the wasserblawg

by Michael H Wasserman Our day to day focus in this office is to facilitate safe, secure, and pleasant closings for our clients when they buy and sell real estate. We work very hard to assure success and to solve the problems that get in the way of our shared objectives. We are always on the lookout for ways to make the process even easier. We spend an inordinate amount of time on improving the system and the client experience.  Like many other businesses, we see the year's end as a time of reflection. We step back from the day to day work and try to appreciate the results of our efforts. To consider our achievements and to express our deepest gratitude to everyone we work with. We thank the other deal participants, our referral partners and we consider how fortunate we are that so many hundreds of families entrust us us on work on their real estate deals. We can do none of this without them. We cannot do any of this without you. We appreciate all of you. Our hearts are full. ...

by Michael H. Wasserman Steve Schneider I’m not sure how you spent your Memorial Day weekend, but if you are in the market to buy a new home in or around Chicago, you very likely spent much of it out and about looking at new homes. By all accounts real estate activity right now is quite strong despite a limited available inventory of homes to choose from. Buyers seem to be re-energized right now and the effects have been staggering. Most buyers who have contacted me this week have won out or are still engaged in bidding wars over properties they like. Brokers are reporting the clients are back out, looking at 5-10 homes before making offers. Our initial fears of the COVID-19 pandemic seem to be waning. Confidence in our Realtors’ ability to keep us safe and secure in the house hunting process is increasing. We have seen more new contracts come into the office in the past seven days than we had in the preceding three weeks combined. If you are a seller waiting on the sidelin...

by Michael H. Wasserman The two-bedroom, Lakeview condo seemed huge when Meg and Cary first moved in 10 years ago as newlyweds. That was two dogs and two daughters ago. Before the stay-at-home order. Before COVID-19. The small house movement may be “a thing,” but Meg and Cary are living proof that small houses are not all that they are cracked up to be. Especially now that they have all been cooped up together for the last two months. Every useable surface is covered by school projects, computer electronics, pet toys, and kid toys. Meg laughs to herself nervously. “I guess everyone’s home must feel small by now but there just isn’t enough space here. Is this a dining room or a “school?” Is Cary working in the living room or his office? Am I sleeping in my bedroom or my office”? The is once spacious home is getting smaller and smaller by the hour. Hopefully, Jan will call soon. It’s Monday afternoon and Meg has been trying all day not to think about it. She cannot help check...

CLOSING TRENDS - What We Lack in Volume, We are Making Up for with Success by Michael H. Wasserman Our April stay-at-home order ends tonight, and the May stay-at-home-order starts at midnight. The sequester is dead. Long live the sequester. Here’s what you need to know about the closing real estate contracts in Chicago right now. Contract Activity: We are still open for business and taking in some new really solid purchase and sale transactions (more on that in a moment). But, as is the case for most of the colleagues I talk to, the numbers fall far below seasonally appropriate levels. I don’t want to say that its slow, but birds are building nests on our office printers. (They outgrew their perches on the typewriter and fax). I’m the new Maytag repairman. Our numbers are not statistically significant right now, but some intel is available on Gary Lucido’s blog and at CribChatter . Both are on my regular reading list. Good stuff.

by Michael H. Wasserman We are now four full weeks into the Illinois Stay-at-Home regimen. Hopefully, the last of winter’s snowfalls are finally behind us. I’m not bike-commuting on the lakefront these days, but the firm is still actively engaged in real estate transactions. Here is our take on the current real estate closing landscape and where we think it is heading. The good news is that (some) buyers are still buying. (Some) sellers are still selling. Lenders are still lending out (some) money, and Realtors are still out in the neighborhoods putting contracts together. The firm is still closing clients’ contracts.

OFFER ACCEPTED? NOW WHAT? by Michael H. Wasserman The two-bedroom, Lakeview condo seemed huge when Meg and Cary first moved in as newlyweds 10 years ago. That was two dogs and two daughters ago. Before the stay-at-home order. Before COVID-19. The small house movement may be “a thing,” but Meg and Cary are living proof that small houses are not all that they are cracked up to be. Especially now that they have all been cooped up together for the last three weeks. Every useable surface is covered by school projects, team equipment, pet toys, and kid toys. Meg laughs to herself nervously. “I guess everyone’s home must feel small by now but there just isn’t enough space here. Is this a dining room or a “school?” Is Cary working in the living room or his office? Am I sleeping in my bedroom or my office”? The is once spacious home is getting smaller and smaller by the hour. Hopefully, Jan will call soon. It’s Monday afternoon and Meg has been trying all day not to think about it...

UPDATE: ILLINOIS REMOTE ONLINE NOTARIZATION? NOT SO FAST! by Michael H. Wasserman A follow up on last Friday’s posting. This is going to be a bit of a bummer. Just because RON is legal does not mean that we will be able to use it . For all the State’s efforts to minimize public health risks associated in-person document signings, title companies and mortgage lenders just are not yet willing or able to accept Illinois RON signings. For the time being, we will still need buyers to sign loan documents in the actual physical presence of notaries.

REMOTE ONLINE NOTARIZATION APPROVED FOR ILLINOIS By Michael H. Wasserman With the stroke of his pen, Governor Prtizker eased one of the biggest logistical challenges for client real estate closings since the COVID-19 emergency was declared nearly three weeks ago.   Executive Order 12 allows for remote online notarization. My firm is prepared and ready to utilize this tool now. (Technology, for the win!) Deeds, mortgages and many other documents used in real estate closings must be witnessed by an Illinois licensed notary . The ink-signed, original document has always been—and will continue to be—required for real estate closings. This poses a great difficulty: The notary and signer have to be in the same place, at the same time for the notary’s attestation to be valid. Shelter-in-place rules, best health-safety practices and overall concern of spreading COVID-19 make that unacceptable to many, undesirable to all, and impossible for some. Law firms and title companies h...

COVID-19 Home Closing Outlook – Week of March 23rd, 2020 By Michael H. Wasserman Need some not-so bad news? Real estate closings will continue for the foreseeable future. Governor Pritzker's  shelter-in-place order designates lenders, title companies, and lawyers all “essential.” This means my firm and I remain available and at the ready assist with real estate purchases and sales. We are working closely with title companies and colleagues to implement and execute safety protocols so that we can all minimize contact among the many, many hands that touch each transaction. The title industry has been quick to urge reducing number of people in their facilities, disinfecting offices, providing hand sanitizer, fresh pens and encouraging as much remote work as possible. We support and appreciate their efforts (and provide our own pens to clients too). Do you have a closing coming up? Here are our latest guidelines:

Covid-19 Update Date: March 15, 2020 The news over recent weeks has been startling and of great concern to us all. Following the President’s declaration of a national health emergency and the Governor’s executive order to combat continued spread of Covid-19, I would like you to know the steps that we are taking to protect your health and the health of our team, our partners, and colleagues. Let me reassure you there will be no disruption to our services. Michael H. Wasserman PC continues to be fully operational. We long ago invested in the technologies necessary to work remotely. These systems enable the entire law firm to work from anywhere and most of us do so to one extent or another already. We are able to receive mail and packages as usual, however, with limited exceptions. we are permitting only employees and necessary contractors to enter our offices for the time being. We are taking these steps to protect the health of our clients, team and colleagues. To reiterate, ...