Now is Time to Buy and Sell on Chicago’s North Shore!

If you haven’t been keeping up with real estate market news, as your North Shore real estate agent, let me fill you in on some key factors. This summer is the ideal time to both buy and sell, so I wouldn’t want this news to slip under your radar! If you want to buy and/or sell a home in Glencoe, Winnetka, Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook, Lake Forest, Wilmette, Evanston, Glenview, Riverwoods, Bannockburn, or other North Shore communities, now may be your perfect opportunity.

For North Shore homebuyers, the great news is that mortgage rates are hovering near historic lows, and signs show that they will remain low for awhile. Freddie Mac said they predict an average mortgage interest rate of 3.4 percent for 2020. This week they were as low as 3.13 percent! By locking in a low rate, you can save thousands of dollars over the life of your loan, and even hundreds per month! So, whether you are buying your first home, buying a second home, or selling your current home to buy a new home, low mortgage rates will work in your favor.

The less positive news for buyers is that the inventory of homes for sale is still low. So, to better your chances at having one of your offers accepted, you should be preapproved by a mortgage lender before you start your home search, to give you a competitive advantage and accelerate the home-buying process. You should also work with a trusted real estate agent, so you know about homes as soon as they are listed, or even before they are listed to the public, so you get in to see a home as soon as possible, so you have a professional negotiator on your side when making offers, and so you have a professional to guide you through a bidding war if it comes to that.

For North Shore home sellers, low mortgage rates are also good news, because so many buyers are out and eager to buy while rates are low! Many listings are flying off the market because of supply and demand. In May, listings fetched nearly three offers each. The demand is high from buyers, the supply of homes for sale is low. These are perfect conditions for a home seller to sell their home fast, and for a great price.

The sooner you list, the better, because more homes are likely to enter the North Shore real estate market as the summer season continues, and as more COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. You can feel safe and secure showing your house now, as many safety guidelines are in place to protect homeowners and their space, even during live showings.

If you feel ready to buy and/or sell on Chicago’s North Shore this summer, or you’ve got questions about the local market or the home-buying and/or home-selling process, give me a call! As your local North Shore real estate agent, I can answer all of your questions and get your started just as soon as you’re ready. Don’t let this excellent opportunity pass you by!

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

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North Shore Moving Tips

If you are ready to accomplish your North Shore real estate market goals this summer, in Glencoe, Winnetka, Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook, Lake Forest, Wilmette, Evanston, Glenview, Riverwoods, Bannockburn, or other North Shore communities, I am here to help! As your North Shore real estate agent, I can assist you in selling, buying or both. The market is picking up! Home sales are up, mortgage rates are low and buyers are eager.

Whether selling or buying, a move is in your future. You should feel excited about your move, not anxious! To help with that, here are a few moving tips to help you feel prepared when the time comes:

1.  Have a packing plan, and get started. Even if your house isn’t listed yet, or you haven’t applied for a mortgage loan yet, it’s never too early to have a packing plan! As soon as possible, start decluttering and donating, recycling, selling or tossing anything you no longer need or want. The less stuff you have to move, the better! If there is stuff you know you won’t need before the move, like winter clothes or holiday decorations, get those boxed and stored early. Create a plan for each week, so you don’t get caught with everything to do last minute.

2.  Choose a moving date. When planning your move, whether across town or across country, it’s wise to plan ahead with your work schedule and to schedule with a moving company as soon as you know when you can move. Summer tends to be the busiest moving season, so aim for mid-week and mid-month if you can. Weekends and the beginning or end of the month are the busiest times.

3.  Research moving companies. Before scheduling with a moving company, do your research to find one that is professional, reliable and experienced! Ask around for recommendations, and read reviews. Determine if you’ll need full-service, self-service or specialized, depending on what you have to move, how much, and what your budget is. Full-service will handle everything. Self-service handles only transportation. Specialized handles items like antiques, art, pianos, etc.

4.  Consider moving insurance. By law, all moving companies must provide some sort of insurance. Ask your moving company what they offer and what is included in the insurance. Most insurance reimbursement is by weight, so if you have a valuable that doesn’t weigh a lot, that won’t help you much. Consider third-party moving insurance if you have many valuables. Another option, if you don’t have too many valuables, and they aren’t too heavy or large, is to pack them in your own vehicle and transport them yourself.

5.  Budget accordingly. Ask moving companies what they charge, and be sure to ask what is included in that price and what isn’t. Get a not-to-exceed estimate so you know what the max is that you’ll pay. If your belongings weigh less than estimated, you’ll pay less. It’s wise to have a moving company come out and give you an estimate based on your belongings, so you aren’t surprised. Also, don’t forget to tip your movers. It adds up, so best to be prepared!

Good luck planning your move! When ready to buy, sell or both in the North Shore real estate market, I am ready to help! Give me a call, your North Shore real estate agent!

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
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Local Expert... with National Connections!

Show Off Outdoor Space As North Shore Home Seller

North Shore Home-Selling Tips

If you are gearing up to sell your North Shore home this summer, now is the time to spruce up your outdoor space. While outdoor space has been a growing selling point for most homebuyers, studies are finding that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, buyers are more interested in outdoor space than ever before. When ready to sell, you’ll want to show off this space in listing photos and details!

Here are some ways you could spruce it up now before listing:

1.  Spend time on your lawn. Keep it mowed, but not too short, which dries out the grass and could kill it. Keep it watered when not raining, fertilize, do what you need to do to keep it lush and green for photos. Prune your trees and bushes, and pull weeds from gardens, so everything looks clean. If you don’t have gardens, fill a few pots with flowers to flank your front entry with.

2.  Spruce up your curb appeal. Aside from your landscaping, power wash your siding, sidewalks, driveway, etc. Fill in any cracks in the cement of driveway or walkways. Restain your deck. Clean everything from your address numbers to your mailbox, and consider giving a fresh coat of paint to these areas, or your front door or garage door.

3.  Create a sitting area. Buyers are looking for outdoor areas to enjoy this summer, so stage your patio or deck with outdoor furniture that is clean and inviting. Set the table for photos with bright outdoor dishware. If you have a fire pit, clean it up and set it up so it looks ready to go. If you have a pool, keep it sparkling clean. Even if you only have a small backyard or a balcony, you could still set up social areas with a bistro set or a couple lounge chairs.

4.  Add features to your yard. If you really want to make your North Shore home stand out in listings right now, consider what you could add to your outdoor space to make it more desirable. Families with kids are looking for fences, pools, fire pits, play sets, bounce houses and basketball hoops. Upscale buyers are looking for outdoor kitchens, in-ground pools, hot tubs and cabanas.

However, keep in mind that the pandemic won’t last forever and that buyer interests are always changing. Talk to your North Shore real estate agent about what buyers are looking for most right now in your area, and how much an added feature would add to your listing value.

When ready to sell your home in Glencoe, Winnetka, Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook, Lake Forest, Wilmette, Evanston, Glenview, Riverwoods, Bannockburn, or other North Shore communities, give me a call! As your North Shore real estate agent, I am here to answer any questions you may have and to guide you through the entire home-selling process. Mortgage rates are hovering near record lows, so buyers are eager to take advantage. Now is a great time to sell, despite the circumstances of the times. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
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Curb Appeal Tricks for North Shore Home Sellers

North Shore Home Seller Curb Appeal Tips

When selling a home in Glencoe, Winnetka, Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook, Lake Forest, Wilmette, Evanston, Glenview, Riverwoods, Bannockburn, or other North Shore communities, curb appeal is always an important factor. Most buyers browse listings online, with the first photo usually the front of the house, and the front of the house is the first thing buyers will see in person. However, with buyers ‘window shopping’ online now more than ever, curb appeal has never been more important!

As your North Shore real estate agent, I’ve put together some tips on making your home’s curb appeal really grab buyer interest this spring:

1.  Keep your lawn green and pristine. Buyers will notice the lawn, and a green lawn this time of year is a beautiful contrast to your home’s exterior, adding a pop of color to the listing photos! Water your lawn when need be, and keep it mowed and groomed, trimming along the edges and around trees and driveway/walkways.

2.  Give driveways/walkways attention. They are what lead the buyer into your house. If they are dirty, full of debris after a storm, or contain cracks or weeds growing out of them, buyers will notice. You can easily pull weeds, fill cracks with caulk, and power wash. You can even end with a glossy sealer or coat of paint if you want to go all out.

3.  Add bursts of color. Your green lawn doesn’t have to be the only color in the photo. Bursts of color really help make photos and first viewings memorable. Add a couple flower pots to your front entry, or plant flowers in gardens or along bushes. Give your mailbox a coat of paint, or your front door, or add bright-colored window shutters around your windows.

4.  Pay attention to nighttime, too. Whether showings are scheduled at night, or potential buyers drive by at night, keep this curb appeal tip in mind. Clean your lighting fixtures and replace the bulbs. Make sure the bulbs are all the same wattage so no light outshines the others. Consider solar lights for the walkway. Give your home a warm glow.

5.  Spruce up the garage. This may be a big part of your home’s curb appeal, so spend some time there. Replace the garage door with a more modern one, or paint it the same color as the trim on the house. Purchase a DIY garage window kit to add windows to your door. Replace the lighting inside the garage, and keep it organized and clean for showings.

These tips will get you started on curb appeal this spring! When ready to sell your home in Chicago’s North Shore real estate market, give me a call, your North Shore real estate agent. Whether selling, buying or both, I can answer any questions you may have about the process, and fill you in on changes to the process due to COVID-19. We can talk virtually and discuss your options. I look forward to hearing from you!

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
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How To Sell Your North Shore Home Virtually

North Shore Virtual Home-Selling Tips

If you need or want to sell your North Shore home this spring, as your North Shore real estate agent, I can help! Real estate isn’t exactly business as usual yet, but homes are still getting bought and sold, thanks to the plethora of technology available in today’s world. If you’d like to sell, there are plenty of ways to make that happen. I am here to fill you in what you can do to prepare!

1.  Prepare your home for a sale. This step is mostly the same as it always has been. You still want your home to be as clean, organized and clutter-free as possible. Spend time going through each room and removing as much clutter as possible. Take belongings you no longer use to drop-off donation sites. Organize everything, from inside closets and cabinets to every corner of your basement. Scrub your entire house until it is spotless, inside and out. Trim bushes and trees, mow and water lawn.

2.  Stage your home to sell. You want your North Shore home to impress buyers from photos and virtual tours, so staging to sell is key. Since most sellers won’t be using a professional stager right now, you and I can discuss in a phone call or video chat the steps you can take to stage on your own. For example, you can set your kitchen table with matching dishware and a vase of spring flowers. Remove all clutter from kitchen counters except a bowl of bright, fresh fruit. Remove all personal photos, artwork, etc. and hang neutral scenery art. Hang crisp, white towels in bathrooms.

3.  Have an online marketing strategy in place. This is what I will do for you, but we can discuss over the phone or a video chat session! I will ensure high-quality photos, a detailed and accurate listing description, detailed neighborhood information and a virtual tour of the home. If a buyer still wants to see the home in person, we can discuss what steps you’d like to take next.

4.  Ensure a safe environment. Safety for everyone involved is my top concern right now, so if you decide that you are comfortable allowing an interested buyer to view your home in person, all guests must wash their hands or use alcohol-based sanitizer before entering the home, they must leave shoes at the door or cover with booties, they must wear a mask, and they must follow CDC guidelines on social distancing. You can also choose to just allow your agent in for a live video chat with the buyer, or we can talk about other virtual-only options.

It’s possible that once the stay-at-home order is lifted, home sellers in Glencoe, Winnetka, Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook, Lake Forest, Wilmette, Evanston, Glenview, Riverwoods, Bannockburn, or other North Shore communities will come out in droves. Beat the competition, because mortgage rates are still low and buyers are still out! As your North Shore real estate agent, I am here to help. Give me a call and let’s discuss your home-selling options this spring.

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
View North Shore Listings
Visit My Website

Local Expert... with National Connections!