The Thomas Team Blog

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Get Involved in Evanston's 1st Annual Flying Turkey 5K Walk/Run!

As local Evanston Real Estate agents, the Thomas Team, we love what we do! We enjoy helping people navigate through the Evanston Real Estate market whether they are buying or selling a home and always strive to ensure each process runs smoothly and efficiently.

However, we also truly appreciate the city of Evanston and being able to call this charming city “home.” It’s here that we have planted our roots and because we find it such a great place to live, we find it easy to let potential buyers in on this hidden gem of Chicago’s North Shore. Being involved in our community is important to us as individuals and as a team, and each year we enjoy finding a way that we can give back to the city of Evanston.

This year, we found a fantastic event that we are thrilled to support and wanted to tell you about it in hopes of getting as many people involved as possible! It’s the 1st Annual Evanston Flying Turkey 5K Walk/Run taking place on Thursday, November 24 along the Evanston lakefront.

Starting at 9am, this walk/run will be a great way for families and friends to work up an appetite before their Thanksgiving feast! Everyone is welcome to be a part of the Flying Turkey 5K whether you are in the race or want to cheer others on. Volunteers are also needed to make this event run smoothly, and there are many ways to get involved.

Those in the race will need to register and will receive a goodie bag for participating! Water stations along the way will help keep athletes going and refreshments at the finish line will be a welcome treat. Most importantly, the Flying Turkey 5K will support local Evanston charity, The Harvest. This food bank has been helping many needy families for over 30 years and we have the chance to give back to their ongoing efforts! Canned good donations will be collected prior to the race and will go directly to The Harvest Food Pantry.

To learn more, or if you’d like to volunteer or register for the race, please visit the Evanston Flying Turkey 5K website! Of course we’re more than thrilled to be a part of supporting this great event and hope that you’ll be able to get involved as well!

As always, if you have any questions about living in Evanston, or are interested in seeing some of the beautiful homes available on the Evanston Real Estate market, please let us know!

We’re here to help you discover Evanston and get connected to this vibrant community!

The Thomas Team
@ Properties

Chicago's #1 Real Estate Brokerage

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

7 Tips for a Stress Free Home Buying Experience in Evanston!

Buying a home in Evanston can be an exciting time as you envision finding your ideal home and settling in to your new place just in time for the holidays. This fall is a great time to buy a home as there are a wide variety of beautiful homes on the Evanston Real Estate market, and home prices and interest rates are low. In fact, many are noticing that now is an ideal time to buy and are hoping to close on a home within the next few months!

While it may seem nearly impossible to enter the Evanston Real Estate market and go through the entire home buying process before the busy holiday season hits; it can actually be a very smooth and stress free process if you know what to expect. We’ve gathered seven tips that will help you have a great home buying experience and ensure you’re settled in no time.

1. Know when it’s the right time in your life to buy- Decide whether to buy based on your life and what makes sense for you, your family, your plans and your finances. Then, use the news about what’s going on in the market to decide how to buy: what kind of house to buy, what sort of loan to use, how much to offer, and other strategies for executing your home buying plans.

2. Get a good understanding what to expect- Research as much as possible, but be sure to decide on a trusted Evanston Real Estate agent as soon as possible. They’ll be able to give you a layout of what you can expect from buying an Evanston home or condo. Ask your Evanston Real Estate agent questions such as when you’re expected to show up so you can take time off work, and when you’re expected to write checks so you can be prepared.

3. Learn how to prevent money surprises during escrow- When you first apply for a loan, you’ll receive a good faith estimate which is a standardized list of costs associated with obtaining the mortgage and a breakdown of the monthly mortgage payment due on the mortgage for which you were approved. Keep in mind this is just an estimate. When you close on escrow, you’ll pay prorated mortgage interest and property taxes from the date of closing till the end of the month. The date of closing can make a difference in thousands of dollars required to close. Ask your Evanston Real Estate agent to help you set your closing date in accordance with the cash you have at your disposal.

4. Find the right Evanston Real Estate agent- Finding the right Evanston Real Estate agent can make all the difference! Be sure to look for the following: qualifications, experienced in the transaction you envision (short sale, foreclosure, etc…), great referrals and testimonials, is a problem solver, and appeals to your personality style (you could potentially be spending a lot of time with your realtor, so you want to make sure it’s a good fit).

5. Solve the problem of how much you want to offer- This can be tricky, but there are some ways to determine the price of your offer. Your Evanston Real Estate agent can provide a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) which shows what other homes in Evanston are selling for. You can also determine the price by the sellers’ motivation to sell as well as the current market factors- which happen to be in the buyers’ favor right now!

6. Know the home you’re buying- You may have nightmares of coming home to a recent home purchase only to find it falling apart. Ways to avoid this are to thoroughly go over the disclosures which are required to list out issues or recent repairs within the home, get a home inspection, have contingencies in place when making your offer, maintain a home warranty policy that will cover many major malfunctions for a service call fee.

7. Know when to remove contingencies or waive objections- Removing contingencies or waiving objections usually puts thousands of dollars on the line, so it’s not a step to be taken lightly. Plus, by removing contingencies or waiving your objections, you are essentially telling the seller that you plan to close the deal — something you just shouldn’t do unless and until you are satisfied with the following items: title, disclosures and inspections, condition issues, appraisal and underwriting. Your Evanston Real Estate agent can help you determine if and when you need to take this step.

As you can see, these tips involve some action on your part, but if your main objective is to find a trusted Evanston Real Estate agent first; they can help guide you through the rest of the home buying process with ease. Having a basis of where the market is and what you’re looking for is still important, but your real estate agents years of experience in the market will give you that smooth and efficient experience you seek.

Feel free to let us know if you have any questions or are ready to begin searching for your new home in Evanston! We would be happy to talk with you about your real estate needs, your budget and the various options you have. As The Thomas Team, our goal is to make the process as easy and stress free as possible and we would love to help you throughout each step of buying your Evanston home.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Thomas Team
@ Properties

Chicago's #1 Real Estate Brokerage

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

5 Tips for Selling Your Evanston Home this Fall!

While you have enjoyed living in Evanston on Chicago’s North Shore, a job change or other extenuating circumstances may necessitate you selling your home this fall. Given the fact that the nation is currently experiencing a buyer’s market, you may be leery of putting your home up for sale. However, selling your Evanston home is not impossible.

As Evanston Real Estate agents, we’ve worked with buyers and sellers in the Evanston Real Estate market for a number of years and have a solid understanding of what Evanston buyers are looking for in a new home. Adding a buyers market into the mix can present certain challenges, but this market can be easily navigated and your home can be sold in an efficient manner if you are know what to expect.

We’ve gathered five key tips that will help you as you consider selling your Evanston home.

1. Understand What a Buyers Market Means- It’s important to understand what kind of market you’re about to enter and to look at some of the hard facts. Being in a buyers market means:

- There are more homes on the market than there are buyers.

- Homes are staying on the market longer.

- Homes are selling for less than they’re worth.

2. Price Your Home Correctly from the Beginning- This is a vital factor in selling your Evanston home. If you enter the market with an overpriced home, Evanston buyers will immediately cross it off their list and move on to a more affordable option. They have that luxury in a buyers market. The longer your Evanston home sits on the market; the less interest it will receive. You’ll find that waiting for that to happen and then reducing your price will not generate the same excitement that a ideally priced home would in the beginning.

3. Make Your Home Irresistible- Evanston buyers expect only the best, especially if they have the option to be picky. You’ll want to make sure your home shows like a model home and that its irresistible to buyers. Take care of any issues that you know of in your home, spend time updating your home (even if it’s just a fresh coat of paint), and spruce up your Evanston home’s curb appeal. All of these little details will add up to a home that buyers can’t refuse!

4. Find a Trusted Evanston Real Estate Agent- You’ll want to do your research and find an agent who has years of experience in the Evanston Real Estate market. Your real estate agent will play a key role in getting your Evanston home sold. Look at their home selling record, client testimonials and ask them to give you a detailed plan of what they will do to sell your Evanston home.

5. Make Sure Your Home is Getting Ultimate Exposure- The main element in getting your home sold is exposure. Did you know that over 80% of people search for homes online? Getting online exposure for your home is vital for home selling success. Talk with your Evanston Real Estate agent about how your home will be presented online and the types of sites they use to market your home. An online presence for your home is a service your real estate agent should be providing for you.

If you have any questions about selling your Evanston home or about the Evanston Real Estate market, please feel free to contact us! We would enjoy the opportunity to meet with you, discuss your real estate needs and help get your Evanston home sold in a smooth and timely process!

We look forward to helping you sell your home!

The Thomas Team
@ Properties

Chicago's #1 Real Estate Brokerage

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Celebrate Eco-Friendly Living This Saturday in Evanston!

One of the things we enjoy about living and working in Chicago’s North Shore is its committment to the environment. Keeping the backdrop for our lives vibrant and healthy is imperative for our communities and the world as a whole! As Evanston Real Estate agents, we are continually able to show potential buyers what makes the North Shore, specifically Evanston, such a great place to live. We not only want to showcase beautiful Evanston homes, but the lifestyle and community that Evanston has to offer.

This Saturday, September 24 from 9am-3pm, Evanston is highlighting its desire for eco-friendly and sustainable living through the 5th Annual Evanston Green Living Festival. Each year this festival, presented by the Evanston Environmental Association (EEA) and the City of Evanston, has a theme to encourage making a difference on our planet. This year, “Alternative Energy, You’ve Got the Power” will be seen throughout the event as a great reminder to start a more environmentally sound lifestyle right at home!

The Ecology Center, in the heart of downtown Evanston, will host this free event as it’s been a long-time proponent of green living in Evanston. New to this years festival will be a Green Silent Auction with items from green vendors and organizations with proceeds going to further develop The Ecology Center.

The Evanston Green Living Festival will also showcase the Green Market which features over 80 Green Home Exhibitors, an Alternative Transportation Exhibit, Green Demonstrations, a panel discussion and much more! Not only is this a fun way to spend a great fall day outdoors in Evanston, but is also an educational way to promote a green lifestyle. You’ll walk away from this event feeling armed with ways to incorporate a more sustainable lifestyle every day! Visit the Evanston Green Living Festival website for more information.

Here are a few simple ways to get started with eco-friendly living in your Evanston home!

1. Set the Timer- Set your thermostat to lower temperatures while you’re away from your Evanston home or while you’re sleeping. This will automatically help reduce energy used as well as costs just by programming your thermostat.

2. Let the Sunshine In- During the day, be sure to leave blinds and curtains open to let in the sunlight and natural heat. At night, shut them to help “trap” the warmth.

3. Stop Leaks- Check all doors and windows for drafts. You can easily seal windows and doors to prevent the warm air from your Evanston home from escaping, while making sure the cool air doesn’t leak in. In the summer, it will also prevent your air conditioner from working twice as hard.

4. Switch out Your Lights- From lamps to porch lights, all of your lights can be changed out for energy efficient LED lights! This change will add up to financial and energy savings!

5. Unplug- Not using an appliance? Unplug it! The Department of Energy notes that, even if appliances are not being used, they are still using energy. 40% of electricity used for your home electronics is used when they’re turned off, but still plugged in. Getting in the habit of unplugging will prove to be a smart habit in the long run!

We hope that you’re able to attend the Evanston Green Living Festival or take the time to make environmentally conscious updates to your Evanston home. Living in Evanston is much more than finding your ideal home, but involves being a part of a thriving community that you’re sure to enjoy.

If you’re interested in buying a home in Evanston this fall, please feel free to contact The Thomas Team to help you each step of the way!

The Thomas Team
@ Properties

Chicago's #1 Real Estate Brokerage