Pre-Mortgage Application Checklist for North Shore Buyers

North Shore Home-Buying Tips

If you are gearing up to purchase a North Shore home this winter or spring, what do you think is the first step to beginning the home-buying process? Starting to search the internet for a home? Before you do that, you should get pre-approved for a mortgage loan, as sellers will take you more seriously, the process with run faster and smoother, and you’ll know exactly what your budget is.

However, applying for a mortgage loan is also not the first step. There are a few steps you should take BEFORE you apply, and as your North Shore real estate agent, I am here to share these with you:

1.  Check your credit score. Your credit score has a huge bearing on what mortgage interest rate you’ll be offered. The higher your score, the lower your rate. Your credit score is a summary of your credit history. If your score is lower than you’d hoped, check your credit report for errors, and spend time paying off debt, paying bills on time, and lifting that score up. This takes time, so the sooner you start, the better!

2.  Get your documents together. Once you apply for a mortgage loan, you’ll have to bring in a lot of financial documentation. By finding these ahead of time and making copies, you’ll be more prepared for the process. For online mortgage applications, scan these documents onto your computer. Items you will need are tax returns from the past few years, W-2s or 1099s from the past few years, bank statements from the past few months, copy of driver’s license and social security card, employer contact info, pay stubs and so on.

3.  Shop around for mortgages. Before you apply, ask around for recommendations from your real estate agent and from friends/family who have recently bought homes. Check out online reviews. Apply for mortgages from a few different sources. As long as these applications are done within a two-week period, they count as a single credit pull, so more than one won’t hurt your credit any more than just one. Studies have found that buyers who shopped around for a mortgage saved thousands of dollars during the life of their loan! It’s worth the extra time and effort if it saves you money, right?

If you have any questions, or you’re looking for recommendations on mortgage lenders, give me a call! As your North Shore real estate agent, I can answer your questions and get you started on the home-buying process. Whether searching in Glencoe, Winnetka, Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook, Lake Forest, Wilmette, Evanston, Glenview, Riverwoods, Bannockburn, or other North Shore communities, I can help you find the home of your dreams!

Winter is the new spring when it comes to buying. Data shows that February is the busiest month for listing clicks online. Therefore, there’s no need to wait! If you’d like to buy, start today. If you’d like to sell, competition is low and buyers are eager! Give me a call for all of your needs in the North Shore real estate market this winter!

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
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Winnetka Real Estate Market Stats for December 2019

City Active Listings: There are a total of 77 properties actively on the market with the average listing price of $1,833,372 in Winnetka.

City Sold Listings: 17 properties closed last month in Winnetka with an average sales price of $961,412. The average time on market for these properties was 51 days. 

To view the complete report including additional detailed data, charts ad graphs, please

view the Winnetka market statistics! 

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
View North Shore Listings
Visit My Website

Local Expert... with National Connections!

Northbrook Real Estate Market Stats for December 2019

City Active Listings: There are a total of 224 properties actively on the market with the average listing price of $653,015 in Northbrook.

City Sold Listings: 40 properties closed last month in Northbrook with an average sales price of $498,235. The average time on market for these properties was 52 days. 

To view the complete report including additional detailed data, charts ad graphs, please view the Northbrook market statistics! 

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
View North Shore Listings
Visit My Website

Local Expert... with National Connections!

Highland Park Real Estate Market Stats for December 2019

City Active Listings: There are a total of 224 properties actively on the market with the average listing price of $879,402 in Highland Park.

City Sold Listings: 43 properties closed last month in Highland Park with an average sales price of $433,904. The average time on market for these properties was 83 days. 

To view the complete report including additional detailed data, charts ad graphs, please view the Highland Park market statistics! 

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
View North Shore Listings
Visit My Website

Local Expert... with National Connections!

Glencoe Real Estate Market Stats for December 2019

City Active Listings: There are a total of 55 properties actively on the market with the average listing price of $1,649,208 in Glencoe.

City Sold Listings: 11 properties closed last month in Glencoe with an average sales price of $893,555. The average time on market for these properties was 125 days. 

To view the complete report including additional detailed data, charts ad graphs, please view the Glencoe market statistics! 

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
View North Shore Listings
Visit My Website

Local Expert... with National Connections!

Deerfield Real Estate Market Stats for December 2019

City Active Listings: There are a total of 101 properties actively on the market with the average listing price of $574,926 in Deerfield.

City Sold Listings: 16 properties closed last month in Deerfield with an average sales price of $355,922. The average time on market for these properties was 54 days. 

To view the complete report including additional detailed data, charts ad graphs, please view the Deerfield market statistics! 

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
View North Shore Listings
Visit My Website

Local Expert... with National Connections!

How to Make Your North Shore Home More Sustainable

Sustainability is a hot topic in today’s world! People want to make their lives more sustainable, which includes their homes. If it’s a goal of yours to make your North Shore home more sustainable in 2020, as your North Shore real estate agent, I’m here to share some tips. The perk to sustainability is that many of these tricks can help lower your energy costs, and can increase your home value when you go to sell!

1.  Insulation and heating. Winter is a great time to tackle this step! Have an energy audit done to determine your home’s efficiency. Or, take the old fashioned route and hold a candle up near windows and doors to see where there are drafts. Either way, you’ll know where to air seal by caulking gaps. If your home was built before 1990, you may need to update your heating and cooling system. There are many new, more sustainable options, such as geothermal ground source heat or air source heat pumps. A programmable thermostat is a great, easy way to cut back on energy usage when you’re not home.

2.  Landscaping and water. When planning for your landscaping in 2020, opt for sustainable methods, such as growing native plants, incorporating permeable pavers, and using drip irrigation systems, all which help cut down on water usage. Planting large shade trees can help shade your home, cutting back on air-conditioning usage in the summer. Collecting rain water for watering your gardens on dry days will cut back on water usage. And of course, watering at the correct times of the day help the water properly absorb, like as the sun is rising, or when it is setting.

3.  Solar panels. These are growing more popular among homeowners with each passing year. The tax credit for the system cost is 26 percent in 2020, 22 percent in 2021, and 10 percent in 2022, so the sooner you add them, the more you’ll save! It’s wise to invest in solar panels and a battery storage system, to allow you to store energy when the sun isn’t shining. It’s an investment, but it can yield a huge decrease in energy costs over the long-run. For a less expensive approach, update your roof with light-colored shingles, which retain less heat.

4.  Lights. The cheapest source of lighting for your North Shore home is natural light! In the winter, always allow natural light to stream in during the day, warming your home and also making it more cheerful. For artificial lighting, LEDs are still the preferred choice. They use 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

Check out this sustainability article from Realtor Magazine for tips on how to make your home more sustainable in the areas of plumbing, natural materials, transportation, recycling and building materials as well. Lots of information is available to keep you busy this year!

When ready to achieve your North Shore real estate goals in 2020, give me a call! As your North Shore real estate agent, I am here and ready to help you achieve all of your home-selling and/or home-buying goals in the New Year.

Janie Bress
Your North Shore Real Estate Expert

North Shore Real Estate
View North Shore Listings
Visit My Website

Local Expert... with National Connections!