Today’s housing market is very different from the market of the last few years.

I have a report which explains the THREE points in detail, as well as why prices have gone up and why your home might be worth more than you think! The report is entitled, “3 Reasons Your Home May Be Worth More Than You Think” and I believe you’ll be surprised when download and read the report. CLICK on the image below to take you to the download page. Once you are done, contact me today for a free market analysis and learn about your best options.

Teresa Ryan

Related articles

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• U.S. Treasury webinar on April 18 to discuss foreclosure prevention solutions
• Thinking of buying? 15-year mortgage rate hits all-time record low

The post Your Home Value May Be Worth More Than You Think! appeared first on Ryan Hill Realty.

Anyone who’s interested in growing his or her own food but lacks the yard to do it in can still learn to be a green thumb. You just have to work a little harder to make the most of the space you do have.

See on www.popularmechanics.com

The post How to Garden Without a Yard appeared first on Ryan Hill Realty.

Take advantage of tax credits to stretch home improvement dollars
Indianapolis Recorder
(BPT) – Warm weather heralds home improvement season.

See on www.indianapolisrecorder.com

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Lian S. of Lakewood Ohio almost lost their home to foreclosure because of a miscommunication.

Lian and her husband had just had triplets who were born extremely premature. “I was on bed rest months before they were born and they had to remain in the hospital for four months afterwards.

Despite the difficulties, they were still making their payments. “We had never been late on our mortgage since purchasing the house. Then I called my lender to push back our payment date a week or two to better align with our earning schedule,” she said.

The bank went even further, offering them a trial loan modification to help lessen their payments. “We were placed in the trial program while they processed our application for the program,” said Lian.

Unfortunately, a mix up with the paperwork at the bank caused some issues. Even though the loan modification department was processing their application, all the collections department knew was that they were making payments for less than they owed. “We were getting collections calls, but our bank told us to ignore them.”

Then, the worst-case scenario happened. After months of processing, the bank told them that they didn’t qualify for the loan modification and that they would have to come up with the $12,000 they missed on their original payments.

“We couldn’t come up with the money,” she said. “At that point, we realized that even though we loved this house, we’ll unfortunately need to move out.”

They had done their research and knew that a short sale was probably their best option. They sought out an agent who was knowledgeable about short sales. The agent, a CDPE®, got the foreclosure proceedings halted immediately. “She was an expert in the field of short sales and knew all the ins and outs,” said Lian.

The agent sold the house and Lian and her husband feel grateful. “We try and look at the positives,” she said. “We got out of the shadow of the bank and foreclosure, and we have three healthy children. Beyond this, we just let the negative roll off of our backs.”

Lian’s story is just one of many. I have a report entitled “From Foreclosure to Freedom” which tells other stories of real homeowners who faced foreclosure and found relief. Download the report, read the stories, and then contact me for a free, confidential consultation.

Related articles

• Foreclosure Deals Drop as Banks Approve More Short Sales
• Avoid Home Foreclosure – Facing Foreclosure? Some Options That May Help You
• What Everyone Should Consider Before Buying A Foreclosure Or Short Sale
• Morning Minute: Illinois foreclosure activity decreases in first quarter of 2013
• RealtyTrac: Chicago sees drop in foreclosure filings in February

The post Real Homeowner Stories: From A Foreclosure To A Short Sale appeared first on Ryan Hill Realty.

Over time, I’ve heard from many friends, family and clients about their experiences when it came time for them to choose the right REALTOR®.  As a Broker/Owner of a real estate company, I’d like to offer you this advice – your home buying or selling needs are something that will affect you, your family and your investment, please be very selective in whom you entrust them to.

At the end of this article, I’ve provided a link to a list of questions you can use to interview a real estate agent you’re considering.  The list is not set in stone but is a great start to what you should take into consideration.  A combination of your assessment (post interview), criteria, interaction and ‘gut feeling’ should give you the best idea of how well your agent will work for you.

How do you know you’ve got a great REALTOR®?

• Attention to detail
• Professionalism
• Personal attention
• Understanding of market trends
• Great advisers
• Area expertise
• A custom approach to your specific needs
• and a lot more…

The most important skill is ‘NEGOTIATION’, because the ultimate goal for any buyer or seller is to get the best price.

It’s one thing to be an Agent who understands real estate, but an agent who is a skilled negotiator takes you to an entirely different level.  Watch this short video where I explain how we operate at Ryan Hill Realty and let me know if you believe we’re the right fit for you.

Use this GUIDE to help you with a complete list of helpful questions you can use to interview your real estate agent.

The post How To Choose The Right REALTOR® – For Buyers and Sellers appeared first on Ryan Hill Realty.

In Chicago and its suburbs, we find many homeowners facing a mortgage crisis.  They turn to friends, family and lawyers to advise them.

A family I know followed their friend’s example and hired a lawyer instead of speaking to a real estate foreclosure expert for free. They lost their home, paid the lawyer a few thousand dollars and now find it challenging to rent or buy home due to their foreclosure history.  If they had contacted me – I could have advised them, and helped them get a fresh start.

Homeowners facing foreclosure, you are not alone – I know you see this statement often but it’s only because we’re asking you to have hope. There are real people who have been in the same situation who have found solutions. Take, for example, Dan and Jessica M. of Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.

For Dan and Jessica, their dream of homeownership involved building their house on their own land. “We’ll build a house on half an acre,” said Dan.

To achieve their dream, they put themselves in a slightly challenging position by getting two adjustable rate mortgages, a common practice at the time. “The introductory rates were 8.5% and 11.5%, but our lender said, ‘Don’t worry, you can refinance after two years.’”

They were managing their payment commitment for a while, until… life happened. “We had our first child, and soon afterward, Jessica lost her job,” said Dan. “Soon, bills started piling up.”

They went on what they were told, believing they could refinance, and started living off their credit cards. “We hung on for the full two years hoping we could refinance at a lower interest rate, but when the time came, our lender said no because our home’s appreciation was too low.”

Dan and Jessica needed help. A friend referred them to a real estate agent who was a Certified Distressed Property Expert®. The agent answered their questions. Most importantly, the agent explained the difference between a foreclosure and a short sale. In a short sale, the bank agrees to allow the home to be sold for less than the amount due on the loan.

“With this information, we were able to decide that a short sale was our best option.”

It was a stressful process, but the agent helped them tremendously. She even kept a potential buyer from walking when the process was taking longer than expected. “Honestly, if it weren’t for her, the buyer would have left and we’d have been stuck.”

Dan and Jessica’s story is just one of many. I have a report entitled “From Foreclosure to Freedom” which tells other stories of real homeowners who faced foreclosure and found relief. Download the report, read the stories, and then contact me for a free, confidential consultation.

Related articles

• 5 mythbusters for underwater homeowners
• HOAs increasingly try short sales
• Real Estate Outlook is Sunny for Buyers and Sellers. Foreclosures and Short Sales Still Part of Forecast
• RealtyTrac: Chicago sees drop in foreclosure filings in February

The post Real Homeowner Stories: A Fresh Start appeared first on Ryan Hill Realty.

We participated in the St. Paddy’s Day parade in Naperville yesterday, our agents, management, staff and their families had a wonderful time with the community.  To see our photos, please visit www.Facebook.com/RyanHillRealty

We’d like to thank the City of Naperville and the West Suburban Irish (hosts) for making it such a wonderful event.

The post Happy St. Patrick’s Day! appeared first on Ryan Hill Realty.

For distressed homeowners in danger of losing their home, there are already a lot of problems. The last thing a homeowner in this situation needs is to fall victim to a scam.  Unfortunately, people in this situation are often the most vulnerable to a kind of fraud called “mortgage relief fraud.”

Fraudsters will prey on people who are looking for a loan modification, short sale or other foreclosure alternative because these are the most common options for distressed homeowners.

There have been legal cases brought against many, but scammers always try to stay a step ahead of law enforcement. Even though many of them have been caught, there are still people who prey on vulnerable homeowners with too-good-to-be-true promises.

In fact, in a recent example highlighted in the New York Times, con artists told homeowners that they represented the bank and that the homeowners were already approved for a loan modification. Only after the homeowners paid thousands of dollars up front did the truth come to light.

I have a report that outlines the most common forms of mortgage relief fraud. Download it for free to educate yourself, then contact me for a free confidential consultation to ensure that you or someone you know doesn’t become the next victim!

Get a FREE report and learn about how to protect yourself by making the right choices.

The post Educate Yourself So You Don’t Become a Victim! appeared first on Ryan Hill Realty.

1. Determine how a home purchase will affect your current lifestyle. In addition to the overall expense of the home, it is important to consider how long you plan to stay in the home, as well as your overall debt, both on credit cards and other loans. According to Investopedia.com, affordability should be the No. 1 thing you look for in a home, but you also need to be stable enough to know you are going to want to live in the home you pick for at least 10 years. If not, you could get stuck in a home you can’t afford in a city you’re ready to leave.Not surprisingly, location not only affects affordability, but also potential resale value. Amy Hoak of MarketWatch states, “Homes located within walking distance of amenities such as schools, parks and shopping aren’t only more convenient for their owners, often they’re also worth more than homes in neighborhoods where driving is the rule.” Consider your lifestyle when you choose a location. Spending more to live within strolling distance of your favorite shops and restaurants is only valuable if you’ll take advantage of that proximity. BankRate.com offers a handy tool to help predict your monthly mortgage payments in different communities.

Teresa Ryan
Ryan Hill Realty
Office: 630-718-0424
Mobile: 630-253-7660

The post Three Things to Consider before Purchasing Your First Home appeared first on Ryan Hill Realty.

What is the comparison between short sale vs. foreclosure? Which step should you take? Homeowners across the country have a lot of options now with the decision made at Congress on January 1, 2013.  Yet, we need to get to the heart of the situation — how does it all help you as a homeowner?

In brief (homeowners can benefit from the following if you qualify) :

Some Options:

• Reinstatement
• Forbearance or Repayment Plan
• Mortgage Modification
• Rent the Property
• Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure
• Bankruptcy
• Refinance
• Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (military personnel only)
• Sell the Property
• Short Sale

As a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) in the Naperville and surrounding suburban Chicago real estate markets, several people have requested that I explain the key differences of a short sale vs. a foreclosure.  The Charfen Institute has put together this very quick and simple explanation for home sellers and distressed property owners who are facing this choice.

In this video, The Charfen Institute breaks it down, providing a short and simple explanation of what we’re dealing with in the Chicagoland market.  To learn more about both solutions, as well as free reading material to learn about the two subjects in greater details, please visit www.RHRRescue.com. The site will provide you with a vast amount of free information to help you make the right decision for your future, your family and your home.

Please let me know if I can be of assistance.

 

Still got questions? Click on the image below for more information.

The post Short Sale vs. Foreclosure A Simple Comparison appeared first on Ryan Hill Realty.