How to pick an agent when looking in different areas (Chicago and burbs)

[JuleeM13]

I am feeling so overwhelmed at the moment I hope you all can offer me some advice. I'm currently looking to buy my first home. I'm a single female purchasing on my own but I will be having a friend move in with me to help pay the mortgage. Our budget is low but there are definitely things in our range. We just have to look hard.

We are looking for a single family home and have a few criteria but the most important thing is proximity to Chicago. We would love to live in the city but that is out of our budget. There are a few neighborhoods that have some short sale/foreclosure properties well within our range. With that said we are willing to consider any of the suburbs surrounding Chicago.

So given all that, I don't know how to pick an agent because we aren't limited to one specific area. For example my top pick is Evantson to the north which will most certainly have to be a foreclosure due to the median price of that area. However I like Franklin Park to the west and Oak Lawn in the southwest burbs. I want to someone who knows the market we end up going with but I also need guidance on picking the best area for us. It seems that most agents seem to focus on a specific area (city, north suburbs, etc.). I know you all have access to the same listings but I really need guidance on what areas would be a good investment.

I'm sure it is frowned upon to have more than one agent working in different areas which is completely understandable. So what do I do? There are so many agents out there it's such a daunting task trying to find one that can help me with my situation. I assume most people go into this process having their area narrowed down much more that we do. In the mean time my search is at a standstill because I can't get myself to pick an agent! Help!

[calzephyr]

Julee:

I have not purchased real estate in the Chicago area, but I have had contact with one of this forums best contributors, and she happens to be a Realtor in the Chicago suburbs. Judy Orr is very knowledgeable and always responds promptly to my questions. She might be a good place to start, and I know she is a no-pressure, low-key solutions oriented person.

Here is a link to her site and her blog.


http://swchicagosuburbsrealestate.blogspot.com/

http://www.cook-county-real-estate.net/

Give her a call and chat with her about your situation.

Good luck in your home search.

Kind Regards,

Tom W.
CalZephyr

[judyo]

Hi Julee,

Our area and MLS is huge and can be very daunting if you're not sure what area you want to be in, or can afford. I'm leaving for an appointment right now but will contact you later via PM. I work mainly in the west and southwest suburbs (including Oak Lawn) but I also have a network of agents around Chicago that I can refer you to so you don't have to do that part of the search.

[JuleeM13]

Thank you Judy. That would be great.