Aleksandra de Leon

There is plenty to do this year on Halloween, let's just hope for warm weather! Below are a list of events in Bloomingdale you should check out:

Bloomingdale Police and Fire Open House(corner of Bloomingdale and Fairfield Rds)

10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Tour the police and fire station and play games! Children should wear their costume for trick or treating. For more information, visit: http://www.villageofbloomingdale.org/sites/default/files/PD-FDHalloweenOpenHouseFlyer.pdf

Startford Crossing in Bloomingdale Trick or Treating Event (corner of Gary and Schick Rds)

12:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Wear your costume to go trick or treating. And there is even a pet costume contest. For more information, go to www.stratfordcrossing.com.

Trick or Treating Official Hours

3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Remember to play it safe, watch for children in the roads and inspect children's Halloween bags.

Official Eating of the Halloween candy

7:00 PM to....

Well some of you may start sooner! Wishing everyone a safe and happy Halloween!

Aleksandra de Leon

If would like to sell your home now, you must be realistic about market conditions. Most importantly, you must price your home to sell! Buyers determine the value of your home based on the selling price of other homes and by the competition (active listings) that are on the market. In Bloomingdale, Roselle and Carol Stream alone, there are 406 detached homes for sale and 518 attached (condos, townhomes) for sale. That's almost 1,000 choices for buyers, and only in 3 towns! Only 83 properties (both attached and detached) sold in the past month in those three towns. What will make the buyer choose your home, over these others? Buyers need to find the value in your home. For example, if your home has a gorgeous kitchen, and is priced close to a home that is similar, but with an average kitchen, then your home has more value than your neighbor.

Homes that look right and are priced right sell first, so be sure to have your home ready to show. Keep bathrooms and kitchens clean. Make room in closets by storing unused clothes and shoes. Remove clutter from each room- make the space clean and useable. Look through your home with the eyes of a buyer and make changes where needed.

Also, be patient. Selling a home does not happen overnight, but a quick sale is possible if you are realistic about the price and condition of your home from the start. Don't make the mistake of overpricing your home and then month after month dropping the price. The buyers will see this as a reason to negotiate down in price even further. Your Realtor can help you determine the best asking price and keep you up-to-date on what is selling in your neighborhood.

The Illinois Home Start Loan Program was made for First Time Home Buyers. The First-Time Home Buyer Credit enabled buyers to receive a credit on their tax returns when they purchased by November 30, 2009. Now, first-time home buyers can take advantage of this program by putting the tax credit as a down payment. There are a few guidelines to this:

• The maximum amount of the loan can be 3.5% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of $6,000.
• Only buyers who close on or before November 30th, 2009 are eligible.
• Buyers can pay the loan back when they receive their income tax returns.
• The buyer needs to take a home buyer education class given by a HUD certified counsler

To read about all of the details of this credit, go to:

http://www.illinoisrealtor.org/files/Government%20Affairts/HomeStart_flyer.pdf or

http://www.YourIllinoisHome.com

Are you looking for foreclosures or bank-owned homes in the Bloomingdale, IL area? Or a larger spectrum- Western suburbs, including towns of Carol Stream, Roselle, Schaumburg, Bartlett, Hanover Park? I will send you an email with a list of foreclosures available right away. Unfortunately all home search engines do not allow consumers to search for "only foreclosures". If there are properties of interest to you in the list, I can then set you up on a website that updates foreclosures and bank owned properties daily, with your search criteria. Please send me an email with the following information to get started:

Name:

Phone number:

Town(s) of interest:

Bedrooms:

Bathrooms:

Type of house (single family, townhome, etc.):

Price Range:

My email address is: adeleon@execrealtyhomes.com

Ahhh, to be a First-Time home buyer at this time...

Low housing prices, low interest rates, lots of inventory to choose from, AND up to an $8,000 Tax Credit! I must say, I envy you! I have heard some confusion on the topic, so I wanted to clarify a few things. Here are the basics:

• The credit is available on home purchases made between January 1, 2009 to before December 1, 2009. This means that you need to CLOSE on a property by November 30, 2009. I would recommend that you have a contract on a property by the first week of October at the latest to be sure that it closes on time.
• The credit is 10% of the purchase price, up to a maximum of $8,000. So if you purchase a $200,000 home, you are eligible for a tax credit of $8,000. If you purchase a $70,000 property, you are eligible for a tax credit of $7,000.
• You claim the credit on your annual tax returns. So for example, if are to receive $600 back on your tax returns you will receive $8,600 back (assuming you are eligible for the full credit). If you owe $600 in taxes then you will receive $7,400 back (assuming you are eligible for the full credit).
• Only First-time home buyers are eligible. A first time home buyer is defined as someone who has not owned a property in the last 3 years. If you are married, you both must meet that requirement.
• Has to be a principal residence.
• There are income restrictions. For the full tax credit, you must make under $75,000 ($150,000 if filing jointly). After that, the credit is phased out. If you income is over $95,000 ($170,000 if filing jointly), you are not eligible.
• The credit DOES NOT have to be repaid IF you stay in the home for three years. If you move before the three years is up, you have to pay the entire amount back. But, if you stay in your home for at least three years, you do not!

It IS a GREAT time to be a First-Time Homebuyer! Don't pass up this opportunity. The first step is to speak with a mortgage person. They can help you determine what exactly you are approved for. Then you can start looking at properties. To search for all available listings including the photos of those listings, go to: www.SuburbanHomeTeam.com.