Ken Tracy Realtor Naperville Illinois Real Estate

I just ordered my 2009 Chicago Bears football schedule magnets.

I think they are pretty cool.

I read various opinions on the value of such marketing. Calendars, magnets, recipe cards, etc...

My attitude about marketing? I can't get enough...

I order from MagnetStreet.com.

500 magnets cost about $200. I will be on refrigerators for at least 6 months. Seems like a great investment.

I am delivering 300 to my primary farm areas, River Bend and Carrolwood. 100 will be sent to friends and family.

100 are unspoken for...

Would you like one?

Ken

A Realtor you can trust.

We were at our favorite playground, The Enclave in Naperville.

It was a cool afternoon. Storm clouds were near, but not headed in our direction. The wind had picked up.

Erin was playing with Nicole while I sat on a bench with a sleeping Morgan.

There was a friendly woman sitting next to me.

"I love your daughter's outfit," she said as we walked up.

She was at the park with her two children who were 6 and 8 years old.

As we watched the kids play, we started chatting...

"We have our house on the market," she offered. "We have a buyer looking at it now."

"How is it going?" I ask.

"We have actually had a big increase in activity..."

"Did you change your price?" I ask.

"No. We have had it on since May and just recently had a pick up in activity. For awhile, nothing, but we have had four showings this week. One of our showings was back for the third time. I hope they make an offer..." her voiced faded off.

"Have you found a home yet?" I probed further.

"No. We have been looking for something bigger. We have a townhome now. It is just too small. We are staying in Naperville. My husband is from the area," she added.

About this time, the wind really picked up.

Her son, who was getting anxious, asked his mother if she would go on the swings with him.

As she got up to leave, she turned and said goodbye.

"Good luck on your home sale," I said with a smile.

It was a nice day at the park.

Ken

To buy or sell a home in Naperville or anywhere in Chicagoland, go to my website anytime.

Great riches have been elusive during my 3 year career as an agent. Sometimes I feel I am looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...

Where is my pot of gold? It must be getting close...

I have always enjoyed thunderstorms. Here in the Midwest we can get some good ones. In the late summer, on a hot humid day, you can almost feel the atmosphere prepare to explode...

During a particularly humid day last week, we had a couple nice thunderstorms roll through. Lightning. Thunder. The works...

Between storms, the sun managed to peek through for a few minutes, and a beautiful rainbow appeared...

Where is my pot of gold? It must be getting close...

Ken

A Realtor you can trust.

It was a gorgeous day to show homes...

My spirits were high. It was Sunday morning. 10:00 AM.

The temperature was in the low 60's. Just a hint of wind. Not a cloud in the sky...

I was showing a home in the Orchard Valley townhouses, just off Orchard Road and I88, in western Aurora.

It's a great neighborhood. The subdivision borders Orchard Valley golf course. The homes are priced between $150,000 and $200,000...

I was early for the appointment, so I took a stroll along the course. The eighth hole, a challenging par 5, runs the length of the subdivision. I catch myself wishing I was golfing...

I am showing a townhome to a young couple I have been working with for two years. They hope to buy this September...

We are seeing an end unit that is just on the market. Largest model. The pictures looked great. The home was priced at the higher end of the range, but it was a short sale, so I expected them to be flexible with their price...

Upon approach, I noticed all the blinds were down. The home has beautiful windows, so I hoped the blinds would be up. It made me wonder...

As I opened the door, I rang the bell and said in a loud voice, "HELLO..."

The front room was rather messy and dimly lit. All the blinds were down. Piles of papers were in a makeshift office by the fireplace...

I moved quickly through the house turning on the lights...

How could the carpeting be so dirty? Do the sellers even care? It looked as if someone had walked through with muddy boots...

As I moved upstairs in this multi-level three bedroom, I noticed one of the bedroom doors was shut.

I knocked lightly on the door, quietly saying "Hello" as I opened the door...

A man was laying in the bed. A fairly sizable man with a shaved head. He was laying on his side, facing the other direction...

No movement. Not even a bit. He must be a solid sleeper...

What to do? What if he has a gun? Is he even alive? Thoughts raced through my head...

I caught my breath, quietly shut the door, and went downstairs to inform my buyers...

"There is a man sleeping in a bedroom," I said in a confident yet hushed tone.

"Oh really" they responded. But it didn't seem to bother them. We had seen seen short sales before. They usually don't show too well...

We continued looking through the house. I couldn't help wondering "Is this guy going to come down with a gun?"

Fortunately, the man never emerged from his bedroom.

As we left the home, my clients had a fairly upbeat attitude.

They liked the model, the subdivision, and the potential of the home.

They were still considering buying?

I was just happy to make it out without waking sleeping beauty...

Ken

A Realtor you can trust.

Give blood. Save a life...

In honor of Keller Williams RED DAY (Renew/Energize/Donate), the Naperville Keller Williams office will be hosting a blood drive on May 14th from 9 AM to 1:30 PM. Heartland Blood Centers will have a Mobile Coach parked in front of the Keller Williams office, located at the corner of 75th and Rickert Avenue (1271 Rickert Avenue).

Every donor will receive a BBQ set, an apron, as well as a t-shirt as a way of saying thank you for helping save lives...

Please, if you are in the neighborhood, stop on by for this great cause...

Ken

To search for homes in Naperville and all of Chicagoland, go to my website anytime.