Wheaton Home Prices 2011-2012

Check out the more information about the Wheaton Housing market or about the housing market in your area at WHeatonHomes4Sale.com.

Homes for sale have dropped in price over the year about 5%, homes in Wheaton under contract have dropped by almost 14% and homes which sold saw about a 9% drop in price over the past year.

How to Pick a Property Manager

Visit WheatonHomes4Sale.com for great real estate tips and information

A stranger is about to move into what very likely used to be your home. And you're busy. You don't have time to manage the details of your own household much less fix broken toilet handles at your rental property. Enter property management companies. For those of you who enjoy finding renters, running background checks and putting up with service calls from your residential tenants, have fun. If you'd rather not deal with the grit, grime and daily responsibility of renting out a residential property, here are some tips on finding a property manager who will find a responsible tenant and give you comfort that your property is well-leased and is being properly maintained.

Do your own research
Research local rents by checking out rental listings on craigslist.org, and check zillow.com rent Zestimates for homes in your area with similar features and square footage. Property managers are motivated to rent your home for the maximum that they can get since they typically take a percentage of the rent as their fee, but they might not be tuned into values for your type of home in your particular neighborhood. Also, laws differ from state to state. Do your due diligence on the tenant-landlord laws for the state that you live in to understand your rights as a landlord before you enter into conversations with property management companies.

Get recommendation
Never hire a property management company without a recommendation or two that you trust. If you can, try to find both a realtor and a landlord who have worked directly with a given company. Get local recommendations and keep in mind that performance of a national company can vary from market to market.

Explore your options
Some companies offer leasing services only, which can be cheaper than leasing and maintenance. It really depends on how much time you have to dedicate to the rental. Make sure you understand the tenant-landlord laws in your state so that you know how long you have to respond to a tenant request - and whether you want to deal with that.

Tune into their communication processes
Interview a few different companies and see how they respond to your inquiries. If they get back to you immediately, that's agood sign. If it takes a few days, weeks or months to connect - not so good. If they're late to appointments, don't show up or don't call, also not so good. Take this as a sign of how they'll work with you throughout your relationship.

Read the leasing agreement
Ensure that you're covered and have the power to remove a tenant who doesn't pay the contractual rent and that property damages are covered by an extra month's rent and security deposit. Also make sure that, based on the laws in your state, the leasing agreement allows you to release yourself from the relationship with the property management company if they do not hold up their part of the agreement.

Gut check their process
Ask your property management company representative about tenant approval process. Find out how they market properties, what kinds of tenants they install, and what a typical lease period looks like at their company. Also make sure that you understand their background checking process to ensure that both credit and criminal background checks are performed, as well as character references.

Expect to pay for it
Most property management companies charge one month's rent plus 10 percent of the monthly rent, which normalizes out to an 8.5 percent fee. You have to decide if this is worth it to you. Choosing to go with a property management company can make your life easier since all you have to do is wait for the direct deposit. Just make sure that you understand what you're getting into before you sign up.

Start browsing for investment properties in your area for free now at WheatonHomes4Sale.com

Information offered by Katie Oakes with Keller Williams Premiere Properties

Glen Ellyn Home Prices 2011-2012

Check out the Glen Ellyn housing market in terms of home prices over the past year. Prices for homes listed for sale are up 17% over the year while homes under contract are down about 25% and the prices of homes sold are down even more at 40%. To view more market specific information about Glen Ellyn or your town go ahead and visit http://goo.gl/9WJjw or just go to WheatonHomes4Sale.com!

New Listing in Elmhurst!

Visit WheatonHomes4Sale.com to view MORE HOMES IN ELMHURST or in your area.

For more information on 435 Grantley in Elmurst please call or email Katie Oakes at 630-545-9860 or KatieOakes@KW.com

How to Bid on a Repossessed Home in DuPage County

With the downturn in the economy, many homes have been repossessed or are known as distressed properties. Bidding on a repossessed home can be a great value and save a prospective buyer anywhere from 10 to 70 percent because banks or government agencies are eager to unload the properties. However, when bidding on a repossessed home, the buyer must remit all funds at the time the auction closes. Unless you have a large cash reserve or are able to arrange a large reserve from your lender in advance, bidding on a repossessed home or distressed property may not be possible for the average consumer. Bidding on a repossessed home is also a challenging process that requires extensive research, so some buyers may want to rely instead on the expertise of a real estate agent.

Two Ways to Bid on a Repossessed Home

There are two options for bidding on a repossessed home:

• Through a trustee/lien. All sales are made public knowledge. Check your newspaper or contact your local county courthouse. Before actually bidding on a property, you may want to attend an auction or watch a webcast and see how they operate. Do not bid too early or you will only push the price higher.

• Online. You can also bid on repossessed properties online. Try the websites of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, credit unions and major banks. eBay’s real estate section also offers prospective homebuyers the opportunity to bid. If bidding on eBay, you need to know whether you’re bidding on just the down payment or the total amount. Read the fine print, and do your research before bidding.

When you’re ready to bid, contact the lender and make an offer. Read below how to determine the market value and reduce the sales price that’s listed by up to 40 percent. If that offer is declined, resubmit an offer of 30 to 35 percent below market value.

Before Bidding on a Repossessed Home - Research and Inspect

Once you have located a repossessed property you’re interested in bidding on, you need to research the property. Do a title search so you can determine if any back taxes or a second or even third mortgage are due on the property. The winning bidder will be responsible for all debts past due.

You will also want to determine the market value of the property. Look online at your local property appraiser’s office or tax collector’s office. Find recently sold properties that are similar. You can also consult a real estate broker to do this research for you, but they will charge you for this service.

Just as important when bidding on a repossessed property is to inspect the property. Many repossessed homes or distressed properties have fallen into disrepair. If the home needs a lot of work, get an estimate from a reputable contractor. Too many repairs and the home is no longer the bargain you are looking for.

Using a Real Estate Agent Instead of Bidding on Repossessed Homes

Bidding on a repossessed home is challenging and time-consuming. Buying a home is huge investment. Many buyers choose to use a real estate agent to do all the research and background work for them. If this is the route you would rather take, make sure you look for a CDPE (certified distressed property expert). These real estate agents have been trained and certified in dealing with foreclosed or short sale homes.

Should you Bid on a Repossessed Home?

If you have the time and knowledge it takes to do the background research on a repossessed home, you could save yourself a great deal of money off the market value of the home. Keep in mind, however, that you will need to add the cost of any repairs to the home to your bid in order to determine the true savings. If you’re a DIY (do it yourselfer), the savings could be substantial. Doing your homework on the property before bidding is imperative.

If you or someone you know is interested in buying or bidding on a repossessed home or is looking to buy or sell conventional real estate please call or email Katie Oakes with Keller Williams at 630-545-9860 OR WheatonHomes4Sale@gmail.com. For further information or to start viewing properties for sale for free please visit WheatonHomes4Sale.com

Why You Need an eEdge Agent

My Name is Katie Oakes and I am real estate broker at Keller Williams. As an eEdge agent and trainer I stay up to date and current on all of the available real estate marketing and management programs. Call today to see how I can help you to buy or sell a home quickly and efficiently.

Wheaton Homes For Sale - New Houses vs. Old: How Do You Know Which is Right for You?

Finding your perfect home is not always as easy process. With the surplus of homes for sale in most cities, buyers may find there are many properties –both new and old - that meet their search criteria. Choosing whether to renovate an old house or buy a new one can be a tricky decision for some.

Should I Completely Renovate an Old House or Buy a New House?

When deciding on which type of house is right for you, it’s important to take into consideration the following factors:

Style – For many, the allure of an older home is its character and uniqueness. Many of the homes being built today are tract houses that lack personality and quality of construction. An older home will have the charm that many buyers are looking for, rather than being a “cookie cutter” model that someone else has. However, they require a lot of TLC that many buyers aren’t cut out for. Knowing whether to choose an old house or buy a new one largely depends on your style preferences. Do you prefer clean lines, open concepts and a modern look, or are you into a more traditional floor plan with closed rooms, built-ins and nooks?

Lifestyle – Think about how you like to spend your free time. Do you enjoy working on projects, building or creating things at home? Or would you rather spend the evenings and weekends outside of the house, traveling, hiking or shopping? If you answered the latter, an old house may not make sense for you in the long-term as they typically require more maintenance and care.

Resources – Aside from the funds needed to purchase the home, do you have the budget and resources to update and maintain an old house? Even an older home that has been updated can be expensive to maintain due to scarce availability of certain building materials and original fixtures. Many buyers become “house poor” after making their down payment and buying a house. With no savings they have little budget left over for these house updates. If you don’t have the resources to dedicate to updating and maintaining the home, it may be a better choice to buy a new house. Newer houses typically need no initial repairs, no additional budget and are move-in ready.

Patience – Old houses have character, but maintaining that sense of charm doesn’t come easy. Unless they were recently updated, older homes require time and energy to restore. Because they were built in a different time period, older houses may require custom or hard-to-fit materials, appliances and fixtures that many contractors are not skilled in using. These material and construction delays can greatly extend your project deadlines.

Knowledge – Are you knowledgeable about construction and home improvement? Knowing how long restoration and maintenance projects will take and how much they will cost is a major prerequisite for purchasing an older home, especially if you’re planning to completely renovate an old home. If you’re tight on budget and resources, are you able and willing to do some of the work yourself?

An older home can be a quality investment with long-term potential and timeless style. A newer home can be a no-hassle, peaceful retreat that doesn’t require extra money or time to move in. If you do the right planning and homework ahead of time, you’ll be able to find the house that fits your needs, budget and lifestyle and relax, knowing you made the best decision in choosing your new home.

To search for homes for sale in Wheaton or an area near you, visit the Wheaton Homes For Sale and enter your search criteria.