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A career in real estate can offer many benefits. You are able to set your own hours and make great money while helping individuals find their dream homes. Real estate can be a very successful and exciting career if you possess professional and optimistic qualities and have the desire to succeed. If you are a dedicated individual and meet the basic requirements, you can apply for a license and get one step further to a rewarding career in real estate.

The first step in becoming a real estate agent is finding an accredited real estate school where you can complete your pre-licensing requirements. Currently, real estate licensing in Illinois requires 90 hours of completed coursework for pre-licensing. In addition, you must also obtain 30 hours of additional coursework for post licensing education for a total of 120 hours.

Once you have completed the 90 hour pre-licensing classes, you must take the real estate licensing exam within a time frame of four years and earn a passing score. Once you pass, you must submit a completed application and any required licensing fees. This must be done within one year after of passing the exam.

Once you have completed the exam and obtained your license, you can begin to take advantage of the opportunities that real estate offers. If you have any questions or want to find out more information on becoming a real estate agent in the Chicago area, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ll be glad to assist you.

Now is a great time to buy a home in the “Windy City” while real estate prices are depressed in a buyer’s market and its easier to negotiate very attractive deals. But there are many neighborhoods to choose from and your needs are unique, so finding the perfect place can be a daunting task, especially if you are relocating and not familiar with Chicago.

First of all, talk to an experienced lender in the area to make sure you are pre-approved before you search so that if the right property presents itself you will be ready to make an offer, and ask about available programs and incentives offered by the State such as for first-time buyers.

Since Chicago is known for bitter cold winters, and larger or older homes often have poor insulation and high heating bills, you may want to limit your search to smaller or newer updated homes, or at least contact the utility company to find out the average fuel cost per month. Older homes also often require costly repairs and high maintenance.

Some other things you might want to consider are whether or not a home is in close proximity to your employment, highways, schools, the beaches along Lake Michigan, shopping, parks, and restaurants, how high are the taxes, and are homes in the neighborhood holding their value?

You can research on your own Chicago area statistics such as at http://www.city-data.com, weigh the pros and cons, and spend a lot of time shopping around, but feel free to call me if you would like the assistance of a real estate agent familiar with Chicago’s neighborhoods. I can offer more tips, help answer your questions, quickly locate and narrow down your choices to homes that meet your specific criteria, and help make your home purchase decision easier and less stressful.