Blog on Bourbonnais

If you're home is listed on the MLS and has only a photo of the front of the home. (or better yet no photo at all!)  That can be compared to showing up to an Open House and finding the door is locked and you're not able to see the interior of the home.  How frustrating would that be!  I was talking to a representative from homes.com the other day and he made this point.  As we all know, potential homeowners are searching for homes on the Internet and they are expecting to see multiple photos so they can make an informed decision.  Many of the emails I receive are asking for more photos of a home they are interested in. 

Real Estate Agents- check your listings today and be sure all your photos are available for the 24/7 Virtual Open House that is taking place everyday on the internet. 

Brian Hoots @Speckman Realty, visit my website for all your real estate needs in the Bourbonnais, IL Area. 

and Visit blueharborvideo.com for more info on Real Estate Video Tours, Photo Services and FloorPlans. 

The seventh annual Polar Plunge took place Sunday at the beautiful "frozen" Lake Manteno.  The event raised $47,000 so far (hopes are it will top $50,000 all together) for Special Olympics and brought out over two hundred uniquely dressed participants determined to make the plunge.  Of course, because the lake is still frozen over, a backhoe was brought in to make a hole in the 16 inch thick ice.  Congrats to all those who took the plunge for charity. 

Check out a video, pictures and the full article.  

In the age of Cell Phones and text messaging, Email Alerts and Downloadable Ring Tones.  Here is a reminder that we should always think about using them safely while driving.

An Illinois government task force is looking into ways to combat "distracted driving" such as the use of cell phones and text messaging while driving. In 2006 according to IDOT officials, 1277 accidents were a result of "distracted driving" but that was down from 1382 accidents in 2005.

View the full article here.

Brian @ Speckman Realty serves homebuyers and sellers in the Bourbonnais IL Real Estate Market.  Visit www.brianhoots.com  for all your real estate needs.  

Here are the current conditions for the Real Estate Market in Kankakee County, IL for the Months of January and February 2008.

93 Residential homes sold in the first two months of the year. 

The selling price of the homes varied widely from $5,500 to $529,000.  The median price in Kankakee County for this time period is $126,584.

Currently there are 647 homes available in Kankakee County ranging in price from $9,900- $959,900.

Now is a great time to buy a home! Contact Brian @ Speckman Realty for all your real estate needs in Kankakee County including communities such as Bourbonnais, Bradley, Kankakee and Manteno, IL or start your home search today by visiting my website. 

Magicjack might be the answer!  Magicjack uses your Internet service to make and receive phone calls from a standard phone.  If you miss a call it also has voicemail, and it sends you an email if you receive a voicemail.  The first year is $39.95 which includes the Magicjack device that plugs into your USB computer port.  After that the service is $19.95 a year!  I have had the service for about a month now and have been very satisfied with the clarity of the calls and the overall performance.  Best of all it has a 30 day guarantee.  So why not try it out, you might enjoy it as much as I have.   

image from magicjack.com

We now have a place to let our voice be heard.   Our local newspaper The Daily Journal has come up with a great way to inform fellow citizens and possibly road crews of those potholes in the area roads.  Be sure to check it out and submit the local pothole(s) near you!  Maybe you will see our friendly road patching crews in a town near you.    Click here to Submit yours!

President Bush signed the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 (House Bill 5140) today.  The passage of this bill includes rebate checks of $600 to individuals and $1200 for couples and an extra $300 rebate per child.   The gross income limits for a couple is $150,000 and $75,000 for individuals to qualify for the rebate checks.  Over 128 million of us will receive the stimulus checks by the end of the summer.

Other items in the bill include incentives for businesses to invest in new equipment.  The stimulus package also allows for the maximum Federal Housing Authority (FHA)loan amount to be temporarily raised to $729,750 up from $417,000.   

The housing market in Kankakee County, IL is standing out in the face of a housing downturn that is affecting certain parts of the U.S.  According to stats taken from our local Multiple Listing Service for 2007, the median home price rose 5%.  Since 2003 the median home price rose 28%.   With more Homes to choose from and interest rates at a 3 year low, Now is a great time to buy a home.  Kankakee County which includes Bourbonnais, Bradley, Manteno, and Kankakee is growing with many new residential and commercial projects that are bringing jobs and more conveniences to our local economy.   

For all your real estate needs in the Kankakee County area, Contact Brian @ Speckman Realty.

Bourbonnais, IL a growing community about one hour south of Downtown Chicago.  Home to the Chicago Bears training camp on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University.  I am a lifelong resident of Kankakee county.  Let me show you around the area, it is a great place to live. 

For the Month of December 2007:

• 10 homes sold ranging in price $157,900 to $255,000
• The median price of the homes sold was $214,032
• 188 homes are currently on the market between $114,000 and $795,000

Real estate is and continues to be a good investment and now is a great time to buy.   If you are interested in buying or selling a home, contact me today.

Brian Hoots, Realtor and Certified EcoBroker @Speckman Realty serving all your real estate needs in Manteno, Bourbonnais, Bradley, Kankakee and the South Suburbs of Chicago, IL. http://www.brianhoots.com/

An informal poll, just curious to see if the polls on TV every night are correct.  Go ahead, AR voice your opinion on who you think will be the next President of the United States.

For all your real estate needs in the Bourbonnais, IL area, contact Brian Hoots @ Speckman Realty or visit www.bourbonnaishome.com