bedroom 2 ½ bath duplex down condo with garage spot $385,000

2308 W North #3W  3 bedroom 2 bath condo with garage spot $388,500

1750 N Wolcott #203 2 bedroom 2 bath loft condo w/garage spot $425,000

1919 W Crystal #102 3 bedroom 2 bath duplex w/garage spot Bank Owned $534,000

*** Information sourced from MREDLLC;3/13/11. Attached Property and Detached Property residential Bucktown (Ashland, Western, Fullerton, North) and WickerPark (Ashland, Western, North, Division)

Have a topic you’d like to see explored or a real estate question send it in. 

If you’d like more information on properties currently on the market or selling your home just drop me a note at EvaB@atproperties.com

South Loop condo tower converting to apartments | Residential News | Crain's Chicago Business

The rental market is strong in Chicago and this conversion will bring vitality to a vacant building.


South Loop condo tower converting to apartments Residential News Crain's Chicago Business

Growing Vegetables in Containers

Spring is here!   Well at least the calendar says so.  Sunlight is increasing and temperatures will follow soon. 

My thoughts are towards planting flowers and vegetables for the deck and the yard.  I'm fortunate to have a garden, yet I supplement it with some potted plants.  The following link is helpful with ideas, how to's and a list of plants that can do well in pots on the deck. 

Enjoy!
http://www.howdididoit.com/home-garden/how-to-grow-vegetables-in-containers/

Electric Cars need Charging Stations....

An interesting article, with some price points, for condo buildings or single family garages that might want a Charging Station for their new Electric Cars.

Charging stations pose obstacles for condos - chicagotribune.com

What do you think? I might plug in....

Spring Spaces in the Pipeline

SPACES: Real Estate Usually Comes into its Own During the Spring Season
Made possible by Eva Bergant,

@Properties Realtor

Could it be Spring?!

We've had our first taste of warmer weather, the birds seem to be arriving, and the Flower and Garden Show is at Navy Pier!   

In the spring we see the largest number of homes/condos on the market. Spring is about choices, and Real Estate, which comes into its own in spring, reflects this time of new beginnings and options. The market perks up. Snow has melted. Storm windows will soon be a memory.

Click to Enlarge

Check out the graphs of 1) the number places on the market and 2) the number of places under contract and sold in the last 24 months.

Are you thinking of making a change? Spring buyers go on the hunt while smart sellers and REALTORS know that there's no time like the spring to get prepared for a beautiful summer. Sellers who are part of the spring market have been working hard to prepare their homes for sale. Offers made now will most likely have mortgages approved in 30-45 days and closings in 2 months.

green shoes from John Fluevog that don't have anything to do with real estate-- as far as we know.

In Bucktown/Wicker Park, there were NINE closings this week: 2 were detached single family homes and 7 were attached homes. They are as follows:  

1316 N Leavitt 4 bedroom 3 ½ bath modern 3 story home $712,000

1956 W Evergreen 5 bedroom 4 ½ bath restored Victorian with a 1 bedroom 1 bath coach house on a 25 x 171' lot $1,250,000

1232 N Milwaukee #4 2 bedroom 2 bath condo with parking Short Sale $279,000

1744 W Division #1 2 bedroom 2 bath duplex with garage Foreclosure $305,000

1890 N Milwaukee #4D 3 bedroom 2 bath penthouse condo with tandem garage parking $332.000 

 

Flower earrings, like these, spotted at store B vintage, bloom all year long on your ears

1625 W North #201 3 bedroom 2 bath duplex condo with 2 garage spots Foreclosure $336,650

2010 W Potomac #C 2 bedroom 2 ½ bath townhouse with 2 garage spots $466,000 (market time 5 days!!)

1919 W Crystal #103 3 bedroom, 2 baths duplex with garage Bank Owned $515,000

1736 W Le Moyne #1 3 bedroom 2 ½ bath Duplex condo with garage $613,400

*** Information sourced from MREDLLC;3/7/11. Attached Property and Detached Property residential Bucktown (Ashland, Western, Fullerton, North) and WickerPark (Ashland, Western, North, Division)

Do you have a topic you'd like to see explored, or would like more information on properties currently on the market, or selling your home, drop me a note at EvaB@atproperties.com

In brief: Bucktown | | Crain's Chicago Business

a Vegan location coming to Bucktown.... read on....

In brief: Bucktown Central Park of Lisle Prime Group REIT News Crain's Chicago Business

Luxury Real Estate Market Report

For those of you who are in the Luxury Market in Real Estate - please take a look at this LuxuryPortfolio Information  Click to see presentation  This includes World Wide Properties  - I hope that you are in this market!

Check into the condo association when buying or selling

On Monday February 28 the Chicago Tribune ran this article, by Mary Ellen Podmolik. It points out one large item that the buyer does not have the ability to change when looking at condos--the ability to obtain a loan when the building does not meet lenders' criteria.

There are at least five criteria that can eliminate a building from receiving a loan from any Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or FHA lender (most of the lenders!).  

1 How many units in the building are currently rented? Lenders prefer owner occupied buildings, so the lower the number the better.

2 What is the financial position of the condo association? What are the reserves? While there is no set rule, the budget needs to show that adequate reserves are kept. The association needs to be collecting all the monthly assessments, delinquent units may make the building unqualified.

3 Is there any outstanding litigation with the condo association? Financial liability by the association can cause lenders to walk away.

4 In a brand new building, what is the percent of units sold? For an FHA loan it must be at least 51%, for conventional loans generally over 70%.

5 How much of the building is commercial space? If it's over 25% of the square footage, no loan.

For more information, please read the Tribune article. 

In Bucktown/Wicker Park there were nine closings this week.

Read all about them here. 

Do you have a topic you'd like to see explored, or would like more information on properties currently on the market, or selling your home, drop me a note at EvaB@atproperties.com

  

About Eva: 

Eva Bergant is a Bucktown resident and local Realtor with a community driven style. In addition to being the president of the Bucktown Community Organization (BCO), Eva has served as chair for the annual Bucktown Garden Walk for the past three years. You can reach Eva by email or at 312-543-6819.