Thank You Ellen & Derrick!

“Derrick and I could not be happier with our experience with the Anderson Group, more specifically, JP and Sarah. Being a first-time homebuyer, we initially found the process daunting and overwhelming.

Not knowing where to begin, Derrick received JP and Sarah’s information from colleagues who also purchased homes with their help. From our first meeting, we were immediately put at-ease. JP and Sarah walked us through the process, let us know what to expect, referred us to excellent mortgage representatives, and re-assured us that our anxieties are not uncommon and they would be with us every step of the way.

Searching for a house with first-time buyers, I’m sure is exhausting as we were really unsure of exactly what we wanted, but Sarah and JP’s patience paid off when they helped us find the perfect little starter home. The negation process was not easy and involved a lot of back-and-forth with the home’s sellers. Getting to the closing seemed impossible more than once. Regardless of the challenges and frustrations, JP and Sarah stuck by us every step of the way.

Now, just a few weeks into homeownership, we are enjoying the renovation process and we cannot wait to truly enjoy our new home. We cannot thank Sarah and JP enough for making this process seamless and incredibly enjoyable. We will not hesitate to reach out to Sarah and JP in the future and we will certainly be referring them to friends and family in the Chicago area!” –Ellen & Derrick

March Is Best Month Home Sales in 10 Years

According to the National Association of REALTORS® existing home sales report,  March home sales nationwide were up 5.9% compared to last year.  Spring’s strong market was bolstered by sales in the Northeast and Midwest regions. Nationally, homes also spent significantly less time on the market; the average market time was 34 days, down from 47 days in March 2016. 

Chicago A Top Destination for Millennials 

Millennial movers are choosing Chicago for the job opportunities, affordable cost of living and housing options, according to a survey by Mayflower moving service.  The study found that Chicago is in the top five destination cities nationally. To read more about the survey results, please click here. 

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Signs Agreement with Chinese Real Estate Site Juwai.com 

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices has formed an alliance with Juwai.com, China’s largest international property portal offering access to an audience of high net worth Chinese looking to buy property overseas. Through a marketing agreement, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices will syndicate all of the network’s listings on Juwai.com, cementing its spot as one of the most dominant brands on both Juwai.com and its luxury site, Juwai.com/luxe. All listings will be in the click-to-translate program, giving Chinese consumers easy translation options. 

Best Tips for "Fixer Upper" Buyers

Home prices have been rising for five years, and spring sales are outpacing last year, according to the National Association of REALTORS.^® When it’s harder for buyers to find the perfect home, what’s a great strategy? Buy a fixer upper!

There are real advantages to buying a home that needs work. Unloved or outdated homes don’t attract as many buyers, allowing you to mine the gold under the dirt. You’re getting the home at a discount compared with the rest of the neighborhood. You’re not paying top dollar for someone else’s improvements and you can make the home your own. You’ll wow your friends and family with the result.

Shop for the best neighborhood you can afford. Look for the worst home in the best neighborhood. Usually that home is older, smaller and not as well maintained as other homes. You’ll build instant equity when you improve the curb appeal, so the home looks like it belongs with its neighbors.

Ignore the cosmetics. Don’t stress over ugly paint, shag carpet or gingerbread trim. Your Berkshire Hathaway Home Services network professional can help you distinguish features that matter and which are easy to change.

Consider the bones. You need to know whether or not you can open a kitchen to the den or add on a bathroom or other square footage. These updates can be costly but they add value to the home. Talk to your lender about loans that pay for remodeling such as FHA's 203(k) program or Fannie's HomeStyle Renovation Mortgage.

Incorporating "Greenery" in Your Home - 2017 Color of the Year

The Pantone color of the year for 2017 is called Greenery. Described as a zesty yellow-green, Greenery represents springtime renewal and refreshment. If you’re thinking of using green in your décor, you’ll enjoy learning more about the personality of this special color and why Greenery is a great color choice for our time.

With such a dominant role in nature, the color green represents youth, growth and ultimately maturity. Green is often chosen as the color of money and signifies wealth and elegance. In some cultures, it has deeply religious significance. Choose green to promote harmony and well-being.

Green comes in a rich spectrum of shades and tints, serving well as the main color for any décor, or as an accent to other color schemes. With tints of yellow, green grows sunnier and sharper as it does in Greenery. With blue tones, green turns cooler, more alpine. Think of Greenery as nature’s neutral.

Greens are welcome in kitchens and dining rooms, as the most popular produce such as lettuce, limes, and peas are green. Pale greens are calming in bedrooms, and work well with blues and whites in bathrooms. You’ll find that green has a mood-lifting, nourishing effect, no matter which shade you choose.

To introduce green more dramatically, choose a primary green, like the color on stoplights or in emeralds. Green means go, so it can be energizing, but keep in mind that such colors are best used only as accents. Express your healthy vitality by incorporating greens into your home.

Updates That Really Make a Difference

A recent poll on Houzz.com found that most people hate carpet, fluorescent lighting, wallpaper, vinyl floors and other things in their homes, so why turn off buyers with these won’t-haves?

If your home is dated, you can do some quick and easy updates that will wow your buyers.

Make it welcoming. You can’t underestimate the importance of curb appeal. Repaint where needed, but make sure the entry waves hello from the street. Clean, weed and stage your home from the sidewalk to the shrubs to the front door. Buy pots of flowers and a fresh new welcome mat. Make sure that’s not so much as a stray leaf or toy on the front yard.

Make it cool. The new neutrals are a far cry from the yellows and beiges of the Mediterranean era, ‘90s jewel tones, ‘80s pastels, and ‘70s earth tones. Instead, repaint with cooler tones, like gray or icy Scandinavian whites and sky blues.

Make it low-maintenance. Replace worn carpet with a high-grade laminate floor that looks like wood, tile or granite. Replace countertops with easy-clean quartz. Upgrade your heating and cooling with a programmable thermostat. Change out yellowish light bulbs with long-wearing daylight LED bulbs.

Make it show-ready. If you have popcorn ceilings, have them removed. Replace old appliances and dated fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen with new stainless or brushed nickel finish. One of the new touch faucets, an induction range, and an apron sink also add the wow factors you need to impress buyers.

Dear Anderson Group ,

 

My wife and I are looking forward to being empty nesters.  We feel good about the local housing market and would like you to list our house...and help us find something great to move into that will fit our lifestyle.  However, there are some projects we never got around to completing and some touch-ups that are needed around the house before any buyers walk through the door.  We're a little overwhelmed. Help!

 

We’d be honored to help you sell your home!  As a soon-to-be empty nester, you are in a very common position.  You’ve been busy with careers and raising your family, and it’s not surprising that deferred maintenance around the house has started to add up.  Couple that with buyers’ high expectations of having lots of updates and you’re correct to think that a little work is in order before we list your home and start racking up the showings.  The first step would be for us to tour your home and give you our professional opinion on which kind of updates are called for and will pay off in terms of higher offers and shorter market time. Once you’ve decided which projects you’d like to complete, we have a full roster of licensed professionals that have done great work for our clients time and time again and that we could refer to you.  These are excellence-driven painters, handymen, plumbers, electricians, roofers and flooring experts that will get your home ship-shape at a reasonable cost.  And when it’s time to start looking for your new home, we’ve got you covered there too. It’s all part of the way The Anderson Group provides “concierge-level care for every client, every day”.