We love our clients at Chitownproperty, and it means so much to us when we can help them find the perfect home or sell their place when it’s time to move. We’ve begun gathering feedback and have posted some testimonials here on the site. Thanks everyone!
Chitownproperty now has a Facebook page, where you can get more updates, photos, leave comments, and communicate with our team. Stop by, we really want you to “like” us!
The Chitownproperty team is excited about the inauguration of Chicagoan Barack Obama at 44th President, and looks forward to the new year. Thank you to all our clients for your continued business!
Last year was a time of adjustment, as the once-hot real estate market cooled off and settled back at much more reasonable levels. The latter part of the year was confusing and frustrating to both sellers and buyers, as expectations about home prices varied wildly. Buyers, encouraged by news reports of desperate sellers willing to do anything to sell their homes, perhaps expected a little too much at the bargaining table. Conversely, many sellers were reluctant to reconsider their asking prices with the memory of 15-20 percent profits from recent years still fresh in their minds.
The new year means the beginning of the annual “Spring Market,” when buyers and sellers, freed of hectic holiday schedules, jump into the housing market with both feet. Inventory will be up, and eager buyers will be hitting the streets in force. Unfortunately, this could mean more differences in expectations. Sellers who have been waiting for the new year to market their place will likely continue asking for top dollar, as hopes of a new year and new market bolster their opinion of value. And buyers, exhausted by holiday spending and still in tune to reports of the changing market, will still be looking for deals.
If you’re shopping for a home, be willing to pay what a home is really worth, and don’t expect a seller to take a bath. If you like a place, chances are someone else does too, and you don’t want to lose it just because you like to drive a hard bargain. Likewise sellers, put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. How much would you pay for your home now? How does it compare to recent sales in your neighborhood? Does the data support your asking price? If you can afford to hold out for that top price, then do so, but the longer it stays on the market, the more you might need to reconsider your options.
We can only suggest realism in this environment. If you’re honest with yourself about true value of a home, you won’t regret your decision to buy or sell. Good luck in the new year from the Chitownproperty team, and happy house hunting.
We apologize for the poor performance of this site lately. We have been having problems with our web host and will be migrating to a new one today. This may cause the site to be down for a few hours later today, but hopefully things will be back to normal by tomorrow.
UPDATE – The site migration is complete and things should start picking up again. Thanks for staying with us.
We’ve completely updated Chitownproperty.com to make it easier to use. Okay, we think it looks better too, but it has all the same features as before, with our current property listings, frequently asked questions, and blog archives. You can access these sections by the tabs at the top of the page. You can also now leave comments on any of the articles; just click the ‘Comments’ link at the top of each one. Let us know what you think.
The cooling market demands more resourceful buyers and sellers, to capitalize on the dynamics of their local market.
A revival of Rogers Park has been fueled by a number of new condo developments.
Unfamiliar and noxious odors are sometimes the first warning for maintenance problems in the home.
Someone dropping by unexpectedly? Follow these tips to get your house in shape in a half hour.
High gas prices and heating costs may slow development in distant suburbs and curb the demand for large homes.
The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for not just shoppers, but plumbers too. Think twice before dumping those leftovers down the drain.
