Selling a home in Illinois: common questions

I prepare a free comparative market analysis (CMA) based on recent comparable sales, current competing listings, and your home’s condition and features. A CMA is an estimate, not an appraisal. We review it together, and the list price is your decision.

It is not required. Clean, decluttered rooms, small repairs, and good lighting help buyers picture the space. I walk through the home with you and suggest what may be worth doing, and you decide what fits your time and budget.

Through At Home Realty Group, Inc., I list your home on the MLS, which shares the listing with many real estate websites. Marketing can include professional photos, a written description, showings, and open houses when they make sense. Every buyer is treated by the same standards, in line with fair housing rules.

It depends on price, condition, and the current market, so I cannot promise a timeline. The usual steps are preparation, listing, showings, accepting an offer, attorney review, inspection, the buyer’s financing and appraisal, and closing. I give you an updated picture as things move.

Next come attorney review, the buyer’s inspection and any repair requests, the appraisal, title work, a final walk-through, and closing. In Illinois, sellers customarily hire their own real estate attorney, who handles contract questions. I coordinate the schedule and keep you updated.

Illinois sellers of most homes complete the Residential Real Property Disclosure Report. For homes built before 1978, federal rules also require a lead-based paint disclosure (source: EPA). Please ask your own attorney which disclosures apply to your sale.

A general home inspection looks at visible, accessible parts of the home, such as the roof, foundation and structure, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, windows, and signs of water damage. In Illinois, home inspectors must be licensed by the IDFPR under the Home Inspector License Act (225 ILCS 441). You can check a license on the IDFPR website.

The buyer usually chooses and pays the inspector. Specialty tests, such as radon or a sewer camera, are often separate.

The Multi-Board Residential Real Estate Contract, commonly used in the Chicago area, includes an optional inspection provision. If it applies, the buyer can have the home inspected and then respond under the terms written in the contract. The exact terms are in your contract, and your attorney can explain them.

Inspectors often comment on foundation cracks, water in basements, and past water damage. Radon is a naturally occurring gas, and IEMA recommends testing every home before purchase; in Illinois, radon testing for others must be done by an IEMA-licensed measurement professional. For homes built before 1978, sellers must give buyers a lead-based paint disclosure (source: EPA).

Depending on the contract, the buyer may ask the seller for repairs or a credit, the parties may negotiate, or the buyer may cancel within the contingency. Nothing is automatic; each side decides. I help you organize the requests, and your attorney handles the contract side.

Under 35 ILCS 200/15-170, this exemption is for a homeowner who is 65 or older, occupies the home as a residence, and is responsible for its property taxes. It lowers the equalized assessed value (EAV), not the bill itself. According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, the maximum reduction in EAV is $8,000 in Cook County and counties next to Cook, and $5,000 in other counties. Filing rules vary: the Cook County Assessor says its Senior Exemption renews automatically once granted, while some other counties require an annual renewal form.

Eligibility, amounts and deadlines vary by county and can change; verify with your county assessor. This is general information, not tax advice; please ask your county assessor or tax advisor about your situation.

Under 35 ILCS 200/15-172, a qualifying homeowner who is at least 65 and meets the household income limit can have the home’s EAV “frozen” at a base year. According to the Illinois Department of Revenue, the total household income limit is $75,000 for tax year 2026 (taxes payable in 2027). The bill can still change if tax rates go up or improvements are added. You must reapply every year (Form PTAX-340 with your county; the Cook County Assessor also requires annual filing).

Eligibility, amounts and deadlines vary by county and can change; verify with your county assessor. This is general information, not tax advice; please ask your county assessor or tax advisor about your situation.

Under 35 ILCS 200/15-175, this exemption is for owner-occupied homes. According to the Illinois Department of Revenue (PIO-74, revised July 2025; the amounts that apply to current tax years, including tax year 2026, checked October 16, 2026), it reduces EAV by up to $10,000 in Cook County, $8,000 in counties next to Cook, and $6,000 in other counties. In Cook County it is called the Homeowner Exemption, and the Cook County Assessor says it renews automatically once granted. When you buy a home you will live in, check that the exemption is applied in your name.

Eligibility, amounts and deadlines vary by county and can change; verify with your county assessor. This is general information, not tax advice; please ask your county assessor or tax advisor about your situation.