This 10-minute video courtesy of Home Warranty of America is worth watching to educate yourself on benefits, and restrictions, of available policies and coverages. These can be used as an effective “nibble” at the end of negotiations.
A friend of mine emailed me a link to this, and it is informative: overall, Chicago and Suburbs ranks fifth (5rd) overall out of forty (40) major metropolitan areas in the U.S. Chicago real estate brags the third most days on the market, and the third most price reductions. Not a good spot to be on this list.
As the subtitle of the article states: “Properties in these cities stay on the market longest, and sell for less than asking price.”
Looking for ways to save money? Maybe improve the value of your home? Finally, something I have found useful from the National Association of REALTORS® for homeowners (ie. that doesn’t involve some sort of positive spin of housing data): HouseLogic Project Finder – a free on-line resource for you.
You can filter the projects with four criteria, all utilizing either a slide bar or a drop-down menu. Filter projects by (a) effort, (b) investment, (c) home area and (d) topic. You can then build your own project “Binder” to track your progress.
For example:
A low effort, low investment appliance project for improvement (the four criteria above) yields eight projects, from low-flow commodes to whole-house surge protectors.
A high effort, high investment interior, energy-efficient project returns remodeling your bathroom the “green” way.
Other information includes taxes, financing, and community concerns.
