2 BUNNIES & CAT BUNNY: DIEGO

I'd like to share with you, one of my 4 Siamese Cats; Diego. The Siamese cat is one of the oldest breeds to be introduced in the United States. It is often said that the breed was first seen outside their Asian home in 1884, when the British Consul-General in Bangkok, Edward Gould, brought a breeding pair of the cats, Pho and Mia, back to Britain as a gift for his sister, Lilian Gould. Lilian went on to co-found the Siamese Cat Club in 1901. However, in 1878, U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes received "Siam", a gift from the American Consul in Bangkok. This cat was also the first documented Siamese to reach the United States, and predates the Siamese's arrival in the UK by 6 years.

YEAR END SOLD DATA FOR DEERFIELD, IL ~ January 1 – December 31, 2102

DEERFIELD, IL
Units ~ DOM ~ Median Sold ~ 2012 Year End Totals
Attached:
109 ~ 155 ~ $169,000 ~ $20,112,255
Detached:
194 ~ 144 ~ $417,300 ~ $94,733,776

RENTALS:
Units Median Rental Price
Attached :
52 ~ $1,550
Detached :
43 ~ $2,350

Data Provided by 2013 MRED,LLC, not Guaranteed.

"OUR HOME FITS EVERYONE"

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MAKE YOUR GUEST SMILE BEFORE THEY ENTER YOUR HOME ;)

When was the last time you entered your home using the front door? Like me, I push the garage door button and enter my home thru the mudroom and am greated by a cute, cozy area to drop my shoes & coat. However, visitors to your home enter thru... the Front Door. Look out! When was the last time you changed your door mat? Is it looking faded and worn? Do you even remember when you bought it? Now is the time to give your front stoop a little TLC it deserves. An inexpensive and colorful way to express who you are: buy a NEW door mat. Here are some of my favorites for this Spring. Amazing prices from $17.00 - $26.00. You can find them online now at:

ADD CHARACTER To Your FRONT DOOR

Before doorbells were invented, visitors used to knock on their neighbor doors. In the early 12th Century, metal was cast into a ring and was attached to the front door. Guests announced their presence by banging the metal ring to the door, thus the invention of the door knocker. Add some charcter to your home by attaching a door knocker to your front or back door. Only $40 each, so cute! These door knockers can be found at:

VINTAGE CHARMING HOME PRICE REDUCED TO $589,000

This beautiful re-model includes a 400 sq foot addition. The price has just been reduced from $619,900 to $589,000. 1243 Ridgewood Dr offers 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, basement, 2 story coach home with 2 car garage. Easy to schedule an appointment, call Pam (847) 681-4143. You want to see and own this home, she is very special.

Accepted Contracts for Each Year - 1992 to 2012

The IMPORTANCE OF MARKET POSITIONING

The graph above shows the flow of contracts accepted monthly for the 5 year period from 2009 through the current year. The market began to slow in 2006, which resulted in increasing market time and lower sales prices for many homes. The slowdown accelerated in 2007, while sales fell in 2008 even more dramatically. The number of transactions recovered somewhat in 2009 and accelerated in 2010 and 2011, a trend that continued and strengthened in 2012 and into 2013.

WHAT IS A FORECLOSURE & HOW TO BUY A FORECLOSURE

A foreclosure is simply a home that has gone through the legal process of being repossessed by the bank. The property is then disposed of through the asset management division of the bank or through a third-party asset manager.

             There are two ways to buy a foreclosure – through auction and on the open real estate market. Until the home has completed the foreclosure process the homeowner has every opportunity to save the home: 30 day period of redemption. Once the 30 days for redemption has passed and the homeowner cannot come up the delinquent mortgage payments, the home goes to auction. Auctions are announced in local newspapers so you know when a particular home will be put on the block. You’ll have only a little time to drive by, and you will not be allowed inside as usually the home owner is still residing in the home.

At auction, the home goes to the highest bidder and the proceeds go toward the remaining mortgage debt. If you want to buy at auction, be prepared to bid against other investors on the courthouse steps and to pay cash for the home if your bid is accepted. Don’t let excitement rule you; stay within your planned maximum bid. If the home doesn’t sell at auction, the bank takes the home back as an Real Estate Owned (REO), property. From there the property is typically turned over to an asset manager and put on the real estate market.

Once the REO is listed with a real estate broker, you can buy it just as you would any other listed property, with a mortgage loan. If the home is in good condition, location and priced reasonably, be prepared for multiple buyers pursuing the same home. You need to react quickly and have all your paper work completed. If getting a mortgage for the home, get the pre-approval letter from your lender now. When you shop for an REO, consider the same things you would in any other home location, condition, features and price.

Asset managers may be handling hundreds of properties in your area. They may be unresponsive to low-ball offers, or refuse to negotiate at all. Their job is to get the most return possible for the bank, be patient, foreclosures take time. Foreclosures are often in poor repair or have been stripped of their appliances, mechanicals, flooring, even drywall, so be prepared to put some sweat equity into the home or to hire a contractor. REOs are sold “as is,” which means buyer beware. Banks seldom do any more than make repairs required by federal lending standards. Talk to your lender. Several lenders offer home improvement loan programs which become part of the monthly mortgage payment.

From the initial time the contract is submitted, have the home inspected by a professional. This will be a cost to you but, you then you will know if you want to proceed with the purchase or rescind the offer. The home may have unseen structural issues which maybe cost prohibited.

 With my knowledge and personal experience, I have helped several clients, thru pre-foreclosure, foreclosure and a short sale. I can help make the process as pain free as possible. Call me today.  ~PAM

 

WAYFAIR.com One of My Favorite Websites!

As a Realtor & Home Owner, I like to stretch my dollar as far as it can go. We recently moved from a very large home to a mid-sized home. One of the first things to go was our king sized bed. We had the frame for a queen and needed just the headboard. I checked several websites and the prices were a liitle high for what we could afford. I googled queen size headboards and discovered Wayfair.com.
They had so many options to choose from and it was an easy site to navigate. I ordered the headboard, got a discount & FREE (love that word) shipping.
My husband and I assembled it in less than 10 min, we love it!
Since July, 2012, I have been a customer of Wayfair and highly recommend their products and website. Great customer service and follow up. You have got to try Wayfair!
http://www.wayfair.com/

INTERNATIONAL HOME & HOUSEWARE SHOW IHA, March 2-5, 2013

The International Home and Houseware Show starts tomorrow, Saturday, March 2, 2013. This show has been held at McCormick Center, Chicago, Il. IHA is the world's premier housewares marketplace, features 2,100 exhibitors from 34 countries, and more than 20,000 buyers from over 100 countries around the world. This is an amazing show and encompasses both buildings at McCormick Place. I have attended for several years and look forward to this year's show. For additional information, please visit:

HIGHLAND PARK HISTORICAL SOCIETY & PRESERVATION COMMITTEE

Last night, February 28th, the Highland Park Historical Society and Preservation Committee hosted a preview cocktail party at: 1243 Ridgewood Dr, Highland Park, Il. This home recently underwent a major remodeling and new addition to restore the 1918-1919 home to what it used to be. The remodel was conducted by Ravinia Renovations, winner of the Preservation Award for 2011. 1243 Ridgewood Dr is currently being represented by Pam Devendorf, Broker, Coldwell Banker Residential. To schedule your appointment, please call: (847) 681-4143. Visit 1243RidgewoodDr on You Tube:

ADD SOME COLOR TO YOUR CABINETS & DOORS

Want to spice up your kitchen or bath cabinets but, cannot afford new ones? A simple, quick and inexpensive fix is to replace them with new colorful hand painted knobs or pulls. There are so many options out there; Wayfair.com, Anthropologie, Pier One, Home Depot. Start exploring and add this quick change. I like the black and white combination, classic! Black compliments any color in the color wheel; purple, red, blue, grey, get creative and have fun!