Northbrook, IL

Just 9 hours until 2010... where has the time gone? It seems as if just yesterday the entire world was going to end. We had over 20 months of inventory, interest rates were at least a point higher than now, and the foreclosure numbers were exploding upward. So, what can we expect for the new year?

Prediction #1- Interest rates will rise (just a little). While the fed has been pronouncing a very extended low interest rate term... change is inevitable. As the housing market continues to slowly improve, buyers can expect interest rates to rise as well.

Prediction #2- MORE foreclosures. The housing peak was in 2004,2005,and 2006. 5 year arms are adjusting and homeowners payments are going to increase. People who were hanging on by a thread to their homes will be slapped in the face with mortgage adjustments and "option arm" loan payments that are going to be going up quickly.

Prediction #3-Prices are PROBABLY going to continue to trend down again in the later half of the year. All of the tax credits are going to run out in April. Buyers are still going to have less money to buy a home with. Interest rates are inevitably going to rise again. The only place homebuyers are going to get any kind of relief is in the prices of the homes.

Prediction #4- Even MORE agents are going to "drop out" of real estate sales. Agents who do this part time are going to drop it all together. Many full time agents are going to drop down to parttimers and get a side job.

Sounds dire? I think not. I think that the recovery is going to be slow and rocky... not like the stock market will have you think. This is the great opportunity for people to make money ever. Money by buying investment property. Money in the inevitable equity in their homes. Money in taking advantage of low interest rates... the list goes on. There is a very bright future out there for agents and homebuyers. You just need to be able to see it!

Have a great 2010 everyone!

What's happenning in the Northbrook Condo Market?

As of October 15th,2009 there were 153 available condos on the Market in Northbrook, Illinois. Whether you want to live in the subdivisions of Mission Hills, or Normandy, there are many great Northbrook condos to choose from.

21 of these Northbrook Condos are presently undercontract. 7 of these Northbrook condos undercontract are short sales.

You can do the math, there are many remaining Northbrook condos for the potential Northbrook buyer to choose from.

In the last 6 months, the good news is that 43 condo properties sold in Northbrook with an average selling price of $233,264.

What do these statistics mean to a potential Northbrook Condo buyer?

You have some good pickins to choose from... It is important to choose a realtor who can 1. find you the best deal, and 2. negotiate the best deal for you.

What do these statistics meam to the Northbrook Condo Seller?

First of all there are currently many many years of inventory on the market in Northbrook. Some of the Northbrook Condos have listing times in excess of 500 days on the market.

An experienced Northbrook realtor will agressively position your home- I call it energy pricing for your home to be the next Northbrook condo to sell. Besides price, it is very important to neutralize your home, ie take down wall paper, get rid of mauve carpet, etc. Remember someone looking at your northbrook condo, is looking at least 5 other Northbrook Condos that same day. Your home has to shine above the rest!

If you would like more information about the Chicago North or Northwest Suburbs, including Northbrook,il please do not hesitate to call me at 847-602-5435

The above information regarding was provided by Judy Greenberg, Northbrook Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

Judy's websites, www.buffalogroveareahomes.com and www.judygreenberg.com will provide you all the information regardless as to whether you are a potential buyer or seller!

Judy can be reached at 847-602-5435 or via email at info@buffalogrovehomes.com. Judy has helped people move in and out of Northbrook, Illinois

Why isn't my home selling is the lament of many home sellers, and it is a legitimate one. Of course, the most obvious answer in today's economy is that it is a slow market, and many houses are languishing through no real fault of the homeowner.

Price is a big factor in selling a home in a slow market. Homes that are priced too high may not even be looked at by prospective buyers. And if buyers aren't looking, they certainly aren't making offers that can be negotiated and accepted.

There may be other factors affecting a sale that simply can't be changed. These may include problems with the house itself such as rooms that are odd shapes or that home buyers deem are too large or too small for their intended use. Being too close to a busy highway, in a noisy neighborhood or too far from a desirable school or other facility are also features that can't be fixed.

Again this brings us back to price. If problems cannot be overcome, lowering the price may be the only answer to convince a buyer that this home is indeed a good deal for the price.

Let the Marla Schneider Team help with the sale of your Northbrook home. They have lots of ideas on how to make your Norhtshore community sell in today's slower market.

If you're looking for a Northbrook home in foreclosure thinking it will be a great bargain, you may be right. But don't forget, that home didn't go into foreclosure overnight. The homeowner had to miss a lot of payments in order to be foreclosed on.

Taking this a step further, if mortgage payments were missed, chances are other maintenance and repairs were not completed as needed either. It's possible and even probable that heating and air conditioning systems haven't been serviced in a timely manner, the water heater hasn't been drained in awhile, and drains may be clogged or slow-running.

Plants may not have been trimmed and fed as they should have been, the lawn has probably not been fertilized or treated for insects and paint has not been reapplied as needed to prevent dry rot around windows and doors.

Be sure to realize that most sales of foreclosures are "as is". Appliances may have been removed by the homeowner or left in disrepair. Even such things as light fixtures and blinds may be gone. A home with a lot of problems may not qualify for certain types of mortgages so there may be a need for a larger down payment or even a cash purchase.

The bottom line in these situations is to be sure you understand what you're getting - or not getting! The Marla Schneider Team can help you buy a home in Glenview or Wilmette. Find out all that Marla and her team can do for you.

Bryce Fuller of "The Fuller Force" at RE/MAX North Here! Thanks for checking out the current real estate market conditions in Northbrook, Illinois! I run this analysis like clockwork and wanted to share it with you. If you have any questions about this, please don't hesitate to contact me either by my direct cell phone at 847-208-7888 or via email at cbrycefuller@remax.net. You can also check out my homepage at www.CBryceFuller.com for more information about searching for a home in Northbrook, Glenview, Deerfield or any other Chicagoland North Shore community. There are also forms to fill out for a 100% Free Home Value Analysis if you are thinking about selling your home as well!

Currently, there are...

313 Single Family Homes Available for Sale in Northbrook. The average asking price is $829,681.

59 Single Family Homes that are Under Contract in Northbrook. The average list price of these homes is $670,367.

92 Single Family Homes CLOSED in the past 6 months. The average sales price was $613,057.

If you would like additional information about your home, please don't hesitate to contact me! I look forward to hearing from you!

Bryce Fuller is a professional Realtor with RE/MAX North in Northbrook, IL. He can be reached via email at Bryce@TheFullerForce.com or on the web at www.TheFullerForce.com. His real estate concentration is in Northbrook, Illinois, Glenview, Illinois, and Deerfield, Illinois. All of these communities are on the West Side of the North Shore of Chicago. He has over 5 years of experience selling single family homes and houses, condos, townhomes, townhouses, condominiums, and investment real estate in this and the surrounding areas. If you or someone you know is looking for a professional realtor to buy or sell residential real estate, please contact Bryce today. He works on a team with his wife Lori Fuller, and his Mother, Connie Fuller. They are affectionately known as "The Fuller Force" at RE/MAX North. Visit "The Fuller Force" on the web today at www.TheFullerForce.com. Other communities that "The Fuller Force" serves include Glencoe, Morton Grove, Skokie, Wheeling, Buffalo Grove, Palatine, Arlington Heights, Prospect Heights, Mount Prospect, Highland Park, Lincolnshire, Vernon Hills, Libertyville, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Wilmette and Des Plaines. If you or someone you know is interested in knowing the market value of property in any of these communities, contact Bryce today! You can read his Blog at www.activerain.com/blogs/cbrycefuller.