Here’s a little preview of one of my features that will be coming out in a couple weeks in my new issue of the “Neighborhood News” – a newsletter focusing on Aurora real estate and real estate in surrounding communities.

 Cross Country SkiingThe Fox Valley area offers many opportunities for people of all ages to do some cross-country skiing. Many of the park districts and forest preserves open up trails  to skiers in the winter.Cross Country Skiing is a great winter pastime for those looking for an outdoor activity to help burn those holiday calories. It also allows residents and visitors of the Fox Valley to view some beautiful winter scenery. Some of the Kane County forest preserves that are known for great cross-country ski trails are Burnidge Forest Preserve, Fabyan Forest Preserve and  LeRoy Oaks Forest Preserve. All of these locations offer groomed trails for skiers when weather permits.

If you’re buying or selling a home, your choice of a real estate agent to represent you is very important. Not all agents are equal in terms of the services and support we provide. In many cases, your home is your most valuable asset. You need to take some time and make sure your agent is working hard for you. My tip of the day comes from my guide titled: “10 Things You Must Know About Your Real Estate Agent” and focuses on some of the things you should be watching for at your first meeting.

1. Pay attention to way the agent acts on your first meeting. Dress, body language, confidence – these are all tell-tale signs that will tip you off as to how serious and experienced they are. Let’s face it, real estate is a business – you want to hire an agent that will treat your greatest possession with the respect it deserves. Dress is a big indicator – a shirt and tie should be minimum dress requirements for a first meeting with a client, if not a full suit (or formal dress for a woman). Any agent that dresses down for your appointment might not be taking their job seriously enough and probably isn’t someone you want to hire to market your home. Also pay attention to body language and confidence – does the agent seem at ease in front of you or do they seem nervous? Is their presentation smooth or fraught with hesitation and questions they weren’t able to answer? Does the agent seem difficult to talk with or not willing to explain details to you? You are looking for an agent who gives you the respect you deserve by dressing for the occasion, is knowledgeable and at ease speaking with you (a potential client), will take the time to answer your questions honestly and acts like they have done many such interviews in the past.

Today’s featured partner is Ed Kirkland who specializes in Florida real estate – particularly coastal properties in the community of Destin and surrounding areas. Ed has been in the business for years and has done hundreds of transactions in his area of expertise. He also works closely with his daughter Karrie to aid buyers and sellers in Florida. Some of the other areas that Ed specializes in are Miramar Beach, San Destin, South Walton, Santa Rosa Beach and Fort Walton Beach. If you are looking for a home in these areas of Florida, contact Ed Kirkland for the best in local representation. You can visit his website – Ed Kirkland and Associates – to contact him about your property needs, request a home value estimate or find out more about the programs he offers.

My tip of the day comes from my real estate guide – “The Truth About Credit“. Applying for a mortgage can be a confusing event. To many real estate buyers, it’s something akin to a spin of the roulette wheel – you never know what’s going to turn up. However, you don’t have to go into your meeting with the bank unprepared. My real estate guide will help you prepare for that meeting by giving you some valuable tips about the process. Here’s an example:

1. ABC’s of Mortgage CreditMortgage lending ABC’s gets its name from the grading of credit based on such things such as payment history, account balances, bankruptcies, equity position, and credit scores.

When trying to figure a credit grade, keep in mind the following principles: ·  - When you have derogatory credit, all of the other aspects of the loan need to be in order; equity, stability, income, documentation, assets, etc., play a larger role in the approval decision. ·  - When determining your grade, various combinations are allowed, but the worst case will push your grade to a lower credit guide; mortgage late payments and bankruptcies are the most important. ·  - Credit patterns are very important. A high number of recent inquiries and more than a few outstanding loans may signal a problem. A “willingness to pay” is important; late payments in the same time period are better than random late payments as they signal an effort to pay even after falling behind.

My featured real estate partner today is the Ocean Atlantic Agency which specializes in Rehoboth Real Estate. The REALTORS of Ocean Atlantic Agency specialize in Delaware Real Estate in the areas of Rehoboth Beach, Lewes Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Historic Milton and surrounding areas. These resort towns offer picturesque living in great communities. Ocean Atlantic Agency also offers property management services, including beach rentals as well as full service commercial real estate. If you are relocating to Delaware and are looking for a great area to live, contact Ocean Atlantic Agency for information.

My featured real estate partner for today is Lane Hornung who who specializes in Colorado Real Estate – particularly Boulder, Colorado and surrounding areas. If you are relocating to Colorado and are currently in the process of buying a home, Lane has the experience you’re looking for. Lane also has programs available for sellers – request a free home valuation from his website. You can also conduct your own free search of the Colorado MLS from his website. His no-frills website is simple, yet effective – getting you the information and service you need without a lot of fluff. If you have a chance and are looking for a great Colorado REALTOR, contact Lane.

I’m going to go off topic a bit here and talk a minute about my recent trip to New Orleans and some of the reflections I have about the state of Louisiana real estate. I had to go out of town about a week to take care of family business. For part of the time, I was in Houma, Louisiana – about 40 mintues directly south of New Orleans. Despite what most people think, Houma and the southern parishes faired extremely well during Katrina – suffering mostly wind damage. Of course the wind and rain wasn’t the big issue – the big issues were the levies holding back Lake Pontchartrain that flooded parts of New Orleans.

At first glance, New Orleans looks fairly well recovered – Cafe Du Monde is still selling beignets and coffe, Bourbon Street still offers beer for breakfast, the jazz is still hot and so is the Gumbo. But the French Quarter where tourists flock didn’t bear the full brunt of the flooding.

As you travel the Louisiana expressways north west and then north east of New Orleans towards Slidell, the true extent of the damage still remaining to the area becomes evident. Whole subdivisions, condo buildings and appartment buildings sit vacant – some with roofs still torn off. Strip malls and Wall-marts sit boarded up and empty. The broken Six Flags New Orleans paints and eerie backdrop to all of the devastation. Things are not back to normal in New Orleans – far from it. The extent of the damage you can see just from the expressway is a clear indication of the massive damage still remaining but not seen from the expressway.

As most of the company begins to recover from the real estate slowdown of 2006, seeing the devastation that still exists in New Orleans puts things into sharp perspective. Even though things have been tough for some of us in 2006, we still have our homes and lives – more than some residents of New Orleans have.

Today, I wanted to highlight the Hartnov Team who specializes in California Real Estate – specifically for Orange County and Laguna Beach. The Hartnov Team consists of 5 specialists – Drew and Linda Hartnov, Ann Perez, Elicia Hartnov and Jessica Hartnov. Their Orange County Real Estate Website offers many options for buyers and sellers, including a robust property search tool. If you are relocating to the California area, contact the Hartnov Team for representation.

Today’s tip focuses on the home style known as a “Ranch” home and is from my Guide To Popular US Home Styles

Ranch Homes

The ranch home styles is perhaps the most popular home style in the United States. It’s basic feature is a single story but may also have a basement or attic. Other terms used to describe this home style are “American Ranch”, “Western Ranch” or “California Rambler”. Raised Ranches are considered a completely different home style and should not be confused with the basic ranch style. The first true ranch home is attributed to builder Cliff May who built the home in San Diego, California in 1932. Ranch homes are often un-complicated and somewhat simple – some even say informal. Ranch homes often feature an open floorplan that focuses on less seperation between living areas. Ranch homes are often popular with older homeowners or homeowners with mobility issues because of their single-story construction. This style of home is also the most expensive to construct from a material standpoint – featuring a larger footprint and roof area. Basements in Ranch homes can be enormous – a full basement effectively doubles the square footage of the main level.

Today’s featured community partner is Echo Farrel – an Arizona Real Estate agent. Echo maintains a website that has informative information about real estate in the Scottsdale area. Echo publishes the Arizona Edge – a quarterly newsletter filled with real estate tips and trends about the region. She also publishes a blog called the Realty Edge Blog. If you are relocating to the Arizona area, contact Echo for information about Scottsdale Real Estate.