David Dale Johnson, Realtor

03/11/2026

Winnebago County residents... You may not think it's important...but it is very important you vote in the primary election next Tuesday. Here's why... There's a proposal to add another 1% to the sales tax and give that money to school districts. It's estimated to take another $40 million out of our pockets. There are no firm commitments on how the money will be allocated to school districts or even how the money will be spent. What we definitely know is that, one way or another, it will go into the pockets of school district bureaucrats.

Now here's the dirty little secret as to why they run these referendums when they do... They're counting on you staying home and the unions getting out the vote. I guarantee the NEA and other unions representing school employees are telling their members to go to the polls and vote for this referendum. A low turnout (which is usually what happens during a primary election) has a much better chance of being influenced by organizational turnouts.

It's not enough that we already have among the highest property taxes in the nation to fund our schools. Now they want to start getting more from us with a sale tax!

DON'T STAY HOME! Vote next Tuesday and vote NO on this extraordinary tax grab!

02/19/2026

David Dale Johnson, Realtor

01/10/2026

Hey! A big shout out and congratulations to Margie Nowak at GreenState Mortgage! I can attest. She's great with VA loans!

Margie Nowak, a mortgage loan originator at Green State Bank, was honored today for her outstanding support of local veterans.

11/12/2025

Why 50-Year Mortgages Are a Bad Idea

The numbers don’t lie: stretching a home loan to 50 years might look affordable, but it ends up costing homeowners hundreds of thousands more in interest.

For example, on a $200,000 home loan (estimate based on Winnebago County, Illinois median sale price over past 3 months):
🏠 30-Year @ 6.25% → $1,231/mo, $243K in interest
🏚️ 50-Year @ 7.00% → $1,197/mo, $518K in interest

Just $34 less per month — but $275,000 more over time.

📈 Longer isn’t better — it’s just more expensive.

07/27/2025

Another successful opportunity to help homebuyers accomplish their goals!

Rockford is experiencing record-high home prices and low inventory, making the housing market challenging for potential buyers.

07/26/2025

Winnebago County property tax assessments have been published. The multipliers for the most populated townships (Rockford, Harlem, Roscoe, Rockton, Cherry Valley, and Owen) increase property values nearly or over 10%. Rockford and Owen Township values have the highest increase at 1.1143. The other townships have just under 10% increases.

That said...don't expect your property tax bill to increase by 10% because Winnebago adopted the property tax cap law many years ago. Taxing districts can't increase the amount they collect by more than the rate of inflation or 5%...whichever is less (without a referendum requesting a higher increase). So, your property tax bill isn't going to increase at all because of your assessment...it's going to increase because of how much the politicians vote to charge you for the privilege of living in their taxing districts.

05/02/2025

If you’re looking to sell your home, area realtors say now is the time as Rockford’s housing inventory hits a new low.

05/02/2025

When a local news channel needs input from real estate experts, they know who to call...

If you’re looking to sell your home, area realtors say now is the time as Rockford’s housing inventory hits a new low.

02/05/2025

I was just notified that in 2024 my sales volume was was among the Top 5% of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brokers nationwide... f

11/19/2024

Another national article featuring my comments...!

Housing affordability, or lack thereof, emerged as a key issue in last week’s presidential election, and many homebuyers continue to search for markets that won’t strain their budgets.

11/19/2024

Three Midwest cities are emerging as affordable housing havens, requiring much less than the typical six-figure salary needed for homeownership in many U.S. markets.Rockford, Illinois; Akron, Ohio; and Canton, Ohio, have secured spots among Realtor.com's top 20 hottest housing markets, offering medi...

11/19/2024

I don't want to brag... Ok, to be truthful, I do want to brag... When national news outlets need a comment from an expert in the Rockford area real estate market...they call me!

Three Midwest cities are emerging as affordable housing havens, requiring much less than the typical six-figure salary needed for homeownership in many U.S. markets.Rockford, Illinois; Akron, Ohio; and Canton, Ohio, have secured spots among Realtor.com's top 20 hottest housing markets, offering medi...