Diane Lynch

I do quite a bit of business downtown Chicago even though I live in the western suburbs. Today I went to the city to show a condo and I was encouraged to see the hustle and bustle of real estate activity, somthing that has been lacking for a while! There were several other agents coming and going with their clients. My unit had 3 showings in two days! It's as if the New Year came and the buyers came out too! I know it usually does pick up in January, I only hope the momentum builds and gets us going again!

Have you had an increase in activity in your area since the New Year? I'd be curious to know if other areas are getting busier as well.

Wishing you a prosperous 2009!

What is Geocaching you might ask? Well, it's like a treasure hunt and you can't believe how this hobby is world-wide! I mean there are actually geocaches in countries like Afghanistan! I have just started doing this and just had to share!

A geocache is a hidden container that usually contains a log for visitors to sign and sometimes trinkets to exchange. You use a GPS to find the containers using the latitude and longitude coordinates. When you find the container, you sign the log and take something from the container and leave something new in it. Sometimes you will find Travel Bugs which have tags with a trackable code on it so you can see all the places it has been. I found one that started in Germany, was in Masachusetts, and ended up in Illinois. Now it's in Wisconsin. Cool huh?

The containers can be anything from ammunition boxes to peanut butter jars as long as it is weatherproof.

You are supposed to be discreet about finding the geocache because if the Muggles see you, they might just trash the container and take all the treasures. Those who play the game know the rules and respect peoples caches.

So if you are looking for something different to do, visit www.geocaching.com and check it out. It's free entertainment. You will be AMAZED at all the geocaches hidden around your area! There are geocaching events and some people are really seriously into this!

Happy Hunting!

I plan to embrace 2009 and move forward doing all the things I can to make it better than 2008. There are still people moving for various reasons - too many kids, not enough kids, job transfers, loss of jobs, estate sales..... and SOMEBODY has to help all those people - might as well be ME! I'll do rentals, property management, or sales - I'm not picky. I'll give them all personal attention and take care of all their real estate needs.

I will try to dispel their fears of "what ifs".....it's really FEAR that has our society crippled. Many people still have their jobs and the same income they had last year, but they are afraid they will lose it. If we show them all the BENEFITS to making a move NOW, perhaps this fear will be overcome. Do buyers realize this is a historic buying opportunity? Home prices and rates have not been this low in many years. There is the $7500 tax credit for first time buyers. FHA has never been better. There has been no better time to buy than now.

People who are able to make a move and want to make a move SHOULD! This is a window of opportunity which should be taken advantage of ~ not missed because of fear. Let's restore some confidence!

I wish you all a healthy and prosperous 2009!

Now I am not a person who persuades a buyer away from any properties, but as a buyer's agent I do raise questions so that he might think about certain points he would otherwise overlook. How is the commute to your work? Have you driven it during rush hour? Is the proximity of the trains ok with you? Did you know they are widening the road? Let's look at some comps....

Recently my tenants just happened to stop by a builder's open house and bought a unit that was too good to pass up. In order to get this great deal they had to close in 2-3 weeks. Imagine my surprise when they told me they had bought and needed to break the lease. I had hoped they would have bought with me.....and I wish they had....

You see, I know the development they bought in. I had a brand new unit listed across the street last year that proved that it is very difficult to sell in that neighborhood (it never did sell). I know that the trains run nearby, lots of trains. I know that there is public housing behind the development that will always be there. I know that the location is a bit farther from downtown than most people like. I know that the builder is touting frozen taxes due to landmark status but once those taxes reset to the normal rate the market will be flooded with units for sale. I know the builder has been selling those units for 3 years.

Mr. Buyer doesn't know that the builder's salesperson is working ONLY in the best interest of the builder. He doesn't know that if he brought a realtor she would work ONLY on his behalf and perhaps raise some questions to help him make an informed decision.

How do we let the buyers know how much they NEED us?

You wouldn't expect the DuPage River to be such a menace! It's usually the most casual, low key river. But not this time....with historic rainfall of about 8 or 9 inches in 3 days, the DuPage River had a mind of its own. As the rains kept coming, Warrenvillians found it a bit more difficult to get around as several roads had to be closed due to flooding. Many residents' homes were flooded and Bower School looked as if it were sitting in the river! Not only did we have a large rain system move through, but the remnants of Hurrican Ike followed behind.

Phillips 66 gas station felt the wrath of the river as it surrounded the convenient store and rushed through the parking lot. Warrenville Road was closed as the river crossed the street to Al's Pizza which was also under water.

Once the rains subsided people started surveying the flooding. But the flooding continued for another day or so till the river crested. The waterfall at Warrenville Grove was no longer visible. The river scooted just under the bridges.

River Road really was a "river"! Closed to everyone as the DuPage River took over! Who would have thought a Hurricane would ride the jet stream to Chicago and make such a mess! It certainly was a storm to remember!