RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon To Visit Warren School In Calumet Heights Chicago Real Estate Neighborhood

The students at Joseph Warren Elementary School, 9239 S. Jeffrey Blvd., in Chicago real estate neighborhood Calumet Heights will get an exciting introduction to hot air ballooning when the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon and its crew visit the school on Dec. 19. The visit is part of an on-going interactive educational program developed by RE/MAX, the Chicago real estate leader.

The 370 students at the school will learn about various aspects of ballooning, including its history, the scientific principles involved and a demonstration on how the balloon functions. The program will begin at 9:30 a.m. outdoors where, if weather conditions permit, the 75-foot-tall balloon will be fully inflated with hot air. Otherwise, the event will be moved indoors, with two presentations, one 9:30 a.m. and one at 10:30 a.m., each of which will accommodate half of the student body. During indoor sessions, the balloon envelope is partially inflated with cold air so that students can walk inside it for part of the educational presentation.
RE/MAX Northern Illinois is sponsoring the event.

Selling Chicago Real Estate This Holiday Season Requires Just The Basics And A Little Sparkle

It’s no secret that thousands of American families think the best present they could receive this holiday season would be a full-price offer on the Chicago real estate they’ve been trying to sell. For just that reason, many sellers may be tempted to go to special lengths to attract buyers during the holidays.

But that can be a classic mistake, contends Jim Merrion, regional director of the RE/MAX Northern Illinois, the Chicago real estate leader.

“Layering on lots of holiday decorations inside and outside the house is one way to attract attention, but not necessarily the best way,” said Merrion. “When it comes to holiday décor, restraint is the best approach. It’s not that a seller shouldn’t decorate for the holidays, but you don’t want the seasonal touches to obscure the intrinsic appeal of the home.”

The flip side of too much holiday décor, according to Merrion, is the impulse among some sellers to take their home off the market during the holidays because buyers are less active.

“It’s true that fewer buyers are active during the months of November, December and January than at other times of the year,” Merrion acknowledged, “but those buyers who are in the market usually are quite serious about finding a home quickly. Otherwise they, too, would be doing other things at this time year. Just a handful of showings during the holiday season can be more productive for a seller than a dozen showings in spring. Remember, it may take only one showing to generate a sales contract.”

So what should sellers do to improve the chances of getting an offer in their holiday stockings?

1. Select and place your Christmas tree carefully so that it doesn’t overwhelm the room.
“A tree that is too big for the room it’s in really creates problems by making the whole house look small in comparison,” says Paul Wells, broker/owner with RE/MAX of Barrington in Barrington, Illinois. “If it’s my listing, we spend time talking about the tree. I urge my sellers to make sure their tree fits comfortably in the room. A tree can look relatively small out at the Christmas tree lot, but then look huge when it’s in their house.”

2. Outside the house, use restrained yet festive exterior decorations to welcome visitors. An elegant wreath hung on the front door may be preferable to an inflatable snowman.

3. If you have traditional holiday decorations that you want to display inside your home, think about putting away some of your non-holiday things so that rooms don’t look cluttered or over stuffed. In the room where the tree is placed, consider removing some furniture, rather than just rearranging it.

“It’s really a matter of moving ahead and using your home as you normally would,” said Louise Clark, broker/owner of RE/MAX Property Associates in Morrison, Ill. “Buyers understand that families live in the homes they visit; they make allowances for that, so sellers can have presents under the tree and lights in the yard. Still, the house needs to look neat, and you don’t want the decorations to be a barrier that makes it difficult for a buyer to get a good look at things, such as room dimensions, traffic patterns, window views and other important factors.”

4. Use holiday décor to draw the attention to the strongest features of your home. If you have a beautiful mantelpiece, use one or two eye-catching decorations to highlight it, but don’t hide it under a layer of garland. Instead, use the garland to frame windows that offer an attractive view of the yard or the skyline.

5. You may love to sit in your family room with the tree illuminated and most other lights turned low, but that isn’t the best way to show your home. Winter tends to be a dark time of year, so keep plenty of lights on inside the house when buyers are coming, and leave the drapes or blinds open, especially during daylight hours so that the home seems as bright as possible.

6. Sharing a little holiday hospitality with buyers can be a good strategy, especially if you plan to hold an open house during December.

Michele Rossi of RE/MAX Accord in Bloomingdale, IL, reports that at holiday open houses, “we will be roasting almonds with a sugar cinnamon coating. The smell is intoxicating, not to mention that it tastes wonderful, too. We will wrap the almonds in cheese cloth and tie with a festive ribbon to give out to buyers who stop in. We will also be offering a cup of hot wassail made with a great old recipe.”

A final thought for sellers at this time of year, said Merrion, is to avoid making buyers feel like they are intruding.

“Even though you are celebrating the holiday season, convey the impression that you are serious about selling your home,” he advised. “Keep the front walk clear of ice and snow, and make sure the kitchen and baths look their best for showings. You probably won’t see that many buyers at this time of year, but those you do see are great prospects, so do your best to impress them.”

Making This Chicago Real Estate Home Sale Is A Matter Of Patriotism, Not Profit

Barb Bailey, a Chicago real estate agent with RE/MAX 2000 in Crete, Ill., is working hard to find a buyer for a handsome, new, 2,800-square-foot, four-bedroom home at 6284 Oxnard St. in Richton Park, Ill., but she isn’t in it for the potential commission on the $379,900 list price. Bailey has waived her commission on this Chicago real estate home, and she is not alone in her generosity. Mill Creek Development donated the lot, and more than 40 subcontractors provided all the materials and labor to build the house at no charge.

Their goal is to see the entire sales price of the home benefit the Disabled Patriot Fund (DPF), an Illinois not-for-profit organization that is working to provide financial relief to local military families who have been adversely impacted by the “War on Terror.” Many of those involved in founding the DPF are members of the Southwest Suburban Home Builders Association.

“When Mike Ford of Mill Creek Development contacted me about taking on this listing, I was thrilled to participate,” said Bailey. “Being able to help the DPF in its work with our military families, some of which include severely wounded men and women, is really an honor for me. Whoever buys this house not only will have a spacious, well built home for their family but also will lend a hand to dozens of other families who have sacrificed for our nation.”

The house is in Las Fuentes, a 156-acre development that is among the outstanding new communities in the south suburbs. Las Fuentes is located on the western edge of Richton Park west of I-57 near the intersection of Sauk Trail and Ridgeland Avenue. The streetscapes of Las Fuentes feature parkways and island parks, a series of ponds aerated by fountains and an extensive bikeway system. Approximately 260 homes are planned, with 100 homes currently being built as part of the first phase of development.

The home, at 6284 Oxnard St., is known as the Cortland and will be ready for occupancy within 30 days. It features a spacious master suite, vaulted great room, full basement and two-car attached garage. There are four bedrooms and two baths upstairs, while the main level includes the living and dining rooms, great room, office/den, kitchen and breakfast room, laundry room and an expansive foyer.
“This home has many special qualities, but the best one of all is the contribution it will make to the DPF. Our goal is to sell the home before Christmas so that the funds will be available this winter when the need is likely to be substantial. With jobs generally hard to find, we know many returning veterans and their families are struggling,” Bailey said.