Completely Updated Ranch Home Near Downtown Geneva
If you’re shopping for an absolutely move-in ready home in an ideal location in the Tri-Cities area, look no further. This stunning ranch home has been completely redone and is truely something special. I know you’ve seen re-habs in the past and have been dissappointed with cut corners and cheap materials – that’s not the case here. The seller has really gone the distance to provide the next owner with a superior living experience. Plus a lot of work has been done “under the hood” to make sure this property is going to be worry-free. One of the big draws of this home is, of course, the location. Within walking distance of Downtown Geneva makes this property perfect for owners that enjoy the scenic downtown and all the festivals that occur throughout the year. Combine this with a large lot with mature landscaping on a quiet street that’s set back in the woods and you’ve got an absolutly ideal location.
I’m sure when you look at a home, one of the most important things is the kitchen. Having a kitchen with enough space and in a location that allows you to cook and entertain at the same time are features that many buyers prize in a home. This kitchen has been completely re-designed with this in mind. Start with new high-end cabinets with built-in soft-close technology and tons of storage space. Next, this home has been furnished with brand new stainless steel appliances and here’s another area where this home really stands out. Where most rehabbed homes provide you basic-model appliances, the seller has really gone the distance to provide high-end appliances. The oven is a higher-end model with cast iron burners and the side-by-side refrigerator/freezer includes a built-in icemaker and water dispenser. You’ll also find full granite countertops with a built-in breakfast bar and stylish glass tile backsplash. Where this home exceeds expectations is in the little details – for example, the under-cabinet lighting system. This all-new kitchen is the centerpiece of the home and ties in perfectly with the dining room and a pass-through allows you to entertain guests in the family room while you prepare meals. Continue reading
In this crazy real estate market, it’s refreshing when you find a townhome that’s in pristine condition at a good price and isn’t another short sale or foreclosure. That’s exactly what you’ve found with 2729 Borkshire. This beautiful 2BR/2.1BA townhome is located in Cambridge Countryside on the far northeast side of Aurora near Fermilab and the Chicago Premium Outlet Mall. 2729 Borkshire is a single-owner property and has been impeccably maintained. It is being offered at a list price of $159,900 and there are several special financing options available. Please call Eric Rogers at (630) 346-1041 for any questions or for a private tour. Here are just a few of the exceptional features this townhome includes:
Perhaps one of the most impressive features of this townhome is the large country kitchen. You’ve probably seen the typical townhome kitchen before – you usually have banks of cabinets on either side of basically an aisle with the stove on one side and sink on the other. Probably functional but definitely not high-end. If that’s what you’re expecting here, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised. This townhome features a full-sized modern kitchen with all the amenities. Start with enough space to move around freely, even with the large center island. All appliances are included and in perfect condition (a rarity in this market where most sellers take their appliances with them or they’re so trashed you don’t want them). The beautiful oak cabinets offer plenty of storage space and the hardwood floors are pristine. Two features you’ll love, particularly i you like to entertain, are the corner sink and pass-through window to the family room. That way, you can be working on meals and still be interacting with your guests. The kitchen also includes a large pantry as well as a large dining area. 
After a flat spring market, what’s in store for Northern Illinois for the rest of 2011? There are some factors that will be starting to influence prices and activity in the region beginning now – the most important being the rate of new foreclosures. Recent statistics show we’re currently at a 44 month low for new foreclosure filings. Also, the “shadow inventory” that was the big worry this spring has yet to materialize and many now believe that it was largely hype. As you can see from the graph, our downward slide in median price bottomed in May and since then we’ve seen things move up a bit. I would expect that to continue through this fall with perhaps a leveling off during the winter months. It remains to be seen what the current turmoil with the financial markets and uncertainty with Europe and the threat of a double-dip recession will do, if anything. I honestly don’t attribute our improvements since May to an increase in the number of new buyers – more of a combination of pent-up demand, fewer foreclosures and time of the year. There are lots of buyers “bottom shopping” this market – snatching up any juicy deals that come through. That’s causing an interesting situation where homes at certain price points are selling in days with multiple offers while others sit un-touched. Often the foreclosures in this market are garnering a lot of attention because they represent a quick purchase opportunity at great prices. 
The number of foreclosures on the market over the last 5 years has risen dramatically. Currently in Illinois, there are areas where most or all of the sales are actually bank-owned foreclosures. For many buyers, the process of purchasing a foreclosure is unknown and there are a lot of myths out there that really don’t help or are flat-out wrong. The process of buying a foreclosure, bank-owned, corporate-owned or REO property has changed drastically just over the past few years. This post is intended to highlight the top 5 misconceptions about purchasing a foreclosure. As I’m sure you know, the market is constantly changing. It’s important that you work closely with an agent that specializes in foreclosures and bank-owned properties. I can help you safely navigate this process and have many years of experience in the foreclosure market. Call (630) 346-1041 or email me at erogers@c21proteam.com for more information.
Today’s featured property is a real gem. In my years of real estate I can’t quite remember a home that was this spotlessly clean that wasn’t new construction. This beautiful Essex model is located in Lakewood Creek West just south of Rt. 30 in Montgomery. If you know the area, you know that one of the big benefits of homes in Lakewood Creek West is that there is no SAS tax in this community. You also have access to a community pool, small clubhouse and tennis courts for rather small monthly homeowner’s dues. The price of these homes has been falling significantly over the past few years and has reached a point where the value of this home is extremely high. This home is being sold for $172,900, less than was originally paid for this home new in 2004. For a home that has been maintained so well it’s like-new, this affords an incredible value for the savvy home buyer looking for a home with tons of equity growth potential – these homes were selling in the $230′s just 5 years ago!
Family Room: The Essex model is known for it’s large family room with vaulted ceiling and double banks of windows that let in lots of natural light. The family room is located directly next to the breakfast nook and kitchen making it a great place for family to relax and watch TV and perfect for entertainment. The large windows give an excellent view of the back yard. The carpet is in excellent condition – clean and move-in ready. 
From years of helping buyer clients search for homes you develop a sense for what works and what doesn’t. As part of my business, I have always encouraged my clients to conduct their own online home searches to supplement the listings I send. I tend to feel that the #1 expert on which home is best for my buyers is: (as you probably guessed) the buyers themselves. But you all need my advice and experience when it comes to the transaction. What I’ve found from talking with many of my clients about their own home searches can help you avoid mistakes if you’re doing some searching yourself. Here are the top 5 biggest mistakes buyers make when searching for homes online and my suggestions on how to avoid them:
This weekend my family and I enjoyed our fourth Prairiefest near downtown Oswego in the fields between Oswego High School. This popular summer festival is always a can’t-miss for me – it’s always a good time. Prairiefest is one of the largest regional summer festivals and combines many of the popular events that visitors love. The event is centered around a large stage where numerous music acts perform through the weekend. This is surrounded by a large food concourse that includes perhaps one of the greatest variety of different concessions of any festival we regularly attend. Perhaps our favorite is Wild Bill’s Soda where you can buy a tin cup for $9-$10 and get free refills all day of a variety of old west-themed sodas including Birch Beer, Sarsaparilla and traditional Root Beer. Food options range from your traditional hot doogs, corn dogs and fries up to Mexican or Italian restaurant fare. Prairiefest is managed and presented by the Oswegoland Park District and they do a great job presenting visitors a variety of food options with very few overlaps.
We walked over to the Aurora Sci-tech Museum to look at the recently repaired Swimming Stones kinetic water sculpture by Chris Tobin right across the street. There were lots of children enjoying the spraying water in the 90-degree heat. I thought that the grassy area near there would be an ideal place to watch the parade, but the lack of shade was an issue so we moved on looking for a better spot. I wanted to walk over to the GAR Hall to take a look at it and we passed by the Fox River – it’s definately at flood stage – so much so that the walkway under at least the Galena Blvd bridge was completely under water. We arrived at the GAR Memorial Hall and realized that was where the judges stand was. We joined a group of people on the grass in front of the hall and listened to the pre-parade program that included vocal performances by the Waubonsie Valley High School Varsity Choir as well as speeches by several veterans. 
