Real Estate Information Archive

2011 Annual Christmas Walk and House Tour

Bring in the season and take in some beautiful homes of Geneva. The Geneva House Tour will be Friday, December 2nd from 11am to 8pm, and Saturday December 3rd from 11am to 4pm. For $30 per person, make your way through 5 amazing Geneva homes which have been decked out for the holidays. Also included in the self guided tour is a decorating and entertaining ideas booklet and a traditional tea at  the Congregational Church in Geneva.

  The Traditional Geneva Christmas Walk begins December 2nd at 6pm. Santa Lucia and her attendants will arrive at 6pm by horse-drawn carriage and deliver Swedish cookies to everyone on the Courthouse Lawn as they sing Santa Lucia. Then, Santa will make his appearance to light the Great Tree and at 6:30pm, Santa will officially open his Gingerbread House for all those little ones who wish to see him. Enjoy the rest of the night dining in any of the Historic Geneva restaurants or walking the streets while sampling chestnuts being roasted on the street corners. There will be plenty of great shopping as well as horse-drawn carriage rides. You will get to enjoy the strolling carolers and  freshly made candy canes and hot cider. You won't want to miss it; your very own winter wonderland.

For more information on these great events, contact the Geneva Chamber at 630-232-6060, or visit their website at: http://www.genevachamber.com/christmaswalk.html

  Saturday, December 3rd, Take a trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express! You will see Santa, Mrs. Claus and even reindeer!!! That's not all, you will be able to make your very own toy with the elves in Santa's workshop too! There will be refreshments served as well. Make sure to make a reservation as space is limited. Trains will depart every 30 minutes, starting at 10:45am until 1:15pm,  from the Sunset Community Center in Geneva. You are welcome to stay at the North Pole, (Peck Farm in Geneva), as long as you want. When you are ready to return home, you can hop on the next available express back to Geneva. For Geneva residents, a family of two is $27. Each additional child is $11. Reservations can be made at the Geneva Park District at 630-232-4542.      

Have you ever received a phone call from Santa???

I can hardly imagine how exciting that would be. Now's your chance! Before December 2nd, register your child to receive their very own phone call from SANTA all the way from his workshop in the North Pole! Santa is very busy this time of year, but still has time to make your child's Christmas one they will never forget.  Santa will be making his phone calls on Tuesday, December 6th between 6pm and 7pm. There is no cost, so make sure to register before it's too late!!! Go to www.genevaparks.org and fill out the online registration form. 

Come on over to celebrate the season at the Geneva Library.

Friday, December 10th from 6pm to 8pm, bring the family and enjoy a FREE night out. There will be music, singing, crafts, refreshments and much more! Please remember to bring a canned or boxed food item to donate.

The Rullo Team wishes you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season in Geneva, Illinois!

For information on Geneva Real Estate, visit our website at www.TheRulloTeam.com .

Existing home sales edged up during the month of October, an encouraging sign for the national real estate market. Year-over-year numbers looked even more positive, and industry experts expect the remainder of 2011 to build substantial momentum for upcoming activity in 2012. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said that existing home sales jumped 1.4 percent from September to October, and the figures were 13.5 percent above the levels of October 2010. The Western region of the United States fared best as it saw these sales increase 4.4 percent. The Midwest was close behind as it posted gains of 2.8 percent for existing home sales. The NAR also reported that existing home sales could have been higher for October. A high number of contracts fell through due in part to appraised prices ending up lower than negotiated prices, which results in a loan failing to come to fruition. Analysts will pay close attention to November numbers to see whether or not the real estate market holds firm and continues its forward progress as 2011 comes to a close. Either way, affordability is extremely high right now, and smart buyers are taking advantage of great prices. If you are interested in buying a home in the Saint Charles, Geneva, Batavia, or surrounding areas, call the Rullo Team at 888-457-8005.

As the real estate market becomes more competitive, those that plan to sell their homes in the near future need to make sure that the money they invest in a home remodel is recovered as best as possible during the sale. Here are three ways to ensure your Saint Charles home remodel pays off:

1. Necessary home repairs bring in the biggest returns. Added amenities are always nice, but necessary home repairs such as fixing a leaky roof should be the first on your home remodeling list. Many buyers won't even consider properties that have issues such as these, and attempting to hide such issues can come back to haunt home sellers.
2. Remodeling your home is a better investment than adding onto your home. These days, it's all about quality over quantity, so remodeling a space rather than adding an additional space will keep your costs lower and warrant a high return when you sell your home.
3. Add technology infrastructure to your home during any remodel. Having the necessary ports and switches is much more valuable than installing an expensive home theater that is sure to be outdated over the next year.

Geneva temperatures are dropping, and we're not too far away from truly freezing temperatures. So how does one save money on heating costs this Winter? Money Crashers offers several tips to help you save money on energy costs in your Geneva home; here are our three favorites:

1. Add insulation to your attic. This may sound simple (and it is), but it can help you save up to 20 percent on your home's heating costs during the Winter. Anyone can tackle this project as essentially no skills are required for the job. The insulation is cheap, too.
2. A programmable thermostat helps you manage the temperature in your home. Without any action on your part, you can ensure that your home is warm enough during the day and that the heat does not kick on at night when everyone is under the covers.
3. Insulate your water heater to heat your water more efficiently. This yet another simple project with big results; you can up to 10 percent on costs involved with heating your water.

Homeowner's insurance is usually required of all homeowners by lenders, but many individuals do not know specifics about the coverage before buying their first home. It can get quite complicated, but we will go over the general details in order to better educate potential home buyers in the Chicago Metro area. Homeowner's insurance is a multiple-line insurance, meaning that it includes coverage for both property and liability. The expense involved for the coverage depends on the cost of replacement for the home and additional items to be insured. The policy is a lengthy contract that goes over everything that is and is not covered. Keep in mind that floods and earthquakes are not covered by what is referred to as the standard HO-3 policy. You may want to look into these types of coverage to make sure you home is properly covered in these events. Another exclusion to note: law or ordinance changes. You are responsible for the difference in costs if updated building codes require you to spend more money on a job than what it would have cost for simple replacement. For more information about Homeowner's Insurance when buying a home in Chicago Metro, call the Rullo Team at 888-457-8005.

Beyond the sentimental reasoning, there are a couple of tax-related benefits that push many to buy their own home in Geneva. Coupled with low home prices, these benefits make owning a home much more logical than renting. Here are the three ways you can take advantage of tax incentives throughout home ownership:

1. When you buy a home, the IRS allows you to deduct closing costs even if you did not pay for them. You can also deduct daily interest accrued between the date of closing and the end of the month unless you close of the first of the month.
2. You can deduct interest paid on your mortgage from your taxes every year, and this is especially helpful at the beginning of a loan when most of your payments go toward mortgage interest. You are also allowed to deduct interest paid on other mortgage debt up to $100,000; this is referred to as the Home Equity Loan exception.
3. If you and your spouse have occupied your Geneva home for at least two of the past five years, you pay no interest on the sale of your home up to $500,000 ($250,000 if you are single). You can take advantage of this tax benefit every two years as many times as you like.

Curb appeal is known as the amount of appeal your home has from the outside. When you list your home for sale in the Saint Charles, Illinois real estate market, curb appeal is very important when it comes to selling your house fast and at a great price. Here are some great curb appeal tips that Saint Charles homeowners can use this Fall:

• Fall foliage looks great, but that does not mean you can slack on your yard-keeping duties. Make sure you rake leaves often in order to spruce up your lawn.
• Add Fall flowers in order to make color a big player in the overall look of your lawn.
• Highlight your home's front door with something as simple as a Fall wreath. It's the little things that often push a potential buyer over the edge.
• If you plan to list your Saint Charles home this Fall, pressure wash the exterior and clean the windows. Apply a fresh coat of paint for any areas where paint is chipped or worn down.

Did you know, that it is Daylight Saving Time and not SavingS Time? Common mistake, but that’s not how it is. Though, however it is said, I sure do love getting my hour of sleep back at the end!!!

  This Sunday, November 6^th, is the end of Daylight Saving Time 2011. We will all be switching our clocks back at 2am. Or, if you prefer to get some sleep, we will be switching them back Saturday night before bed… Surprising enough, there are a few places in the United States that do not participate in Daylight Saving Time. Places like Arizona and Hawaii do not worry about changing their clocks at all. Although, the Navajo Indians in Arizona do in fact observe the time changes. Also, the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands do not change their clocks either. In the United States, Daylight Saving Time used to begin the first Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October. Though, after the Energy Act of 2005, that all changed. Beginning in 2007, daylight saving was extended. It now starts 2-3 weeks earlier and ends about a week later than before. Daylight Saving Time now starts in Spring on the second Sunday of March when we “Spring Ahead” and ends in Fall on the first Sunday of November, when we “Fall Back”. George Vernon Hudson first proposed what we now know as Daylight Saving Time in 1895. The effects of Daylight Saving Time have been controversial as far as if it makes a difference in safety, health and energy use. However, the 2005 Energy Policy Act was designed to save power. Though there have not been any conclusive studies done that show a decrease in energy consumption. In the end, it all boils down to the fact that the only actual effect it has, is changing people’s sleep and wake patterns… Here is a fun video by CGPGrey with more interesting  information about Daylight Saving Time. http://youtu.be/84aWtseb2-4

For information on local real estate, visit our website at www.TheRulloTeam.com.

Many Metro Chicago home buyers ask us what the difference is between getting pre-approved for a loan and getting approved for a loan. Although parts of the processes are similar, they are distinct and occur at the opposite ends of the home buying spectrum In order to be pre-approved for a home loan, you must first meet with a loan officer who reviews your credit files. Based on the information in the files, the loan officer believes that you can readily qualify for a specific loan amount under one of more loan programs. That person then fills out a pre-approval letter, which buyers use to demonstrate their buying power. Getting approved for a loan takes place after an offer is accepted and the buyer needs to pay the seller. The process is much the same as getting pre-approved, except instead of being given a letter, you move on with the process of obtaining the loan money. It is best to get pre-approved for a loan on a Metro Chicago home so that sellers know you are serious about the process. You can also know how much buying power you have and use it to your advantage during the house hunt. Even better - once you find the right home, you should already know all of the details for the loans you will receive. Call The Rullo Team at 888-457-8005 to learn more about what you need to do before looking for a Metro Chicago home.

Sunday, December 4^th is Geneva’s Third Annual Steeple Walk! From 2 to 4:30pm the Geneva Cultural Arts Commission will sponsor the musical concerts at four area churches.

  Guides will walk groups to hear the Geneva High School Jazz Choir at the Lutheran Church on Third Street; the Chamber Orchestra from Larkin High School Visual & Performing Arts Academy at the United Methodist Church on Hamilton and Second Streets; the Kristin McFadden Trio at the First Church of Christ Science on Second and James Streets and finally the Misty River Music Makers at the Unitarian Universalism Society of Geneva on Second Street.  Tickets are $12.00 and can be purchased at the churches and the Geneva History Center.   For information on local real estate, please visit our website at www.TheRulloTeam.com.