my unique expertise in Buffalo Grove, Chicago, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Glencoe, Glenview, Golf, Highland Park, Kenilworth, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Lincolnwood, Long Grove, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Niles, Norridge, Northbrook, Northfield, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Riverwoods, Rosemont, Skokie, Wheeling, Wilmette and Winnetka.
START YOUR HOME BUYER APPLICATION
Type of home:
Single-family home
Can vary greatly in size, number of rooms and building style. It's the most private kind of dwelling you can own.
Condominium
Shares a wall or other structural part with an adjoining unit, so it's not as private. You only own the space inside your unit, so that's all you pay taxes on. You'll pay homeowners association (HOA) fees to cover the cost of exterior maintenance upkeep—and those fees aren't tax deductible.
New construction - Ask me about new homes or new construction!
# of bedrooms, # of bathrooms, family room, formal dining room
Other features:
Garage, pool, yard, fence
Planned unit development
A development where buyers own individual houses and lots, but common areas are reserved for shared use and managed by a homeowners association. You'll typically pay HOA fees.
Co-op
Usually, an apartment-style building is owned by a corporation. Buyers buy stock in the corporation and have the right to live in a unit under a proprietary lease.
Other important factors to consider:
Schools
If you have kids or hope to in the future, then the local public schools near your home will be important for you.
- How are the nearby schools rated?
- What's the dropout rate?
- How far will your kids have to travel to get to school?
A good real estate broker should be knowledgeable about this, and you can learn more through websites like greatschools.org.
Safety
- How many crimes take place in the neighborhood? What kinds of crimes are most common?
- Will you feel safe going out with your family? Talk to your real estate agent about local safety,
- and you can also talk to local police. Visit the house at different times of day and night to see
- who's out, and what it's like after sunset.
Traffic
- How long will your commute to work be?
- How busy are the streets around your property?
- How much noise does the traffic make?
- How easy is it to get around for basics like grocery shopping?
Privacy and neighbors
- Are there lots of children playing in the neighborhood, or is it quiet?
- Do the neighbors know each other, or mind their own business?
- You can talk to neighbors and your real estate broker to get a sense of what the neighborhood is like.
