New Foreclosure Changes in Glenview, Northbrook, Morton Grove.

The Obama administration has announced that it is revamping its foreclosure-prevention efforts. Here is how the changes may affect you right here in Glenview, Northbrook and the surrounding areas.

Here’s a good guide.

Glenview, Northbrook, Morton Grove Foreclosure Changes

The Chicagoland Monthly Housing Market Pulse For Detached Properties

The Chicagoland Monthly Housing Market Pulse.  Glenview IL page 9, Northbrook IL page 16, Morton Grove IL page 15. After taking a closer look at this data, you will notice some communities are exhibiting an increase in inventory,while other areas are showing a decrease. It is typical to see the supply of homes increase in our Spring market as things tend to heat up. Many people remove their homes from the market for the holidays and Winter months and then put the home back on the market for the traditionally strong Spring Season. Therefore, the results of the market survey continue to be mixed at this point. Please go to www.MarinaJacobsonHomes.com for more information And to search MLS Click Here.

Invest in Kitchen or Bathroom Remodeling to Sell Your Home

 Investing  in your  Kitchen or Bathroom!  It’s a good idea to update your kithen and bathroom before putting your home on the market. And here’s why!   Fore more information on buying or selling real estate go to www.MarinaJacobsonHomes.com Also you can search MLS.

Chicago Illinois Real Estate News

 Real Estate News and Information  Topics: Will the New Short Sale Rules Help the Process?  What’s Happening in Real Estate for 2010?  Energy Efficient Mortgages.    And for  more information on whether you’re buying or selling real estate in Chicago Illinois go to: www.MarinaJacobsonHomes.com

Selling Your Home: Should You Lower Your Asking Price?

Setting the right price is crucial when selling your home. If you overestimate the value of your house, you risk alienating potential buyers who will not be able to afford to buy it. Read More…

Closed Homes in Glenview, IL

If you’re wondering:  Closed homes in Glenview in December 2009  I’ll update this information every month and if anyone has any questions or wants more information, please call me at  847-361-5605. Buyers credit expires on April 30,2010. It’s a great time to buy and also a great time to put your home on the market.

Home Value

Often people wonder, what would increase my home’s value? Is it an additional bedroom, bathroom, pool, garage, etc? Here is a good reference article.  Click Here.

Buy or Sell a Home.

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Special Reports for Sellers and Buyers

See what it takes to buy or sell a home

Obama’s Loan Modification Plan: 7 Things You Need to Know

Obama’s Loan Modification Plan: 7 Things You Need to Know
The White House releases fresh details on its plan to save the housing market
By Luke Mullins
Posted March 4, 2009
At the heart of the President Barack Obama’s ambitious plan to rescue the housing market is the conviction that restructuring distressed mortgages will keep struggling borrowers in their homes and help insert a floor beneath plummeting property values. With $75 billion dedicated to reworking troubled loans, that’s a big bet—especially considering that a top banking regulator said last December that almost 53 percent of loans modified in the first quarter of 2008 went bad again within six months. But supporters argue that mortgage modifications need to be properly engineered to work—and many early ones weren’t. To that end, the Obama administration on Wednesday unveiled fresh details on its plan to restructure at-risk loans and help as many as four million home owners avoid foreclosure. Here are seven things you need to know about Obama’s loan modification program.
Click Here to read more

Best fix for a cracked patio

Today’s Real Estate News
Best fix for a cracked patio

Don’t paint it, layer it

Paul Bianchina
Inman News

Q: I enjoy your column and have a question for you. We built a home last year and have a concrete patio at the rear. It already has a crack in it (not very large) and it’s starting to stain. I would like to improve the appearance. What would be the best choice? Paint it, carpet it (I do not like the look of the turf like outdoor carpeting), lay down a stone covering over it, or something else? It is fully exposed, and we live where the winters are not very cold but the summers can get very hot. There are few trees around it so leaf stains are not really an issue. We keep our grill, a few chairs and a patio table on it. It gets direct sun about half the day. Suggestions?

A: If the patio is low enough in relation to any doors so that adding a layer on top won’t cause any height issues, my recommendation would be to add a new decorative layer of masonry on top of the concrete. This will add resale value, and also be easy to maintain. Depending on your preferences and what would go well with the house, you might consider bricks, tile (look for exterior floor tiles, also called paver tiles), flagstones or other materials. Lighter colors will reflect the sun to some degree, but be aware that any masonry surface will absorb heat, about to the same degree as the original concrete patio.

Again depending on the height in relation to doors, another thing to consider would be a layer of stamped, colored concrete on top of the old patio. A good concrete-stamping contractor can offer an amazing selection of colors and patterns that look great and hold up very well.

BUY NEW OR IMPROVE?

Q: With so much inventory in the housing market for sale, is it better to build new, or buy and improve?

A: When you have a down market like this one, in my opinion it’s the best time to buy and improve. You have a better chance of finding a good bargain on a fixer-upper, perhaps even a foreclosure, and with sweat equity you have a good chance of making a nice profit when it comes time to resell the house when the market picks up again.

If you decide to go this route, concentrate your remodeling efforts on rooms such as the kitchen and bathrooms, stay neutral with your color choices, and also look at the curb appeal aspects of the landscaping and exterior. I like to use a philosophy of quality over quantity: do good work; use good materials; always get the necessary building permits; and don’t cut corners like you see on too many television “house flipping” programs.

DO I NEED AN AIR COMPRESSOR?

Q: Thanks for your article on air compressors. I was told that the only way to remove ceramic tile from our floor is with an air compressor, and I was actually looking at them today at Home Depot. I’ve been doing it manually because I’m not in a hurry, but the mud is a pain to remove. Should I consider an air compressor? I would be using it only for this task and then see no other application for it. So I hate to spend the money if there is an alternative that I can use over time.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

A: First of all, it’s important to understand that all an air compressor does is compress air so that it achieves a high-enough pressure to be able to power different tools, such as air guns. The only way I can think of that an air compressor would help you out with your tile-removal task is if you also purchased some type of air-powered chisel to chip up the mud — which would definitely be faster and easier than chipping it all up by hand.

As far as other applications, an air compressor is actually a very useful piece of equipment to have if you do much home improvement work. It will power a wide variety of nailers, from large framing nailers to smaller finish nailers and staplers, as well as paint-spraying equipment and inflation accessories. There are currently a number of air compressor/nailer combinations available at many home centers and hardware stores that offer you a good opportunity to get a top-quality, name-brand compressor with one or two nailers and even a hose, all for a very good price. You could then also purchase a basic air chisel for less than $50 to help with your tile removal. With any of these applications, always remember to wear both eye and hearing protection.

If you don’t think you’ll have any future use for the air compressor and you don’t want to buy one, you can always rent one at any rental yard, along with the air chisel.

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