Real Estate Podcast with Adam Stary

Meet the newest member of the Stary Group, Dave Coppes. Today I’m proud to introduce you to one of our new buyer specialists, Dave Coppes. He’s done an amazing job with his clients in the 10 or so months that he’s been with the Stary Group, but if you haven’t worked with him yet, this is your chance to get to know him a little and to learn what value he brings to his clients. At home, Dave enjoys married life, and his wife is expecting their first child this May. He also has two awesome rescue bulldogs at home. “I know that Dave will continue to do amazing things for the team and his clients in the years to come.” According to Dave, joining our team has been one of the best decisions he ever made. He has a passion for helping people, and as a buyer specialist, that’s exactly what he gets to do. By getting to the heart of his clients’ needs, he can focus on the exact type of home that fits their criteria. Last year, Dave had the pleasure of helping 22 families, and he looks forward to helping even more people this year. Dave always puts others before himself, which is a defining feature that translates into a better overall experience for his clients. That’s huge in our business—the homes he helps clients to buy are going to help make memories that last a lifetime. I know that Dave will continue to do amazing things for the team and his clients in the years to come.  If you’re looking to buy or sell a house this year, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re always here to help you through the process.

People are beginning to take their homes off the market, but there’s no need to wait until spring to make a sale. Here’s why. Now that October is here, we’re officially in the fourth quarter of 2019. Around this time of year, we often see that many people are taking their listings off the market. Many of these sellers believe they should skip the holidays and wait until springtime to make a sale. “Look at the reasons behind why you’re selling.” While there are some advantages to the spring market, people seem to be forgetting one thing: There’s a lot more competition in the spring. Through the holiday months, however, there are fewer homes on the market because everyone is waiting for spring. As a result, buyers have fewer options to choose from. This puts your listing in a great position. If you can’t decide whether to list now or wait until spring, you need to look at the reasons behind why you’re selling. Where are you moving, and why? If you need to sell by December, there’s absolutely no reason to wait until spring. You can still find a buyer in the fall and winter months. If you’re looking to sell your home soon or you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to helping you soon.

The Stary Group’s own Brittany Perez joins us once again today to discuss her new role as closing coordinator, and we can’t wait to explain what this means for you. Our special guest today is one you may recognize: the Stary Group’s own Brittany Perez. As our listing coordinator, Brittany previously handled all the backend work for agents on our team—from listing to close.  “Brittany takes care of all the fine details of closing.” Since the last time we brought Brittany on, her role has transformed. Brittany is now our team’s closing coordinator, a role she describes as being all about “making sure your home closes and on time” and that “you’re informed throughout the process.” The last thing Brittany, or anyone on our team, wants is for you to feel left in the dark at any point in your deal.  This is exactly why Brittany’s role is so important. She takes care of all the fine details of closing, making sure that deadlines are met, the appropriate contractors are kept in the loop, and that, above all, our clients are comfortable and well-informed.  If you have any other questions for Brittany, me, or anyone else on the Stary Group, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

What does a listing coordinator do during a transaction? Today, the Stary Group’s own Nikki Stary joins us to explain. Today I’d like to introduce you to a very special guest: my wife and teammate, Nikki Stary. Nikki joined the Stary Group 12 months ago as a listing coordinator, and has been thriving in this role ever since.  “My main goal as the listing coordinator for the Stary Group is to make sure my clients are informed, and [to] communicate with them at every step of the way.” Essentially, from the time a home goes under contract until the time it closes, Nikki is the one handling all the ins and outs of the process. She is the client’s main point of contact, as well as the person to whom various vendors and contractors will connect with throughout the transaction.  It’s truly incredible what Nikki brings to our team. “Nikki handles all the ins and outs of the real estate process.” If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me or my team a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

This upcoming event is a special thanks for all of your support and business, and we’d be honored to have you! We’re approaching fall and you know what that means: Our annual client appreciation event is coming up and you’re invited! So clear your calendar for the afternoon of Sunday, September 15, and join us in the stands for the annual polo match. In addition to that, we’ll have activities for clients, friends, and family of all ages. For the kids, that includes face painting, pony rides, and bounce houses! And come hungry because we’ll have free food and drinks. You’ll have a front-row seat to all the action and excitement surrounding polo matches. What’s more is that it’ll be an interactive experience—at halftime, attendees can run out on the field and stomp the divots, walk through the stables, and even pet the competing horses. Most importantly, you and your family will be able to enjoy the day on us as a token of our appreciation for your business.  Please reach out to me to be added to the guest list and we’ll see you out there!

As we wrap up summer, our market is showing signs of slowing down, but this isn’t a cause for concern. Here’s why. Now that we’re in the waning days of summer and the kids are headed back to school, I’d like to give you a quick rundown of how our market usually performs this time of year. The first and second quarters of 2019’s market brought a flurry of activity—sales were up and inventory was down. As summer winds down, though, we traditionally enter into a bit of a cooling period, which we’re beginning to see play out now. Don’t worry, though: It’s perfectly normal and we’re still selling real estate. In fact, our team put three homes under contract in the last week alone! Despite the current slowdown, homes are still moving in our market, and after Labor Day, the fall market will be back in full swing. Whether you’re looking to make a move this year or next, please give me a call. Now’s the time to put together a personalized plan to get your current home sold and your next one purchased. I look forward to talking with you! 

The detection and mitigation of radon is a crucial subject for homeowners, and today we’ve brought on an expert to explain not only how these processes are done, but also why they’re important. Today, special guest Dave Masa from Radon Reduction Systems joins us to speak about the importance of detecting and mitigating radon. Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to browse specific topics at your leisure: 00:54 - Dave explains what radon gas actually is. 2:56 - Dave explains what an acceptable radon level is. 3:38 - Dave explains the mitigation process. 4:59 - Dave explains how he gets PVC pipe into the foundation when installing mitigation systems. 6:57 - Dave explains the cost of radon mitigation. 8:28 - Dave explains whether he or other radon professionals can retest their own work. If you’d like to reach out to Dave, you can contact him by phone at (630) 357-9474 or by visiting www.theradonman.com. And, as always, if you have any other questions for me or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Expert home inspector Dan Sladek recently met up with us for a Q&A session about the inspection process, and we’ll be sharing highlights of that discussion with you today. A lot of buyers and sellers have no idea what to expect from the home inspection process. So to help clear up some of this confusion, I recently met with Dan Sladek of Perfection Home Inspection for some insight on the subject.  Dan has been performing inspections for my team and me for the past 12 years, and our clients have been very pleased with their experiences with him. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the highlights from my Q&A session with him:  “What issues do you commonly see in a home inspection?”  “Typically, one or two ground fault circuit interrupters [in a home] always fail and need to be replaced,” said Dan. After that, another common issue he mentioned was broken seals on double-pane windows. This problem can be identified by a cloudiness to the glass. Finally, Dan also said to watch out for drainage issues—especially if your landscaping slopes toward your foundation. “How much do home inspections cost?” According to Dan, the exact figure will depend on the size and age of the house, among other factors, but that a typical home inspection will cost about $375.  “Should people test for radon?” “Absolutely,” said Dan. “Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that naturally comes up from the soil.” He also added that if you’re exposed to the gas for a long enough time and at high enough levels, it can cause lung cancer. If a test comes back positive, the seller has a responsibility to either mitigate the issue or, at least, to disclose it. The average cost to mitigate radon levels in a house without a crawl space is about $1,250.  “How much does it cost to test for radon?”  “The cost to test for radon is based upon the number of devices you need. It’s $190 for one device, but if you need an additional device for a sunroom or a crawl space, then it’s $25 more.” This is ultimately a small price to pay for peace of mind. “Pre-listing inspections help sellers avoid being blindsided by hidden issues.” “Is it common for sellers to order pre-home inspections?” “More and more sellers are doing pre-home inspections,” according to Dan. These inspections work exactly the same as they would when ordered by the buyer. Pre-listing inspections help sellers avoid being blindsided by hidden issues.  If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give our team a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

If you have questions about the lending process, today’s Q&A session with mortgage expert Jason Zimmer may help clear things up. Obtaining a loan is one of the most significant steps in the home purchase process, so, as you can imagine, buyers faced with this task tend to have a lot of questions. To help answer some of these common queries, I recently met with our team’s preferred lender, Jason Zimmer of Parlay Mortgage, for a Q&A session regarding this crucial subject.  Today, I’ll be sharing a quick summary of what we covered in that conversation:  “How much do I need to put down?” Many people assume you need to put 20% down to purchase a home, but this isn’t the case. Certain down payment programs allow you to put 5%, 3.5%, or even 0% down.  “What are the requirements for getting a loan?” Different loan programs will carry different requirements. In general, though, your credit score, income, and employment history will play a major role in what you can qualify for. FHA loans will be more forgiving with what kind of credit score you can obtain a loan with, while conventional loan programs will be slightly stricter.  “What will my monthly payment be like?” Online payment calculators may be convenient, but they’re not always accurate. Usually, the figure you see on such websites will only include your principal and interest. The only accurate way to determine what your monthly payments will actually look like is to review your circumstances with a professional lender. The amount you put down, your credit score, property taxes, and the current interest rate will all play a role in shaping your monthly payment. Homeowners insurance, too, should be accounted for as part of this expense. “The only accurate way to determine what your monthly payments will actually look like is to review your circumstances with a professional lender.” “Where are interest rates headed?” Interest rates are going to rise. The question is where they will stop. Of course, this doesn’t mean they will rise forever. Although, if you’re looking in to an FHA loan, their rates can be more forgiving if your credit score isn’t the best. FHA loans typically don’t raise as much as conventional loans do in respect to credit scores. And in addition to that point, it’s also important to realize that the Fed’s decision to raise rates isn’t specifically in regards to 30-year fixed mortgages. In fact, there are even instances when a rise in the federal funds rate may lead to a drop in 30-year mortgage rates.  If you would like to speak about these or any other questions in greater detail with Jason, feel free to give him a call at (815) 838-6613 or send him an email at jzimmer@parlaymortgage.com. If you’d like to get instant access to a personlized mortgage calculate, you can download his app here. And, as always, if you would like more information about what we discussed today or about another real estate related topic, please reach out to my team or me. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

We’ve compiled a list of trustworthy local vendors you can use to take care of all your home improvement and repair needs. Today we’re branching out from our usual content. We think it’s important to reach out to small business owners and some of the people we’ve worked with over the years. Here at the office, we’ve worked hard to compile a list of past clients and trusted vendors we’ve worked with who we know will do a great job for our clients to come. We’re constantly connecting people, whether it be for landscaping, home improvement, plumbing, electricians, and more. “They’ll take care of you the same way I would if you were selling your home with us.” We wanted to make sure that you knew that we have resources that you can trust if you or anyone you know needs a local referral. They’ll take care of you the same way I would if you were selling your home with us. If you need anything or have any questions, feel free to reach out. I’m here for you.

Our market may be slowing down, but I’m confident a shift isn’t on the horizon. One of the great things about being a real estate agent is getting to network with some of the top brokers across the country. It’s great to be able to see what’s going on in Illinois, but it’s also important to know what’s taking place in the rest of the country.  When you look at states like Florida or California, what’s happening in their marketplaces is usually a good indicator of what’s about to happen in ours. The Midwest seems to follow these areas in terms of market trends. Therefore, when I talk to agents in Florida and they say the market is slowing down, that’s a good indicator that we might be heading into a small recession. There are a lot of rumors out there that the market is starting to slow, and that could be the case—we’re starting to see instances of this in different areas of the country. But there’s also a fear that we may undergo a shift like we had back in 2009, and I want to be clear that I’m confident we’re not going to see anything like that. There were a lot of factors that led to that shift, and the market is always going to change. After we see a peak, it’s only natural for things to come back down, but don’t be afraid that we’re about to run into the same situation we had in 2009.  What I do see is a simple correction in the marketplace. As you may remember, the market rebounded from the 2009 shift right around 2013. That’s when we started to see home prices and the number of sales start to rise. If our market functions in seven-year cycles, though, that tells me that the market should start to correct itself over the next couple of years. “Don’t be afraid that we’re about to run into the same situation we had in 2009.” So make sure that you’re cautious of this correction, but also understand that it’s highly unlikely that we’re in for another shift.  As always, if you have any other questions about our market or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home soon, please feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

I’m very excited about some of the content that we’ll be providing you as we move forward. Back in 2006, we saw that the new construction industry was faltering—builders were going out of business, and the market was slow. Now, however, new construction is taking off everywhere. In future videos, I’ll be taking you on a tour of some new-construction communities so that you can see what your options are as we progress in the market this year. To hear my full message, watch this short video.

Putting your home on the market this fall is a great idea, and there are two reasons why. If you’re a home seller, putting your home on the market this fall can lead to selling quickly and for top dollar. This time of year, a lot of sellers are getting their kids ready to go back to school and wondering if they’re better off taking their house off the market and waiting until spring to relist. Sometimes, doing the exact opposite will give you the results you’re looking for. One of the best advantages of putting your home on the market in the fall is the fact that everyone else has taken their home off the market. This means there will be lower inventory throughout the rest of the year. Think about how many homes come on the market in your subdivision during springtime. You probably see “For Sale” signs everywhere. During the fall, that’s not the case. The buyers walking through your home will have to choose between one or two other homes instead of as many as 10. “There won’t be as many buyers walking through your home, but the quality of those buyers will be the highest quality you’ll see all year long.” The second advantage is there won’t be as many buyers in the marketplace. There won’t be as many buyers walking through your home, but the quality of those buyers will be the highest quality you’ll see all year long. Think about it—if a buyer is looking to move during the holiday season, that’s not someone who wants to move. That’s someone who has to move. If you have any more questions about selling in the fall or you have any other real estate needs I can assist you with, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be glad to help you.

Looking for fun, summer events that the whole family can enjoy? Look no further. Today I just want to give you a quick update on some of the upcoming events here in our community for you and your whole family to enjoy.  Plainfield Fest: This is going to be on July 20 and July 21. There’s going to be great food, a bags tournament, live music, and more.  Movie in the Park: On July 13 at Settler’s Park, you can see Coco and on July 27, you can see Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. This is a free event that starts at 8:30 p.m.  Yorkville River Fest: On July 13th and 14th, come on out for live music, ribs, the white water festival, bounce houses, and more. Yorkville Hometown Days: This runs from August 31st to September 2nd at Beecher Community Park near Yorkville High School. Wine’d Down Wednesday: This is a great event for the adults. Fox Valley Winery will be doing tastings, and there will be live music here as well right in the Yorkville Town Square from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. “We hope you are able to check out as many of these events as possible!” Naperville Wine Festival: On August 24th and August 25th at Naper Settlement from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Naperville Ale Fest: July 14th at the Naper Settlement from 12:00 p.m. to 5 p.m. There will be over 200 different craft beers, great food trucks, and live music. We hope you are able to check out as many of these events as possible. The next month or two should be a fun one. If you have any questions for me about any of these events or about anything related to real estate, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email today. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Today I just wanted to stop by and wish everybody a happy Fourth of July. We have had a great start to the year and are looking forward to the rest of 2018. We hope you enjoy the day with family and friends. There are several fireworks shows to be seen all around the area. Stay tuned for future events coming over the next few days. If you have any real estate-related questions for us in the meantime or you have any real estate needs that we can assist with, please feel free to reach out via phone or email. Until then, enjoy the holiday!

There are many people working behind-the-scenes on our team to ensure our clients are happy. We’re excited to introduce you to one of them today. Today I’d like to introduce you to an important member of our team that doesn’t always get the shine she deserves. Many of my clients have never met Brittany Perez, but at one point or another they’ve definitely worked with her.  Brittany is our transaction coordinator, and she’s been with us for five years now.  She was trained by me and probably knows a little bit more than me about the business by now. I just wanted to put a face to the name, and give you an idea of all the behind-the-scenes things she does for us.  “Brittany ensures all the deadlines are hit and everything runs smoothly.” Once a home is ready to be listed, Brittany is the one making sure everything is handled properly. Then when the home goes under contract, she handles the inspection, appraisals, and stays in constant communication with all of our clients.  If you need any help buying or selling real estate or if you just have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out and give us a call or send us an email today. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

If you are curious what your home is worth, do not rely exclusively on a Zestimate. Here is why. First, a Zestimate cannot replace a professional valuation done by an agent like myself. If you are talking about custom homes, though, you will typically see a big difference between its Zestimate and its actual value. “Zillow can give you a good baseline to work off of, but you should call a professional to get an accurate valuation of your home.” Be careful how much emphasis you put on a Zestimate, because the truth is it could be way off. In fact, studies show that Zestimates can be off by 15% to 25%.  If you are thinking of putting your home on the market, you need to call a professional like me so we can fill you in on the latest market trends and highlight all of your home’s features so you’re not leaving money on the table when you list it.  If you have any other questions about determining your home’s value or are thinking of buying or selling a home soon, please feel free to reach out to me. I would be glad to help you. 

Spring is here, and it’s bringing out the buyers and sellers in our marketplace. Just last week, we listed four homes and put five under contract. This just goes to show that now is a great time to buy or sell. Over the next 90 days, we’ll likely see many more listings and buyers come to our market. As of right now, inventory is still low across the board. Depending on the price range, it’s down anywhere from 13% to 23% compared to where it was at this time last year. “If you’re planning on buying or selling, now is the time to call me.” Don’t wait to take advantage of this opportunity. As always, if you have any questions about our market or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home soon, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to speak with you.

If you’re a buyer, the key to winning a multiple offer situation is working with an agent who can structure your contract in a way that beats out all the other buyers. Looking for a home? Search our homesSelling Your home? View the Home Seller's Guide Right now there’s low inventory in our marketplace, and because of this, we’re seeing a lot of multiple offer situations happening with listed homes If you’re a buyer and you find yourself in a multiple offer situation, it’s important that you work with an agent like me who can structure your contract in a way that allows you to beat out the other buyers and their offers. Some of the tactics our team has used in the past when negotiating on behalf of a buyer in a multiple offer situation include: Raising the earnest money Shortening up the closing time Writing an as-is contract “These are tools you and your agent can use to get the home of your dreams.” If you have any further questions about multiple offer situations or you have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be glad to help you.

Home inspections can be intimidating for buyers and sellers. Here’s how to handle them. There are a few things you should know about home inspections before going in. One thing to keep in mind is that it’s the inspector’s job to find problems with the home. Having a home inspection without any issues is very unlikely. At the end of the day, you need to figure out what the most important items on that list are and classify them. You might be able to do some of them yourself, but you’ll want to ask the seller to complete other, more serious repairs.  Aligning yourself with a real estate agent like me, who has a good referral source and can put you in touch with the right home inspector, is going to be very important during this process. You’re only going to have one opportunity to make sure that you find all the issues that are wrong with the home and make sure that you are going to get the most money for those items. “You should definitely consider a radon test in Naperville.” One thing that you’re definitely going to need to consider is a radon test. The cost of this inspection is only a few hundred dollars, but the mitigation cost could range anywhere from $1,300 to $1,600. It’s a test I highly recommend. These are some of the key points you should know about home inspections. If you have any questions in the meantime, don’t hesitate to call or email me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

The spring market is coming. What can you do to get your home ready, to sell quickly and for the most money? As we approach the spring market, a lot of sellers are asking what they need to do in order to get their houses ready for the market. Today, I have some tips about how you can maximize the number of showings that you’ll get on your home, as well as to maximize the amount of money receive from the sale. “To get the biggest bang for your buck, repaint your home in neutral colors such as tan and gray tones.” First impressions are everything. When a buyer walks up to your home, what they see outside is going to be a direct reflection of what they’ll see inside. Paint. To get the biggest bang for your buck, repaint your home in neutral colors such as tan and gray tones. Stay away from bright, unconventional colors. These will detract from important features like the floor plan and the functionality of the home. Kitchen. Oak cabinets are no longer in; white cabinets are all the rage. Open all of the blinds. You want as much natural light in your home as possible. You want people to be able to walk in and see what the home has to offer. Declutter. Take everything off the countertops and keep it simple. Play soft music.It sets the mood when people are walking through your home. Clean. Make sure all areas, including your floors, walls, windows, and outside walkways are spic-and-span. These are some small items that can make or break getting a buyer’s contract on your property. If you have any questions about this or about selling your home, feel free to reach out to me. I can sit down with you and help put together a blueprint that will get your home sold for the most money possible. I look forward to hearing from you.

Even though the market is improving, your financial future depends on you paying attention to rising interest rates. Last time, I discussed the low inventory in the marketplace, and I know many of you had questions pertaining to how that would affect us on the buying side. Today, I’ll be continuing that discussion by addressing something you should be thinking about if you want to purchase a home in today’s market: interest rates. Even as the market improves, interest rates will also go up. You need to understand how that will affect you financially. We could be talking about appreciation of maybe 5% on a $300,000 home being $15,000, but what you don’t consider is how that will affect you if rates go up 1% in the next 12 months. “You need to understand how rising interest rates will affect you financially.” The Feds have come out and said that we’re going to see interest rates on the rise. If the rates rise by 1% on a $100,000 loan, that will cost you over $21,000 in interest on a 30 year mortgage, which you’ll basically just be giving to the bank. For a $300,000 home, you have to triple that. In conclusion, you need to understand that, while there are fewer homes on the market right now and while home values are on the rise, you need to be acting quickly in this market. Since interest rates are rising, not paying attention could cost you a lot of money in the future. If you have any questions about interest rates, buying, or selling, feel free to reach out to me.

What’s going on in the market? I have updated details that concern both buyers and sellers. What is going on in our local market? Today, I’ll be giving you an update about the latest real estate trends and statistics relating to our area. We’ve been watching the market over the last few years, and we’ve seen prices and home values go up. One amazing thing that we’re noticing right now is that inventory is 20% lower than what it was this time last year. For sellers, this means that there are fewer homes in the marketplace for buyers to choose from, as well as more buyers than sellers. Given this, we’re going to make sure that we’ll be able to get you more money out of the sale of your home. “Right now, inventory is 20% lower than it was this time last year.” As far as buyers, since we’re starting to see that rise in home prices, now is definitely the right time to buy. In addition to home prices rising, interest rates will be going up as well. The Feds have announced that they’ll increase rates multiple times in the near future. In a future post, we’ll cover in more detail what that could mean for you, financially speaking. Some people think it’s a better idea to hold off until March or April to list their home, but you need to understand that those are the months when inventory will skyrocket. If you list now, you might be one of five homes listed in your area. In two months, you might be one of ten. Listing now means you have less competition and a better chance of getting your home sold. I put a house on the market a couple of days ago and not long after, we already had multiple offers on it. I’m confident that it could be the same for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you.