With our current economic environment and tough real estate market, how can a homeowner save money on selling expenses and preserve equity without sacrificing the marketing exposure provided by the local MLS? To get a home listed in the Chicago MLS and Realtor.com you must first sign a listing agreement with a licensed Illinois real estate broker and typically pay a fee ranging from 5-6% of the sales price of your home. But now there’s another way…
Flat-Fee MLS Listing Plan
In order to assist homeowners who would like sell their homes themselves and reduce marketing expenses, Closing Cash Realty is now offering its Flat-Fee MLS Listing Plan for $295. We will list your home in the Chicago MLS, Realtor.com, ChicagoTribune.com and other prominent real estate websites for up to one year for a one-time fee of $295. As part of this plan, we will also construct and host a web page featuring your home for sale on our website. From a search engine optimization perspective, a web page with metadata tags specific to your home is critical if your home is going to appear in search engine results.
While you gain valuable Internet marketing exposure using this plan, to fully leverage the Chicago real estate brokerage network you should consider offering around 2.5% to any licensed agent who brings you a buyer. However, paying 2.5% of the selling price, plus our $295 flat fee, instead of 6% of the selling price could save you $1,000s in real estate commissions.
If you or anyone that you know is looking to sell their home please visit my Chicago real estate website or call me at 312-282-7349 today.
Chicago Real Estate
Closing Cash Realty is a Chicago discount Realtor offering low-cost real estate brokerage services to both buyer and seller clients throughout Chicagoland. We offer cash-back real estate rebates to our buyer clients and a discount, full-service listing plan and a flat-fee MLS listing plan to our seller clients.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Congress Pushes to Extend and Enhance Homebuyer Tax Credit
Two related bills aimed at extending and enhancing the First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit were introduced to Congress last week. The budget neutral bills, authored by U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th), are designed to promote economic recovery by strengthening the housing sector, boosting homes sales, and stabilizing property values. The bills were introduced as the current First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit bill is set to expire on December 1, 2009.
“As any homeowner will tell you, we have not yet recovered from the housing collapse that precipitated the current economic downturn,” said Biggert, a senior Member of the House Financial Services Committee and former real estate attorney. “Home values remain low, vacant properties continue to blemish neighborhoods, and jobs in every sector of the economy from construction to finance are at risk. The homebuyer tax credit has effectively helped to bring in new buyers and generate greater economic stability, but our recovery is fragile, and much more remains to be done.”
The first bill would extend the current first-time homebuyer tax credit to June 1, 2010. The current tax credit, which was established as part of the stimulus package in February, is set to expire on December 1st, and provides a credit of $8,000 or 10 percent of a homes value. Biggert’s bill also includes provisions that offset additional costs associated with the credit by reclaiming unspent portions of H.R.1, the economic stimulus.
Similarly offset, Biggert’s second bill would extend the credit for a full year, expand it to include additional homebuyers, and strengthen its impact in higher-cost housing markets like suburban Chicago. Similar to a companion measure offered in the Senate by Johnny Isakson (R-GA), the bill would raise the maximum amount of the credit to $15,000, extend it to include non-first time buyers, and eliminate restrictions that exclude individual buyers earning $75,000 or more annually and couples earning above $150,000. It also prevents abuse by speculators and flippers by limiting the credit to principal residences and recapturing the credit on any home sold within two years. Finally, Biggert’s legislation would fix a flaw in the existing credit, ensuring that members of the military who are transferred to a new location or deployed overseas are not required to pay back the credit on their home simply because they’ve been relocated.
“This is a highly effective stimulus measure that should not be allowed to lapse just as we are on the verge of recovery,” said Biggert. “But the economic benefits of the credit could be amplified significantly if we extend it beyond just first-time buyers and include growing families looking to trade-up. This expanded credit will ensure that higher-priced suburban communities all around the country are allowed to benefit, yielding stronger job growth and promoting economic stability nationwide. Further, our dedicated men and women in the military should never find themselves facing a tax penalty simply because they’ve been asked to serve in a new location.”
Chicago Real Estate
Closing Cash Realty is a Chicago discount Realtor offering low-cost real estate brokerage services to both buyer and seller clients throughout Chicagoland. We offer cash-back real estate rebates to our buyer clients and a low-cost, full-service listing plan to our seller clients.
“As any homeowner will tell you, we have not yet recovered from the housing collapse that precipitated the current economic downturn,” said Biggert, a senior Member of the House Financial Services Committee and former real estate attorney. “Home values remain low, vacant properties continue to blemish neighborhoods, and jobs in every sector of the economy from construction to finance are at risk. The homebuyer tax credit has effectively helped to bring in new buyers and generate greater economic stability, but our recovery is fragile, and much more remains to be done.”
The first bill would extend the current first-time homebuyer tax credit to June 1, 2010. The current tax credit, which was established as part of the stimulus package in February, is set to expire on December 1st, and provides a credit of $8,000 or 10 percent of a homes value. Biggert’s bill also includes provisions that offset additional costs associated with the credit by reclaiming unspent portions of H.R.1, the economic stimulus.
Similarly offset, Biggert’s second bill would extend the credit for a full year, expand it to include additional homebuyers, and strengthen its impact in higher-cost housing markets like suburban Chicago. Similar to a companion measure offered in the Senate by Johnny Isakson (R-GA), the bill would raise the maximum amount of the credit to $15,000, extend it to include non-first time buyers, and eliminate restrictions that exclude individual buyers earning $75,000 or more annually and couples earning above $150,000. It also prevents abuse by speculators and flippers by limiting the credit to principal residences and recapturing the credit on any home sold within two years. Finally, Biggert’s legislation would fix a flaw in the existing credit, ensuring that members of the military who are transferred to a new location or deployed overseas are not required to pay back the credit on their home simply because they’ve been relocated.
“This is a highly effective stimulus measure that should not be allowed to lapse just as we are on the verge of recovery,” said Biggert. “But the economic benefits of the credit could be amplified significantly if we extend it beyond just first-time buyers and include growing families looking to trade-up. This expanded credit will ensure that higher-priced suburban communities all around the country are allowed to benefit, yielding stronger job growth and promoting economic stability nationwide. Further, our dedicated men and women in the military should never find themselves facing a tax penalty simply because they’ve been asked to serve in a new location.”
Chicago Real Estate
Closing Cash Realty is a Chicago discount Realtor offering low-cost real estate brokerage services to both buyer and seller clients throughout Chicagoland. We offer cash-back real estate rebates to our buyer clients and a low-cost, full-service listing plan to our seller clients.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Berkshire Hathaway Affiliate Buys Chicago's Koenig & Strey
HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate announced the acquisition of Chicago real estate company Koenig & Strey GMAC Real Estate from Brookfield Residential Property Services. Under the new ownership structure, Koenig & Strey will retain its name and become a franchisee within Brookfield Residential Property Services’ North American real estate network of almost 30,000 real estate professionals.
Many people in the Chicago real estate market view this acquisition as a positive sign. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has built a strong reputation of acquiring valuable companies especially in distressed markets. I believe that HSA's purchase of Keonig & Strey is an indication that some investors believe that the Chicago real estate market has bottomed out and that 2010 could be a year of growth in unit sales, home prices, and of course brokerage commissions.
HomeServices is the nation’s second-largest full-service independent residential real estate brokerage firm, and the largest brokerage-owned settlement services (mortgage, title, escrow and insurance) provider. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Founded in 1961, Koenig & Strey has approximately 900 agents throughout 21 offices serving Chicago real estate, North Shore real estate, Lake County and the western suburbs, and is a leader in sales of luxury homes among the top general brokerage firms in the Chicago area. In 2008, the company’s sales were $2.6 billion.
Chicago Real Estate
Closing Cash Realty is a Chicago discount Realtor offering low-cost real estate brokerage services to both buyer and seller clients throughout Chicagoland. We offer cash-back real estate rebates to our buyer clients and a low-cost, full-service listing plan to our seller clients.
Many people in the Chicago real estate market view this acquisition as a positive sign. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has built a strong reputation of acquiring valuable companies especially in distressed markets. I believe that HSA's purchase of Keonig & Strey is an indication that some investors believe that the Chicago real estate market has bottomed out and that 2010 could be a year of growth in unit sales, home prices, and of course brokerage commissions.
HomeServices is the nation’s second-largest full-service independent residential real estate brokerage firm, and the largest brokerage-owned settlement services (mortgage, title, escrow and insurance) provider. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Founded in 1961, Koenig & Strey has approximately 900 agents throughout 21 offices serving Chicago real estate, North Shore real estate, Lake County and the western suburbs, and is a leader in sales of luxury homes among the top general brokerage firms in the Chicago area. In 2008, the company’s sales were $2.6 billion.
Chicago Real Estate
Closing Cash Realty is a Chicago discount Realtor offering low-cost real estate brokerage services to both buyer and seller clients throughout Chicagoland. We offer cash-back real estate rebates to our buyer clients and a low-cost, full-service listing plan to our seller clients.
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