Frustrated buyers, we have found a great tool for you! Beatyouthere.com is a real estate website that launched this week with over two million property listings - designed for the homebuyer who wants all of the info! Beatyouthere.com features a unique interactive tool, so that registered users can post comments and review listings, homes they've visited or even realtors that they've worked with. And it makes perfect sense. After all, we check out reviews of restaurants before we eat there, why wouldn't we do our homework on a purchase as major as a home?

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If you're thinking of entering the world of homeownership, right now is a great time! Prices are low, mortgage rates are good and the selection of homes on the market is pretty incredible. But for first-time homebuyers, the task of figuring out how much your new home is going to cost you can be intimidating. After all, presumably, this will be the biggest purchase you've made until this point in your life - and the costs can be staggering if you're not ready for them! According to the Federal Housing Administration, your mortgage payments should be no more than 29% of your gross monthly income if you carry some debt, or up to 41% if you have no debt.

Continue reading "Buying a Home? Do the Math!" »

It has been tough going in the housing market lately. We're stuck in a cycle where many homeowners can't sell their current home and then in turn buy a new home. And on top of that, securing a mortgage has gotten harder for many of us.

It's anybody's guess on where the housing market goes from here, but there are a few positives in the current market for buyers -- interest rates remain attractive, there's plenty of homes on the market, and prices continue to drop.

Bob Walters, chief economist at Quicken Loans, tells bankrate.com that today's housing woes present a historic opening for millions of homebuyers.

You can read more about what Walters says in the article on bankrate.com.

It's time to once again go behind the scenes at HomesPlus and check out some of the outtakes from the show.

Hope you enjoy. Video after the jump ...

Continue reading "New HomesPlus Show Bloopers" »

For a first time homebuyer (and probably some 2nd, 3rd and 4th time buyers too!) the steps you take to secure a mortgage can be tricky. A lot of phrases get tossed around and if you haven't done your homework, then they're probably totally foreign to you! But, as a person who had absolutely no idea what she was doing when she set out to look for a new home, I can tell you, it's not as scary as it seems! There are 4 basic concepts regarding your mortgage that you should understand when you decide to buy a home. Here they are, explained:

Continue reading "The ABC's of Buying a Home..." »

Looking for a 1st floor master suite in your new home? Many builders today are adding them to their floorplans and that's good news for many of us.

So where should you look? Here's one great example to check out this weekend. More after the jump ...

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All those years ago, Kermit may have had a point. But times have changed and these days it couldn't be easier to be green - especially in the most eco-friendly of the big cities, Chicago! Celebrate this Earth Day by taking a minute to think about your home and whether or not it might leave a big, gaping environmental footprint after you're gone. If you're looking for a new home, buying green is easy! According to the National Association of Home Builders new homes consume less than two-thirds the energy of older homes, per square foot. And if you have no plans to leave the home you've been in for years - fear not, Earth-lovers! Here are some easy tips to help you re-green your home!

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Spring is finally here! With our first 70-degree days under our belts, many of you are probably gearing up to get your yards back into shape for summer. But all of those fragrant flowers and newly-trimmed shrubs are good for more than your neighborhood garden walk. According to the American Nursery & Landscape Association, landscaping actually increases property values by 7 to 14 percent!

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Yes, you saw that correctly. You can save $77,000 on an immediate delivery home from William Ryan. And this home is big!! 3,300 sq. feet of living space ... 4 bedrooms ... 2.5 baths.

See more details after the jump ...

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What do the movies "Groundhog Day" and "Back to the Future" have in common? Both movies were partly shot in Woodstock, Illinois. The historic Woodstock Square was used for a number of scenes in the movies.

And now you can call Woodstock home with all it's charm and historic features.

William Ryan Homes is building a beautiful new community in Woodstock. Check out the video after the jump.

Continue reading "Live where movies are made ..." »