I am happy to report that the free First-time Homebuyer Seminar went extremely well. Those who attended had all their questions answered and participated in a lively discussion. Because I have gotten more inquiries from those who couldn't make it, my team and I have decided to put together another seminar. We are discussing possible dates now and will update this blog once it is scheduled. Be sure to check back in a few days! Better yet, subscribe to the blog and you'll get the notification once we have it scheduled!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Norridge Man Creates "Friendly Confines" At His Home (Field)
Most Cub fans like to visit Wrigley Field for day baseball, to look at the lush field and its ivy-covered walls and to relax in a great atmosphere. Some go as far as describing it as Heavenly. For Norridge resident Dean Igaravidez, it is home.
No, Igaravidez doesn’t actually
live at Wrigley Field. Instead he’s turned where he lives into Wrigley...well, at least the back yard!
Complete with ivy covered walls, distance markers, a miniature infield, and numerous signs that one would find at the real Wrigley, Igaravidez can enjoy most of the comforts of Wrigley without leaving home.
Igaravidez, a 58-year-old produce manager, said the idea for his tribute started about eight years ago when he was in his backyard at 4059 N. Ozanam Ave., looking at his detached garage.
“I thought it would make a nice outfield wall,” Igaravidez said. So, the next step for him was to call a landscaper friend and plant some ivy.
“I never flew the “L” flag,” he added.
Besides having to keep the ivy from overgrowing, Igaravidez said it is a challenge to cut the grass properly and also to keep the family’s chocolate Labrador “Brando” from relieving himself on “sacred ground.”
“The house is my wife Jill’s domain, I have the yard and garage,” he explained. Indeed, when asked his wife’s opinion of his tribute, Igaravidez said “she hates it,” and clarified, saying, “Let’s just say she’s not as enthused as me.”
A few minutes later, unaware that her husband was being interviewed, Jill Igaravidez arrived home and gave a look that reminded me of Alice looking at her husband Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners, wondering what scheme he was up to now. And while Jill admitted that while she also is a Cub fan, she said she did not warm up to it until their three grandsons, between age 2 and 8, began to appreciate it. One difference between his yard and Wrigley Field (although debatable lately) is that Elmo currently occupies the pitcher’s mound at the Igaravidez home.
“That is for the grandkids, obviously.” Igaravidez explained.
One great thing about having two Major League baseball teams in Chicago is the friendly rivalry that often occurs between friends. Of course, in Norridge, the population is overwhelmingly Cub friendly. Igaravidez said his neighbors do not mind that his devotion is on display and no one ever stole or damaged anything. Last year though, he did receive a letter in the mail from a White Sox fan.
“It had a Bridgeport return address,” Igaravidez said. “It was before the playoffs and he just told me that he hoped the Cubs choked. He sent another letter after they did lose,” Igaravidez said.
“Once in a while we will be sleeping late at night and someone will drive by and yell something,” Jill said. “Some of the things aren’t repeatable,” she said with a laugh.
For full disclosure, I am also a Cub fan, and was sure to wear a Cub shirt for the interview. When asked if he would have talked to me had I worn a White Sox or other team shirt, Igaravidez explained that since I wasn’t family, it was fine. Asked if his three daughters are also Cub fans, he laughed and said “of course, or they wouldn’t be welcomed home.”
Ironically, Igaravidez said if it wasn’t for Wrigley Field he may have grown up a (Heaven forbid!) White Sox fan.
“My grandfather was a White Sox fan because they had a Latin manager [Al Lopez] and they were good, having won the American League Pennant in 1959,” Igaravidez said. Despite the winning ways of the White Sox and the poor record of the Cubs at the time, Igaravidez said his love affair began the first time he entered Wrigley Field as a boy.
“I really fell in love with Wrigley Field first, then the Cubs.” Asked about his relationship with the Cubs today, Igaravidez described it as “religion.”
These days Igaravidez doesn’t go to the real Wrigley Field as much as he used to, (he was a bleacher bum in 1969), mostly because of the inflated prices and because he is “not as young as I used to be and am not crazy about the hassle of the huge crowds.” And although Igaravidez admits to falling asleep before the end of the late away games on the West Coast, he still watches or listens to most games, even while working.
“Luckily Lincoln Park is Cubs country so when there is a game on they will put it on the televisions in the store,” Igaravidez said.
As for the Cubs chances to break their 101-year championship drought, Igaravidez said they have the talent but injuries and inconsistent play are holding them back. He added, half-seriously, that “if they do win, life would be over; there would be nothing left to live for. At least we can say wait until next year.”
Looking into his yard, he lamented the end of season and the start of football. “I should also tell you that I’m also a big Bears fan,” he said with a smirk. “…No, I don’t have room,” Igaravidez said, answering the question before it could be asked.
No, Igaravidez doesn’t actually
live at Wrigley Field. Instead he’s turned where he lives into Wrigley...well, at least the back yard!Complete with ivy covered walls, distance markers, a miniature infield, and numerous signs that one would find at the real Wrigley, Igaravidez can enjoy most of the comforts of Wrigley without leaving home.
Igaravidez, a 58-year-old produce manager, said the idea for his tribute started about eight years ago when he was in his backyard at 4059 N. Ozanam Ave., looking at his detached garage.
“I thought it would make a nice outfield wall,” Igaravidez said. So, the next step for him was to call a landscaper friend and plant some ivy.
“We only planted three plants. It’s Boston Ivy, which is the same as at Wrigley, Igaravidez explained. “The first year after I planted it, nothing really grew. Then one day I arrived home from work and bam! It had sprouted.”
Despite the fact that the ivy comes back every spring, there is some maintenance that is required. “You have to continually trim it and in August it starts to fade a bit …kind of like the Cubs,” Igaravidez joked.
After the Ivy took off, Igaravidez turned his lawn into an infield, cutting out the grass by hand to create the base paths and a raised pitcher’s mound, which he then filled with the same type of clay-dirt that they have at Wrigley Field.
Igaravidez said one perk of working at a Lincoln Park grocery store is getting to know many people -- such as beer distributors who are Cub fans who have access to different items, several of which have made it into his yard. “I have people,” Igaravidez joked.
Indeed, a sign-maker friend donated the home-run distance signs that hang on the “outfield” wall on the Ivy. He also has the numbers of all the Cub hall-of-fame players and Ron Santo on the outside of the garage door, along with a Waveland Avenue street sign. A new scoreboard is currently being made, after the last one had to be retired due to harsh weather. Of course, the “W” flag is a must, although these days Igaravidez, who jokingly described himself as “old,” explained that he only has the energy to fly it after big wins.
“I never flew the “L” flag,” he added.
Besides having to keep the ivy from overgrowing, Igaravidez said it is a challenge to cut the grass properly and also to keep the family’s chocolate Labrador “Brando” from relieving himself on “sacred ground.”
Brando the Cub critic!
“He always urinates on the side of the garage where he is supposed to go, but sometimes he goes number two in left-center,” Igaravidez said. “Maybe he’s trying to tell [Alfonso] Soriano something.”
Driving past the front of Igaravidez home, one probably would not notice anything out of the ordinary. The house is a well-kept white frame-house with lots of flowers and a nicely manicured lawn. Of course, the doorbell does play ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame.’
“The house is my wife Jill’s domain, I have the yard and garage,” he explained. Indeed, when asked his wife’s opinion of his tribute, Igaravidez said “she hates it,” and clarified, saying, “Let’s just say she’s not as enthused as me.”
A few minutes later, unaware that her husband was being interviewed, Jill Igaravidez arrived home and gave a look that reminded me of Alice looking at her husband Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners, wondering what scheme he was up to now. And while Jill admitted that while she also is a Cub fan, she said she did not warm up to it until their three grandsons, between age 2 and 8, began to appreciate it. One difference between his yard and Wrigley Field (although debatable lately) is that Elmo currently occupies the pitcher’s mound at the Igaravidez home.
“That is for the grandkids, obviously.” Igaravidez explained.
One great thing about having two Major League baseball teams in Chicago is the friendly rivalry that often occurs between friends. Of course, in Norridge, the population is overwhelmingly Cub friendly. Igaravidez said his neighbors do not mind that his devotion is on display and no one ever stole or damaged anything. Last year though, he did receive a letter in the mail from a White Sox fan.
“It had a Bridgeport return address,” Igaravidez said. “It was before the playoffs and he just told me that he hoped the Cubs choked. He sent another letter after they did lose,” Igaravidez said.
“Once in a while we will be sleeping late at night and someone will drive by and yell something,” Jill said. “Some of the things aren’t repeatable,” she said with a laugh.
For full disclosure, I am also a Cub fan, and was sure to wear a Cub shirt for the interview. When asked if he would have talked to me had I worn a White Sox or other team shirt, Igaravidez explained that since I wasn’t family, it was fine. Asked if his three daughters are also Cub fans, he laughed and said “of course, or they wouldn’t be welcomed home.”
Ironically, Igaravidez said if it wasn’t for Wrigley Field he may have grown up a (Heaven forbid!) White Sox fan.
“My grandfather was a White Sox fan because they had a Latin manager [Al Lopez] and they were good, having won the American League Pennant in 1959,” Igaravidez said. Despite the winning ways of the White Sox and the poor record of the Cubs at the time, Igaravidez said his love affair began the first time he entered Wrigley Field as a boy.
“I really fell in love with Wrigley Field first, then the Cubs.” Asked about his relationship with the Cubs today, Igaravidez described it as “religion.”
These days Igaravidez doesn’t go to the real Wrigley Field as much as he used to, (he was a bleacher bum in 1969), mostly because of the inflated prices and because he is “not as young as I used to be and am not crazy about the hassle of the huge crowds.” And although Igaravidez admits to falling asleep before the end of the late away games on the West Coast, he still watches or listens to most games, even while working.
“Luckily Lincoln Park is Cubs country so when there is a game on they will put it on the televisions in the store,” Igaravidez said.
As for the Cubs chances to break their 101-year championship drought, Igaravidez said they have the talent but injuries and inconsistent play are holding them back. He added, half-seriously, that “if they do win, life would be over; there would be nothing left to live for. At least we can say wait until next year.”
Looking into his yard, he lamented the end of season and the start of football. “I should also tell you that I’m also a big Bears fan,” he said with a smirk. “…No, I don’t have room,” Igaravidez said, answering the question before it could be asked.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The time to start looking for First-Time Buyers is now!
Remember that to get the $8,000 tax-credit from the government, your home must be closed by December 1. So, if you are a first-time home buyer who is thinking about buying, the time to start looking is now. I'm more than happy to help you, so contact me today. Also, go to Newbiebuyer.com for great first-time buyer resources!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Norridge, a great town for first-town home buyers
Good schools, a safe community and affordable homes make Norridge an ideal place for first-time buyers. And now, with prices low as well as interest rates, not to mention the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers --- the time has really never been better to buy.
To learn more about the tax credit, watch this brief video below. Be sure to contact me for more information and to answer your questions!
Also be sure to click here for more resources for first-time home buyers!
To learn more about the tax credit, watch this brief video below. Be sure to contact me for more information and to answer your questions!
Also be sure to click here for more resources for first-time home buyers!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Pricing your home correctly is still the key in today's market in Norridge
The Chicago Tribune, quoting data from Clear Capital, a Truckee, Calif.-based provider of real estate valuation data to investors, reported that in the past 90 days, 43 percent of home sales in Cook County have been bank-owned foreclosures.
They've sold faster, too, with an average local marketing time of 53 days for a foreclosure compared with 73 days for a traditional sale. The reason for this is simple: Bank-owned properties feature sellers who are Wall-Street finance-types with no emotional attachment to the home. Their decisions are made on raw data - like square footage and mortgage-margins. They don’t put these properties in the newspaper, but exclusively online because they cannot afford to lose any more money or time. And while they reject crazy buyer offers with the flick of a pen, they also set prices squarely in the market. Sometimes, even lower than average, because they are unemotionally trying to sell the property, without ego. They price it to attract buyers and sell. So, when your neighbor’s house has been on the market for a year –it’s probably because he is trying to sell it for what he could have gotten in 2005, not 2009! Pricing something right is essential and is why you need a Realtor to help you. I cannot stress how important this is, especially in this competitive market.
Luckily the foreclosure picture in Norridge is a lot better than the rest of Cook County. Right now in Norridge, of the 99 single family homes currently on the market, less than five are currently bank owned. But when you combine the bank-owned with those in pre-foreclosure, it brings the number up to 15, or 15%, still less than the 43 percent in Cook County overall but enough that it has impacted home values in town.
How much?
Well I analyzed data from the last five years and discovered that prices this year are averaging 63% of its high in 2005, down to $260,217 from $410,922. Keep in mind that 2005 was the peak of the speculation frenzy, when every Tom, Dick and Harry believed he was going to be the next Donald Trump. What resulted was a price run-up that was way out of line with reality. So, while prices may be lower than they ideally should be right now, I believe the current market is closer to reality than it was in 2005.
Please analyze the chart that I put together and let me know if you have any questions or comments. Post them on this blog or email me at Chiarito@kw.com
You’ll discover that prices probably have bottomed-out and that market time has actually decreased – a lot closer to the quick market times of 2005 and 2006 than the previous two years WHEN LISTED WITH A REALTOR. For those who still attempt to sell on their own, market times are longer than they’ve ever been. Another example as to why it is essential to enlist the help of a professional.
The stats I’ve compiled are definitely interesting and can spark a lot of discussions. I look forward to helping answer your questions and helping you to sell your home quickly and for the most money possible.
They've sold faster, too, with an average local marketing time of 53 days for a foreclosure compared with 73 days for a traditional sale. The reason for this is simple: Bank-owned properties feature sellers who are Wall-Street finance-types with no emotional attachment to the home. Their decisions are made on raw data - like square footage and mortgage-margins. They don’t put these properties in the newspaper, but exclusively online because they cannot afford to lose any more money or time. And while they reject crazy buyer offers with the flick of a pen, they also set prices squarely in the market. Sometimes, even lower than average, because they are unemotionally trying to sell the property, without ego. They price it to attract buyers and sell. So, when your neighbor’s house has been on the market for a year –it’s probably because he is trying to sell it for what he could have gotten in 2005, not 2009! Pricing something right is essential and is why you need a Realtor to help you. I cannot stress how important this is, especially in this competitive market.
Luckily the foreclosure picture in Norridge is a lot better than the rest of Cook County. Right now in Norridge, of the 99 single family homes currently on the market, less than five are currently bank owned. But when you combine the bank-owned with those in pre-foreclosure, it brings the number up to 15, or 15%, still less than the 43 percent in Cook County overall but enough that it has impacted home values in town.
How much?
Well I analyzed data from the last five years and discovered that prices this year are averaging 63% of its high in 2005, down to $260,217 from $410,922. Keep in mind that 2005 was the peak of the speculation frenzy, when every Tom, Dick and Harry believed he was going to be the next Donald Trump. What resulted was a price run-up that was way out of line with reality. So, while prices may be lower than they ideally should be right now, I believe the current market is closer to reality than it was in 2005.
Please analyze the chart that I put together and let me know if you have any questions or comments. Post them on this blog or email me at Chiarito@kw.com
You’ll discover that prices probably have bottomed-out and that market time has actually decreased – a lot closer to the quick market times of 2005 and 2006 than the previous two years WHEN LISTED WITH A REALTOR. For those who still attempt to sell on their own, market times are longer than they’ve ever been. Another example as to why it is essential to enlist the help of a professional.
The stats I’ve compiled are definitely interesting and can spark a lot of discussions. I look forward to helping answer your questions and helping you to sell your home quickly and for the most money possible.
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