Real Estate in Barrington & The Northwest Suburbs: January 2010

Cook County residents pay real estate taxes in two installments. The first installment is due March, the second September. Because March is too early in the year to know what the amounts will be, property owners pay an amount equal to 50% of the prior years real estate taxes. Then any decrease or increase is paid by adjusting the second installment.

In case you did not know - last year the law was changed. Your first installment bills are on their way and you may already have received them. This year you are now going to be paying 55% of the prior years taxes for your first installment. The second installment will be adjustment for the right amount once your taxes have been calculated. it is not going to increase the taxes more than they are already - just the percentage you pay for your installlments. i.e. 55% and 45% instead of 50% and 50%.

Why are they doing this? My understanding is simply cash flow.

What about Lake County? I feel our tax installments are handled better. We don't pay until June and September and we pay 50% and 50% the amount on the bill which is not sent out until the county knows what the taxes will be. Much less confusing.

If you are looking for larger vacant lots for sale - Barrington Hills has plenty to choose from.

There are currently 40 vacant lots for sale in Barrington Hills Illinois ranging in size from 1 acre to 25 acres. The average lot size in Barrington Hills is 5 acres and Barrington Hills is sought after by horse owners as well as buyers looking for their piece of quiet in the countryside.

The lowest priced lot os $49,000 for a 1 acre lot - and yes this is very cheap but that lot is partially in a flood plain and will not appeal to very many buyers. The remaining lots start at $400,000 for a 5 acre parcel in Spring Creek Hills and a maximum of $2,849,000 for a 12 acre parcel on Old Sutton Road.

Some Vacant lots have buildings on them. Yes this is true but due to the age of the buildings they are considered as tear downs and the real estate is being sold as a vacant lot for you to build your new dream home. Barrington Hills village has it's own rules about how much of the land you can build on, so a visit to them to find out building information is important before you start you search for a vacant lot. If you have driven around Barrington Hills you likely have seen some of the huge properties that have been built in recent years. Mansions is really the best word to describe some of them. Yet because they are placed on considerably sized lots they do not lot over bearing or our of place.

Trees or Grass. Another aspect to consider is landscaping. Do you want an open lot where you can build paddocks for horses? Or are you looking for heavily wooded areas or vacant lots that have established privacy landscaping ready for you to build inside.

School District. Not all of Barrington Hills falls in the Barrington School District of 220. Some attend district 300. Consider this from two perspectives - your children if you have them and re-sale values.

Soil Tests. Rest assured offering to purchase a vacant lot in Barrington Hills does not commit you buying land that will not work for your dream new home. You have time after your offer is accepted to make sure the village will approve your plans and that the soil will support the construction and be able to provide for well and septic. Buying a lot takes a little longer but it's worth it to make sure you can build what you want to.

View Barrington Hills Vacant Lots for sale and some mansions below for ideas.

Corinne Guest

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Realtor & Managing Broker
Royal Advocate Realty, Barrington

Call today 847-363-3686 for real estate and relocation service.

Real Estate in Barrington and The Northwest Suburbs

A Discussion For Home Sellers

 

Since my hubby and I got married 26+ years ago, we have always had cats in the house. We had a dog once as well but decided for now cats suit our hectic lifestyles and jobs a little better.

Now cats get sick with a varity of illinesses and  our lifetime of 7 cats have presented us with a variety of things. Over active thyroid for the black cat that lost an eye. Sudden onset hemorrhaging with no cause that resulted in Smartie's early demise. Those were the worst, often a cat just looks a little under the weather and a couple of days later will bounce right back. Up to now we have never had a cat with a cold and suddenly two go down. Shadow is one of our twin three year olds, he is apparently allergic to some foods and keeps getting lumps on his leg, fixed with a recent visit to the vets, but a few days later he is sneezing all over the place. Not very hygenic but telling him to use a tissue or his sleeve fell on deaf ears!

Still apart from the fact he kept scaring himself - he is our scaredy cat - after 2 days he was on the mend, never stopped eating. However there is no doubt his wonderful little germs are all over the house. I have five cats so it stands to reason the others were at risk. Joey our seven year old starts snuffling. Next day it is apparent he is not a well cat, has stopped eating and drinking - is having a real hard time breathing - cannot curl up and go to sleep as his congestion gets worse - and the best tell tale of all - he is no longer sitting by his favorite person in the world nutting his head all over my hubby. Joey is sick. 

So the following morning it is off to the vets. Diagnosis is an upper respitory infection, or basically a cold. He gets some sub Q fluids as is dehydrated, and some appetite stimulants as well as anti biotics just to make sure we fend off any nasty bacteria. He is confined to the master suite - oh poor baby! Of course when you have five cats that roam the house a shut door is just an opportunity! Every second it gets opened we all dash under Mom's legs to see what is happening - and to see if we can catch that cold as well, talk about royal treatment, we want some.

Night time. A shut door needs to be opened, especially if Mom and Dad are asleep in there and we are not. Lets scratch and scratch and scratch -we can get it open while they are asleep - they'll never know. NO WAY KITTIES! Dad sleeps in the guest room and takes the inquisitive 4 with him.

 

Three showers a day for poor Joey. Not the water part - he needs to have some steam baths to break up his congestion. It certainly helps him. After another day of no drinking I start force feeding water with the medicine syringe. The vet calls Saturday and Joey still has not eaten or had water on his own accord. She starts to get a little concerned. He seems to be better in himself but not eating or drinking now is the bigger problem. He could be in real danger. So I agree to start force feeding him in the hope he gets interested by Monday - if not off to vet hospital he is going. Thankfully after 2 messy meal times he decided maybe he should do it and off we go. All day Sunday he is eating, drinking and the sneezing and snuffles are much better. He is on the mend and catching up his quality sleep. For now he is attached to Mom, after all she took care of him. No doubt he will remember Dad soon.

I now have to see if the remaining three escape the infection - I hope so. Looking after a cat with a cold is harder work than kids. I thank Dr G at VCA Noyes in Barrington - a wonderful caring vet. In the meantime the other four are busy watching the mice get an early morning breakfast.

 

 

 

 

Homes For Sale Barrington IL

Barrington Illinois is a suburb of Chicago about 35 miles northwest of the city.  Covering about 75 square miles of real estate the Barrington IL area is home to smaller villages encompassed in the entire Barrington IL area. Here are the villages:

• Barrington - includes the village  as well as unincorporated Barrington
• Lake Barrington - includes Lake Barrington Shores condo and townhome complex
• North Barrington
• South Barrington
• Tower Lakes
• Deer Park
• Inverness - whilst a seperate village, half has the same zip ode of 60010
• Port Barrington - previously known as Fox River Valley Gardens
• Barrington Hills

If you are moving to the area we have an abundance of  homes for sale in Barrington IL. Depending on your needs and budget you can choose from:

• Condos
• Townhomes
• Single Family Homes
• Luxury Homes
• Mini Mansions
• Gated Communities
• Golf Course Communties
• Waterfront Homes
  

Homes for sale Barrington IL are available on smaller lots in the village and 1 or more acres once you have moved out into the semi rural areas. Barrington Hills especially has lots of 5 acres or more and is known for equestrian property.

Prices start at about $100,000 and climb all the way up to $17 million. You can also find vacant lots and there are some well known local builders who'll build a custom dream home for you.

So whether you are moving back home or coming here for the first time, there are lots of houses for sale - Barrington IL is ready to be your new home. You can search all Barrington IL real estate below - no need to go anywhere else - no need to register. Call me if you need information about the area - I have lived here for 14 years and am more than happy to answer your questions.

Homes For Sale Barrington IL

Would you pick your North Barrington Realtor from a deck of cards? I doubt it.

So are you going to pick a politician, judge, governor and whoever else from just looking at this? Aside from the fact that most village ordinances do not allow signs like this on the village easements, I have to wonder why Politicians think this is going to help them.

This was just one corner of a busy junction in North Barrington, 2 more were just the same.

The mere fact that these candidates advertise this way appalls me. What a mess!



Over the last few weeks all I have listened to is candidates on TV tell me why I should not vote for the opposition. Or they tell me what rules and ordinances they are going to reverse because they did not think it was right. None of them have told me anything about what they are going to do or how they are going to compensate for that reversal decision. They all tell me they can fix the budget - just not how. And now they expect me to see a name on the corner of a street and go and vote for them.

Well I have news - I will not vote for anyone based on their attacks on the opposition - I will not vote based on seeing a name on a sign that makes my neighborhood look extremely untidy - I will not vote. Actually I cannot vote - I am not a citizen - yet!

As a Realtor I expect my future clients to pick me for what I can do for them.  I certainly would not expect a customer to see my name on a sign and say that I am the right person for them. I want them to interview me, find out about me and my services and make a decision based on the knowledge I have provided. I abide by the Realtor Code of Ethics which states:

Article 15 REALTORS® shall not knowingly or recklessly make false or misleading statements about competitors, their businesses, or their business practices.

Good luck voting day - whenever that is - I honestly do not know, I guess I don't need to. I look forward to seeing these signs go - either that or or local snowplow can cover them up!

Q. Can a First Time Buyer Afford Barrington? A. Yes

In case you had not heard prices are down, mortgages are low and if you buy before April 30th and close by June 30th you may be able to take advantage of an $8000 tax credit.

So what can a 1st time buyer get in the Barrington 60010 area? There are currently 59 properties for sale in the Barrington zip code 60010 with choices such as a studio condo at $99,000, 2 bed, 1.5 bath condo in the village for $115,000, 3 bedroom 2 bathroom condo $159,900, Lake Barrington Shores units start at $147,000, some foreclosures and short sales make a great deal for prices; or a village cape cod for $170,000, new condo at Creekside Point for $249,900, 3 bedroom, 1 bath ranch near the elementary school and more.

The majority of the homes are located either in or close to the village of Barrington or condos are available in Lake Barrington Shores a couple of miles north of the village. Barrington has a great school system, there is a Metra Line station in town for easy commute to Chicago, we have the Catlow Theater, antique stores, Jewel Osco in town, there is no lack of shopping closeby. If you still crave night life it really is not that far to Chicago by road or rail, Schaumburg I am told has some night clubs - I've never been there - too old!

Below you will find many of the homes for sale in Barrington under $250,000. You can view all of them in detail, no registration required. If you see something you like I would be happy to help you through the maze of buying your first home, in Barrington Illinois or elsewhere in the surrounding areas.
Have fun!

 

Barrington IL Mortgage Companies and Loan Officers will Pre-Approve You For A Mortgage

Yet you should not borrow the maximum amount - why?

If you are in the market to buy a home whether it be a first time home or move up home the first thing you should do is establish a spending budget. A loan officer will require information from you to establish an amount that you can borrow, all income, all outgoings - therefore setting your home spending limit. Before you go out property shopping consider the following.

If you borrow the max and buy the highest priced home you can afford are you going to have enough money every month to:

• Perform necessary maintenance on your new home.
• Pay increased real estate taxes.
• Pay increased utility bills.
  
• Attend to those small items that need immediate fiixing.
• Save enough every month to budget for those things you would like to change - remember the ones you made a mental note of to be updated this year!
• Continue to go out to dinner - movies - vacations - in other words maintain your current lifestyle.
• Afford that new - used - replacement car needed in a years time.
• Don't forget any family expansion plans!

As you can see our lives have more going on that need consideration before you borrow the maximum mortgage. You must be comfortable with the amount you are going to pay monthly - but you must also have enough to at least pay your taxes and maintain the property. Be aware of things you'll have to pay for regularly, and then items that may crop up. Examples:

• Empty septic system - annually for families of 4 or more. 
• Maintain your water softener - add salt regularly.
• Furnace and A/C servicing - helps keep your system running at peak performance and keeping bills down.
• Yard maintenance - you or a service.
• Snow removal - you or a service.

Add to this all the decorating you want to do, perhaps new furniture, a new bathroom, a new roof and the list becomes endless.

If you maxed out on the mortgage something else is going to have to give to be able to keep up - at some time in the future you will want to sell - and if your home is not maintained or kept up to date it will affect your bottom line. My advice - get the numbers - get a notebook - look at income in and new outgoings and see if you are happy with what is left every month - be honest about your outgoings - your social life is important to your well being!

Don't forget to save for a rainy day as well.

Ready to buy? Call me for some really good Barrington Loan Officers.

With 1300+ Condos and Townhomes in Lake Barrington Shores there are always some units available for rent.

The benefits of a rental unit in Lake Barrington Shores are numerous:

• Gated Community
• Security Gate
• Clubhouse
• Golf Course
• Gorgeous Views
• Walking Path
• Close to local shops
• Try it before you buy!

Lake Barrington Shores is located off Route 59 north of Miller Road and is also very close to the Elementary school in North Barrington.
Units come in all shapes and sizes, some on the golf course, others in the forest areas and others have water frontage and views.
The following is a feed of all the available units for rent here in Lake Barrington Shores, of course you can always ask me to find that perfect home for you.

Buying Homes in Barrington with a Buyers Agent - Writing a Contract - Here is a re-cap of what we have looked at so far.

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 talked about inspections and mortgage contingencies.
Page four addressed  insurance and condominium rules.

Now to some legal items on the contract. All of page five is ready to go. We do not fill in any information here but you need to know what it means.

The above paragraph addresses The Deed. In easy terms this is a document that transfers ownership of the property from the seller to the buyer - you.

The Title paragraph deals with passing along title to the property. The title is like the history of the home. All sales and changes are recorded on the title and for older homes it can go back a long way and have a lot of information on it. Your attorney will check the title to make sure it is "clear" for you to buy. He will look for clouds - sound odd but is a good word to use. The seller is also going to insure your title. So if anything turns up in the future the insurance policy protects your right to the title.

The sellers attorney in most cases will order a Plat of Survey just before you close. This shows the boundaries of your property and the buildings on it. If a neighbor has built on what is to be your property, it will have to be taken care of before you close. it will show the roads, pathways etc and will be marked - locally orange painted stakes or orange flagged stakes are used. You will be shown the printed plat before you close. Do not feel obliged to just accept it - if it looks wrong or you have questions this is the time to ask. (If buying a condo you will not get a plat. Townhomes will get one because you own the land under the building.)

In Illinois we typically close at the closing table on the closing date in a title or attorneys office. We very rarely close through an Escrow. Your attorney will let you know how he/she will handle the closing. As a buyer it is an exciting time, whilst the signing of papers may be arduous at the end you get your keys - what a great feeling - The House is yours!

I promise when we write your contract it will not take as long as this - Page 6 coming soon.

 

Last weekend my hubby had pretty bad tooth ache. He has known he has had a bad tooth for a while but all of a sudden it decided to let it's presence known again. We scrambled Saturday to find an oral Surgeon that would see him without a referral - he knew it had to come out!

Bingo, appointment set for Thursday morning and yes they scheduled him for an extraction without even seeing him first. They would of course do the usual x-ray to see what was going on but they took my word for it. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised - sometimes getting medical attention can be an arduous bore.

So the days crawled by with bad toothache - fortunately he had some Vicodin left from a surgery a year ago because Tylenol just was not getting it. All week he ate eggs, soup, porridge and not much more. 

Thursday he decided he would have the tooth out and then work from home the rest of the day. Um I said, really - we'll see. You see he has really good teeth and has never had much done at the dentist until now. I on the other hand was lucky enough to have all my wisdom teeth pulled with only a local to keep me from screaming. I never felt a thing but I did remember the after pain. So I was skeptical.

We decided I would drop him off and come back after doing my errands, he should be done. I arrived, not ready, still trying to get the tooth out. So I sat and watched the TV, and talked with a very nervous girl about to have her wisdom teeth out - she was waiting on my hubby!

Finally 30 minutes later he texted me - 5 minutes. We left and set off home. Quick more Vicodin needed plus anti-biotics. He rested on the sofa the rest of the day. You see he totally thought it was going to be a quick breeze in and right back out minus one tooth and then get working. The surgeon had a really tough time getting the tooth out. You see molars have hooks at the bottom of the roots to help them hang on to the jaw and his hooks were better than average. So the tooth cracked, splintered and plain made a nuisance of itself. 

After 30 minutes it was out but hubby felt battered and bruised, and plain worn out. I guess to the surgeon all in a days work as the wisdom teeth were next! So next time a relative has a tooth out be prepared for a little down time.

The tooth - yes he was a bad boy and needed to be out. In fact it was a crown and the tooth underneath on one side had completely degraded and exposed the nerve - hence the sudden onset of major pain! The question now is implant or not?