Chicago North/Northwest Suburban Real Estate Blog by Allyson Hoffman

Mortgage Workouts, Tax-Free for Many Homeowners

Allyson Hoffman — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:00:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES

There is now tax relief for struggling homeowners. If your mortgage debt is partly or entirely forgiven during 2007, 2008 or 2009 you may be able to claim special tax relief by filling out Form 982 and attaching it to your ..(read more)

Summer Tips for Your Home

Allyson Hoffman — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 21:08:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES

It's that time of year when we have our air conditioners running and windows open to help make our homes a little bit more bearable during these warm summer months. As a result of trying to battle the extreme heat we tend to forget what we have heard, and learned about being energy efficient.

Here are a few summer tips for your home that will help keep you on track with an energy efficient plan.

For Outside

Longer days mean we don't need out outdoor ..(read more)

Happy Fourth of July North Shore Chicago Suburbs - Events & Activities 2008

Allyson Hoffman — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:11:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES

Wishing you and your families a Happy Fourth of July.

Everyone is gearing up to spend time with family and friends this holiday weekend so grab your flags and head to one of the many events being held this year in the North Shore Chicago Suburbs.

Below are events, activities and fireworks display times in Deerfield, Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, ..(read more)

Top Insider Secrets to Preparing Your House For Showing

Allyson Hoffman — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:19:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES

Presentation is everything. Home buyers are attracted to clean, spacious and attractive houses. Your goal is to dazzle buyers. Brighten up the house and remove all clutter from counter tops, tables and rooms. Clean the house from top to bottom and make it sparkle. Simple aesthetic improvements such as trimming trees, planting flowers, fixing broken tiles, cleaning rugs and carpets and even repainting a faded room will greatly enhance the appeal of your house. Also make sure your house smells good. Clean out the cat ..(read more)

Selling Your Home: 10 Tips for Choosing a Real Estate Agent

Allyson Hoffman — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:30:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES

Before you sell, it's a good idea to interview at least two or three different real estate agents. Meet with them individually, and handle each meeting as if you were conducting a job interview (selling your home is an important job, after all!). This checklist will help you evaluate and compare the agents you meet:

1 --Professional

Once you've established the basics (licensing status, etc.), look for other indications that the agent ..(read more)

Buying a New Home: 10 Reasons to Use a Real Estate Agent

Allyson Hoffman — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:02:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES

Why, then, should a buyer enlist the services of a real estate agent? Here are ten reasons that I think make a lot of sense. After reading them, see if you agree:

1 -- Experience

Purchasing a new home may well be the largest expenditure that you ever make. So it ..(read more)

Happy Father's Day

Allyson Hoffman — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:23:00 GMT

Today's Featured Properties

Happy Father's Day

A Dad is a person
who is loving and kind,
And often he knows
what you have on your mind.
He's someone who listens,
suggests, and defends.
A dad can be one
of your very best friends!
He's proud of your triumphs,
but when things go wrong,
A dad can be patient
and helpful and strong(read more)

Going Green At Home - A Home Recycling Plan

Allyson Hoffman — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:39:00 GMT

Everyday we hear of new reports and statistics regarding climate change and global warming. These reports indicate how imperative it is that we all do our part to help preserve this fragile planet we live on. Not everyone knows what they can do, or how to start.

The easiest place to start would be at home. Listed below are few simple things that all homeowners can do to kick start a home recycling plan. Don't feel like you have to do everything at once, unless you want to, which would be great. Implementing a home recycling program will change some of the current processes in your home, but it shouldn't take long to get use to these new ways of doing things and change your habits.

Curbside or Drop-off Recycling
According to Earth 911, curbside recycling is offered to half the U.S. population which provides homeowners a convenient way to recycle a variety of ..(read more)

Managing Asthma In the Home

Allyson Hoffman — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:34:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURES PROPERTIES

Dust mites
Mold
Pollens
Pets

Improving and maintaining good indoor air quality is key in asthma management and limiting the presence of irritants in the air in your home. Below are a few steps you can take to improve air quality in your home as found in the article Creating an Asthma-Safe Home by KidsHealth.

Improving Air Quality

(read more)

Chicago's North Shore Farmers' Markets

Allyson Hoffman — Sun, 25 May 2008 21:34:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES

It's that time of year when we all love the summer smells. the beauty of the trees and flowers in bloom and shopping for that perfect fruit or vegetable at the local farmers' market. The farmers' markets are preparing to open for the season and below is a list of a few great local markets to find the sweet tastes and smells of summer.

Evanston Farmer’s Market - Opens May 17th

When: Saturdays(read more)

The Best Gas Prices In Your Area

Allyson Hoffman — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:23:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES

If you're trying to cut your gas expense, this site my help.

Just enter your zip code in the site below and it tells you which gas stations have the lowest and the highest gas prices in your zip ..(read more)

Happy Mother's Day

Allyson Hoffman — Fri, 09 May 2008 22:24:00 GMT

Growing up we have all had our mother's scold us or give us advice, that at the time may have not meant too much to us. Whether we like to admit it or not, those little pieces of advice and information have stuck with us and without a doubt had an impact on us as we grew up.

Below are a few phrases I am sure you heard as a kid, and may even have used them on your own children. It isn't until we are grown adults, that we realize that Mom was only saying these things out of love and concern for us.

Money does not grow on trees.
Always change your underwear; you never know when you'll have an accident.
What if everyone jumped off a bridge? Would you do it, too?
Don't make that face or it'll freeze in that position.
If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
Don't put that in your mouth; you don't know where it's been! ..(read more)

Spring and Summer Cleaning Your Garage

Allyson Hoffman — Fri, 02 May 2008 22:25:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES

It is the time of year when we all like to do a little Spring cleaning to ready ourselves for a beautiful summer. Most of us spend our time cleaning and organizing the inside of our homes, but does that extend to our garages?

Garages are a great place to store all those products, or household hazardous waste, we don't want inside our house. These products may include (and are not limited to) automotive fluids, paint and lawn care products.

Now is the time to spring clean and rid your garage of these ..(read more)

Improving Air Quality in Your Home

Allyson Hoffman — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:45:00 GMT

In our original post, Air Quality in Your Home. we pointed out that it had been suggested that the air we breathe in our homes is often more polluted than the air breather outside. this was an alarming realization and now we would like to offer a few tips to reverse this.

According to National Geographics Green Guide there are a number of things we can do to improve air quality in our homes.

Ventilate your home regularly

Vacuum weekly

Use a good quality air filter on your furnace and replace it regularly

Maintain ventilation systems (If your home has one) and dehumidifiers

Run exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens

If you're considering an air purifier, avoid devices that ..(read more)

Chicago Celebrates Earth Day April 22nd, 2008

Allyson Hoffman — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:08:00 GMT

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES

I think we are all aware that the environment is becoming increasingly more fragile and we need to take the time to educate ourselves and our families about environmental issues and how we can do our part.

April 22nd is Earth Day and Chicago will be celebrating the environment with numerous events and activities. We encourage you take part in this celebration, with your families, in an effort to recognize the ..(read more)