New Year's Goals for Your North Shore Real Estate!

With 2014 officially here and many of us living on the North Shore and beyond setting our New Year's resolutions, now is a great time to take stock of where you're at with your real estate situation and create attainable goals for all of your affairs related to home ownership. Whether you were recently buying North Shore real estate or you are a longtime resident, performing a New Year's evaluation of your home, financials and insurance will certainly benefit you in the long run. Here are a few points to consider:

-Review your homeowner's insurance policy. There are a wide variety of insurance options available on Chicago's North Shore, from local agents with national companies to individual brokers. Double-checking your coverage limits, deductibles and policy details will prepare you for the coming year and ensure that you have enough insurance to repair or replace your North Shore real estate should an emergency arise. You may also want to consider adding flood insurance, personal property and/or contents insurance or additional structure insurance to your policy as well. 

-Budget for pre-payments. If the monthly mortgage payment on your North Shore real estate is low and you can afford to budget extra money each month to be paid toward the principal balance, now is an excellent time to calculate that. Take each month of the upcoming year into consideration and decide how much extra you plan to put toward the remaining balance to pay it down faster and easier. Doing this on a consistent basis each year can pay off handsomely in the long run by subtracting years off of your mortgage. 

-Take on a proactive attitude with maintenance. One of the great things about living on the North Shore are our beautiful homes in well-maintained communities. Starting the year by taking a proactive attitude toward routine home maintenance and necessary repairs will help you to budget for these expenses, prepare your property and ensure that your investment is in well-kept, safe and livable condition. Additionally, avoiding maintenance and repair issues will only make things much more difficult and costly in the long run as they can quickly spiral into larger, more complex projects. 

As a longtime North Shore Realtor, I am here for you both prior to and during your real estate transaction as well as afterward. Should you have any questions regarding your North Shore real estate or if you're considering buying or selling in the new year, contact me for professional expertise. I look forward to hearing from you soon and discussing your needs on Chicago's North Shore. 

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

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