4 Reasons Why People Hate Real Estate Agents

When I first got my real estate license, I was surprised to learn how many people heavily dislike real estate agents; Some would even say HATE. Why the haters? We are just trying to do our jobs and make a living so why do we often get a bad rap? There are a few reasons, and many of them justified. Trust me, I have met some Realtors that I REALLY dislike.

1.  Ease of Entry Into The Field
It's not very hard to obtain a real estate license. Take a few classes, tests and BAM, you're a Realtor. That translates into MANY, MANY people out there who just don't know what the hell they are doing. In this job, you learn as you go. You actually have to go through many transactions until you know what the heck your doing.

2.  Slick Salespeople
Who likes salespeople? I have NEVER heard anyone say, "I LOVED my used car salesperson". Salespeople in general have bad raps and real estate is no different. Just ask any home seller that has a canceled or expired listing and they will tell you how many calls they receive from hungry real estate agents fishing for new business in the expired listing lake.

3.  Unethical Agents
Hey, let's be honest, there are unethical people in every field of work. Not all agents are liars and cheats but if you've had a bad experience, you know they are out there.

4.  Real Estate is Easy
On the surface, selling your home should be easy. Slap a fresh coat of paint on, plant some flowers, put out a sign, easy peasy! Why should a home seller pay thousands of dollars to hire a professional? Sometimes they are right. Some transactions are super easy. But often, VERY OFTEN, things go wrong and people get sued. Agents to more than list your home. We are transaction managers there to get you from point A (listing your home) to point B (THE CLOSING). And if something can go wrong in the middle, it most likely will.

The bottom line is, yes, there are scumbags in the real estate industry. The stories I could tell!!!! The takeaway here is that you MUST research the agent you are going to hire. There are plenty of wonderful, professional real estate agents out there, you just need to do your homework.

Free Starbucks Gift Card

Can you guess the top 7 remodeling projects for the money (% of investment recouped at sale)?  Log onto Blog In The Burbs tomorrow for the answers. First person who gets the most right gets coffee on me! You can email the answers at tina@goodchildhomes.com or FB them to me.

10 Winter Staging Tips To Sell Your Home

Making your home warm and inviting in the winter months is important, especially when your curb appeal is effected by the hibernating outdoor foliage. Here are some ways to stage your home in those cold winter months:

1.  Take Down Holiday Decorations - Who wants to pull up and see a plastic Santa in February?

2.  Keep Your House Warm - You might enjoy setting your thermostat to 65 in the winter months, but you want potential buyers to be warm and cozy while navigating through your house.

3.  Clear Walkways - Clear walkways and stoops of any snow and ice. Not only does it look more appealing but you could be opening up yourself to a lawsuit should someone slip and become injured.

4.  Light Up! - Turn on all the lights in the house especially since it gets dark so early.

5.  Scent Up!  - Since doors and windows are closed in winter months, make sure your house doesn't smell like last night's dinner.  Light a few (nicely) scented candles for a subtle scent.

6.  Background Music - Leave on softly playing classical music. It makes a home feel warm and inviting.

7.  Let The Light Shine In - Clean windows and blinds so the light can shine through!

8.  Fake a Fire - If you have a fireplace, put a votive candelabra in it and light up. It will give your fireplace a nice warm glow giving buyers a sense of coziness.

9.  Cut The Clutter - Make sure hats, gloves, boots etc. are out of view.

10.  Add Inside Greenery - Since the outdoors lack greenery, add plants and fresh flowers to inside areas.

Are Houses Selling?

According the the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 12,108 homes sell every day in the US!  That's about 85,000 per week. Additionally, 72% of transactions were accompanied by a mortgage. So houses are selling AND people are getting mortgages. We have also seen an increase in pending home sales for the past three months.  FINALLY some positive housing information.

Looking For Indoor Fun With Kids?

I know I am not the only mother who searches the internet, Oaklee's Family Guide, or Family Magazine in search of new and exciting things to do with the kids when they are off school. How many times can you  go bowling or the movies!!! I was pleasantly surprised when I took the crew (ages 15, 12 and 8) to try a new place called Xtreme Trampoline. Located in Buffalo Grove and Carol Stream, Xtreme Trampoline offered all my kids a great place to expend some energy for a few hours. They have trampolines for three different age groups as well as dodge ball arenas for two age groups, reducing my fear of big kids bumping into little ones. The cost was $12 per jumper for the first hour and $7 for each additional hour. Take off your shoes and join the kids, it's great fun (and you'll burn calories while your at it!)! If you have any other ideas for day fun on days off, please feel free to share them.

Just 5%

Can one American man with one predominantly American home make a difference in American jobs? Yes he can! Anders Lewendal from Boseman, Montana set out to build a client's house with only American-made products. Mostly just to see if he could. Turns out not only could he accomplish this task but figures if everyone allocated just 5 % of our spending to American-made products, we could create 3 million jobs! His project was not intended to convince builders to build exclusively American homes, but, "to use the home as a model for how easy it really is to reallocate more of our spending to domestic products". As far as cost, Lewendal states his All American Home was about one-half of 1 percent over normal construction costs. Home Remodelers: You can find his list of suppliers at theallamericanhome.com. For everyone else:  Make even a small effort to purchase everyday products from American companies. More American jobs means a stronger economy, a stronger housing market and a more encouraging future for all of us.

Send A Letter!

My oldest, a high-school sophomore is still in bed, thanks to Veteran's Day. My two younger, didn't get as lucky and are sitting in class. But so few of us take the time to do SOMETHING for the special people that serve this country. So please, take 10 minutes out of your day today and write a letter to a deployed soldier. There are so many websites that make it very easy to do. Check out operationgratitude.com, amillionthanks.org or uso.org/veteransday just to name a few. So skip the Veteran's Day Sale at your local retail store and make someone's day with a note, email or care package.

FLIPPER turned Landlord

The number of rental households increased by 1.4 million in the past 12 months!  That's 3,836 new renters per day.  This, according to Economist Commentaries on October 28th, is largely due to overly tight mortgage underwriting standards and elevated foreclosures that have forced distressed homeowners into renting. Higher demand has led to higher rental rates; an increase of 2.1 percent from this time last year. Higher rents translates into a better rate of return for real estate investors. This, coupled with the affordability of condos, apartment buildings and even houses, makes today a great time to call your investors and jump into the rental market. Economists are calling for higher rental rates in 2012, so all you Flippers out there who have been patiently waiting out the market, now is a great time to jump in, renovate (or not) and rent.

Delete Those Facebook Friends!

I read an article over the weekend in the March issue of Realtor magazine that made  me say "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?".  The article, "Less is Definitely More" talked about social networking and the point of diminishing returns. The article, written by the National Association of Realtor's social media manager, Todd Carpenter, talked about how he proceeded to unfriend about 1,000 people on his Facebook page, feeling that "having a friend shouldn't be taken too lightly". WHAT??? 

I receive at least five emails a week regarding real estate seminars, all of which have at least one speaker who talks about the HUGE importance of social networking. I attended one in which I felt so compelled to race home and set up a Facebook profile that I left the seminar early, missing refreshments, to get my social networking in order. "Social Networking" is the BIG buzzword in the real estate industry lately. Your business will crash and burn if you don't Tweet. The more Tweets the better, they tell you. Friend as many people as you can, they say. It's a numbers game, the more friends you have the better chance for more business. Then Todd turns around and tells me to unfriend. Please make up your mind.

How's The Market?

Being a real estate broker, I often get the question, "How's the market?" While I would love to respond, "IT'S GREAT, looking for a house?" we all know the reality. But, the truth is, the housing market IS showing signs of recovery in terms of sales volume.  Illinois sold 5,487 houses this past January, close to the 5,588 sold January 2010 but substantially more than the 4,808 sold in January 2009. Considering that the housing market in early 2010 was strongly influenced by the homebuyer tax credit, the sales volume for this past January is fairly promising.

The downward pressure on housing prices, however, is still substantial with Illinois seeing a 6.21% drop in median prices from last January (Chicago down 9.71%). There is still a great deal of distressed property flooding the market putting that downward pressure on prices.

On the positive side, buying a house still hugely affordable. In fact the housing price is trending back to the early 2000s. In addition, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate is still around 5%. So if you are renting, now is a good time to buy that first home. In fact, because the rental market has been hot, renters will likely see rental price increases, pushing consumers back into the housing market.

It's a good time too for investors. Whether buying rental units, multi-unit buildings or detached, single family homes, there are great deals out there, especially if you are a do-it-yourselfer. Turn around and rent that property instead of selling it. With renter households increasing by 3.5 million from 2006, there is a great demand for rental units.

The median house prices are expected to be higher for March and April than January for the Chicagoland area as well as Illinois. A good sign of recovery in the housing market. Let's just decrease the unemployment  rate and it's full steam ahead!

Please Vote!

I'm not one to push my political views on anyone and I'm not starting today. But if you are disgusted by the state of our state and its financial insolvency and ethical bankruptcy, please get out and vote. Get your mother, sister, husband and friends and vote.

The Chicago Tribune's Editorial stated it well: "George Ryan, Rod Blagojevich. Job creation 48th in the U.S. Public education spending 18th, but public education performance 38th." These are reasons enough to get your butt off the couch and VOTE!  Arm yourself with information (if you haven't already). There are resources out there to help you. DON'T rely on the TV ads you hear constantly to pick your candidates. I found good information on Congressional and Judicial candidates at www.pioneerlocal.com as well as candidates positions on issues at www.illinoisfamily.org. Whatever sources you choose, make your vote an educated one.

Looking for A Day Trip?

Try Starved Rock State Park. I did, just the other weekend when it was about 70 degrees and my boys were finally done with their fall baseball leagues. I thought, "What's a good outing with the kids on a beautiful, autumn day?" One of the prerequisites.... it had to be cheap. So I packed a bunch of sandwiches, the hubby and the three kids (one a grumbling teenager) in the minivan and drove the 1 1/2 hour ride to what is the biggest tourist attraction in north central Illinois. The park is located near 1-80 and I-39 in Utica, IL and best of all offers free entrance and free parking.

Bring your hiking shoes as the park in nestled within 2,630 acres of lush forest. There are many trails to choose from and if you go in early spring or after heavy rains, there are stunning waterfalls in the 18 canyons.  Although we enjoyed the hiking, there are also boat trips along the Illinois River, horseback riding, camping and fishing as well as cross country skiing in the winter. You can even bring your pooch along, although we opted out because our Collie and Pug bark at EVERYTHING including planes, moving leaves and other dogs.

We spent the better part of the day there and only spent money at an ice cream shop on the way out of town. It was a great way to spend the day with the family and get some fresh air. The cranky teenager wouldn't admit it, but I think he secretly enjoyed it as well.

Help With Your Mortgage

Many people don't realize the amount of help out there available to assist homeowners in these financially difficult times. Even if you are not immediately at risk of foreclosure, there are many options for consumers facing income reduction, for whatever the reason. Launched in 2009, the federal government created the Making Home Affordable Program (HAMP) to assist families.
Elements of the Program:
1.  The Home Affordable Modification Program:  This program is for homeowners who are at risk of defaulting or have already missed a payment. Eligible homeowners have the opportunity to modify their mortgages to make them more affordable.
2.  The Home Affordable Refinance Program:  This program gives homeowners with loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac an opportunity to refinance to lower monthly payments.
3.  Foreclosure Alternative Program: Provides alternatives for homeowners who can no longer afford their home and want to avoid foreclosure through a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure.
I encourage everyone to take advantage of the programs out there. You can find more info at www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov, www.hud.gov, www.nw.org, and www.illinoislegalaid.org. These websites have loads of information and phone numbers for help.

What Homeowners Are Looking For

According to a panel at the 2010 Internatioanl Builders show, homeowners are looking for:

1. Smaller Homes (With open concept floor plans)

2. Energy Efficient Appliances

3. More Natural Light

4. Outdoor Living Area With Private Backyard

5. Eat-In, Partially Separated Kitchen
6. Guest Bedroom and Bath

7. A Home Office That Multi-Tasks

8. Improved Home Electronics (Smart phones that can be connected    alarm systems, security camaras etc.)

9. Large Three-Car Garage

                                                     10.  A Low Maintenance Exterior

Money Magazine's "100 Best Places to Live"

Four Illinois towns made Money Magazine's "100 Best Places to Live" list. Bolingbrook (#43), Naperville (#54), Mt. Prospect (#56) and Arlington Heights (#59). Towns were chosen based on their healthy job markets, excellent schools, safe neighborhoods, low crime rate, recreational opportunities, charm and other attributes that make them ideal places to call home. That's great for residents who live in these areas and also for those who are looking to buy and live in these towns.  It's also a great accomplishment, considering all the great towns in this nation!