Sunday, July 10, 2011

Evergreen Park Home Sales - Not all markets are created equal!

National Association of Realtors reports that “short sale” properties sold at a small percentage less than traditional resale’s, while “foreclosed” homes sold at much greater discounts.

Below is some data for Evergreen Park, IL to study if you’re looking to buy or sell a home in Evergreen Park, IL. In this first chart, homes sold in Evergreen Park during the past six months are broken down into three categories (by size) and then the categories are broken down again into BOTTOM 1/3, MIDDLE 1/3, and TOP 1/3.






What does this chart mean?

The bottom 1/3 to have FEW positives (several negatives: small structure, need lots of work, small lot, poor location, etc.).

The middle 1/3 to have SOME positives (larger lot, larger size, some updating, taste specific décor and remodeling, etc.).

The top 1/3 to have LOTS of positives (truly ‘move-in ready’, updated furnishings and fixtures, will appeal to most number of buyers)

Fun Fact about homes for sale in Evergreen Park, IL as of July 2011:
41 Contingent Properties, 163 Active Properties, and 72 Sold Properties = 12 months supply of inventory in Evergreen Park!






Many homeowners looking to sell their home play the “my house is better than this one” or “that house is smaller than mine” game. This is called a CMA [Competitive Market Analysis] approach or “looking at comparable properties in your neighborhood".

This process is vulnerable to inaccuracies and usually doesn’t take into account all the data available.

There are two ways my team of Real Estate Professionals research home values all throughout the Chicagoland area. We use both the “index model” [same as Standard & Poor's Case Shiller Report] and the “square footage” data in combination with the CMA approach. In this report, we will discuss only the “square footage” data analysis.

Here we took ALL the homes sold in Evergreen Park for the past six months and created a spreadsheet that can be downloaded FREE here: http://www.slideshare.net/rtjarvisjr/evergreen-park-6-month-sales-data-as-of-july-2011

Note: We prefer to use median values because outliers to the data will be negated whereas in the average calculation, the outliers will skew the true data.

The median [or middle] home sold for $125K or $99.68 per square foot. This number includes the distressed properties [short sales and foreclosures] as well the traditional resale properties.

If we remove the short sale and foreclosed properties, the chart would like this:






See how the properties sold in Evergreen Park, reflect a square footage cost of $118.79 per square foot and a median sold price of $157K. Does this mean that you can expect $120/square foot for your home? NO. It just sets the boundaries. Your home must be perfect and in the TOP 1/3 to capture that value.

Now, let’s look at financially distressed properties [short sales and foreclosures in Evergreen Park] closed over the past six months:







Interestingly enough, Short Sales sold at a median price of $73K and Foreclosed Properties sold at a median price of $87K [opposite of what the National Association of Realtors reports], but I have theories for this in another interesting post.

These figures equate to $60 to $75 per square foot. That is just over ½ the presumed cost to buy a home in Evergreen Park.

Given the fact that 36 homes sold were distressed over the past six months, and 37 homes sold traditionally in Evergreen Park, chances are that buyers ARE considering distressed homes in Evergreen Park when buying a home in Evergreen Park.

Fact: Breakdown of home sales in Evergreen Park Financing codes: 14 Conventional Financing, 28 FHA Financing (+1 VA Financing) and 28 Cash Buyers.







Twice the number of conventional buyers are buying home with either all cash, or low cash. Or 19% of the buyers have are relying on conventional financing. The remaining 80% are buying with low/no money down [40% - the house must pass FHA or VA financing regulations] or cash [40% - investors are buying these homes for pennies to the dollar].

If 60% of the homes sold in Evergreen Park are financed, and the remaining 40% are cash, which group of buyers should you be marketing your home for sale?

During negotiations on the buyers’ side, would you use this data to get a deal from the listing agent on the property? Do you think the sellers have access to this data? Or are they driving by and looking at photos of sold properties expecting to get the wrong value from the sale of their house? 80 expired and 97 canceled listing concludes that part of the story. Contact me, an Evergreen Park Real Estate Professional for your buying or selling needs.





History of Evergreen Park
Over 100 years ago, Evergreen Park declared its independence. With a population of approximately 500 people, 40 residents [of 51 residents who showed up] voted for incorporation and the four squared miles of area became the Village of Evergreen Park on December 20, 1893. Source: http://www.evergreenpark-ill.com/

The village is surrounded by the City of Chicago on the NORTH, the SOUTH and the EAST of its border. To the WEST of Evergreen Park is the Village of Oak Lawn. The Village of Evergreen Park is approximately 17 miles from Chicago Loop neighborhood.

“The Village acquired its name from the park located at 97th Street and Homan Avenue (#4), originally intended to be the center of town. This part of the village was laid out to resemble Paris, with its wagon wheel appearance, but development in other directions has since caused it to be a residential section. The center of Evergreen Park is now 95th Street and Kedzie Avenue.”
Parks in Evergreen Park include: Norris Field (1), Mini Park (2), Southeast Park (3), Evergreen Park (4), Evergreen Aqua Park (5), Northwest Park (6).





Evergreen Park is also known as the "Village of Churches" given by the many established religious congregations serving the community, and to some locals, they describe their neighborhood by their church.

Churches in Evergreen Park include: Ebenezer Lutheran Church (A), Bethel Bible Church (B), United By Faith Lutheran Church (C), Immanuel United Church of Christ (D), Most Holy Redeemer Church (E), Evergreen Park Christian Church (F), Evergreen Park Presbyterian Church (G), Maranatha Chapel (H), Saint Bernadette Church (I).






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Robert Jarvis, MBA
Phone: 773-572-2362
Email: RobertJarvis@AnOpenHome.com

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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

525 Hawthorne Place new Laundry Technologies

Hawthorne Place Condominiums recently updated [added] new laundry facilities. The original laundry facilities located on the 2nd floor just outside the exercise facilities and pool and sundeck amenities is currently operational.

The new facilities are located on the first floor near the indoor parking garage entrance of the 525 Hawthorne Place just outside the onsite drycleaners and service elevator.

Both facilities utilize laundry cards that resemble debit cards to start the washers and dryers. The original system requires the residents of Hawthorne Place to visit the laundry room and add value to the card via a bill acceptor.

The new facility allows the residents to also add cash at a similar cash station, but also utilizes the newest technologies to add value via the web using your debit card. In addition to the ease of adding value, the new machines will electronically contact the resident when the machine has completed its cycle.

While I am partial to this technology given my prior experience in the laundry industry, for a residential establishment, this wireless communication from the machine to the resident is quite impressive.

Traditionally I would not recommend an encouragement to users to leave a laundry facility and wait for a text message that a cycle is complete. From a revenue standpoint [similar to that of a restaurant with table turnover], the faster a machine [or table] is turned over for the next customer, the more opportunity there is to make money.

In a residential community like 525 Hawthorne Place Condominiums, the addition of 14 new washers and 14 new dryers available for 232 unit owners statistically makes sense to limit the wait time needed for an available machine.

How important is this new technology to you when you are looking to buy a condo in Chicago?



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Thank you!






Robert Jarvis, MBA
Phone: 773-572-2362
Email: RobertJarvis@AnOpenHome.com

Who is Robert Jarvis? Stalk me at my other sites!




Create your own custom property search at http://www.mlsfinder.com/il_mred/robertjarvis

Saturday, June 18, 2011

2857 W. 101ST PLACE

OPEN HOUSE DATE:  SUNDAY, JUNE 19 from 11AM to 1PM


Pictures:  (Select Images to View Complete Image Collection on the MLS)


Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket Photobucket


Photobucket         Photobucket


CLICK HERE TO SEE PROPERTY DETAILS AND OPEN HOME DATES AND TIMES



Taxes:  Tax Year 2009 - Payable in 2010:  $3,407.26 (total for both PIN's)     |     Assessments:  None


Parking:   3 Car Side Apron Driveway, with combined Patio Space, Additional Street Parking Allowed


Description:  This 1 story detached ranch, 60 year old home sits in Evergreen Park's highly desirable South-East corner on two lots (50' X 125' = 6,250 Sq. Ft.).  Water Heater replaced in 2003, Furnace replaced in 2007, Central Air Conditioning added in 2007,  New French Doors in back of home installed in 2005, open up to outdoor patio space, New windows and Front door installed in 2008, Bruce Hardwood Flooring installed in 2005.  This home is ready for your personal touches.


Special Features / Amenities:  Outdoor Patio Space (11 X 13), Storage Shed (10 X 10) includes ample counter / cabinet / shelving space and boasts a 10 X 7 attached deck.  Storage galore in this home from the heated 10 X 11 crawl space under the dining room addition and floored attic space, with a bonus cedar lined shoe closet!  Both bedrooms have cedar lined closets too!


Three blocks away from country club, four blocks from Beverly Park, West Beverly, Mount Greenwood, walking distance to elementary school, middle school, high school and a university; Close to shopping and public transportation and the highly desirable



W E S T   L O O P   O F F I C E 

NEW!  We've MOVED!  Keller Williams Chicago Properties office is now located at 1516 W. Taylor Street | Chicago

Each office is independently owned and operated


CLICK HERE TO SEE MY FEATURED PROPERTIES ON MLSFINDER



Thank you!






Robert Jarvis, MBA
Phone: 773-572-2362
Email: RobertJarvis@AnOpenHome.com

Who is Robert Jarvis? Stalk me at my other sites!




Create your own custom property search at www.MLSfinder.com

Friday, April 22, 2011

You're in the business, but you're a TRAINWRECK!

You're in the Business - but you're a trainwreck!
How many times have you shown a short sale that is "agent owned"?
How often have you written an offer on the agent owned property?


Here's a little story that reminds me of some of the political train wrecks that so frequently come from our great state...


You submit the offer to the listing agent. The listing agent accepts
BUT all correspondence come from the agent owner instead of the
listing agent
?


You try to include the listing agent in all [most] of the communication, and
all that all falls on deaf ears.

The agent owner wants to be in control of everything.


Your buyers like the property, maybe it isn't their first choice, and they
certainly aren't married to the property, but they decided to go ahead - full
speed ahead - fully dedicated to the process.


The seller is really creating havoc on the deal... coming real close to
killing the deal...
[and making my job virtually impossible]


I have a recommendation, if you're in the business, and you're in the market
as well, please stay as far away from the deal as you can.
Hire your
listing agent and allow your listing agent to do what they do best.


Step aside. This will allow you control your emotions [instead of the
deal] as you maneuver through what MIGHT be your last "save grace" in this deal.




You're playing Russian Roulette with your credit.
You're running the risk of chasing away the only buyer willing to put up with your antics and need to be in control.
You could be facing foreclosure if you screw this one up!
You are a train wreck waiting to happen!





If you've hired the best agent to represent you AND you have all the
right negotiators playing on your side, THEN you should already understand the
importance of letting the professionals do what they do best... and that's
represent you!


Or if you prefer [after all this IS ILLINOIS], then you could follow along
with Rod Blagojevich Trial and keep sticking your nose in there... But you
might not get the second that chance for another trial...


Please think about it before its too late...

PS. I hope you my new Facebook Fan Page!

Thank you!






Robert Jarvis, MBA
Phone: 773-572-2362
Email: RobertJarvis@AnOpenHome.com

Who is Robert Jarvis? Stalk me at my other sites!




Create your own custom property search at http://www.mlsfinder.com/il_mred/robertjarvis

Monday, April 4, 2011

Facebook Unavailable :(


facebook... Account Temporarily Unavailable...

Your account is currently unavailable due to a site issue. We expect this to be resolved shortly. Please try again in a few minutes.

I guess that should give a little more time to catch up on other stuff?

PS. I hope you my new Facebook Fan Page!

Thank you!







Robert Jarvis, MBA

Phone: 773-572-2362
Email: RobertJarvis@AnOpenHome.com

Who is Robert Jarvis?
Stalk me at my other sites!




Create your own custom property search at www.MLSFinder

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Googles INSTANT ON is now PERMANTLY OFF!

Here I am working late at night as usual - I have a laundry list of things to get done, and so this when I get most annoyed.

Google has been my search engine of choice for a very long time. But several months ago, when the instant preview emerged its ugly head, I noticed my searches took longer and my typing got distracted by the instant preview. I just didn't like it.


I searched for ways to turn it off. Some site suggested logging in as a user and turn it off. Yup, not interested in logging in every time I wanted to use google. I use it A LOT - that would defeat the purpose!

Another simple way to hit the "INSTANT IS ON" drop down, and change it "INSTANT IS OFF". Yeah, I am NOT lazy, but why do I have to hit it every time I get annoyed with the feature?

GUESS WHAT! I found a way to disable without having to jump through hoops! On your Internet browser options, go to TOOLS, then go to INTERNET OPTIONS.

Select the SECURITY tab.

In the security tab, select RESTRICTED SITES

Select the SITES button.

Add "http://www.google.com" (without the quotes) to the restricted sites and viola! (of course don't forget to hit CLOSE and OK)

Now, if you notice in the image below, INSTANT IS ON, but it really ISN'T! Now I can type a topic and not worry about google trying to spell check for me and suggest me alternate searches that have NO relevance to what I am actually looking for! Hurray for ME!

By the way, even though google is added as the restricted site, it still works perfectly fine, even as a homepage or whatever... enjoy! UPDATE: if you use a google account, you will have to remove the restricted site to log in - but thats OK for me since I don't use it that often...


PS. I hope you my new Facebook Fan Page!

Thank you!






Robert Jarvis, MBA
Phone: 773-572-2362
Email: RobertJarvis@AnOpenHome.com

Who is Robert Jarvis? Stalk me at my other sites!





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