Joe Lynn Managing Broker JoeLynn@GrapevineRealtor.com 847-452-9191 cell
I love the educational part of real estate: giving buyers & sellers the information they need to make informed decisions. I offer my professional recommendations & walk clients through the process making it as smooth as possible. I am a member of the National Association of Realtors, a Managing Broker of the company and have been a Realtor in IL since 2004.
Grapevine Realty, Inc.
my story
Buying
50% of my compensation to buyers at closing*
That's approximately $5,000 to you at closing on a $400,000 home. $10,000 for a $800,000 home.
I service the Northwest, North & West Suburbs as well as Chicago.
See below for my free Buyer's Checklist. (*any amount over 1.25% to buyer; most sellers offer 2.5%; $300K min. purchase price)
Selling
4.25% with an exclusive right to sell contract
I still recommend 2.5% to be offered to a Buyer's Realtor, the same as most other Realtors. I just take less at 1.75%.
Most agents charge 5% or more. In hiring me to sell your home, I will:
1. Prepare a Comparative Market Analysis to establish a fair market value for your home.
2. I will help you stage your every room of your home and hire a professional photographer to take pictures, then feature the photos on the Multiple Listing Service.
3. Email listing targeting buyers looking for your home’s location, size and features.
4. Feature your home on dozens of websites with pictures and a detailed description of your property. Your home will appear on websites such as Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow and Redfin, as well as the sites of brokerage franchises (Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Berkshire Hathaway, ReMax, @properties, etc.).
5. Guide you through the selling process and give you my professional opinion and the reasons for it.
Reviews (see additional reviews on Google & YELP!)
Maria B., Arlington Hts., IL
We were initially searching for a home without the help of a realtor and happened to see a property where Joe was the sellers agent. He told us about his business and that he gives the buyers 50% of his commission at closing--50%!! We decided to work with Joe in pursuit of our dream home. He set up several appointments for us and we found 'the one.' Joe was very patient and always took the time to answer our (my) many questions; he was never pushy. Joe is very prompt in responding to calls and emails and very punctual (always at appointments on time or early). At closing, he literally wrote us a check at the closing table for that 50% of his commission. We have since referred Joe to several of our friends and relatives and, those that have worked with him, have been very pleased as well. We definitely recommend Joe to anyone searching for a home!
Brandon G., Gurnee, IL
Joe Lynn at Grapevine Realty is a superb real estate agent. He helped us with the sale of our home while also helping us purchase a new one. He was attentive to our needs, took time to explain whatever we needed, and always communicated clearly and professionally. I was impressed with his attention to detail in all elements of our interactions. Our trips to see potential homes were well-planned, and his presence during a difficult search was always soothing; he alleviated so much of our stress. We are incredibly thankful to Joe. We received top-dollar offers on our home sale, and successfully negotiated our new home into buying range. With the refund that Joe offers, it made the entire selling/buying transaction significantly less expensive than working with the larger real estate brokerages while losing none of the benefits. All in all, if you want to work with a friendly, no-nonsense agent, call Joe immediately! We will never work with anyone else. Thanks again, Joe!
Dan V., Palatine, IL
Joe was beyond a real estate agent. He was a friend, a dad, a home inspector, a marriage counselor, and more. He could have easily "sold" us on numerous houses early on in the process, but he genuinely wanted what was best for my family and me. He was picking out negatives and things to worry about that my wife and I never would have noticed. He knew our "must haves" and wanted to make sure we both got the most important things on our lists. He knew us so when that when we were about half-way through the tour of the house we bought and are living in, he turned to us and said, "guys...I'm getting excited about this one." And man was he right! AND he helped stage our condo so beautifully that we got a few offers almost instantly and accepted a great offer with 48 hours. He was also phenomenally knowledgeable and helpful throughout the offers, negotiations, inspections, contracts, closing and all of the other horribly boring and confusing stages of buying and selling homes.
If that hasn't sold you yet...he will also give you HALF of his commission when you buy a house! It's such an awesome perk at closing when your realtor gives YOU a check!!!
Ly N., Arlington Heights, IL
Joe has helped us with multiple offers over the years. He's very patient and make himself available to accommodate our busy schedule. We were looking for the right investment property and finally found the one. There were multiple offers just under one week in the market. We were prepared to pay over asking price but Joe advised us to put in the price escalation clause which save us over $10K. We also received 50% compensation back from Joe at closing. Highly recommended!
Buyer’s Checklist
Buying a home shouldn’t have to be difficult. That’s why I have created this checklist for home buyers.
I can send you daily, or weekly e-mails of homes that meet your criteria as soon as they come on the market. You can see a complete listing of each property, an aerial view, pictures and virtual tours. Simply call me to look at properties you like. No looking at homes you don’t want to see. I only take you to where you want to go.
1. Figure out what you can afford.
A. In order to figure out an estimate, note two rules of thumb:
1. Your monthly cost of buying a home, including principle, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI), should
not exceed 28% of your gross (pretax) monthly income.
2. Your payments on all long-term debts combined with your house payment should not exceed 36% of
gross monthly income. Use an online mortgage calculator to figure out P (principle) and I (interest).
Be sure to add T (taxes) and I (insurance) to that calculation to come up with the monthly cost of
buying a home (PITI).
B. Seek out rates and services with three mortgage companies/mortgage brokers. When seeking services and products that involve large sums of money, use The Rule of Three: seek three estimates. This way you will get a real sense of what a good rate really is.
Rather than using a bank, I highly recommend using a mortgage broker. A bank has a few loan options, all from itself (one lender). Brokers have access to many lenders and loan options and most often have better rates, and often lower closing costs.
C. Ask for estimates of what you can afford from the mortgage companies/brokers. This will give you a much more accurate picture of what you can afford than the rough estimate you did in letter A above.
D. Choose a mortgage company/mortgage broker and have them prepare a loan pre-approval letter. This letter will be very helpful in making your offer to buy a home very attractive to a seller and will help speed up the loan process.
2. Figure out what you want.
A. Create a list of “must haves.” Some features to think about: eat in kitchen, dining room, move-in condition, basement, garage, cities, schools, dishwasher, house style, updated kitchen and baths, master bathroom, yard and number of bedrooms and baths.
B. Create a list of “nice to haves.” What would be nice to have, but isn’t essential? Features may include: dishwasher, master bath, walk-in closet, attached garage, basement, hardwood floors, fireplace, laundry chute, eat-in kitchen and deck/patio.
C. Create a list of “don’t wants.” Some issues to think about: busy street, flood plain, power lines, monthly assessment and rehab.
3. Find a Realtor.
A. A Realtor can set up searches to email properties that meet your criteria on a daily or weekly basis. A Realtor also sets up showings, makes observations about a home, helps you establish a home’s value, and leads you through the buying process.
B. Questions to ask potential brokers:
1. How many clients are you working with now? The fewer, the more likely you will get the attention you
deserve.
2. What do you offer me as a client? Communication is key. You want someone who will be in constant
contact with you regarding the market and your search. Do you offer any incentives to work with you?
Ask them to share a portion of their compensation (although none will offer you the 50% I offer).
4. Choose a lawyer.
A. Expect to pay $400-$600 as a buyer.
B. Once you have a contract to purchase, I will forward the contract to your attorney immediately. There is a five day attorney review period once the contract is signed.
5. Choose a home inspector.
A. This can be done later on when you get a contract, but time is tight with the usual inspection period being only five days. If you can get it done now, then you have one less item to worry about once a contract is signed.
B. I suggest an ASHI certified inspector. They have stricter standards than a regular home inspector. Expect to pay $300-$500 depending on the company and the size of the home.
6. Search for homes, make an offer, buy one, move.
A good Realtor will go over your three lists with you (see #2 above), set up showings to look at homes, keep in touch with you regarding the process and new homes on the market, help you make an offer on a home you love, and guide you through the closing.
7. Relax.
A. Tackle one item at a time. Cross it off the list once it is done.
B. I will do everything I can to make this process a smooth one. My goal is to help you find a home you love while putting more money in your pocket.\
Make a great day,
Joe Lynn