01 Feb 2022
8 Popular Home Design Features for 2022
There’s a lot to consider when selling your home, from the market and appraisals to where you’ll go next. Don’t forget, however, that design is also a key factor. It’s often one of the...
Every house has stories to tell: stories of quests and homecomings; of romance, love, and loss; of hilarity and grief. Stories of first steps, spilled sauce, lost socks, slammed doors, carved turkeys, binge-watching...I help clients find the cover that best binds their unique stories – whether that’s the opening chapter or the next installment in the story of their lives. My business cards say I’m an agent. But when you get right down to it, I’m much more—I’m a marketer, a connector, a facilitator, a negotiator, a referrer, a last-minute problem solver. I believe that we don’t buy and sell homes the way we do other "stuff." Not only will your residence be your biggest financial transaction, whether buying or selling, it will be the one with the most resonance. As a buyer, you may start your house search based on location and features. But you will choose your home based on emotion, "gut feel" and that sense of belonging. My role is to connect you with the right house, a home where you will inscribe your life. I have intimate knowledge of the neighborhoods where I work, which could range from knowing a certain block has had flooding issues, or has great block parties, or is built on a former contamination site, or across from a business with known noise issues, or is in a sought-after school attendance boundary. I don't want you to only feel okay about the house on which you make an offer, I want you to fall in love with it! As a seller, you need to complete the difficult process of ending the relationship with the space where the most intimate moments of your family’s life have occurred. My job is to guide you through this process, so that your home becomes a product, and is shown to its best advantage among like products in its neighborhood. I will bring to bear a full suite of robust marketing tools so that your product will catch buyers' eyes, and entice them to make an appointment, and then submit an offer as your property clearly showed as the one they love best! Whether you're a buyer or a seller, I will use my top-notch negotiation skills to get you your desired financial position with as little drama as necessary. As the situation warrants, I will be patient and polite but sometimes pointed; understanding but firm; assertive but never adversarial; and always, always keep my eye on the goal: getting you to the closing table on time. To do that, I develop congenial relationships with other local agents, with lenders and stagers, inspectors and attorneys and everyone else who will help make your transaction a success story. Will you and I click? Here's some fun facts to help you decide. I used to teach kindergarten and first grade; I’m creative, great at multi-tasking, and dealing with tantrums. I compete in trivia tournaments; I’m detail-oriented and enjoy solving puzzles. I am a huge reader; I know where to find resources. I love holidays and throw awesome parties. I know just about every line in "The Wizard of Oz", "It's a Wonderful Life", and most "I Love Lucy" episodes. I’ll even bake you a pie when we close. Will I be the right Realtor for you? I don’t know until you tell me what you’re looking for. Contact me at deborahsellsoakpark4U@gmail.com, whether you want to begin your first draft or next chapter.
01 Feb 2022
There’s a lot to consider when selling your home, from the market and appraisals to where you’ll go next. Don’t forget, however, that design is also a key factor. It’s often one of the...
01 Jan 2022
Last year was one for the real estate history books. The pandemic helped usher in a buying frenzy that caused home prices to soar nationwide by a record 19.9% between August 2020 and August...
01 Dec 2021
Every year, it seems the holidays sneak up on us—and every year, that brings with it the dreaded-last minute gift panic. Finding a present that hits all the right notes can be surprisingly stressful,...
01 Nov 2021
Homebuyers today are facing a huge dilemma. There simply aren’t enough homes for sale.1 Nationwide, there were 1.27 million active listings in September, down 13% from the previous year. According to the National Association...
01 Oct 2021
According to the FBI, more than one million burglaries are committed in the United States each year, with victims suffering an estimated $3 billion in combined property losses.1 Fortunately, there are some proven tactics...
01 Sep 2021
Selling your home when you still need to shop for a new one can feel daunting to even the most seasoned homeowner––especially when the demand for new homes keeps rising, but the supply feels...
01 Aug 2021
It’s the old supply-and-demand predicament: Home sales in the U.S. continue at a torrid pace, but the availability of listings remains limited. Buoyed by historically low mortgage rates, buyers keep shopping for homes, reducing...
01 Jul 2021
If you’re searching for drama, don’t limit yourself to Netflix. Instead, tune in to the real estate market, where the competition among buyers has never been fiercer. And with homes selling for record highs,1...
01 Jun 2021
Learn how to determine your current net worth and how an investment in real estate can help improve your bottom line. Among its many impacts, COVID-19 has had a pronounced effect on the housing...
03 May 2021
Imagine the first place you lived as a young adult. Now imagine trying to fit your life today into that space. Not pretty, right? For most of us, our housing needs are cyclical.1 A...
Sold | 2 BR | 1.1 BA | 1,289 sqft
Check out 845 Forest Ave Oak Park IL 60302! The happy new owners moved-up from a condo to this northwest Oak Park charmer! They fell in love with its hardwood floors, stained glass windows and...
Sold | 4 BR | 2 BA | sqft
This very cool Mid-Century Modern 2-flat with gorgeous updated kitchens sold in only 2 days with multiple offers; as a result seller got $10,000 above list! Buyers loved the huge basement and shady fenced...