Real Estate in Barrington & The Northwest Suburbs: December 2009

Are those Power Lines going to affect the sale or purchase of a home in Barrington Hills?

First let me tell you I cannot give you the answer about how living near power lines will or will not affect your health or your children's health. I am not a Doctor or a Scientist. There are however plenty of articles online some of which talk about:

• Alzheimer's disease
• Cancer
• Children and Leukemia
• How Much EMF is Too Much
• How Close is Too Close

I have to assume that the closer you are to them, if there are side effects then you will be more prone to those side effects.

Here is a link to the most interesting article I found http://www.emwatch.com/PowerLines.htm It also has links to other articles published about living near power lines.

Barrington Hills has power lines running north south on the west side of the village and there are homes in very close proximity to them.

Selling Your Barrington Hills Home Near The Power Lines.

If you have a home in Barrington Hills IL that you will be selling than be prepared for a longer marketing time than normal. There is no doubt that the human race, especially parents are cautious creatures. Some will know the area well enough and decide to skip the home completely. Others will come and look at the home and stay a very short time - they will not even consider living there. However be assured that there is a buyer for every home - yours included.

The one thing you should not do is engage any Realtor or any potential buyer in a discussion about the power lines. The buyers are going to have to do their own research and make their own minds up. Just like you did when you bought or built the house.

Buying a Home In Barrington Hills near The Power Lines.

Hopefully by now you have read some of the articles at the link above, and have formed some opinions and maybe even a conclusion about whether you will live either next to or close to the power lines. It certainly is not my job to tell you it is safe or unsafe. I have my opinions but they are 100% irrelevant here. You and you alone are going to have to make your own decision based on the information you have.

One more thing you should consider is re-sale.

Perhaps you had not even thought about it!

This is often the case - until you visit a home that is next to them - you likely had not thought about it much if at all. This happened to me and a buyer client just this last weekend. We were looking at a foreclosure in Barrington Hills on that snowy Saturday and he was alerted by the constant hum that the property was adjacent to the lines.

If you are Buying Barrington IL Real Estate - as your Barrington Illinois Buyers Agent I will be writing your offer. Page three deals with inspections and mortgages.

If you missed my introduction read it here:
Buying Barrington Illinois Real Estate - Is Your Barrington IL Realtor Fully Explaining The Purchase Contract then
Page one dealt with the property you wish to make an offer and how much you want to pay.
Page two dealt with closing date and possession, disclosures, attorney review.

Page three will address professional inspections with notices and mortgage contingencies.

As the buyer you can have an inspection of the home you want to buy - you pay for it. As your Barrington Buyers Agent I cannot insist that you have one but I strongly recommend it. You should also consider Radon, Lead Based paint, Termite and if you have any concerns about a homes foundation - then a structural engineers report is the only thing that will put your mind or pocket at ease. These inspections need to be done within 5 days of your contract date, and your attorney must serve notice on the sellers or their attorney within those 5 days. Therefore we need to get them arranged quickly. (10 days is allowed for Lead Based paint).

The seller has 5 days to respond to any requests made by your attorney. So simply there are 10 days to get inspections done and resolutions agreed. If you are late getting it done and do not let the seller know, your rights are gone.

A common misconception is that a contract can be voided for anything on the home inspection - not so. Minor repairs and maintenance are specifically excluded from this paragraph.

Now to mortgages. If you are buying cash then none of this applies. Remember as your Barrington Buyers Agent I am only allowed to fill in the blanks.

What is a mortgage contingency? It means this contract is subject to you getting the mortgage you need. You will have a pre-approval but sometimes the final approval does not come through. You are not tied to the contract if that happens as long as we tell the seller in writing that you were refused.

I am going to enter a date by which you agree to get a firm commitment from the lender. This is called a "Clear to Close" commitment but usually has a few final conditions. I'll indicate what type of mortgage you are applying for, how much you want to borrow from the mortgage company, what the interest rate will be as a maximum and over how many years you are going to spread the loan. It is my job to make sure this deadline is met - if we are getting delayed we'll ask the seller to agree to extend the date for us. Your job is to get your written mortgage application in to the lender as soon as you can. If your loan officer wants more information from you, get it done quick!

While on the subject of mortgages - your loan officer will tell you this and hopefully more than once. This is not the time to go and buy a car or start adding to your debt by buying all that new furniture and loading your credit card. Your mortgage approval can be severely affected. You may lose the house.

At the bottom of page three - initials required again and property address. The mortgage paragraph spills over to page four and deals with a purchase money mortgage. Simply the seller can lend you the mortgage himself if he wants - if your mortgage was refused.

In the next episode I'll explain about property insurance and associations which is page four of the contract.

In the meantime

The Northern Cardinal is the State Bird of Illinois.

A sign that winter has arrived is the brilliant crimson red of The Cardinal.  It's not that they only visit at winter - more that he becomes obvious. In fact they live here year round. The male is red - the female brown with a red breast. In the summer they are not as noticeable as they can hide in the trees and bushes amongst the leaves like all the other birds.

Seen below is a male bird helping himself the the seeds dropped by birds above him on the birdfeeder in my back yard today. The photo is a little dull as every time I used flash he moved. So I opted to use natural light - I was also inside the house as I knew the minute I opened the door he would go. They are timid little birds.

You can see the snow on his beak - he has been busily picking up food from the foot of snow for a good few minutes. Another regular visitor at this time of year is the Blue Jay. He sits on our treee and waits for the feeder to be unused. He is too big to land - so he flys in snatches some seed and goes back to the tree to eat - very clever.

We have two feeders, one in the front and one in the back. I only add a half cup of seed to each as if I fill it up the deers will eat it all overnight. We also have a resident field mouse who patrols at night looking for scraps. I wish I could get a photo of him - he tunnels under the snow and comes up where he no doubt an smell food. I just hope the owls don't find him.

Living in the suburbs of a big city like Chicago can mean that wildlife is hard to watch. That is why I love Barrington and the country type of living Barrington residents enjoy so much. It is very grounding to watch the wildlife fight to survive in the snowy winter months.

Unless you have a snow clearing service, getting your car from the garage to the street can present challenges.

For those in light weight sports cars, it’s probably time to hang up the keys until more favorable weather appears. For those with AWD (all wheel drive) or 4x4 capabilities the necessity to clear the driveway is typically only limited by either the depth of snow vs. ground clearance of the vehicle or the willingness to experience “off-roading”.

Fortunately for those whose vehicles don’t fit into either of the preceding categories there are still a few options.

• Hibernate in your Barrington residence until spring arrives. After all, it’s only 3 months away. A well stocked  basement should see you through. The home theater, in-door pool, sauna room and games room should keep the family occupied.
• Pack your bags and call in your local helicopter company to airlift you to O’Hare, Midway or the Executive airport. Landing a helicopter on your Barrington acreage should not be a challenge. Now spend the balance of the winter in your “other residence” - which of course is well south of the snow belt.
• Post an add claiming that several $100 bills were believed to have been dropped on the driveway just before the last snow fall. The driveway should be clear within a matter of hours.  At least one of the bills should be found or this option can not be re-used….and it is going to be a long winter.
• Invest in two snow plow attachments. Leave one by the garage door, the other by the entrance gates. The first to leave or the last to arrive must hitch up and clear the drive. Remember to un-hitch at the other end of the driveway. This is particularly important when you are leaving. After all, arriving at the Country Club with a snow plow attached to the Bentley would raise at least one eyebrow.
• Purchase a covered ride-on snow blower and give it to one of your house staff as a year end bonus. There should be a tax deduction and clear driveway in your future!

If all else fails - well there is always a Shovel

Happy Holidays and take care in the snow!

Not All Sprinkler Systems Are For Your Grass.

Residential fire protection systems - these typically comprise of smoke detectors and an alarm bell that may be connected to a security system and remote monitoring. For new construction the installation of an internal water based sprinkler system has become a code requirement for many of the Barrington Illinois Villages. These systems are designed to give the occupants more time to escape from the building.

The systems are very similar to those seen in offices and commercial building. Sprinkler heads are generally mounted in the ceiling and are connected through a powerful electric pump to a large tank of water.  In single family homes the tank is usually located in the basement and requires the pump to push the water through the system. In larger residential buildings, that tank may be located on the top floor and rely on gravity. Activation of the system will trigger an audible alarm both internally and externally.

The size of the tank varies depending on the type of building. The picture left shows a 200 gallon tank being used for a 3 level (total 4,000 sq.ft) single family home in Lake Barrington, Illinois.  

Different Barrington Village codes may vary slightly but generally sprinkler heads are required in every room, including; bathrooms (full and half), hallways, basements, walk-in closets, stair ways, mud rooms and laundry. Several types of sprinkler head are available and each room will have at least one head. The type and quantity are determined by the size and shape of the room and where the sprinkler head(s) are installed during construction.

Each sprinkler head has a simple heat sensitive valve that permanently opens when activated. Once open, water begins to spray out of the head that has been activated. If this is a system that uses an electric pump, the drop in pressure will cause the pump to run. Activation will also trigger the alarm.

Remember the primary purpose of a house sprinkler system is not to put the fire out - it is to give the occupants more time to get out of the house.

My Son The EMT - Happy Christmas Mom - The Best Gift I Could Have Asked For!

My youngest son found his final year at high school extremely boring - Grades were sliding and it was obvious he had all be switched off. In April this year he decided that he had just plain had enough and wanted out. After a small discussion I realized that even if I made him stay he was not going to graduate. So at age 17 we signed him out with the understanding he had to do his GED.

At the end of the year he took himself off to our allocated college, signed up for the 5 tests and took his GED - He passed.

He has a goal of joining the Army - not what I really want him to do - but I have to encourage him to follow his dream. Some would wonder why he did not just finish school - he would have been able to sign up straight away if he had. Maybe so but if you are forced to get up and do something you hate everyday - would you? He decided no.


Fall arrives and it is time to register for classes. With a GED he needs 15 college credits to apply to the Army. The question is what is he going to study. He had already mentioned that plan B would be to enter the police force. So he settled on Forensics, Police Law, The History of Police which would give him 9 credits. That left him another 6 to find.

Out of the blue - he decides he wants to do the EMT course at a different college. This is a tough extra because it is a 7 credit course, was always from 6 pm to 10 pm, he had to do 20 hours in an ER and 10 hours riding an ambulance. There were also full days on some Saturdays. He is the youngest member of the class.

After 2 weeks - It seems that 2 of the police credit courses are so similar that I wonder how a counselor could have directed him to them. Needless to say he dropped one of them and it is too late to start another. So come the end of his semester if he passes all his courses - he will only have 13 credits. Yet that is his decision.

Along The Way - It has become obvious that the course that he is enjoying the most is the EMT. I'll be honest - I am astounded by this. Never would I have guessed it. As the weeks go by I am learning a lot. This course has much more content than I would have thought. I am helping him by testing his knowledge for the ongoing practical tests he does.

End of Semester -  It is time for final exams. Will he pass? When will he find out? Forensics and Police Law are first. He has been sick the week before so missed final reviews. The news is in - both courses passed and 6 credits to his name. Now he has a 4 hour practical exam and a four hour written exam for his EMT. His practical is a pass or fail and he finds out on the day - he passed. We wait - the results for the written dictate what he has to do next semester to follow his dream. If he fails he needs to do 9 credits, is he passes he only needs 2. The days pass with no news. December 23rd he appears with a grin on his face - He Passed!

Congratulations! - Both Mom and Dad are thrilled. He is too - it is written all over his face!

Next Steps - To become a licensed EMT he has to go and take a state exam - something he does not need to do and yet he has signed up for that - he wants to get a job as an EMT while he does his final credit course at college. We talked about plan B. This blows me away as well - Medical School he says.

The Motto of this story - Let your children find their way. I gave my son the freedom to make his own choices - do want he wanted to do and not criticize him for decisions that I thought were wrong.

Barrington IL Real Estate - Homes Sold Market Data Report - Year 2009

As we near the end of 2009 I am putting the final touches to many of my market reports but with only a few closings likely to occur for Barrington IL Real Estate by the end of the year I am posting this one a little ahead of time.

Sales of detached homes in the Barrington IL Real Estate market have averaged about 220 days on market with not a lot of variation.
Sales of attached homes - condos and townhomes - in the Barrington IL Real Estate market have averaged just a little less at 215 days on market. November only saw 1 closing of a townhome causing that month to look good as the home sold in just 28 days.

So how many homes did sell in 2009?

• Attached homes in Barrington IL - 60 homes sold
• Detached homes in Barrington IL - 323 homes sold
• Vacant lots in Barrington IL - 11sold
• Commercial - 1 unit sold

When referring to Barrington IL Real Estate and number of units closed this year of 2009, I am extracting these numbers from all properties that fall under our MLS code of 10.

• Barrington
• South Barrington
• North Barrington
• Lake Barrington
• Deer Park
• Port Barrington
• Lake Barrington Shores
• Barrington Hills

Are you in the market to buy your piece of Barrington IL Real Estate soon? You can search all the available homes: http://thehomesearchblog.com/listings  or visit my Barrington web site for more information. Commercial properties are listed if the sellers agent has posted them on our MLS.

Thank you for reading my blog this year - more updates on Barrington IL Real Estate next year.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday.

If you are Buying Barrington IL Real Estate - as your Barrington Illinois Buyers Agent I will be writing your offer. Page two deals with closing, disclosures and Attorney review.

If you missed my introduction read it here: Buying Barrington Illinois Real Estate - Is Your Barrington IL Realtor Fully Explaining The Purchase Contract then
Page one dealt with the property you wish to make an offer and how much you want to pay.

Page 2 of our purchase contract first deals with closing and then possession of the home you want to buy. The first thing to decide is a closing date you would like. We must factor in how long it will take to:

• Secure your mortgage or gain access to your funds
• Weekend, holidays or other days when it would be very inconvenient for you - family vacation etc.
• Sale and close of your existing property
• Sufficient time for the seller to move out - I will often talk to the listing agent about the sellers flexibility before we write the offer.

If you read the paragraph following the date you will notice that this date can be changed if both sides agree in writing. This may occur for a number of reasons but most commonly your mortgage finance is not ready or a home close of the buyers (you) has been delayed. Closing will take place at an office of the Title Company that is providing the Title Insurance Policy and should be close to the property or as agreed usually by the attorneys.

What is a Title Insurance Policy for? Simply a policy that guarantees your title to the house in the event of something being found out later, that was not discovered before closing. The seller will buy and pay for your policy - nice! If you are getting a mortgage you are going to buy a policy to cover the mortgage for the lender - seems fair. Everyone is protected.

Paragraph 6 simply says that possession of the property will be given to the buyer at closing - unless sated differently later in the contract. It is normal to get your home at closing.

Paragraph 7 deals with the disclosures. All home owners must complete disclosures when they list the home for sale and these are provided to you. (The only exclusion is bank owned homes - clearly the bank could not answer any of the question so they are not completed). You can submit your offer without the disclosures but they must be provided to you if a contract is agreed upon as they form part of the contract. You must understand and agree to the content of the disclosures for the contract to be fully valid and proceed. As your Realtor I prefer that we see them before submitting an offer. It is easy for me to get them.

Paragraph 8 deals with expenses or paid items that are attached to the property. Real estate taxes are the biggest cost item here and are paid a year in arrears. Because the taxes for this year are not calculated until next year we commonly ask for 105% to 110% of this years amount to cover the increase. If there are condo dues or other unpaid bills these should all be paid up to date at closing - your attorney will ask for a statement to show special tax assessments or condo dues are paid to date. The seller agrees to pay any final utility bills.

The last paragraph on page two deals with attorney review. There are 4 options and your Realtor will explain the differences as 2 are very close in meaning. Simply your attorney will review the agreed and signed contract and he must do this within 5 business days of the date you all signed it. If there are changes he/she wants, they must be communicated to the sellers attorney within those 5 days. As your Realtor I make sure your attorney gets a copy of the contract as soon as possible.

There is one item on the contract that he cannot ask to be changed and to you this is very important. He cannot request a change in the price you and the seller have agreed.

As on page one you will initial the bottom of the page which also shows the property address. You'll see there are very few blanks to be filled in on this page.

Thanks for reading this weeks episode - Your Barrington Buyers Agent will return soon for page three. In the meantime it looks like we will be having a white Christmas this year - my favorite. Happy Christmas to all.

Barrington Homes - Protecting Your Basement -  Backing Up Your Sump Pump

Basements - full or partial - large or small - finishined or not - are all useful and often main living space areas in any home - but only as long as they remain dry!

Homeowners spend tens of thousands of dollars on finishing a basement - or entrust the space to store valuables, yet they often overlook the investment in a back-up for their sump pump. Why do you need a back-up? Simply put, when the power goes out or if the pumps fails you loose the ability of your sump to pump out excess water that gathers around the foundations. Unless your home already has a back-up generator then it’s time to give serious consideration to a sump back-up system.

These systems comprise of a pump, a charger, a float trigger switch and a battery. The pump is typically connected to the existing pipe work that the main sump pump is using. The float switch is zip-tied in place, the battery placed on the floor (a raised platform is better as it insulates the battery from the cold floor) and the charger plugged into a wall outlet. Each system typically provides for 4 to 8 hours of continuous pumping should it be needed.



The most important consideration is how quickly you want the battery to be re-charged once power is restored. If you live in an area where outages are common and power often goes on and off several times before it is really back on, then do not invest in systems that use a trickle charger. Instead invest in a system that provides a controlled rapid charge and one that connects to a “deep cycle” battery (typically used for marine applications). These larger systems typically, such as the Watch Dog system shown in the picture above, include self tests and check ups. Either way, you should regularly check all connections, test fire the pump and ensure that the battery fluid is at the right level. Your battery will need to be replaced every 2 to 3 years depending on the charger and amount of use.

With care this is a medium level DIY project. Now enjoy your basement!

Short Sales Schaumburg Illinois - Condo Price Reduction - 631 Derry Ct - Schaumburg - IL - $75000

Just reduced from $85000 to $75000 this is a 3rd level - top level 1 bedroom 1 bathroom condo in the Lakewood subdivision of Schaumburg Illinois. The kitchen and black appliances were all new just 3 years ago. The living room has a wood burning fireplace and the master bedroom has a huge walk in closet and an in unit laundry with appliances.

This condo is for sale as a short sale - so allow time for acceptance of your offer by the bank. If you make an offer quick you can close in time to get the first time buyers tax credit.

For a showing call your Realtor or call Corinne today. Make 2010 the year you become a home owner and get a great price on a short sale condo in Schaumburg Illinois. For more short sales in Schaumburg email your information and I will create a ustom list of short sales or foreclosures for you to look at.

Are you struggling with your mortgage? Are you facing foreclosure? Do what this owner did, take the pro-active approach and put your home on the market for sale. I promise it'll take a weight off your mind. A problem shared is a problem halved. Call or email me today about listing your Schaumburg home as a short sale!