Why Should I Buy Now?
All we hear right now is about unemployment, health care reform and bailouts. That doesn’t mean there has not been talk of the real estate market and what is happening in that part of the economy. The question I am hearing more each day is, why should I buy now? Depending on who you listen to the market may or may not be at its bottom and who in all reality can forecast it. Many of those so-called forecasters were the ones that missed all aspects of the economy as it was tumbling downward. And down is not always a bad place to be since the only other way is up. Whether we are at the bottom, close to the bottom or on our way up it is a good time to buy your home or condo.
Why should I buy now? There are several factors that are in your favor by acting now.
Pride of ownership is the number one reason people want to buy a home. Home ownership offers you and your family a sense of stability and security while making an investment in the future.
Home ownership is currently one of the best tax shelters available with the volatility of today’s stock market. Mortgage interest is fully deductible on your tax return which lessens your tax burden year after year.
Mortgage reduction builds equity in your home. Each month you make a payment the principal portion of your loan goes down and as the principal goes down and the price of your home goes up, you are building equity or more asset value.
Another reason to ask yourself why should I buy now is interest rates are lower than they have been in years. Do you realize that you may be able get a 30 year fixed rate for less than 5% which makes a purchase start to look very appealing and if you tie that with anticipated inflation you will be paying back the loan with devalued dollars meaning you are getting more for your money than when you started. That means you can afford more home or if you want you can buy a more reasonably priced home and keep the payments low, maybe even less than you are paying in rent. Would you have imagined several years ago that you could get free money and a great interest rate on buying a home? If you are like most of us you would have laughed us out of the place, but it is happening now. We would never have guessed it just like we are never going to guess the bottom of the housing market. So just do it!
Condominium Insurance
When looking for condominium insurance there are crucial questions to ask to help guide you to the coverage you need. To state the obvious, a condominium is not the same thing as a house. Usually, there is no backyard or basement, and you don’t have to worry about cutting the grass or shoveling the front walk. Insurance is another area where homes and condos differ. Condo owners are typically responsible for insuring just a portion of their property on their own. However, rules differ from complex to complex, and it is important to ask the right questions to ensure you have proper insurance coverage.
What are your ownership and insurance responsibilities in the condo association’s Master Deed? In other words, what does the association expect from you regarding insurance requirements? Individual owners have a collective responsibility for insuring areas of the complex owned in common - building exteriors, hallways, pool area, etc. Individual unit owners typically are responsible for separately insuring everything within the four walls of their unit. The condo association’s master policy, as well as association rules, should spell out clearly which parts of the complex are insured through association dues and which parts are not.
How much is the association deductible? This is an area many condo owners don’t think about. Condominium insurance typically includes commercial insurance coverage for the commonly shared building and common areas which usually includes an association deductible. In the event of a natural disaster or hurricane or whatever and the condo association needs major work the association will tender the claim to their commercial insurer. But would be a deductible and that deductible would be assessed against all unit owners so if there were 10 unit owners, it would be divided 10 ways. You could really be hit with bill you weren’t expecting or did not know about if you didn’t do your homework.
It is also important to know how to lower you condominium insurance. Several questions need to be asked that can factor in to reducing your costs.
- Have your agent properly estimate the value of what is being insured by you for your condo.
- Apply modification credits. For condos that can mean sprinkler systems and central monitoring burglar and/or fire alarm.
- Shop around. It is often inconvenient and may require some effort but finding the right policy and coverage can save you money in the long run. Finally, keep in mind that there may be discounts. Many companies offer discounts such as non-smoker or retired.
Chicago Condos
Where can you find the best Chicago condos? Chicago is such a mix of cultures and nationalities with over 77 different neighborhoods that condo buyers have a variety of choices from the more upscale Gold Coast to the excitement of River North. There is no place like the city of Chicago and all it has to offer from the dozens of museums to professional sports for those who want to live in one of the most exciting cities in the world. Chicago condos have become one of the fastest growing segments in the residential real estate market for first time homebuyers or those looking to experience the excitement of downtown living.
There are literally hundreds of condos to choose from at almost any price. There are several major developments currently going on downtown and many developers are rolling out new incentives for pre-construction Chicago condos. Some developers are offering credits as high as $30,000 toward furniture as well as the services of a professional interior designer who sign up before a deadline. Others developers are offering a wide range of incentives from free parking spaces to options on floor plans at no cost and price guarantees.
Some of the best Chicago condos are scattered throughout the city and below are just a few.
• 6 North Michigan Ave
• Century Station
• Ecologic Lofts
• Joffrey Tower
• Market Street West
• Medinah on the Lake
• One Museum Park
• Walton on the Park
There is no better time to start looking for the best Chicago condos than now. Interest rates are low and pricing is the most reasonable in years with developers and sellers offering incentives to make their units stand out. That is why choosing the right Real Estate Agent to represent and market your property is a smart move. Your agent will review with you the different kinds of listing agreements or sales contracts and recommend the structure that would work best for your marketplace and property. But no matter who you choose, always look for these four parts in the agreement.
1. Timing – duration of the agreement should be clearly stated
2. Compensation – fee structure and payout
3. Cancellation – What happens if you wish to cancel the contract
4. Disputes – How will disputes be handled.
The agreement is an important document. Read and understand all sections and if you don’t ask a real estate professional or attorney.
Dream Condos
Owning your own home or condo is the American dream and truthfully there are few places on earth where you can completely own a home like in the United States. The condo lifestyle of living in metropolitan areas is relatively new but is becoming increasingly more popular with all age groups and owning a dream condo in a town like Chicago is no exception.
Many cities are known for their architectural diversity and with the many conversions of historic buildings into lofts and condos dream condos in a town like Chicago are almost the norm. There are over 77 acknowledged neighborhoods in Chicago and most have some sort of unique architectural influence most likely from the first ethnic group settling the area.
Take the south loop as one example which was one of the first residential districts in Chicago. The area was influenced by Irish working class immigrants who settled the area. Early in the twentieth century the area was filled with freight depots and passenger stations which eventually became the nation’s printing center. These depots and high loft buildings were renovated easily into family residences and condos, many with a unique floor plan.
North of the loop in neighborhoods such as Lincoln Park, Bucktown and Andersonville among others there are many unique styles of condos available. The area offers limitless possibilities ranging from lofts to high rises to brownstones which are a common site in much of Lincoln Park. The area boasts of park like settings, stunning views of the city and lake.
Not to be left out when looking for dream condos in a town like Chicago is further south in an area which was once home to the World’s Columbia Exposition. The Exposition was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s landing in America, only it began a year later than planned in 1893. The exposition boasted buildings designed by some of the most famous architects of the period which still influences the area. The Museum of Science and Industry and many of the buildings on the University of Chicago campus were designs from that period as well as many of the buildings in the neighborhoods of Hyde Park and Kenwood.
Almost anywhere in Chicago you can find condos that will satisfy anyone’s taste, no matter if they are loft styles on Printer’s Row or Brownstones in Lincoln Park. There are few cities that offer the excitement, culture, and architecture of Chicago.
Naperville
The American dream of owning your own home has changed over the last couple of decades. The dream is still alive but the options have changed dramatically. One of the fastest growing segments of property sales and areas today is Naperville condos. Owning a condo has many things in common with owning a traditional home, but it is the differences that count. It is important before you make that jump into home ownership that you know the area and whether a traditional home or condo is right for you.
If you are not familiar with Naperville it has become one of the largest cities in Illinois. In fact, Naperville is the fifth largest city in Illinois with its population surpassing such cities as Springfield and Rockford. Settled in 1831 by Joseph Naper and several other families, eventually splitting from Cook county to become the county seat of DuPage until 1868. For most of its existence the Naperville area was mostly rural but over the years the attraction of residents leaving Chicago has made Naperville one of the wealthiest cities in Illinois and in 2006 was ranked by Money Magazine as #2 on its list of America’s best cities in which to live. This migration mostly in the 1990’s with professionals seeking jobs along the technological corridor and highly ranked schools have made Naperville condos an attractive option to more traditional styles of real estate.
When you are looking for Naperville condos not all real estate agents are familiar with the nuances of these types of properties. Real estate transactions are most likely the biggest financial investment most people will experience in their lifetime, so it is even more important to find the right person for the job. But how do you choose the right person for the job? First of all with most any financial transactions you will want to make a thorough search which can be done quite easily by attending open houses to see how agents work and to meet them first hand. The agent you want to help you find that condo of your dreams is someone who is familiar with the local market and can tell you all you need to know about the area. Ask the prospective agent how long they have been licensed, how long they have worked in the condo market and how many sales they have closed in recent months. Ask for references and talk to your friends and family about who they would recommend and why. Once you have found the right agent you are well on your way to realizing the American dream of home ownership.
Real Estate Market
The real estate market today is certainly offering its challenges no matter if you are buying real estate or trying to sell your home. No one knows what the future holds for you, your family, you job or your finances but buying a home is in most cases the wisest and most financially astute decision you will ever make. If you are a first time buyer everyone wants to give you advice about what to do, many most likely are encouraging you to buy a home. That’s all fine and good but ultimately the decision is yours and the more you know about why you should buy a home, the less scary the process will appear to you.
In today’s real estate market the first thing you need to do when you are thinking about buying real estate is to ask yourself whether it makes more sense to keep renting for a while. There are a lot of advantages to buying a home and in many cases it is a smart choice. Most of the time it is a matter of timing because your life cycle changes and owning a home makes more sense at some times more than others. When you are just getting started with your new job and possibly a new location buying a home may be a little premature. Waiting till later in your career may be a smarter move because you may have settle on your career and location that may end of being a more long term situation. In other words, a more stable plateau in your life cycle is more conducive to owning your own home.
There are many reasons why buying in today’s real estate market is a good decision other than where you are with your life and career. Uncle Sam helps out home owners with tax deductions on your mortgage interest and real estate taxes. This can mean significant savings over your lifetime which in any economy is an advantage. Speaking of savings there is always the appreciation of owning your own home. Real estate moves in cycles over the years and real estate has consistently appreciates if you stay long enough. It is for most people an excellent hedge against inflation. Many people use the equity in their home in home equity mortgages to fund college educations, retirement accounts and a variety of other uses when money is needed. The advantage here is that interest on those loans are also tax deductible reducing your tax burden.
Homeownership may not always be the best choice depending on your situation but pride of ownership and making an investment in your future makes a strong case when you are thinking of buying a home.
Real Estate Jobs
Real estate agents are licensed professionals requiring completion of initial educational requirements and to maintain their license they are required throughout their career to take continuing education courses. It is not an easy task to become a licensed realtor and to succeed requires time, energy, creativity and money. Most real estate agents are independent contractors which means they pay their own expenses no matter if the market is booming or bust. As with most parts of the country real estate jobs are currently plentiful but opportunities are there for the taking if you have that entrepreneur spirit that most successful real estate agents possess.
Most people think real estate agents do nothing all day but drive around in their big cars, show a few homes, go to the country club and pick up a big check every few weeks. Nothing is further from the truth. The true job description of a successful real estate agent is longer than most CEO’s of major corporations. Agents are small or big depending on their success, independent business owners who must be counselors, financial experts, expert negotiators, educators, marketing specialists, public relations experts, and more often than not a chauffeur. When it comes to buying or selling real estate there is little a real estate agent does not do for their customer or client.
Real estate jobs in major metropolitan areas offer their own set of challenges and real estate jobs in Chicago are no different. Chicago is approximately 228 square miles covering over 77 different neighborhoods. As an agent how do you choose what areas in which to work? Obviously you would like to work close to home but that is not always possible or the best choice. Agents many times travel long distances and work long hours to service their customers and clients. Real estate agents derive most of their business from friends, family, and the referrals they generate which means they will list or show property over the entire metro area as well as surrounding suburbs and counties.
The real estate business can be a rewarding career but not for the faint of heart. Real estate jobs offer many challenges and opportunities for those who possess that entrepreneurial spirit and are willing to put in the time and effort required to be successful. For those of us who have made real estate a lifelong career there is no other job or career that can compare.
