Christian Real Estate Professionals : Illinois

Record low mortgage interest rates and even more
affordable home prices contributed to helping
purchasers of Chicago-land real estate in September, although the Illinois housing market remains restrained after the home buyer tax credit ended. Stable and robust signals from the economy are needed in the areas of employment still, which will result in improved consumer confidence.

According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS® latest announcement, statewide total home sales (which include single-family and condominiums) in September 2010 was just over 8,000, which was down about 5 percent from August’s approximately 8,400 home sales; year-over-year for the month of September home sales are down around 23 percent compared to September 2009 where sales of approximately 10,400 homes changed hands.

Year-to-date sales remain sound, almost 5 percent higher January through September 2010 with almost 82,000 home sales compared to just under 78,000 home sales for the same time period in 2009.

Year-to-date, the Illinois single-family median home sales price increased almost 2 percent to $149,900 compared to $147,400 for the same period in 2009. So...... that market statistic should tell you something... it looks like the bottom has been found and things are turning back into positive territory appreciation wise for single family homes in this state.

“Distressed properties are driving sales, putting pressure on the overall median price of homes sold in today’s market. A positive indicator that our market is moving as it should can be seen with a steady pace of units sold and existing inventory being absorbed,” said Mabel Guzman, president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS®. “With condo sales in the city of Chicago up over 11 percent year-to-date from the same period in 2009, we see an expansion of choices for potential buyers to jump in the market now and find great value for homes they may have not otherwise been able to afford.”

If you want to see tens of thousands of homes for sale in the Chicago area, just click on these links on the price range and type of home you want. Then The Knights Team will help you get the home you want at the price you can afford. All agents we work with are top producers in Chicago and they will listen to your needs and do great things for you.

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 150,000 to 200,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 100,000 to 150,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 50,000 to 100,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 50,000 or less!!

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of Homes for sale for less than $50,000 ~~ FORECLOSURES!

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of Homes for sale for $50,000 to $100,000 ~~ FORCLOSURES!

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of Homes for sale for $100,000 to $150,000 ~~ FORCLOSURES!

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 200,000 to 250,000 ~~~ FORCLOSURES !

Hello everyone.....

I have been gone for this past week because the home I am living
in got sideswiped by a tornado!!!

Part of the backyard fence is gone in one section, and a tree fell
from the next door neighboirs yard and destroyed fencing in the
back of the garage in another section.

A LOT of trees in the city got either uprooted, or LARGE branches got torn
off and THROWN many feet across the roads and onto roofs of
other homes.

Thank the Lord our Creator, our home did not get hit at all !!!

I do not have batterys for my camarera, or I would have pictures
of this.

Here is a picture of part of what happened in Matteson, IL. from one of the neighbors on that fateful day. Please remember, this is just ONE tree that got stripped you
see in the picture. There were MANY more.

The whole area was without power for 2 days and most of the refridgrated food went bad. Thank goodness most of my food was frozen or dry, so I did not suffer too much that way.

I will resume the Sabbath Gleanings this week.... (SHHhhh...
I KNOW the last post was horrible, don't remind me....hehehe)

I am looking forward to seeing my brothers and sisters again
in AR.

God is good... NO ONE got hurt in the tornado incident and no
pets were lost either.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
 and he brought them out of their distress.

 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
 the waves of the sea were hushed.

 They were glad when it grew calm,
 and he guided them to their desired haven.

Psalm 107

 Thanks to:  holgaguy ,   Ms.Elmar ,
and www.flickr.com for the great pictures!

On a recent listing/property management appointment, a peculiar scent hit my nostrils upon entering the home.  This was the second visit at this home with the first one completed weeks before.  I came prepared to take the photographs needed to activate the virtual tour on our website.  The outdoor air was clear and crisp after a previous snowfall which aided to my keenness and sensitivity of smell.

The warm greeting by the owners who were in expectation of getting the home marketed, helped me to know they were ready to start the proceedings after having been given months to ponder their decision.  Me?  I looked forward to the challenge, for this particular home was full of charm, in excellent shape, and showed pride in ownership!

UH OH!!!  Once again, my faithful olfactory organ sent up an unmistakable siren to my brain!  Without missing a beat, and moving full speed ahead, my question after the polite greetings were over was.... "Mr. & Mrs. Client, do you smell gas?"

They had not!  I proceeded to the oven, checking the positions of the knobs, and pried answers from them with my multiple other questions.  With assurance, they escorted me to the fireplace, allowing my sniff test to go into action.  Being responsible, they have annual inspections performed, and have preventative maintenance service plans in place.

No longer displaying my cool demeanor, and not convinced of their absolute safety, i suggested they call Ni-Cor Gas Company.... immediately!  A representative did come, analyzed pertinent areas, and did find leakage, though small.  Grateful were the owners! 

Being "NOSEY" can save lives!

"Where the RIGHT Price is the RICE Price!"

Rice Property Management & Realty, located in South Holland, Illinois, does residential and commercial Property Management in Indiana & Illinois.

I braced myself in preparation to hear the critics who usually profess a staunch outcry against Nations like Haiti.  The negative reasoning given for it's impoverishment is usually numerous, and verbal attacks from the "civilized world" against the Country has been relentless in the past.  Positioned to partake of this bashing WITH the Haitians, i crouched in humility, ready to suffer accusations alongside my distant ancestral race of people.

Accustomed to this battering, i steadied myself to withstand again, attempting to brave this latest barrage, disguising any show of excessive flinching, for i have been conditioned throughout the years to overcome these types of pronouncements of doom by any denigrators.  This earthquake would serve as  another occasion to bear the reproach of our forefathers.   

To my bewilderment, as i scanned the reporting media, i began to sense the softening of hearts and heard merciful words of acceptance from the same lips that formerly cursed these indigenous people with whom i share my roots!  Testing the waters, i peered out from under my invisible cloak of shame in time to witness a taste of kindness from genuinely caring people!

(Picture courtesy of Sheree Mick Henry)

It was at this moment in infinity that i beheld people of all races, creeds, cultures, and backgrounds merging together as one for the cause of humanity.  There was charity in the atmosphere, as defamers of President Obama let go of stones, and the right and left wings united in harmony for the urgency at hand.  Assault weapons were abandoned as enforcers of Pro Choice and fans of Pro Life life clenched hands in truces to Choose Life!  Democrats and Republicans united on one accord, and differences in beliefs were put to rest!  A MIRACLE WAS IN THE MAKING! Forgiveness abounded! Racism Abated! Love Prevailed!

Could this be the beginning of peace amongst us... OR will we revert back to our separate corners of the ring in our resolve to take up where we left off.... once this crisis is out of danger??

Today, January 18, 2010, many in American and  some across the globe have taken time to reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's service to mankind.   While we are in remembrance, we have the power to KEEP HIS DREAM ALIVE by continuing in the work we have wrought together in turning our hearts toward Haiti.

(Image courtesy of Bing)

The rich and the poor meet together, the LORD is the maker of them all  Proverbs 22:2

© Copyright 2010 Diane Rice - All Rights Reserved

Blame points a finger, finds fault, and searches to criticize someone or something for having differing methods or ideas.  The one doing the blaming usually has no mercy toward the accused. 

And, just WHO is to BLAME? 

• The President we y'all elected - it's HIS fault!
  
• NO - It was the PAST president's fault!
  
• The Republicans - THEY are the ones! (Just ask the Democrats)                        
  
• NOPE!  It was the Democrats! (Just ask the Republicans)                       
  
• Wall Street - It's their fault!  Nah! - Main Street!
  
• Sub-Prime Mortgages - those greedy lenders are responsible!
• Those REALTORS®!  They are to blame!  Nope - It's the down market! 
  
• The government!  The Weather!  The rich! The poor!  Your Mama!  Your Daddy!
  
• The serpent - "It was him" said the woman.... he's tricky!
  
• NO!  Adam said, it was the WOMAN given me by GOD!! <---- hmmmm It's HIS fault??
  

From the beginning of creation there was BLAME. Today there is plenty to select from... choose one!  2010 will be here in a few hours.  Just WHO will we blame for something in the new year?  It's OUR choice!  We can continue to point the finger, OR we can CHOOSE not to!  No matter what we face, life will always have challenges.  That's what LIFE gives... tribulation!  It's a promise!  Spending time blaming instead of getting on with our purposes is not the better way.  Some things we cannot change.  GOD Himself is not raising His own finger to make corrections of some or of things taking place in the earth  .... so WHY is mere man attempting that job?  Do WE know more than HIM?

Never has God NOT fulfilled His Word which says..... ALL THINGS work together for our good!  Interpretation:  GOOD will come out of every situation regardless to HOW it looks presently!  No need to fault find and judge a brother, sister, or these times!  RELAX!  Let's get back to our short tenure here on earth before bitter nagging takes us out prematurely!  Will we overlook a transgression of another and trust God to do His job.... or are we perfect?  Will we remain grateful if our lifestyles are altered a bit?  Can we adapt and make the best of new changes, or will we continue to protest inwardly like an immature spoiled brat who has to have it our own specific way right now?  

Let's look at  B L A M E from another angle - a very simple way to remember:

B L A M E =  B   LAME  (Be Lame)
Being lame (being crippled) - Means we have crippled (limited) ourselves from getting to our destinies by becoming dependent upon what someone else has said or done. We have become blindsided, stuck, and impotent.  Our focus...  is on another instead of on OUR purposes.  We are lame.

B L A M E =  BLA   ME  (Blah me)

Blah  me - This is when we have become all talk, and NO action...  like a busybody spreading opinions our minds are stuck on.  Our life is on hold!  All that comes out is blah blah blah - We have no credibility and NO ONE wants to hear this worthless talk- except for the immature stuck there too! 

B L A M E - This is NOT something we want to bring into 2010 is it?   What if The Savior said, "Hold up... it's NOT MY fault, YOU are the one to BLAME dude!!  Let ME get off this cross right now, you ungrateful sinners!!  Just LOOK at how y'all are acting!  Didn't I just restore your sight a few hours ago?  And what about you?  You couldn't even walk!  Many of you would have starved if I had not fed you in the wilderness!!"

B L A M E - We cannot afford to use it!  Let us resolve to get rid of that weight, and the sin that easily besets us, and let us run with patience, the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus....

Rice Property Management & Realty, LLC Servicing South Suburban Illinois & Northwest Indiana communities, and can be reached online at: www.862RICE.com  Phone: 708-862-RICE (7423)

Here is another of my "Interactive Map of Homes for
Sale in the Chicago area".

These homes are ALL in foreclosure with asking price
ranged from $150,000 to $200,000.

Can you imagine how much a DEAL some of these
homes are?

Just from a buyers perspective, some of these homes
would be like stealing candy at a convenient store.

Please remember this:

MOST of these homes were worth MORE than TWICE their asking
prices 3-5 years ago.

There are literally HUNDREDS of homes on this interactive map for
the choosing!! If you have any questions about a particular property,
just e-mail us or give us a call and we will get all the infomation we
can to help you make an informed decision about the real estate
you are curious about.

We at the Knights Team Referral Group invite all owners,
buyers, sellers, and investors of
Chicago, Illinois and Indiana homes for sale or rent, to search these
real estate webpages below for all your needs.

These are all interactive maps on our webpages for you to use !!

Here are the other links in my series of my other interactive maps
of Chicago homes for sale. Just click on the price range and condition
of the properties you are interested in.

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 150,000 to 200,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 100,000 to 150,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 50,000 to 100,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 50,000 or less!!

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of Homes for sale for less than $50,000 ~~ FORECLOSURES!

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of Homes for sale for $50,000 to $100,000 ~~ FORCLOSURES!

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of Homes for sale for $100,000 to $150,000 ~~ FORCLOSURES!

Come and see us at the Knights Team Referral Group for
all your Chicago area real estate. We will find agents that will listen to YOUR needs.

• Investing
• Residential
• Commercial
• Vacant land

When you are looking for more information on any of these
properties, just e-mail us or call us.

Here is another interactive map of homes for sale in the Chicago
area priced at $100,000 to $150,000. All these homes on this map
are in foreclosure and there are great deals out there. If you are
looking for a GREAT deal on a home, let The Knights Team Referral
Group help you all the way from beginning to end.

If you are wanting to invest in property and are not afraid
of putting in some seat equity, there are homes out there
that will yield large profits upon selling, after renovation.

We also have a group of investors that we can market your home
to after you are done with fixing it up inside. OR maybe you want
to just hold onto the home after you have renovated it. We can find
good tenants for your home.

Give us a call or e-mail us... we will be happy to help you.

View Larger Map

Here are the other links in my series of my other interactive maps
of Chicago homes for sale. Just click on the price range you are
interested in.

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 150,000 to 200,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 100,000 to 150,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 50,000 to 100,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 50,000 or less!!

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of Homes for sale for less than $50,000 ~~ FORECLOSURES!

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of Homes for sale for $50,000 to $100,000 ~~ FORCLOSURES!

Here is interactive map number 6 of homes for sale in
the Chicago area.

This map is for homes priced between $50,000 and $100,000.

Every single one of the homes in this map are in foreclosure.
You can get a GREAT deal and help someone get out from
under a great financial burden.

If you are an investor and you are looking for a steal of a deal,
this map will help you see what is out there.

Come and see us at The Knights Team Referral Group for
all your real estate needs.

• Investing
• Residential
• Commercial
• Vacant land

When you are looking for more information on any of these
properties, just e-mail us or call us.

Here are the other links in my series of my other interactive maps
of Chicago homes for sale. Just click on the price range you are
interested in.

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 150,000 to 200,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 100,000 to 150,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 50,000 to 100,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 50,000 or less!!

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of Homes for sale for less than $50,000 ~~ FORECLOSURES!

Oh my goodness........... this is my 5th map in my series of homes
for sale in the Chicago area.

This interactive map is for homes priced less than $50,000 that
are in foreclosure.

If you are an investor and you are looking for a steal of a deal,
this map will help you see what is out there.

Come and see us at The Knights Team Referral Group for
all your real estate needs.

• Investing
• Residential
• Commercial
• Vacant land

When you are looking for more information on any of these
properties, just e-mail us or call us.

Here are the other links in my series of my other interactive maps
of Chicago homes for sale. Just click on the price range you are
interested in.

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 150,000 to 200,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 100,000 to 150,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 50,000 to 100,000 !

~~~ Interactive Chicago map of homes for sale 50,000 or less!!