Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Ideas for Downsizing in Bloomington Normal Illinois, First in a Series of Five
If the kids are finally out of the house and you are ready for a more carefree way of life with less yard, less maintenance and more time for recreational pursuits, you may be looking to downsize your home. You may be looking for a newer ranch style home with all the living on one level, plus some of the amenities that you have been longing for over the years. Maybe it is granite countertops, wood flooring, a gas fireplace or some other feature, but you have done without up till now and in contemplation of a slower lifestyle with more time at home, you may be ready to indulge yourself with special home feature. Great!!
There are many options for people looking to downsize in the Bloomington Normal housing market. From zero lot line homes, to condominiums to beautiful new construction ranches you have many options to choose from. The first step in your home search should be identifying your needs and the features that will really improve your life. Within your specific price range, an experienced Realtor can provide you with a nice selection of home choices.
One great subdivision that has a nice selection of Zero lot homes and ranch style homes is Wittenburg Woods at Prairie Vista. Located in Southwest Bloomington, away from the bustle and traffic, it is a great choice for your new home. Currently there are new construction ranches being built in Wittenburg Woods priced in the low to mid 200's. Many of the lots have some trees on them and there are many lots available to choose from. This subdivision is close to the Constitution Trail and there is a park planned for the Southwest portion in the future.
As always, I am a great source for information about area builders. So if you would like to customize your new home, you can consider a spec home currently under construction, but not yet finished or build from scratch with one of the great builders working this subdivision. My favorite would be Mike Temple, owner of Comfort Homes. Yes we are related. He is my husband. However, he is a terrific builder with talent for building affordable, high quality construction.
I am a great source of information regarding downsizing options. If you are looking to downsize or know of someone that will be soon, call me and I will find a great home for you or your friends!
Have a great day in Real Estate!
All my best,
Susan Temple
There are many options for people looking to downsize in the Bloomington Normal housing market. From zero lot line homes, to condominiums to beautiful new construction ranches you have many options to choose from. The first step in your home search should be identifying your needs and the features that will really improve your life. Within your specific price range, an experienced Realtor can provide you with a nice selection of home choices.
One great subdivision that has a nice selection of Zero lot homes and ranch style homes is Wittenburg Woods at Prairie Vista. Located in Southwest Bloomington, away from the bustle and traffic, it is a great choice for your new home. Currently there are new construction ranches being built in Wittenburg Woods priced in the low to mid 200's. Many of the lots have some trees on them and there are many lots available to choose from. This subdivision is close to the Constitution Trail and there is a park planned for the Southwest portion in the future.
As always, I am a great source for information about area builders. So if you would like to customize your new home, you can consider a spec home currently under construction, but not yet finished or build from scratch with one of the great builders working this subdivision. My favorite would be Mike Temple, owner of Comfort Homes. Yes we are related. He is my husband. However, he is a terrific builder with talent for building affordable, high quality construction.
I am a great source of information regarding downsizing options. If you are looking to downsize or know of someone that will be soon, call me and I will find a great home for you or your friends!
Have a great day in Real Estate!
All my best,
Susan Temple
Monday, November 9, 2009
Bloomington Normal Market Statistics 11/9/09
Here is the latest Residential Real Estate Statistics for Bloomington Normal and surrounding communities:
There are currently 1250 Active Residential Listings.
The Average List Price is $201,714.
The Average MLS percentage of Sale Price to List Price is 96.31%.
The Keller Williams Percentage of Sale Price to List Price is 99.17%!!
The Average Days on the Market for all Active Listings is currently 165.
The Average Days on Market for Sold Listings is 122.
So, Yes - Houses are selling in this market! If you are thinking about listing your home and buying a new home, this is a great time. Not only are there Tax Credits available to qualified buyers (please check with your trusted tax advisor to see if you are eligible), but the interest rates are still low.
As always, I recommend you use an experience Real Estate Professional when buying or selling. You will reap the benefits of their expertise!
Susan Temple
Broker, GRI
Keller Williams Realty
There are currently 1250 Active Residential Listings.
The Average List Price is $201,714.
The Average MLS percentage of Sale Price to List Price is 96.31%.
The Keller Williams Percentage of Sale Price to List Price is 99.17%!!
The Average Days on the Market for all Active Listings is currently 165.
The Average Days on Market for Sold Listings is 122.
So, Yes - Houses are selling in this market! If you are thinking about listing your home and buying a new home, this is a great time. Not only are there Tax Credits available to qualified buyers (please check with your trusted tax advisor to see if you are eligible), but the interest rates are still low.
As always, I recommend you use an experience Real Estate Professional when buying or selling. You will reap the benefits of their expertise!
Susan Temple
Broker, GRI
Keller Williams Realty
Friday, November 6, 2009
Great News if you have been contemplating purchasing or selling a home! Congress has now signed a bill to extend and expand the HomeBuyer Tax Credit Program.
The Program was slated to sunset on December 1, 2009 but now it will remain in effect until April 30 of 2010. In addition to the $8000 tax credit for First Time HomeBuyers (defined as people that have not owned a home within the last 3 years), there is also a credit of $6500 for current homeowner that sell their home and qualify under the provisions of the act.
You may be thinking that you have plenty of time to take advantage of this BUT the time flies quickly when you are looking for a home and you really do need at least 30 days from contract to closing to make sure everything is in order for your home purchase.
So.... if you are wanting to take advantage of this incredible opportunity,
1. Check with your tax advisor to make sure you qualify for the program. There
income requirements that need to be met.
2. Visit a lender today to get yourself preapproved! They will work with you to
how much you can afford in a home purchase and discuss the various methods
of financing your purchase.
3. Speak with an Experienced Real Estate Agent. They can make the entire process much easier from start to finish, by representing your interests in the real estate transaction.
This really is a great opportunity! This tax credit combined with our currently low interest rates could significantly benefit you if you are in the market for a home! But don't delay! It won't last forever and you don't want to be rushed when purchasing a home.
Best regards,
Susan Temple
Broker, GRI
Keller Williams Realty
The Program was slated to sunset on December 1, 2009 but now it will remain in effect until April 30 of 2010. In addition to the $8000 tax credit for First Time HomeBuyers (defined as people that have not owned a home within the last 3 years), there is also a credit of $6500 for current homeowner that sell their home and qualify under the provisions of the act.
You may be thinking that you have plenty of time to take advantage of this BUT the time flies quickly when you are looking for a home and you really do need at least 30 days from contract to closing to make sure everything is in order for your home purchase.
So.... if you are wanting to take advantage of this incredible opportunity,
1. Check with your tax advisor to make sure you qualify for the program. There
income requirements that need to be met.
2. Visit a lender today to get yourself preapproved! They will work with you to
how much you can afford in a home purchase and discuss the various methods
of financing your purchase.
3. Speak with an Experienced Real Estate Agent. They can make the entire process much easier from start to finish, by representing your interests in the real estate transaction.
This really is a great opportunity! This tax credit combined with our currently low interest rates could significantly benefit you if you are in the market for a home! But don't delay! It won't last forever and you don't want to be rushed when purchasing a home.
Best regards,
Susan Temple
Broker, GRI
Keller Williams Realty
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thinking of Selling? Read this first!!
If you are thinking about selling your home in the future, here is a very smart step to take that could potentially help you:
1. Save time
2. Save money
3. Help you sell your home fast
Before making any repairs or modifications to your home, invite an experienced real estate listing agent to walk through your home and identify the key areas that will make the biggest impact on buyers. They will know what is important to buyers, and which items you can leave for the new owners to change.
I love it when clients call me before they start preparing their homes to be put on the market. Why?
1. I can tell them what buyers want to see when they drive up to the house, when they open up the front door, when they look into the closets. I know the types of things that will become objections and cause the buyers to look for other properties.
2. I can suggest great contractors that will do work for reasonable prices. My construction and remodeling background in Bloomington-Normal has proved to be a great asset in my real estate career. I have the resources to help my clients find the right contractor for the job that needs to be done.
3. I can help clients avoid projects that will cost them money and probably not net them much on the sale. Sometimes, people make the wrong decisions about where to spend their remodeling dollars and are surprised when the buyers don’t see the value in their improvements. Most of the time, you don’t get 100% back on the improvements you make. Identifying the changes that will make the biggest impacts can help you recoup as much of your money as possible.
4. The houses that I consult on prior to the work generally sell fast, which means less inconvenience to my clients. Let’s face it; having your house on the market is work. You need to keep it constantly picked up and clean, even when life is extremely busy!
In short, a real estate agent can give you great advice and if you pick the right one, great service too!
Susan Temple
1. Save time
2. Save money
3. Help you sell your home fast
Before making any repairs or modifications to your home, invite an experienced real estate listing agent to walk through your home and identify the key areas that will make the biggest impact on buyers. They will know what is important to buyers, and which items you can leave for the new owners to change.
I love it when clients call me before they start preparing their homes to be put on the market. Why?
1. I can tell them what buyers want to see when they drive up to the house, when they open up the front door, when they look into the closets. I know the types of things that will become objections and cause the buyers to look for other properties.
2. I can suggest great contractors that will do work for reasonable prices. My construction and remodeling background in Bloomington-Normal has proved to be a great asset in my real estate career. I have the resources to help my clients find the right contractor for the job that needs to be done.
3. I can help clients avoid projects that will cost them money and probably not net them much on the sale. Sometimes, people make the wrong decisions about where to spend their remodeling dollars and are surprised when the buyers don’t see the value in their improvements. Most of the time, you don’t get 100% back on the improvements you make. Identifying the changes that will make the biggest impacts can help you recoup as much of your money as possible.
4. The houses that I consult on prior to the work generally sell fast, which means less inconvenience to my clients. Let’s face it; having your house on the market is work. You need to keep it constantly picked up and clean, even when life is extremely busy!
In short, a real estate agent can give you great advice and if you pick the right one, great service too!
Susan Temple
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