Gene's Bit of Blogging
Will County
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Guest Blogger - LaNita Cates, Re/Max Realty of Joliet, IL: Posted on Thursday, May 10, 2012 10:52 AM
Buyers Decide Within 8 Seconds Whether They Are
Interested In a Home
I am a huge fan of Real Estate Agent and Mogul Barbara Corcoran. Barbara is a Real Estate Contributor on NBC's Today show and the wonderful addition to ABC's Shark Tank.
 Per Barbara:
"BUYERS DECIDE WITHIN 8 SECONDS WHETHER THEY ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR HOME."
I'm not surprised by this at all. It's the first impression when
walking in and hearing, "Wow, this is cute" - or - "Ugh, what is that smell?" Pretty much sums of the next few minutes of the tour of that home.
I always tell my buyers that they will know when they walk in if this
is their home or not. If they aren't feeling it within the first 10
seconds, let's move on. They never believe me... AT FIRST. But usually
by the 4th house, they agree that they know pretty much immediately if
they are interested or not when walking in the door.
So buyers pretty much know. Sellers - remember that! That first
impression (or at least the first 8 seconds) can decide whether the
buyer is interested in your home!
* LaNita
Cates of REMAX Realty of Joliet has been serving the Joliet,
Plainfield, Naperville, Crest Hill, Bolingbrook, Shorewood and
surrounding areas, helping buyers and sellers with all their real estate
needs.
Call or Contact: LaNita Cates REMAX Realty of Joliet today ...
Office: 221 Springfield Ave., Joliet, IL 60435 Office Phone: 815-609-0887
Office Fax: 815-364-1267 Cell: 630-341-1545 |
Buying a Home, Real Estate, Real Estate Advice, Will County, Agents and Brokers, Home Improvements and Curb Appeal, Maintenance and Upkeep of Your Home, Selling Your Home, Staging your Home, Remodeling, Real Estate Professionals, Home Maintenance & Repair, Home Buyers, home buying, Deciding Which Home is Best to Buy, Home Staging, Realtors, Preparing your home for sale
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Gene Mundt, Mortgage Lender: Posted on Monday, April 30, 2012 10:49 AM
Will County IL Property Tax Bills Being Mailed May 4th, 2012 Will County, IL Treasurer, Steven Weber, has announced that property tax bills for Will County, IL will be mailed out to property owners as of May 4th, 2012.  The first installment of the tax bill will be due on June 4th, 2012. The second installment of the tax bill is due on September 4th, 2012. Will County, IL has made several options available for convenient payment of tax bills. They are as follows: - Taxes can be paid ONLINE at: www.WillCountyTaxBill.com through the date of November 29th, 2012.
- At one of 100 banks or credit unions throughout Will County, IL (For list of Will County, IL receiving banks/credit unions, go to: www.willcountytaxbill.com/2012/04/banks-and-credit-unions-accepting-property-tax-payments
Payments can be made via mail. Mail your Will County, IL property tax bill payments to: Will County Collector, PO Box 5000, Joliet, IL 60434-5000 - Payments can be made in-person at the Will County Building, 302 No. Chicago Street, Joliet, IL. Hours are: Weekdays only. 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The County has also made a Drop Box available for the convenience of property owners in the parking lot, for after-hour payments.
The Will County Treasurer/Collector site accepts most credit cards for convenient tax bill payment. Convenience fees apply ... and are not refundable. Auto-draft payments directly from checking and savings accounts are also accepted. If mailing your tax bill payment, pleasemake the check out to: Will County Collector. Your cancelled check is your receipt for the payment. Remember and take note: The last day that you can pay your Will County taxes online is: Thursday, November 28th, 2012. Also note ... it is NOT the actual tax bill that you protest. It is your property's ASSESSMENT. By the time you receive your actual tax bill, the dates for protest for that year are already over. Please contact your tax assessor for info on the actual dates for future protests. Should you have any questions or need information regarding your tax bill and tax bill payments within Will County, IL, please go to: www.willcountytaxbill.com/faq. Many frequently asked questions and concerns are addressed there to help Will County property homeowners in need. * Hoping to become a Will County, IL property owner? Or property owner elsewhere in Chicagoland ... or the US? Contact me! I'll put my 35 years of mortgage experience and expertise to work on your behalf. I can be conveniently found at any of the following: Direct: 815.277.4036 Cell/Text: 708.921.6331 Conveniently at Skype: 630.219.1316 |
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Gene Mundt, Mortgage Lender: Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2012 8:48 AM
Village of Plainfield, IL Offers
a New Program to its Residents
and Businesses That Helps
Save Money and Conserve Energy
Lucky you!
Why? Because the Village of Plainfield, IL has begun an energy-savings initiative that partners them with CUB Energy Saver ... our nation's first website that tracks utility company ComEd's billing savings. And who doesn't LOVE to save money??
It's FREE to sign-up! CUB Energy Saver links directly to your ComEd bill and then makes personalized money-saving suggestions that will help take a big bite out of your utility usage and ComEd bills.
Residents then begin to earn 2 "points" for every kilowatt-hour of electricity they save. Points can then be redeemed for discounts in local AND nationally-located stores. Savings on top of savings!
Here's a small example of those stores that are currently involved in this program:
If you own/run a business that is interested in participating in this growing energy savings program ... and want to reward your clients for their smart energy-savings decisions with discounts, please go to:
to learn more.
This new CUB Energy Saver program joins a list of
sustainability programs and initiatives offered through the Village of
Plainfield, IL. Plainfield also offers
an annual Rain Barrel sales program, as well as promoting native landscaping
within the Village boundaries.
 The Village of
Plainfield, IL has also been named a "Tree City" through the Arbor Day Foundation ... and is continuing
its strides to enhance the Village's green networks by preserving village land in a
natural state and linking the Village's green areas, a Beautification Program, and more.
For further information or assistance regarding the Village of Plainfield, IL, the CUB Energy Saver program, or other Village services, please visit their informative website at:
* Hoping to buy or refinance a home within the Village of Plainfield, IL ... Chicago, Chicagoland, or elsewhere across the U.S.? Just like the CUB Energy Saver Program, I can save you real money when obtaining your mortgage financing. Contact me today to get started! I can be found at any of the following:
Direct: 815.277.4036
Cell/Text: 708.921.6331
Conveniently thru Skype: 630.219.1316 |
Businesses, Will County, Village and Police Services, Money-saving Strategies, Community Services, Plainfield, IL, Home Ownership, Cost of Living and Bills, energy saving initiatives, utility bills
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Gene Mundt, Mortgage Lender: Posted on Monday, April 16, 2012 2:51 PM
Coulda ... Woulda... Shoulda! That's What You're Going to Say, if You Don't Buy Now!
Missed Opportunities!
Regrets!
Lost Potential!
Coulda ... Woulda ... Shoulda!
That's what you're going to be hearing yourself say ... if you don't buy a home while the current unique and beneficial housing market's opportunities exist.
Why? How do I know this?? Because I've begun to hear some Coulda ... Woulda ... Shoulda's ... stories related to me. People are telling me they're kicking themselves over lost opportunities.
Reports from many agents and potential home buyers alike, say homes in many areas of Chicago, Chicagoland, Will County (and elsewhere) are moving more quickly once again. (One Example relating this change in the housing market comes from Chicagoland Agents: Read this post from Howard & Susan Meyers, The Hudson Company, regarding the housing market on Chicagoland's North Shore: "The Worm Has Turned".)
Many markets are
healing and seeing rebounding prices. Sellers are receiving multiple
offers for their properties.
Opportunities have been lost by some potential home buyers, leaving these potential home buyers wishing THEY had taken action sooner.
A few of my own clients have said they regret not regaining control over their own finances or taking action to improve their credit prior to talking to me. They wish they had checked their Credit Report sooner and more often. They now know they'd be much further ahead and have more financing options open to them when they buy.
Many have stated they simply wish they had listened and followed their real estate agent's advice better. They mistakenly thought they were going to "low-ball" a bid and steal a home at a ridiculously low price, then ended-up losing out. The "low-ball" philosophy just didn't work.
Still others have been fence sitters. They've delayed making a sales offer too long and lost-out to other buyers capable and willing to make a home buying decision.
 Good news does still exist! Interest rates and housing prices remain low.
But do not doubt this ... time is of the essence. You need to take action.
Take steps NOW to prepare yourself. At minimum, find and team-up with an experienced, professional mortgage lender. Get the home buying ball rolling.
There are no negatives to having your credit report run. Most mortgage lenders will do it for free. I do. And whether you buy a home soon or down the road ... you win. You save money on all sorts of services because you've improved your credit scores. Insurance. Cell phone service. Credit cards ... you name it. The better your credit, the less you pay, the more money you save.
Avoid the Coulda ...
Dodge the Woulda ...
Protect yourself from the Shoulda ...
* Discover what home buying and financing options exist for you, whether in Will County, IL, Chicagoland, or any of the 50 states. Contact me today! We'll work together to get you on the right path to homeownership ... now ... or for the future.
I can be contacted through any of the following:
Direct: 815.277.4036 Cell/Text: 708.921.6331 Conveniently thru Skype: 630.219.1316
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Credit, Credit Repair, Buying a Home, Credit Reports/Fico Scores, Importance of Credit, Mortgage Lender, Mortgages, Real Estate, Working with a Mortgage Professional, Chicagoland, Will County, Agents and Brokers, First-Time HomeBuyers, Chicago, Asking credit and mortgage questions, Home Buyers, home buying, Right Time to Buy a Home, Home Ownership, Los Angeles CA agents and realtors, Los Angeles Home Buying, Winnetka and North Shore, Interest Rates, Pre-Qualification/Pre-Approval
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Gene Mundt, Mortgage Lender: Posted on Friday, April 13, 2012 1:15 PM
Do You Offer Real Estate Services in Popular Retirement and Investment Regions???
This morning I was reading the post of one of my favorite ActiveRain members. It dawned on me while reading this post, that while I had read this blog faithfully for a long time ... I still wasn't quite sure where the agent's service area was located within their state. I had never taken the time to check it out and do a search.
Not proud of that fact, but there it was!
I wondered how many people like me, had not done their own research while reading this or similar posts??
Some of the service areas represented on AR are pretty obvious. Larger cities and their geographical locations are typically known. Chicago. New York. Los Angeles. Denver ... and similarly-sized cities, people typically know. But smaller towns, counties, rural areas?? Not so much. Maybe a bit of assistance is needed in finding them?
It was also clear to me that while I
hadn't taken the time to educate myself while reading this favored
member ... I probably was not that different from others reading the
post. They probably wouldn't know where the location was ... and they'd
probably had been just as lazy as I had been. They wouldn't have taken the time to
do a simple search either.
 Being an ActiveRain member from a northern climate, it occurred to me too that maybe those AR real estate agents that serve areas where northern/cold-climate boomers or investors might be looking for retirement homes, 2nd homes, or investment properties ... might be especially well-served by adding some helpful links or maps for their location/region.
Links and maps that would make it easy for their readers to educate themselves as to exactly where that agent is located within their state. Something that even somewhat lazy readers (like me) would find and click on.
Maybe it's the most obvious information and actions that elude us? Information that is so basic to us personally, that we overlook and forget that it might not be so to others??
I know I'm now going to go to my own website, my own blogs ... and take a good long look at them. Do an assessment. See if I'm making it as easy as possible for my readers to find me, understand what areas I service, and what services I offer.
Moving forward, I'm going to try to make it as easy, as convenient as possible for my readers to be completely informed and to utilize all my services ...
 * Looking for an experienced mortgage lender with multiple office locations in the Chicago and Chicagoland region? A mortgage lender that assist you with local or nationwide mortgage services? Contact me today! With over 35 years of experience and expertise earned while assisting and serving home buyers and home owners of all types in Chicago, Chicagoland, and the entire U.S. ... I can help you successfully prior, throughout, and beyond your mortgage closing. I can be contacted through any of the following: Direct: 815.277.4036 Cell/Text: 708.921.6331 Conveniently through Skype: 630.219.1316 |
Buying a Home, Mortgages, Chicagoland, Will County, Technology, Social Media, Chicago, Education, Working with a Real Estate Professional, Helpful Hints, Doing Business, ActiveRain.com, Links
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