Our 4th annual RED Day will be on Thursday, May 10, 2012, and we will be working with Developmental Services Center (DSC) to make improvements on their building at 3102 Clark Road in Champaign.  Projects will include landscaping, clean-up, painting, new signage and redecorating.  We are inviting the community to help. 

How can you help?

*Donate your time to help us with the projects for DCS

*Donate Materials

*Donate to KW CHAMPAIGN CARES for DSC and become a RED DAY IN- KIND SPONSOR

Please contact Gallivan & Associates for more information about how you and your family or business can join in at info@barbgallivan.com or 217-239-7210.

We believe in giving back to organizations that do so much in Champaign-Urbana. The Developmental Services Center’s mission is to “…enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities by providing services and supports which enable them to live, work, learn and participate in their communities”.  For more information about DSC, please click on the following link - http://www.dsc-illinois.org.

RED Day (Renew, Energize and Donate) is a celebration of Keller Williams Realty's year-round commitment to improving our local communities. Each year on the second Thursday in May, tens of thousands of associates, staff and their families from across the U.S. and Canada participate in a wide range of projects, devoting time to renewing and energizing aspects of the neighborhoods in which we serve.  Recognizing her leadership in guiding the culture of our company, RED Day is held in honor of Mo Anderson, vice chairman of the board, at Keller Williams Realty.

Can I still have a realtor involved in the transaction?  Absolutely!  Contact your realtor and ask them to initiate the conversation and set up the appointment to see the home.  Why?  There is so much more to the home buying process than finding the home.  By utilizing a realtor, you have the representation, the resources and expertise you need to get the home you really want. 

By hiring a realtor, you are hiring someone to represent you in the transaction and advocate for YOUR best interests.  They can help you figure out what all of your options are, and they can guide you every step of the way through each step of the home buying process. 

Many of the folks who bought FSBOs a few years ago are the ones who have been hurt the most in this market.  Many paid too much and didn’t have a home inspection at the time, and they are in a bad position now while trying to sell their home.  A realtor has access to market information that is not readily available or accessible to the general public.  When it comes time to make an offer, we have market history and sold comparables to review to develop a strong pricing and negotiating strategy.  Did you know that there are over 17 people involved in a real estate transaction?  Realtors also have access to a network of resources and professionals such as lenders, attorneys, home inspectors, radon mitigators, etc… who have consistently done a great job for our clients.   

A realtor has the know-how and expertise to get the job done.  Can a person buy a home without a realtor?  Sure, but why would you?  How do you handle an inspection negotiation?  What do you do if a home doesn’t appraise?  Who do you call if you need estimates or to do repair work in a tight timeframe?  What happens if termites are found?

Just as you are an expert in the work you do every day, guiding people in buying and selling homes is what WE do day in and day out.  Let us help you not only find a great house, but coordinate all of the behind the scenes efforts so you end up closing and getting the keys for the home of your dreams for a great price, in the time frame you desire and with the least amount of hassles

1.  Your Home Was Not Accurately Priced.   It’s true that some properties are harder to price than others. However, getting the price right from the beginning is critical, because You don’t want to chase the market, you want to be in the market. Well priced homes sell sooner, and the sooner your home sells, the more money in your pocket.  

The National Association of Realtors state that:

1. If you are not getting any showings, you are probably 10%-12% off on your price.  
2. If you are getting a low number of showings, the price is probably off by 6% to 12% .
3.  If you are getting showings but no offers, you are 4% to 6% off.    

In today’s market, you need to be priced BELOW fair market value in order to generate interest. There are so many homes you are competing with right now, that you need your home to stand out from the crowd. Price competitively, create excitement, generate multiple offers and sell over list price!! That’s creating a sellers market within a buyer’s market!!  The end result is what you are looking for, you get your home sold.

1.    Lack of Staging.   Staging and decorating are two completely different things.  Your goals in staging are to outshine the competition, appeal to the masses and allow the buyers to envision themselves living in the space.  Decorating your home is personal to you and your taste.

Here are a few simple tips for staging:

1. De-cluttering is the first step.   Most people are emotionally attached to their homes because of all the fond memories and are usually unable to make an objective decision about which items should remain and which items will need to be boxed up and stored.  
2. Furniture placement is critical as well.   It is important to make sure larger pieces aren’t impeding the view into a room and that furniture is placed in a way that makes it easy to get around.    
3. Personal pictures should be removed so that the buyer can imagine their family living in the house. It also helps keep buyers on task while they are in your home, instead of trying to figure out if they know any people in the pictures.  
4. Organize closets and the pantry.  Buyers feel that a well organized home equates to a well maintained home.  

So how does your house measure up?  To sum it up, our current market is a pricing war and a beauty contest.  Remember, you only have one chance to make that first impression.

As far as the Purchase side of lending (certainly my favorite), there has NEVER been a better time to buy.  I know you’ve heard that time and time again, it’s really not a marketing ploy – it’s the truth.  Why you ask?  Well certainly rates are the biggest factor.  It increases your buying power, allowing you to buy more house for your money.  Another factor is the number of houses currently on the market.  It’s a Buyer’s smorgasbord!  Lastly, loan programs to help with the downpayment.  Most of these are reserved for first-time homebuyers, but certainly not all of them.  Have you heard about the IHDA Home for Heroes? A $10,000 (yes $10,000) Grant for Veterans, Reservist, and Illinois National Guard.  How about Illinois League?  ANOTHER $6000.  How about IHDA?  3% of the purchase price.  I could go on and on.  I love to layer them, taking advantage of as many as you qualify for.  In some cases, enough Grant money to have a 20% downpayment.

Lastly, I want to touch on something I hear regularly, and that is that mortgage lending guidelines have tightened up so much it’s impossible to get a loan.  Couldn’t be further from the truth.  After 23 years of mortgage lending experience, I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum.  In the early days (late 80’s early 90’s) I’ll admit the mortgage loan process was quite cumbersome.  Somewhere around 1994, it seemed if you could hold a pencil, SOMEONE/SOMEWHERE would give you money to buy a house.  By the way, I am thankful I never participated in those “liar loans”, that has devastated the housing market.  So, where are we at today?  Back to common sense Underwriting, that’s where.  EXACTLY where we should be (in my opinion).  It’s back to the basics.  You need a job to buy a house.  You need to make enough money to support your payments.  You need to demonstrate your ability and willingness to pay your bills.  It’s really THAT simple.  And quite frankly it should be.

So really, what ARE you waiting for?  A pre-qualification is free and non-obligating.  Why not see what you can do?  My one piece of advice is to work with a local lender that offers a variety of loan programs, and has access to the Grant programs, and a Loan Officer who has experience.  This is probably your biggest purchase yet, it’s comforting to have a good Lender hold your hand through the process!

Teena Taylor, Busey Bank

teena.taylor@busey.com

How can a lender help?  Meeting with a lender can help you figure out a price range that is comfortable for you.  They can look at your credit score and determine what your interest rate would be, and they can introduce you to various loan and if applicable, grant assistance programs and run numbers on the multiple programs to see what the best financing options would be for you.   

How can a realtor help?  A realtor can explain how the home buying process works in the Champaign County area.  They can also analyze your wants and needs in a home and show you properties that meet your criteria so you can see what your housing options are based on what is financially comfortable for you. 

When you meet a lender and a realtor, you are under no obligation to buy anything.  What you are doing is gathering essential information and putting yourself in the best possible position to take advantage of what our current housing market has to offer.

For more information or for a list of lenders who have done a great job for our clients, please contact Gallivan & Associates at info@barbgallivan.com or call 217-239-7210.         

Tickets are $100 each (one ticket admits 2 people) and includes dinner and drinks for the evening.  You must be 21 year old to enter, and ticket holders do not need to be present to win.  There will be a lot of chances to win:

• 50/50 Drawings
• Every 10 tickets drawn will win $100
• Every 50 tickets drawn will win $500
• Grand Prize is $4,000

To get your tickets, contact  Gallivan and Associates, at info@barbgallivan.com or call 239-7210. 

For more information about the event and the Wounded Warrior Project, please check out the following links:

News Gazette Article - http://www.news-gazette.com/news/politics-and-government/2011-10-14/anderson-speak-wounded-warriors-fundraiser.html

WCIA Channel 3 Interview - http://illinoishomepage.net/fulltext/?nxd_id=298427

Wounded Warrior Project Website - http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ 

We look forward to seeing you at Cash Bash 2011!  It will be a great night for a great organization! 

Curtis Orchard located on the edge of Southwest Champaign has something fun for everyone. From their country store filled with homemade goodies, to  hayrack rides, to picking your own apples and pumpkins you cannot go wrong  when you visit Curtis Orchard.  Visit them on the web for more information and their vast array fun family activities. http://www.curtisorchard.com/Welcome/

Hardy's Reindeer Ranch in the northern part of Champaign County puts an unique spin on family fun! In the Fall the Hardy's Reindeer Ranch is famous for the 10 acre corn maze and new this year "Jack Splat" a pumpkin cannon that is certain to thrill crowds at any age.  Visit Hardy's on the web for more information on all they have to offer this Fall!  http://www.reindeerranch.com/index.html

The model home is located in Urbana’s South Ridge Subdivision, at 1711 Horizon Lane, in southeast Urbana. It will be open on Friday, September 16, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In addition to the Green Build Showcase, a second home will be open to the public. Chad Vliet of Vliet Builder's LLC will be available to answer questions on how his homes are standing out front when it comes to affordable, energy conscious homes. Chad's home is located in South Ridge Subdivision as well and the address is 3407 Deer Ridge. Make it a point to stop by and view this affordable, energy efficient home.

If you prefer a rural subdivision with city amenities, Chad Vliet has another energy efficient home in Landis Farm Subdivision that has a lot of the same energy conscious features as the property in South Ridge. The property is located at 2501 Fairfield Drive and can be viewed by appointment.

Finally, in Northeast Urbana near the intersection of Highcross Road and Airport Road a unique subdivision has been developed in the Historic Big Grove of Urbana. Brickhouses Road Subdivision features 7 one acre lots (approximate in size). This subdivision was developed with the vision that all homes follow the "zero net energy" plans. To learn more about this beautiful subdivision visit www.brickhousesroad.com

1.)    Selection – Did you know there are over 2,000 homes on the market according to our Champaign County Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service System, and homes continue to come on the market every day?  There are many options to choose from that will meet the needs you are looking for in a new home.

2.)    Motivated Sellers – Sellers who must sell in this market need to be smart and aggressive in their pricing.  Sellers know they have to price it right, and as a result, homes in our area are selling on average within 95-97% of list price to sales price.     

3.)    Affordability – Interest rates are still holding low.  You can get a 30 year fixed loan for a little over 4%.  Eventually, those rates will go back up, and for every percentage the interest rate increases, you lose about 10% of your buying power.  With rates where they are, you are definitely able to buy more home now.

4.)    Financing Options – There are still loans out there that require no or low down payments.  There are also down payment assistance funds available for those that qualify.  Be sure to meet with a lender to find out what options would work best for you, and to get a clearer sense of how much it would actually cost you to purchase a home and what your monthly payments would be. 

Waiting for a better time to buy could be costly for buyers.  Many will want to make sure the market has bottomed before they make a move, which is impossible to know until it starts going back up.  Don’t miss out on possibly the best time ever to buy!!

The Urbana Business Association is hosting the 36th Annual Sweetcorn Festival & The Mahomet Area Chamber of Commerce is converting downtown Mahomet into the Sangamon River Music Festival.   Both communities invite you to come out and spend the weekend with them.  

In Downtown Urbana the live music line up is fabulous!

Friday:

5:30 – 6:45 THE BRAT PACK

7:15 – 8:45 The Tons O’ Fun Band

9:15 – 10:45 Headlining – The Boat Drunks

Saturday:

6:00 – 7:00 Lou Dibello Band

7:30 – 8:15 The Feudin’ Hillbillys

9:00 – 10:30 SURVIVOR

For a complete list of activities visit http://urbanabusiness.com/events/sweetcorn

If you are looking for a slightly smaller venue  you cannot go wrong with the Sangamon River Festival in Downtown Mahomet ! I love the small town vibe this festival offers.

So no matter what you choose this weekend you have no reason to walk in Monday morning and say you did nothing! Because if you do you missed out on 2 of the most popular events in Champaign County! 

Hope to see you there!

Dawn Mohr

• You recently purchased a home for less than the amount of the current assessment.
• You have had your home on the market and it is listed under the current assessed value.
• Your assessment is higher than others in your neighborhood.

In Champaign-Urbana the family fun starts at 1:05 with the parade. You definatley don’t want to be late! The best locations fill up fast!  For a parade map and complete schedule of the holiday events visit http://July4th.net After the parade you will want to make your plans to head over to Dodd’s Park for the festivities. Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets, a local, legendary 50′s and 60′s band will take the stage at 7:00 followed by the annual firework display.

If you are looking for a small town atmosphere this year head on over to Seymour for their annual 4th of July parade. The parade begins at 10:00 followed by a car show and many other family filled events throughout the day.

My personal favorite “Hot Spot” in Champaign County is in Mahomet at The Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve. I have been to several firework shows over the years and the Light up the Lake Freedom Fest celebration has stolen my heart.  I will never forget that feeling I had the first year I attended the Freedom Fest, I remember thinking ‘this is really what it is all about.’  I don’t know if it was the music, the crowd singing in harmony to the National Anthem, the children playing in the park or watching the amazing firework display over the Lake as my friends and family lined the shore but I can tell you it is like a scene out of a movie. The feeling is surreal and it will stay with me forever.

Light up the Lake Freedom Fest is a fun filled family event that starts at 3:00 but if you would like to take full advantage of the day at picturesque Lake of the Woods, the boats will open at 1:00 and a live band will begin at 2:00. This year The Main Street Band is performing.  For those of you who do not plan on grilling out the concessions will open at 3:00 along with the fun family activities.  

Music in Motion, local DJ service will start at 5:00 and carry us onto the main event! They will Light up the Lake at approximately 9:00 so don’t be late! The firework display is set to music and it adds to the excitement.  You definately do not want to miss out on this funtabulous event! Plus the cost is very affordable at just $1 per person with children 5 and under FREE! For more information visit http://www.ccfpd.org/FreedomFest.html

I hope to see you there!

Dawn Mohr-Administrative Assistant for Gallivan & Associates.

There are different rules that the various real estate professionals play by. Realtors play by the rules set by the local MLS board. The Champaign County MLS for example, considers rooms/square footage below grade as being part of the basement, except  bi levels, tri levels and multi level houses. However, the MLS created a second measurement called “total finished area” in order to give recognition to quality finished basements and walk out basements. If a bedroom lacks a built in closet, it may not be counted as a bedroom in our MLS.  MLS rules also limit the countable square footage in a 1.5 story design to space with a wall height of 5+’ and a minimum ceiling height of 7’. Be careful though as each MLS has its own rules and procedures.

Appraisers on the other hand are typically guided by Federal mortgage guidelines put forth by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other agencies. The most recent Fannie Mae selling guide requires appraisers to classify all below grade area as basement, regardless of style. Therefore, by Federal requirement, the lower level of a bi level or tri level is basement to most appraisers. This is also true of walk out basements even if they are finished. So a house listed as a 2000 square foot bi level in the MLS could show up on an appraisal with a square footage of 1000 square feet. Also, appraisers have no such category as “total finished area”.  Many older houses in our market predating 1920 were constructed with bedrooms lacking closets. This was very common prior to 1900.  To an appraiser, it may be reasonable to list a room lacking a closet as a bedroom. At the very least, the cost to add a simple closet would often be under $500 which would have little to no effect on the overall appraised value. Appraisers vary with regard to measuring 1.5 story designs. I personally like the 5’ wall height rule but we have no rule regarding a minimum ceiling height. So the finished attic on the MLS listing could wind up being square footage on the appraisal. Tax assessor’s typically follow State of Illinois rules which govern all township assessors in the state. If that is not complicated enough, Cook County has its own assessment system which is unique to Chicago!  Bottom line is to call you real estate professional with any questions.

Radon has always been considered a distant second to smoking as a cause of lung cancer. If smoking is linked to 87% (160,000) of the lung cancer deaths, why even worry about the lung cancer deaths related to radon (21,000)?  Do you remember when secondhand smoke was a big topic years ago?  It is the third leading cause of lung cancer deaths with 3,000 per year, a very distant third.  The secondhand smoke debate started all of the regulations about smoking in public businesses.

Radon has been in cigarettes for years and that information has been available to the public, but it has not been widely publicized. Here are some facts to consider:

• Between 1938 and 1960, the level of polonium 210  in American tobacco tripled commensurate with the increased use of chemical (superphosphate) fertilizers.
• Tobacco corporation internal memos and reports indicate that they were well aware of radiation contamination as early as 1964.
• In 1977, Phillip Morris confirmed that superphosphate fertilizer was a source of polonium.
• Polonium is the only component of cigarette smoke to produce cancer in laboratory animals. The polonium in tobacco is absorbed from phosphate fertilizers.
• Cancer statisticians have had trouble explaining the increased lung cancer rate despite the almost 20 percent reduction in tobacco use in males. It was 4/100,000 in 1930, then 40/100,000 in 1960, and by 1980 it had climbed to about 72/100,000.
• In 1982, tobacco researchers DiFranza and Winters concluded that smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes per day exposed a person to the same radiation as 300 chest x-rays per year (modern estimates raise the number to 2,000 x-rays).
• In 1990, then U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop declared on national TV that radioactivity in cigarettes accounts for at least 90% of all smoking related cancers.

The elevated levels of radon in the soil leads to high radon gas emanations rising into the growing tobacco crop. Radon rapidly decays into a series of solid, highly radioactive metals (radon decay products). These metals cling to dust particles which in turn are collected by the sticky tobacco leaves. The sticky compound that seeps from the trichomes (fine, sticky hairs) is not water soluble, so the particles do not wash off in the rain. There they stay, through curing process, cutting, and manufacture into cigarettes. Lead-210 and Polonium-210 can be absorbed into tobacco leaves directly from the soil. But more importantly trichomes on both sides of tobacco leaves grab airborne radioactive particles. So in essence, radon causes the top 3 leading causes of lung cancer deaths.

When writing this blog I started to realize that people associate lung cancer with smoking. But do we stop to think about what is inside the cigarette that is causing the cancer?  Now you know.  John Cheney, Pristine Home Inspections