Below are some websites that my buyers have asked for in the past that may be helpful in your home search.

NEW! EZ Search for Unit 5 School Boundaries:

http://www.unit5.org/districtinformation/aboutunit5/boundaries/search.php

1. I Don't want to buy a house just to find some expensive problems after I move in that I cannot afford to fix. There are two things we can do to miminize your risk. We have a standardized Real Estate Purchase Agreement form for McLean County which I will go over with you when we start looking for homes. On page two there is a clause that gives you the right to obtain an inspection(s) of the premises by licensed service provider(s) after your offer has been accepted by the seller. I will be glad to discuss with you in detail how we handle defects discovered in the inspection process. Secondly we can ask the seller to provide a home protection plan. This gives you protection should you have a problem within the first year with a major system or appliance such as your furnace, air conditioner or stove. Again, I will give you a copy of the home protection plan we use and discuss with you what is covered.  
2. I Don't have enough money set back for a 10% down payment. The days of 0% down are behind us but there is still good news for first time homebuyers. FHA loans are asking for 3.5% down and conventional for 5% down but there are grant programs to take the sting out of the down payment. Four that come to mind are the McLean County Coalition Grant, Town of Normal Grant, Illinois League of Financial Institutions and a $8000 grant from the federal government. Many of these programs can be used in combination. There is also a Mortgage Credit Certificate from Uncle Sam. HOWEVER....These program may not be funded for parts of the year (they are broke!). Contact me at memerson@cbhoa.com so we can schedule a time to sit down with a loan officer to discuss how we can get together a down payment for your dream home.
3. I don't know if my credit is good enough to even think about buying a house.   We really won't know until we sit down with a loan officer and have him pull your credit. If there are credit issues that prevent us from moving forward at this time, we will discuss certain strategies to help you bring up your credit score. If you start now, hopefully six months or a year from now we can be looking at homes. If you don't start now...............

E-Mail me at memerson@cbhoa.com or call/text 309-838-1810 anytime. 

Milt Emerson, Realtor
Coldwell Banker Heart of America Realtors
802 South Eldorado Rd
Bloomington, Il
309-838-1810