Best August Real Estate Blog Posts

I like to recap some of the prior month's real estate posts I've written in other sources, so here they are for August 2013.

Orland Park Homes and Real Estate

The website isn't just about real estate and homes for sale.  I live and work in Orland Park so like to throw a local lifestyle spin on the website.  In fact, although I don't get a lot of people relocating into Orland Park, I'd like to paint a true picture of living in this popular southwest suburb.

I wrote about a great fast food diner and find out by a comment that the place might be moving from their current Orland Park location.  Go figure. Baby's Cheesecake and Lemonade has other locations, although they're a bit too far for me.  If they move I hope it's not too far away.

Although there are lifestyle articles on the site, it is about real estate, after all.  I'm really interested to see how 2013 will compare with 2012.  I don't really need to read statistics to know we're much busier this year compared to last, but I wasn't sure about how that affected prices.  You can see the difference between Orland Park homes sold in July of 2013 vs. 2012.  It's good news!

Homer Glen Homes and Real Estate

I've been transferring older posts to my new Homer Glen website template and it's literally been copy and paste.  Lots of time consuming work and I hope I keep this site as I'll have to do it all over again if I decide to switch back to Wordpress (although I kept my last back-up from my prior Wordpress site).

I'm having fun creating pre-set searches and I know many local buyers are interested in Homer Glen short sales.  Not only does this post give the link to show all current short sales in the village, but it explains what short sales are and how they work.  Many buyers have heard about short sales but don't fully understand what they really are.  This post should explain everything in easy-to-understand language.

Another fun way to search for Homer Glen real estate is by viewing pre-made searches by price.  Click Homer Glen homes for sale to see all single family properties priced $200,000 and under.  There are several ways to get to this pre-made search.  You can find the link in the post or on the right-hand sidebar on the Home Page.  It is also under the Search Homes tab on the top menu and this shows on every page on the website.

All of these pre-made searches will continually update the results, so you'll always have fresh listings no matter what the search parameters are.  Don't forget, you can always create your own advanced search of Homer Glen real estate.  We realize you might need more than just price.  You might need a certain price with a certain number of bedrooms and baths, etc.  If the pre-made searches are giving you properties you're not interested in then create your own personal search.  The best way to keep updated is to create an Automated Search that will send listings directly to your e-mail.  You'll never miss what might be the pefect place for you.

I sold another home in popular Meadowview Estates in Homer Glen.  This post will give you a little information on this subdivision.

Homer Glen doesn't have a lot of restaurants so we go to different towns a lot (we live in Homer Glen even though we have an Orland Park address - it's a long story).  One of our favorites is in the neighboring town of Lemont called 3 Corners Grill & Tap.  It just goes to prove you can be in a weird location and still prosper if you have something great to offer, and 3 Corners has great food you don't usually find in a restaurant/bar.

I've written other posts but these are the ones I wanted to feature here.  Homer Glen and Orland Park are the two major towns I work in.  Call Judy Orr if you're interested in either of these towns, or any southwest Chicago suburbs - 708-536-8200.

Introducing the New Orland Park Real Estate Website

I created a website years ago for Orland Park real estate but at the time there wasn't any talk about hyper-local niche websites.  What does that term mean?  It could mean anything from a website created for Senior Lifestyle & Living, real estate for members of the Armed Forces, golf properties, beach properties, etc. It can also mean a site created for a specific area such as one town or even a subdivision.

The reason I shut down the website in the past was because I didn't understand the power of keeping things local.  Most real estate agents take business where they can get it, and I work in about 40+ different towns in the southwest Chicago suburbs.  

Over the years I've heard of some agents that work a very small area.  One real estate agent works within a mile radius.  She states that she can walk to any of her listings.  I don't know how she can make a living in such a small territory and I wonder if she turns down buyers who want to venture out of her boundaries.

I also met a gentleman who did the websites for a brokerage in Florida where agents were assigned an area (normally unheard of in real estate sales) and the websites pulled in the leads for these agents.  He said they made more money working those small areas than they ever did before, selling wherever business brought them.

As real estate agents we sometimes spread ourselves too thin in areas covered.  We don't make our mark in any one of them.  I did create one local real estate niche site for Oak Lawn that held it's #1 position for many years.  I used to live there so it was a perfect match.  But now my office and home are in Orland Park (I live in Homer Glen with an Orland Park address), and I want to make my presence in these two villages.  I was listed as a 5 Star Real Estate Agent for Orland Park in Chicago Magazine's October 2012 issue and am hoping to make it again this year.

Please visit the site if you're interested in Orland Park.  It offers more than just real estate.

Snow Day in the Suburbs

We're having our first major snowfall today in the Chicago suburbs.  We had one snow day where it hung around, but today is the first day the grand kids are off school.

I was wondering if real estate offices would be open so I can set-up appointments to show Orland Park real estate tomorrow.  I got an answer from each office I contacted so that was good.  Hopefully, the streets will be OK to drive on tomorrow.

Today will be a hibernation day for me where I do some needed filing and catch up on a few things as it's been really busy.  The snow might halt some showings but I got an appointment on one of my listings so buyers are out there.

It is a seller's market in the lower price ranges - homes are getting offers the day they hit the market!  Of course, it's always the homes that are priced correctly to begin with.  That means they are priced right for their condition and location.  Even a low priced home will sit if it doesn't compare with other homes in it's price range.

Catching Up With Orland Park Real Estate Statistics for 2012

Instead of writing duplicate content, I am providing links to posts that show 2012 market data for Orland Park, IL.

The stats are in for Orland Park real estate for 2012.  See the ups and downs and get the link to see all Orland Park sales stats starting form 2005 to 2012.

This is a great chart to see 2012 market activity for single family Orland Park homes.  See the month-to-month differences in active listings, listings that went under contract and homes that sold and closed.


If you're interested in buying or selling an Orland Park call Judy Orr, an Orland Park real estate specialist, at 708-536-8200.

15536 Canterbury Ln., Orland Park IL 60462

Spacious Related Living Home

This large Orland Park home offers a lot of possibilities.  Use the brick related living addition for the folks or use this room as an additional family room.  Read more below for 15536 Canterbury Ln. - click the link to see the single property website created just for this home.

Spacious Related Living 2-story Home in Orland Park

Judy Orr

Classic Realty Group

708-536-8200

judyorr@gmail.com

Licensed In:
IL

15536 Canterbury Ln.

Orland Park, Illinois

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms : 4 (3 full, 1 half)

List Price: $325,000

Features List

• Related living 2-story brick & aluminum sided home in Golfview subdivision
• 4-5 bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms
• Formal living and dining rooms
• Eat-in kitchen with separate cooking and eating areas
• All appliances will remain
• Main level family room with brick fireplace
• Main level related living suite with kitchenette, 2 closets & private bathroom
• Large main level laundry with extra storage
• Master suite with walk-in closet and private full bath
• Basement
• Central a/c and gas forced air heat
• Big back yard with 24'x24' deck
• 21'x25' attached garage
• Home Warranty

Orland Park Homes for Sale

Search All Homes For Sale

Chicago Suburbs Real Estate

Orland Park Foreclosure Homes for Sale

Orland Park Short Sale Homes For Sale

What is your home worth?

See more Orland Park real estate

Craigslist Ads for the Southwest Chicago Suburbs

I have a new vendor for the single property websites I provide for all of my listings, like the related living Orland Park home at 15536 Canterbury.  Although my prior provider allowed for Craisglist postings my new provider makes it super easy and allows a huge choice of templates to use, some using low html (that Craiglist prefers), medium and fancier ads with high html (risky as CL might ghost the post).  It is much easier to keep up posting once the original ad has expired.

Does Craigslist Work in My Area?

That's the question!  I have gotten two responses from Craigslist since I started using it for listings many years ago.  One lady came to an open house from a CL posting of mine and I got what sounded like a scam - a man from somewhere in Europe who wanted to buy my listing sight unseen and pay cash and when he had to come in to close on it I was expected to pick up this stranger at the airport.  I was nice to him but things started sounding weirder and weirder and I finally told him this all sounds fishy.  He acted like he was offended and I never heard from him again, and he is not the person who purchased my listing.  If he was that interested in the home (if he was a true buyer), and I offended him he could have found another local agent to work with him to purchase the house.  Never heard back from him.

Crazy Craiglist Happenings

We've all heard about murders that happened using CL to lure unsuspecting victims and how about the CL rental schemes.  That's where someone posts a home for rent, usually a vacant home or even one for sale, collects the rent and leaves the lessees without keys for a home that was never for rent and belongs to someone else.

So Why Do We Use It?

My husband is a musician and has sold some equipment via Craigslist.  We sold our prior living room couch to a very nice local lady.  However, we're on our toes when we have strangers coming over looking at our wares, and only the lady was allowed in our house.  For the other stuff my husband meets them outside or in the garage (and we're all on alert).

As far as real estate, I truly believe it's an area thing.  Maybe CL works for real estate in the city of Chicago or other large areas, but far less people use it (at least for real estate) in the outlying suburbs.  With that said, sellers want to see some type of advertising and marketing, and sending them the link to their CL ad is a tangible thing they can see that shows them we're working to get their home sold.

Personally, I can't imagine using CL to find anything.  The ads rotate so quickly I can't keep up with them.  I'd rather browse on any other kind of website for items to purchase.  If I'm looking for something used that I know I can't purchase new any longer, I go to ebay.

As far as real estate, there are so many better ways to find property, like using my Orland Park homes search, for example.  On this page, a general search is already started and you can go through the listings or create a more advanced search, adding different towns, putting in a more specific price range, number of bedrooms, baths, etc.  My search covers all of Northern IL including border towns of Indiana and Wisconsin.

My website is local and has local information, something that is lacking in many of the large real estate portals that span the entire country.  My data is up-to-date.  Those other big portals show homes for sale that were sold and closed years ago.

I will continue to post my listings to Craiglist, especially since my new vendor makes it so easy, and I will share those ads with my sellers, who feel I'm working hard for them (this is only one tiny facet to my marketing).  You never know when that ready, willing and able buyer will find one of my listings on CL, so I'll keep using it.

Busy Autumn Season With Such Low Interest Rates

Fall is definitely in the air and the leaves are coming down.  The Midwest colors of yellow, oranges and reds paint beautiful landscapes.  Living in the Orland Park/Homer Glen area allows me to continuously drive through forest preserves and drink in the beautiful foliage.  It makes driving more enjoyable for me.

Sometimes we see a halt in buying and selling real estate in Fall and Winter months.  But with interest rates in the 3 percent range, buyers would be foolish to wait.

In fact, this is a great time for buyers.  There are still less buyers out looking.  Many already made their purchases, especially families wanting to move before the school year.  There might be less inventory to choose from, but I am still seeing some great homes. 

Orland Park real estate has remained healthy with more sales this year than last year.  Year-to-date to the end of September has shown a 9.8% increase in the amount of single family homes sold.  Prices have dropped but remain in the single digits.  The average sale price September year-to-date is $296,150. 

If you want to take advantage of these historically low interest rates don't put your home buying off until next Spring.  These rates might not last and more buyers are out looking making it more difficult to get a good deal.  Give Judy Orr a call at 708-536-8200 to get set-up for an automated search that will be sent directly to your e-mail, or fill out this easy Home Search form.

Orland Park Real Estate Resources

Sometimes when looking through websites doing a Google search, I will find some so difficult to maneuver that I leave and find something else. I try to create my websites so they are easy to use and you can find what is needed quickly.

The following are some great Orland Park real estate web pages:

• Orland Park homes for sale - view all available homes for sale in Orland Park without having to do any kind of search. They are also broken down by price range to make it easier to find what you want.
• Orland Park MLS - this is where you can search for exact amenities you desire along with price. You can also search multiple areas (it is currently set for Orland Park, but by using the Ctrl button you can search for other towns simultaneously.
• Orland Park real estate - This is another website/blog page with a description of this popular village.

If you're interested in Orland Park real estate, these pages (especially the top two), are all you'll need. Happy Orland Park house hunting!

Orland Park Facebook Fan Page Offers More Data

If you have an interest in Orland Park (listed as one of the best places to live in according to Money Magazine), please become a fan of the Orland Park Living Fan Page on Facebook. It is kept updated with new posts and links, offers a link to do an MLS search and now has a page that provides an Orland Park Market Snapshot, a constantly updated list of active real estate listings in Orland Park and more! The link above will take you to the new page. Please press the "Like" button so you can become a fan.

Orland Park Real Estate Market Review

The chart to the left shows Orland Park real estate statistics comparing '08-'09. As you can see, there is still way too much inventory compared to the pending sales and those that have sold and closed. It's great to be a buyer for Orland Park homes.

This is why it is so important for sellers to price their Orland Park properties correctly. Buyers have a huge selection of homes in all price categories. They only write offers on the properties that are priced correctly for what they offer. This chart shows the true imbalance of properties that have actually sold compared to those currently up for sale.

The reality is, if you don't price your place correctly for what it has to offer (or not) it simply will not sell. Buyers won't make an offer since they'll find something better to make an offer on. If your home is not priced right you will not get any offers at all. You might not even get any showings.

I hope this chart shows you the real Orland Park real estate market. This chart was created by Terradatum that uses the information from the Northern Illinois MLS. If you'd like to take advantage of this high amount of inventory, which brings prices down, give Judy Orr a call at 708-536-8200 or use the contact form to the left.