Sue Hedlund

I noticed that you are a home seller in Wheaton, so here are the statistics for Wheaton. In the "Starter Home" category, which in any home under $300,000, there are 97 properties listed, of which 20 are under contract. In the 300-400K price range, there are 90 homes total, of whihc 16 are under contract, in the 400-500K category, there are 87 homes total, of which 14 are under contract, in the 500-600K category, there are 57 homes total, of which 10 are under contract, in the 600-800K category, there are 55 homes total, of which 8 are under contract, and in the 800K and up category, there are 84 homes total, of which 6 are under contract, So, it is hard to say if starter homes are selling well, it is all relative, but yes the starter homes are selling better than the more expensive homes. However, in the "good old days" which were just a few years ago, more than 50% of the starter homes would be under contract, rather than just 20%. This is a tough market, you need a top real estate professional to help you accomplish your goals. - Thu Jul 10 2008, 07:53

Ironically starter homes in the 0-$299,999 bracket are not selling as well as the homes in the $300,000 to $499,999 bracket. They are lagging in market time by about a month or so. If you would like to get accurate statistics, go the http://www.headrick-wagner.com site which is a group of appraisers that specialize in the Western Suburbs, Bob Headrick and Chip Wagner. They publish a quarterly report that will show you the average market time, amount of actively listed homes, and the "months of supply". You will find their site very informative! - Thu Jun 5 2008, 07:54

That is an interesting question, almost a "trick" question, because as stated before, we are not allowed to discuss commission rates as stated earlier because of the anti-trust laws. I started selling back in 1986 and have noticed declining commissions ever since, yet the agents are doing equal work. In fact, in the challenging real estate market that we find ourselves in nowadays, the market time has tripled, our expenditures have tripled in advertising and marketing a home to get it to sell, so I am wondering why our commissions have not tripled? I can guarantee, that if you employ a good agent, they are worth every single penny! I work 7 days a week, never take a vacation, and it is not uncommon for me to work 16 hours a day, so I can guarnantee that you are definitely getting your money's worth out of me, This is a really tough market to sell a home in now. If the realtors are struggling, there is no way a For Sale By Owner is going to survive. You need to select a top producing realtor with proven track record, check on productivity records. The only way houses are selling now is with the very best agent marketing the home, plus a carefully matched listing price, plus prepping the home, painting, condensing furniture, cleaning, replacing light fixtures and maybe a kitchen countertop, possibly replacing carpet, and hiring a Professional Stager. Your house has to shine amongst the hundreds of other competitors! - Thu Jul 10 2008, 07:37

The homeowner/real estate agent cannot represent you, they would be in violation of the license law. You can continue with the transaction and represent yourself, or you can employ a real estate agent to represent you, to be your Buyer's Broker, normally the seller would be willing to pay the cooperating agent that is representing you their commisssion. - Tue Jun 24 2008, 17:26

Here is the link for the Pace Bus, you can click on it and see the various schedules and maps, unfortunately most of them will head toward the train station, or downtown Wheaton, rather than the First Care Center which is located at 1219 Butterfield Road in Wheaton. Is your mother-in-law a Senior Citizen, she could then qualify for reduced cab fare. Has she approached an of the other employees to see if they would be interested in earning extra money? If she is younger, she may want to think about riding a bike there is the Prairie Path that runs along Butterfield Road. Here is the link for the Pace Bus system: http://www.pacebus.com/sub/schedules/default.asp - Tue Jun 24 2008, 17:23

It is a question of time, the bank may eventually come around. It is not worth trying to pay more, just shop for other properties if they are not willing to work with you. You can also go my website and click on Property Search and then click on Foreclosures to find additional opportunites. My website is shedlund.illinoisproperty.com - Thu Jun 5 2008, 08:07