Merry Christmas Everyone!

Here is something to think about:

"You might think about how a Carpenter, with absolutely no resources, 

has dominated World culture for over 2000 years !

Now you know why anti-believers are so upset!"

Cost of Goods

 

The Difference between a house and a home

 

How many times have you thought about all the places you have lived over your lifetime? Christmas at home with your parents when you were allowed to open one present before Christmas eve dinner and the excitement that brought? 

You remember that living room with the tree you decorated with your parents, which looked so warm and festive in that cozy room. The memory of that home is still special to you today.

Maybe it was that attic apartment above the corner grocery store, where every time the milk cooler door closed, you could hear it loud and clear.

How about your first home where the Kitchen was so small that you and your spouse took turns when you needed to enter it?

So many memories that put a smile on your face. That’s why memories are so special. Whether it’s remembering a loved one that has passed or the memory of living in a home that brought back happy feelings of an earlier part of your life.

Those special memories of our past are part of the process for keeping us happy. Although, we should never live in the past, it will always be a part of who we are.

Maybe driving past a previous home and remembering when your daughter fell off the bike on that driveway, skinning her knee and wanting a hug from you so the hurt would go away. 

The basketball hoop on your garage where you taught your son or daughter to do layups.

Remembering the home where you read, “Twas the night before Christmas” to your children and that priceless look in their eyes.

It’s really not the act that you remember, it’s the feeling of that moment that you will never forget.

So, when you are at your home with those special people in your life, drinking your spiced coffee and hot chocolate, turn off that TV and talk about those special moments in your life that are etched in your mind. I guarantee there will be laughs and some happy tears!

This is what makes a house, a home.

After all, Tis the Season to Remember, that we're never far from Home.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Jim and Cathy Higgins

www.Cathyhiggins.com

Safety Tips when shopping online

Secure websites — indicated by "https" rather than "http" at the beginning of a URL — encrypt data such as payment information. 

Do not submit personal or financial data to unsecured sites. Web browsers also help shoppers notice when a site is, or isn't, secure. 

Look for a closed lock, often in green, in the address bar. An open lock and red background indicate the site isn't using the secure protocol to send and receive data (though hackers have also been known to fake this icon).

Interesting Graph about Air Travel

        

 

Food for Thought

 

The Benefits of Using a Drone when Selling Your Home

Today’s home sellers want to work with real estate agents that use both drone aerial photography and videos to market their homes. 

The real estate agent that generates the most listings sells the most homes. 

1. Homes with aerial images sold 68% faster than homes with standard images

2. 73% of homeowners say they want to work with a real estate agent that uses video to market homes

3. 83% of home sellers prefer to work with an agent that uses drones

4. High-volume real estate agents use drones 3.5 times more than low-volume real estate agents

5. Drones speed up the sales process for commercial and residential properties

Jim and I offer Unique and Fascinating Drone pics of your Home when you list with Us.

We have a Marketing Arsenal to get your Home Sold for the Best Price!

 Here's an Update of the Local Real Estate Market Conditions

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The Market is still hot! Not quite as hot as a couple months ago, but still quite active.

Most Homes are selling within days.

Homes are getting many viewings and sellers are usually getting offers over list price.

Remember,  "List Price," is what the comparables (similar homes that sold) show.

Buyers who qualify for over the homes List Price, are offering over list price to increase their chances of the sellers accepting their contract. We warn the sellers that the property sales price may not be acceptable to the appraiser. Most Sellers are willing to take the chance.

You may ask, why not just price the home $20,000 over what the comparables indicate?

If we did this, the number of showings would fall greatly. We have seen this in listings where the seller did just that. Showings were way down, the home sat longer on the market and the buyers noticed this. This actually created a situation where buyers were offering below List Price.

By pricing the home at market value, it creates a competition among buyers. This is what starts the bidding war!

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Seller or Buyer Market? It's pretty obvious it is a Sellers market. The National Association of Realtors uses an absorption index number to determine the strength of a particular Sellers market. 

The index suggests:   Sellers Market: 0-4.9.    Neutral Market: 5.0-6.9.   

Buyers Market: 7.0+ .

Here are the current absorption index numbers for various local towns:

Lansing: 0.6.   Lynwood: 2.5.

Munster: 1.1.  Dyer: 0.7.  Highland: 0.7. Schererville: 1.0.  St. John:  1.2. Most other Indiana towns will have similar index numbers at this time.

Just like we thought, a Very Strong Sellers Market.

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How long will this continue?  Most experts, including the National Association of Realtors see this lasting at least through next year. But these are predictions and no one can predict the future. If buyers get fed up with high prices, or if inflation and interest rates reduce the number of qualified buyers, the demand will lessen and prices will drop. If more homes come on the market without an increase of buyers, then supply rises and demand falls. Prices will fall. Nothing lasts forever!

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Current Illinois Statistics, Average Sale Price in 2020 and 2021:

South Holland 2020: $175,676.  2021: $194,973

Lynwood 2020: $212,321.  2021: $283,792.           

Lansing 2020: $156,471.  2021: $186,750.

Current Indiana Prices per Sq Ft:

Munster 2020: $127.81.   2021: $147.85.               

Highland 2020: $122.48.      2021: $138.52.

Schererville 2020: $129.95.   2021: $142.44

Dyer 2020: $132.62.   2021: $148.05.      

St. John 2020: $143.98.   2021: $162.38.

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Is it Cheaper to buy a Home in Illinois with higher taxes or Indiana with lower taxes? Check out the video. Click the Link:

Ill or In?          (Click the link, choose the youtube video)

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A Satirical look at the Current Real Estate Market.

5 Stages of Homeownership:   https://youtu.be/bWPziypZmrE

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Question:  This Real estate market seems too good to be true. What can you tell us about it? We are thinking about selling our Home.

Answer:  It depends on what “too good” means. It is an excellent sellers’ market. So, if you are selling, you will reap bigger rewards, but not without a few obstacles. Homes for sale are getting a lot of viewings. This is due to the high demand and low inventory. Homes are selling above list price as buyers compete for the same home. Once you accept your over list price, the appraiser must review it and basically approve the price. Appraisals are not an exact science so you have a chance that your home will have an acceptable appraisal if you’ve spent money updating your home. An acceptable appraisal also depends on how much over list price your home sold for.

Here is the newest problem we are seeing: The buyers’ contract, whose offer is considerably higher than the asking price, gets accepted. There is a day of jubilation and excitement, followed by: "Our monthly payment is now higher, and we've just overpaid for a home." The buyers decide that they don't want the home, but they already have a signed contract. Buyer eventually gets out of the contract using one of their contingencies and the earnest money deposit must be returned. This is not the norm, but we are seeing it happen.

In many cases, as a seller, you are going to buy another home after you sell your current home. You are now on the other side of the fence as a buyer. It is now possible that you will be the one paying top dollar for your next home amidst heavy competition for Homes. You can always buy new construction, but you will be paying top dollar for that too, but with a little more certainty that you will find a home.

As a buyer, don’t buy whatever house you can get right now because you’re worried prices will continue to rise. It’s not worth putting your financial future at risk by getting a property at the upper limit of what you can afford. If last year taught us anything, it’s the value of being prepared for the unexpected. Whether or not you decide to make a home purchase now or years from now, it needs to make sense for you. 

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Beecher....30 Acres, Stocked Pond, 2 Well insulated Pole Barns with Concrete floors, Large 2 story home and 2 additional Rentable Homes for Cash Flow.

Reduced to $675,000.                               

Take the Video Property Tour, Click below:

Click here for tour:

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As most of you know, we are now with McColly Real Estate. Our office is centrally located in Schererville near the post office and Home Depot. McColly is a local Real Estate Powerhouse and the Number 1 company in every county of Indiana with offices all over Illinois and Indiana. 

We are Local. We are Global!

Thinking of Selling? Put our Experience to Work for you!

Our fees are lower because homes are selling faster and our Experience will get you top dollar for your Home!

Cathy Higgins: 708-828-3304. Cathyhiggins@McColly.com

Jim Higgins: 219-577-5905. Jimhiggins11@comcast.net

          

 Market Update for Illinois and Indiana:

It is still a Sellers Market, but buyer activity has slowed down, especially in Illinois.

Sellers are still getting a great price for their home, based on its condition, but there are less multiple offers. This is especially true if the home looks less than Beautiful!

Listings (Inventory) Down almost every Month

This is what is fueling the Price Boom!

 

Interesting site to improve your credit Score

 

Never used this before, but it sounds interesting........

When it comes to your credit score, it’s important to stay organized and keep tabs on it. After all, it’ll play an essential role in any big purchase you want to make — whether that’s a home or a car.

So if you’re looking to get your credit score back on track — or even if it is on track and you want to bump it up — try using a free website called Credit Sesame. 

Within two minutes, you’ll get access to your credit score, any debt-carrying accounts and a handful of personalized tips to improve your score. You’ll even be able to spot any errors holding you back (one in five reports have one).

James Cooper, of Atlanta, used Credit Sesame to raise his credit score nearly 300 points in six months.* “They showed me the ins and outs — how to dot the I’s and cross the T’s,” he said.

Want to check for yourself? It’s free and only takes about 90 seconds to sign up. 

True Friends

 

This Buyer thinks this Real Estate Market is Misery

 Question: I need some sound advice about the current market because I think I'm going crazy.

Just when I already thought prices in my area were already double what the average income qualifies for in mortgage payments, I'm now even more shocked to see new listings that are $50,000 or more overpriced in desirable areas according to online valuations.

Why are seller's agents overpricing the houses, according to fair market values from recently sold homes? How do they justify such prices? Why do brokers encourage buyers to invest at these prices, when common sense tells me, if rates go up, and people are shut out of the market, there will be even fewer qualified buyers, so prices have to go down! Do brokers have any code of ethics for the crisis they're creating in this market? Please tell me something to ease my misery about the current market!

Answer: You're not crazy. There are several answers.

First, why do you think online valuations are accurate? Do online sites have appraisers in your neighborhood who reported to them recently, or do they work by statistics which may be out-of-date, inaccurate and not reflective of individual properties? Online sites work on averages assuming all homes are alike. They even compare regular homes to foreclosed homes, which is ridiculous.

Second, imagine if you were a seller. Would you hire a broker to sell the property for less than market value? If brokers are over-pricing properties then buyers won't buy. Asking prices will soon fall if buyers just say no.

Third, home values are not based on a multiple of average incomes. They are based on what the market will bear. In effect, buyers are self-selected by their willingness to purchase at a given price and their financial ability to do so. Seen another way, homes are not universally affordable.

As a buyer you must use your own judgment. If prices make no sense to you, vote with your dollars and don’t buy now. Use the services of a Realtor, someone obligated to work in your best interest as a purchaser, to better understand local trends and to spot properties that meet your requirements.

Market Update

Market is still hot! Not quite as hot as a couple months ago, but still quite active.

Most Homes are selling within days.

Homes are getting many viewings and sellers are usually getting offers over list price.

Remember,  "List Price," is what the comparables (similar homes that sold) show.

Buyers who qualify for over the homes List Price, are offering over list price to increase their chances of the sellers accepting their contract. We warn the sellers that the property sales price may not be acceptable to the appraiser. Most Sellers are willing to take the chance.

We have a system that we use, that has helped us convince the appraiser that the home is worth what the buyer is willing to pay.  It's not 100% effective, but it is effective.

You may ask, why not just price the home $20,000 over what the comparables indicate?

If we did this, the number of showings would fall greatly. We have seen this in listings where the seller did just that. Showings were way down, the home sat longer on the market and the buyers noticed this. This actually created a situation where buyers were offering below List Price.

By pricing the home at market value, it creates a competition among buyers. This is what starts the bidding war!

Only Humans would do this

 

Home Appreciation Hits 30-Year High

The Case-Shiller Home Price Index, which is considered the “gold standard” for appreciation, showed home prices rose 14.6% year over year in April. 

This is a 30-year high and even stronger than the already hot 13.3% annual appreciation reported in March. The 20-city index rose from 13.4% to 14.9% year over year, with almost all the cities showing strong gains. 

Phoenix (+22.3%), San Diego (+21.6%), and Seattle (+20.2%) continued to report the highest annual gains among the 20 cities. 

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) also released their House Price Index, which measures home price appreciation on single-family homes with conforming loan amounts. 

While you can have a million-dollar home with a conforming loan amount, the report most likely represents lower-priced homes, where supply is tightest and demand is strongest. 

Click on Link.

18302 DeJong Ln, Lansing. New Listing

This is one of the Nicest Homes in Lansing! Beautiful and Updated Forester Quad Level in Excellent Condition. All you have to do is Move In! Formal Dining room Overlooks the Living room which has a Bow Window and Cathedral Ceiling. Spacious and Updated Eat In Kitchen with Garden Window, Ceramic backsplash and Appliances included. Kitchen overlooks the Family room with Brick fireplace. Finished Laundry room. 3 Large Bedrooms including the Master Bedroom with 2 Closets and a Private Bath. Bedrooms have Ceiling Fans. Main Bath has a New Skylight and Ceramic Tile. Finished Basement with a 2nd Family room. There are 2 Crawl spaces, approx 5 ft in height. Carpeted, well lit with Abundant Storage. 2 Car attached Garage. In Ground Sprinkling System. New Interior and Exterior Doors. Attic Fan. Brand New Roof, Gutters and Downspouts (2021). Picturesque back yard with newly Stained Deck, Pergola, Shed and an abundance of Beauty! It is Beautiful! Home is close to Schools, Shopping and Major Highways for an Easier Commute.

Dogs are Amazing

 

How do we know if it's a seller's market or buyer's market?

 

Question: One day we hear it’s a Buyer’s market, then we hear it’s a Seller’s market. Which is it now?

Answer:  A buyer’s market occurs when supply exceeds demand. To put it another way, there are plenty of homes for sale, but there’s a shortage of interested buyers. These conditions give buyers leverage over sellers because when supply is higher and demand is lower, the market is forced to respond.

In a buyer’s market, real estate prices decrease, and homes linger on the market longer. So, sellers must compete with each other in order to attract buyers. Typically, sellers will drop their asking prices to gain an advantage in the market. Furthermore, they are much more willing to negotiate offers to prevent buyers from walking away.

 A seller’s market arises when demand exceeds supply. In other words, there are many interested buyers, but the real estate inventory is low. Since there are fewer homes available, sellers are at an advantage.

In a seller’s market, homes sell faster, and buyers must compete with each other in order to score a property. These market conditions often make buyers willing to spend more on a home than they would otherwise. Therefore, sellers can raise their asking prices.

 Market activity is measured in terms of Absorption rate, aka Ab rate.

 For example, let’s look at Lansing, Il.

As of this writing, Lansing has 31 active single family detached properties for sale.

Lansing homes are selling at the rate of 13.6 homes per month.

31/13.6 = 2.3 Absorption rate. 

This indicates a Strong Seller’s Market.

 

If Ab rate is less than 5, it’s a Seller’s Market.

If Ab rate is 5-7, it’s a balanced market.

If Ab rate is greater than 7, it’s a Buyer’s Market.

 

Let’s look at Munster, In:

As of this writing, Munster has 32 active single family detached properties for sale.

Munster homes are selling at the rate of 28.3 homes per month.

31/28.3 = 1.1 Absorption rate. 

This indicates an even Stronger Seller’s Market.

 

The bottom line is that most of the area is experiencing a strong Seller’s market.

When will this change? Unfortunately, there is no crystal ball.

Market Opinion

 

We are Starting to get the Feeling that Buyer Demand is Slowing Down.

The main reasons for the surge in Buyers was Covid and Crime.

Covid is slowing. This may be part of the Reason, 

or should we say, part of the Guess.

Why so many shortages and high Prices?

 If everything seems like it's costing you more money right now that's probably because it is — the saving grace being that perhaps things get a bit cheaper in the fall.

But it's important to understand as an investor— and consumer —why inflation has picked up. Indeed it has major implications on everything from monthly budgeting of one's finances to investment portfolio construction. 

From Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius: 

"First, during the pandemic demand for several consumer goods has surged far above normal levels, and production struggled to keep up. Second, the global shortage of microchips has limited the production of many consumer goods such as appliances and new cars and has also spilled over to shortages of used cars and rental cars. Third, labor shortages have led to large increases in low-end wages that appear to be flowing through to rising prices in categories that rely heavily on low-wage labor, such as food services. The gains in prices at the hands of these macroeconomic factors have been eye-popping to say the very least."

What a Great Idea !

 

Is there going to be a housing collapse in the near future? We are hearing crazy things about this Market.

 None of the experts say this will happen in the next year. But who can predict the future? Few people foresaw the housing market crash 13 years ago that ignited a worldwide recession. Fueled by low interest rates and loose mortgage lending, the housing bubble burst, some nine million families lost their homes to foreclosure or short sale. Housing values plunged 30% or more. But an entirely new regulatory agency was created to enforce this new regulatory framework. Lenders who do not comply with these standards risk severe penalties. As a result, the housing finance marketplace is now more robust and safer than it was 15 years ago. Any dip in the housing market will be cushioned by these stricter regulations.

No one could have predicted it. Not the economists, not the real estate agents, and not the nation’s homebuilders. But rising crime in some areas and the pandemic, caused an emotional run-on housing unlike any other.                                                                                             

Americans, unsure when they would be able to get back out in the world again, were looking for more indoor and outdoor space. They wanted dedicated rooms for working and schooling at home.

With new buyers continuing to enter the market and not enough homes for sale to meet demand, home prices are still going up. But keep this in mind: If the number of houses for sale goes crazy high and the number of buyers willing to buy them suddenly plummets, home prices would fall and that’s when a crash would be something to worry about. And don’t forget, pandemic-related mortgage bailouts are set to expire this summer. Other factors to watch: If interest rates rose too quickly. If Home prices rise to a point where affordability is diminished. If loans suddenly become harder to get, or an economic slowdown occurs due to government policies. These are all concerns, but not predictions.

Despite these concerns, the experts say that it is unlikely that the housing market will crash in 2021.

The longer the pandemic continues or the weaker the economy gets, the more of a gap there will be between those who can afford a home and those for whom the prospect of homeownership will become less and less attainable.

Typical Buyer, Haha!

 

Home Inspection, Now an FHA Inspection?

 Question:  I knew I would have to go through the buyer’s inspection when I accepted this contract, but now I am told that FHA has to inspect my Home and that the repairs they require must be completed in order for the buyer to get their loan. I am not happy about this. Is this correct?

Answer: First of all, congratulations on getting an accepted offer on your home. In many markets, that is not easy to do. But that does not mean that the deal will close. Contracts have contingencies that must be satisfied in order for a closing to take place. Example: Contingent on your buyer getting a loan, Contingent on a satisfactory home inspection, Contingent on your home appraising to at least the purchase price, etc.                                                                                                                                       

If you have a buyer who is obtaining FHA financing, your deal is also contingent on you completing the repairs required by the FHA inspector/appraiser. The FHA inspector is an appraiser sent to determine the value of the home and look for significant deficiencies according to FHA criteria such as obvious mold growth, chipped paint on windows older than 1978, broken glass, lack of GFCI’s by sinks, etc. If they find defects then they will require repairs which they will reinspect, to ensure the repairs were made correctly. 

These required repairs are usually minor if the homeowner has kept their home in good shape.

You are not required to do these repairs. You may say no and look for another buyer that is obtaining conventional financing or paying cash. The problem is that in many markets, the vast majority of all qualified buyers are using FHA financing.  

The smart move would be for you to do the repairs and enjoy your check at closing.

Will Checking My Credit Score Online Hurt my Credit My Score?

Another credit score myth that derives partially from the truth is the notion that checking your score will hurt it. Yes, it’s entirely true that if you apply for new credit your potential borrower will run a credit check that may take a few points off your score. 

However, if you check your score yourself, there will be no effect whatsoever. When you actually apply for credit, it triggers what’s known as a “hard inquiry,” which can damage your score. 

However, if you’re just checking your own score, or if a lender is performing a routine review of your account, that’s known as a “soft inquiry,” and it has no effect on your credit

I laugh Every time I see this

 

The Hot Sellers Market

We keep telling sellers this...... We have never seen a sellers market this strong in Indiana or Illinois.

The demand for homes is incredible with Low Inventory.

We are not saying you should sell. We are saying if you've been planning a move in the near future, make that near future as soon as possible.

Homes are selling in less than a week with multiple offers.

Even our real estate fees are much lower because of the fast sales time.

It's a win-win situation.

Who knows what this new Presidential administration brings.  It could get better; it could get worse.

That's up to you to decide!

Here is a list of the seven best investments to make in 2021:

From Investment Strategy:

1. Build Your Cash Reserves. 
2. Stocks – Still the Way to Go in 2021. 
3. Real Estate. 
4. Pay down or Pay Off Debt. 
5. Launch or Accelerate Your Retirement Savings Plan. 
6. Make 2021 the Year You Begin Investing in Yourself. 
7. Invest in a Side Business.

Side Note:  

We work for McColly Real Estate. Our owner, Ron McColly, is very high on Warren Buffet's Berkshire-Hathaway Stock. He encourages his staff to invest in this highly rated stock. Symbol:  BRK.A

Safety Notice

 Carbon Monoxide Issue With Gas Dryers.

The area just received as much as 13 inches of snow.

Check your dryer vent.

A snow-covered vent can also lead to a build up of carbon monoxide (CO) within gas dryers and the area the appliance is in. CO is an odorless and dangerous gas that escapes from appliances containing motors that burn fuel. Exposure to the gas can lead to health problems including headaches and dizziness and constant exposure can lead to death.

Note -- Carbon monoxide buildup and exposure is not an issue with electric dryers and appliances.

Outlook for Real Estate in 2021

 Looks like another Sellers Market in 2021:

U.S. pending home sales dipped to the tune of 0.3% in December following a 2.6% drop in November, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. It’s the fourth consecutive monthly decline, but many industry observers see big potential for the housing market in the year ahead.

Contract signings rose 21.4% from December 2019, with all regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) reaching double-digit year-over-year increases. Realtor.com’s Housing Market Recovery Index showed significant contract growth, specifically in Portland, Las Vegas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Boston.

“Despite some weakness in pending sales in recent months, existing home sales continue to happen at breakneck pace, and December’s pending home sales suggest that the housing market is largely holding onto these gains,” said Danielle Hale, realtor.com chief economist. “Greater participation of sellers and builders in the months ahead will make home sales possible while easing some of the pressure on price growth, which is currently rising at a double-digit percent rate and has been for almost six months.”

The overall drop in pending home sales over the final quarter of 2020 can be contributed to a lack of inventory in the housing market, according to Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.

“There is a high demand for housing and a great number of would-be buyers, and therefore sales should rise with more new listings,” Yun said. “This elevated demand without a significant boost in supply has caused home prices to increase and we can expect further upward pressure on prices for the foreseeable future.”

A promising 2021 for homebuyers is on the horizon, Yun said, with low mortgage rates and a fiscal stimulus expected to be passed by the Biden administration, which should bolster the housing market.

“I expect the 30-year fixed mortgage rate to average 3%, with the Federal Reserve refraining from any rate increases this year,” he said. “There will also be slower home price appreciation – likely 6.6% – as increased confidence from homebuilders will ultimately lead to an increase in housing starts.” 

With rates remaining low, existing-homes sales are likely to reach 6.49 million in 2021, Yun said. That would be a 15% increase from 5.64 million in 2020.

.

Thinking of Selling Your Home?

 

We've never seen a better Real Estate Market for a Home Seller in Illinois or Indiana.

Low Inventory and High Demand.

If you've been planning a move in the near future, don't wait too long!

No one can predict the future, but this market will not last forever!

Which Side are you on?

 

Aerial view of our hide n seek game with our Puppy Dixie.

Hide N Seek in the Arizona Desert with our Dog Dixie 

This was a short drone video of our Puppy looking for us in the Arizona desert near where we were staying. Cathy was the hider. 

The drone also was on lookout for the pack of Coyotes that we came across last week. Luckily they were no where to be found during this shoot.

Real Estate Newsletter 2021

 In Case you were wondering about the Real estate market in NW Indiana, here is a summary.

Chart clearly shows what we already knew, Home prices are up and they are selling quickly.

People were cautious in the pandemic, but they didn't let it stop them from Selling and Buying!

(Price per sq ft is in Dollars)

Illinois Prices also did very well.

This is a great Market to Sell, Indiana or Illinois, but a challenging market to purchase a home. Buyers had to compete with other buyers who were interested in the same home, which drove the home prices even higher. 

Buyers far exceed the supply of homes making it a huge sellers market. Low Interest rates allow more buyers to qualify for homes. Buyers and sellers were moving for a variety of reasons: Covid, Crime, warmer climates and moving closer to Family were the reasons we heard often. 

Speaking of low interest rates, have you inquired about refinancing? 

If your current mortgage interest rate is 4% or above, you may want to check into this. Email us with questions. 

We hope you and your Family were safe during this crazy pandemic. The safety rules we established with our Listings turned out very successful. We received no reports of anyone being infected with the virus while their home was for sale. We also found that most buyers were very respectful of others and were conscientious about keeping safe.

Selling Your Home During a Pandemic:

To protect our sellers, we have door signage and we send an Email to the Buyer’s Agent before the showing that states: Here are the rules that buyers must follow before entering one of our listings. (ALL our sellers were pleased with this).                                                              Posted Door sign and Agents were given these rules prior to their visit.  

• No more than 4 people in the home at one time. 
• If you are not feeling well or have been recently exposed to someone who had the virus, please do not enter this home. 
• Masks must be worn while inside. 
• Buyers must use hand sanitizer and shoe covers before walking through the home. 
• Toilets are not to be used. 

Our Listings in both Illinois and Indiana had accepted contracts on them within 15 days. The main reason was the hot real estate market, the others were the success we had in attracting these buyers to our listings. 

Video Walk through Tours for those Buyers who need to buy a Home but are concerned about the Covid virus. These buyers do not want to walk through dozens of homes. The Video walk through tour will provide them an opportunity to view your home just as if they were walking through it in person, if they like what they see, they will arrange an actual showing. This is a HUGE advantage over your competition which does not have this feature! 

Professional photos and Aerial shots attracted buyers to our listings

Our switch to McColly Real estate in May of 2020 was a great move for us and our clients. I like to think of McColly as a local power house whose principles are honesty and Clients come first. Our office is located across from Aldi and the Schererville Post Office.

We write a real estate column for a small local paper. The #1 question we get is from disgruntled buyers who lost the home they really wanted. Here is the answer to that:

Question: We recently made on offer on a home, the owner counter-offered, we turned down the counter-offer. A few days later we e-mailed the broker that we would like to make the same offer again. A couple of days later the broker called and said the owner was considering our offer. A few more days passed, we heard nothing from the broker, but we decided to go with the owner's counter-offer if the seller turned us down again.

The call never came from the broker. Instead an e-mail was sent saying the owner didn't accept our original offer and that the home was now under contract. Now we think we should have been given the first chance to accept the owner's terms instead of it being sold to someone else. The home had been on the market for more than a year so it wasn't like there was a great demand for it. What do you think?

Answer: You were given any number of chances to buy the property. First you made an offer that was not accepted. Then the owners made a counter-offer that you could have instantly accepted -- but did not. Then you re-submitted your original offer and it was not accepted by the sellers. Lastly, you want another chance at the counter-offer you first rejected but by this time the owners had accepted a bid from other purchasers.

The bottom line: You had your chance. There are many players in the marketplace. The fact that the home did not sell quickly does not mean the owners are required to sell on your terms. Lastly, an offer or counter-offer once rejected is dead and need not be re-considered. 

The Most expensive home that sold in NW Indiana Lake county:

Crown Point! Morningside subdivision. Cascading waterfalls and tree-lined streets welcome you home. Situated on 3.7-acre wooded cul-de-sac lot in an exclusive gated community, this gorgeous home will impress. 

6600 square feet. Built in 2006. 4 bedrooms and 6 baths.

List Price: $1,875,000.

Sale Price: $1,700,000.  Sold in 30 Days.

Most Expensive home that sold in the Lansing, South Holland, Lynwood and Thornton Illinois Areas:

19801 Lake Park, Lynwood. 

$379,000.       

This one was our Listing. 

Spectacular 2 Story Brick Home loaded with Quality Features! 5 Bedrooms, 4 Full Baths. Over 5.000 sq ft of Finished Living Space! Enter the home into the Foyer with an Impressive 17 ft Ceiling. Attractive Living and Dining rooms with Tray Ceilings. Fabulous Kitchen with Center Island, Breakfast Bar, Granite Counter tops, Ceramic Back splash, Recessed lights and Stainless Steel Appliances. Main Level Family room is open to the Kitchen with Arched entrance, Vaulted Ceiling, Plant Shelf and Fireplace. Main Level Laundry room with Washer & Dryer Included. Main floor Bedroom and Full Bath, Perfect for Related Living. Upper level features 4 Bedrooms, all with Walk In Closets. Master bedroom has a Gas Fireplace, a 19x11 Walk in Closet and a huge Luxury Bath with double Sink Vanity, Walk in Shower and Deep Whirlpool Tub.  Basement is Beautifully Finished with a Rec/Workout room, 2nd Family room, Playroom, 2nd Kitchen, Full Bath and a Spacious office. 

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Great Windows App for your Personal & Business Use:

It's called "Sticky Notes." 

We guarantee you will use this regularly!

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Interesting Article that maybe we should all think about:

"Imagine you were born in 1900.When you're 14
World War I begins and ends at 18 years old with 22 million dead.

Shortly after, a global pandemic called 'Spanish flu'  kills 50 million people.
You come out alive and free. You are 20 years old.

Then, at 29, you survive the global economic crisis that started with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange, causing Inflation, Unemployment, and Hunger.

At 33, the nazis come to power.
You turn 39 when World War II starts and ends at 45 During the Holocaust (Holocaust), 6 million Jews die.
There will be over 60 million deaths in total.
When you're 52, the Korean War begins.

A boy born in 1985 thinks his grandparents have no idea how difficult life is, but they have survived several wars and disasters.

A boy born in 1995 and now 25 years old thinks it's the end of the world when his Amazon package takes over three days to arrive or when he doesn't get more than 15 likes for her photo posted on Facebook or Instagram. 

In 2020, many of us live comfortably, have access to different sources of home entertainment, and often have more than we need.
But people complain about everything.
However, they have electricity, phone, food, hot water, and a roof over their heads.

None of this existed before.
But mankind survived far more disastrous circumstances and never lost the joy of living.
Maybe it's time to be less self-escaped, stop complaining, and stop crying."

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And Last, but not least.... The glamourous life of a Realtor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAVrx5Nw9rI

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We wish you all a Very Happy & Healthy 2021 !!

If you or someone you know is Planning on Selling this Year, please pass along our name. Your referrals are the best compliment we can receive.

If you are thinking of selling but are worried about having us out to your home because of the pandemic, give us a call. With current technology, we don't even need to enter your home to give you an estimated selling range and the associated costs. We can even discuss all covid precautions.

Jim & Cathy Higgins

Illinois: 708-828-3304   

Indiana: 219-577-5905

Email: Cathyhiggins@mccolly.com