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Practical Tips To Find Your West Town / Wicker Park Dream Home & How To Maximize Your Sales Price

In order to get the best results, you have to work both “harder and smarter” than the competition. This blog is where I share my expertise.  When working with sellers…  I explain how to sell their home for top dollar including topics like prep to sell, staging, seasonality, etc.  When working with buyers…  I explain how to find their dream home and ensure it’s a good investment. This includes topics like valuing a home—Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), how to pay less in property taxes, the split face block issue, etc.

How To Avoid The Minefield of Home Repair & Renovation

Making sure your Chicago property appraises for the desired sales values requires two things: Understanding the appraiser’s methodolgy and having a savvy local realtor who knows the neighborhood and current home values better than the appraiser.

by: Greg Nagel
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Where Do I Live? Defining Chicago’s Neighborhoods

Much of Chicago’s charm comes from its many different neighborhoods — these multiple “cities within the city” — each have their own distinct vibe. Where are these neighborhoods and what are they called? Well, that’s debatable in some instances but here are our definitions for the West Town area.

by: Greg Nagel
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A 30 Year Mortgage Is Not Always The Smartest Or Most Conservative Loan

A 30 Year Mortgage Is Not Always The Smartest Or Most Conservative Loan The 30-year fixed has long been the... Read More
by: Greg Nagel
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Buy Or Sell First?

How do you both sell your current home and buy your next home at the same time? The coordination involved can seem overwhelming. It can be done! What are the considerations and what makes the most sense for your circumstances? There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer.

by: Greg Nagel
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SIZE MATTERS… And When It Comes To Real Estate…

In Chicago, our standard lot size is 25 feet wide by 125 feet deep, so the length is literally 5 times the width! So intuitively, width is clearly more valuable. Inside the properties widths are about 19 feet, but keep in mind you have staircases eating up lots of space, so on narrower lots you start seeing dining room tables encroach on fireplaces. With narrower spaces, it can start to look and feel like a bowling alley, and less like a home.

by: Greg Nagel
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Why Does Local Market Expertise Matter?

“Location, location, location” – what does this really mean? Even within a neighborhood, location matters, and can often be a matter of feet, not miles. There are nuances on value from one block to the next, transportation resources, landmark districts, school differences, and proximity to entertainment areas, hospitals and busy streets comes into play.

by: Greg Nagel
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The Power of Home Ownership

You can make 32% on average on your investment when buying vs renting. You make money over three different time periods: 1. Positive cash flow or reduced expense, 2. Mortgage interest expense & property tax, 3. Principal pay down & appreciation

by: Greg Nagel
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When Is The Best Time To List My Home In West Town?

We’ve all heard that “spring” is the optimum time to sell a home. “Well, what about ‘fall’?” There are the optimal windows of time for listing your home and your area’s seasons will affect your market timing. Seasonal market timing and prep to sell are both critical factors for successful home sales.

by: Greg Nagel
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How To Pay Less Property Tax In Chicago

Lowering your Chicago property taxes requires two things: challenging what the city assesses you and taking all the exemptions for which you are eligible. There are some nuances to each of these tactics.

by: Greg Nagel
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The Work Top Realtors Do AFTER The Property Is Under Contract

Getting the contract is just the beginning – how do you make sure the deal will close? There are more hurdles to clear before the deal is done including inspections, appraisal, and final walk-thru.

by: Greg Nagel
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To Maximize Sales Price, Your Property Has To Appraise

Making sure your Chicago property appraises for the desired sales values requires two things: Understanding the appraiser’s methodolgy and having a savvy local realtor who knows the neighborhood and current home values better than the appraiser.

by: Greg Nagel
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How To Renovate Your Home in a Profitable and Fun Way

A home renovation can earn back as much as $3 in resale for every $1 spent if done right. Doing it successfully depends on what you decide to renovate, who does the work, and how the work is performed. How do you determine the scope and budget for your rehab?

by: Greg Nagel
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Utilizing Prep To Sell To Maximize Selling Price

Utilizing Prep To Sell To Maximize Selling Price Prep to sell is not only about the unit but also about... Read More
by: Greg Nagel
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Chicago’s Moldy Secret? Split Face Block

During the 90s and 2000s, Chicago experienced an unprecedented condo boom. Split face block was heavily used and it is an unsuitable building material for Chicago’s climate!

by: Greg Nagel
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What You CAN Do About Split Face Block

If your home is built of this material, there is a repair solution for the leaking and molding problems you are likely to have. It is the second best solution to not buying a home made of this material in the first place.

by: Greg Nagel
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Don’t Puke On My Buyers

Talking too much can have unintended consequences. Sometimes it is better to do more listening to buyers — both what they say and their body language.

by: Greg Nagel
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Prep To Sell – 1114 N. Paulina

Preparation to sell is an important part of the process of selling a home. It includes repairs, decluttering, staging, photography, and sometimes renovation.

by: Greg Nagel
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Strategic Advantages Of Using Top Agent Network

Top Agent Network (TAN) is an off-market tool that only the top 1% of agents can utilize. Unlike other off-market sales, this is paying the buyer a co-operating commission and therefore is in the interests of the seller. Watch this video to learn some of the interesting nuances of this tool.

by: Greg Nagel
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Sell Your Wicker Park Property For Top Dollar

What are the steps to maximizing your home’s sales price? From repairs to renovations and from staging to photograp;y — these are just some of the categories of best practices. Pricing, strategy, negotiation skills — you best hire a top-notch realtor.

by: Greg Nagel
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Stalking Is Not Acceptable, Except…

Patience and flexibility can help land your dream home. An expert realtor can advise you on neighborhood targeting, budget, help you find short-sales & foreclosures, steer you away from bad investments, and prepare you to be ready to strike on a purchase.

by: Greg Nagel
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