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Debra Kukulski-CDPE;GRI;ABR;RECS;e-PRO Real Estate Expert Northern Illinois

Foreclosures can cost MORE!!

So many buyers think the best deals out there are foreclosures and short sales, but they can actually cost MORE!

foreclosures comparing costs debra kukulski cary il real estate

Here are just some of the additional costs you may incur with a bank/distressed sale:

Survey: Approximately 150.-300. (usually a seller cost)

No Tax pro-ration: (usually 105% of the last tax bill in this area, banks only will usually do 100%)

Usually no negotiation on repairs, so if you do your inspection and it is not satisfactory, you talk with your attorney regarding canceling the contract if it is within the contingency dates, but no one will give you back the 300. or so you may have spend on a home inspection.

Not closing on time can also cost you a Per Diem, as banks usually have this in their contract addendums. This is more of a risk now with underwriting and appraisals taking longer and daily changes in the banking industry.

Appliances: Banks usually say there is “no bill of sale on personal property”, so what you see when you write an offer may not be what you see before closing.

No disclosures: Since they have never lived in or in most cases, have never even seen the property, they are exempt from having to do the usual disclosures.

Deferred maintenance: When someone can no longer pay their mortgage, many times they also have not been able to properly keep up with maintaining their home.

Timing: Many times there is a very long wait to get a response on an offer, and it is usually worse with short sales than REO’s, which are properties that have already been foreclosed on. You could be risking closing on time to be able to take advantage of the first time home buyers credit, which expires 12/1/09.

Real estate sale debra kukulski cary il realtor

These are just some things to keep in mind when considering your options. Foreclosures and distressed sales can be great opportunities for the right buyer who is not trying to closely watch their costs, who has a lot of time and patience, and the ability not to get too attached to or emotional about the property. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great deals out there to be had right now, but don't make the mistake of thinking that the only good deals are distressed sales. Sometimes, a truly motivated seller with equity in their home can also offer a wonderful buy with less cost, less waiting and less hassles!

It is a GREAT TIME TO BUY REAL ESTATE in McHenry County, Cook County and Lake Counties in Northern Illinois. There are fabulous homes for sale at great prices!

***especially for first time buyers, investors and move up buyers.*** Rates are great, too!

We are having a "HUGE sale" on our large inventory of VERY well priced HOMES!

To Search Homes For Sale, Please Contact Me Directly Or Feel Free To Search On My Website!

My Direct Number at the Office is 847.516.6760

If I can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to call or email me. It will be my pleasure! By the way, if you know of someone that could benefit from my high level of service, please call or email me with their name and daytime phone number and I will make sure to follow up and take great care of them. My business keeps growing from your referrals.

There are fabulous buys on the market....now is a GREAT time to buy real estate in IL, especially for MOVE UP Buyers, Waterfront Buyers, Vacation and Second Home Buyers, Investors and First Time Buyers!

Wauconda-A Day At The Lake and Venetian Night


Don't Miss Venetian Night and A Day At The Lake This in Wauconda, IL!

It is taking place this Saturday 7/25/2009 Starting at 7 a.m.


The Wauconda Chamber of Commerce and Wauconda businesses and merchants have put together a really fun day including:

Wauconda day at the lake and venetian night 2009

wauconda day at the lake 2009 venetian night bangs lake

Click Here for details, times, and a list of activities and have a great time!!

It is a GREAT TIME TO BUY REAL ESTATE in McHenry County, Cook County and Lake Counties in Northern Illinois. There are fabulous homes for sale at great prices in Wauconda, IL

***especially for first time buyers, investors and move up buyers.*** Rates are great, too!

We are having a "HUGE sale" on our large inventory of VERY well priced HOMES!

If I can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to call or email me. It will be my pleasure! By the way, if you know of someone that could benefit from my high level of service, please call or email me with their name and daytime phone number and I will make sure to follow up and take great care of them. My business keeps growing from your referrals.

There are fabulous buys on the market....now is a GREAT time to buy real estate in Wauconda, IL, especially for MOVE UP Buyers, Waterfront Buyers, Vacation and Second Home Buyers, Investors and First Time Buyers!

To Search Homes For Sale, Please Contact Me Directly Or Feel Free To Search On My Website!

My Direct Number at the Office is 847.516.6760

Wauconda IL Real Estate Market Update


How is the current market in Wauconda, IL?

Wauconda Lake View Villa Beach Bangs Lake

Wauconda IL Market Conditions:

As of today, per MRED MLS, for the past 3 months:

We currently have 176 Single Family homes on the market in Wauconda that are active and available.

•· They have been on the market for an average of 232 days.

•· The average list price is $$316,483.

•· During the past 3 months, 42 Single Family homes in Wauconda have successfully closed with the help of their Realtors. They took an average of 152 days on the market to get SOLD.

•· The average list price of the SOLD Single Family homes in Wauconda was $275,499 and the average SOLD price was $263,045 .

•· The successfully closed sales in Wauconda took an average of 216 days on the market.

•· With the help of their REALTORS, successful sellers in Wauconda have been getting 95% of their asking prices!

We are still experiencing a Buyer's Market in Wauconda. It is a GREAT time to buy!!

Townhome Comminity on Bangs Lake Wauconda IL Lake County

We currently have 56 Attached homes on the market in Wauconda that are active and available.

•· They have been on the market for an average of 199 days.

•· The average list price is $180,423.

•· During the past 3 months, 5 Attached homes have successfully closed in Wauconda with the help of their Realtors. They took an average of 109 days on the market to get SOLD.

•· The average list price of the SOLD Attached homes in Wauconda is $$177,740 and the average SOLD price is $170,280.

So, on the average over the past 3 months, Attached homes in Wauconda have been getting an average of 96% of their list prices, with the help of their Realtors.

We are still experiencing a Buyer's Market in Wauconda. It is a GREAT time to buy!!

TheresNoPlaceLikeYourPlace.com

By the way, if you know of someone that could benefit from my high level of service, please please do not hesitate to call or email me with their name and daytime phone number and I will make sure to follow up and take great care of them.

I appreciate YOU and your referrals!

!

Information deemed accurate and reliable but not guaranteed. Source MRED MLS.

Debra Kukulski's June Newsletter

Your REALTOR:

Debra Kukulski
June 2009
Real
"The highest compliment a client can give me is to trust me with a referral, this is how I build my business!"
If you have a friend or family member looking to buy or sell a home please pass their name and number along to me and I will give them the same great service I give to all of my clients! I can also help
people find a Realtor nationwide!

Copyright © 2009 Realty Times
All Rights Reserved.





Real Estate Outlook:
Recovery Underway


The pattern gets clearer week after week: We are looking at a slow-motion housing recovery that is itself feeding into a broader economic recovery that should have us out of recession later this year.
Now that's not to ignore the fact that there are markets in the country that still face very challenging economic dynamics - with no real turnaround in view yet on housing sales, prices and unemployment.
But the national numbers are telling us something important, and they increasingly look positive.

Mortgage Rates
U.S. averages as ofMay 28, 2009:

30 yr. fixed: 4.91%
15 yr. fixed: 4.53%
1 yr. adj: 4.69%
<!-- <B>30 yr. jumbo: 6.98%</B>-->



View current rates





Take the last new home construction starts and permits reports. Your local paper or the network news may have said housing starts dropped again, but that was misleading.
CONTINUED >>>



Thinking of Making a Move?

Let me help you to be successful in the current market....





Key to Earning Energy-Efficiency Tax Credits

Homeowners now can claim up to $1,500 in expanded energy-efficiency tax credits for remodeling their principal residence to reduce energy consumption. Available until the end of 2010, the revamped Existing Home Retrofit (25C) Tax Credit helps consumers save two ways: on their costs and on their utility bills.
"Remodelers can help find the best methods of saving energy in your home with an assessment, like a home energy audit," explained Greg Miedema, CGR, CGB, CAPS, CGP, a remodeler from Tucson, Ariz. "Tightening the house to reduce air leakage by adding insulation, fixing ducts, and installing a more efficient heating and air conditioning system can help save on energy bills today while also reducing next year's tax bill."
The expanded federal tax credit refunds 30 percent of the product replacement cost up to a total of $1,500. It can be used not only for HVAC CONTINUED >>>




Finding the Perfect Neighborhood

A home is not an island.
The surrounding neighborhood is just as important because it can have a big impact on your lifestyle -- safety, available amenities, and convenience all play their part, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
NAR also says you can keep your home value buoyed if you find the right neighborhood.
And you can find the right neighborhood by getting information direct from the best sources -- rather than from second hand and often incomplete data bases professing to offer you one stop shopping for all your neighborhood checking needs.
  • Make a list of the activities -- movies, health clubs, churches -- you engage in regularly and stores you visit frequently. See how far you would have to travel from each neighborhood you're considering to engage in your most common activities.
  • Check out the school district. The education department in your town can provide information on test scores, class size, percentage of students who attend college, and special enrichment programs. Even if you don't have children, a house in a good school district will be easier to sell in the future. CONTINUED >>>



  • Thinking of Selling? Contact me!

    If you are facing a possible foreclosure situation, please call me and I can help you explore options. If you are thinking of selling, please contact me for a professional opinion on the current market value of your home and to learn about my very successful marketing plan for sellers WORKS in this market! I understand the value of the internet in selling a home and the keys to getting top dollar in today's buyer's market.




    How Can Debra Kukulski Help You?
    If you are seeking a top, experienced professional who will listen, coach and help you work through your transaction so that you can relax and enjoy the fun and rewarding part of buying/selling, call Debra directly at 847-516-6760 or visit her excellent website for real estate, area, community, and school information. You can also search over 120,000 listings from her website: http://www.TheresNoPLaceLikeYourPlace.com.
    Ask her about her exclusive 'Sellers Marketing Plan' which includes extensive internet exposure for your home, or her 'Preferred Buyers Program', where you will recieve daily notifications of new listings from ALL of the offices that match YOUR criteria and a private, password protected, interactive web site that is updated daily for you AND has all of the details and pictures! (Trust me, you will LOVE this!)



    View Recent Local Market Conditions!




    Daily News and Advice
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    Read about the events shaping the Real Estate market today, find current interest rates, or browse the extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.



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    Debra Kukulski, CDPE,ABR,GRI,RECS,e-PRO
    E-mail: deb@debrakukulski.com
    Web: http://www.debrakukulski.com/
    Direct: 847-516-6760

    RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest Cary Grove Crystal Lake
    847-639-6600
    7107 Pingree Road (Corner of Pingree at 14)
    Crystal Lake, IL 60014


    Equal Housing Opportunity

    To Search Homes For Sale, Please Contact Me Directly Or Feel Free To Search On My Website!

    I hope you find this information useful. I am only a phone call or email away of you need more help:-)

    Debra Kukulski Crystal lake Real Estate

    If I can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to call or email me.

    It will be my pleasure!

    By the way, if you know of someone that could benefit from my high level of service, please call or email me with their name and daytime phone number and I will make sure to follow up and take great care of them.

    My business is over 87% referral and repeat clients and I am so grateful it keeps growing from your loyalty and referrals:-)

    My Direct Number at the Office is 847.516.6760

    June CyberTips Newsletter

    Debra Kukulski CDPE, RECS, GRI, ABR, e-PRO
    RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest

    June 2009




    Want to know who’s behind that blocked call? If you are an AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon user you’re in luck (other services will follow soon). This system is based on military-level counterintelligence technology – but it’s easy as pie to use!

    Once you set up your account, whenever you get a blocked call on your cell phone just click the magic button and your called ID will light up with the caller’s information. Then you can make the decision to take the call or trash it if you wish.


    There is no software to install. The basic service is on the house and there are some other interesting counter intelligence features available at a modest cost.

    Click Here for This Cyber Trick

    We are always pleased to be of service to our Cyber Friends and to provide you with these monthly CyberTips. As members of the Real Estate CyberSpace Society we are always current on ways to expand our normal high standards of service with the very latest Internet and other CyberSpace strategies and tools. Click Here for hundreds of Cyber Tricks and Great Places in back issues.

    Here’s an interesting way to add a new “secretary” called Betty to your staff! She may the best organizer you’ve ever met! This is the easiest service we’ve seen in a long time – all you do is copy Betty with any e-mail you wish and she’ll organize your message and its contents—photos, addresses, documents, links—and create your web office where you can track replies, view and add content.

    She automatically gathers your photos into an album with thumbnail and slideshow views. She turns dates into downloadable calendar events and creates maps for any addresses. She also sets up linked or attached videos and music so they are playable right from your new web office.

    And what’s best is that Betty doesn’t look for a paycheck on Fridays!

    Click Here for This Cyber Trick

    Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved

    Trick 1

    RECS Radio


    Got a problem? Well, if it is computable, WolframAlpha has the answer! What was the weather on your birthday last year? How many calories in a slice of pizza? What are the health guidelines by weight/age? Unlike a conventional search engine this special place generates output by doing computations from its own internal knowledge base, instead of searching the web and returning links.

    You can get and create statistics in many categories – just a few for example: Socioeconomic Data, Weather, Health & Medicine, Food & Nutrition, Culture & Media, People & History, Organizations, Sports & Games, plus many that are even more exotic.

    In short, if you are a numbers genius or just what someone to think you are, this is the place to go. Oh yes, like most of great places we discuss here, there’s no cost to get your stats here!

    Click Here for This Great Place

    Before you go out the door be sure to check in to this great place where you can get personalized traffic information that customizes and saves your drives, offers email, phone and text message traffic alerts and displays your drives and alternate routes for speedy comparison.

    You can access your traffic reports from your web browser, mobile web browser, RSS feed reader, or their traffic hotline and SMS text messaging service.

    Great way to avoid the hassle – and they don’t charge you a cent for all of this good stuff!

    Click Here for This Great Place

    Debra Kukulski
    Email: deb@debrakukulski.com
    Phone: 847-516-6760
    Fax: 847-639-6666
    Web: www.debrakukulski.com
    RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest
    7107 Pingree
    Crystal Lake, IL 60014