Blurbs from the Burbs by Chicago Northwest Realtor, Judy Greenberg

One of my recent Buffalo Grove home first time buyers had many questions after finding the perfect home.  They inspired me to write this post to  explain the next 8 steps of what happens from the time you sign the contract until closing!

 

Congratulations!   The sellers accepted your contract and  I am so excited  you have finally found the perfect home. Is my job over?     Just the opposite...     My job as your Realtor has just begun.    I will be with you each of the below 8 steps ... until you  sign the papers at closing and you walk away with the keys.

 

Remember, we are a team and I  will help you make the next few months  as stress free as possible. 

 

 1.  First  I will make certain both your attorney and lender receive a copy of  the contract.  If you don't have an attorney, I  have recommendations of attorneys that are both reasonably priced, responsive and ensure  that a successful closing will take place. I always like to be copied on all correspondence, so I am knowledgeable of the transaction every step of the way.    You can check out my website at  www.buffalogroveareahomes.com for suggestions of the best real estate attorneys.

2.  I  will advise you to schedule a home inspection next - and of course I   have recommendations for a reliable inspector who will inform you of the current condition of the home..    Again you can check out my website at www.buffalogroveareahomes.com  for a recommendation of a thorough inspector.   The home inspection needs to take place within 5 business days from the date the contract is signed.  Most of the time, I recommend a radon inspection at the same time.   Depending on the size of the home you purchased, the  inspection can take 2 to 4 hours.

 After the inspection is completed, the inspector will provide you with a report which he or I will forward a copy to your attorney. Your attorney will review the report with you and will make recommendations as to what repairs should be requested from the seller as well as what is required under the contract. I will also discuss this with you and make my recommendations.

 3. The attorney review period is typically the same 5 business days from the date the contract is signed. Your attorney will review the contract with you during this time frame and may make suggestions to modify the contract to better protect your interests.

 4. You should contact an insurance company as soon as possible to arrange for your purchase of homeowner's insurance. You have ten days under the contract to make sure you can obtain insurance at a reasonable cost. If you need flood insurance you must verify this now. Your lender will require you to pay one full year of homeowner's insurance premiums prior to the closing, with the receipt to be brought to the closing. Have your insurance agent fax a copy of the paid receipt directly to your lender as well.

 5.  Notify your present utilities (if applicable) and arrange for services at your new address approximately 2 weeks prior to the closing. This includes gas, electric, water, cable and phone.   Don't forget to cancel or transfer deliveries, newspaper, magazines, garbage collection, etc.

 6.   Prior to closing, we will conduct a final walk through  to make sure the home is in the same condition as it was when the offer was made and that all home inspection issues have been resolved. This is typically done the day before or the day of the closing. I will contact you to schedule the walk through. 

 7.  The closing time and date will be set by the attorneys based upon their schedules and the availability of the title company representative. As the buyer, you will need to bring your driver's license or picture identification, as well as the paid receipt for your homeowner's insurance. Your attorney will instruct you on how to find out the amount of money to bring to closing, where the closing will be located, and what you need to bring.

 8 .After closing if you want to paint,  remodel, or make any other updates, I can give you recommendations as to vendors who either myself, my friends or my past clients have used.

 

I'm there with you every step of the way, so don't worry about calling me or emailing with any of your concerns. 

 

As you can see, the realtor's job does not end with the choosing of the perfect home. My job is never really over!

 

If you want more information regarding specific real estate sales in the Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, and Lincolnshire area, please do not hesitate to call me at 847-602-5435 or email me at info@buffalogrovehomes.com   I am available 24/7 to make appointments!

 

Buffalo Grove Realtor

If you are buying or selling real estate in Buffalo Grove, there are many excellent realtors to choose from.  Here are my tips to help you find the best one for you

•1.     Choose a Buffalo Grove Realtor that best suits your personality!

By sitting down face to face with a Buffalo Grove prospective real estate agent, you can really gauge how well the dynamic between the two of you works. It is incredibly important to choose a Buffalo Grove realtor who makes you feel exrtremely comfortable since you will be spending many of the next waking hours with this person.  

To learn more about me we can either meet for coffee- I like Dunkin Donuts better than Starbucks, but I never refuse a good latte, we can chat over the phone, or you can read a few of my blog posts at www.judygreenberg.com.   I think I'm kind of  funny, very honest, maybe a little too honest and someone I hope you will enjoy to be with. I'm also very focused and will work diligently until you have found the right house or sold your Buffalo Gove property.

•2.     Choose a Buffalo Grove realtor you can trust

There are certain professions where trust is of the utmost importance and included in this list is realtors. A good realtor is someone who you know will do his or her best for you.   

 No -brainer! The high level of integrity and complete honesty bred into me enable you to put your trust in me to help YOU with your next real estate  purchase.  I will provide you a list of my past clients in order for them to give you a good idea of how I operate.    A great percentage of my business is  either  referral based or internet based...  Isn't that how you found me?

•3.     Choose a full- time Buffalo Grove  realtor

These days, it seems that almost everyone is or knows  a realtor. Some realtors do it as a hobby, and some do it as a full time job.  I do it  almost 24/7.   By hiring a full time realtor, you help assure that their search for your new home is full time as well.  During your search for the perfect home, a realtor will be looking for the home on the multiple listing service that meets all of your criteria.

I go beyond that.    Many times when I have a buyer in a specific price range and they can't find a home that they are truly in love with, I go the extra step.   I ask the realtors in my office, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, if anyone has a listing that they know that is coming on the market soon.  If this networking proves unsuccessful, I take it one step further and ask my close friends and colleagues I trust in the other offices in town to see if they know of any listing that is going to meet the needs of my buyers.    Although inventory is high, and you are  probably laughing to yourself that a person can't find a home in today's market, many times the best homes do not even hit the market. If I have a challenge to find you the perfect home, I will do everything in my power to help you find it. 

•4.     Choose a Buffalo Grove realtor that wants what you want.

Will your realtor listen to your needs and wants and understand that during this process your needs will change.

It took me 2 years to find my dream home, so I completely understand!  I work hard to ensure each move and home purchase/sale is as smooth and pleasant as it can be.   Buying a home can be stressful, so my goal is to take some of that stress away.

 •5.     Choose a local Buffalo Grove  realtor.

It is important to choose a realtor who knows the area like the back of her hand.  Your realtor should be completely versed in the schools, subdivisions,school districts, boundary lines, commuting, type of water the home uses, conservancy laws, etc

Let me give you an example.  Suppose a school district changed boundaries within the last few years.   Many listing realtors are relying on old school information, and submitting incorrect schools or incorrect spelling of schools on the MLS sheets.  This is happening more frequently today, especially with the influx of foreclosures and bank owned property on the market.  The seller's bank hires the Realtor and this realtor may live and work hours from the property.  If a buyer's realtor does not know the area, they will incorrectly rely on the listing agents mistakes.

When you are negotiating on behalf of your client, it is always better to be the one who is more knowledgeable about the area.  If you are representing the buyer and the seller won't budge on the price, you always have the advantage if you have seen the inside of the comparables and the reason that they sold for the price they did. A local realtor has the upper hand in the negotiations.

 

 If you would like more information about Buffalo Grove, Illinois, please do not hesitate to call me at 847-602-5435.  I'm a realtor who specializes in Buffalo Grove area. 

My  websites,www.buffalogrovehomes.com, www.buffalogroveareahomes.com and my blog www.judygreenberg.com will provide you all the information regardless as to whether you are a potential buyer or seller! 

 I can be reached at 847-602-5435 or via email at info@buffalogrovehomes.com. I have helped people move in and out of  the Chicago Northwest  Suburbs. including but not limited to Buffalo Grove, Illinois

 

 

Are you going to sell your Buffalo Grove home?  Finding the best realtor is an important decision.

How do you make a knowledgeable decision  of which realtor  to hire... 

Here's the scenario...you just interviewed 3 local realtors in town...  They each came to your home, gave you a market analysis of your property and presented  their excellent credentials and  qualifications. You seen to have a good rapport with all of them... How do you choose the best realtor? 

Its easy- put their names in a hat and pick one... As you probably guessed I was just kidding...    Research shows that best  choosing a realtor that has the most Internet presence will sell your home faster... 

 

 How can you verify if a certain realtor  is technological advanced and has the best internet presence?

 

 

 

 

 

Google the town you live in and  see if their  website appears on the first few page

 

Since 85% of the buyers begin their search on the internet,  there should be a requirement that your agent needs to be internet savvy. If the realtors website appear on page 1 of Google, you know buyers are going to find them and maybe in turn want to buy  a home similar to yours.

Sellers   you are in the driver's seat and you need to choose the  best realtor in the area who will be do the best job for you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additionally,  You should use the following criteria to pick the Buffalo Grove realtor for you