Stonebridge Realty

Client stories

Real Stories. Real People. Real Outcomes.

Every story below is a real sale we’ve handled. Pre-foreclosure, inherited, downsizing, auction deadlines — the situations are different, the approach is the same: lay out every real path, run the math, and let the seller pick.

House numbers anonymized for privacy. Streets, cities, and outcomes are exactly as they happened.

Can We Help You?

Check out some stories of people we’ve helped in the past, then come back here if you think we can help you too. No obligation to work together — we’ll see how we can help you.

Single-family home on Cobbler Court in South Elgin, IL — listed and sold by Stonebridge Realty.

XX Cobbler Ct, South Elgin IL 60177

Stopped a foreclosure and helped seniors move into assisted living — on their timeline.

These sellers were in pre-foreclosure and needed a new place to live — quickly. They were seniors, so they couldn't just move anywhere. They wanted to relocate to a senior assisted-living home in the same area.

We sold the house as-is and timed the closing so they could move into assisted living right before we closed. We stopped the foreclosure, helped them land in the area they wanted, and hit the timeline they needed.

We listed the house, paid off the debts tied to the property at close, and they walked away with a meaningful check.

Situation:
Pre-foreclosure
Path:
Sold as-is
Outcome:
Foreclosure stopped
Net result:
Debts paid + proceeds at close

Listed by

Miguel Garcia

Managing Broker

Miguel Garcia, Managing Broker at Stonebridge Realty
Single-family home on Ansley Court in Mundelein, IL — listed and sold by Stonebridge Realty.

XXXX Ansley Ct, Mundelein IL 60060

Brought the loan current, listed it, under contract in 21 days.

This seller was in pre-foreclosure and living out of state. He was willing and able to put in the work needed to make the sale happen.

He brought the loan current after a few months, and we met to walk through some updates and touch-ups that would maximize value and improve the odds of a clean sale. After the work was done, we listed it.

Twenty-one days later we were under contract. The sale closed shortly after.

Situation:
Pre-foreclosure
Seller:
Out of state
Path:
Traditional MLS listing
Days on market:
21

Listed by

Miguel Garcia

Managing Broker

Miguel Garcia, Managing Broker at Stonebridge Realty
Single-family home on Joyce Avenue in Melrose Park, IL — listed and sold by Stonebridge Realty.

XXX Joyce Ave, Melrose Park IL 60164

Promised $20K equity back — delivered a little more.

The seller's property had an auction date coming up — the bank was close to selling the house out from under him. He'd given up and wasn't trusting anyone. So we made him a promise: if we didn't deliver, we'd waive our commission.

The promise was to get him at least $20,000 of his equity back after all selling and closing costs were paid. That meant pricing the deal precisely — knowing where every dollar was going at close.

We ended up getting him a little more than that. It was the only way the sale made sense to him. We also helped him remove items from the property, since he was living there on his own.

Situation:
Auction date set
Commitment:
Commission waived if we missed
Promise:
$20K+ equity back
Outcome:
Promise kept

Listed by

Miguel Garcia

Managing Broker

Miguel Garcia, Managing Broker at Stonebridge Realty
Single-family home on Falling Waters Lane in Lindenhurst, IL — listed and sold by Stonebridge Realty.

XXXX Falling Waters Ln, Lindenhurst IL 60046

Inherited property, out-of-state heir, under contract in 5 days.

This seller inherited the property when her father passed away. She was the administrator of the estate and lived out of state — she needed help managing and coordinating every part of the sale. She also wasn't sure what her options were or how to value the property.

When we first met, she was unsure who to trust. There were a lot of emotions, and other buyers were reaching out trying to offer her pennies on the dollar. We walked through every option and laid out exactly what working together would look like.

Once we got started, we made a good team. I helped her clear out the property. We got it ready, listed it, and were under contract within 5 days. Closing followed shortly after.

Situation:
Inherited
Heir:
Estate administrator, out of state
Path:
Traditional listing
Time to contract:
5 days

Listed by

Miguel Garcia

Managing Broker

Miguel Garcia, Managing Broker at Stonebridge Realty
Single-family home on Riverhaven Trail in Joliet, IL — listed and sold by Stonebridge Realty.

XXXX Riverhaven Trl, Joliet IL 60431

Two weeks before auction — sold for cash in 11 days. Avoided a ~$55K loan-mod trap.

I met with this seller two weeks before his property was scheduled for auction — so we had to move fast. First, postpone the auction. Then sell the house.

We strategized to get a loan modification submitted into review so the auction would be postponed, and it helped that we were also actively working on selling the house at the same time. Lenders want to see you trying to find a solution; when they can see that, they tend to work with you. Once we finished property prep, photography, and a marketing plan, we listed.

The lender came back with new loan-modification terms — but there was a catch. Signing would have effectively added a second mortgage on the house, costing him about $55,000 in equity. After we talked it through, he chose to continue with the sale and keep that money in his family's pocket instead of the lender's.

We sold for cash in 11 days. From the first meeting to closing, the whole process took just over a month.

Situation:
Auction in 14 days
Strategy:
Postpone + sell simultaneously
Path:
Cash sale
Equity preserved:
~$55,000
Time to close:
Just over 1 month

Listed by

Miguel Garcia

Managing Broker

Miguel Garcia, Managing Broker at Stonebridge Realty
Single-family home on Devonshire Court in McHenry, IL — listed and sold by Stonebridge Realty.

XXX Devonshire Ct, McHenry IL 60050

Inherited, no probate, foreclosure pending, HOA eviction — closed in about a month.

This was one of the most delicate sales we've ever been part of. Almost any complication you can think of, this seller had.

The property belonged to his mother, who had passed away, and we had to figure out how to sell it without going through probate — he didn't have the money to pay for probate. He had personal challenges and couldn't drive, which made holding a job difficult. On top of that, the bank was trying to foreclose, the homeowners association was trying to evict him, and the property was full of belongings.

We needed to work through all of it — including finding storage for his things — so he could relocate out of state. He was willing to do whatever he could on his end. We worked through every hurdle, sold the property in about a month, and closed on the timeline he needed to make his move. The buyer was willing to work with the terms we needed to make it happen.

A neighbor called me a few months later, and I helped him sell his condo too. He was relocating for a job in another state. A different situation — much faster. We sold that one in 6 days.

Situation:
Inherited, no probate funds
Pressure:
Bank foreclosure + HOA eviction
Extras:
Belonging removal + storage
Outcome:
Sold on seller's relocation timeline

Listed by

Miguel Garcia

Managing Broker

Miguel Garcia, Managing Broker at Stonebridge Realty
Single-family home on E Silver Oaks Drive in Round Lake Beach, IL — listed and sold by Stonebridge Realty.

XXX E Silver Oaks Dr, Round Lake Beach IL 60073

Inherited from his wife — sold in 9 days on the seller's terms.

This seller inherited the house from his wife and was simply looking to sell. The home was too much for him, and keeping it didn't make sense.

He chose to work with us because we explained exactly what to expect, and he felt understood — we'd actually listened to his goals. We sold the house in 9 days on the terms he was looking for and kept everything easy on his end.

We coordinated directly with his probate attorney, since one of his main concerns was being taken advantage of.

Situation:
Inherited from spouse
Goal:
Downsize
Path:
Traditional listing
Days on market:
9

Listed by

Miguel Garcia

Managing Broker

Miguel Garcia, Managing Broker at Stonebridge Realty

Every transaction is unique and outcomes depend on facts specific to your property and timeline. Stonebridge Realty is a licensed Illinois real estate brokerage — not a law firm or foreclosure consultant. If you’re facing foreclosure, we recommend speaking with your own attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor in addition to a broker.

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Schaumburg, IL · Full-service Chicagoland brokerage