Listings under contract reach 8-month high
For the week of 4/4-4/11, Greater Chicago area residential real estate market: New listings are not catching up to previous year's numbers; available for-sale properties can not meet the high…
8 Eye-Opening Things Home Inspectors Can’t Tell You
What’s included in a home inspection may not be as important as what isn’t.A home inspection may feel like a final exam, but it's not quite so clear cut. Your inspector's report…
Unexpected Remodeling Expenses That’ll Bust Your Budget
By: Lisa Kaplan GordonSurprise! That remodeling project you’ve been planning, such as taking down a wall or adding a kitchen island, can have sticker-shock repercussions. Why? Hidden costs, including moving pipes…
You Could Be Wrecking Your Home — And Not Know It (Yet)
Even veteran homeowners make these 9 common — and avoidable — mistakes. Don’t be one of them. #1 Using Bleach as a Cure-All If bleach is your chicken soup…
7 Important Repairs to Make Before Selling A House
The most critical things to do to increase your home’s value before putting it on the market. As a smart seller, you'll want your home in tip-top shape — but…
Multiple Offers Again?! How to Win When Buying a Home in This Competitive Market
You finally found a home that you’d like to offer, but you found out there are 4 other offers on this house already. Someone outbids you. Fine, let’s move on…
5 Ways Flat Fee MLS Realtor Could Help You Save Big When Selling Your Home
If you haven’t heard about Flat Fee realtors (AKA Flat Fee MLS, discount rate brokers, flat fee realty), you should definitely check it out. When selling a home, flat fee…
4 Tips to Determine How Much Mortgage You Can Afford
By: G. M. Filisko What's a rule of thumb to determine how much mortgage you can afford? There's no one rule, but these four tips will tell you. Home ownership should…
A Kitchen Remodel Worksheet to Help You Cut Costs
By: Amy Howell Hirt Find out how much it costs to remodel a kitchen, item by item, so you never spend more than you need to. How much is that kitchen remodel going to cost you?…
What Should Be in an Emergency Survival Kit?
By: Wendy ParisPreparing and keeping a fully stocked home emergency preparedness kit could be the key to your family's safety if disaster strikes. You can’t prevent disasters, but you can take…
Home Buying and Selling During the Pandemic: What You Need to Know
By: Leanne Potts Technology and good-old-fashioned creativity are helping agents, buyers, and sellers abide by COVID-19 health and safety practices while getting deals done. Some buyers are touring houses virtually. Others…
8 Things Home Inspectors Can’t Tell You
Home inspections have its limitations. Better understand what you can and cannot expect from inspections when you buy a home.
How to Disinfect Your Home in the Time of Coronavirus
Make sure your home is free from coronavirus during home showings. What cleaners to use? Where needs more cleaning? All you need to know
Coronavirus Mortgage Relief: What You Need To Know
Coronavirus mortgage relief measures are being put in place to ensure homeowners have options if they’re unable to make payments. What you need to know.
How to Stage Your Home to Sell – a Room by Room Guide
Staging your home can make it much more competitive when you sell. Follow our complete room by room guide to improve your listing and sell faster!
10 Steps to Declutter – the Ultimate Checklist to a Cleaner Life
Decluttering is the most important step when preparing to sell your home. Follow these 10 simple steps. It will greatly enhance your home's appeal.
How to avoid bad realtors? 4 things to look out
An insider's take - Is your realtor contributing or detracting from your real estate buy or sale? How to tell the good ones from the bad?
Houzz: 10 Design Trends Coming to a Home Near You
What's trending now? We asked several designers and home builders what's in. Here are 10 design trends that are on the rise.
Let’s talk about the flat fee MLS model
Flat fee real estate agent can save you money, big time. What are the pros and cons and flat fee realtors? How to negotiate realtor commission?
12 Fall Maintenance Tasks to Do Now
We've gathered 12 easy home maintenance tasks for this fall. Follow them one by one to prepare for a comfortable and cozy winter!