Learn more about Becky Bauer, one of the best real estate agents in Bloomington, IL.

Becky Bauer is an expert realtor in the Bloomington, Normal, Illinois area. She has many years of experience delivering stellar service to home buyers and home sellers. Becky loves to share her knowledge with others so that they can make the best decisions. Please feel free to read and share these articles on your social media platforms.

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MY BLOG

Filing Taxes After Divorce: Tips for Homeowners

If you’re getting divorced, your home may be the biggest asset you’ll have to divide with your soon-to-be ex. As you decide whether to sell it and split the proceeds or let one spouse live there until the last kid launches, remember this: A third party is sometimes...

How to Avoid Capital Gains Tax on a Home Sale

When your home value goes through the roof, you may end up with capital gains when you sell. Here are tips to limit tax liability. Most homeowners aim for a substantial increase in home value – and many are achieving it when they sell their primary home. But that...

Drawers Overfloweth? 7 Ideas to Solve the Problem Once and for All

Messy junk drawers. Unorganized spices. Your overflowing dresser. Drawers and cabinets are supposed to keep you organized, not hide what you need. Don't despair. Whether you choose a DIY solution, an inexpensive store-bought fix, or even a custom-made splurge, solving...

4 Things to Do in February to Avoid a Yucky Spring

A mud-remediation plan. That’s No. 1 on this short list. That dark time when winter just won't go is like that friend who can't take a hint to leave. Give a push with these four easy tasks that'll help usher in spring. #1 Deep-Clean Your Entryway Snow. Salt. Boots....

7 Things You Wish You Knew Before Building New Construction

Building a new home can be stressful. But my three-peat experience taught me some new-construction tips to ease my way to the finish line. Over 15 years, I’ve experienced the new-home process three times in three states — and I’d be tempted to do it again when I move...

The Ins and Outs in Interior Home Design for 2024

  Out: Ordinary. In: Extraordinary. That’s how Krisztina Bell, a designer and home stager with No Vacancy Home Staging in Atlanta, sums up new home décor trends. Homes are morphing beyond all-white or gray interiors to highly personalized, colorful, and memorable...

A Handy Guide to Keep Your Home (and You!) Safe in a Winter Storm

Besides your blankie, you’ll need emergency food and water. And a shovel. When freezing temps seem to seep into the marrow of your bones, know that the same thing is happening to your home. And like you, it needs protection from the elements or the results will be,...

The 7 Worst Habits Homeowners Need to Break Now

Guilty of buying cheap stuff? Pack-ratting? Here’s how to change your ways Bad habits are so easy to fall into. But in the end, we know they only make us miserable. They're "the opposite of what makes you happy. They're what make you miserable," says M.J. Ryan, author...

The 16 Incredibly Useful Rules Every Organized House Follows

Homes don’t clean themselves. But these easy-peasy rules (wake and make!) will make you feel like they do Here's a thing you may have noticed about houses: They don't clean themselves. Which is unfortunate, because if houses cleaned themselves, you could spend less...

5 Holiday Cleaning Mistakes Experts Know to Avoid

When you’re cleaning for the holidays, you want to make every minute count. Home cleaning professionals see firsthand where mistakes are costing us nonpros. Debbie Sardone, owner of SpeedCleaning.com, shares hosting tips that will dodge some holiday prep missteps. 5...

6 Ways to Upgrade Your Walls You Didn’t Know Existed

A couple of these DIY-able projects even add precious storage There's a reason one-way conversations are called "talking to a wall." Walls rarely have anything interesting to say — even with a coat of paint on them. But your walls don't have to be straight out of a...

3 Handsome Solutions to Handle Outdoor Clutter

No need to stash it all in the garage. Here’s how to create tidy storage in your yard "That can go in the garage" is a common solution to just about anything outdoorsy that needs a home. Instead, think outside the garage. These ideas are great for decluttering your...

Putting a Fresh Face on Your Old Tub

If you think your tub is yucky or boring, it might be more cost effective to fix it than pitch it. If you think it’s a cinch to replace your dull or dingy bathtub, here’s a reality check: Although you can purchase a basic model for as little as $200, you'll need a...

8 Easy Ways to Seal Windows & Air Leaks Around the House

There’s a 10-second fix for the most surprising offender: recessed lights. Most homes in the U.S. have significant air leaks and not enough insulation. In fact, nine out of 10 of them are under-insulated, according to Energy Star. Those air leaks are expensive. Your...

What’s Causing Those Spooky Sounds and Smells?

Are you haunted by strange noises and weird odors? With the proper maintenance, you’ve got more than a ghost of a chance to rest easy. It's one thing to hear scary noises and smell weird odors at a Halloween party or your favorite zombie movie. But it's something else...

7 Quick-and-Easy Winter Weather Preparations to Do Right Now

Wintry weather is great at turning up problems you didn't even know you had. Like that first snowy night in front of your fireplace that you thought was pure bliss — until you noticed a leak in the ceiling corner. Apparently it was caused by a lack of insulation. How...

Unleash Your Inner Detective With This House-Hunting Checklist

Ah, house hunting. It may technically be shopping, but it can feel more like breaking and entering. Even though you know the seller wants you there, does anyone really want you traipsing through their bedroom? Or looking through their closet? Or digging around in...

A Fall Checklist of 10 Things You Gotta Do Before Winter Sets In

#1 Clean and Stow Your Mower If you’re not familiar with fuel stabilizer, get to know it. In a mower that sits for months with gas in its tank, the gas will slowly deteriorate, which can damage internal engine parts. Fuel stabilizer (about $10 for a 10-ounce bottle)...

Fall Yard Cleanup: 8 Shortcuts for Easy Care

It’s amazing what perennials, mulch, and decorative rocks can do. When you’re looking for your dream home, you might find that it comes with more yard than you've ever had before -- or had to maintain. These fall yard cleanup tips will help you set up (and enjoy) an...

The Best Time of Year to Buy Things for Your Home

When to look for sales on mattresses, appliances, tools, furnishings, and materials. Buying stuff can be stressful. Cheap out and you could regret it. Overspend and you'll cut into your budget. Knowing the best time of year to buy appliances and other household...

How First-Timers Can Cope with Rising Home Prices

A fixer-upper with the right things wrong could spell instant equity for you. In a sign of a robust housing market, existing-home prices are expected to rise 5.8% in 2017 over 2016, according to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. But rising prices, record-high...

A Killer Strategy for a Tidy Home When You’re Time-Squished

Here’s a surprisingly functional way to achieve a forever-organized home. You don't need tons of time to achieve the uncluttered, tidy home of your dreams. You just need a strategy to get there — a really simple one that fits into your life without sucking up hours...

A Financial Plan for Your Home

Do you pay each home-related expense as it comes? If so, you’re missing opportunities for upgrades, or much worse, heading into a financial crisis when a slew of surprise maintenance items hit. So take a holistic look at what it costs to operate your house and set up...

Why Is My Grass Turning Brown and Dying?

Grass turns brown when roots can no longer grab nutrients or water from soil, or when soil doesn’t contain enough food or water. Here are the typical culprits, and tips on how you can green up your grass again. Drought/Heat During periods of high heat and low water,...

9 Irritating Things About Summer Heat (and How to Nix Them)

Dog days of summer? More like the mosquito days. And super sweaty days. By the end of summer it can feel like bugs, grime, sweat, and heat have taken over your home. And you get to pay for it with high cooling bills. Ugh. Here are the most annoying things about summer...

7 Super-Easy Cleaning Recipes for the Most Awesome-Smelling Home

Essential oils are the key to these sweet-smelling (and highly effective!) homemade cleaners. If you get light-headed just reading the ingredients on your cleaning products, take heart: There's another way. These make-in-minutes, super-cheap recipes create potions...

Drought-Tolerant Plants & Creative Tips for a Less Thirsty Yard

No-water and low-water ideas for a drought-friendly yard Drought happens everywhere, not just in arid climates. So, how do you get to have a beautiful, lush, low-maintenance yard that doesn't need watering when the temps approach triple digits with no rain in sight?...

4 To-Do’s for July to Save Money & Get Ready for Fall

When it's hot outside, smart homeowners focus their energies inside on these four tasks. You know, like taking advantage of your nice, cool basement. #1 Organize the Basement The two most common types of clutter? Old clothes and seasonal items. Just the kind of stuff...

7 Genius Entryway Storage Ideas to Get You Out the Door Faster

It's so easy (and so unfair) how quickly your entryway can go from clean to chaos -- and that chaos makes trying to get out the door brutal. Think of all that time wasted hunting for your keys and umbrella, or digging through a pile of coats to find the one you need....

Cancel Your Private Mortgage Insurance

Private mortgage insurance is unavoidable for some homeowners, but don’t pay PMI premiums a day longer than required by your lender. Private mortgage insurance provides protection to a lender in case you default on your home loan. Unless you make a 20% downpayment on...

9 Home Organizing Mistakes That Experts Know to Avoid

Home organization is about giving everything the right place (sometimes the donation bin). And while that sounds straightforward, it's pretty easy to choose the wrong places, turning your attempt at a tidier home into wasted effort. Pros Avoid These Home Organization...