Buying a home in Naperville
Guides for buyers in Naperville, Bolingbrook, Oswego, Addison, Downers Grove, Elgin, Elmhurst, Lisle, Clarendon Hills, Mokena, Oak Brook and Chicago: what the process is, what it costs, and where the decisions actually get made.
Buyer guides
Steps to buying a home in Naperville
Step 1: Work out what you can spend, step 2: Get pre-approved, not pre-qualified, step 3: Choose who represents you, step 4: Search with a shortlist, not a wishlist, step 5: Make an offer that can win, step 6: Inspection, appraisal and clear-to-close, and step 7: Closing day in Illinois.
Read the guide →First-time home buyers in Naperville
What is different the first time, down payments and first-time buyer programs in Illinois, what a home really costs each month, where first-time budgets go furthest in {market}, and mistakes first-time buyers make here.
Read the guide →Getting pre-approved for a mortgage in Naperville
Pre-qualified or pre-approved, what the lender will ask for, credit, ratios and what moves the rate, choosing a lender, and after the letter: keeping the approval alive.
Read the guide →Making an offer on a home in Naperville
Reading the market before you write, what is in the offer, contingencies: what to keep and what to loosen, competing in multiple offers, and after acceptance.
Read the guide →Home inspections in Naperville: questions buyers ask
What does a home inspection cover, what comes up in homes of this age, who attends, and how long does it take, what can be negotiated after the inspection, and what does it cost, and how do I choose an inspector.
Read the guide →Closing costs in Illinois: what buyers pay
Who pays what at a Illinois closing, lender and prepaid costs, property tax proration in Illinois, a worked example at the {market} median, and ways to lower what you bring to closing.
Read the guide →Ways to own real estate in Naperville
Detached, townhome, condo, multi-unit, living with an HOA or condo association, owner-occupied multi-unit, new construction and land, and how title is held.
Read the guide →Buying
From pre-approval to keys in Naperville and the towns around it: the guides, the numbers and the listings on this site.
Start with the buyer guidesSelling
What Naperville homes are closing for, what it costs to sell, and how a listing gets priced and prepared.
Start with the seller guidesThinking about a move?
Start with a conversation and a real pricing analysis. No commitment, no pressure, and you'll know your numbers either way.