Property Search

Welcome to the Cook County Assessor's Virtual Office Cook County Assessor's Office: Property Search Please select from the following search types: Search by Property Index Number and Property Class: PIN: - - - - Choose Residential Class --> 2-02: One Story Residence, Any Age, up to 999 Sq. Ft. 2-03: One Story Residence, Any Age, 1,000 to 1,800 Sq. Ft. 2-04: One Story Residence, Any Age, 1,801 Sq Ft. and Over 2-05: Two or More Story Residence, Over 62 Years, up to 2,200 Sq. Ft. 2-06: Two or More Story Residence, Over 62 Years, 2,201 to 4,999 Sq. Ft. 2-07: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, up to 2,000 Ft. 2-08: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, 3,801 to 4,999 Sq. Ft. 2-09: Two or More Story Residence, Any Age, 5,000 Sq. Ft. & Over 2-10: Old Style Row House, Over 62 Years 2-11: Two to Six Apartments, Any Age 2-12: Two to Six Apartments, Up to 62 Years 2-21: Corner Store, Office with Apartments Above Six Units or Less and Building Square Foot Less Than 20,000 2-34: Split Level Residence with Lower Level Below Grade, All Ages, All Sizes 2-78: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, 2,001 to 3,800 Sq. Ft 2-95: Individually Owned Row Houses or Townhouses, Up to 62 Years 2-99: Residential Condominium OR Choose Non-Residential Class --> 0-00: Exempt 1-00: Vacant Land 1-90: Other minor improvement which does not add value 2-00: Residential land 2-01: Residential garage 2-13: Cooperatives (must have cdu of co) 2-24: Farm buildings 2-25: Qualified single room occupancy improvements (must have cdu of sr) 2-36: Any residence located on a parcel used primarily for industrial or commercial use 2-39: Farm land under use-value pricing 2-40: Farm land under market pricing 2-41: Vacant land under common ownership with adjacent residence 2-88: Home improvement exemption 2-90: Other minor improvements 2-94: Rented modern row houses or townhouses with less than seven units 2-97: Special residential improvements 3-00: Land Used in Conjunction with Rental Apartments 3-01: Garage used in conjunction with rental apartments 3-13: 2 or 3 story building, 7 or more units, sgl. devel., one or more contig. parcels, in common ownership 3-14: Two or three story non-frprf. crt. and corridor apts or california type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 3-15: Two or three story non-fireproof corridor apartments,or california type apartments, interior entrance 3-18: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-19: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-20: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-21: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-90: Other minor improvements 3-91: Apartment buildings over three stories 3-96: Rented mdrn row houses, 7 or more units in a single develop. or 1 or more contig. parcels in cmn. ownshp. 3-97: Special rental improvements 3-99: Rental condo units in a sngl. dvlp. of 1 or more contig. parcels w 7 or more rental units, comn ownshp 4-00: Not for profit land 4-01: Not for profit garage 4-13: Not for prof. 2 or 3 stry bldg., 7 or more units, sng develop., 1 or more contig. parcels, in comn ownshp 4-14: Not for prof. 2 or 3 stry non-frprf crt and corridor apts or ca. type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 4-15: Not for prof 2 or 3 stry non-frprf corridor apts, or ca. type apts, inter. entrance 4-16: Not for profit non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 4-17: Not for profit One story store 4-18: Not for profit Two or three story frame stores, with apartments above 4-19: Not for profit Two or three story old style store, with apartments above 4-20: Not for profit Two or three story modern inside store with apartment above 4-21: Not for profit corner store, office with apartment above 4-22: Not for profit One story non-fireproof public garage 4-23: Not for profit gasoline station 4-26: Not for profit commercial greenhouse 4-27: Not for profit theatres 4-28: Not for profit bank buildings 4-29: Not for profit motels 4-30: Not for profit supermarket 4-31: Not for profit shopping center 4-32: Not for profit bowling alley 4-33: Not for profit quonset huts and butler type buildings 4-35: Not for profit golf course improvement 4-80: Not for profit other industrial improvements 4-83: Not for profit industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 4-87: Not for profit special industrial improvements 4-89: Not for profit industrial condominium units 4-90: Not for profit other minor improvements 4-91: Not for profit improvement over three stories 4-92: Not for profit Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 4-93: Not for profit industrial 4-96: Not for profit rent mdrn row houses, 7 or more units a sing dvlp or 1 or more contig prcls in comn ownshp 4-97: Not for profit special improvement 4-99: Not for profit condominium 5-00: Commercial land 5-01: Garage used in conjunction with commercial improvements 5-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 5-17: One story store 5-22: One story non-fireproof public garage 5-23: Gasoline station 5-26: Commercial greenhouse 5-27: Theatres 5-28: Bank buildings 5-29: Motels 5-30: Supermarket 5-31: Shopping center 5-32: Bowling alley 5-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 5-35: Golf course 5-50: Industrial land 5-80: Other industrial minor improvements 5-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial improvements 5-83: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 5-87: Special industrial improvements 5-89: Industrial condominium units 5-90: Commercial minor improvements 5-91: Commercial buildings over three stories 5-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 5-93: Industrial 5-97: Special commercial improvements 5-99: Commercial condominium units 6-37: Industrial brownfield land 6-38: Industrial brownfield 6-50: Industrial land 6-51: Industrial land 6-54: Other industrial brownfield minor improvements 6-55: Garage used in conjunction with industrial brownfield incentive improvements 6-63: Industrial 6-66: Industrial brownfield quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-68: Special improvements 6-69: Industrial brownfield condominium units 6-70: Other industrial minor improvements 6-71: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 6-73: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-77: Special improvements 6-79: Industrial condominium units 6-80: Other industrial minor improvements 6-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 6-83: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-87: Special industrial improvements 6-89: Industrial condominium units 6-93: Industrial 7-00: Commercial incentive land 7-01: Garage used in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 7-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 7-17: One story retail, restaurant, or banquet hall, medical building, miscellaneous commercial use 7-22: Garage, public/service 7-23: Gasoline station, with/without bays, store 7-26: Commercial greenhouse 7-27: Theatres 7-28: Bank buildings 7-29: Motels 7-30: Supermarket 7-31: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 7-32: Bowling alley 7-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 7-35: Golf course 7-42: Commercial incentive land 7-43: Garage used in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 7-45: Golf course 7-46: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 7-47: One story retail, rstrnt, or bnqt hall, med. blding, miscellaneous commercial use 7-48: Motels 7-52: Garage, public/service 7-53: Gasoline station, with/without bays, store 7-56: Commercial greenhouse 7-57: Theatres 7-58: Bank buildings 7-60: Supermarket 7-61: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 7-62: Bowling alley 7-64: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 7-65: Other minor improvements 7-67: Facilities (tennis, rqtball, hlth club), (nursing, retirement home), auto. dlrshp, comm. structure 7-72: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 7-74: office building (One story, low rise, mid rise, high rise) 7-90: Other minor improvements 7-91: Office building (one story, low rise, mid rise, high rise) 7-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 7-97: Facilities (tennis, rqtbll, hlth club), (nursing, rtrmnt home), auto dlrshp, comm. structure 7-98: Commercial/industrial-condominium units/garage 7-99: Commercial/industrial-condominium units/garage 8-01: Garage in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 8-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 8-17: One story retail, restaurant, (banquet hall, fast food), medical, miscellaneous commercial use 8-22: Garage (public/service) 8-23: Gasoline station with/without bay, store 8-26: Commercial greenhouse 8-27: Theatres 8-28: Bank building 8-29: Motels 8-30: Supermarket 8-31: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 8-32: Bowling alley 8-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 8-35: Golf course 8-50: Industrial incentive land 8-80: Other industrial minor improvements 8-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 8-83: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 8-87: Special industrial improvements 8-89: Industrial condominium units 8-90: Other minor improvements 8-91: Office building, (One story, low rise, midrise, high rise) 8-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 8-93: Industrial buildings 8-97: Facilities, (tennis, rqtball, hlth club), (nursing, retirement home), auto. dlrshp, misc. comm. structure 8-99: Commercial/industrial condominium units/Garage 9-00: Land used in conjunction with incentive rental apartments 9-01: Garage used in conjunction with incentive rental apartments 9-13: 2 or 3 story bldng, 7 or more units, sngle devel., 1 or more contig. parcels, in common ownership 9-14: 2 or 3 story non-freprf crt and corridor apts or california type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 9-15: 2 or 3 story non-frprf corridor apts, or california type apts, interior entrance 9-18: 2 or 3 story frame stores, with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-19: 2 or 3 story old style store, with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-20: 2 or 3 story modern inside store with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-21: Corner store, office with apartments above (must be split coded with another class) 9-59: Rental condo unts in a sing. dvlp. of 1 or more contiprcls w/ 7 or more rent units, commn ownrshp 9-90: Other minor improvements 9-91: Apartment buildings over three stories 9-96: Rental mdrn row houses, 7 or more unts in a sing. dvlpment or 1 or more contig. prcls in comm. ownrshp 9-97: Special rental improvements Enter Permanent Index Number (P.I.N.)Search by entering your 14 digit Property Index Number PIN in the corresponding boxes in the Search by Property Index Number function. Your PIN can be found on your Notice of Proposed Assessed Valuation, or on your tax bill. The first 2 digits should be entered into the first box, the second 2 in the second box, 3 digits in each of the third and fourth boxes, and the remaining 4 digits in the last box. Once you have entered your PIN, click once on the Search button. This will bring up a page with your desired PIN, corresponding address, class code, neighborhood, assessed value, and city. View Instructions Close Instructions Search by Address : House Number (from): (to:) Direction: Street: Note: For more accurate results, do NOT include labels such as St., Ave. Dr.,etc. City: Property Class: (optional) Choose Residential Class --> 2-02: One Story Residence, Any Age, up to 999 Sq. Ft. 2-03: One Story Residence, Any Age, 1,000 to 1,800 Sq. Ft. 2-04: One Story Residence, Any Age, 1,801 Sq Ft. and Over 2-05: Two or More Story Residence, Over 62 Years, up to 2,200 Sq. Ft. 2-06: Two or More Story Residence, Over 62 Years, 2,201 to 4,999 Sq. Ft. 2-07: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, up to 2,000 Ft. 2-08: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, 3,801 to 4,999 Sq. Ft. 2-09: Two or More Story Residence, Any Age, 5,000 Sq. Ft. & Over 2-10: Old Style Row House, Over 62 Years 2-11: Two to Six Apartments, Any Age 2-12: Two to Six Apartments, Up to 62 Years 2-21: Corner Store, Office with Apartments Above Six Units or Less and Building Square Foot Less Than 20,000 2-34: Split Level Residence with Lower Level Below Grade, All Ages, All Sizes 2-78: Two or More Story Residence, Up to 62 Years, 2,001 to 3,800 Sq. Ft 2-95: Individually Owned Row Houses or Townhouses, Up to 62 Years 2-99: Residential Condominium OR Choose Non-Residential Class --> 0-00: Exempt 1-00: Vacant Land 1-90: Other minor improvement which does not add value 2-00: Residential land 2-01: Residential garage 2-13: Cooperatives (must have cdu of co) 2-24: Farm buildings 2-25: Qualified single room occupancy improvements (must have cdu of sr) 2-36: Any residence located on a parcel used primarily for industrial or commercial use 2-39: Farm land under use-value pricing 2-40: Farm land under market pricing 2-41: Vacant land under common ownership with adjacent residence 2-88: Home improvement exemption 2-90: Other minor improvements 2-94: Rented modern row houses or townhouses with less than seven units 2-97: Special residential improvements 3-00: Land Used in Conjunction with Rental Apartments 3-01: Garage used in conjunction with rental apartments 3-13: 2 or 3 story building, 7 or more units, sgl. devel., one or more contig. parcels, in common ownership 3-14: Two or three story non-frprf. crt. and corridor apts or california type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 3-15: Two or three story non-fireproof corridor apartments,or california type apartments, interior entrance 3-18: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-19: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-20: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-21: Mixed use commercial/residential with apts. above seven units or more or building sq. ft. over 20,000 3-90: Other minor improvements 3-91: Apartment buildings over three stories 3-96: Rented mdrn row houses, 7 or more units in a single develop. or 1 or more contig. parcels in cmn. ownshp. 3-97: Special rental improvements 3-99: Rental condo units in a sngl. dvlp. of 1 or more contig. parcels w 7 or more rental units, comn ownshp 4-00: Not for profit land 4-01: Not for profit garage 4-13: Not for prof. 2 or 3 stry bldg., 7 or more units, sng develop., 1 or more contig. parcels, in comn ownshp 4-14: Not for prof. 2 or 3 stry non-frprf crt and corridor apts or ca. type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 4-15: Not for prof 2 or 3 stry non-frprf corridor apts, or ca. type apts, inter. entrance 4-16: Not for profit non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 4-17: Not for profit One story store 4-18: Not for profit Two or three story frame stores, with apartments above 4-19: Not for profit Two or three story old style store, with apartments above 4-20: Not for profit Two or three story modern inside store with apartment above 4-21: Not for profit corner store, office with apartment above 4-22: Not for profit One story non-fireproof public garage 4-23: Not for profit gasoline station 4-26: Not for profit commercial greenhouse 4-27: Not for profit theatres 4-28: Not for profit bank buildings 4-29: Not for profit motels 4-30: Not for profit supermarket 4-31: Not for profit shopping center 4-32: Not for profit bowling alley 4-33: Not for profit quonset huts and butler type buildings 4-35: Not for profit golf course improvement 4-80: Not for profit other industrial improvements 4-83: Not for profit industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 4-87: Not for profit special industrial improvements 4-89: Not for profit industrial condominium units 4-90: Not for profit other minor improvements 4-91: Not for profit improvement over three stories 4-92: Not for profit Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 4-93: Not for profit industrial 4-96: Not for profit rent mdrn row houses, 7 or more units a sing dvlp or 1 or more contig prcls in comn ownshp 4-97: Not for profit special improvement 4-99: Not for profit condominium 5-00: Commercial land 5-01: Garage used in conjunction with commercial improvements 5-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 5-17: One story store 5-22: One story non-fireproof public garage 5-23: Gasoline station 5-26: Commercial greenhouse 5-27: Theatres 5-28: Bank buildings 5-29: Motels 5-30: Supermarket 5-31: Shopping center 5-32: Bowling alley 5-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 5-35: Golf course 5-50: Industrial land 5-80: Other industrial minor improvements 5-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial improvements 5-83: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 5-87: Special industrial improvements 5-89: Industrial condominium units 5-90: Commercial minor improvements 5-91: Commercial buildings over three stories 5-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 5-93: Industrial 5-97: Special commercial improvements 5-99: Commercial condominium units 6-37: Industrial brownfield land 6-38: Industrial brownfield 6-50: Industrial land 6-51: Industrial land 6-54: Other industrial brownfield minor improvements 6-55: Garage used in conjunction with industrial brownfield incentive improvements 6-63: Industrial 6-66: Industrial brownfield quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-68: Special improvements 6-69: Industrial brownfield condominium units 6-70: Other industrial minor improvements 6-71: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 6-73: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-77: Special improvements 6-79: Industrial condominium units 6-80: Other industrial minor improvements 6-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 6-83: Industrial quonset huts and butler type buildings 6-87: Special industrial improvements 6-89: Industrial condominium units 6-93: Industrial 7-00: Commercial incentive land 7-01: Garage used in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 7-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 7-17: One story retail, restaurant, or banquet hall, medical building, miscellaneous commercial use 7-22: Garage, public/service 7-23: Gasoline station, with/without bays, store 7-26: Commercial greenhouse 7-27: Theatres 7-28: Bank buildings 7-29: Motels 7-30: Supermarket 7-31: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 7-32: Bowling alley 7-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 7-35: Golf course 7-42: Commercial incentive land 7-43: Garage used in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 7-45: Golf course 7-46: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 7-47: One story retail, rstrnt, or bnqt hall, med. blding, miscellaneous commercial use 7-48: Motels 7-52: Garage, public/service 7-53: Gasoline station, with/without bays, store 7-56: Commercial greenhouse 7-57: Theatres 7-58: Bank buildings 7-60: Supermarket 7-61: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 7-62: Bowling alley 7-64: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 7-65: Other minor improvements 7-67: Facilities (tennis, rqtball, hlth club), (nursing, retirement home), auto. dlrshp, comm. structure 7-72: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 7-74: office building (One story, low rise, mid rise, high rise) 7-90: Other minor improvements 7-91: Office building (one story, low rise, mid rise, high rise) 7-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 7-97: Facilities (tennis, rqtbll, hlth club), (nursing, rtrmnt home), auto dlrshp, comm. structure 7-98: Commercial/industrial-condominium units/garage 7-99: Commercial/industrial-condominium units/garage 8-01: Garage in conjunction with commercial incentive improvements 8-16: Non-fireproof hotel or rooming house (apartment hotel) 8-17: One story retail, restaurant, (banquet hall, fast food), medical, miscellaneous commercial use 8-22: Garage (public/service) 8-23: Gasoline station with/without bay, store 8-26: Commercial greenhouse 8-27: Theatres 8-28: Bank building 8-29: Motels 8-30: Supermarket 8-31: Shopping center (regional, community, neighborhood, promotional, specialty) 8-32: Bowling alley 8-33: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 8-35: Golf course 8-50: Industrial incentive land 8-80: Other industrial minor improvements 8-81: Garage used in conjunction with industrial incentive improvements 8-83: Quonset huts and butler type buildings 8-87: Special industrial improvements 8-89: Industrial condominium units 8-90: Other minor improvements 8-91: Office building, (One story, low rise, midrise, high rise) 8-92: Two or three story building containing part or all retail and/or commercial space 8-93: Industrial buildings 8-97: Facilities, (tennis, rqtball, hlth club), (nursing, retirement home), auto. dlrshp, misc. comm. structure 8-99: Commercial/industrial condominium units/Garage 9-00: Land used in conjunction with incentive rental apartments 9-01: Garage used in conjunction with incentive rental apartments 9-13: 2 or 3 story bldng, 7 or more units, sngle devel., 1 or more contig. parcels, in common ownership 9-14: 2 or 3 story non-freprf crt and corridor apts or california type apts, no corridors, ex. entrance 9-15: 2 or 3 story non-frprf corridor apts, or california type apts, interior entrance 9-18: 2 or 3 story frame stores, with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-19: 2 or 3 story old style store, with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-20: 2 or 3 story modern inside store with apts above (must be split coded with another class) 9-21: Corner store, office with apartments above (must be split coded with another class) 9-59: Rental condo unts in a sing. dvlp. of 1 or more contiprcls w/ 7 or more rent units, commn ownrshp 9-90: Other minor improvements 9-91: Apartment buildings over three stories 9-96: Rental mdrn row houses, 7 or more unts in a sing. dvlpment or 1 or more contig. prcls in comm. ownrshp 9-97: Special rental improvements If you wish to obtain information on a specific residential property but you do not know the PIN, simply enter the address in the "Search by Address" function. It should be noted that due to the transitory nature of addresses, our address file might contain errors or omissions. If you experience difficulties, please call the Cook County Assessors Office Taxpayer Information Department at 312-443-7550. When entering the street name of your desired property, to aid in your search, please do not enter the street suffix, such as St., Dr., Ave., etc. You will then need to enter the city name in the box on the third line of the section. Please note that you do not need to select a class to conduct a search.Once the required fields of information are entered, click once on the "Search by Address" button to submit your search. This will bring up a page with your desired PIN, corresponding address, city, neighborhood, class code, township, age, description of class code, assessed value, and a description of the propertys characteristics. To compare your propertys assessed value to other similar properties on your block or in your neighborhood, you may enter a range of addresses on the search page. For example, you may enter 400 500 N Main in Chicago. This may be useful if you are considering an appeal based on lack of uniformity. View Instructions Close Instructions Search by Neighborhood: Township: <SELECT> Barrington Berwyn Bloom Bremen Calumet Cicero Elk Grove Evanston Hanover Hyde Park Jefferson Lake Lake View Lemont Leyden Lyons Maine New Trier Niles North Chicago Northfield Norwood Park Oak Park Orland Palatine Palos Proviso Rich River Forest Riverside Rogers Park Schaumburg South Chicago Stickney Thornton West Chicago Wheeling Worth To search by neighborhood, simply use the drop-down box under the "Search by Neighborhood" section to select your township. If you do not know what township you are in, please check your "Notice of Proposed Assessed Valuation" or your tax bill. Once you have selected your township, click once on the "Search by Neighborhood" button. This will bring you to a page with a drop-down box with a list of neighborhood codes. If you do not know your neighborhood code, simply check your "Notice of Proposed Assessed Valuation" or click on the highlighted "Show Me Borders" for a listing of each neighborhood code and its street boundaries.Once you have selected your neighborhood code click once on the "Search by Neighborhood" button and you will see multiple pages of properties. If you wish to refine your search for similar properties click on the "Choose Class" drop-down box and select a specific class of property. This function is useful when comparing assessed value, although it is still important to look at each individual propertys characteristics. Properties in the same class with like characteristics are considered "comparables" and can be used in a residential appeal. View Instructions Close Instructions The most current assessment information will only be available for properties in triennial reassessment townships that have been mailed their "Notice of Proposed Assessed Valuation." For a listing of available townships and mailing dates click here. Please read the following instructions for information on how to best conduct an assessment search for non-residential property. Search Help : If you are having difficulty finding a property or wish to expand your search, try entering less information. For instance, in the "Search by Address" function leave the direction box blank, or only enter the first few letters of the street or city. In the "Search by PIN" function, if you enter only the first seven numbers of your PIN (i.eif your index number is 01-01-123-456-0000, and you only insert 01-01-123) this will expand your search to include all the properties that share those seven digits in ascending PIN order. This will widen the parameters for the database and improve the possibility that a record is found. Cook County Assessor's Office (Main) County Building, Third Floor 118 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 443-7550 2003- 2004 Cook County Assessors Office All rights reserved Disclaimer. Comments,Questions or Suggestions : Contact Us

Rental Property Industry Support

Rental Property Reporter--the landlord guide to profitable property management For the Week of December 26, 2005 Solutions for the Rental Property Industry Support Rental Property Reporter advertisers A Business Where Landlords Can Help Other Landlords s Tip of the Week: Getting a Great Deal When You Buy Properties Get FREE Property Management Information by Email Winter Telephone Class Series January 18, 2006 --"Dirty Tenant Tricks and How to Beat the Tricksters" February 8, 2006 --"How to Write Classified Ads That Work!" February 22, 2006 --"Low- and No-Cost Marketing that Gets Units Rented" Sign up for two classes and get the third one free Results of Tenant Selection Survey Access the Landlord-Tenant Laws from all 50 States Rental Property Consulting & Coaching Having a problem with your rental property? Ask an expert Answers to Landlord Questions Find a Property Management Company Find an Apartment or Landlord Association Near You Find a Tenant Screening Company Top Dollar for your note or trust deed Message Board-- Landlords Helping Landlords Realtors and Property Managers: We want to publish your newsletter on this site Click here for more information TIP OF THE WEEK LANDLORD STORE LANDLORD BULLETINS CURRENT & BACK ISSUES PRODUCTS FOR LANDLORD SUCCESS INFO ABOUT THE NEWSLETTER ASK THE PUBLISHER NOW IN THE LATEST ISSUE OTHER INTERNET SITES SPEECHES & SEMINARS ADVERTISE HERE CONTACT US Rentalprop Message Boards Enter city or US Zip red Tip of the Week Landlord Bulletin Current & Back Issues Products Speeches & Seminars About the Rental Property Reporter | Ask the Publisher Now in the New Issue Other Internet Sites Secure Shopping Cart How to Advertise Here Contact Us Get a FREE Monthly Property Management Column by Email Is it really safe to use your credit card to make purchases on the Internet? © 1997-2005 Cain Publications, Inc. Look for Rental Property Reporter in search engines and web directories under rental property reporter, lease, landlord, landlording, property management, rental management, real estate management, residential management, fair housing, and landlord education. Read the landlord guide and landlord handbook. Landlord manual for landlord information and tenant or tenant screening. Tenant selection and tenant interview so you can choose tenant and tenant management for real estate and real property. Rental property and property management for property lease and rental income is rental management and rental property. Overdue rent and eviction news for lease management and lease, lease, lease. Survival to survive the fair housing and housing condition report or premises report. Credit for rental property and landlord guide or rental management. Report damage for damage deposit on furniture damage. Bob Cain is a guest speaker, lecturer and conducts training seminars as speaker, keynote speaker. Bob Cain conducts workshops and is a author, writer of books for publication. Class study and newsletter for landlord and tenant relations. Rental landlord guide and rent collection for renter screening and screening for renter selection. Tenant screening for tenant selection is essential to effective property management.

Land Loan

Construction Loan Disbursement - Land Title Guarantee Company: Serving Colorado and its people since 1967 Home Lenders Construction Loan Disbursement Service Construction Loan Disbursing Service for Lenders For information about the Construction Disbursing process or pricing, please contact us via email or by calling the Construction Disbursement Department at 303-636-2760. The Benefits: Land Title's Construction Loan Disbursing Department is staffed by professionals with a total of over 51 years experience. Land Title keeps an accurate accounting of funds disbursed from the loan. Land Title employs its own professional inspectors to provide the highest quality inspections at no additional cost to you. Land Title collects Mechanic's Lien waivers throughout the project from each subcontractor, freeing up your time for other priorities. Land Title charges one flat fee for residential properties, which includes the inspection report, the Mechanic's Lien Endorsement, disbursement processing, and all delivery fees. A single fee means you can accurately budget for all your upcoming projects. Borrowers are included in the disbursement agreement, so no one is left out of the loop. Land Title maintains your escrow instructions. Land Title disburses on commercial projects and single family residences. Loans disbursed generally range from $200,000 to $50,000,000. However, we can disburse on loans of any amount. The Process: The construction Loan Disbursement process begins when the general contractor submits a Draw Request to Land Title. Land Title can provide a form upon request. However, your form, a computerized form, or an AIA form are all generally acceptable. The Draw Request includes the names and addresses of payees and the amounts to be paid. All invoices to be paid should be attached. The contractor presents the Draw Request to the owner and obtains the owner's approval and signature. Land Title conducts the Inspections and prepares a Construction Progress Report affirming that the work and materials are in place and estimates the overall percentage of completion. Land Title conducts a title search for Mechanic's Liens. Land Title forwards to the lender the Draw Request, together with the title search for Mechanic's Liens. While the draw is pending lender approval, Land Title cuts all checks, obtains W-9 tax identification numbers, prepares the check register, and is ready to disburse as soon as the lender's funds are deposited into Land Title's account. Items of construction interest, overhead and profit, and soft costs can be paid if they are in accord with the lender's policy. The lender and the borrower must both approve these payments in writing. When the lender approves the draw and funds are received, Land Title mails the already-prepared checks directly to the contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and vendors as directed. Land Title's disbursement checks have a lien waiver imprinted on the face of the check. The lien waiver states the amount, the ownership, and the address, and the check stub gives the description of invoices or work being paid. The lien waiver must be signed separately and apart from the check endorsement. If the payee fails to sign the lien waiver, the check will not clear the bank. After Land Title has prepared and disbursed checks directly to all subcontractors and suppliers, Land Title will furnish a check register--listing all checks by check numbers, person(s) paid, and the amounts paid--to the contractor after each draw, and to the borrower and lender upon request. Land Title can furnish a check register from day one to any point in the construction. Land Title can also furnish a register for all payments to any individual payee at any time during or at the end of construction. The Pricing Land Title's Construction Disbursement pricing is based on the size of the loan and type of protection being provided. Please contact the Construction Disbursement Department by email or phone (303-636-2760) for a quote. Generally, the price for single family residences is $750 for loans up to $500,000, then 75 cents for each $1,000 thereafter.

Buy Property

Buying property in Spain Buying property in Spain Introduction to Spanish property market. News, advice, real experiences, buying to let in Spain, mortgages, special offers. Thursday, December 15, 2005 Valencia Land Law debated in the European Parliament This week the European Parliament debated and voted on the recommendations of the Fourtou Report on the controversial Ley Reguladora de la Actividad Urbanistica (LRAU). The law, known by those who protest against its consequences as the Valencia land grab law was originally designed to make sure that areas under development had sufficient infrastructure (roads, street lighting, green belt areas etc.). That was the the theory. However in practice the law has meant that property developers are able to apply to build on land already belonging to other owners where building is not permitted. When their application is approved (as it often is), the land is reclassified by the authorities, and the developers are then allowed to pay exisiting owners prices far below the real market value and build a road, a path or even part of a golf course, sometimes right through the middle of the former owner's back garden. Most of the people affected by this law are Europeans who have seen their dreams of a perfect Spanish home in the sun shattered by ruthless developers. More than 15,000 people have made a formal protest asking the European Parliament to intervene, and the protest group set up to fight the LRAU, Abusos Urbanísticos No , has been active in attracting national, international, political and media attention to a growing problem and demanding a solution. And recently British law firm Irwin Mitchell decided to register land law victims with the European Human Rights Court . Valencia's regional government promised in 2003 to revise and reform the LRAU, but seems in no rush to do so. A pre-project was presented to the Valencian parliament in June this year, but nothing has yet come of it. While the government insists that its intention is to change the law and protect the interests, and land, of property owners, opposition and protest groups allege that it is prevented from doing so from the interest of many of its members in the property development underway in the region. Ever since local and foreign property owners started their active protest, the Government has come under increased pressure to do something. In the Summer a delegation of Euro-MPs visited the Costa Blanca and met with foreign residents, local politicians and property developers to discuss the problem. In November the European Parliament advised the Valencian authorities to modify urban development legislation in the region. And finally this week on 12th December the European Parliament discussed the Fourtou Report and endorsed its contents in a vote on the 13th by a massive majority of 550 in favour, 45 against and 25 abstentions. The Report calls on the European Parliament to urge a moratorium on the approval of new property developments on land where development is not permitted. Any body considering buying property with land in the Valencian Region is advised to seek legal advice from a lawyer who can help with the necessary investigation to ensure that the land attached to the property is not in danger of being subject to eventual seizure by property developers. Related: EU homeowners and ambassadors challenge Valencian land laws European Parliament delegation visit Valencia to challenge Land Laws Valencian landlaws "unconstitutional" Advice from the British Embassy to people purchasing land in Valencia posted by Euroresidentes @ 9:15:00 AM 0 comments Wednesday, November 30, 2005 Home loans in Spain According to figures released by Spain's National Statistics Institute yesterday, the average amount of morgage loans authorised by Spanish banks rose by 18.1 percent in August (compared to the same month in 2005) and reached 146,762€. The overall value of bank home loans rose by 32.1 percent. In August a total of 131,180 mortgages were authorised to customers buying rural and urban properties in Spain and the overall value of these mortgages rose to 19,252 million euros. As usual Spain's savings banks got the biggest share of the home loan market - 53.42 percent - followed by normal banks (36.88 percent) and other lending companies (9.7 percent). Over ninety percent of mortgage loans corresponded to purchases of properties in the so-called " precio libre " (free price) category and just 9.9 percent to purchases of "protected" properties whose selling price is controlled by the government. As far as yearly figures are concerned, the number of mortgaged properties in Spain has so far risen by 9.82 percent this year, while the total amount of loans has shot up by 24.87. Related: Mortgages in Spain Mortages for non-residents in Spain Ranking of Spanish banks Spanish banks Home improvement loans in Spain posted by Euroresidentes @ 9:34:00 AM 0 comments Monday, November 07, 2005 British property buyers prefer Spain According to a study just published by Barclays Bank, the number of UK residents buying property abroad is set to double, and a third of potential property buyers named Spain as their preferred overseas destination. According to the results of Barclay's study, five percent of UK residents (2.2 million people) already own a property overseas, and another 2 million definitely intend to buy one. And a very high 37 percent of those surveyed for the study said they are considering the possibility of buying a property abroad at some time in the future. Spain remains the firm favourite among British overseas property buyers, with the US coming second and France third. Not surprisingly, the main things putting UK citizens off the idea of buying property abroad are legal and tax complications, the possibility of being misled or deceived by local property sellers, and the difficulty of adapting to a new language and culture. Related: Reasons for living in Spain Property taxes in Spain Spanish lawyers Advice on buying a house in Spain posted by Euroresidentes @ 1:07:00 PM 1 comments Sunday, October 23, 2005 Lessons from one unhappy experience of buying a house in Spain It is an unfortunate fact that the legal system in Spain is at times desperately slow. Anyone considering buying a house in Spain is advised to find a good Spanish lawyer before signing anything at all and before parting with any money. David Wright has just started a new blog to share his unfortunate experience of buying property in Spain with other people. See the first entry below. Users interested in following his story as the final part unravels (and as, we hope, justice is finally done and the Wrights win the home and compensation they deserve) should check out his blog: Slow legal system where he intends to keep people updated with events as and when they happen. Considering tourism and housing investment bring considerable amounts of wealth to Spain, the Spanish law system is appalling slow and expensive. At the begginning of 2000 we enetred into a contract to buy a house, paid the 10% deposit and arranged a date with the notary and respective lawyers to complete. The seeler did not turn up and decided not to sell. THE BIG SURPRISE... he also would not repay the 10 % deposit never mind the penalty of 10%. Our only alternative was litigation. As we were not living in Spain at the time we left a deposit with a lawyer who told us that it would be a straightforward case. Well our case was finally heard in the local courts some 18 months later and we "won" including costs. However, the seller chose to appeal on what I understand to be very flimsy grounds. Some 2 years later the case was reheard in the Regional courts of Malaga where the original decision was upheald. ie we "won" again. However, the seller again decided with his lawyer that an appeal was in order and so we have been waiting almost 2 years for the case to come before a judge in MAdrid's high court!!! We still do not have a date nor can the system give us an estimated date as to when the case will be heard.!!! WHAT CAN fellow EURORESIDENTES learn from this? I believe the following: 1: Entering litigation is very expensive - even though we have "won" twice, we have still had to pay our lawyers fees and costs even though the costs were awarded in our favour. The amount equates roughly to 17% of the purchase/contract price!!!! per hearing. At this point we have paid almost 50% of the orginal house contract price, (deposit plus fees) 2: The seller continues to live in the property and with no penalty or change. 3: We have no idea of timescale as to when the High court can hold the hearing. 4: The so called filtering process that was supposed to be implemented to stop people using the appeal process to delay matters as a tactic does not function. 5: The seller is not obliged to pay the costs awarded against them IF they choose to appeal....SO APPEALING is a good tactic to frustrate. 6: So having a contract from a good lawyer and within the letter of the law, still does not really protect your rights in a timely manner. WHAT then is the point of a contract? it is only worth something to the lawyers in preperation for litigation!!! 7: Perhaps the law will one day help us to retrieve our deposit and costs or even the holiday home we wanted to live in and enjoy in the future. However in the meantime, it has only benefited the lawyers and the vendor. 8: So the law can still be seen as having no "teeth" and benefits the unscrupulous property owner/seller. TAKE GREAT CARE. Finally, if anyone has any suggestions as to what can be done to improve the law or indeed speed up the process then let me know posted by Euroresidentes @ 10:08:00 AM 0 comments Saturday, October 22, 2005 Lowest rise in house prices in Spain since 2002 According to the General Director of Arquitecture and Housing Policy, Rafael Pacheco, the rise in the cost property has risen just 13.4 percent in the last 12 months. This represents the lowest rise for 3 years and, according to Pacheco, is the first clear result of the Spanish government's housing policies. The General Director also indicated the regions in which house prices have risen most. These are Castilla La Mancha (19.8 percent), Aragon (16.4 percent) and the Valencian Region (16.3 percent). In Andalucía, traditionally one of the most popular destination for non-resident house buyers, the rise in house prices at 13.7 percent is only just above the national average. The most expensive region as far as the cost of housing is concerned is Madrid (2,719 euros per sq. metre), followed by the Basque Country (2,537 euros), Catalonia (2,037 euros) and the Balearic Islands (2,003 euros). The cheapest regions are Extremadura (864.2 euros per sq. metre), Castilla La Mancha (1,255 euros) and Leon (1,297 euros). Related Revaluation of property in Spain per region Investing in property in Spain Houses for sale in Spain posted by Euroresidentes @ 10:29:00 AM 0 comments Thursday, October 20, 2005 Spanish-English real estate dictionary Because of the amount of enquiries we receive from non-Spanish speaking property buyers in Spain about Spanish real estate terms and how the system here works, we are compiling an extensive Spanish-English glossary of real estate terms . Having completed the glossary, we are now working on full definitions of each term, so that our users can get an idea of how the Spanish property market differs from the property market in the UK. In this sense we want to go beyond a simple bilingual list of property terms. Send us any words not included. We hope to finish all the definitions in the next few days. Click on each term to get the full definition. posted by Euroresidentes @ 12:07:00 PM 0 comments Wednesday, October 05, 2005 Real estate market in Spain, latest statistics According to a study carried out by the Pompeu Fabre University (Barcelona) and Tecnocasa, the housing market in Spain has started slowing down and a halt in the massive price increase experienced over the past fews could be near. The authors have based their opinions and conclusions on the analysis of the sale of over 12,000 second-hand houses and flats and details of mortgages granted to buyers from the first semester of 2004 up to June this year. According to the report, lived-in property (as opposed to brand new) now takes an average of 83 days to sell, which is 15 days longer than a year ago. Another finding of the report is that property sellers this year are more likely to be prepared to negotiate the price than they were last year, and that on average buyers are able to secure a 5 percent reduction in the original asking price. During the presentation of the report yesterday, executives of Tecnocasa said that this should not be interpreted as an indication that the price of housing in Spain was at last starting to come down, since the reduction was usually agreed on property that was overhoused in the first place. However, in their opinion, the findings of the report do suggest that the conditions necessary for an eventual slowing down in the Spanish real estate market at some time in the near future are starting to appear. Other findings of the report: 30 percent of house-buyers in Spain are foreign. 72 percent of all house-buyers come from Spain or another EU country. The rest are non-European, mostly people from South America, Eastern European countries and North Africa who have settled in Spain Over 49 percent of second-hand house buyers are between 25 and 35 years old, and 61 percent buy the property together with another person The average mortgage in Spain in June was 154.890 euros, a rise of 18.80 percent with respect to the same month last year In over 60 percent of all cases, the mortgate loan covers between 75 and 100 percent the total value of the property Small flats are proportionally more expensive than larger flats and houses The average price of lived in property in Spain per sq. metre is 3,000 euros in the most expensive areas of Spain (Madrid, Barcelona and Vizcaya). dropping to just 1,500 euros per sq. metre in the provinces of Alicante, Cadiz, Seville and Valencia The most expensive cities in Spain in terms of housing prices are (in order) Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (3.070 euros). Related links: Mortages in Spain Mortgages for non-residents in Spain The price of housing in Spain Investing in property in Spain posted by Euroresidentes @ 9:38:00 AM 0 comments About Me Name: Euroresidentes Location: Spain View my complete profile Previous Posts Valencia Land Law debated in the European Parliament Home loans in Spain British property buyers prefer Spain Lessons from one unhappy experience of buying a house in Spain Lowest rise in house prices in Spain since 2002 Spanish-English real estate dictionary Real estate market in Spain, latest statistics High-quality Spanish houses to be marketed in the UK New state property rental agency ready for business in Spain Costa del Sol property market may have reached peak Links Feedback Property market in Spain Reasons for living in Spain Properties for sale in Spain Properties for rent in Spain Hotels in Spain Restaurants in Spain Paradors in Spain Spanish recipies Spanish classical music Spanish courses in Spain Euroresidentes Spain Web Euroresidentes Archives

Sell House

Selling Your Home, Sell home, selling a house, selling house, sell your home - Home Services Mortgages Research Moving Zero Down Appraisals -- -- A Simple Guide for Selling a Home on Your Own Preface: Why sell yourself? Selling a home yourself, without an expensive real estate broker is easier than most people think. However, it will take some work on your part. You will be doing a lot of things that a real estate agent might normally do. Just follow the For Sale By Owner.com step-by-step selling guide below, and you'll not only save lots of money, but we'll make the house selling process as effortless as possible It's the money! Sellers save thousands of dollars not paying a 6% or 7% commission. For example, if your home can sell for $250,000, youd save $15,000 to $17,500 in commissions. Sell Your Home Fast. Because you are not paying an outrageous selling commission, you can afford to price your home more aggressively. The lower the price, the more likely it sells fast. You will still walk away with thousands in savings, but you'll just be doing it faster. It's so easy. Despite what a real estate broker may say, selling a house is not rocket science. They know that, and soon you will too. Just follow the simple selling steps below. And, if you have any questions, call us and one of our representatives will try to answer any questions you may have. You are not alone - For Sale By Owner.com will help you every step of the way. We are one of the largest and fastest growing real estate service companies in America. In fact, our web site is one of the top-five most visited real estate sites in America. Thousands of eager home buyers visit us everyday. Perhaps one of them is looking for a home just like yours. Over the past five years, we've helped sell thousands of homes, saving home owners millions of dollars. So let's get started. 8 Easy Steps to Selling a Home Yourself Step 1. Preparing your home to sell - make it look great Presentation is everything! Home buyers are attracted to clean, spacious and attractive houses. Your goal is to dazzle buyers. Brighten-up the house and remove all clutter from counter tops, tables and rooms. Scrub-down your house from top to bottom. Make it sparkle. Simple aesthetic improvements such as trimming trees, planting flowers, fixing squeaking steps, broken tiles, shampooing rugs and even re-painting a faded bedroom will greatly enhance the appeal of your house. Also, make sure your house smells good. That's right, clean out the cat box and light mildly scented candles. Invite a neighbor over to walk through your house like a buyer would. Get their opinion on how it "shows." The stuffed donkey in the family room may have to go to your in-laws for a while. Step 2. Pricing your home effectively Do not over price your home. Over-pricing when you sell a home reduces buyer interest, makes competing homes look like better values, and can lead to mortgage rejections once the appraisal is in. Over-pricing when selling a home is the single biggest reason why many "for sale by owner" home sellers don't sell their homes successfully. Remember: the home selling market dictates the price (not what you think it should be worth). One of the best ways to correctly price your house when selling is to find out how much other homes, similar to your own, recently sold for in your neighborhood. Talk to home sellers, buyers and check out the real estate listings in your local newspaper. Typically, if you set the price of your home at 5 to 10 percent above the market price, you are likely to end up with an offer close to your home's true value. Also, you may try calculating the cost per square foot of your home compared to the house selling prices in your area (divide list price by square footage of livable space). If your house has more features or other desirable qualities, you may want to set a slightly higher house selling price. The easiest way to accurately price your home is to contact your local home appraiser . Finally, set your house selling price just under a whole number, such as $169,900 rather than $170,000. Step 3. Get a real estate lawyer Even though it's an additional expense, it may be wise to hire a lawyer who will protect your interests throughout the entire transaction. An experienced real estate lawyer can help you evaluate complicated offers (those with a variety of conditions), act as an escrow agent to hold the down payment, evaluate complex mortgages and/or leases with options to buy, review contracts and handle your home's closing process. They can also tell you what things, by law, you must disclose to buyers prior to a sale and can also help you avoid inadvertently discriminating against any potential buyers. In some areas, title companies will handle all aspects of the transaction and have in-house legal departments that can assist you with legal issues that may arise. To locate a title company in your area, click here . Unless you're significantly experienced in the home selling process, having a real estate lawyer at your side provides peace-of-mind. You know you've got someone looking out for your interests, not just the buyers. To locate a lawyer in your area, click here Step 4. Marketing your home Exposure, exposure, exposure. That's how sellers sell their home fast. For Sale By Owner.com provides extensive home exposure because over 700,000 unique visitors come to the web site each month (that's Internet-speak for new people). In fact, For Sale By Owner.com is one of the top-five most visited real estate web sites in the U.S. getting literally millions of visitors looking to buy or sell a home. We spend tens of thousands of dollars a month to assure that For Sale By Owner.com is prominently placed on Internet search engines so buyers can easily find our site throughout process of selling your home. If your home is in a market where For Sale By Owner.com has a mass-distributed magazine, your home's exposure will be even greater because they can be found at thousands of locations frequented by buyers that include grocery stores, shopping centers, convenience stores and restaurants (the magazine is in over 40 markets nationwide). Writing your sell ad While For Sale By Owner.com allows you a 3,000 word description of your house (try to afford that in a newspaper ad), your advertising copy should be thorough yet short, simple and to-the-point. Long, flowery prose will not make your house sound more appealing. It will simply make it harder for the home buyer to read. Make sure to provide the critical facts buyers are looking for such as the house's number of bathrooms, a re-modeled kitchen, etc. Most home buyers quickly scan ads, so it is important that your house stands out. For example, you may want to add a theme-line such as "Priced below market" or "Great schools." Stay away from industry jargon and use language that makes home buyers comfortable. Survey our web site and see how others have written their ads. You will quickly see which are "buyer friendly." Copy their approach for your ad. Home Photos: Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words If you are taking a photo of your home, be sure that the home's yard/driveway is uncluttered. Remove bikes, garbage cans and parked cars. The same applies for interior shots. People are looking to buy your house, not your possessions. Think of furniture as props and the room a stage. Move things around if you have to. Also, take lots of house photos. Film is cheap...your home deserves quality. The more you shoot, the better the odds are that you'll get a few really good shots. Lawn signs Lawn signs are one the most important marketing tools for home sellers. They attract attention to your home. Professionally-produced signs (like the ones we can send to you) telegraph to home buyers a "quality" image of your house. Directional signs also help drive buyers to your property, especially if you do not live on a busy street. Open houses Open houses are sometimes a good way to attract buyers to your home. Typically, real estate agents conduct open houses for two reasons; 1. Clients expect them 2. They are a good way to attract buyers, not just for the open house but for all houses for sale in the Real Estate Agent's area (yes, your competition). The fact is that very few houses sell due to a open house itself. Home Brochures/Information sheets It is a good idea to create an information sheet (with a photo) about your home to give potential buyers. Consider printing copies of your ad from For Sale By Owner.com to give to people who visit your home. The MLS The MLS or Multiple Listing Service can also help market your home, particularly to real estate agents who may know of buyers seeking a property like yours. The MLS is a directory used by real estate agents to announce to other agents that they have a home for sale. In many selling markets, For Sale By Owner.com can put your house on the MLS (for an additional fee). However, if a real estate agent finds you a buyer after seeing your home on the MLS, you must usually pay that agent a 2.5% to 3% commission (the law states that all commissions are negotiable, however). You are your home's best salesman As every salesman knows, to be effective you have to really know your product. And who knows your home better than you? Certainly not a real estate agent, who, in all likelihood, has spent only a few moments in your house before showing it to prospective buyers. Sell your neighborhood as well as your house. Show enthusiasm, but don't get caught-up talking too much about how "your daughter spent the best years of her life in this very room." Step 5. Negotiating an offer on your home When a home buyer makes an offer (this is often presented to you directly from the buyer or through their lawyer), you should consult with your attorney. Buyers and sellers have an Attorney Review Period, which is usually three days, to cancel or amend the offer. The offer becomes a contract at the end of the Attorney Review Period, and is binding. Many of your home's offers can be complicated and contain special clauses that favor the buyer. Purchase price isn't everything. Carefully consider the purchase contract's other terms and conditions. Too many contingencies can leave loopholes and cause a deal to collapse. Especially avoid contingencies that favor the house's buyer, such as linking the escrow closing date to the buyer's sale of their current home. If the buyer insists on such terms, include a so-called kick-out clause in the contract that will allow you to consider other offers if the buyer isn't able to sell within a certain period of time. Assess your buyer's financial qualifications Is the buyer pre-approved? How much of a loan is the buyer seeking? Unless you are in an active market, lenders tend to shy away from underwriting a deal in which the purchase price is higher than the nearest comparable sale and the buyer is putting less than 10% down. If this is the case, your buyer may not be able to obtain financing. Know the home selling market How you judge an offer also can depend on market conditions. If the selling market is slow, you may feel vulnerable, especially if circumstances are pressing you to sell. Make sure any offer you accept does not keep you in escrow longer than 30 days. In a hot market where multiple offers are likely, be wary of countering more than one offer at a time (you could end up in legal trouble if two buyers both accept your counter offer). Also be wary of offers that promise more money but contain poor contract terms (long escrow, multiple contingencies, etc.). If you feel the home's offer is insufficient, make a counter offer. Rarely is a first offer the buyer's absolute highest price they are willing to pay. Negotiating is part of the home selling process. Again, your lawyer should review the details of all offers. Step 6. Home inspections All standard real estate contracts are going to give the prospective home buyer the right to inspect your property - so be prepared. Under a general inspection you are obligated to make major repairs to appliances, plumbing, septic, electrical and heating systems - or the buyer may cancel the offer. The inspection will also include your property's roof, as well as a termite inspection (in some states, house sellers must provide proof that the home is termite free). If you are concerned about how your home will fair when inspected, you may want to visit your local inspector . They can conduct an inspection for you before a potential buyer has one done. This way, you can address the problems before a buyer stumbles upon them. Once the inspections are complete, the buyer makes an application to a mortgage lender. Step 7. Buyer appraisals and other details The mortgage lender will order an appraisal of your home to make sure they are not paying more than the house is worth. They may also order a surveyor to make sure that the property boundaries are properly laid out. They will also order a title search to determine if there are any liens against your property. These tasks are all the responsibility of the buyer and/or their attorney. At this point too, the mortgage company will issue a commitment . Again, the buyer (and their attorney) must complete all conditions listed on the mortgage commitment. Prior to closing, you should notify your lender that you will be paying off your mortgage. After a closing date has been agreed to, you should contact your utility providers and advise them of your final billing date. Step 8. Closing The day of the closing , the home's buyer will do a "walk through" of the property to make sure all agreed repairs are completed and that the home is in the same condition as when the buyer made their offer. If problems arise that this point, the closing can still take place with funds held in escrow to remedy the problem. Closings usually occur 30 - 45 days after you have signed the sales contract. Depending on what state you reside in, you may close with an attorney, or with a title company. At the closing, all monies will be collected, any existing loans or liens will be paid, the deed will be transferred, and insurance will be issued insuring a free and clear title. The home seller will receive the proceeds of their home in one to two business days after the closing. Conclusion This step-by-step home selling guide is a general overview of the process when selling a home. Each state has slightly different laws and customs as they relate to the transaction process. Selling a home yourself can be time consuming, but the financial rewards can be tremendous. With help from For Sale By Owner.com , we try to make the process of home selling on your own as easy as possible. For Sale By Owner.com Your experts in selling a home on your own. -- Privacy & Disclaimer Partner With Us Career Opportunities Press Room Contact Us Buying A Home Your Credit Report Terms and Conditions Home Selling Tips Selling Your Home © 1997-2005 For Sale By Owner.com Your source for selling a home on your own. We make the home selling process a cinch. Sell real estate, sell a home, and sell your house, fsbo. Real estate selling, home selling, house selling. Site Map Home