Home sales are dipping

According to chicagorealestatedaily.com, Chicago-area home sales dropped last month for the first time in almost 2½ years.  According to the Illinois Association of Realtors this is reflecting the low supply of homes on the market.  They found that in the nine-county local area, 7,640 homes sold last month, down 1.3 percent from 7,744 sales in November 2012.

This decline snaps a streak of 28 consecutive months that local home sales rose year over year.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.

134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040

Chicago, IL 60602

312-238-9298

http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, residential real estate attorney Chicago, Chicago eviction attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, Chicago Real Estate Attorney fees. This is intended to be advertising. Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Foreclosures are still a problem....

Realty Trac reported that foreclosure filings in the Chicagoland area rose 30% from September to October.  Its still better than last year but clearly we still have a problem with foreclosures.

Homeowners - you have options! You should not just let your home go into foreclosure.  If you are having a hard time making your mortgage payments, please call my office for a free consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago eviction attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, Chicago Real Estate Attorney fees. This is intended to be advertising. Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

What closing costs are there for a Seller?

I often get asked "what kind of closing costs can I expect when I am selling my home?"

First, let me clarify that I consider Realtor commissions, taxes, title related fees, etc all to be "closing costs." Others may only call title-related fees "closing costs."

For Sellers, the largest closing cost tends to be the Realtor commission. This commission is typically 5% of the sale price. The next largest cost is real estate property taxes. In Cook County, we pay property taxes in arrears - which means that in 2013, we paid the 2012 property taxes. So when you sell your home, you must give a property tax credit to the Buyer for the time you spent in your home in the current year. This property tax credit can be negotiated and a formula is used to calculate the actual amount. The remaining costs include title related fees, city, county and state taxes.

Overall, Sellers can typically expect to pay around 8% of the sales price in total closing costs. This includes the Realtor commissions of 5%, taxes and title related fees. For example, on a $200,000 home, the Seller can expect to pay around $16,000 in total closing costs. Again, each transaction is different, and if no Realtors are involved, the closing costs will be much lower since there will be no commissions to pay.

Whether you live in Chicago or the suburbs, if you are trying to sell your home contact our office for a free consultation.  Our office phone number is 312-238-9298.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago eviction attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, Chicago Real Estate Attorney fees. This is intended to be advertising. Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Harder to get a mortgage in 2014

On January 10, 2014 new rules by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will go into effect that limits the borrower's monthly debt payments to 43% of their income.  In addition, the fees lenders can charge on the mortgage origination cannot exceed 3% of the mortgage value.  So what does this mean in the real world?  Its going to be harder to get a mortgage and if you need a small mortgage (lets say $50,000), good luck finding a lender willing to help you if they are limited to 3%.  It wont be worth their time.  Maybe this will get reformed because I would think this would hurt lower income areas where prices tend to be much lower.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.

A Law Firm Dedicated To Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning

134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040

Chicago, IL 60602

312-238-9298

http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Prices are up in the Chicago area

September prices for traditionally sold homes were were 5.4% higher than September 2012.  If you include short sales and foreclosures, prices are up 12.8% over last year at this time. This is according to MRED’s data.  If you are buying or selling a home, contact our office for effective legal representation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.

A Law Firm Dedicated To Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning

134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040

Chicago, IL 60602

312-238-9298

http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, short sale attorney Chicago, Seller closing costs.  This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Seems to be a good time for Sellers

I am definitely seeing an uptick in the number of transactions going on.  It seems like properties are being sold faster and for more money.  Buyers are often fining themselves in multiple bid situations.

I believe that is a good sign for our economy.  People are feeling confident enough to buy a home which in turn generates income for the parties involved (Realtor, Attorney, Home Inspector, etc) which then helps the economy.

If you are a Seller or Buyer and need affordable, good representation for your real estate transaction, call Attorney Bradford Miller for a free consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.

A Law Firm Dedicated To Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning

134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040

Chicago, IL 60602

312-238-9298

http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.