Real Estate News from Cathy & Jim Higgins

View Cathy's Introduction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcvxepIo0jw

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Hello Everyone, below you will find Real estate information that we think you'll find interesting.
The 2019 Real Estate Market has done well in NW Indiana and Illinois.
Here is some data to reflect that:

                                                                   
 Town              # of Homes Sold - Price per Finished Sq Ft
                                    2018                            2019
Schererville:          211 - $113.06              227 - $125.21

Munster:                299 - $113.00              262 - $120.48

St. John:                234 - $129.59               269 - $132.64

Griffith:                 264 - $98.33                 226 - $104.56

Dyer:                     303 - $123.10               285 - $125.32

Highland:              311 - $106.90                243 - $114.61

Lowell:                  313 - $116.21                304 - $121.06

Crown Point:       1021 - $115.19                988 - $119.15

As you can see only Schererville and St. John sold more homes in 2019 than in 2018. There is a low Home inventory in NW Indiana. Basic Economics states that Low supply and high demand equals higher prices. This is exactly what has happened in NW Indiana. Low Inventory is a home sellers best friend!  Remember, the condition of the home always determines the selling price. Beautiful, updated Homes always demand higher prices. If you can do any updates every year, it will pay off at selling time.

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ILLINOIS does not use Price per Sq ft, so we will use Average Sale Price for comparisons.

Town                    # of Homes Sold - Avg Sale Price
                                    2018                            2019

Lansing:               446 - $126,731           418 - $134,102

South Holland:    334 - $147, 098          270 - $149,837

Thornton:              38 - $102,632              42 - $106,875

Lynwood:              73 - $205,712               86 - $210,819

Crete:                   257 - $188,249             236 - $181,837

Illinois Inventory is down in 3/5 towns listed, but average Sale price is mostly up. Remember, the condition of the home always determines the selling price. 
Illinois Seniors: Don't forget to apply for your senior tax deduction in January. The tax discount is applied on the 2nd half tax bill. 

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Coldwell Banker sends out an Email promotion to their clients every month. Open this up. They are giving away a lot of gift cards almost every month. This is just out of appreciation for their clients. They will not be contacting you. Take advantage of this client appreciation promotion. We see a list of winners in our office every time they offer it. 

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Coolest Home of the Month: 3415 Lake Shore Dr, Michigan City. $3.75 Million.


CLASSIC DUNELAND BEACH HOME. Stunning spread on 120 feet of frontage in desirable Duneland Beach with only the best of the best in material choices used. Overlooking the vast horizon of Lake Michigan waters and the sandy shores, this splendid home was built with the intention of entertaining and accommodating a large family or host friends with over 10,000 finished sq ft and 4 levels of living space.There are 8 luxurious bedroom suites allowing privacy and comfort for guests plus a grand master suite with sitting room, 2 baths, fireplace & beautiful views. The living room boasts 3 stories of floor to ceiling windows, exquisite fireplace mantel, chandelier, custom cabinetry & beamed vaulted ceiling. Be impressed by the massive kitchen with Viking range/oven, plus gas & electric cooktops, Subzero refrigerator, freezer drawers, islands, dishwashers and a huge dining area for all the family to enjoy meals. No stone unturned, no penny unspent to appoint this gorgeous home.
Check out the pictures using the Norton-Safe Link:  https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/in/michigan-city/3415-lake-shore-dr/pid_28588864/

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Coldwell Banker is a big sponsor of finding Rescue Dogs new Homes. Check out their latest commercial. It will make you smile: 
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dREv/coldwell-banker-old-dog-new-dog

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When considering selling your home and buying a new home, think of the big picture. If yearly home values are rising 2.5% in your area, your $220,000 home will be going up about $5,500. A $320,000 home increasing 2.5% will see an increase of approximately $8,000. 

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Interest rates are not expected to rise very much, but if something happens in this complicated World that affects the Real estate market, this could change. Here is an example:
A 250,000 loan at 4% equals a $1,511 Principal and Interest monthly payment. 30 years.
A $250,000 loan at 5% equals a $1,660 Principal and Interest monthly payment. 30 years.

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From Realtor.com:


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Why Should I pay for Closing Costs?

Question:   My neighbor said he just sold his home but he had to pay the buyers closing costs. No one ever paid for my closing costs. If I didn’t have the money, I didn’t buy it. Why is this allowed?

Answer:    First off, your neighbor did not have to pay for his buyers closing costs. He chose to as part of the negotiations. Your neighbor was satisfied with his bottom line, which is simply the net sales price of the home.  There is no difference whether he paid for his buyers closing costs or simply reduced the sales price by the same amount. The closing costs were taken out of your neighbors proceeds at closing. No money was given to the buyer upfront.  This transaction must be viewed as only a business deal. Keep your emotions out of it.

Times are different now.  Paying a buyer’s closing costs has advantages to the seller and buyer. For sellers, it presents an option in negotiations to help them sell their home.  For buyers, it allows them to either ‘buy down’ their mortgage interest rate or to have extra cash to update the home or make other improvements that may be needed.

A successful business transaction takes place when both parties are satisfied with the deal.  Apparently your neighbor was satisfied or he wouldn’t have accepted the offer.    

Work place Violence

Why was my offer rejected?

Question:  A property was on the market for $260,000. The price is far higher than sales made in the past 3-4 months. We offered $205,000. This offer was rejected outright and not countered. The next day, the price dropped to $249,900.

So my question is, was our offer just offensive to the seller?

Answer:  Sellers have the right to test the market. That homes have not sold for a given price previously does not mean the owner or the owners broker were somehow wrong. Prices rise in some communities, which means someone must be the first to breach a given price level.

The marketplace will ultimately decide the value of the property. That said, buyers have a right to bid for properties according to the value they see. You, as a purchaser, may have felt that the property was worth less based on past sales, available properties, condition, location, design, etc.

How do you know what the seller will accept unless you make another written offer? A real estate transaction is a business deal – you made an offer, it was rejected and both parties can decide what they wish to do next, if anything.

Food for Thought

This Guy Blames Santa for his Fireplace Problem

Question: Our buyers recently had a home inspection performed on my home. The inspector said the fireplace damper is broken. I haven’t used my fireplace in years. We have had 17 Christmases in our home, so I'm sure the damper was damaged by the fat guy in the red suit coming down our chimney. Why should I be responsible to make that repair?

Answer:  We assume you mean Santa Claus. I think the jolly old man who brings happiness to millions of children & families every year, deserves a bit more respect from you. Since Santa visits millions of homes every year, there are bound to be a few accidents. We once had a few roof shingles break off from what was probably caused by Santa and his reindeer team. Since Santa's visits have been very special to our family, we consider this as normal Holiday maintenance and had no problem making the repairs. 

Mr. Seller, the broken damper is a safety issue. Your new buyers have every right to insist that you fix the chimney damper. Failure to do so could terminate the contract on your home. We suggest you fix the safety issue with your home, move towards a successful closing and be happy knowing that your new buyers will be safe in their new Home.

Here is something else you should know:  Blaming Santa for this broken damper is most definitely going to put you on His “Naughty List.”  You may want to reconsider your accusations.

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