And the Pantone Color of the Year for 2017 is….

Pantone has announced their color of the year for 2017, and they have chosen greenery! The yellow-green shade is meant to evoke the first days of spring, giving off a refreshing vibe of renewal. Neutral by nature, the color symbolizes the pursuit of personal passions and vitality. Greenery is versatile, lending itself to a successful pairing with neutrals, brights, and even last year’s Pantone color of the year, rose quartz and serenity. To see read more about Pantone’s selection, please click here. 

Thank You Amy & Dan!

"If you are looking for an AWESOME team to help you sell or buy your home, Sarah and J.P. are it!  My husband Dan and I used them for both. We were undecided as to if it was a good time to put our home on the market. We wanted to stay in our current neighborhood and knew it may be a challenge.  However, J.P. and Sarah put us at ease right from the start. They answered all of our questions, gave us their expert opinions on the market, recommendations on home updates/staging and even put us in contact with others to help the process go smoothly (handymen, attorneys, inspectors). And it was all well worth it! Our home sold within 24 hours and we put an offer in on a new house within the next few days. We have been in our new home for awhile now and are enjoying our new space, yard and getting to know our neighbors. Our kids love having friends nearby! Thank you so much to the Anderson Group! We can't say enough great things about them!" -- Amy & Dan

Dear Anderson Group ,

My husband and I would like to find a bigger home for our growing family.  Our wish list includes a better floor plan, finished basement, larger yard and we’d love to be able to walk to town. We need the equity out of our current home to be able to buy something new. However, we’re happy enough in our current home for now, so we don’t want to list our house until we find the perfect new house. A friend told me this will put us at a competitive disadvantage against other buyers.  Is this true?

In our opinion, your friend is correct.  If you need to sell your current home before you can buy a new one, (which is an extremely common position), any purchase offer you make will include a “home sale contingency”.  Depending on market conditions and the seller’s motivation, they may or may not accept your offer with this contingency. Even if they do, you will be required to get your home on the market within days of acceptance and still run the risk of being displaced by a non-contingent buyer. A more strategic option would be to get your house on the market first.   This shows sellers you are serious about selling your home and are more likely to be able to complete the purchase of their home if they accept your offer. Once you are under contract on your current home, any offer you have made would shift to a   “home close contingency”, which is a stronger position. Your Realtor will then work to align closing dates to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.

Hamptons Style Luxury in Glen Ellyn

Click Here for Amazing 3D Tour! (Once on tour page, click on "3D Tour" from the menu - 360 views and you can even float through floors!)

One of Glen Ellyn’s Most Iconic Homes in the Storied "Revere Area." Gorgeous Custom Millwork Abounds from Floors to Airy 9 ft. Ceilings. Filled with Natural Light, this Flowing Home Embraces You with Dark Hardwood Floors & Custom Plantation Shutters Throughout. Modern Chef's Kitchen Boasts Quartz-Topped Island, Honed Granite Counters, and High-End Stainless Steel Appliances with adjacent Butler’s Pantry. Exquisite Master Suite includes Luxurious Carrera Marble Master Bath plus Spacious Walk-In Closet. Generous 2nd Bedroom with Private Bath. Two Additional Bedrooms with Jack & Jill Bath. 5th Bedroom with Private Bath easily Serves as In-Law Arrangement or Additional Rec/Playroom. (3) Gas Fireplaces; Kitchen’s Hearth Room, Living Room, and Basement. Well Appointed Mudroom & 2nd Floor Laundry. Professionally Landscaped Yard including 5,000 sq. ft. of Green Space, a Favorite Play Area for Neighborhood Children! Private Screened Porch & Paver Patio for al Fresco Entertaining. Walk to Ben Franklin Elementary, Parks & Dog Park! 

Southern Plantation Luxury- Western Suburbs

N491 Peter Rd., Winfield

Southern Style Charm & Sophistication Welcomes You with Large Blue Stone Patio & 2nd Floor Veranda. Unrivaled Floorplan w/Supreme Interior Millwork & Finishings. (4) Flrs of Living Space Perfect for Hosting Holidays & Entertaining. Your 1st Floor Boasts a Formal Dining & Living Room, Reading Parlor, High-End Stainless Steel Appliances & Granite Eat-in Kitchen, Light Filled Sun Room, Gracious Family Room with Fireplace, Private Office & Mudroom w/ Outside & Garage Access. Your 2nd Floor has (4) Spacious Bedrooms, (1) w/ Private Bath & (2) w/ Jack & Jill access. Escape to your Vast Master Suite with Serene Spa-like en-suite & Fireplace. Hangout w/the family in the 3rd Floor Media Room. The Fully Finished Basement with Fireplace, has direct access from Garage & Interior, Plenty of Storage & Space for a Full Bath. The almost 1/2 acre is ideal for your Weekend Pick-Up Games or Playing with the Dogs. (3) Car Garage. Dist 200 Wheaton Schools! Close to Parks, Prairie Path, Train, and Shopping.

Luxurious Downtown Wheaton Condo

111 N. Wheaton Ave., Unit# 406, Wheaton

Live Comfortably and Conveniently in this 1,480 sq. ft., 2 Bed 2 Bath, Rare Top Floor Condo in Lovely Downtown Wheaton! This Spacious Home Boasts Amazingly Natural Light Throughout, Higher Ceilings, Skylight, Hardwood Bamboo Flooring with Noise Reducing Sub-Floor, New Granite Counter Tops, Washer & Dryer in Unit, (2) Owned Parking Spaces, Master Bath with Separate Tub & Shower, Larger Balcony for Outdoor Living, and Extra Storage Outside of Home. Heart of Downtown Wheaton - Walk to Schools, Restaurants, Shops, Train, Post Office, Banks, Library, and Parks!!!

Why You Shouldn't Worry About Rising Interest Rates

When mortgage interest rates rise, you may be tempted to put your home buying plans on hold, but there are three reasons you shouldn’t let higher interest rates deter your home buying plans.

Solution? When you shop for rates, shop at least three lenders using the same type of loan – 30-year fixed rate, adjustable, hybrid and so on. Do so at the same time because rates can change as much as several times daily.

Solution? Talk with your lender about ways to improve your credit profile. If you’re stretching to buy a home, expect to pay higher interest rates.

The solution? Have some perspective. Home buying conditions change constantly. Focus on building equity with the lifestyle you want instead.

1. Interest rates fluctuate. Mortgage interest rates rise and fall based on the lender’s viewpoint toward the economic outlook. News that suggests a slowing economy tends to bring rates down, while a rosy manufacturing or jobs report can send them back up.
2. You have some control over rates. The rates you see advertised aren’t what you’ll necessarily pay. They’re available only to those with the best credit histories, those who are able to put at least 20 percent down, and those borrowing well within their means.
3. Rates are currently a bargain. Between 1972 and 2008, mortgage interest rates averaged about nine percent annually. Today, they’re around four percent. A 1/8th point translates to about $25 or less a month in monthly payments on a conforming loan, or $9,000 over 30 years in tax deductible costs.