An opportunity like this does not come around too often. With the recent signing of a major housing stimulus bill, it's now a great time to close on your first home. On July 30, 2008, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 was passed, which includes a new, temporary tax credit as an incentive for first-time homebuyers. With this bill, first-time homebuyers may qualify for a tax credit of up to $7,500 for the purchase of a principal residence. Contact LaNita Cates with RE/MAX of Joliet by calling 630-341-1545 or visiting www.lanitacates.com or emailing me at lanitacates@yahoo.com. LaNita works in Joliet, Crest Hill, Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Plainfield, Naperville, Aurora, Oswego, Montgomery, Yorkville and other areas! I've worked with buyers in the South Loop, Morris, Orland Park,... 11/06/2008

Aurora IL has 71 homes priced below $100,000! These homes are in need of work and are in as is condition. Smart investors are taking advantage of the current real estate market. This is the time to buy real estate, fix it up and rent it out! I am here to help. Contact me to today to start having these homes sent to you as soon as they become available. 630-212-1118 or mroncone@remax.net. Search homes for sale at www.markroncone.com/activerain. 11/04/2008

  What's happening with Home Sales in Aurora Illinois you Ask?  Here's the real story.  The graph below illustrates where the local home sales are for the month of September, 2008.    So what does this graph actually tell me?  This graph is only one of the tools I use to illustrate current transaction activity in our real estate market at any given time.  This information, you would agree, is critical to the success of my Sellers.   The knowledge we can take from this information is just how many homes are receiving not only offers, but contracts for the month of September 2008 in Aurora Illinois.  So, according to this graph, you will see that 7.2% of the homes listed for sale in Aurora Illinois received agreed contracts to purchase.  Roughly 7 out of every 100 homes for sale - whereas... 10/24/2008

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will be playing at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora on Thursday, October 20 at 7:00pm. Tichets start at only $10. Children will gasp and applaud while adults will be captivated by a classic as TheatreworksUSA presents this enchanting musical based on C.S. Lewis' adventuous tale. Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena in Aurora, IL Appropriate for grades 1-7. 10/22/2008

Golden Oaks is a subdivisions of nearly 400 homes located in the Northwest section of the City of Aurora. It was built by Pulte Homes between 1990 and 1994 and consists of small to medium-sized homes ranging from around 1200 to 2300 square feet. Golden Oaks homes are popular with both first-time homebuyers as well as budget-concious families due to the relative low prices of homes versus what you get. Many of the homes feature 3-4 bedrooms, full basements and come in a variety of styles from ranch homes to large two-story. Golden Oaks is conveniently located near I-88, Orchard Road, Randall Road, Rt. 31 and is only a 10-minute drive from the Aurora Metra station making it ideal for commuters. The primary feature of Golden Oaks are the two entry signs located on Indian Trail just east of... 08/01/2008

I have noticed recently that the foreclosure market is starting to heat up. The banks are starting to price their homes properly and they are selling.   In the last week alone, two new foreclosures were taken off the market by bargain hunters in subdivisions I watch closely. One was in River Bend, Lisle.  Ok model price at 229k.  Great neighborhood. The other was in Orchard Valley.  West side of Aurora.  Cool neighborhood with some units on a higher end golf course. My client was bidding on the Orchard Valley unit.  Overlooking the eigth green.  I would have liked this one.  The home sold for above asking price of $149k. Our bid was solid, but not good enough. These homes were probably both good opportunities in todays market.  Both sold quickly. The banks are not giving them away. But,... 07/29/2008

The most obvious way to mess your credit score up is to make a late payment.  Did you know that even if you have a solid credit score, a single missed payment could cost you as much as 100 points? According to the Fair Isaac, the company that calculates your FICO score, payment history accounts for 35% of your total score! Of course that credit score helps determine what kind of rates you can get when applying for home or car loans. Your FICO score is a number between 300 and 850 and is based on five criteria: 1. Payment history 2. Amounts owed 3. Length of credit history 4. New credit 5. Types of credit used According to Experian, the average credit score in America is currently 692. Those with a 700 or above will qualify for the best interest rates available. Call me to learn your buy... 07/17/2008

No Surprises that Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois made the annual list published by Money Magazine, citing the Nations "Best Places To Live".  Aurora ranked #74 on the prestigeous list.  Only 5 cities made the list for the entire state of Illinois - including neighboring Naperville (#3), Wheaton(#54), Bolingbrook(#32) and Orland Park(#92). As a resident and local business owner, please feel free to contact me for all of your real estate needs.     Criteria for the selections include "plentiful jobs, excellent schools, affordable housing - America's best small cities have all that and more." WINNER Top 100 rank: 74 Population: 170,600 Compare Aurora to Top 10 Best Places At the crossroads of city and country, Aurora is on the fringe of the Illinois Research & Development Corr... 07/14/2008

On the evening of July 4th, the sky on the west side of Aurora was once again ablaze with color. In 2008, for the second year in a row, the City of Aurora fireworks were held on the grounds of the Illinois Math and Science Academy near the corner of Sullivan and Edgelawn. I have to say, of all the firework displays I've seen, this is annually one of the best. For nearly 30 minutes, the crowd "ooohed" and "ahhhed" at the brightly colored shells that burst in the perfectly clear skies in tribute to our counrty and community. Earlier in the day, clouds had threatened to make the performace a bit overcast, but hours before the show, everything cleared up perfectly and a cold front brought us some of the coolest temperatures we've had in a few months. This combined for a perfect atmosphere f... 07/11/2008

Obtain the Best Rates & Lowest Closing Costs When you are ready to purchase a home, it makes sense to negotiate from the strongest position possible. In a strong real estate market, sellers can be more selective in the final buyer they choose to negotiate with. In such a crazed seller's market, it's not uncommon for a home seller to receive multiple offers on their property. With that said; there are certain things you can do to make certain that your offer is the one Seller goes with. The vast majority of Purchaser's today go about the process entirely wrong, putting themselves at an overwhelming disadvantage! Let's look at this from the Sellers perspective for a moment. If you were the Seller and had multiple offers on your property, all things being equal, would you accept the one wi... 06/12/2008

I've been blogging a lot about short sales lately.  It seems everywhere I turn I am meeting people who have lost a job, fell ill or just can't afford their home anymore. Everyone has an opinion about why we are in this situation.  It's the lenders fault.  It's the homeowners fault.  It's the Feds fault.  Regardless of how we got here - there is work to be done to fix it. I processed my first short sale over 2 years ago.  Like many agents, I stumbled through the process.  Anyone who knows me will tell you I don't give up easily.  Once I set my mind to doing something - it gets done.  While it was probably one of the harder sales I ever completed - it didn't scare me that much. Truth is - I liked the challenge.  And I was good at it.  So over the years, I have continued to look for homeow... 05/31/2008

Aurora is a fast growing city that continues to reinvent itself. With an estimated population of over 166,000, Aurora occupies about 38 square miles. Aurora consists of a wide variety of housing opportunities. With, single family homes, townhomes, condos, duplexes, and rentals. The median sales price is $233,000 (2007) for single family homes. With all the negativity from the media we hear, Aurora has been resilient with a slight decrease of 1.9% in home sales price from 2006 to 2007. Aurora continues to be a good value for your real estate dollars. Visit Business Pages Online and find Pasadena Accountant, Los Angeles Vegan Restaurants, Naperville Painting and Naperville Remodeling Contractors. Nicknamed the “City of Lights”, Aurora was the first in the US to use electric lights for pub... 04/16/2008

In Fox Valley, the latest talk is of the new Matea Valley High School scheduled to begin construction soon and to open in 2009. Matea Valley High School is scheduled to be built on Eola Road several blocks north of North Aurora Road. For the residents of the Concord Valley Subdivision this will be an exciting year as the homes of Concord Valley are literally on the doorstep of the new school. For home buyers looking forward to their children attending the new high school, the homes in Concord Valley might be exactly what they're looking for. Featuring between 1600 and just over 2000 square feet and between 3 and 4 bedrooms, these modern-styled homes are perfect for medium-large families as well as job commuters who need to be close to local transportation. If you're looking for a great ... 04/03/2008

This year alone I have either closed or have on the books more FHA loans than I did all of last year. FHA is the way to go for a lot of buyers.Not all buyers can come up with the 5% for conventional and many buyers can't get approved conventional. So, FHA comes to the rescue! FHA has been helping homeowners since 1934.If you are unsure about your past credit and don't have a lot of money to bring to the closing table, call me and I will have my lender check to see if you qualify for an FHA loan.  Visit me at http://www.lanitacates.com/ or call me at 630-341-1545. Serving Plainfield, Naperville, Aurora, Oswego, Joliet, Crest Hill Illinois real estate home buying. 03/23/2008

If you are searching for a beautiful townhome near shopping with a great school district, you should be looking at the Abington Trace Townhomes. Most of them are brick-fronted and offer between 2 and three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and many offer the option of a finished lower level "basement". Abington Trace was built on the north side of New York Street a year after the Abington Woods Subdivision was completed. A much smaller group of townhomes, Abington Trace is popular with larger families because the layout offers plenty of space, second floor in-unit laundry and some townhomes actually feature a small patio backing to the surrounding woods. Many of the townhomes range in size from 1500-1800 square feet and are located close to the Fox Valley Mall. These homes also feed into the awar... 03/22/2008

Of all the townhomes available in the Fox Valley, perhaps one of the most popular complexes remains the Legacy Fields Townhomes. Located on Aurora's far east side near the Fox Valley Mall, Legacy Fields was constructed at the beginning of the millenium and features a lot of modern amenities that buyers are looking for in a home. You will find gourmet kitchens, fireplaces as well as finished lower levels in many of these townhomes. Also, the Legacy Fields Subdivision was constructed with a view in mind. Many of the buildings look outward to the surrounding woods, prairie or wetlands. There are several retention ponds located near the property that attracts birds and local wildlife. The location of Legacy Fields, close by local transportation and shopping makes it a great location for fol... 03/22/2008

Hello Area Home Shoppers! As the weather improves and the sun once again makes an appearance, often the local Housing Market gets re-energized. For those who are looking to BUY or SELL in the coming weeks, take a look at the latest numbers you need to know located just below. Extracted directly from the MLS of Northern Illinois, this data can be an effective tool for BUYERS looking to make an offer on a home, as well as SELLERS who are considering entering the market place. Unfortunately, throughout Kane County and the surrounding areas of Kendall, DuPage and Will Counties, Foreclosures are on the rise. It's unfortunate, however to a savvy BUYER, purchasing a Foreclosure can represent a tremendous opportunity to purchase a home in a desireable neighborhood that otherwise may be out of ... 03/13/2008

Queria comentar la gran diferencia que hace el comprar una casa reposeida en Aurora , illinois  , Hay varias casas de Citi Bank vendiendo entre $40,000 a $100,000 una bajada de precio de mas del 50%El pago mensual por una casa de 100,000 Estimado , por supuesto todavia hay que checkear credito etc... pero pudiera salir $600 mes !para ver Estas casas por Favor click Aqui      Casas en Aurora Reposeidas 03/04/2008

 A little about living in Aurora Aurora really is a terrific city to live in, and may be one of the most diverse cities in the area – economically and socially.  The home prices in Aurora range from under $100-thousand to over $1 million and can be purchased in new master planned communities and in historic communities alike. With approximately 160,000 residents, Aurora is the second largest city in Illinois and is somehow able to maintain the feel of a town only a fraction its population. Real Estate in Aurora According to the local MLS—January07/January08. Fewer homes were introduced to the market for sale in January 2008 (429) over last year (529), while fewer homes under contract in went down 34% from a year ago.  In recent weeks, consumers appear to be reacting to the continued low... 02/04/2008

A little about living in Aurora Aurora really is a terrific city to live in, and may be one of the most diverse cities in the area – economically and socially.  The home prices in Aurora range from under $100-thousand to over $1 million and can be purchased in new master planned communities and in historic communities alike.  With approximately 160,000 residents, Aurora is the second largest city in Illinois and is somehow able to maintain the feel of a town only a fraction its population.    Real Estate in Aurora Housing values in Aurora have faired well despite the media onslaught. According to the Multiple Listing Service of Northern Illinois, the median sale price of single family homes in December 2006 was $187,750 and in December 2007 the median prices dropped only slightly to $1... 01/06/2008