discovering home
DESCRIPTION
Buying a home in ChicagoTRANSCRIPT
Discover home
A successful path to finding your next home
ACCOMPLISHED
Know value. Find opportunities. Make deals. This is my simple real estate mission. I have been in the residential real estate business for over twenty years in Chicago and have a wide range of award-winning experiences including sales, marketing, development, construction and design of residential real estate.
It is a product and process I know well.
I am an accomplished award-winning sales consultant earning the Outstanding Top Residential Sales Achievement Award year after year and am proud to be listed among the top residential sales producers in Chicago.
I look forward to discussing your home buying goals and earning your business.
TESTIMONIALS
"Jim was outstanding from the moment we started. He was professional, friendly, thorough, knowledgeable, hard working and caring. Hands down the best person I've ever worked with in real estate. ~ Jim B.
"Jim was fantastic. He listened to what we were looking for and found a number of places that fit
within our search area and price goal. He helped us look for properties everyday and when we
were ready to make our offer, he walked us through our options and strategies step by step. I
don't think we could have done this without him and I would recommend Jim to anyone.
Continue everything you are doing now." ~ Catie G.
"I have worked with other Realtors in the past, but none have been able to save me as much
time or money as Jim Gramata. Jim listened to my needs and quickly helped me find the
perfect property at a great price in the South Loop. Jim's industry experience as a contractor
and a realtor was invaluable during the entire search" ~ Todd M.
"Thanks to Jim, I found more than I could imagine, because he knew the market and the area
better than I did. He kept me from settling for lesser properties. His approach was kind, gentle,
non-pushy and yet he was assertive when negotiating for me. As a single women who had
never bought a home before, Jim was ideal! I felt really watched out for" ~ Staci B.
“Jim’s wealth of knowledge and experience combined with his good nature and attention to
detail make him an outstanding Realtor®. On both the sale of our condo and the purchase of
our new home, he did a fantastic job and was a real pleasure to work with” ~ Jim & Limia W.
Establishing an effective and efficient search strategy is
critical to finding a match to your specific needs
You are about to embark on the exciting journey of finding your ideal home.! Whether it is your fi rst home or your tenth home, a retirement home, or an investment property, I can help you find the ideal home with the least amount of hassle, in the shortest amount of time; and I am devoted to using my expertise and the full resources of my sales team and office to achieve these results!
Purchasing a home is a very important decision and a big undertaking in your life.! In fact, most people only choose a few homes in their lifetime.! I am going to make sure that you are well equipped and armed with up-to-date information for your big decision.!
I have prepared a free guide called "Putting the Pieces Together" to help you through every phase of the home-buying process.!I've found this packet gives buyers helpful information during and after your real estate transaction .! It has many reference pages, note pages and home buying information and is an invaluable guide on your home-buying journey.
Together we will formulate the most effective program for finding your home. First, we will define your property goals. What neighborhoods are we interested in? What features are important to us? Is being near public transportation an issue? Then we will define each of our roles in the process and the importance of creating a partnership and to make sure our search is a success.
I can also put you in touch with the best team of resources available for finding our home including legal advisors, lenders, inspectors, contractors, movers and so on. We will get you pre-approved for a loan and will determine what our price range is for searching.
Initial consultation meetingA quick one-on-one session at a place near where you live or work (such as a
Starbuck's ) to discuss your buying goals. I will get us online and show you real
time my services and my Constant Connect program.
We will discuss your home buying goals and the changing landscaping of real
estate purchases we are experiencing today. What neighborhoods are you
interested in? What features are important to you? What is your time frame and
goals for when you want to be moved in. Then we will define each of our roles in
the process and the importance of creating a partnership.
I will also give you lots of real estate related links such as neighborhood
information, crime statistics, and school reports so you can make an informed
decision on where you will be making your next home.
Constant Connect Program This program was set up specifically with buyers in mind. The primary purpose
of the ConstantConnect Program is to keep us constantly connected to my
definitive subscription-based MLS database of available housing in Northern
Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin.
You will be notified of any changes which occur within our customized search
areas. If a new home comes on the market, has a price reduction or goes under
contract in an area you are looking you will be notified up to twice daily by email.
We won't miss a step. You can log on to your own website 24/7 with your own
login name and secure password. There you can preview properties, store the
information with notes and interest level and retrieve all of that information
anytime viewable by both of us as well as any professionals we invite into the
system such as attorneys or lenders. We will stay connected to the market.
Neighborhood Market Sales DataAny time you think you might be seriously interested in a property, I will create a
property report that includes:
• Recent Sales: The greater the number of good comparable properties, the
more precisely fair market value can be determined especially in today’s market.
• Property History: We will review the property’s history and see if there is
information we can use to make our negotiations more powerful. I research the
sellers loan balance and how much room they have to negotiate equity.
• Days on Market: We will review how long the property we are interested has
been on the market, what the property listing history has been and what our
sense of urgency we can expect when we negotiate our offer.
There is no limit to the creative options I will bring to the negotiating table to get
you the best deal possible on your next purchase.
The Buying ProcessEven if you’ve been through the buying process a hundred times, it is always
useful to review the entire process from pre-qualification to post-closing and
check to make sure you are prepared for each level before you begin your
search. The most important first step to the process is finding a professional real
estate agent who will provide the kind of services you need to make your next
purchase as smooth and seamless as possible. We will review each step of the
process at our initial consultation meeting. There are no fees for my exclusive
buyer agency services so it really is in your best interest to find someone you
can trust, who is honest, who has experience, who is committed to your needs
and who you feel comfortable working with. I would appreciate the opportunity
to meet with you to see if we feel comfortable working together.
First-time Buyers ProgramI have designed a program with the first-time buyer in mind. The most important
thing you can do before you buy a home is become educated and be
prepared. This starts with such things as researching and understanding your
credit score and loan to value ratios as well as understanding ways to save for
the required down payment. What questions to ask your lender after you've
reached the steps required in preparing for your home buying adventure are
critical to preparing for your next purchase. There are so many incentive
programs available for first-time buyers these days that it take a professional
who is experienced in working with first-time buyers to make sure you are aware
of your options, that your experience is rewarding and that all of your goals and
needs are met. I can help you with that difficult task.
Professional ReferralsFinding your next home is only half the work. The next steps are the most
important ones you will make in this transaction and you want to surround
yourself with the highest level of professional service providers in the industry.
We have a selection of allied professionals should you need them including:
• Loan Officers: Mortgage Bankers and Brokers
• Real Estate Attorneys: Legal Advisors/Law Firms
• Licensed Property Inspectors
• Contractors and Subcontractors
• Architects and Interior Designers
• Moving Companies
• Closet Organizers
• Low voltage contractors: Sound systems, Flat screen, security systems, etc
My Negotiation Skills at Work Here are my six recent contracts I negotiated where my clients on average
saved 6.56% off the list price of the property. The city average has shown
5.5% off list price on homes sold since the beginning of 2009. My services yield
a net gain of 1.06% off the purchase price than average market agents. It
doesn’t seem like much but that would pay for all of your closings costs on most
transactions. A $500,000 list price would yield $5,300 more in savings off the
list price with me on your side than the average sales associate.
These charts on the opposite page are some examples of actual market reports I
created for clients when we were about to structure a negotiation strategy for
their purchase. In all cases, the more advanced and researched a strategy in
combination with my experiences of how the seller may respond usually yields
the best results and highest returns.
Perfect Point of ConnectionThe goal of a buyer’s representative is to find the perfect point of connection between the homes available in the market and the needs and financial capacity of the buyers.
• Locating neighborhoods.• Locating suitable properties.• Previewing properties.• Verifying the properties’ condition and highest and best use.• Suggesting necessary inspections by experts• Helping buyers determine what they can afford.• Suggesting financing options and financial institutions• Verifying the value of the property.• Advising clients on structuring and writing an offer.• Presenting the offer to the sellers’ representative.• Negotiating favorable contract terms for the buyer.• Assisting buyers and their attorney in clarifying title, zoning & building codes.• Referring you to qualified vendors if needed.• Determine improvement costs and returns after next sale• Analyzing the future salability of the property.
My Goals Some of the ongoing goal of our company during this entire transaction will be:
• Understand and create a plan to help you reach or exceed your current
and future buying goals
• Listen to your concerns and offer professional advise so you can make
an informed decision
• Act on your behalf with respect and professionalism
• Meet or exceed your expectations
• Become your sales & marketing agent of choice
• Earn your business now and in the future
• Develop the trust to receive future referrals from friends, family and work
associates
ContactJim Gramata, Broker Associate, M.Arch.
773-252-HOME (office) •!773-315-6103 (cell)
www.REMEMBERJIM.com
www.CHICAGOHOMEBUZZ.com
www.DOGPADS.net
www.ABODEBUZZ.com
Your Chicago Neighborhood Real Estate Professional
My mission is to know value, find opportunities, & make deals for you, your friends or business associates
If you are currently in an exclusive buyer agency agreement with another brokerage this is not a solicitation for business
EARNING YOUR BUSINESS
I know you have a lot of quality real estate professionals to choose from and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to be your consultant as you purchase your next home. Now more than ever you need an agent who understands the real estate marketing, is dedicated to getting you the best deal and who will keep your best interests in mind when guiding you through the entire buying (and selling if you need it) process.
Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to call or email me. Thank you for the opportunity to earn your business.
Sincerely,
Jim Gramata
Jim Gramata
www.REMEMBERJIM.com773.252.HOME
My mission is to know value, find opportunities, & make deals
for you, your friends or business associates