13 tips for selling your home in winter - MSN Real Estate

13 tips for selling your home in winter - MSN Real Estate

Should I Rent My House If I Can’t Sell It? Baird Warner

There has been a lot written about how buying a home is less expensive than renting one in many parts of the country. Rents are skyrocketing and homes are at bargain prices. These two situations are also causing some sellers to consider renting their home instead of selling it.

 After all, they can get great rental income now and perhaps wait until house values increase in the future before selling. This logic makes sense in some cases. I believe strongly that residential real estate is a great investment right now.

 However, there is a huge difference between deciding you want to become an investor (and landlord) and deciding that renting your primary residence might be ‘easier’ than trying to sell it. As a real estate professional, it is my job to educate the homeowner to the possible challenges that might arise if they rent their home. Here are some questions every potential landlord should consider:

10 Questions to Ask BEFORE Renting Your Home

1.) How will you respond if your tenant says they can’t afford to pay the rent this month because of more pressing obligations? (This happens most often during holiday season and back-to-school time when families with children have extra expenses).

2.) Because of the economy, over ten percent of homeowners can no longer make their mortgage payment. What percent of tenants do you think can no longer afford to pay their rent?

3.) Have you interviewed a few experienced eviction attorneys in case a challenge does arise?

The Downers Grove / Darien Real Estate August Newsletter is Here

Dog With News Paper?

The August issue hot off the press… ( well the word processor actually). Lot’s of interesting news and ideas in this months issue on the local and national level. Check it out and let me know what kind if information you would like to see in future issues!

Have a GREAT AUGUST… All my best to you and yours. Neal Paskvan- Baird Warner

Click Here For the August DOWNERS GROVE / DARIEN Newsletter -

“Neal Paskvan is a Real Estate Agent in Downers Grove with Baird and Warner”
Neal also writes on his own blog about every thing Real Estate
Click Here to Visit Neal's Blog
Neal is also a regular contributor to the Downers Grove Patch
Click Here for the Downers Gove Patch

Home For Sale Near Farmingdale Ridge $155,000

2-Bedroom and 1-1/2 Bath Close to Everything!

Many Upgrades Make this Home a Super Value ~ Up Dated Kitchen Cabinets and Counter Tops ~ Granite Upgrades in all Bathrooms and Dressing area ~ Anderson Efficient Windows and Sliding Doors, just to name a few ~ Balcony off of Master Bedroom ~ Minutes to I-55 & I-355 ~ Pace Commuter Bus to Metra ~ Moments to Major Shopping ~ Over $20,000 of Recent Upgrades~ Nothing to do but Move in and Enjoy !

Click Here for more Info from Baird and Warner

Take A tour on Youtube

Contact Baird and Warner for a Private Showing.  630-964-1855

Great Video on How Much Can You Afford

Anu and Michael are young and their lives are still very much in transition. Michael is making his way through medical school -- and taking out a lot of student loans to do it. Anu is just starting her career, not making as much as she would like, and unsure how quickly her salary will grow in a slow economy. But they're ready to move from the city to the suburbs -- a big new dog is just one factor making them feel cramped in their space -- and they'd like to buy. The problem is, they want to know how much they should rely on their earning potential in deciding how much house they can afford. And they wonder whether Michael's loans will hurt their chances for a mortgage.

Click Here for the Video From AOL Real Estate

Robbers use Facebook to find victim

As vacation time approaches be aware that the way you and yours all now share info on the net—be it Facebook, Twitter or any social media posts, there are folks that follow your posts who may take advantage of your time away.

Have a family sit down and get everyone on the same page about this, OK? Indeed it's really cool to share pix and updates with grandma and grampa, moms, dads and friends when you're away—but guess what?—lots of folks know you're away .Even the Bad Guys!

Check out this Video

ASPCA | Tips for a Pet-Safe Easter!

 

With Easter right around the corner, our experts want to remind pet parents of a few holiday dangers.

• Beware of Easter lilies. These toxic plants can be fatal if ingested by our furry friends.
• Keep candy bunnies in check—chocolate goodies are toxic to cats, dogs and ferrets. And any treats containing xylitol an artificial sweetener used in many candies, chewing gum and baked goods—may be toxic too!
• Decorations can be dangerous, especially Easter tinsel. Kitties love to nibble colorful plastic grass, which can lead to an obstructed digestive tract, severe vomiting and dehydration.
• Baby chicks and rabbits are not Easter gifts. While these festive babies are adorable, resist the urge to buy; they grow up fast and often require specialized care! Thousands of ex-Easter bunnies and chicks are abandoned each year when their novelty wears off.

For more pet safety tips, please visit our Pet Care section.

ASPCA | Tips for a Pet-Safe Easter!

Short Sale Success: What is an Acceptable Hardship?

 

A short sale, in most instances, is a complex transaction. However, there are two very simplistic characteristics that every qualified short sale possesses:

1. The house must be valued at less than the homeowner owes on their mortgage debt obligation. In other words, the home must be “underwater”.
2. The homeowner must have a qualified hardship.

It is the second characteristic that we would like to touch upon in this blog post.

One question that we answer frequently is “My house is underwater. Is this an acceptable hardship?” Unfortunately, the answer is always “No.”

The simple fact that a homeowners mortgage obligation is in excess of their house value is not an acceptable hardship. A Short Selling bank will entertain a short sale when and only when there is a hardship that will, now or in the future, affect the borrower’s ability to pay their mortgage.

The following is a list of acceptable hardships that may be used when submitting a short sale package:

• Mortgage Rate Adjustments
• Loss of Employment or Reduction in Wages
• Business Failure
• Medical Hardship
• Death in the Family
• Divorce/Separation
• Military Service
• Overwhelming Debt Obligations
• Job Relocation

As always, should you have questions as to the acceptability of a hardship scenario, you should seek advice from an expert that has been trained in the short sale field. Look for the REALTOR®  Designation.

    Neal Paskvan  a Downers Grove Real Estate Broker holds the SFR Designation and may be able  to help

Reach Neal with Baird Warner at 630-964-1855 or e-mail him at neal.paskvan@bairdwarner.com

Downers Grove Pet Lovers: Coyote Mating Period Approaching

 

  You may see more coyotes in the area in coming months, as February through April are the typical coyote mating period. The City encourages you to be especially careful to keep your pets on a leash.

Coyotes are a permanent fixture in DuPage County’s rural, suburban and urban areas. Seeing a coyote cross a field, backyard, road or golf course does not necessarily constitute a problem or dangerous situation, either for humans or domestic animals. Coyotes will be more active and more visible in late-winter/early spring during their breeding seasons. Most coyotes are harmless; their goal is to eat more natural foods such as mice and rabbits

Downers Grove Pet Lovers: Coyote Mating Period Approaching

Ask a Vet: What Kind of Treats Do You Recommend? -Amy Van Tassel, DVM

The first thing I look for in a treat is the number of calories it contains.

A couple of years ago, I called some of the major manufacturers of commercial dog and cat treats to find out how many calories were in their treats. I was shocked by some of what I found. One treat had over 1,000 calories!

That number of calories is almost the entire daily energy requirement for an average dog weighing 60 pounds.

I have a list of all the information I obtained from these calls on our website at http://woodridgeanimalhospital.com/Main/DogTreatCalories.html for dog treats or http://woodridgeanimalhospital.com/Main/CaloriesinCatTreats.html for cat treats.

Click here for the rest of the story from Dr. Amy- Woodridge Patch

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Charlie & Riply Bark a lot when your walking your doggies