North And Northwest of Chicago Real Estate

This home is sold and that one is under contract ...

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Sat, 12 May 2012 20:44:25 -0700

In the past I used this sentence more than ones: "This home is sold and that one is under contract."

If you are waiting for a deal that will not exceed X amount of money in that particular subdivision or a condominium building you just may wait forever.

Many home buyers are taking advantage of the lowest mortgage rate in the last 50 years opportunity, and some of them even lost the bid on a home they liked.

Here are some real scenarios that occurred in April 2012:

condominium in Chicago was sold for higher than its listing price.
there are many properties that receive multiple offers.
two unites were sold in front of a buyer while waiting for a lower price. In that particular building, the best deal is far gone.
I receive many leads from lead generating sites asking if the home they like is still on the market

Contact a full time Realtor® to get real time available homes on the market.

Did you know that you can receive an automated email with the properties fitting your needs. As soon as they hit the market, or lower they price, come back on market, etc. We can even monitor the subdivision or a particular building. We can narrow it down.

There is no need to wonder. If you are buying or selling a home in Mount Prospect and surrounding areas feel free to call.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog to keep up to date with northern cook county real estate trends, events end more.

North And Northwest Of Chicago Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Mount Prospect Short Sale Resource

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Sat, 12 May 2012 13:14:43 -0700

After a few successful short sales, I decided to go a step further and get certified, to be a better resource for my clients.

There are no equal samples to give. All of them are different: different banks, different type of home, different hardship and the list goes on.

I personally had a short sale listing that needed more patience than usual and usually you need to be very patient. The buyer may not be patient. For some reason the bank my ask for this and that. In this instance the list goes on. The 5th buyer may buy one property after 3 years on the market, when the previous 4 hopeful buyers were unsuccessful for a number of different reasons. In other situations, a buyer may have a quick closing as it would be a regular home sale.

I had clients in the past few months that short sold their home three years ago and already bought a new home. I'm not an attorney, nor a CPA but we all know about the many benefits of short sale vs. foreclosure. Once we sell your home, you bounce back much quicker.

Time flies! Waiting will not help.

Thinking to short sale in Mount Prospect or surraunding areas? I made a category for this topic on my www.northofchicago.com real estate blog that may help you decide.

Buying A Home After A Short Sale Or Foreclosure

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home or may have short sale needs feel free to contact me.

Mount Prospect Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Highland Towers In Niles, IL

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:46:46 -0700

Highland Towers In Niles, IL are FHA approved!

When I did my search through MLS I found 5 available units on the market in these buildings. My optimistic mind told me to search only by subdivision but I knew better. Unfortunately not all listings can be found by subdivision. We wonder why?

View Larger Map

I had to find some real estate data and information about current market trends for Niles, IL and it was a good idea to get back to my blogging; that should be more consistent.

Here you can find all FHA approved condos in Niles,IL.

Here are the results for March 21, 2012 for attached single family homes. There are curently 77 attached singel family homes for sale in Niles, IL. 33 units are under contract. 136 were sold year to date with an average sold price of $129,794.

If you are thinking of buying or selling in Niles, feel free to contact me for any real estate needs you may have. No obligation comparable market analysis is available. If you are thinking of selling your home or getting ready to buy? I'll send you current listings on the market with correct listing status (the listing could be already sold!). Many buyers are surprised that the home they liked online is already under contract.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities.

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Niles Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Vranac Wine In Chicago-land

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:07:21 -0700

Finding products from the Balkans in a multicultural Chicago is not that difficult. Being from the restaurant family I'm always happy to try something new, especially if there is a great product that is in a way connected to my roots.

Not too long ago I was visiting my family in Slovenia and they had to pack some home goods. The only liquid thing that I took was home made olive oil from Slovenian Istria and Grappa. Slivovtz from Bosnia was available but not to my liking. Some great ideas for next blog posts.

My father offered a bottle of Vranac from Montenegro too. I had to decline it; the bag was getting heavy. I was sure we can find Vranac in Chicago!

I found 4 different types of Vranac; dry red from $5.99 to $9.99 at Produce World in Morton Grove, IL. Plantaze, Plantaze Pro Corde, Hercegovacki Vranac, and Monte Cheval. While doing some research I found a bottle for all the way up to $240.

Since then, I purchased quite a few bottles of Vranac for me and as a gift. If you like full bodied wines, you will like the stallion from the Balkans.

The word Vranac means strong black powerful horse, this is why the wine named after this variety of grape is associated with strength, potency and success.

There is not much info on Wikipedia under Vranac. Vranac is an ancient variety of a grape that is indigenous to republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro. We can find Vranac in Croatia and Bosnia, too.

Vranac around the web.

I wrote before about Cevapcici in Chicago aka cevapi or cevaps. There is a list of grocers and some restaurants from former Yugoslavian places in Chicago if you follow the link. Devon Market and others may carry this great vino, too.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog to keep up to date with northern cook county real estate trends, events end more.

North And Northwest Of Chicago Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Niles, IL Real Estate Market Trends 12/11

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:41:06 -0800

Niles, IL Real Estate Market Trends

Here are the real estate trends that I compiled from MLS that will give you an idea of what to expect if you were to buy or sell a home in Niles.

The numbers below are showing median sales price by bedrooms, from 2009 - 2011. There is approximately a 37% drop in the median price from 2009 to 2011 for 2 bedrooms or less in Niles. As you see, homes with 4 bedrooms or more did not have much change when we compare 2009 and 2011.

Some real estate data for Niles, IL that is not shown in the graph above.
Year to date:

265 units sold
Average sold price is $194,086
Maximum sold home was $560,000
Average market time is 177 days (canceled and expired listings are not included)
currently there are 196 homes on the market with an average sales price of $256,215.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities.

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Niles Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Mount Prospect On Facebook

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:59:11 -0800

Do you need a daily dose of Mount Prospect's Facebook news feed?
You came to the right place.

Here are the links to get your daily feed on what is going on in Mount Prospcet, IL. Once you are on the page, like it and you are all set for the news, events and more!

Village of Mount Prospect on Facebook.

Experiance Mount Prospect on Facebook.

Mount Prospect Downtown Merchants' Associacion on Facebook.

Mount Prospect School District 57

Mount Prospect Historical Society

If you are just starting out or (hopefully not) overly addicted to social media, these are the links to follow that will bring you Mount Prospect Happenings that otherwise could be missed.

To became a friend of local Realtor® Haris click below or like my Facebook page ;)

If you are thinking of buying or selling in Mount Prospect or other neighboring areas, feel free to contact me for any real estate needs you may have. No obligation comparable market analysis is available if you are thinking of selling your home. Getting ready to buy? I'll send you current listings on the market with correct listing status (the listing could be already sold!). Many buyers are surprised that the home they liked online is already under contract.

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Mount Prospect Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Mount Prospect, IL Real Estate Market Trends 2007 - 2011

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:46:39 -0800

The snapshot below is showing real estate trends for the past 5 years in Mount Prospect, IL compiled from MLS.

The current average listing price in Mount Prospect is $245,340. Slightly higher compared to the average sold price at the end of 2010. As I type, the average market time is 258 days and there are more than 100 homes available from $200,000 - $400,000 price range. If you are thinking of buying a home in Mount Prospect, don't wait, as you can see there were 435 homes sold in 2011 compared to 422 in 2009. There were 8 homes sold in the price range from $500,000 to $1,000,000.

The highest single family home in Mt. Prospect was sold for $917,323 while the most affordable was $26,000. Currently there are 79 properties under contract.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities.

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Mount Prospect Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Mount Prospect Homes With A Fireplace

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:14:11 -0800

Are you looking for a home in Mount Prospect with a fireplace?

Currently there are 21 attached single family homes on the market in Mount Prospect.
Only one is a condo and the rest are townhouses. The most affordable attached single family home with a fireplace is $120,000 and the highest priced one is $449,000.

Of course the number is higher when it comes to houses. 89 detached single family homes are on the market in Mt. Prospect starting at $199,000 all the way to 1,895,000.

According to U.S. Fire Administration there are more than one-third of Americans use fireplaces, wood stoves and other fuel-fired appliances as primary heat sources in their homes. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the fire risks when heating with wood and solid fuels.

Safety Tips:

Have your chimney or wood stove inspected and cleaned annually by a certified chimney specialist.
Clear the area around the hearth of debris, decorations and flammable materials.
Leave glass doors open while burning a fire. Leaving the doors open ensures that the fire receives enough air to ensure complete combustion and keeps creosote from building up in the chimney.
Close glass doors when the fire is out to keep air from the chimney opening from getting into the room. Most glass fireplace doors have a metal mesh screen which should be closed when the glass doors are open. This mesh screen helps keep embers from getting out of the fireplace area.
Always use a metal mesh screen with fireplaces that do not have a glass fireplace door.
Install stovepipe thermometers to help monitor flue temperatures.
Keep air inlets on wood stoves open, and never restrict air supply to fireplaces. Otherwise you may cause creosote buildup that could lead to a chimney fire.
Use fire-resistant materials on walls around wood stoves.

More safety tips at U.S. Fire Administration

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities.

Need a home with a fireplace in Mt. Prospect?

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Mount Prospect Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Your Mount Prospect Real Estate Blogger Page Ranking

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:33:43 -0800

Your Mount Prospect Real Estate Blogger

Being addicted to learning about SEO is not that bad.
You get some more calls and consequently more business.

The bad thing would be the calls for your broker, because you have higher rankings and sometimes the call is not business related. Or some calls that would offer you services to achieve what I have already achieved.

We all know it is not that easy to be on page one. For some it's not easy to admit when they make mistakes.

I admit. I made a big mistake with climbing on Google, but now my Homes By Haris is climbing slowly and gaining the lost ground. My domain has aged. One of my mistakes was being all over the map, not being consistent on Mount Prospect area. I read many ideas and listened to many good suggestions.

The great news is that I'm on page one on Yahoo and Bing and I'm working hard to be on the top of the Google, too!

I scratched the site names on the right, highlighted with the red page one the bottom and my Mount Prospect Real Estate site on the top with yellow.

It helps being on top of ActiveRain in Mount Prospect but I was choosing the wrong words before to get the Google juice.

To be on top of the search results it takes some persistence. I even took classes at Oakton Community College and got a Web Developer Certificate.

Many top real estate agents are great with SEO which is almost or it is a must.

If you are looking for an agent that is persistent, follows the trends and is constantly learning to be better in the industry, you came to the right place.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities.

Need a home with a fireplace in Mt. Prospect?

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Mount Prospect Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Mount Prospect Home Sale - Traditional, REO and Short Sale Numbers

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:32:29 -0800

Mount Prospect Home Sale - Traditional, REO and Short Sale Numbers

Two snapshots below are showing real estate trends for the past 3 years in Mount Prospect, IL and are comparing sold properties by the type of sale.

The first chart is showing traditional sales, REO (foreclosures) and Short Sales for detached single family homes in Mt. Prospect, IL.

As we see, the volume of the sales are a bit lower. We had a big drop in short sales. 35 homes were sold as a short sale in 2009 compared to 20 short sales in 2011. Some short sale homes turned to foreclosed homes and the number grew accordingly.

The second chart is showing the numbers of attached single family homes. The numbers are for condos and townhouses in Mount Prospect, IL.

We can see the volume of short sales and REO for attached single family properties doubled when comparing 2009 to 2011. With the record low mortgage rates, the combined sales jumped from 2009.

Short sale takes patience and effort that could save you about 10%, while the REO homes price difference is much lower and you need to be ready to do a lot of work.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities.

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Mount Prospect Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Mount Prospect Real Estate Trends 2011

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:32:45 -0800

Mount Prospect Real Estate Trends 2011

On my NorthOfChicago.com real estate blog we can find different types of market analysis for Mount Prospect, IL and other areas in Chicago northwest suburbs.

This particular chart below is showing sold homes in Mount Prospect by price range with the average market time. There were 435 homes sold in Mt. Prospect in 2011.

The links under the image will take you to market statistics for past 5 years and to the charts that compare Traditional sale, short sales and REO properties that were sold in 2011.

Mount Prospect Real Estate Market Trends 2007 - 2011

Mount Prospect Home Sale - Traditional, REO, and Short Sale numbers

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities.

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Mount Prospect Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Your Mount Prospect Realtor® With Portable Scanner

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:24:17 -0800

So many times I was looking to have a scanner nearby while visiting with a client. They might have an old Fax that would need to be sent to an e-fax and I would hope that the copy is legible.

Often with the scanner in my home office, when I scan, the documents are too large, so large that i can't even attach them to the email if there are more than 10 pages. If I try to re size it the quality is gone.

Now I have a scanner that fits inside my briefcase and hopefully will impress a few clients.

Sure I could wait to get to the office, but why wait? Now we can sign, scan and email a legible PDF file in no time at all.

Here is a link to all reviews from Google product search for Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300 - 600 dpi x 600 dpi - Document scanner

There are some minor cons which do not impact my use. It's meant for documents, not for images, therefore; we'll see a bad review about a color image. It is called a document scanner. I'm happy with the speed. Some reviews are not so happy with the speed. Comparing the speed to what?

Thank you Santa ;)

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Mount Prospect Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Mount Prospect Realtor With A New Lens For Real Estate

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:13:53 -0800

My clients were happy to see me with my new lens.

Tamron is 10-24mm and it's an ultra wide angle lens that is perfect for my full time real estate job.

It was great to see the final result!

With small bathrooms, I would always miss something. Maybe I would capture half of the shower or most of the sink.

How big is this room?

What about now?

Of course I'll get better with taking these shots. Need an agent with all the gadgets for his work?

If you are thinking of buying or selling in Mount Prospect, feel free to contact me for any real estate needs you may have. No obligation comparable market analysis is available if you are thinking of selling your home. Getting ready to buy? I'll send you current listings on the market with correct listing status (the listing could be already sold!). Many buyers are surprised that the home they liked online is already under contract.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities.

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Mount Prospect Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Mount Prospect, IL Real Estate Trends 2011

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:02:21 -0700

Here are the real estate trends that I compiled from MLS that will give you an idea what to expect if we would buy or sell a home in Mount Prospect.

The numbers below are only for the homes sold in the month of August in the past 3 years. Left numbers are for condos and townhouses and the right ones for single family homes in Mt. Prospect. The average price of sold properties in Aug 2011 were slightly higher compared to 2010.

This next chart is showing how many units were sold in months of August for the past three years. In total there were 48 sold homes in 2009, 39 in 2010 and already 33 in 2011 with 4 months left.

Follow this link to find more blog posts about Mount Prospect Real Estate Trends.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog for real estate market updates of Mount Prospect, IL and other neighboring communities.

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Mount Prospect Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

www.HomesByHaris.com www.NorthOfChicago.com

Lowest Morgage Rates In Past 50 Years

Haris Dedic, Mount Prospect Real Estate (Prime Realty Group 847-878-2588) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:59:30 -0700

From my Facebook news feed to Haris's north of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog.

Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) released today the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey® (PMMS®), showing mortgage rates, fixed and adjustable, reaching all-time record lows providing further incentive for those homeowners looking to refinance. The 30-year fixed averaged 4.15 percent, breaking the previous record low of 4.17 percent set November 11, 2010.

30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 4.15 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending August 18, 2011, down from last week when it averaged 4.32 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 4.42 percent.

15-year FRM this week averaged 3.36 percent with an average 0.6 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.50 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 3.90 percent.

5-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 3.08 percent this week, with an average 0.5 point, down from last week when it averaged 3.13 percent. A year ago, the 5-year ARM averaged 3.56 percent.

http://www.freddiemac.com/

A quick look to IAR news release.
www.illinoisrealtor.org

According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® (IAR) latest report, statewide home sales (including single family and condominiums) in July 2011 totaled 9,708 homes sold, up 18.4 percent from 8,197 home sales in July 2010. The statewide median price in July was $153,000, down 3.8 percent from $159,000 in July 2010. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less.

“The market, like the economy, continues to struggle even though interest rates and prices would appear to suggest favorable conditions for housing purchases,” said Dr. Geoffrey J.D. Hewings, director of the Regional Economics Applications Laboratory (REAL) of the University of Illinois. “It would seem that until the economy signals a clear rebound—with sustained employment growth of the order of 200,000 jobs added per month—can we expect to see a sustained uptick in housing sales and some modest recovery in prices. Since April, the unemployment rate has not shown any definitive movement.”

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Glenview, Northboork, Morton Grove, Niles, Mount Prospect, Skokie or other surrounding towns, I can be a reliable source for you.

Visit and choose to subscribe to my North Of Chicago real estate and other stuff blog.

Contact me for any real estate needs in Chicago's North And Northwest suburbs.
Real Estate on Homes By Haris.

Haris Dedic, Realtor®, SFR

With Prime Realty Group

North And Northwest of Chicago Real Estate

This home is sold and that one is under contract ...

Mount Prospect Short Sale Resource

Highland Towers In Niles, IL

Highland Towers In Niles, IL are FHA approved!

Vranac Wine In Chicago-land

Niles, IL Real Estate Market Trends 12/11

Niles, IL Real Estate Market Trends

Mount Prospect On Facebook

Do you need a daily dose of Mount Prospect's Facebook news feed? You came to the right place.

Mount Prospect, IL Real Estate Market Trends 2007 - 2011

The snapshot below is showing real estate trends for the past 5 years in Mount Prospect, IL compiled from MLS.

Mount Prospect Homes With A Fireplace

Are you looking for a home in Mount Prospect with a fireplace?

Your Mount Prospect Real Estate Blogger Page Ranking

Your Mount Prospect Real Estate Blogger

Mount Prospect Home Sale - Traditional, REO and Short Sale Numbers

Mount Prospect Home Sale - Traditional, REO and Short Sale Numbers

Mount Prospect Real Estate Trends 2011

Mount Prospect Real Estate Trends 2011

Your Mount Prospect Realtor® With Portable Scanner

Mount Prospect Realtor With A New Lens For Real Estate

Mount Prospect, IL Real Estate Trends 2011

Lowest Morgage Rates In Past 50 Years

Do you need a daily dose of Mount Prospect's Facebook news feed?
You came to the right place.