FAQ

I’m Jim Ludes, REALTOR with Century 21 Coleman-Hornsby. This is a place for you to find out a little bit about my business and the function of this site. Want to know what past and present clients think of the way I do business? Check the testimonials page! Wonder where I’m from and what I’m about? Click on over to the About Jim section.

If there’s anything unanswered here that you are dying to know, feel free to text or email me……or give me a ring and talk in person!

Buying

• Do you represent home buyers? I sure do. I’d be happy to help you purchase a home in the Grundy and Will County areas. I will go outside of these counties to some other areas that I’m familiar with. If your home search takes you to an area that I’m not very familiar with, I’ll refer you to the proper REALTOR for that area.
• How much does it cost to have you represent me? Nothing. In almost every property purchase, my compensation comes from the listing agent, and we’ll discuss ahead of time if that isn’t the case for the particular property you are interested in.
• So if the listing agent pays you, are you really representing me? You bet! As an agent and a REALTOR, I am not only bound by law, but by a code of ethics to put your best interests ahead of my own and to represent your side in the transaction to the best of my ability. I am very big on doing things right and making clients for life…..not just for a quick buck!
• How do we get started? Drop me an email, send me a text, give me a call, instant message, facebook or tweet me and we’ll set an appointment to talk about your needs further.

Selling

• Do you represent home sellers? I do. I’d be happy to market your property in Grundy and Will County. I will work in other counties too, but on a case by case status depending on my familiarity with that local market.
• How much does it cost to have you list my house? It’s negotiable! I would be happy to discuss that with you. Get in touch with me  and we can make an appointment.
• What is your marketing plan? I am an online marketing expert and set the bar for agents in my region, as this site develops- you may see more and more of my marketing plan on it…..but I can’t give away ALL the secrets of my success, can I?

MLS Search

• Are these all your listings? Not all of them, the MLS search is a copy of MLS data, presented in a special map interface. My listings are among those, but those are every agent’s listings in Northern Illinois. I will have somewhere between 1-10 listings at a given moment….but you as a buyer have the need and right to see everything available.
• How does this thing work? Click on the buttons on the upper right to change the search criteria and to navigate forward and backward through the information.
• I’m having trouble using the search. That’s not good! Send me an email describing your problem with as much detail as you can, with your contact information, and I’ll get that straightened out as fast as humanly possible.
• Are there more pictures? What you see is straight from the MLS, so I can only show you the pictures that have been loaded into the MLS by that particular listing agent. If you have specific questions or concerns, let me know and I’ll preview the home for you.

Statistics

• Who generates these statistics? I do, based on data within the local MLS. I pull and compile my own numbers.
• Where does the data come from? It comes from MRED, our MLS system for Northern Illinois.
• How often are they updated? Statistics here are updated as I see fit, if you need them for a particular area- let me know, I’m always happy to be working on things like this. I’m a HUGE stats nerd.
• I’ve found an error. Where should I report that? Please email me and let me know. I’m not above human error and won’t be offended, but I do want to represent the true, factual statistics at all times, in anything I post.

Newsletter

• You put out a monthly newsletter. Where can I subscribe to that at? You can email me and let me know that you’d like to be on it or you can cut out the middle man and sign up HERE.