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Want to Increase Your Home's Value? The Right Paint Color Can Help!
What if you could paint your bathroom a certain color and instantly increase the value of your home? A new report says that may be possible. According to a Zillow analysis, houses with a blue bathroom (often found in hues of powder blue or light periwinkle) sold for $5,440 more than expected.
“Color can be a powerful tool for attracting buyers to a home, especially in listing photos and videos,” Svenja Gudell, Zillow chief economist, said in a statement issued to TODAY Home.
“Painting walls in fresh, natural-looking colors — particularly in shades of blue and pale gray — not only make a home feel larger, but also are neutral enough to help future buyers envision themselves living in the space.” ... read more
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How Homeowners Can Make the Most of a Home Appraisal
 A home appraisal is an important step in refinancing or selling a house. Understanding the process can help the seller or the refinancing homeowner earn the best marks possible on an appraisal report.
An appraiser will count the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, measure the square footage, and use neighborhood sales as a gauge to help settle on a dollar value for your home. These are variables... Read More
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Low Inventory Didn't Hinder National Home Sales
 Severe supply shortages have plagued the housing market for the past few months, and March was no exception. By the end of the month, there were 1.83 million existing homes on the market. This is the 22nd straight month that inventory has fallen year over year; March's inventory was 6.6 percent lower than a year ago. At the current sales pace, unsold inventory would supply the market for 3.8 months. What's more, 48 percent of homes remained on the market... Read More
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Three Ways a Qualified Real Estate Agent Can Help You Sell Your House
 Do you need to sell your home so you can relocate? You'll want a real estate professional that knows your local market and who will strive to help you find the right buyer. There are many advantages to working with a great real estate professional. Here are the top three:
1. The Price Is Right
The wrong price can cause a home to sit on the market for a long time. If you must sell... Read More
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Illinois Home Prices Increase In April; Sales Lower Amid Tight Inventory
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Homes sold faster and prices rose, but home sales slowed in April with seasonally low inventory levels, according to Illinois REALTORS®.
Statewide home sales (including single-family homes and condominiums) in April 2017 totaled 13,958 homes sold, down 3.4 percent from 14,453 in April 2016.
The statewide median price in April was $200,000, up 7.5 percent from April 2016, when the median price was $186,000. The median is typical market price where half the homes sold for more and half sold for less.
"Sellers flooded the market in March, and as a result inventories were struggling to keep pace with demand in April," said Illinois REALTORS® President Doug Carpenter, ABR, AHWD, GRI, SFR of Mokena, managing broker of Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group in Orland Hills. "It's Clear from the relatively short average time to sell that buyers really do want to find a home. The problem is they are having to work much harder to find one that meets their criteria due to shortage of options." read more
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Featured Testimonial
by John & Margaret
Lisa Wenzel helped make a major life transition so much easier for us! Our jobs were taking us to a new city, so we needed to sell quickly to avoid paying for 2 homes at the same time. We chose Lisa Wenzel and her team for their comprehensive marketing plan that included the very important virtual tour, and their ability to appropriately price our property. We were listed within a few days of our meeting, had an offer very quickly, and were happily able to stay whole on our asking price. We listed in mid-February and were closed and moved to our new city by mid-April. Lisa was super to work with, knows exactly what she is doing, and helped us through every step of the process.
Thanks for everything!
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No Space? Try Container Gardening
 The beauty of container gardening is that it doesn't require a lot of space to get great results. Many different types of plants such as annual and perennial flowers, vegetables, and herbs can be successfully grown in the smallest corners of patios or balconies. All that's needed is an area that provides about five hours of sunlight a day.
Choosing a Container
An important part of container gardening is, of course, the container. Avoid small containers or ones that have narrow openings. Plastic or terra-cotta pots with predrilled drainage holes that are sold in gardening and home... Read More
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Enhancing Your Home's Curb Appeal
 First impressions mean a lot—especially when it comes to your home's curb appeal. Whether you're getting ready for resale or just want to update the exterior, you may think your home is ready for a curbside makeover.
According to a new National Home Design Survey from Sherwin-Williams, more than 80 percent of homeowners believe their home's curb appeal could be improved, and 40 percent describe their home's appearance as average or poor. Even those who said their home's appeal was "pretty good" felt their was more they could do to improve it.
The good news is that curb appeal can be improved with...Read More
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