Affordable Housing
At OwnACondo.com, we know that when you have been considering moving there are many questions that come up. Like should you consider looking for a place to rent or is purchasing a place an option. Well rest easy knowing that we are here to help in finding a new place to call home. Condominiums are a great option for maintenance free living and the best part is it is affordable housing. Condominiums can offer your own space and often times some great amenities like pool, health club, close to shopping and close to transportation.
At OwnACondo.com we work hard every day for our buyers and sellers. For buyers we determine the things that are important and offer help in finding affordable housing. When you are working with a Condominium Specialist it is like having a friend in the business and we are there to walk you through every step of the process.
We can recommend one of our preferred lenders that like us, will offer the highest level of service and professionalism. We have put our preferred lenders to the test and have screened them carefully. We know and understand the real estate business and the frustrations that often times are part of the routine and we work hard at removing the frustration and making the process smooth.
So if you have been considering making a move in today’s real estate market, it’s a great time to take advantage of all the things that the market has to offer like the $8000 first time homebuyers tax credit, the low interest rates and the selection of affordable housing. And the Condominium Specialists at OwnACondo.com are ready to help you find affordable housing. So call us today and find out first-hand how easy and simple the process is. And start looking for affordable housing in one of the great neighborhoods of Chicago or one of the great communities surrounding the city of Chicago.
Even if you are interested in selling your condo, OwnACondo.com is here to help. Our Condominium Specialists offer a FREE Comparative Market Analysis and can make suggestions on improvements as well as where to price your property in today’s competitive real estate market.
So if you are looking to buy or sell affordable housing, call the Condominium Specialists at OwnACondo.com and learn why we have become the best place to buy and sell condominiums. We are ready to start working for you!
First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit
The talk of today’s real estate market is everywhere, from conversations in public places to conversations at work to the local news and even the national news. Often times the real estate market is the headline in local and national newspapers. And if you look at Google or Yahoo news, you can almost bet you will find at least one article on today’s real estate market. And most of us realize that every decade we seem to have been part of some sort of economic struggle. Well at OwnACondo.com we’ve heard it all. And we can see the bright side of the real estate market. Let’s talk about the bright side of today’s real estate market. Interest rates are low, inventory is high and the economic stimulus package was designed to stimulate the economy in ways it has not done in years. One of the greatest opportunities is the First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit.
President Obama’s economic stimulus package has a great reward to take advantage of, the first time home buyers tax credit. The first time home buyers tax credit allows a tax credit on your 2009 income tax return allowing a first time home buyers tax credit of 10% of the purchase price of the property up to a maximum tax credit of $8,000. In addition to the low interest rates, it makes now an ever better time and ever to purchase a condo.
There are deals to be made in every neighborhood of Chicago and it surrounding communities. So, call one of OwnACondo.com’s preferred lenders (Open Mortgage or Platinum Mortgage) and find out what type of mortgage and what amount you qualify for, then call the Condominium Specialists at OwnACondo.com and together we will determine what is important in finding your perfect condo. Then your condo specialist will start searching for the perfect condo to call home.
This is an unbelievable time in the real estate market. So, don’t miss this great opportunity to take advantage of the first time home buyers tax credit. If you would like more information about the first time home buyers tax credit call us today or call one of OwnACondo.com’s preferred lenders. We’re all ready to start working for you and helping you take advantage of the first time home buyers tax credit.
Even if you are looking to sell your condominium mentioning the first time home buyers tax credit to possible buyers is a great idea.
Homebuyers Tax Credit
Everyone is talking about the economy. At OwnACondo.com we are talking about it in a way that is much different than most people. It’s hard to believe, but we see such great opportunity today. Interest have dropped slightly again. There are more homes and condominiums available for purchase than there are buyers. Because of the shift in the economy, home prices have fallen making them even more affordable. And thanks to President Obama’s economic stimulus package, first time buyers will qualify for a homebuyer’s tax credit of 10% of the purchase price up to $8,000. When you look at any one of the above as a reason to consider buying now, it is a good reason, but when you look at all the reasons together, it makes it a great time to buy.
To find our more information about the homebuyers tax credit, you can contact OwnACondo.com, or one of our preferred lenders. Together we can start working for you. By calling one of our preferred lenders, they will prequalify you to see what type and how much of a mortgage amount would be comfortable for you. Your OwnACondo.com Condominium Specialist will help you in determining the things that are important to you in finding the perfect condominium to call home. And then the search begins.
So if you have been dreaming about buying a condominium now is the time to start looking. And if you are a first time homebuyer it’s a great time to take advantage of the homebuyers tax credit.
The above reasons to buy a condominium are also considered to be great reasons to sell your condominium. The homebuyers tax credit can work as a strong selling point as well, for a first time homebuyer. At OwnACondo.com, our Condominium Specialists are ready to prepare a FREE Comparative Market Analysis for your condo and make suggestions to improve the chances of selling your condominium in today’s market. Suggestions can sometimes go beyond pricing. It can include cosmetic changes to your condo to make it more appealing to buyers.
At OwnACondo.com, we are not afraid of today’s market. We see today’s market as a great opportunity for both buyers and sellers. We understand real estate and the real estate market, which has made OwnACondo.com the best place to buy and sell your condominium. We also have a huge network of specialists who have made us your condo resource for everything condos. Call us today!
$8000 Homebuyer Tax Credit
For months the top news story seems to have been the economy. And recently President Obama announced and economic stimulus plan. The economic stimulus plan included and $8000 homebuyer tax credit, which allows first time homebuyers the opportunity to receive a credit of 10% of the purchase price of the home up to an $8000 tax credit on their 2009 income tax returns.
Just when we thought as consumers that mortgage interest rates couldn’t possibly get any lower they drop slightly more, which is another important factor in today’s economy. It’s a huge deal when you look at the interest you would be paying over the course of a 30 year fixed mortgage.
When you combine the $8000 homebuyer tax credit and the low mortgage interest rates, how can it get any better? The prices for condominiums as well as homes have remained steady, but at a more reasonable price than a few years ago. The real estate market has plenty of condominiums and homes for consideration.
These three major factors in today’s economy are a great advantage to the homebuyer. There are great deals in almost every neighborhood of Chicago as well as in the surrounding communities.
If you have been considering taking advantage of these opportunities, but you are unsure if you can qualify for a mortgage feel free to contact one of OwnACondo.com preferred lenders. By calling a Condominium Specialist at OwnACondo.com, we can refer you to a lender to answer your mortgage related questions and to find out how much you qualify to purchase. Once you are pre-approved for a mortgage your Condominium Specialist will start working with you to determine the area you would like to live in as well as the important requirements and amenities that you would love to have.
So if you have been thinking about purchasing a condominium, or even a home, but did not know where to start, call us today. Our friendly Condominium Specialists are ready to make your experience easy. So don’t wait a minute longer, time is flying by and we don’t want you to miss the great opportunities that are available today. And rest assured that at OwnACondo.com we are ready to answer the simplest to the difficult questions and get you on the path to taking advantage of the $8000 homebuyer tax credit and the low interest rates. So call today! We look forward to working with you on the purchase of your new home.
Real Estate Companies in Chicago
There are thousands of real estate companies in Chicago. Which one do you choose? It will start with what type of real estate you plan to buy in Chicago. If you are planning to purchase a condominium in Chicago, it will be in your best interest to choose a company that specifically represents condos. In Chicago there is really only one or two of them. When you choose a company that specializes in a particular part of the real estate market, it causes them to be naturally better than anyone else in that particular category. A “condo only†real estate brokerage just sells condos. If you had heart problems you wouldn’t go to an eye doctor.Â
When you choose a real estate company in Chicago make sure they have been around for awhile. Ask how many agents they have working for them. Make sure to choose something now too small, but also be wary of not too big as well. A real estate firm that is too small may not be able to get out the information to enough of agents. For instance, let’s say you list your Chicago condo with a real estate company with no more than three Realtors working for them. Once the listing is taken, the first people you notify about the real estate product to sell are the agents in the company. Who will they go to? The other two realtors in the company. Then those two agents start networking with their clients to sell the condo product. Imagine listing your condominium in Chicago with a real estate company has over 100 realtors in their office? And every single one of them specializes in Condos! That’s the company to choose if you want to sell your condo.  Â
Condo brokerages just started popping up as a niche in the market place in Chicago. When you hover over the real estate industry nationally, no one is there as a national brand. This is a need that needs to be filled. It’s too important to the consumer that wants to sell or own a condo. Condos are very different from any other type of real estate and they need people that understand all aspects of representing them. Condo Realtors in Chicago are rare but can be found with Google searches or asking a friend. They’re out there but you have to track them down.
Real Estate companies will begin making a switch to specialization in the upcoming years. It makes all the sense in the world. Just like 200 years a go when there was one doctor that handled everything, there will be a switch in the real estate industry creating niches. It already started.
Short Sale Condos
Short Sale Condos are becoming more and more popular in today’s home market. A short sale condo is condo that is currently for sale. The owner has defaulted on the mortgage, often time for various different reasons, and they have agreed to try and sell the property before the bank forecloses on it. Many times a short sale condo has benefits to both the buyer and the seller. For the seller, if a condo, or even a home, is sold through a short sale, it is not considered to be a foreclosure and the seller in most cases walks away from the mortgage without have a foreclosure on their credit rating. However, the missed and late payments would be on their credit report which is far better than having a foreclosure on their credit report. Often times, the foreclosure process can be lengthy and the homeowner does not know when they will have to vacate the premises. But when there is a short sale, it is clear that they must give up possession at the time of closing.
Advantages for the buyer would be that in many instances, the bank is willing to settle for an amount that is less than the original amount owed. This makes it a great buy for a buyer and will often times stretch the buyer’s dollar. Unfortunately, the wait for an approved offer varies. But on the other hand if the deal is that great, then it is worth waiting for.
Short sale condos are not limited to one area. You can find short sale condos and even homes in almost every neighborhood of Chicago as well as many of the surrounding communities. Short sale condos and homes are available in all sizes and in all price ranges. Often times the longer the property sits on the market, the more drastic the price reduction becomes.
At OwnACondo.com, our Condominium Specialists are knowledgeable in the short sale process. We represent both Short Sale buyers and sellers. So if you are in default of your mortgage, there is hope in trying to sell your property and at OwnACondo.com we are experienced and can help eliminate some of your stress. So call the Short Sale Condo Specialists at OwnACondo.com today. Find out first hand why more and more buyers and sellers are calling us to them through the process of buying and selling condos in today’s market.
Chicago Condos
Chicago condos can be found for sale in just about every area there is. Currently there are over 35,000 condos for sale in every shape and size imaginable. I was at a condo auction in Chicago and saw a gentleman pick up a condo for $45,000. This was exact same condo I personally sold back in 2003 for $120,000. Wow, what deals are out there today.
Chicago condos can be viewed by going to just about any real estate website. Once on the site, start with the neighborhoods of Chicago that interest you most. You’ll find it easier by breaking everything down by area because there’s just too much on the market. When supply is high, as it is today, the prices are driven down significantly. The price of a Chicago condo today is about 20% lower than it was two to three years ago.
Once you have found a few condos you would like to view, call your real estate agent for a showing of the condominium. This is the exciting part. Time to go look at Chicago real estate! The joy of walking into all types of real estate has always been a great experience. I love to look at the architecture of the condo and how people decorate things. It really is quite exhilarating. Once you feel like you’re getting serious about buying a Chicago condo, it’s time to check to see your affordability of one. To finance a condo in today’s market place may be a little challenging. Financing condos are a niche in the market place and it’s always best to seek out a financing specialist. They will be able to over all the criteria needed to get you to the next step…own the condo.
Once you’ve met with the condo financing loan officer, and they’ve approved you for a specific price of what you can afford, it’s now time to start making offers on theses great pieces of real estate. Real Estate in Chicago can be purchased for significantly lower prices than normal because of the market place. You can start by bidding low, medium or high depending how bad you want the Chicago condo. Be prepared to get some strange looks from your realtors and sellers if you’re a bargain hunter and want to try to purchase the condominium in Chicago at an extremely reduced price. There are several real estate agents that will not work with you because they’ll feel you’re ultimately wasting their time. That’s all right. Stick with it and some day soon you’ll be living in your beautiful condo in Chicago!
Chicago Real Estate
Chicago real estate has become quite a hot commodity lately. With interest rates at all-time lows and the $8,000 first time buyer tax incentive from the United States government, there may never be a better buying time for those that can afford to. The knockout punch in all of this is the price incentives from sellers. Real estate in Chicago is at an incredible discount from the slowdown over the last three years. This has created buying opportunities unheard of.
The Chicago real estate market has been buzzing in spring of 2009 from all of this. Buyers have come out of the woodwork and we’re also seeing real estate investors again as well. Theirs is usually a tipping point before the breakout and it looks as if we may be very close to it. The condo market in Chicago has heated up as well. There are more than 35,000 condos for sale right now in inventory, but many of these condos are being rented with option to buy. We’re seeing a number of real estate firms in Chicago turning to rent-to-own programs to help move the condominium product.Â
The smell of spring is in the air and real estate in Chicago appears to be on the move again. Have we bottomed out? Only history will tell us, but right now, it appears as if there’s been an upswing in activity. Real estate agents in Chicago have been busier than ever as reported by OwnACondo.com’s owner Brian Kuzdas. Mr. Kuzdas recently was quoted as saying, “it’s been the busiest we’ve ever seen it inside the OwnACondo.com walls. The phones are ringing off the hooks and agents are meeting with more than ten families a week. Our sales volume and rental volume have increased ten fold.â€Â Around the real estate industry we’re hearing similar things as well. It will only be a matter of time before we see how the tipping point began, but it may have started.
Chicago real estate has always been a popular investment opportunity for people around the country and internationally as well. With landmark buildings like Seas Tower and the John Hancock building, Chicago real estate has been one of the safest and opportunistic investments around. Chicago was hit hard though with the downturn in real estate in 2007 & 2008, but it wasn’t hit as bad as some of the cities on each of the coasts like Miami and Los Angeles.Â
If you’re getting ready to start buying at a discount, Chicago real estate may be one of the places to start.
Hiring Chicago Real Estate Agents
When the real estate market is booming hiring Chicago real estate agents is easy because there are literally thousands in which to choose. Everyone wanted to be a real estate agent because they saw properties being sold in hours not days, agents making more money than ever before, a seemingly unending supply of buyers who wanted to cash in on easy credit and sellers eager to realize the equity they had in their homes or condos. Everyone wanted the American dream of owning their own home. But what about when the market is like it is today, fewer buyers, difficulty in getting credit, uncertainty of home values and a glut in the inventory of homes available for sale. It is even more important today to hire the best real estate agent available with all the challenges facing buyers and sellers alike but where do you find them and how can you tell if they are the right person for the job.Â
A good real estate agent can make or break your deal! You will need to find the best real estate agency and agent to make certain you specific needs are being taken care of. Many people think they do not need a real estate agent or they can do everything themselves. Translation - they don't trust real estate agents because they have heard stories or don't really know what a real estate agent brings to the table that they can't do themselves. Obviously, some buyers and sellers manage on their own quite well but that can depend on the market. Hot seller markets are conducive to almost anyone putting their home on the market by putting a sign in the yard and waiting for all the buyers to come falling all over themselves to buy your home. By today's standards we are not in a hot sellers market so what value can hiring a Chicago real estate agent bring to the transaction. Probably the most important value a real estate agent can bring to you today is a qualified buyer. That might sound very simple but with the tightening of credit a qualified buyer is not so easy to find. Your experienced real estate agent knows the questions to ask and information to gather so when the contract is written you can be assured the buyer can fulfill their part of the bargain.  Â
Hiring a Chicago real estate agent can be easy with a few simple rules. Research not only the agent but the real estate agency. How long have they been in business? How many transactions and what type have they closed in the past year? Ask for letters of recommendation from past customers and clients. A successful real estate agent and agency should be able to provide all of this information quickly and easily.
Condominium Specialist
When seeking to buy a condo, especially if it's your first, please make sure you zero in our working with a condominium specialist. The effort you exert to make this happen in the beginning of your quest will certainly pay off in the future.
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A "condo only" condominium specialist means that he or she just sells condos. They do not represent homes, office buildings, land, an apartment building or a strip center. They sell condos and only condos. Though it seems to go without saying, this changes everything. This condominium specialist works only with buyers looking for condos. That means everyday they wake up, they are looking at different condo developments all over Chicago and getting to know the market better than anyone else. They are trained on condos every day, every week, every month back at the office. This naturally makes them better than anyone in the industry when it comes to condo representation.
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Working with a specialist that only represents condos in Chicago is one thing, but how about an entire company that only does this. Can you imagine every real estate agent in the office doing nothing but working with condos? This brings up the level of service significantly. This is what you need if you're looking to buy your first, second or twentieth condominium.Â
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There are many things to look out for when buying your condo in Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles or New York. Are the condo associations caught up? Do they have a reserve for soon to come major improvements? Are there any foreclosures in the condo complex affecting the state of the association budget? Your condo realtor and your attorney will help you through all of these questions and many more.
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It starts with you doing your due diligence. Focus on picking the real estate company that services condos only. Then, ask for a realtor or two within that company that you can interview to see who you feel comfortable. Remember, this is you most expensive transaction of your life. You're buying real estate.Â
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Don't take this lightly. The knowledge of Realtors that do nothing but sell condos is huge. Take advantage of it.
