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events

APARTMENT BUILDING AUCTION

The featured inventory will be starting at low Min. Bids.

March 27, 2010 at Chicago Marriott OAK BROOK

AUCTION SEMINARS

Learn how to sell and buy at real estate auctions.

OPEN HOUSES

Inspect the properties prior to the auction.

Archive for January, 2010

Best Real Estate Auctioneer

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 @ 02:01 PM Author: Anthony

It’s often easy in the business world to make claims of “Best” because it can be difficult to prove otherwise. Does the XYZ Auto Dealership really have “The best selection of cars in the area”?  Is the ABC Consulting Company really “Your best partner in identifying and reaching your goals”?

We at RealEstateAuctions.com really can claim to have the best real estate auctioneer. He’s Vinnie Zaffarano, the 2009 Illinois Bid Calling Champion.

Mr. Zaffarano led our real estate auction of November 8, 2009 on a for-hire basis and we were so impressed with his professionalism, capability and enthusiasm that he was offered a position on our team. He is now officially on staff at RealEstateAuctions.com as Director of Auctions, helping build the brand to national recognition.

Vinnie has quickly assembled a team of real estate auction specialist Realtors who are bringing buyers and sellers together with some of the top properties available.

Mr. Zaffarano’s career in auctioneering began 10 years ago but it’s fair to say he was destined for bid calling. He attended his first auction in 1997 and immediately fell in love with the business. Dissatisfied with his job at the time, Vinnie eventually left that career and attended auction school, graduating in May, 1999.

He established his own auctioneering business in 2004, earned his real estate license in 2006 and joined a nationally-recognized real estate company where he sold close to $9 million in propery in less than two years. His path to the title of best real estate auctioneer was well under way.

Mr. Zaffarano’s next move was to open his own real estate company, in 2009. That same year he was named the Illinois Champion Auctioneer, which is how he came to the attention of OwnACondo.com’ s auction division. That division is now RealEstateAuctions.com.  

Vinnie’s enthusiasm for auctions is apparent and infectious. He truly believes in the process and is committed to spreading the word about the value of auctions for buying and selling real estate.

“Auctions should be the first choice of sellers, not a last resort,” he told The Illinois Auctioneer, a trade publication, in a profile done about him after winning the 2009 championship. “There’s no better way to bring buyers to the marketplace and to draw attention to their property.”

Mr. Zaffarano not only calls the bids at auctions but is dedicated to educating the public, too. He and his team conduct seminars for buyers and sellers in advance of each event held by RealEstateAuctions.com. It’s the type of personal attention consumers receive from the best real estate auction company and the best real estate auctioneer in the business.

Buying at Auction

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 @ 11:01 AM Author: Tim

Buying at auction can have many advantages but it is helpful if you have a guide.  There are a lot of things to consider if you want to do it right.  First of all, what are some of the advantages of buying a property at an auction?  There are many and we will only name a few of the most important. 

Properties are offered at a competitive price and if you do purchase a property you know you have paid fair market value, no more.  If more than one person is interested in a particular property the auction demonstrates free and fair competition enabling the buyer to buy the property at a price that is competitively achieved against other known bidders.

If you are the successful buyer of a property you know the seller cannot renege on his price and the property is yours upon completion.

When buying at auction the seller guarantees a clear title upon closing with no tax liens or mechanics liens assuring you of no surprises down the road.

Most auctions will offer a catalogue with the description of the properties, how to view each property and the general conditions of the sale.  Ample opportunity is given to view the property and you can seek professional advice from surveyors and appraisers to help you decide on your offering price.

As a buyer at auction the sales process is accelerated for both buyer and seller.  What this means to you as the buyer is you can close and take possession in as little as 30 days avoiding lengthy negotiations of price and terms.  Most traditional real estate transactions can take as much as 90-120 days before you can move in.  The purchase is based on your time table not the seller or the bank.

These are only some of the advantages of buying at auction which has become an increasingly popular means of buying property in recent years.  The real estate market has certainly had its ups and downs over the past decade but one constant since properties have been sold since roman times is the auction.  It is a tried and true method to convey property that will be around for a long time to come so look into it wherever you live and maybe you will find that home or condo you have always been looking for.  It is fun, it’s exciting and the end result is everyone comes out a winner.

Selling at Auction

Monday, January 25, 2010 @ 03:01 PM Author: Tim

When most people think of auctions they think of buying but in order to buy someone must be willing to sell.  Selling at auction for real estate is definitely not for everyone.  In the best of situations your property should be in the same price range as all the other properties in the auction.  The last thing you want to see is that the majority of the properties in the auction are derelict homes in a low value area when you are trying to auction off your four bedroom, 3 bath, updated kitchen and family room home.  You are most likely to not have much luck selling your home at market value since everyone at the auction is comparing prices on the other available properties.

Selling at auction requires a legal agreement and most auctioneers will wish to enter into a sole agency agreement.  This means they will advertise your property in brochures and catalogues on your behalf with the understanding you will be liable for the costs of that advertising, as well as a portion of the room fee, regardless of whether someone buys your property or not.  This may not seem fair but in reality you will have a hard time finding an auction company who will sell your property without such a legal, binding agreement.  And these may not be the only fees involved so find out about the charges before you sign any documents.  Once you have satisfied yourself with the agreements you should discuss pricing.  Find out the likely market value of your property and seek advice at what price to advertise as the reserve bid.

Now that you have everything in place there is nothing left but attend the auction.  As the seller you must attend the auction due to a variety of reasons, one of which is you may want to take a lower offer than the advertised reserve bid to get your property sold.  When the gavel goes down that last time it signifies the agreement of a binding contract between buyer and seller and you have sold your home at true market value.  The buyer must now pay 10% of the total sale price before leaving the auction house and in most cases must pay off the remaining balance in 30-45 days.  Your responsibility as the seller is to guarantee your ability to legally convey the property to the new buyer.  Selling at auction has its advantages for buyer and seller and can be the way to go depending on your motivation and comfort level.

Auctions

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 @ 11:01 AM Author: Tim

Auctions are a great way to buy a home no matter if it is your first, second or investment property.  There are so many advantages that I only have time to name a few but keep checking out our website for more information on when our next auction will be held and what properties will be available. 

There are three basic types of auctions any of which can be done at our auctions.  The most popular type of auctions with customers is the absolute auction.  This means the home will absolutely sell that day, no matter the price, highest bid wins.  The sellers brought the home to auction to sell and are ready to do so no matter the price.  You may think this is a distressed sale but many times an absolute bid is higher than the seller ever thought possible.  The reason for this is the excitement the auction generates with bidders getting caught up in the process hoping to buy at a great price.   Buyers and sellers benefit from this type of auction.  Buyers know they are going to pay only what they want for the property and the sellers know their property will be sold by the end of the day.  The second kind of auction is minimum bid.  In a minimum bid auction the prices is set below the list price, rock bottom of what the seller is willing to take.  The minimum bid is published in the auction catalog, on the website and announced by the auctioneer at the start of the bidding for this particular property.  As long as someone bids that price the property will sell that day.  If no minimum bid is offered the property is not sold and may be help over to the next auction.  The last type of auction is the reserve auction.  The seller has set a price he is willing to take but it is unpublished.  Bidding will start with an opening bid and progress normally.  A couple of things can happen at this point which is what makes many auctions exciting.  Once a particular price is reached the seller can notify the auctioneer that the property is now an absolute bid property.  In other words, when the final bid is called out and the gavel goes down the property is sold.

Auctions can be a great way to buy property.  In today’s real estate market auctions are becoming more and more an attractive way to buy and sell properties.

Condo Auctions

Monday, January 18, 2010 @ 11:01 AM Author: Tim

With the ever changing Chicago real estate market a centuries old process of buying and selling has resurfaced.  Condo auctions are becoming one of the most attractive ways to buy or sell real estate no matter if it is your primary residence, vacation home, or investment property.  To many people in Chicago a real estate auction is foreign to their way of thinking regarding the purchase or sale of their condo or home, but auctions have long been the primary means of buying and selling real estate in other parts of the country, particularly the south.  Auctions are the relatively simple process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the winning bidder.  The definition above is the basic auction form but there are several variations, including time limits, minimum or maximum limits on bid prices, and special rules for determining the winning bidder or sale price.  Many times the participants may or may not know the identities or actions of the other bidders and they can participate in a variety of ways, such as by telephone, or internet.  No matter how the auction is conducted the seller usually pays a commission based on a percentage of the final sales price.

Real estate auctions are exponentially growing due to all the talk we continually hear about the economy and real estate.  There are foreclosures, loss of equity and homeowners in trouble and it can make it difficult to sell properties not matter where they are located.  The media is helping condo auctions and smart buyers and sellers are using it to their advantage.  Real estate auctions attract buyers and they can get the highest and best offer in the shortest amount of time.  The media helps with this by talking about how real estate is cheap and now is a great time to buy.  Free advertising is being provided so when potential buyers see auction signs they believe a deal is waiting to be made.  Additionally, real estate auctions are moving to online sites that cater to our more technologically advanced buying public which many motivated sellers are seeing as an advantage since mass advertising at very little cost can expose their property to the maximum number of buyers possible.  More and more real estate agents are discovering that marketing is much less expensive and online condo auctions give them the most bang for their marketing buck.  Auctions are a trend that with today’s economy will continue to grow.