FITCHBURG, Mass. – I-C FCU wants to be there for its members not only when they need a mortgage but also when they're looking for a home to buy or want to sell one they already own. That will be the job of the $282.9-million credit union's new CUSO, I-C Realty, LLC. The full-service real estate agency opened its doors for business April 12. I-C FCU SVP Judy Kaddy said the credit union had been pre-approving many of its nearly 25,000 members for first mortgages, and "We wanted to help them find a home when they went out shopping," she said. I-C Realty is not offering mortgages but is facilitating the buy-sell arrangements. The CUSO is a member of the National Association of Realtors and is a multiple listing service. It's located in a separate facility from the credit union, about three miles away. "We are here to help our members complete the step in their transaction of finding or selling a home," said Kaddy. Although at press time the CUSO had only been in business for three weeks it already had assisted in one home sale, and Kaddy said the CUSO was in the process of doing a market analysis on properties it was presenting to members. When I-C Realty began operating it had a full-time manager and a transaction coordinator. The CUSO has since hired one full-time and two part-time sales agents. In today's market in the Fitchburg, Mass. area, Kaddy said a member could sell their house in one week "if it's priced right. In this market though, there's still more demand than there are homes available so it typically takes longer for the member to find their `ideal' home. It's the real estate agency's responsibility to juggle the difference in the timing and bring it all together." -

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