Buying

Buying a home in Peoria

Here's how a purchase actually goes, and what I wish someone had told me.

A sidewalk past a red brick Victorian with green trim under a pink sunset sky in Peoria's West Bluff

How a purchase goes

A first call. Where you're coming from, how you want to live, what you're comfortable spending. Twenty minutes, no pressure.
A plan for seeing houses. If you're local, a showing day. If you're not, video walkthroughs first and one well-planned trip, with the houses picked before you land.
The offer. I write in the inspections an older home deserves, and I'll tell you plainly when a house is worth fighting for and when it isn't. I’ll make sure we get every disclosure to ensure you get the best price.
Inspections and closing. Typically thirty to forty-five days, with the inspector booked the day the offer is accepted.

What to inspect on an older home

Most of what I show was built before 1950, which is exactly why it has character. It also means we check the roof, the electrical, the foundation and basement for water, the plumbing, and anything that smells like deferred maintenance. None of that should scare you off a good house. It should just show up in the price, or the negotiated repairs.

Moving here from the coast

Moving to the Midwest can be scary. I spent my entire life in California and worried about fitting in and keeping a similar lifestyle. I also had to put a lot of trust in agents, movers, and everyone else involved, since I wasn't here to oversee any of it. I hit some definite stumbling blocks along the way, and I want to keep my clients from going through the same thing. I'm more than happy to share tips and referrals, and I promise to always keep your best interests at heart.

Tip: Skip the interstate movers. Use a moving pod instead.

Vintage homes

Brick, hardwood, built-ins, porches, the kind of details nobody builds anymore. A lot of these houses want a personal makeover, and that's the fun part. I'll tell you which projects are weekend jobs and which ones mean calling someone.

A red brick Romanesque house with green trim and pink mums on the steps, beside a painted Victorian

A blue Victorian with a copper-topped turret and wraparound porch behind a red maple

Two grand brick houses, one with tall white columns and a curved portico

A red Craftsman with a deep front porch next to a Tudor, under fall trees

A brick Tudor with half-timbering above an old stone wall at dusk

A row of brick Victorians with front porches along a sidewalk at pink sunset

A brick Colonial seen past a blooming pink burning bush and iron fence

A curving road along a stone wall below a brick house among fall trees

A few favorites from my walks around the historic neighborhoods by Bradley University.

First-time buyers

If you've been told ownership isn't for you, you've been talking to the wrong people. There are programs built for first-time homebuyers, and I'll introduce you to a lender who knows them. I'm here to walk you through every step of the process, from showings to movers. My focus is making buying your first home easy and seamless, and I don't want my clients hitting the same pitfalls I did with mine.