Uncategorized • October 5, 2026

Selling Your Home: What Could It Sell For—and How Much Would You Keep?

by Natalia Novikova

Brick house beside a handwritten example of sale price, mortgage payoff, selling costs, and estimated proceeds.

Selling your home? Start with two numbers: what it could sell for and how much money you might keep after the sale.

You may have owned your home for many years. Now you are thinking about a smaller place, a move closer to family, or simply a change.

Before deciding, you need answers to two questions:

What could my home realistically sell for? And how much money would I have available for my next move?

I help homeowners in Skokie, Morton Grove, Niles, Evanston, and Wilmette work through both questions before spending money on preparation or committing to a listing.

What Could Your Home Sell For?

Your neighbor’s sale price and an online estimate can offer clues. But your home needs its own review.

I compare recent sales, current competing listings, and important differences in location, size, layout, condition, lot, and parking.

Then I explain a supported price range, which properties are the strongest comparisons, and what could influence your result.

If your home needs updates, that does not automatically mean you should renovate before selling. We first consider the likely buyers and how your property compares with their other choices.

What Would You Have Left After the Sale?

The sale price is only the starting point.

An estimated seller net sheet brings the expected deductions and adjustments into one place. Depending on your transaction, these may include:

Mortgage payoff and other amounts secured against the property.
Agreed brokerage compensation.
Attorney, title, and other closing charges allocated to you.
Applicable transfer taxes and property-tax adjustments.
Association charges, if applicable.
Buyer credits or repair concessions you agree to provide.

Brokerage compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable. Actual charges depend on your agreements, property, closing date, and transaction.

An Example: A Home Selling for $525,000

Here is a hypothetical starting calculation:

Sale price: $525,000
Mortgage payoff: $200,000
Amount remaining before selling costs and closing adjustments: $325,000

The $325,000 is not your final take-home amount.

To estimate your proceeds at closing, we would then account for:

Brokerage compensation: the amount established by your agreement, plus any separately agreed seller payment toward buyer brokerage compensation.
Seller-paid closing charges: estimated charges allocated to you for the transaction.
Property-tax and other adjustments: amounts based on your contract, applicable information, and closing date.
Association charges and other obligations, if applicable.
Buyer credits: any amounts agreed upon during negotiations.

Your estimated proceeds can be calculated once these amounts are included, without counting any expense twice. Credits due to you may also affect the final calculation.

Your lender supplies the mortgage payoff, which may differ from the balance on your latest statement.

Preparation expenses, moving costs, your next purchase’s closing costs, and any applicable income taxes also need to be considered when planning the funds available for your move.

Do You Need to Repair the House First?

Before ordering a new kitchen or replacing flooring, I help you compare two possible paths.

Option 1: Sell in the current condition

We identify likely buyers, review relevant comparable sales, and discuss pricing that reflects the home’s condition. We also consider your preferred timeline and convenience.

Option 2: Prepare before listing

We identify potential preparation work, and you obtain estimates from qualified contractors. We review whether comparable sales support the expected benefit and consider the time, expense, and uncertainty of completing the work.

Some homes may benefit from cleaning, decluttering, or limited repairs. Others may justify more preparation. The recommendation should follow the property’s circumstances and market evidence.

A higher sale price does not necessarily leave you with more money after the work is paid for.

From Planning to Selling Your Home

An initial review can help you understand:

A supported estimated sale-price range.
A preliminary estimate of your proceeds.
Preparation options that fit your property and priorities.
Questions your lender, attorney, or other specialists need to confirm.

When you decide to move forward, I help coordinate preparation, develop the pricing and marketing plan, arrange showings, negotiate offers, and coordinate the transaction with the professionals involved through closing.

You have a broker helping you make the initial decisions and carry out the sale.

Considering a sale in Skokie, Morton Grove, Niles, Evanston, or Wilmette? Contact me with your property address and the timing you have in mind. Let’s discuss your options before you spend money preparing the house.

Natalie Novikova
Illinois Licensed Real Estate Broker
CENTURY 21 Circle

This article provides general information, not legal or tax advice. A comparative market analysis is not an appraisal. Price and proceeds estimates are preliminary and do not guarantee a sale price or final amount. Payoffs, charges, and adjustments must be confirmed by the appropriate parties. Consult your attorney and a qualified tax professional about your individual circumstances.

Buyer Resources • Seller Resources • October 2, 2026

Absentee Owner in Chicago? How to Decide Whether to Keep or Sell Your Property

by Natalia Novikova

You own a three-bedroom house in Chicago, but you now live in Texas, California, or another state. Your tenant pays $3,500 a month. That sounds like $42,000 a year. But how much do you actually keep?

Imagine the house sits vacant for one month between tenants. Instead of $42,000, you collect $38,500 that year. Now subtract $11,000 in property taxes, $3,000 for insurance and other owner-paid costs, $5,000 for routine repairs, and $3,360 for management.

That leaves $16,140 before mortgage payments and income taxes. If the house also needs a $10,000 major repair, the amount left for that year drops to $6,140.

These are illustrative numbers, not an estimate for your property. Pull out your actual tax bill, rental income, insurance costs, and repair receipts. What does your house earn after expenses? And how much time does managing it from another state take?

The decision is worth revisiting as conditions change. In August 2026, the Cook County Treasurer reported that property tax bills rose for many Chicago homeowners. In September 2026, Illinois REALTORS® reported that Chicago had 23.3% fewer homes for sale in August than a year earlier. Neither figure tells us what your house would sell for. That depends on its location, condition, and comparable sales.

As a broker, I can review those sales, discuss who might buy your home, and help you understand how to position it if you decide to sell. You can compare that option with what you actually earn by keeping it as a rental. Your tax adviser can explain the tax consequences of a sale.

Own a property in Chicago or the northern suburbs, but now live in another city or state? Text me the address. I’ll take an initial look at comparable sales and discuss what else we would need to estimate a realistic selling range. There’s no obligation to list.

Natalie Novikova
Illinois Licensed Real Estate Broker
CENTURY 21 Circle
Call or text: 224-517-5507

Sources:
Cook County Treasurer, August 2026:
https://www.cookcountytreasurer.com/researcharticles.aspx?articleid=2026082401

Illinois REALTORS®, September 2026:
https://www.illinoisrealtors.org/blog/illinois-home-prices-and-home-sales-higher-in-july-inventory-sees-year-over-year-decline-2/

Buyer Resources • Seller Resources • October 1, 2026

What Could Be Hiding Under Your Vacant Lot—and Why Buyers Ask?

by Natalia Novikova

A vacant lot can look simple from the street. But before making an offer, a buyer may ask: What used to be here? Where are the property lines? Are water and sewer connections actually available?

These questions matter in Chicago. In a 2017 environmental assessment published by the City of Chicago, consultants reviewed records concerning nearby properties, including a former dry cleaner and a reported leaking underground storage tank. This does not mean that other vacant lots have the same issues. It shows why buyers may want to understand a property’s history and surroundings. www.chicago.gov

If you’re selling, gather what you have: a survey, records of former buildings or uses, environmental reports, and any paperwork about water and sewer service. Don’t have all of it? You can still begin planning a sale. I can help you identify which questions we can answer from available property records, which documents may be worth requesting, and which matters need a qualified specialist. We’ll present confirmed information clearly and leave open questions clearly marked.

If you’re buying, use those same questions to plan your due diligence. The Illinois EPA’s land databases and the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s tank search are starting points. Environmental professionals, surveyors, utilities, and local officials can help verify matters within their expertise before you rely on a development plan or budget. epa.illinois.gov

As your broker, I can review comparable land sales, organize the available information, help you work through the questions buyers are likely to raise, and present the lot to buyers whose needs may fit. My job is to help you move from unanswered questions to a clearer selling strategy.

Own vacant land on Chicago’s North Side or in a northern suburb? Text me the address. We’ll start with what is known and discuss the next steps for a sale.

Natalie Novikova
Illinois Licensed Real Estate Broker
CENTURY 21 Circle
Call or text: 224-517-5507

Buyer Resources • Seller Resources • September 30, 2026

Can You Sell a Home on a Busy Street? What Buyers Notice—and What You Can Do

by Natalia Novikova

Selling a home on a busy street? Start with recent sales of homes with similar road exposure. Then compare their condition, size, and features with yours.

“Your house is lovely, but the street is too busy.”

That is hard for a seller to hear. You cannot move the house. Does that mean you have to accept a much lower price?

Not until you know what buyers have actually paid for similar homes.

Selling a Home on a Busy Street: How to Compare Prices

When I review a home on a busy street, I do not start with a standard percentage to subtract for traffic. I look for recent sales with similar road exposure, then compare their size, condition, layout, and price with homes on quieter streets. That gives us a better basis for deciding where your home fits in the market.

Next, I walk through the property as a buyer would. Where is the traffic most noticeable? Where does the home feel quieter? Perhaps the bedrooms face the back, the yard is private, or the house offers space buyers cannot find at the same price nearby. Those are real features worth showing in the photos and description—without pretending the street is quiet.

Then we look at your proposed repairs. If you are thinking about new windows, a fence, or a major update, let’s compare the cost with the likely effect on your sale before you spend the money. Some work may help. Some may simply reduce what you take home at closing.

A busy street changes how I would evaluate and market a property. It does not tell us, by itself, what your home is worth.

Own a home on a busy street on Chicago’s North Side or in the northern suburbs? Text me the address at 224-517-5507. I’ll take a closer look at its competition and recent sales, and we’ll discuss a selling strategy that fits your property.

Natalie Novikova
Illinois Licensed Real Estate Broker
CENTURY 21 Circle

Seller Resources • September 29, 2026

Fix Your Home Before Selling—or Sell It As-Is?

by Natalia Novikova

Kitchen with wood cabinets and material samples on the counter, illustrating whether to fix your home before selling.

Should You Fix Your Home Before Selling? Start With the Likely Buyer

Imagine two homes with the same older kitchen. One is otherwise well maintained and will appeal to someone ready to move in. The other needs substantial work and may appeal to a buyer planning a full renovation. Spending $30,000 on a new kitchen could make sense for neither seller. The question is whether the work will change what buyers are willing to pay enough to justify its cost.

Before you hire a contractor, I suggest three steps:

1. Address what makes buyers hesitate.

A leak, a broken fixture, or a concern about the roof deserves attention. Get an estimate so you can compare the cost of fixing it with the option of pricing the home in its current condition.

2. Make the home easy to see.

Clear crowded rooms, clean thoroughly, improve the lighting, and consider paint where walls look worn. In its 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, the National Association of REALTORS® lists painting among the projects agents most often recommend to sellers. That is a general finding, not a reason to repaint every room in every home. nar.realtor

3. Compare selling options before committing to major work.

A move-in-ready buyer, a renovator, and a builder may value the same property differently. Recent comparable sales can help show whether an improvement is likely to strengthen your asking price or simply add to your expenses.

Selling as-is can be a reasonable choice. It means offering the property in its present condition; it does not mean ignoring known issues or skipping applicable disclosures. If a significant defect or contract question arises, involve the appropriate inspector or attorney.

I can review your home’s condition, comparable sales, and likely buyers with you, then help you decide which work may support the sale and which work you can leave to the next owner.

Thinking about selling? Don’t spend money on repairs until you know which ones could matter to buyers. Text me your property address and a few photos at 224-517-5507. I’ll review comparable sales and help you decide what to fix, what to leave, and how to position your home for sale. No obligation.

Natalie Novikova
Illinois Licensed Real Estate Broker
CENTURY 21 Circle
224-517-5507