by admin | Sep 13, 2021 | Residential Real Estate
The pandemic has changed the way we live and work. Research shows that millennial buyers make their home-buying decisions on these 7 factors:
- Well equipped kitchen
- Outdoor living space
- Updates throughout
- Smart home integration
- Low maintenance & energy efficiencies
- Home office space
- Dedicated laundry space
If you are thinking about selling your home, contact Sharon Kantor Bogetz at 847-370-9131 for a free consultation and get a complimentary home seller’s guidebook.
by admin | Jun 18, 2021 | Residential Real Estate
Thinking of selling? Here are 7 quick & easy ways to declutter your home, business or practice. A home or workplace always looks LARGER and well maintained if they are de-cluttered and organized.
1. Keep things at arms reach: Remove items stored on top of cabinets. Look at items on the top shelves to see if you really need still need them or put them away.
2. Add shelves: Add open shelves so you can see what you have or cabinets with doors to add valuable storage options.
3. 12-12-12 Challenge: This challenge comes from BecomingMinimalist.com, and is a simple project to add to your routine. Clean and organize by choosing 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 to return to a proper place in your home to organize and declutter your home or your workplace.
4. Get rid of broken items: There’s no point in keeping items that are broken or unused, they’re just taking up precious space.
5. Use things or throw them out: Take a look at items in the back of your shelves and cabinets. I found a lot of items that were not used during the pandemic lockdown that expired in the early part of this year.
6.Tackle one room at a time, step by step: Organizing and decluttering one room at a time makes it easier to schedule. It is less daunting too!
7. Curate your bookshelves. Go through your bookshelves and donate books that you have not looked at in years. Once you have more room on your shelves, you can organize the books you really need or want, add prized decorative items and photos, or add planters to brighten your space and clean your air.
by admin | Apr 11, 2021 | Residential Real Estate
Open houses may be staged to look like a home decor dream, but don’t let that distract you from the real reason you’re there: to potentially buy a home. Make sure you can look past the neatly arranged furniture and focus solely on whether the house would be a good fit for you and your family. To help, here’s a home buyer’s checklist of things you might have missed at first glance.
Windows – Look specifically if they are facing the right direction to let sunlight in, and whether they open to a nice view (versus directly toward another neighbor’s window).
Under the Sink Cabinets – Check for possible signs of water damage due to leaky plumbing.
Electrical Outlets – Make sure there are enough outlets for the appliances and other electronics you’ll be using. If not, you can decide if that’s a renovation you’d like to make.
Storage Space – Don’t just look to see if there’s enough closet space, but look for closet placement. Also check that the storage is in a convenient location.
Appliances – If they’re included in the house, make sure they’re in good condition. They should be on and working while you’re there.
Under the Rugs – Lift up any rugs to check the condition of the floor underneath.
Floor Level – Check to see if the floors are level. Place a marble or another small, round object on the floor and see if it rolls consistently in one direction.
Attic – If the house has one, make sure it’s well insulated.
Water Spouts – Runoff from the gutters should be pointed away from the house, so take a step outside to see if this is the case.
If you find a home or condo at an open house, call me at (847) 370-9131 to get expert representation when you are ready to make an offer on a home or condo. I will walk you thru every step of the way and provide you with a complimentary Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to ensure your offer is the right offer.
by admin | Mar 18, 2021 | Residential Real Estate
As of July 2019, Millennials overtook Baby-Boomers as the largest living adult generation, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. While they may account for a larger share of the population than any other demographic group, Millennials have not been leading the way as a percentage of homeowners, due to a number of factors that have kept many would-be buyers on the sidelines. However, COVID-19 may be changing that story, as new data reveals that 49 percent of surveyed Millennial homebuyers are speeding up the timeline on their homeownership. We delve into the details behind what’s driving the (potentially) changing tides for Millennial homebuyers.
Low Rates
Like so much of the current home buying market, a large factor behind the uptick in Millennial homebuying interest is the low rate environment. Danielle Hale, the chief economist at realtor.com, points out that “With little to no equity to leverage, Millennial home buyers tend to take out larger loans. Historically low rates are making this more manageable, even with rising home prices.”So long as rates remain low, there’s every reason to believe more Millennials will feel comfortable pulling the trigger on that home they’ve been dreaming of.
Downpayments
Saving enough for a down payment can often be one of the largest hurdles for any homebuyer to overcome, especially for a generation saddled with historically large amounts of unpaid student loan debt. But the growing movement towards telecommuting has proved to be a boon for many Millennials allowing them to apply the savings from un-spent commuting dollars towards a potential down payment.
In a recently released survey conducted by realtor.com and HarrisX of 2,000 potential buyers, about 68 percent of respondents said shelter-in-place orders have helped them save for their down payment.
Freedom
Working remotely has become the norm. People are finding that they crave open spaces and they can work from anywhere!
State Of The Market
According to research from Zillow, millions of renters who are currently being priced out of their current market could become homeowners—in a locale of their choosing. Jeff Tucker, an economist at Zillow who authored the study, estimates a shift to remote work would give up to 2 million renters in the U.S. the option to leave expensive metropolitan areas to purchase a starter home in a cheaper city.
About 50% of the respondents reported they were looking for a home in their current city, according to the study, while more than half said they are looking for a home below the U.S. median home price of $350,000.
If you are looking for a home or a condo, call Sharon Bogetz at 847-370-9131. She will give you personalized attention and help you every step of the way. She a licensed real estate broker with Century 21 Universal Real Estate in Chicago.
by admin | Mar 15, 2021 | Residential Real Estate
The housing market in 2021 is strong. The economy is starting to turn around, mortgage rates remain low and COVID restrictions are being lifted. Read the predictions here….
In real estate, we are able to show properties in person. We take precautions which include masks, social distancing, use of hand sanitizers and surface disinfection.
If you’re thinking about selling your house or condo or thinking about buying a home, this is definitely the right time.
Call me at 847-370-9131. I will work very hard to make your sale or purchase a reality.
Ask how you can get a FREE custom community market analysis for your area.
I am a licensed Real Estate Broker with Century 21 Universal Real Estate.
by admin | Feb 22, 2021 | Residential Real Estate
Wondering how you can improve the value of your home and what kind of return on investment (ROI) you might get from your home improvements? Take a look at this infographic that shows you 10 different home renovation projects that can help you get a better price for your home. And the best part, you can enjoy these improvements while your home is listed!
Updating Plumbing & Electric 260% ROI
Bathroom Remodel 168% ROI
Kitchen Remodel 168% ROI
Painting 112% ROI
Flooring 102% ROI
Outdoor Maintenance 85% ROI
Deck 78%
Basement Remodel 75%
Replace Windows 70%
Roof Replacement 67%
Call Sharon at (847) 370-9131 to get a free market analysis for your home.
