Sell Your Home for Top Dollar
Get expert guidance, strategic marketing, and a proven track record of success.
Ready To Sell?
Whether you're selling your first home or your fifth, we've created a smarter, more strategic approach to marketing and maximizing your sale in today's competitive market.
With my exclusive Home Marketing System, your property gets priority exposure to serious buyers before your competition. Skip the tire-kickers, avoid months of uncertainty, and attract only buyers who are ready, qualified, and excited about your home.
I will also provide you with a Free Home Valuation which shows what buyers are willing to pay in today’s market. A Market Analysis will give you a solid foundation for the realistic pricing of your property.
The Selling Experience by Christy
My 8 Proven Steps to Getting Your Home SOLD
Understand the Current Market
We help you evaluate and understand what is happening in YOUR market and to know if you are entering a Buyer’s Market, Seller’s Market, or a Balanced Market and what that means for you.
Assess the Value of Your Property
We complete a thorough Market Analysis, considering the value of recently sold properties and the properties currently for sale with which your home will be competing in order to arrive at the market value of your property in the current market.
Set the Right Price
It is important to price your property competitively so it is not rejected by buyers. We help you set the right price that will help you achieve the highest sale price for the property.
Prepare the Property for Sale
How a property shows is important to attracting buyers. We advise you about things that you can do so the property is most appealing to buyers.
Advertise and Market Your Home
This is an area in which we excel. We target our marketing and advertising efforts to the sources where National Association of REALTORS® research shows buyers find their homes.
Manage and Broker the Transaction
We are by your side every step of the way, guiding you through the process, skillfully handling negotiations of offers and of issues that may arise at home inspections. We are your fiduciary throughout the process.
Coordinate a Successful Closing
We oversee the inspections necessary for closing, any final readings (e.g., water/sewer), and any repairs you may agree to make, and help obtain any other documents needed.
Help You Get Settled in Your New Home
We will provide you with resources to help your move go as smoothly as possible.
Free Home Seller's Guide
A complete guide to selling your home, from pricing it right to prepping, showings, and understanding today's market.
Here are some inexpensive ways to maximize your home’s appeal:
Exterior
Keep the grass freshly cut.
Remove all yard clutter.
Apply fresh paint to wooden fences.
Paint the front door.
Weed and apply fresh mulch to garden beds.
Clean windows inside and out.
Wash or paint the home’s exterior.
Tighten and clean all door handles.
Ensure gutters and downspouts are firmly attached.
Interior
Remove excessive wall hangings, furniture, and knickknacks (consider a temporary self-storage unit).
Clean or paint walls and ceilings.
Shampoo carpets or replace flooring.
Clean and organize cabinets and closets.
Repair all plumbing leaks, including faucets and drain traps.
Clean all light fixtures.
Install higher-wattage light bulbs.
For Showings
Turn on all the lights.
Open drapes in the daytime.
Keep pets secured outdoors.
Play quiet background music.
Light the fireplace (if seasonally appropriate).
Infuse the home with a comforting scent like apple spice or vanilla.
Vacate the property while it is being shown.
How to Prepare to Sell a Home Filled with Decades of Belongings
Have you inherited your parents’ home and all their stuff but don’t know where to begin?
Call me to discuss the process of clearing out estate houses and selling a home currently filled with belongings.
I can help guide you through the steps to:
● Hire a removal service or someone to empty the contents of the house for a fixed price.
● Work with an estate sale company or estate liquidator for a percentage.
● Auction the items on eBay, Etsy, or Facebook yourself and donate the rest.
● Sell the house with some of the items inside.
● Use a combination of some of the above.
● CASH SALE – AS IS
Selling an empty house is usually easier than selling one with junk, and it may bring in a higher price.
Download your Ultimate Home Selling Checklist
Everything you need to prep, show, and close on your home sale, all in one place. From your first walkthrough to handing over the keys, this checklist has you covered every step of the way.
What's included:
● Home Prep Checklist
● Documents to Gather
● Downsizing & 55+ Seller Checklist
● 9 Easy Curb Appeal Tips
● Return on Investment Projects
● Photos & Showings Checklist
● Pet Prep for Showings and Photos
● Home Inspection Checklist
● FHA Appraisal Checklist
● Moving Checklist
● Cleared to Close
Facing Foreclosure? You have options.
If you're behind on your mortgage or worried about foreclosure, you're not alone, and there's more than one way forward. I can walk you through what's realistic for your situation, whether that's working something out with your lender or moving toward a sale.
My Recently Sold
Proof of results in your neighborhood.
Seller FAQs
How much is my home worth?
I provide a free, personalized home valuation based on recent sales, current market conditions, and your home's unique features. Request yours above!
How long does it take to sell?
My average is just 7 days on market. Of course, this varies by price point and season, but my marketing strategy is designed to attract buyers quickly.
What commission do you charge?
Commission is negotiable and depends on services provided. We'll discuss this during our listing appointment. My goal is to net you the most money possible.
Do I need to make repairs before listing?
It depends! Some repairs have high ROI, others don't. I'll walk through your home and advise on what's worth fixing and what to skip.
What Every Home Seller Should Know
The Best Week to Buy A Home In 2026 Is Here and What It Means For Buyers
The Best Week to Buy A Home In 2026 Is Here and What It Means For Buyers
If you've been casually scrolling listings and waiting for "the right time," I've got some news. According to Realtor.com, it's happening right now.
Their 2026 Best Time to Buy Report picked the week of September 27 to October 3 as the best week of the year for home buyers nationally. The Chicago area, which includes us here in Morris and Grundy County, lands on that exact same week.
So what makes this week so good? And does it actually matter for someone buying in Morris, Minooka, or Coal City, Grundy County and the surrounding areas? Let's talk about it.
What Realtor.com looked at:
Realtor.com scored every week of the year on six things buyers care about:
how many homes are for sale
how many new listings hit the market
listing prices
how long homes sit
how much buyer competition there is
how many sellers cut their price
They used data from 2018 through 2025 and skipped 2020 because the pandemic threw everything off. One thing they didn't include is mortgage rates. Rates don't follow a seasonal pattern, so this is all about the market itself, not your loan.
Why this week works for buyers
Here's what this week has looked like historically across the country:
More listings. Up to 13.3% more active listings than the average week, and about 32% more than at the start of the year. More homes means & more options for buyer to choose from.
Less competition. Buyer demand runs 30.1% lower than the peak of the year and 14.4% lower than the average week. Fewer people chasing the same house means fewer bidding wars.
A slower pace. Homes sit about 13 days longer than they do at the busiest point of the year. That gives buyer more time to think and more room & power to negotiate.
More price reductions. This is one of the strongest weeks of the year for price cuts, with about 5.7% of homes seeing a reduction that week.
Price cuts add up. That weekly rate works out to roughly 23% of homes getting a price cut over the month. Realtor.com does note this year could come in a little under that, since sellers have been pricing more realistically up front instead of listing high and cutting later.
Softer prices. Listing prices typically dip about 3.5% from their summer high. On a median-priced home of around $416,000, that's roughly $14,000.
What it looks like closer to home
I love a national headline, but real estate is local, so I looked at our numbers too. Realtor.com breaks out the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro, and our area actually looks a little better than the national average during this week:
About 16.8% more active listings than the average week
33.5% fewer views per listing than the peak of the year
Homes spending about 10 more days on the market than at the busiest point
Median listing prices about 5.8% below their seasonal high
One thing I appreciate about this report is that it's honest about the Midwest. Inventory here is still about 34% below pre-pandemic levels, and some popular neighborhoods are still moving fast. So a good week nationally doesn't mean every home in Morris will sit. It means you'll likely have more options and a little more breathing room than you did this summer.
What this doesn't mean
This is the honest part.
A lower median listing price doesn't mean every home in Morris just got 3.5% cheaper. What it does mean is that sellers are usually more open to a conversation now than they were in June.
Every offer still needs to be backed up by that specific house: recent sales nearby, what else is for sale, the condition of the home, and the seller's situation. That's where a local agent earns their keep.
Should you rush to buy this week?
Nope. The weeks right after this one are almost as favorable, and October as a whole ranks well. Buyers should use this window strategically, not treat it like a deadline.
Here's how I'd think about it:
If choice matters most, earlier in the fall usually gives you more fresh listings to pick from.
If price matters most, waiting a bit later into fall can bring more flexibility as demand slows down before the holidays. The trade-off is fewer homes to choose from.
Either way, get pre-approved and know what monthly payment actually feels comfortable for you. A good week in the market doesn't make a stretched budget easier to live with.
And please don't skip the inspection or settle for a house that doesn't fit your life just to hit a date on a calendar. The house has to work long after this week is over.
The bottom line
I always stand behind the fact that the best time to buy a home is when you are ready. But if you've been sitting on the sidelines waiting for your window, this fall in Grundy County might be it.
If you want to talk through what this looks like for you, reach out anytime. That could be getting pre-approved, looking at what's for sale in your price range, or just figuring out where to start. Let's connect or send me a message anytime or or call/text me at 815-693-5757.
– Christy Schmaedeke 🐾
Source: Realtor.com
Ready to Sell?
Let's discuss your goals and create a customized selling strategy for your home.
Christy Schmaedeke, REALTOR®
Keller Williams Infinity
Your trusted Grundy County real estate expert. Helping families find their perfect homes for over 20 years.
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