Buying or selling a home can be scary – but it doesn’t need to be. In the spirit of Halloween, we’re breaking down some of the scary real estate stories that can haunt buyers and sellers – and how you can avoid them. 

There’s no time like the present to plan ahead. If you’re even thinking about selling your home early next year, there are a number of things you can (and should!) do now to prepare.

Here are a few tips to get your home market-ready before colder temps set in.

Through the first six months of 2019, Chicagoland home sales are tracking below 2018 levels, with volume down 6.5% year over year. One factor behind the mid-year slowdown, according to @properties co-founder Thad Wong, is the so-called SALT cap, which put new limits on state and local tax deductions starting in 2018.

“Technology” and “real estate” are two terms that rarely appeared in the same sentence until a decade ago. Today, technology is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics in the industry as it continues to transform the way we buy and sell homes.

Buyers and sellers always have a lot of questions this time of year: Is now a good time to buy or sell a home? Where are prices headed? And what are the local trends that will impact my home search or sale?

@properties co-founders Thad Wong and Mike Golden share their insights on these questions and more in @/The Market, our 2019 Market Outlook – the first of four quarterly updates to keep you informed.

When it comes to generating maximum interest and top dollar for your home, setting the right listing price (the first time) is crucial. Why?

An overpriced home can scare off buyers, so it’s essential to set the right price during that critical “New Listing” period in which the largest pool of potential buyers will see your property.

As part of our ongoing endeavor to help strengthen our neighborhoods, @gives back – @properties’ non-profit foundation – continually partners with local organizations that are dedicated to making a positive impact on the community. Our agents, employees and partners stepped up to the plate again in 2018, successfully raising $257,700 in support of The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation.

In the latest S&P/Case-Shiller report tracking home price growth, the Chicago region was, once again, near the bottom among the list of major U.S. cities.

With single-family home values up 3.3% year over year in June, Chicago ranked #19 on the 20-city index, ahead of only Washington D.C. But we’re not concerned about the numbers – and here’s why.

It’s no secret that purchasing a home can be a major undertaking, especially if you’re a first-time buyer.

As you navigate the process, there are all kinds of real estate terms that you are likely to encounter along the way. Knowing and understanding these terms will not only help you communicate with your broker but will also make your journey toward homeownership more seamless. Here’s a brief primer to help familiarize you with some common terminology:

@properties is no stranger to Wilmette. In fact, we’ve been serving home buyers and sellers in the area for almost a decade. And if experience has taught us anything, it’s that there’s a lot to love about this quaint North Shore community – So much to love that we decided to make a new home for @properties right in town.

This July, stop by our new office at 1100 Central Ave. in the town’s central business district, and keep reading to find out why we’re excited to finally call Wilmette home.