Today Lucid Realty announced the launch of their 100% real estate commission rebate program for home buyers in the Chicago real estate market. Designed to offer unprecedented choices for consumers to maximize their savings in purchasing a home, this new program allows home buyers to optionally pay an hourly rate to Lucid Realty for assisting in the purchase of a home in exchange for a 100% commission rebate at closing. The full commission, which is paid by the home seller, is given to the home buyer in the form of a closing credit or a check.

The 100% commission rebate plan is the logical extension of Lucid Realty’s normal real estate commission rebate, which is paid on a sliding scale – a higher percentage for more expensive homes. The new plan will be more attractive for consumers who are buying more expensive homes or who feel that they don’t need as much attention.

“This 100% rebate plan solves two long standing problems in real estate,” said Gary Lucido, President of Lucid Realty. “First, clients who require little assistance in buying a home are basically paying for clients who require more assistance. Second, real estate agents can spend a considerable amount of time engaged in low value activities, earning very little on an hourly basis. Home buyers who opt into this new plan will have an incentive to use their agent more effectively. It should be a win-win situation.”

Gary also pointed out that Lucid Realty did not really invent this new structure. Their clients have been asking for an alternative like this. In fact, Lucid Realty is currently piloting this program with several clients.

Gary went on to contrast the 100% rebate program with Koenig & Strey’s recent announcement that effective today they will begin charging home buyers a fee to work with one of their agents: “We understand why Koenig & Strey introduced this fee. They are trying to solve the same problem that we are trying to solve. The main difference is that the Koenig & Strey solution ends up costing home buyers more while our solution should cost them less.”

Initially, Lucid Realty is offering an introductory rate of $75 per hour under the 100% rebate program in order to generate more interest. As Gary explains: “Compare that to mechanics, plumbers, and interior designers who all charge $100 per hour. This is a bargain.”

About Lucid Realty, Inc.
Lucid Realty, Inc. is the Chicago area’s full service, discount, real estate brokerage. Lucid Realty distances itself from traditional brokerages and provides a better value to the consumer. It is a full service broker, offering substantial savings to both buyers and sellers, providing services by employees not independent contractors, working as a team instead of competing against one another, with professionalism and high standards of customer service.

On average, the homes were for sale in the Addison, IL real estate market for 180 days – the majority of the homes were 3 bedrooms with 6 or 7 rooms with a few having more or less rooms.  Still staggering is the number of distressed sales, which is 48%.  While its down from the 2011 rate of 51%, it still is a huge factor in the home values in Addison, Illinois.  For comparsion sake, the rate of distressed sales in Elmhurst for 2011 was 15% and in Lombard, distressed sales account for 32% of the single family homes sales.

This month another luxury home sold in the Midwest Club in Oak Brook. 302 Midwest Club sold for $905,000 on January 13th. Listed at $800k, 302 Midwest Club Parkway is a bank owned home built in 1986 with 5200 square feet of living space, 5 bedrooms and six bathrooms. The home was once listed with a sales price of $2,999,850 and in 2007 had a mortgage against the property of over $2mm dollars.

The listing agent described the home as:

Wow! 2 story grand foyer, 1st flr master, hdwd flrs, & tray ceilings. 2nd flr w/ 4bdrms incl a master. Screened porch. 24 hr gate guard. Clubhouse w/ pool & tennis courts. OB/Hinsdale Schools! Come live the lavish life in MidWest Club! The most desirable gated community in Oakbrook!!! HOME IN MID REHAB COME TAKE A LOOK WITH ALL YOUR PERSONAL IDEAS!

Between the first time the home was listed and this last time someone started a major rehab project and then abandoned it. At the time of this sale the house had no flooring, the basement was gutted, and all the appliances, cabinets, and fixtures had been removed. The home was a shell of its former self.

Interestingly enough, the listing agent represented both the buyer and the seller in the transaction. The Midwest Club home was listed on the MLS December 14th with a demand for all offers by December 18th. Four days. Is that the best way to find the buyer willing to pay the highest price? Probably not, who knows what drives decisions on bank owned properties. Definitely notable is that the listing agent was also the buyers’ agent. One might wonder about the possible conflict of interest with dual agency in a case like this since the listing agent knew all the bids.

While this home was bank owned, most of the sales in Midwest Club over the last year have sold at significant discounts whether they were bank owned or not. If you are already searching the Oak Brook Market for a home, then it would be a good idea to set your upper price threshold around 25% higher than what you are willing to spend, especially if you are looking in the Midwest Club subdivision.  My partner wrote about the huge discounts on Oak Brook homes.

There are two additional homes under contract in Midwest Club. My guess is both will close at significant discounts off the current list price. Will sellers get the picture and adjust their prices downward toward what the current market bears? The smart ones will.

Recent Home Sales in Midwest Club, Oakbrook

Elmhurst Condominium Market

In 2011, Elmhurst Condo sales were down drastically over 2010 with nearly $25mm dollar in volume sold in 2010 reduced to just over $11mm in  condo sales in 2011. In 2011, just 50 condo and townhome units sold in Elmhurst, compared to 108 in 2010. In 2010, distressed condo sales (short sales or foreclosures) accounted for about 20% of the sales in Elmhurst which were at 15% in 2011.

On average a condo stays on the market for 240 days and as of January 1, 2012 there are about 18 months of inventory on the Elmhurst condo market.

Elmhurst Single Family Homes

The Elmhurst single family home market faired much better in  Elmhurst in 2011 than the condo market did. In 2011 there was $155mm of home sales up over the 2010 volume of $142 mm. A total of 383  homes were sold in 2011, with fewer than 15% of the sales being distressed, in 2010 there were 343 homes sold in Elmhurst with 20% of the sales being distressed, so an increase in  homes sold and a decrease in distressed sales, which is quite a bit different than Chicago as a whole.

2012

My expectation for the 2012  real estate market in Elmhurst is that there will be an increase in the sale of distressed properties along with an increase in total number of  homes sold. Already the phone is ringing with showing requests and buyers ready to get out and start looking. March is historically the month where the most  home inventory hits the market in Elmhurst.

It is not a good idea to simply look at what the current owner is paying because there are many variables.  In Chicago, we typically tell our clients to expect a tax bill at about 1.5% of the purchase price.  In Du Page County, the range is from about 1% in Oak Brook all the way up to nearly 3% in Glendale Heights. Oak Brook is home to many large corporations and of course Oak Brook mall which helps keep property taxes low.

So, how did we come up with the 1-3% range?  Below is the formula used in Du Page County to calculate property tax.

Du Page County Tax Calculation

1. A home’s fair market value:  $5000,000 – Fair Market Value is defined as the amount a buyer would be willing to pay for the property.
2. Tax assessor’s adjustment:  $500,000 x 33% = Equalized Asessed Value – In Du Page county, the assessor uses of 1/3 of a homes fair market value in determining DuPage County property taxes.
3. Equalized assessed value: $165,000  –  This is the adjusted fair market value of your property used for property tax calculation purposes.
4. Property tax rate: 5% **Rates vary by city as indicated in the table below – 5% used as a simplification for example.
5. Property tax calculation:  $165,000 x .05  -  Equalized assessed value multiplied by a property tax rate of 5% .
6. Total property tax :  $8,250

Du Page County Real Estate Property Tax Table

In communities where there are more than one township, the higher of the tax rates is shown in the table above.

Background

In 2002, Wextrust Development purchased the property for $18 million. Wextrust planned to construct 12 buildings on the Hinsdale site.  In the original plan, seven buildings would contain 23 luxury townhomes and five larger structures would house 93 condominium apartments. Prices were to range from $339,000 to $697,900 for the condos and $695,000 to $940,000 for the townhouses. But work on the project halted that year when Wextrust CEO and COO were indicted by a federal grand jury for involvement in a $255 million Ponzi scheme.

After sitting on the market for sometime, The Hamptons was purchased by a subsidiary of Oak Brook-based Inland Opportunity earlier this year from Citizen’s Financial Bank.  According to The Hamptons website, The Hamptons is “Well-funded, carefully planned and on schedule for completion in the near future.” Next Generation Development out of Wheaton will handle construction, sales and marketing.” The Hamptons sales trailer is now on-site along Grant  Street, well as the rear entry near Washington & Kennedy.

Located on a 12.5 acre parcel of land, The Hamptons offers 26 Villa Townhomes and 93 Condominiums set among landscaped grounds, featuring shingle-style architecture, open space with gazebos and a tranquil pond. The Hamptons is situated in the highly desirable Elementary school district 181 and in Hinsdale Central High School District.

Marketed as “affordable, intelligent living”, there are four town home designs that span 2,473 to 2,817 square feet and 9 condo floor plans are available, ranging from 1,262 to2,239 square feet.  In a small change from the original plan there will be four condo buildings and six villa buildings.  Below is a table showing the units being offered with links to more information for the units available now.

The grand opening took place the weekend of September 9^th.  There are two units listed for sale in the MLS as available now, the Broadmoor and the Cotswold.  Both are listed substanially higher than the starting prices listed on the table above -with the Broadmoor being listed at $689,900, and the Cotswold for $697,000.  Also, not in the MLS but listed as available on the Hamptons site is the Prescott for $722,000. As of October 20, 2011, one unit has sold, and that was for a Prescott unit back in 2008 for $1,036,058.  Bet that guy is anxious for some neighbors who are going to pay about 30% less than he did.  Ouch.

Hinsdale Condo Market Conditions

Currently, there are a total of 68 units on the market in all of Hinsdale priced from $60k to $1mm.  In the last 12 months,  in the Hinsdale Market, 16 condo/townhome units have sold ranging in price from $142,500 – $950,000.  Simple math indicates that there is already a 4 1/4 years supply of inventory.  With The Hamptons adding an additional 112 units, the time triples.  It will be very interesting to see what sort of demand the Hamptons is able to create.

Prices for condos and townhomes that sold this year range from $15,000 – $609,000 and last year at this time, the range was similar, but note the floor decreased dramatically from last years $55,000 – $ 615,000. There were three properties that sold under $55k this year.

The average price per square foot has decreased from $176 to $158, even though the mix of properties sold were built in 2000 or later went from 30% of the units sold to 46% of the units sold.

So what can you get for under $225k in the Elmhurst condo market? Located at 136 N Haven is a vintage one bedroom, one bath 828 square foot condo located a short walk from the train listed at $219k. For $215,000 you can get a 1,486 square foot new construction 2 bed, 2 bath condo and it comes with heated garage space located in the Essex Place condos which are located just a stones’ throw from the new Elmhurst Hospital campus at 175 Brush Hill.

For the big spenders who like the biggest and brightest of everything, there are six new construction townhomes located on First Avenue in Elmhurst within walking distance to downtown and the train. Several models with three bedrooms and 3 ½ baths are for sale priced between $565k and $625k. Check out 359 W First to see the most expensive townhome option available in Elmhurst.

Overall Elmhurst Market Conditions

As of September 1, there was about an 18 month supply of condo inventory on the market, which is the lowest it’s been in the last 2 years at this time. The time a condo/townhome stays on the market has remained consistent at about 200 days, though we’re moving into the slow selling season, which should present some buying opportunities as sellers compete for fewer buyers.

Between 1/1/11 and late August, 106 single family homes and 48 condo/town-homes have sold. At the same time in 2010, there were 127 single family and 38 condo sales. On homes where square footage data is included the average price per square foot on single family homes is $110,  and around $80 on condos. That’s about a 10% decrease in single family and a whopping 50% decrease in last years condos over last year’s average square foot price of around $120 (condos and single family homes)!

The highest priced home to sell this year was $530k. The home was built in 2004, w/over 5900 Sq ft., 5 BR& 3 ½ baths. It was the only home in Addison to sell for over $500k in 2011, but it represents a tremendous value with its location, square footage, and amenities. There were 2 sales in 2010 of homes over $500k. Of the 175 single family homes for sale in Addison, 13 are priced above $500k.With only 3 buyers in this price range in the last year, you can see why it’s tough to sell homes at this price point.

On the other end of the spectrum, the lowest priced unit was a 1 bed/1 bath condo selling at $23,500 when a similar unit sold last year for $49,900. There are a ton of opportunities to own condos at prices far below $100k.  In fact, there are decent single family homes available for around $150k.  There are great new construction options as well at Armitage Pointe where you can have a home built on one of several available lots, or buy one of the builders models.

For those of you who wish to live in Hinsdale, there are some great opportunities.  For example, you can get this two bedroom condo at 300 Claymoor #3E.   The Claymoor complex is actually very nice and is nestled quietly amongst single family homes valuing from $700k up to several million  There are four buildings with 20 units each and 1 garage spot for each unit.  There is plenty of exterior parking for residents and guests as well.  The association is very well managed (financially)  and the grounds are beautiful with an abundance of flowers and mature trees throughout the property.

If you have just about double that to spend, you might want check out this townhome in  Chanteclier.  At $319,900, this townhome has 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and is completely remodeled from the bathrooms to floors and kitchen.   At both complexes the assessments are reasonable and  under $250 per month.

For just another MILLION dollars, you can buy  a “Dazzling Creekside Graue Mill Villa” .  The listing agent Joan McInerney of Adams and Meyers decribes the home as:

3 Levels & 6000 Sq Ft of Magnificent Living Right out of Architectural Digest. Two Master Suites, Newer Chef’s Kitchen, Incredible Newly Completed Master Bath, Dramatic Loft Library/Office. Add Vaulted Ceilings, Skylights, Hardwood Floors, Crown Molding & 3 car garage. Lower Level Great Room overlooking creek & private deck access. This is one Incredible home!

There are several condo and townhome communites located in Hinsdale.  The map below gives you a rough idea of where each complex is located.  The details can be found on on our Hinsdale Market page where you can find other relevant information on the Hinsdale real estate market.

Clearing The Air

I’m sure there will be some of you reading this who have used an FHA 203k loan to buy a distressed property, and I do not mean to say it is impossible.  Local market conditions significantly impact the possibility that this loan will be accepted for the purchase of a distressed property.  For example, with most suburbs of Chicago and a few of the fringe neighborhoods of the city proper the competition is virtually nonexistent.  A bank attempting to sell a property in areas with low demand are often so desperate for any type of offer that on the slight chance that one comes it matters not what type of loan it is; they’ll pounce on it like a starving cat.

Back To Business

The purpose of this article is to illustrate an example that worked out very well for a buyer that I have been working with for quite some time.  As with many savvy investors my client was very particular about what he wanted in a property.  His goal was to find a distressed building, preferably a multi-unit, and convert it into a beautiful modern single family home for himself.   As such it took us quite some time to locate the perfect property.  When we finally did it was a gutted two unit that had little more than the bricks, the studs and a pile of rubble lining the floors.  With an asking price of around 180K it was ripe for the plucking.  When he asked me to put an offer in on the place, protocol demanded a pre-approval or proof of funds and I asked him for such.  A few moments later he forwarded me a pre-approval letter from his lender for an FHA 203k loan.  Knowing what I know about this type of loan and also about the desirability of this type of property to other investors I correctly surmised that a multi-offer situation was at hand.  Given a very small number of days on the market, there was little chance the seller of this property would jump on a 203K loan.  Instead, they would graciously acknowledge our offer and hold out for something more attractive; cash or a conventional loan offer with a low number of contingencies.  Given this, I called a couple lenders who I know that have their fingers on the pulse of the lending market and we came up with a solution.

The Challenge

Our challenge was how to make our offer stand out on top versus the others that were sure to come.  Knowing my client had enough cash to buy this property with some to spare, I asked him why he chose an FHA 203K loan.  He gave me the answer I was expecting, “I want to save my cash for the rehab.”  Knowing what we now know about the low desirability of this type of loan it was only natural that I council him on the unlikeliness that his offer would be considered.  As the ball was in my court to find a superior alternative I shared my discovery with him.

FHA 203K Refinance

Let me cut to the chase.  If you buy a property with cash there is no title seasoning requirements to re-finance the property with a 203K loan.  As such the refinance can happen immediately after purchase.  Combine that with the huge desirability of cash in the eyes of the seller and this significantly increases the likelihood of a win-win situation.

What If I Don’t Have Cash?

Here’s the good news for investors out there who want to take advantage of this scenario but don’t have enough capital to purchase with cash.  The FHA 203k refinance has the same title seasoning requirement (zero days) if you purchase with a conventional mortgage.  In other words, if you buy a property with a conventional loan, right after you close you can turn around and re-finance it with a FHA 203k loan allowing you to obtain extra money to do some rehabbing on the property.  So why not make the initial offer with an FHA 203k loan and why did I not recommend a conventional loan to my client and encourage him to save the cash for the rehab?  To get that answer I suggest you read my article on Multi-Offer Strategy.

Ciao for now!