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Financing a Real Estate PurchaseAre you a resident of Chicago who is in the market to take out a home mortgage loan? Although the credit crunch is affecting almost all the sectors of the economy, the mortgage industry is not an exception. Have you asked yourself ‘I want to buy a new house how much can I afford’ before entering the mortgage market? Well, Chicago is the city of meetings and conventions and the main industries in Chicago are commercial, finance and transportation. However, the mortgage market and the housing market also play a key role in developing the economy and earning revenue. The interest rates on the 30 year fixed rate mortgage loans are at 4.07% and this has remained constant for a long period of time. The 15 year fixed rate mortgage is now at 3.35% and if you want to secure a mortgage loan within your means, there are some things that you need to know. Check them out.

Boost your credit score: When you go to a mortgage lender in Chicago and ask for a mortgage loan, the first financial document that he will check is your credit score. No lender will give you a loan without checking your score as this is the most important document that speaks about your financial worthiness. If you can show a good credit score, it is most likely that the mortgage lender will ensure that you can make timely payments on the loan. This assurance will make them charge you low rates on the loans.
Augment your monthly income: The next step that you can take is to augment your monthly income to grab the lowest mortgage rate possible. If your monthly income is not enough, the mortgage lender may think that you can’t manage all your debt obligations with the income that you make in a month and assessing a higher risk, he may charge you higher interest rates. Therefore, look for ways to boost your monthly income so that you can attain a favorable interest rate on your loan.
Lower the amount of debt you owe: You must lower the number of debt obligations that you have against your monthly income. There is a ratio called a debt-to-income ratio and with a higher DTI ratio, it is most likely that the mortgage lender will charge you high rates as he will think that you can’t repay so many loans with the small amount of income that you earn. Take solid steps like consulting a professional company who can help you repay debt. With a lower debt-to-income ratio, you can get a mortgage loan within your means.

Thus, if you’ve thought of buying a new house in Chicago and you want a new mortgage for it, you must first ask yourself ‘I want to buy a new house how much can I afford’ before deciding the loan amount. Also take the above mentioned steps to ensure grabbing the best loan in the market.


Christine Hancock is a full time Realtor with over 10 years of experience. Working with Prudential Rubloff , one of Chicago’s oldest and most respected full service Real Estate companies , we offer leading edge technologies and personalized marketing strategies to get your home sold. For more information visit http://www.getanewhome.net where you can search for a new home, find out what the house next door sold for or get up to the minute mortgage info. Call Christine Hancock, Broker Associate 312-296-9300, and you’ll be home in no time!

Chicago, most popularly known as the Wind City is the largest city in the state of Illinois. This particular state encompasses a population of 9.4 million, making it the third-largest in the US. Chicago also has a several distant neighborhoods to match the ethnic diversity and also is divided into 77 community areas. Presently the real estate market in Chicago is booming. If you’re someone who has taken out a home loan in Chicago and are going through a credit crunch, you must be looking for ways to alter the terms and conditions on the loan so that you don’t run the risk of losing your homeownership rights to a foreclosure. It is not that you always have to wait for the lowest mortgage rates to opt for a home refinance loan; you can even choose to refinance the loan whenever you feel that you’re in urgent need of it. Here are some steps that you must take before you refinance your home loan.

Check the interest rate on your present loan: The very first step that you need to take is to give a glance at your present interest rate. When the mortgage interest rates fall and when you’re back on the monthly home loan payments, it is most likely that you’ll start filling out new mortgage loan applications. The biggest mistake that most struggling homeowners make is to only check out the new interest rate but not the exact amount that they may save through refinancing. Do check the present mortgage rates so that you can know the exact amount you may save through this attempt.

Find out the worth of your home: There is no way in which you can sugarcoat this result. Records say that the home values have sunk drastically throughout various places in the US and therefore it is extremely vital that you must determine whether or not your home still has enough equity or if you’re underwater on your mortgage loan. Only when you have enough equity in your home, you’ll be able to refinance your home.

Assess how far you’re underwater: Though you may reside in Chicago, some mortgage refinancing rules are same throughout the US. If you discover that you’re underwater in your home mortgage loan, your next step would be to determine how much underwater you are. There are some particular changes in the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA loan servicing institutions and they say that if your loan is above 105% of the property value, you can’t refinance your home loan without a certain amount of down payment.

Check your credit report: Another important factor that you must check is to pull out a copy of your credit report to assess your credit score. Without a good credit score it is almost impossible to get a refinance home loan. Try to improve your score in order to get a mortgage loan within your affordability.

Don’t forget to focus on the big picture before opting for a home refinance loan in Chicago. Check out the prevalent market rates in Illinois so that any lender does not entrap you into a bad deal that can take a toll on your finances.

Categories : Mortgage Rates
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If you’re considering purchasing a new home or condo in the downtown Chicago area, you have two choices: Blindly search available properties; or, search Chicago sold properties as part of your due diligence process. In this article, I’m going to show you how our sold search feature can shorten the length of time it takes to find the perfect home by locating recently sold properties in your price range.

Searching Chicago Sold Properties to Solve Your Home and Pricing Mystery


First, an important fact: past results sometimes indicate future results, particularly when it comes to real estate prices. By tapping into the vast information available in our convenient Chicago sold properties database, you can see how much properties in different areas generally cost. Because this database gives you information going back two years, you can quickly see whether prices are currently dropping, holding steady or rising.

By entering in just a few details of the search you’re interested in, you can immediately see the listing price, sold price, date sold, and features and amenities for each of the Chicago sold properties returned in the search results. Seeing the results is simple and straightforward: hover your mouse over the appropriate property type (property symbols are explained in the legend on the search results page).

For instance, if you enter the following search criteria into the Chicago sold properties search engine, you’ll receive 565 matches:
• Price: $400,000-$550,000
• Property type: Condo
• Sold date: 24 months
• Bedrooms: 2
• Bathrooms: 2

Further Refining Chicago Sold Properties Search Results


While you could theoretically hover your mouse over any one of the 565 search results to see some of the details of properties sold within the last two years, you’ll be overwhelmed with information. If you’re thinking about purchasing a condo near downtown Chicago, you probably have a laundry list of features and amenities that fit neatly into your “not critical but nice to have” category – and other items that potentially could be deal breakers if they are missing from a property. By modifying the search string to include Fireplace, Garage and Waterfront/View, sold properties drop to a very manageable 7 results. (Your specific search items could vary, but you get the point.)

Putting the Results to Work in Your Downtown Chicago Sold Real Estate Search


Raw information is useless to you, which is why the advanced features available in the downtown Chicago sold real estate search engine can help you unleash the potential this information has to streamline your property shopping process. Having real-world sales figures from recently sold properties can help you determine approximately how much you might expect to pay for a property in the same area (assuming the property offers amenities and features substantially similar to those in your search results). This information can also be a good starting point when determining how much to offer for any property you’re considering purchasing.

Remember, available properties near downtown Chicago can be hot commodities. While these properties can be expensive, you can get the best possible value by utilizing good information from your downtown Chicago sold real estate search. By combining the valuable information you gather with this handy search tool (and tapping into the knowledge and expertise of a great Chicago real estate broker), finding the perfect downtown property doesn’t have to be a gamble.

If you would like to search the pricing of condos sold in Chicago Click here:

If you are looking for a full time real estate professional to help you buy or sell your next home, call Christine Hancock 312-296-9300

May
22

3 bedroom with the best view in the City!

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Huge 2000 sq. ft. condo in Museum Park with unbelievable views of the museums, the lake and north to downtown. Located in Tower ll this home lives like a single family home with gourmet kitchen, master suite with a marble master bath, his/her closets, double sinks & a separate shower. There are 2 balcony’s with access from the living room/kitchen/master bedroom & 2nd bedroom.
Sophisticated luxury in the South Loop…$850,000 including a 2 car heated tandem parking space.
For a private showing call Chris 312-296-9300

Categories : 3 Bedroom
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Full floor, 3300 sq. ft. Penthouse condo with a private 2500 sq. ft. roof top terrace in the Gold Coast with an unheard of monthly assessment of $434.00!
It is a no frills building, no doorman or exercise room but the home is luxurious.
Here is the MLS description:
Must see!! One of a kind 3300+ sf penthouse level full floor condo in secure 7-story building. Hoa only $440/mo. Private elevator from garage to unit. Huge unique & open floor plan features amazing living/entertaining space. Great master suite w/ large closet & spa-like master bath w/ enormous shower & sep jacuzzi. Wine cellar across from gourmet kitchen, all custom. Amazing 2500 sq ft private rooftop oasis.
$2,050,000 includes 1 garage parking space.

More info/photos here….

Call 312-296-9300 or email for a private showing

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Apr
28

Looking for an unusual home?

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Many Chicago buyers will tell you they do not want a “cookie cutter” home. They want something unusual, that does not look like every other house on the block.
If you have exhausted the downtown Chicago Real Estate market in your search, you may want to broaden your lcation requirements and take a look at these homes, definitely not “cookie cutter”

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The Chicago Rental Market just added a new Chicago luxury condo for rent at the Elysian Chicago. We have written about this exceptional luxury building before but it is worth talking about again. The condo is 3436 sq. ft. and is a half floor featuring panoramic views, 10′ceilings, lavish living room with fireplace, chef’s kitchen, 3 bedrooms with spa baths, custom closets, 2 outdoor terraces. The private residences also enjoy the deluxe hotel amenities including concierge service, car service, The Elysian Hotel 14,00 sq. ft. stunning spa & health club, RIA & Balsan restaurants & room service. Valet parking for 1 car included. No pets please. NEW PRICE $12,500/month
To view all the Chicago luxury rental condos available at The Elysian click here

For a Private Showing call Christine Hancock 312-296-9300.

Categories : Uncategorized
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Christine Todd lived for many years in Printers Row where she started to write her 1st full length novel, Pins. It is now available through Amazon & Kindle (Kindle, now only $2.99).

This is a fabulous book with many Chicago references, if your looking for a new summer read, pick up or download a copy of Pins. I personally love to read books where Chicago sites & events are mentioned and this book is full of them.


BIO:
Christine Todd was born and raised in County Durham, England, but lived most of her life in the American Midwest, most recently Chicago. She graduated from Concordia University-Wisconsin, and worked in advertising. Her short fiction and articles have appeared in various US and UK publications. She is married, has a daughter, and now lives in New York. Visit her website at: http://christine-todd.com/

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Apr
11

3 Bedroom Chicago Condo For Sale

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Huge, spacious, quiet NE corner 3BR/2BA condo for sale in Chicago’s premiere loft bldg. 18 windows showcase unobstructed east facing panoramic views. Home features hdwd floors, 12′ ceilings, lg. balcony, over-sized master bath w/dble bowl vanity, walk-in closets, fireplace, w/d. Full amenity bldg w/24 hr drmn, fitness rm, basketball ct, roof deck. Beautiful move in condition. $400,000 + 2 car tandem heated garage parking $45k.
Christine Hancock
Prudential Rubloff
312-296-9300
www.getanewhome.net

Floor Plan

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