About Peoria County, IL

With the recent inauguration of a new president, there has been a powerful energy in the air for awhile. I have had many conversations with friends and coworkers as to whether they feel they are motivated to do something, such as motivated to make themselves better, make their work or home environment better, etc. or they motivated to see what is going to happen?

I hope that people are being "self motivated" by the new president and that he is empowering people to make themselves better, to challenge ourselves to do better, to make more with less, etc. I really hope people take this energy and motivation and use it to raise themself up.

I really hope people are not motivated to see what is going to happen....why? because we all know with government change happens slowly. So there is not going to be a quick change. I hope there is! Believe me I hope there is, but history shows us that things with government bodies does not happen quickly. So how long are these individuals going to wait until they become unmotivated and complacent.

So I throw out the question: are you motivated or are waiting to see what happens?

If you follow my blog, you know that I focus solely on commercial real estate. Lately I have had a lot of small businesses interested in purchasing their own space, which is great! They have worked hard, saved and are now ready to take advantage of the current market conditions - low interest rate and great supply! I love to work with these individuals because they take pride in what they do, as do I. So when we find the perfect space for their business it is such a satisfaction to see their business thrive.

However, I also have some clients who are looking but they are "waiting to see what the market is going to do"....do you have those clients or are you one of those individuals? I am sure a lot of real estate agents are getting that answer. So what is your/their normal response to that?

I tell my clients that if you know your business, your business' condition, and are not getting involved with risky mortgage practices - why not? It's the perfect time to take your business to the next level whether it is purchasing your own space instead of renting, expanding, or purchasing a second location.

When you find yourself wrapped up in the heat of negotiations for your dream home, keep your cool. You should always have your top price set in your mind prior to the start of negotiations and stick to it. It can be very easy, while going back and forth with the seller to get caught up in the moment and it becomes more about getting the home than about getting it at the right price. Then buyer's remorse sets in when you realize you paid $5000 or $10,000 more than you wanted to for the home of your dreams. So stick to your price, keep a cool head, and don't get swept up in the moment.

If you've been following my advice you've done your homework and interviewed Realtors and you're about to chose the one that's right for you. Good for you, the number one question you should ask your Realtor before that commitment is made is.....Do you do this full time? Why, you may ask? In my opinion, it is not a career that can be done well or even adequately for that matter on a part time basis. Ask yourself this as well, if it costs about the same for a pro as it does for an amateur, why on earth would ever choose the amateur? Would you choose a part time lawyer, doctor, dentist, or accountant? Probably not, do yourself the same favor when hiring a Realtor.

Sellers, if you have a dog, take Fido with you when showings are scheduled. There is nothing more distracting to a potential buyer than a caged dog barking. I find it often prevents them for viewing the area that the dog is in, thus ruling your home out for the possibility for purchase because they didn't see all of it and were distracted while viewing the home and failed to notice the selling points of your home.