Price Reduction!

This amazing home is now offered at $339,900!!

1223 Dover Court Shorewood, IL

Financial Advantages Of Owning A Home

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1. No inflation: If you rent an apartment for $1,800 a month and the inflation rate is about 3%, your monthly rent will increase to over $2,000 a month in just 5 years and you will have paid about $115,000 of your landlord's mortgage in that time. When you own a home and have a fixed mortgage, your payment will not change.
2. Personal wealth: When you rent, you are paying your landlord's mortgage. When you own a home, your mortgage balance decreases while your property value goes up. If you treat your home like an investment, you can sell it when the market conditions are right and make a great profit.
3. Both Federal and State tax savings: Under IRS code, interest from loans used to acquire, construct, or improve real estate is tax deductible up to a $1,000,000 mortgage. Interest on loans connected to real estate for any reason is deductible on up to a $100,000 mortgage.
4. Diversified Assets: When you purchase a home, you can live in it while the investment grows unlike a 401(k) or IRA.
5. Savings: When making payments on a mortgage, you lower the mortgage amount almost creating a forced savings account. With a mortgage of $1,800 a month, in 5 years you will have paid about $29,331 of the principal portion of your mortgage. If you were to sell your home at that point, that amount deducted from your principal would basically be put in your pocket.

7 Tips For Getting Your Home Market Ready

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1. Keep it neutral: Keep colors soft and light
2. Make necessary repairs: If something in your home needs fixing-fix it!
3. De-clutter: Too much in your home takes away from buyer's seeing your home's full potential
4. Curb appeal: Make sure the exterior of your home is in good shape; draw buyers in!
5. Think about updating your kitchen: The kitchen is known  as the heart of the home
6. Finishing touches: Pay close attention to details 
7. Deep clean: Before putting your home on the market, clean the carpets, scrub walls and trim, clean/organize rooms, etc.

Stunning Home In Shorewood!

1223 Dover Court Shorewood, IL

Contact me at (815) 954-5050 for more information about this beautiful home in Shorewood!

Happy Friday

DIY Safety

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• Power tool safety: Never leave a power pool unattended while it's active and unplug all tools (keeping cords out of children's reach) when finished. Electrical cords should always be kept away from sharp edges, oil, and heat.
• Dress appropriately: Don't wear jewelry or loose fitting clothing while working and wear goggles when appropriate as well as ear plugs when using loud power tools.
• Always be aware of your surroundings: Be aware of who is entering any work zone or areas with tools and always keep both children and pets away from work areas.
• Use ladders correctly: Follow the 4-to-1 rule-for every four feet in ladder height, the bottom of the ladder should be one foot away from any object or wall it's leaning against. Read all warning labels and instructions before use and be sure to use the right ladder for the job as far as ladder height and weight limits go. Using a ladder that is long enough as well as fully welded is always important.
• Keep a first aid kit on hand

What Every Homeowner Needs To Know About Home Insurance

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• What it covers: An average policy will pay for damage to your property and possessions due to certain storms, fire, theft, or vandalism. Similar to renter's insurance, it can also provide liability coverage if someone gets injured on your property and decides to sue. Your policy also covers shelter costs in the event that you are temporarily displaced from your home. Homeowner's insurance can also protect items outside of the home, such as items stolen from your car; auto insurance won't cover it but your homeowner's policy probably will.
• What it doesn't cover: A standard policy does have some exclusions; earth movements such as landslides, earthquakes, and sinkholes, power failure, war, nuclear hazard, government action, faulty zoning, bad repair or workmanship, defective maintenance and flooding. Wind storms are usually covered, including tornadoes, however some companies don't include tornadoes and hurricanes in high risk areas. Water damage can be hard; normally water from above (rainwater or a burst pipe) is covered but water from below (such as backed up sewers) usually isn't covered.
• Shop around: Don't just shop for a great policy; make sure you find an agent that you trust.
• Actions to reduce premiums: Having a working smoke detector may help lower premiums as will simply having a deadbolt on your door or having a burglar alarm system. A deadbolt can reduce a premium by about 5% and an alarm system can create a 15%-20% premium reduction.
• Replacement coverage vs. market value: Replacement cost covers repairing or replacing your entire home; market value is how much someone would pay for your home and the accompanying land in it's current (damaged) condition. 
• Don't wait to file a claim: When looking into policies, be sure to ask about time limits for reporting claims and then stick to them!
• Write everything down: To avoid any issues, be sure to write everything down about a loss-document it as best as you can. Keep all receipts, contracts, appraisals, and also document phone calls by writing down who you spoke to and when.