CHICAGO HOUSING MARKET STATUS…DURING CORONAVIRUS

QUICK REAL ESTATE MARKET UPDATE…FROM AN AGENTS PERSPECTIVE

Many of my friends are asking me “What’s going on in the Chicago real estate market?” Well, the short answer…lies ahead. And this is from my perspective, as a Real Estate Agent.

I’ve notice new listings still hitting the market. Many Agents have special notes for occupied homes, but continue to show with caution. Vacant homes are easy to show…and most agents provide sanitary materials onsite.

Closings have continued…but with new streamlined procedures. Many Title Companies now offer “drive by closings” or ask that only the Buyer/Attorney attend. Some Agents are doing facetime to make a fun experience for their client’s. Funds are being wired vs check distribution, along with wires for buyer down payments. In my opinion, this is actually an IMPROVEMENT! Hoping this catches on forever:)

Some seller’s are holding off listing their homes. However, this may be missed opportunities, since buyers are still out with few choices. Supply and Demand is essential in real estate, so Sellers actually have a better chance of selling before more homes hit the market.

Homes are still SELLING! Yes, you heard that right. As I track the market, many homes that may have been sitting on the market before, are now under contract. Remember…some Buyers HAVE TO BUY…so they are moving forward with their lives.

Moving Companies are still assisting new homeowners get into their new homes. I’ve seen moving trucks in front of homes, and my recent closings had buyers moving in same day of closing.

Appraiser’s have also adjusted well and some banks are even doing “Drive By”appraisals. On my recent sales, Appraiser’s actually showed up as scheduled! Thanks to the hardworking Appraiser’s…who are also Essential Worker’s.

Agents have adjusted to the times, doing virtual tours and facetime with client’s who may not want to visit homes. Thank goodness for technology!

Open Houses have been put on hold….but many Agents have begun VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSES. This appears to be the new normal and works well…let’s see how many homes can go to virtual buying moving forward! This would be exciting:)

BOTTOMLINE….while the real estate industry has its challenges, the speed of adjusting to our new world has been AMAZING! Thanks to the quick thinking of Brokerage Firms, Brokers, Mortgage Companies, Appraisers, Inspector’s and Title Companies.

As the saying goes “Real Estate Never Sleeps”….this has never been so true!

Stay safe…Keep Your Head Up…and remember…this too shall pass.

CITY OF CHICAGO BRONZEVILLE PARADE OF HOMES

Exciting things are happening in Bronzeville!  If you haven’t toured the neighborhood in a while…new construction is booming and many are taking notice.  The City of Chicago is included, and has invested in the community by implementing The Bronzeville Parade of Homes.

Bronzeville’s convenience of travel to the loop, lake, Hyde Park, University of Chicago, major thoroughfares, and public transportation makes it the perfect location for home buyer’s.  It appears the City of Chicago, Developer’s and a lot of new home buyer’s tend to agree.  Sales of new construction homes has increased significantly over the past few years, and doesn’t appear to be slowing any time soon.

How was the Parade of Homes established?  Well, back in 2016, with support of Alderman Pat Dowell, the City of Chicago’s Department of Planning & Development announced a request for experienced Developer’s to submit qualifications for developing luxury single-family homes for the Parade of Homes.  Many participated, but only a handful of Developer’s were selected.  This includes; Wade Homes LLC (aka Wade Enterprise & Associates, Inc), R & D Builders, Click Development LLC, and Greenline Homes, LLC.

The Parade of Homes was implemented to stimulate redevelopment in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood, which has been considered a hidden gem for many years. Quoted directly from the 3rd ward website, “The Parade itself will launch in the 4500 block of South Prairie Avenue. To meet the needs of the home-buyer market, the developers have additional lots (“Link Lots”) which will be sold with the respective developer’s Parade home built on that lot selected by the buyer.  Forty-two new market rate homes are projected to be built.”

In touring the homes and being a part of the sales & marketing team for Wade Homes, LLC, I can personally attest, the homes are beautifully designed and even include green solar homes for the energy-efficient conscience buyer’s.   Many of  homes also appear larger than the typical Bronzeville new construction homes, and the finish level is of high quality and exceptional design.  Homes range from 4BR’s – 6BR’s and pricing starts at $575,900 and ends in the upper $600’s.

 

This week is the official launch of The Parade of Homes.  Buyer’s will have the opportunity to tour 4 new model homes located on the 4500 block of Prairie.  Open House hours will be Friday 6/1/18 – Sunday 6/3/18 from 12pm – 5pm and a VIP Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held on Thursday 5/31/18 from 12pm – 2pm.  Mayor Rahm Emanuel is scheduled to be onsite for ribbon cutting ceremony.   Anyone looking for an amazing opportunity, to secure a new construction home in Bronzeville, is encouraged to stop by and take a tour!

If you’re interested in additional information regarding the City of Chicago Parade of Homes, please contact britta.rivera@bairdwarner.com.

 

Written by; Britta Rivera

Published 5/28/18 

BRITTA RIVERA VENTURE GROUP JOINS TOP BROKERAGE FIRM BAIRD & WARNER

Published September 15, 2015

Britta Rivera Venture Group recently joined the top Chicago Brokerage Firm of Baird & Warner.  BRV assembled a team of experienced real estate agents; offering clients and developer’s superior service along with a group of real estate professionals dedicated to the real estate industry.  BRV members have many years of experience and service Chicago’s city and select suburbs.

BRV assists buyers, sellers and renters with their housing needs.  They specialize in the sales & marketing new construction developments, condo conversions, resale listings, and buyer/renter representation.  BRV team members have been involved in launching dozens of successful multi-million dollar new construction developments in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.  BRV also assists with Luxury Sales & Rentals.

The unique aspect of these Premier Agents is the level of experience and professionalism.  BRV team members include founder, Britta Rivera, who has been involved in the real estate sales industry since 1993.  During her 20+ years in the real estate industry, she has held the position of General Manager and Vice President of Sales for multiple local, national and international brokerage firms.

Let this professional team of agents provide you with the extraordinary service you deserve.  Please contact them at our website for a list of available homes in Chicago and full contact information.

SPECIALTY NEIGHBORHOOD’S (plus many more!)

CHICAGO CITY– Loop, South Loop, Gold Coast, Lincoln Park, Old Town, Near West Side, South Side, Bronzeville, West Loop, Wicker Park, Bucktown, River North, River West, Streeterville, and additional city locations.

CHICAGO SUBURBS– Bolingbrook, Glen Ellyn, Naperville, Lisle, Woodridge, Plainfield, Romeoville, Aurora,  South Suburbs, and additional select suburbs. 

RENT, BUY, SELL…WE CAN HELP!

[VIDEO] CHICAGO’S ANNUAL PRIDE PARADE ROUTE 6/30/13; LARGE CROWDS EXPECTED

Chicago’s Pride Parade kicks off today, June 30, 2013 at noon.   It has become extremely popular over the years, so if you are considering attending, get ready for large crowds.  As a reminder, back in 2012 the route changed and the parade begins at Montrose and ends at Diversey.

It is a celebration which began back in 1972 and has been refined to represent the freedom of all people.  The parade route and details are posted on this link.  Getting around the city will be a challenge today, so you may want to take public transportation!

If you have never attended….it is a treat!

CHECK OUT FULL DETAILS AT http://chicagopride.gopride.com/info.cfm

[VIDEO] 2013: ILLINOIS ST PATRICK’S DAY MILLIONAIRE RAFFLE; WINNERS ANNOUNCED ON MARCH 18, 2013

VIDEO LINK TO LAST YEARS WINNER

This year the Illinois Lottery offered its St. Patrick’s Day Millionaire Raffle once again.  The results will be posted on Monday, March 18, 2013 and many will find themselves a bit richer.  The odds are some of the best of all games offered by the Illinois Lottery.

This video link shows one of the MEGA winners from last year.  The entire town of Millersburg, Illinois, pulled together and 117 people won one of the four $1,000,000 prizes.  Wow…now that is amazing!   Also astounding is that another million dollar winner from last year, just stepped forward!  With only a few days left a Wood Dale resident claimed their prize.

Most only dream about what they will do with all that cash….trips, expensive cars, fancy homes, charity donations, sharing with family…and the list goes on.  But only four will win the big prize of $1,000,000…what would you do with that huge amount of money?

Check out this link to see if your dreams can turn into a reality.  And yes…I played too:).  GOOD LUCK!  Hope the luck of the Irish is with us all.   And if you happen to win and want to buy a home in Chicago….look me up!

CHECK OUT THE ODDS OF WINNING!

• Only 500,000 tickets were sold and are currently sold out.
  • 4 Prizes of $1,000,000, odds are 1 in 125,000!
  • 5 prizes of $100,000 each, odds are 1 in 100,000!
  • 500 prizes of $1,000 each, odds of 1 in 1000!
  • THAT’S 509 TOTAL AVAILABLE PRIZES WITH OVERALL ODDS OF 1 IN 982!
• The cost is $20 per ticket.

via [VIDEO] 2013: ILLINOIS ST PATRICK’S DAY MILLIONAIRE RAFFLE; WINNERS ANNOUNCED ON MARCH 18, 2013.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BUYING SHORT SALES IN ILLINOIS HERE!

2013: CHICAGO TURNS VACANT LOTS INTO URBAN FARMS; MAYOR EMANUEL ANNOUNCES NEW PLAN; FARMERS FOR CHICAGO

As a Chicago real estate agent, I see my share of vacant lots in depressed areas around the city.   Nearby abandoned buildings are an eyesore and haven for gang bangers and drug dealers.  It is scary when showing homes in these neighborhoods, and makes my job a challenge.  Well, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a new idea to combat a portion of this problem in the city of Chicago.  On Friday he announced the launch of “Farmers for Chicago“, which will essentially turn vacant city lots into urban farms for the next three years.

The new program will be supported by private donors and will turn about five acres of city-owned lots into urban farming developments.  Chicago will partner up with the local urban agriculture organization Growing Power.

Neighborhood residents will be trained by nonprofit organizations, to grow food which will be distributed to local farmer’s markets, restaurants, and grocery chains.

It sounds like a good idea and should offer a way to get residents involved within their own neighborhood.  The pride of community found in past decades has been lost, and is felt when traveling through some areas of Chicago.  Hopefully, it will also beautify the dirty garbage filled lots and get more people involved in cleaning up these poverty-stricken neighborhoods.

The next plan should be creating a law enforcement task to reduce the theft and damage of foreclosed properties.  It is sad to see the complete destruction when entering many properties, where you know someone loved and took pride in them while living there.  During a recent showing, I took this photo of a condo vandalized and stripped.  It is shocking to see the pure loss…so STRICTER penalties should also be implemented.

CHICAGO UNCUT; NEW SERIES PREMIERES MARCH 6, 2013; SHOWCASES LOCAL TALENT

Chicago Uncut premieres Wednesday, March 6th at 11pm on WJYS Channel 62.  The hip new series will feature local independent artists throughout the Chicagoland area.  It offers a great outlet for up-and-coming stars to showcase their talent with the support of local fans.  Uncut will even go one step further; showcasing music videos, night life and much more.

It is an untapped market and should find huge success and an endless array of raw talent.  Chicago is known for creating superstars….can you say Jennifer Hudson?  This will be a show to watch and if you can sing, it may be a great stepping stone to becoming a star!

The hosts include Lea “Lukie” R and E-Sinnit and the Executive Producer is Kali Carter.  Welcome to Chicago!  We are looking forward to this new way to promote talent in our great city!

For more information visit:  http://www.chicagouncut.com AND click on this link to enter for a chance to win a FREE music video.

CHICAGO PARKING METERS SEE INCREASE IN 2013; HIGHEST RATES IN NATION AT $6.50HR

We can all thank former Mayor Richard Daley for the change in parking meters before he left office.  It was one of his worst decisions during his stint as Chicago’s Mayor, along with the late night demolition of Meigs Field.   It was obvious the one billion dollar quick fix, leasing the meters to a private firm for 75 years, would cost city residents dearly.  But many may be surprised at the speed of the increase and amount.

The city has officially earned a title Chicago residents are dreading…the most expensive parking meters in the nation.  Effective January 1, 2013, get ready to dish out even more when parking in the city; including the loop and area neighborhoods.

The rates in the loop will increase to a whopping $6.50 per hour (up 75 cents), so you may want to ride the bus going forward.  It is an outrage that the Mayor sold us out for a one-time fix and the deficit was never even repaired.  Where did all that money go?  Why do we continue to suffer?

Just when we thought the ridiculous cost to park downtown could not get any worse…it did.  There was a day that New York city seemed over-the-top when it came to affordability, but now Chicago is closing the gap.

I would love to know what happened to the billion dollars…it sure did not fix our schools, roads, taxes or city jobs.  The only up side to this story, is that our current Mayor Rahm Emanuel is having the parking meter contract reviewed closely, to find any gaps.  But good luck with that, it was such a hasty decision they were sure to pull wool over the eyes of Daley.

Let’s face it, Daley was desperate and gave no thought to that contract, or he would have had a gradual (small) increase included.  Better yet, he would not have sold his soul to the devil in the first place!  This is a disgrace for our great city.

What do you think?

GREAT FULL ARTICLE ON THIS SUBJECT...http://theexpiredmeter.com/2010/03/the-meter-lease-deal-%E2%80%93-a-daley-double-part-1/

2012 VIDEO: PRINCE WELCOME 2 CHICAGO CONCERT REVIEW; DAY 2 BRINGS JENNIFER HUDSON; LEAVES FANS AMAZED & ANGRY

The amazingly talented icon, Prince, was in Chicago this week for his highly anticipated concert. During a rare visit his “Welcome to Chicago” tour was designed to help the organization Rebuild The Dream. Although it was a worthy cause, many fans were more interested in seeing the lovely little man with huge artistic flavor.

Well, many that attended day one appeared to leave the United Center feeling a bit disappointed. My friend even called me to support that rumor, making me fearful that the whopping $169 per ticket investment may have been a big mistake. She complained that he did not sing many of his most beloved songs and rarely picked up his guitar.

It made me wonder…would I too have a bad experience?

READ FULL STORY via 2012 VIDEO: PRINCE WELCOME 2 CHICAGO CONCERT REVIEW; DAY 2 BRINGS JENNIFER HUDSON; LEAVES FANS AMAZED.

2012: CHICAGO TEACHERS STRIKE OVER; OR IS IT?

CNN is reporting that the Chicago teachers strike is almost over. Final talks are in session and although thousands are still protesting in the loop, it seems they are close to a deal.  Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union have reportedly reached a tentative agreement, after the one week strike.

READ FULL STORY via 2012: CHICAGO TEACHERS STRIKE OVER; OR IS IT?.