5 Easy Tips To Prepare Your Naperville Home For Sale

5 Easy Tips To Prepare Your Naperville Home For Sale

When you get ready to put you home on the market, there are steps you can take to improve its appeal without spending a lot of money. Keep in mind that the buyer will want more for his/her buck. Several low cost improvements and renovations can make your house their dream house. When you add value to your home, it always pays for itself.

Here are 5 easy ways to make your Naperville home for sale stand out and grab attention.

Neutral colors go well with small spaces.

Highlights and accents like curtains, trendy light fixtures; new shelving should be used to infuse color and character to the space. When viewing a house, buyers should be able to envision their own taste and personalization of the space, not yours. They should not feel like they are inheriting any ‘baggage’ from you. Give them a clean palette. For color and its psychological effects a good article to read is http://teresaryan.com/naperville-homes/how-a-rooms-color-can-affect-your-mood/.

Create an interesting space in your home.

A study, a library, or a family nook – they’re all interesting hideaways, a little piece of privacy that people love. These spaces can be along a movement path, part of a room or an unused corner. They are inexpensive to create – get creative with a bookshelf, a divider, a rug or a vintage desk or piano. They are tasteful and will add culture and panache to an otherwise plain space.

Cooking and cleanliness.

Bathrooms and kitchens are the most analyzed spaces from a buyer’s point of view. Easy modifications include a coat of paint, new fixtures, lights and faucets will add new life to an existing clean but older space. For warm finishes, try a granite counter top or wood cabinets to enhance the value of your home.

First impressions last.

Is your yard and lawn well maintained? Make an effort to trim the grass. Easy do it yourself landscape projects are readily available at your local nursery. Go the extra mile, pull out weeds, sweep the driveway, and plant flowers.

Schools and Parks.

Have school district and recreational facilities information available for a buyer. Find out about the school’s test scores and keep a report and a leisure guide visible when a family is viewing your home. These two areas are amongst the most important factors that families look into when investing in property, according to this article in USA Today. (http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2013/04/28/24-7-home-features/2106203/)

These are just some of the steps you can take to improve the chances of getting your home sold fast. Ask me for advice about cost effective improvements you can make.

Are you ready to sell your Naperville house? Call me, Teresa Ryan at 630-276-7575. As a Naperville luxury real estate expert and Managing Broker/Owner of Ryan Hill Realty – www.RyanHillRealty.com, I have the experience and tools to help you sell your Naperville Luxury home.

Naperville Ladies, Stay Healthy With Better Sleep

Naperville Ladies, Stay Healthy With Better Sleep

Naperville ladies, are you getting enough sleep? Here are some important tips to get that much-needed rest you deserve.

It’s a fact that women, especially busy working mothers, deal with a lot of planning, stress, and sleep deprivation. From busy minds to waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall asleep again, your bad sleep patterns can cause many emotional and health issues.



SIGNS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION

If it only takes you 5 minutes or less to fall asleep at night, it means that you’re already sleep-deprived. It normally takes 10 to 15 minutes to fall asleep, meaning you are not too exhausted that you feel sleepy the entire day.

Other signs of sleep deprivation are fatigue, mood swings, and irritability.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP

If you are not getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night, you are at a higher risk for depression, metabolic, and cardiovascular disorders like high blood pressure and diabetes.

According to a study, 17 hours of sustained wakefulness during the day leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of .05%.

AS WE AGE, SLEEP BECOMES DIFFICULT

As we grow older, our circadian clocks which control our sleep-wake cycle become less efficient, making it harder for older adults to fall asleep or stay asleep. They also have difficulty being alert during the day. Insomnia also becomes more common during menopause, which is another challenge for women.

GETTING QUALITY SLEEP IS IMPORTANT

Sleep quality is as important for physical and mental health as are food, water, and exercise. The most critical part of sleep is the first two hours after you fall asleep and the two hours before you wake up. Any noise during that time can be disruptive and compromise the quality of your sleep. Light can also be disruptive to your sleep cycle even if you don’t fully wake up. The light turns off a neutral switch in your brain and causes levels of an important sleep chemical to decrease within minutes.

So, how do you ‘switch off’ and get a full night’s sleep naturally? It only takes some simple lifestyle changes to make sure you put an end to those sleepless nights.

NATURAL WAYS TO SLEEP BETTER

• Simple lifestyle changes and healthy habits during the daytime can help Naperville women get better sleep.
• Avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening.
• Do not drink alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime.
• Get plenty of sunshine or bright light during the day, especially in the morning and early afternoon.
• Avoid exposure to bright light two hours before bedtime. Following the lines on a page acts as a sedative.
• Avoid watching TV or playing video games before bedtime as this stimulates brain activity.
• Take a warm bath or shower before bed to release internal body heat.
• A cooler room temperature or about 68 degrees is the ideal temperature for sleep.
• Sleep in a dark room. If you want to sleep with lights, avoid blue lights since they are the most alerting. Red lights are best to induce sleep.
• Go to sleep and wake up at a regular time everyday.

If you wake up in the middle of the night, avoid exposure to light.

Getting enough sleep and quality sleep are important to your health, especially if you’re a Naperville women with a dynamic, active, and busy lifestyle. A balanced diet and exercise is not enough if you are not alert during the day due to lack of sleep. They say health is wealth, and it starts with enough shut-eye and rest. Let’s get healthy, Naperville!

If you’re a Naperville homeowner who is looking for a change of residence, please do not hesitate to call me, Teresa Ryan at 630-276-7575. As a Naperville luxury real estate expert and Managing Broker/Owner of Ryan Hill Realty – www.RyanHillRealty.com, I have the experience and tools to help you sell your Naperville Luxury home.

A Private Gym In Naperville For Overweight Women And Men

A Private Gym In Naperville For Overweight Women And Men

There is a gym in Naperville where membership is reserved for people who are at least 50 pounds overweight and are shy about attending a regular gym. It is private, specialized, customized and fun.

Downsize Fitness specifically meets the needs of people who really need customized fitness plans as well as a feeling of comfort to help them meet their weight loss goals in a healthy way – both, mentally and physically.

“Our trainers are focused on being supportive coaches instead of demanding drill sergeants, and workouts that can be tailored to any level of endurance, flexibility, and strength,” said Downsize Fitness Naperville’s General Manager, Jillian McAfee.

Kishan Shah, CEO of Downsize Fitness, says the gym is filling the need to empower more obese and overweight Naperville women and men to go to the gym and lose weight, and the company is hoping to open many more similar fitness centers focused on weight loss across the United States in the next few years.

Downsize Fitness put up a location in Naperville because most of their clients in their Chicago gym live in the suburbs and since Downsize Fitness’ founder, Francis Wisniewski was a Naperville resident for about 10 years, it was ideal.

“We design our exercise classes so everyone can do them,” says McAfee. “We make it fun because otherwise people wouldn’t come back.”

“There’s this magic of giving the member a fantastic workout that helps them lose fat and build muscle, but also provides a level of safety and comfort where you’re not going to get hurt,” said Shah, who had lost 200 pounds himself over seven years through diet and exercise. “The secret is the support community and empowerment we give our members. We understand it’s a difficult journey. Seventy-five percent of our staff have weight loss transformations themselves.”

The weight loss-focused strength and conditioning routines offered at Downsize Fitness cannot be found anywhere else. Classes offer functional training with exercise balls, free weights, resistance bands, and kettlebells.

The most popular classes among Naperville women in the Downsize Fitness gym are circuit training and cardio dance.

Downsize keeps class sizes small so trainers can closely monitor each client and give advice on proper techniques to ensure safety and optimal calorie burn.

Clients worked out through classes with alternating smiles and giggles, comfortably chatting about movies and other things in between sets of exercises.

Downsize Fitness’ Naperville gym client base is comprised of mostly women so far, but three men have also joined.

Privacy is not an issue at Downsize Fitness because the storefront has frosted windows and only a small sign to let Downsize Fitness clients know they arrived at the right place.

Many Naperville women who regularly go to Downsize Fitness have lost 10 to 20 lbs in 4 to 6 weeks of classes.

The hours Naperville women spend in the gym is guaranteed to help improve their health, whether they are dancing to cardio routines, doing modified jumping jacks, or laughing with their peers.

Downsize Fitness, launched two years ago in Chicago, calls itself  “the world’s first overweight-only gym.”

“But if and when clients succeed at their weight-loss goals, they’re welcome to remain members. We actually hope they stay on and act as mentors,” McAfee said. “It’s extremely motivating for new clients to see what they've accomplished.”

If you want to get more of the latest updates in Naperville women’s health and lifestyle, visit www.NapervilleHomesandLifestyle.com.

Are you ready to buy or sell a home in Naperville? Call me, Teresa Ryan at 630-276-7575. As a Naperville luxury real estate expert and Broker/Owner of Ryan Hill Realty – www.RyanHillRealty.com, I have the experience and tools to help you sell your Naperville Luxury home.

How Fannie Mae Could Boost the Value of Naperville Homes for Sale in 2015

How Fannie Mae Could Boost the Value of Naperville Homes for Sale in 2015

The real estate market could get an early kick start in 2015, thanks to Fannie Mae’s new guidelines on getting a mortgage.

Is it difficult to get a mortgage?

If you want to buy a home for sale in Naperville and have a good credit score, low debt, a well-paying job and are able to afford the 20% down payment, then it’s not really hard to get a mortgage. However, for hopeful borrowers without these credentials, it’s a bit more difficult, unless they want to pay for an expensive FHA loan.

In the past couple of years, the average credit score of an approved borrower for conventional loans was 754, which was already a drop from its peak of 764 in 2012 (but still considered a good credit score). This is not the case for most borrowers who went through a financial crisis when the economy crashed a few years ago.

The average credit score of a rejected mortgage applicant was 723, also considered a fairly good credit score. So why were the “fairly good” borrowers getting rejected?

Lenders were careful and set strict lending policies to lessen delinquencies, especially after the impact of the financial crisis.  Lending guidelines were also unclear as the market recovered, which did not help.  

However, with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s new guidelines in place, banks and other lenders now know exactly when they should approve and reject a loan.

Less strict guidelines for getting a mortgage

According to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s new guidelines, the new credit score minimum is 620 and a minimum down payment of 3% to 5% is acceptable.

However, there are a few drawbacks to this situation. Where borrowers have lower credit scores and lower down payments, buyers can expect an increase in home prices.

Buyers with a lower credit score and a low down payment of 3% can expect higher mortgage interest rates and higher mortgage insurance premiums.

What is the impact on values of Naperville homes for sale?

Lower credit scores and lower down payments which make mortgage loans easily available to homebuyers could have a pretty big impact on the Naperville housing market.

According to the Urban Institute, we could see an additional 1.2 million mortgage loans per year if mortgage availability stays at this level.

The new mortgage guidelines in place could increase homebuying to more than 20% in 2015.

This is good news for homeowners looking to sell their Naperville Il homes, as a 20% increase in potential buyers could mean an increase in market activity, more bids for homes, thereby pushing up home prices and faster sales.

How this benefits home buyers

Homebuyers who wanted to buy a Naperville Subdivision home for sale in the past but had trouble with the mortgage guidelines, can now get easier access to mortgage loans since lenders have clearer guidelines on what qualifies a borrower for a loan.

This clarity in mortgage guidelines is also a step forward in the recovery of the housing market by returning it to normal levels of accessibility for homebuyers and making it beneficial for both buyers and sellers of Naperville homes.

Check out www.RyanHillRealty.com for tips on selling homes in Naperville.

If you are ready to sell your Naperville Homes For Sale call me, Teresa Ryan at 630-276-7575.  As a Naperville luxury real estate expert and Managing Broker/Owner of Ryan Hill Realty, I have the experience and tools to help you sell your Naperville Luxury home.

Is Concierge Health Care the Next Big Thing In Naperville Women's Health?

Is Concierge Health Care the Next Big Thing In Naperville Women’s Health?

Concierge health care has become a preference for many middle-income households in the United States.  With several doctors in Naperville now offering what some refer to as ‘wealth care’,  we thought we’d explore what this ‘physician membership’ offers.

According to Wikipedia — Concierge medicine (also known as retainer medicine) is a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an annual fee or retainer. This may or may not be in addition to other charges. In exchange for the retainer, doctors provide enhanced care, including principally a commitment to limit patient loads to ensure adequate time and availability for each patient.

Concierge Health Care Services

What you get depends on what the practice offers.  At some, all visits are included.  At others, it might just cover an annual customized health exam, immediate visits, after-hours access and having the physician on-call.

Read through your plan and ask questions so you have all the facts before you join.

Keep in mind that these costs are in addition to your traditional health care plan, which will cover specialized care, MRIs and other services.

The Costs

Typically, the extra charge is anywhere between $1,000 to $2,000 a year; and this is outside the traditional insurance system.  The cost could be higher, depending on age.

Concierge doctors can spend more time with each patient to get to know them on a deeper level, they accept fewer patients — no more than 600 on average, compared to 2,500 or more for a typical doctor. Other concierge doctors charge a flat fee of $50 per month for consultations.

Instead of spending 10 minutes per patient, they spend at least a half hour and do comprehensive tests on the patient and even give them questionnaires, asking patients detailed histories like sleep patterns and sexual health.

Concierge doctors are also called private physicians or direct pay practices.

There are some practices that charge up to 5 figures in exchange for handling all aspects of the patient’s health care (from negotiating hospital bills to being with the patient in the operating room). Overall, concierge patients come from the upper middle class, with typical gross household incomes of  $125,000 to $250,000 a year, according to Michael Tetreault, editor in chief of Concierge Medicine Today, a magazine that covers the industry. Concierge patients are usually from the Baby Boomer generation, generally in their 50s to 80s, according to concierge doctors.

The Details and Benefits

For many, having the peace of mind knowing that they can contact their physician any time during an emergency and that someone is always there to take care of them is worth the extra thousand dollars they pay every year. Concierge doctors can call the emergency room in advance, thereby speeding up the process of having to go through the waiting room during emergencies.

Some patients are so impressed by the service that they are even willing to forego expensive vacations or cut back on entertainment expenses just to pay for the concierge doctor’s annual fee.

Many concierge doctors also offer testing that traditional insurance doesn’t usually cover. Some of these doctors order blood tests to check for inflammation associated with heart disease. Others run body composition profiles to measure fat levels and muscle mass.

According to concierge doctors, they actually save patients money in the long run by reducing their need to go to specialists and hospitals.

In Naperville, there are a number of physicians who are practicing concierge doctors. Concierge doctors are often excellent medical practitioners and some patients believe that $150 per month is a good deal for stress-free and immediate access to personalized medical care.

In conclusion, based on the research and patient reviews, a Concierge practice/doctor is a preferred option for people who can afford it. There is a negative aspect to this however, by limiting the number of patients they accept, these excellent doctors are not available to people who can’t afford the additional annual fee.

If you want to know more about Naperville women’s health and lifestyle, visit

www.NapervilleHomesandLifestyle.com.

Are you ready to buy or sell a home in Naperville? Call me,  Teresa Ryan at 630-276-7575.  As a Naperville luxury real estate expert and Managing Broker/Owner of Ryan Hill Realty – www.RyanHillRealty.com, I have the experience and tools to help you sell your Naperville Luxury home.

Naperville and Bolingbrook Listed Amongst Top 50 Places To Live In the United States

Naperville and Bolingbrook Listed Amongst Top 50 Places To Live In the United States

Money Magazine lists Naperville and Bolingbrook on Best Places to Live .

The Village of Bolingbrook and the City of Naperville have once again made it to Money Magazine’s annual “Best Places to Live” as the highest-ranked cities in Illinois. 

 

Naperville ranked no. 33 in 2014 while Bolingbrook was 38th. The two were the only suburbs in IL to make it to the top 50 Best Places to Live.

According to Money Magazine, when Mayor Roger Claar was first appointed as Bolingbrook Mayor in 1986, he made a vow to bring in more jobs and economic opportunities in Bolingbrook IL, and he kept that promise. Claar’s initiatives brought growth to the village’s office, industrial, and manufacturing space increasing it to a whopping 32 million. Companies like Southern Wine and Spirits and West Liberty Foods now operate in Bolingbrook IL.

Money also mentioned the “notably diverse population” in Bolingbrook, also mentioning the village’s Rocket Ice Arena, golf courses, and the girls’ basketball team who already won four state high school championships.

Meanwhile, Naperville made it once again to the Best Places to Live In because of its “cosmopolitan feel,” highly-rated schools, one of the best family-friendly and safest neighborhoods in the Chicago area suburbs.

Additional perks to living in Naperville IL is its vibrant downtown and pedestrian-friendly center with more than 50 restaurants, art galleries, boutiques and live music clubs, according to Money.

The rankings are based on data from the 781 cities in the United States with populations between 50,000 and 300,000. Key factors include housing affordability, jobs, crime, education, health, economic opportunity, diversity, arts and leisure.

In addition to Naperville being No. 33 in the “Best Places to Live In” ranking, it was ranked No. 14 in Money Magazine’s list of “Top Earning Towns.” Money also considered Naperville’s location on the I-88 technology and research corridor as a big factor for providing local jobs.

Naperville has been consistently ranked on many ‘Best Of” lists over the years. In 2014, it was ranked “4th snobbiest Mid-size City in the U.S.” by Movoto Real Estate, “6th Most Intelligent Mid-size City in the U.S.” by MyLife.com, Inc. and “8th Most Family-Friendly in Illinois” by CreditDonkey.com.

If you are looking for Naperville luxury homes for sale, or want more information on the Village of Bolingbrook or the City of Naperville, check out www.RyanHillRealty.com.

For inquiries regarding Naperville Luxury Homes for Sale and Bolingbrook Homes for Sale, call me, Teresa Ryan at 630-276-7575.  As Managing Broker/Owner of Ryan Hill Realty,  I have the experience and tools to help you sell your Naperville Luxury home.

Housing Prices Set To Rise in 2015 Based On These Indicators

Chicagoland Housing Prices Set to Rise in 2015

Chicagloand housing prices are set to rise by 4.4% in 2105, according to Case-Schiller, CoreLogic. Great news as this could mean an increase in home value for Naperville luxury home sellers.

As real estate markets throughout the United States are on the path to a positive outlook and recovery after the housing recession, experts agree that buyers are ready to invest in the American Dream once again.

Here are some reasons why the experts are optimistic this year:

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Have Changed Their Lending Guidelines

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac revised their lending guidelines in December 2014 to help homebuyers buy a home. The revisions include lower credit thresholds and mortgage rates, and quicker turnaround times. This move will increase demand, thereby increasing home prices in Chicagoland.

Companies Are Hiring Again

Companies are hiring again, which is always a good sign for an improving economy. With new jobs available in the Naperville and Chicago areas, the stability will help potential homebuyers invest in a home.

Rents Are High – Rent vs. Buy

Rent prices skyrocketed. When many homeowners lost their homes, they had to rent one. This increase in demand pushed rental rates up to a higher bracket. Renters are interested in owning their own homes and increasing their equity.

Millennials and New Home Buyers Have More Options For Home Ownership

Millennials, 25 to 29-year olds, are entering the homebuying market due to the availability of better jobs. During the recession, they were just entering the job market at low-level pay. Many chose to move in with their parents or live in a multi-family home. With the improvement of job availability and new mortgage options, they are ready to move out of their ‘parents’ basement’ and buy their own homes.

More Naperville Homes For Sale and Chicagoland Homes For Sale

Naperville and Chicagoland homeowners wanting to sell their homes, held back until the market improved and home values rose. With the potential demand, values of homes could increase, causing more homeowners to put their homes on the market.

Home Builders Prepared For Higher Demand

Builders long ago realized that when the housing market improved, especially with the millennial generation coming into their own, the demand for more homes would be inevitable. The new home building market is strong and ready for homebuyers to choose their custom features.

The Federal Housing Commission (FHA) Will Cut Fees On Mortgages

President Obama outlined his plan to make homeownership more affordable and sustainable in January 2015. The plan will help credit-worthy homebuyers will by reducing their annual mortgage insurance premiums by 0.5 percentage point from 1.35 percent to 0.85 percent.

According to the White House’s website, for the typical first-time homebuyer, this reduction will translate into a $900 reduction in their annual mortgage payment.

All these factors project a healthy improvement for both homebuyers and home sellers in the Naperville and Chicago real estate market.  

 

If you have any questions about buying a Naperville home for sale or are interested in selling your Chicago area home, please do not hesitate to contact me, Teresa Ryan at 630-275-7575. You can search for homes throughout Chicagoland at www.RyanHillRealty.com.