A year and a half ago Ephi Maglaris and Rober Tallitsch married and bought their first home, a contemporary loft condominium in Oak Brook. They’ve now decided they would prefer a more traditional residence and have been looking at oversized Cape Cods in the western suburbs. The condo is up for sale.
“We’d like to sell, get into an apartment and get pre-approved” for a mortgage, Tallitsch told Honora Brdecka of Baird & Warner Real Estate in Hinsdale.
“That would make for a double move,” noted Brdecka, who stopped by to give the couple some pointers on maximizing their selling price and minimizing their selling time.
“But we have disposable furniture,” Tallitsch said. “We didn’t pay very much money for it.”
Maglaris and Tallitsch are selling the one-bath, one-bedroom condo themselves. It is one of 16 loft units in a high-rise community of about 300 units and was thoroughly updated by the previous owner.
The foyer, kitchen and dining area are floored in white oak and the living room and bedroom, in cream-colored berber carpeting. The kitchen has Euro-style cabinets, newer appliances, under-cabinet lighting and a built-in wine rack.
Modern aura
A black wrought iron spiral staircase winds up to the bedroom on the second floor. Ceiling fans, recessed lighting and mirrored closet doors contribute to a contemporary ambience. The community offers underground parking, a swimming pool and laundry rooms. The couple’s asking price is $86,000.
Brdecka was extremely complimentary about the appearance of the condo. “When something shows as nice as this, they’ll say, `I’ll take this over a two-bedroom (unit).’ They’ll take the (good) condition.”
Because Maglaris and Tallitsch are a two-career couple, they may find it difficult to sell the condo themselves.
“While you’re at work, your house is off the market,” Brdecka noted.
True, said Tallitsch, but until they find a home for themselves there is no set time frame to sell the condo. The couple has an answering machine and voice mail and will make these numbers available to prospective buyers.
So far the couple has advertised a few times in a large metropolitan newspaper. Brdecka advised them not to disregard the local papers because people who know where they want to live will often buy those publications.
Should they stop all advertising until after the holidays? asked Tallitsch.
Holiday advertising
“This is a quiet time of year when people have their minds on other things,” said Brdecka. “If someone answers your ad, they are inclined to be pretty motivated. The first of the year we’ll probably see more activity than we do now. A lot of transferees start (looking) after the first. I could see some single person being transferred (buying) here.”
“Someone who wants something real easy (to move into),” added Maglaris.
Brdecka had several suggestions to improve the feature sheet Maglaris created to give to those who tour the condo. “I don’t see any dimensions,” she said. “That’s very important because these are nice-sized rooms. People become very cognizant of dimensions when they start house-hunting.”
The measurements of the foyer, which blends into the dining area, should be calculated separately, she said, and the kitchen measured from wall to wall as though the cabinets were not there. The dining and living areas should also be measured separately; the break between the wood and carpeted floors are natural dividing lines.
“Another thing, because your place shows so well, a picture of the interior would be wonderful,” said Brdecka. “I would also put in something about the taxes and assessment. That’s all part of someone’s budget. When people like something they start working with a pencil.”
Maglaris and Tallitsch both said they were relieved to hear Brdecka was so positive about the appearance of the condo. “It’s a matter of numbers,” said the agent. “If you get enough people here, one will fall in love with the fact they don’t have to do anything.”
