2009 was not an easy year. On a personal level, it was more like one of those years I’d quickly like to leave behind, and never look back at. A parent, as well as a friendship were lost this year, even though a few new ones were made. But I realize that these adversities may pale compared to the hardships many families are experiencing this holiday season who have lost their homes, their jobs, and perhaps their entire support systems.

I read upbeat stories such as home sales rising for the fifth consecutive month, but then I see images like the one below, depicting homes in pre-foreclosure status. Each one of those data points represents a family in financial distress. There are tens of thousands of them in the Chicagoland area alone.

Image courtesy RealtyTrac

It’s going to be a fact of life for our immediate future: Many more pre-foreclosures and foreclosures coming at us, from every angle. The real estate business has changed. Practitioners need to become educated on how to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Right now, the majority of real estate practitioners are not prepared for the onslaught of distressed properties and distressed homeowners that they’ll face over the next two to three years. I am fortunate to be part of an office whose agents are all trained as Certified Distressed Property Experts®. What we do as CDPEs is a topic that I’ll cover in another blog post, after the holidays.

Until then, also on behalf of RE/MAX Cityview in Edgebrook, my family and I wish you, our loyal readers, a wonderful holiday, as well as a healthy and prosperous new year. Thank you for your business, and for your companionship at 60646 Blog this year.

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