Decluttering for Fun and Profit

Declutter. That's one of the first things your Realtor may tell you before listing your home for sale.

But if you -- like so many people -- have held on to those special issues of Ladies Home Journal from 1983, every piece of art your now-adult children created in Kindergarten and empty bags and boxes "just in case," you might wonder just where to start.

That's where the University of Illinois Extension Service comes to the rescue. They're offering a workshop on March 11 called, "Finding Sanity in Today's World: De-Cluttering Your Life."

The goal -- help area residents get rid of unnecessary paper and clutter. For more information, dial 618-650-7050 or check it out online. Pre-registration is requested by March 6.

Demographics: Who's Buying in Illinois?

I don't know about you, but I love to geek out on demographics, surveys, reports and all manner of information -- especially when it concerns real estate.

On tap today is a profile of homebuyers in Illinois, courtesy of the National Association of Realtors 2007 profile of home buyers and sellers.

So who's buying in our state? Here are the stats:

• The median age of homebuyers in the Land of Lincoln last year was 40. (Remember that "median" is the middle, meaning half were younger than 40 and half were older than 40.) For first-time buyers, the median age was 31.
  
• Married couples made up 58 percent of Illinois buyers. Single women were 21 percent and single men were just 10 percent of buyers. Eight percent of buyers were unmarried couples.


• First-time buyers bought 37 percent of the homes purchased in Illinois in 2007.


• The youngest homebuyers -- ages 18 to 24 -- used a social networking site (MySpace, Facebook, etc.) to cruise for homes.


• Eighty-three percent of all Illinois homebuyers used the Internet to begin their search for a home last year.


• The typical buyer looked for eight weeks and saw a median of 12 homes before making their decision.

Buy This House: Mid-Century Lustron Cottage in Edwardsville, IL

Here's one of my favorite homes currently on the market in Edwardsville, Illinois. I am looking for a buyer for this amazing and affordable property.

Are you a fan of Mid-Century style? Someone looking for a hip, retro home? A student of art, design or architecture? Or maybe you just don't want to live in the same kind of house that everyone else does.

Then let me show you this Lustron home near Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIU-E).

Call me at 618-791-8007 or send an e-mail to Nancy.Milton@ColdwellBanker.com to schedule a personal showing.

What's a Lustron home? After WWII, there was a housing shortage in America. Returning GIs needed an affordable place to begin raising their families. Enter the Lustron Company with a great idea for living spaces that could be easily mass produced. Unfortunately the company built just 2,500 of these all-steel homes before going into bankruptcy.

The exposed interior and exterior walls of Lustron homes were made from two-foot-square pieces of porcelain enameled steel. Inside sliding doors and cabinets were all steel as well. Lustron marketed their new homes as maintenance free for a modern lifestyle. Learn more from Old House Web.

Here are the details of the Lustron home for sale in Edwardsville: It's a two-bedroom, one bath cottage with just over 1,000 square feet of space. It has received Edwardsville's Historic Preservation Award. The home, which is listed for $102,000, is located on a quiet street close to downtown Edwardsville and SIU-E.

Call me at 618-791-8007 or send an e-mail to Nancy.Milton@ColdwellBanker.com and I will send you the complete listing information.

Help me find someone who will love this stylish and unique home as much as I do.

If You Can Smell It, You Can't Sell It

Hello, Mr. & Mrs. Seller. Did you know that Realtors have all kinds of fun and interesting sayings about their business? Today's lesson goes like this: "If you can smell it, you can't sell it."

Hmmm. That axiom conjures up all kinds of nasty scent memories, doesn't it? Animals, cigarettes, kids, mildew, dirty laundry, locker rooms.

In fact, scent is one of our most powerful senses. A whiff of pumpkin pie can take you back to your grandmother's kitchen. And a snoutfull of something less pleasant can transport you to places you don't even want to think about.

So, as a seller, how do you combat this odiferous issue?

Think "scent neutral." Your home, now that it is listed for sale, is a commodity. It should appeal to the broadest selection of potential buyers possible. That means the best smell is no smell at all.

Cover ups? Not a great idea, but if you do use some type of air freshener, subtlety is the key. A reed diffuser with a fresh note such as eucalyptus or lavender or grass might work best. My buyers often will ask me what's being covered up when they see a home filled with plug-ins and candles.

So, here are a few tips. First, ask your Realtor if your house has a scent issue and listen to what she says. After all, both of you want your home to sell. Try some trusted friends too. What do they smell when they come into your house? While you're on the market, lay off fixing fried foods and cooking with onions and garlic. Do the pets need a bath? If Eau de Damp Dog is the predominant perfume in your home, there might be a problem. If you're going to smoke, do it outside and pick up the butts. Take out the trash and clean the cat box daily.

A clean house smells like sweet nothing.

What Did It Sell For Today?

GLEN CARBON
2 Rose Court, $324,500

WORDEN
507 N. Shirley St. , $161,500

GODFREY
5220 Jerome, $152,000

MARINE
941 Country Pointe Lane, $266,500

Time Says It's TIME to Buy

As a followup to my earlier post about the current "buyer's market," take a gander at this article from Time magazine that examines the national real estate situation: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1713483,00.html

In short, Time's money guru, Dan Kadlec (who, incidentally started the short-lived St. Louis Sun newspaper back in the 90s) is suggesting that if you're waiting for the market to hit rock bottom, you may find your possible savings offset by higher interest rates if you wait any longer.

What Did It Sell For Today?

COLLINSVILLE
401 Willoughby Lane, $119,000

EDWARDSVILLE
609 Hillsboro, $93,000

ALTON
717 Grove, $78,900

WOOD RIVER
337 N. 2nd St., $52,000

Know Your Score -- For Free

Note to buyers: Did you know that you can get a free copy of your credit report once a year? Go to the official web site at http://www.annualcreditreport.com/, fill in the form and you'll get the word on your credit score from the three major credit reporting bureaus -- TransUnion, Experian and Equifax.

Why should you care? Because this score is a key factor that lenders will use in determining if you're eligible for a home loan and how much they will loan. Spotting any issues early in the process will allow you to begin to fix problems and get closer to the home you want.

MLS Inventory Confirms Buyers' Market

As I got up this morning and logged on to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), I checked out the available inventory. There are 5,039 residential properties available in the area right now. That's an amazing amount of choice, my friends. What are you waiting for?

When you hear members of the media talking about a "buyer's market," this is one of the chief factors -- abundant choice.

How do you narrow it down when faced with this paradise of properties? As a buyer, you should be making a list of the things you need in a new home and the things that would be nice to have. "Needs" might include the number of bedrooms. A screened-in porch would be an example of something "nice to have."

Give that list to your Realtor or ask her to help you develop the list. Then you'll be armed with the information you need to make a decision and move into that perfect new home.

Goshen Gourmet: Say Opa!

Quick, hide the china. Someone's about to set the cheese ablaze.

Just kidding about the broken plates -- an old Greek tradition -- but I'm completely serious about the flaming cheese.

Good local restaurants are a key element to the quality of life in any area. In Madison County the Goshen Gourmet and friends head to Fazzi's on IL-159 at Beltway in Collinsville when the craving for Greek food turns our thoughts to Ouzo, Saganaki (that's the firey fromage, pictures left after the flames have died down) and some of the best Moussaka east of Athens.

For your less adventurous companions, Fazzi's plates some terrific Italian and American specialties as well. Order the Greek Sampler for a little bit of everything from Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) to Spanikopita (Spinach Pie). Entrees large enough for two meals come with a tangy freshly-made Greek salad and garlic toast.

Tell them Nancy sent you.

What Did It Sell For Today?

I'll admit it. Before I became a Realtor, I was a Real Estate Voyeur. I couldn't wait for the weekly Suburban Journal and the Sunday Belleville News-Democrat to see which properties all over Madison County were selling and what the prices were.

If you're reading this, you're probably something of a Property Junkie yourself. So, consider this your quick and legal fix, courtesy of Nancy. From time to time throughout the week, I'll post a selection of today's Madison County closings so you can keep up with the local market when work gets boring or your insomnia kicks in. Enjoy.

ALTON
1717 Worden, $104,375

TROY
17 Wild Horse Court, $190,000

EDWARDSVILLE
477 Buena Vista, $127,000

GLEN CARBON
216 Somerset, $295,000

COLLINSVILLE
1008 Notting Hill Court
$185,000

GRANITE CITY
3301 Bluebird, $90,000

The Earth's Moving on Governors' Parkway

Edwardsville area residents are busy watching the progress on the extension to Governors' Parkway. The best spot to get a good look at the new stretch of east-west connector is on Troy Road between the Shop 'n' Save and Schnucks plazas. The 5.5-mile, three-lane road will link IL-157 to IL-143, west of I-55, when finished.

The section from Troy Road to District Drive is expected to open by August 2008 to coincide with the debut of the new Goshen Elementary School (K-2) at that location.