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A handy product for homeowners #2- Greasy – Sticky stuff

Monday, December 12th, 2011

Another product that I have had great success with is Krud Kutter Cleaner/Degreaser. As a bonus.. it’s an Krud Kutter Cleaner Degreaser - A great product when you are getting your home ready to selleco-friendly product that is non-toxic.

I first heard about Krud Kutter when I was getting my accreditation as a Home Stager (AHS). This is a great all around product for homeowners that does things that your average antiseptic/window cleaner/pine stuff don’t neccessarily do well.

It’s great for cleaning around your stove/oven and range hood… it made quick work of our Thanksgiving mess…

My favorite thing about Krud Kutter is using it to clean woodwork (not the painted kind) If you have wood railings in your home… you might notice that as the humidity rises that the railings might get “sticky” (especially if you have children) or your wood doors might have some fingerprint “grime” on them. We use a rag and Krud Kutter to clean the wood and then some Old English to bring the luster back.

 

Posted in Buying Tips, Home Staging, selling tips | 2 Responses »

A handy product for homeowners #1- Wood Scratches

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

Old English Wood Scratch CoverIf you have natural /stained woodwork, cabinets or furniture you’ve probably been subject to some of the same things that we have… scratches and other blemishes. We could blame it on the kids, the dog, the carpet installers.. but, wherever the fault lay… sometimes the finish just gets scratched.

For heavy duty blemishes, you may have to resort to using a stain. We’ve done this and also used stain to make small scratches disappear. This takes a bit of commitment and some preparation.

A couple of years ago our flooring guy (Rob at Exploring Flooring (630) 393-2020) told us about Old English Scratch Cover and it was a game changer. Light and medium scratches just disappear with a rag and a swipe.

We also use Old English to wipe down and refresh our oak cabinets… the product comes in two different shades (test on a small area first) but we’ve found that we usually use the darker one, even on our medium toned cabinets. We gave all of our cabinets a good going over as we were replacing the hardware (think of those handles as “jewelry”) and then everything was just so fresh.

When we put our last home on the market we used Krud Kutter To get rid of finger/handprints on the doors and stairway railings and then wiped everything down with Old English, it made us wish that we had done it sooner…  when we moved into the new place we did it all immediately.

While I am sure that there are other products out there that will do similar things, I’ve had great success with this little (less than $5.00) bottle of magic for homeowners.

I’ve found it available for sale at local grocery and hardware stores.

Posted in Buying Tips, Home Staging, selling tips | 1 Response »

Home Buyer University

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

 

Home Buyer University - Home Buying Seminars - Free and OnlineFree, no-obligation home buying workshops covering a wide range of home buying topics… you decide what you want to learn. Do it from the comfort of your own home.

Here you will find a growing library of workshops that you may view completely free of charge which will provide valuable information that you will need as you prepare for your home purchase.
There is nothing being sold here so view them all at your earliest convenience.
and no, that’s not me in the video…

Posted in Buying Tips, Finance, Home Search | No Responses »

What’s with all of the acronyms?

Friday, April 16th, 2010

What is a CRS®?

It stands for Certified Residential Specialist. It is the Ph.D. of real estate! It’s the residential real estate industry’s most advanced “degree” and only awarded to those who complete a series of residential sales courses, plus have proven experience and accomplishment in residential sales. The CRS makes a difference. It’s your assurance that you are working with one of the top professionals in the business. This nationally acclaimed symbol of excellence (CRS) is the extra boost that sets Realtors apart from other sales associates. Only 5% of the Realtors nationwide have demonstrated this experience and accomplishment in residential sales. 

What is an ABR®?

It stands for Accredited Buyer Representative. The ABR designation requires extensive classroom training, a formidable written examination on legal and practical aspects of agency representation, and substantial practical experience in buyer representation. An ABR is fully committed to the Buyer in a real estate transaction, from the initial selection of properties, all the way through contract negotiations and settlement. The ABR designation, a benchmark of excellence in buyer agency service, demonstrates to clients that the agent has taken steps to continue their education in the field of buyer agency, and has the proven experience and training to deliver ethical and professional service to buyers.

What is an e-PRO®?

e-PRO is the only certification program of its kind recognized nationwide and endorsed by the National Association of REALTORS®.

What is an ASP™?

Accredited ASP Stagers and ASP Real Estate Agents are true Professionals trained under strict guidelines using proven Staging techniques developed for over 30 years. When you bring your home on the market and prepare your house for sale always hire an ASP because they are the true leaders in the Home Staging and Real Estate Industries

Posted in Buying Tips, Marketing, Professional Associations, selling tips | No Responses »

Sign in? Who do you think you are?

Wednesday, December 6th, 2006

Why would you want to register on a local real estate website?
idx-vow What's the difference? Naperville Area Real Estate
Realtor.com is an advertising site owned by a company called Homestore and while it’s licensed to operate using the Realtor name it is a for profit company that has yet to turn a profit… forever squeezing out pennies and irritating the agents and companies that it is charged with helping. The properties are used to draw you in so that they can build ads around the listings… this makes the site painfully slow. Realtor.com is an opt-in site missing lots of data… it is notoriously out of date and doen’t let you know if a property is under contract… creating an unfriendly and tiresome homesearch. MLS systems are starting to pull out of Realtor.com as it has been discovered that eventually almost everybody chooses to find a local connection.

Eventually, as you get more serious in your home search, you will want to “go local“.

Most people don’t understand why agents ask them to register on their sites to get more information about properties for sale. The truth is that we don’t need it for our own listings or even those of our company (unless they have a rule) the problem lies with showing you another companies listings.In order to address this… two options were developed; IDX and VOW.

IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange. This is an opt in (or opt out… depending where you are) system. No registration is necessary.. the listings that you are looking at should say something about “compliments of” the listing company (probably in really tiny letters) This is kind of like walking into my office, plopping down in a chair and going through the various homes magazines… it’s fun, there is great information but it’s lacking in depth and missing a bunch…. and you are so close to all of the information.

VOW stands for Virtual Office Website. This means that I can treat you like the person who walked into my office asking about homes… meaning we plug in your criteria and go through the whole Multiple Listing Service so that you don’t miss anything, except that you get to do it in
your own sweet time. The great thing about a VOW site is that you get access to all of the properties… there is no “opt out” for the Real Estate companies and you don’t have to wait for days to get the updated info. Some of us can also allow access to recent sold properties… The VOW solution is the ultimate in home information, but it comes with a price… just like if you came into my office, I would have some information about you (you could lie… but that’s beside the point) The National Association Of Realtors has set a national policy that all VOW sites require registration.

So, there you go….WestSuburban Real Estate was the first of its type in Illinois and has been helping people find their homes since the spring of 2000. The other site that I use: NapervilleLuxury Homes offers a different format for home searches. They both offer multiple pictures, virtual tours and e-mailed updates… it’s really
more a matter of preference.

I currently feature two different VOW systems… one of them

It’s not a matter of you giving up your anonymity… it’s about empowering you with information for you to enjoy some autonomy. The payoff for us is that we hope you grow comfortable with us and our services, that over time you decide we are the “right ones” to help you with this process.

If not… you can always unsubscribe… I promise, I won’t hold it against you :)

Posted in Buying Tips, Home Search, Marketing, selling tips | 3 Responses »

It’s attached… what is it? Condo? Townhome? What’s the difference?

Wednesday, December 6th, 2006

They both appear to be townhomes… they’ve got seperate entrances, no neighbors above or below, attached garage etc… still one is a townhouse and the other is a condominium.

What’s up with that??  We use the term “townhouse” loosely to describe a style of attached home, yet in a more specific sense… in a true townhome you would own the land that the property sits on. In this case you would need true homeowners insurance, even though the exterior may be maintained by the
association, you still need to insure your share of the structure. 

 This is a Townhome in Cinnamon Glen at Butterfield in Aurora Illinois 

 A Townhome in Aurora IL - Cinnamon Glen at Butterfield 

Condominium is a form of ownership. With a condominium association you own your unit but the association owns all of the exterior walls and the land it sits on too, you are part of the association so you are one of many owners. Typically you need insurance that is akin to renters insurance, since your monthly dues actually pay to insure the buildings. 

A Condominium in the Woodlands at Oakhurst North in Aurora Illinois  

A condominium in Aurora IL - Woods of Oakhurst

As you can see, you can’t always tell by looking. Obviously if it’s a large building… you are probably dealing with a condo (or a co-op in some markets), but that’s because the term “condo” (condominium) describes the ownership.

In our area Multiple Listing Service (MLS) we lump them all together and call them “single family attached homes” and that that seems to cover it.  

Manor homes, coach homes, garden homes are also condominiums, just good marketing offering a pleasant sounding way to describe smaller buildings. These can easily be mistaken for townhouses as well.  

To search for single family homes (whether they are attached or not… visit) Real Estate in Chicago’s Western Suburbs where you’ll have access to the full gamut of available properties in the area.

Posted in Buying Tips, condos, Home Search, Marketing, Observations, selling tips | No Responses »

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