Chicago Homes - chicagotribune.com

Bowmanville: Quiet urban enclave

By Leslie Mann, Special to the Tribune — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

To hear Claire Shingler tell it, "You know you're from Bowmanville if you know where Bowmanville is."

No easy answers from reserve study

By Pamela Dittmer McKuen, Special to the Tribune — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The best tool to predict a community association's capital projects is a reserve study.

Costco members can now shop for mortgages online

Mary Ellen Podmolik — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Members of Costco Wholesale Corp. can fill their carts with a shopping list of goodies like big-screen televisions, bathroom tissue and rotisserie chickens.

Belden Stratford rental conversion under way

By Leslie Mann, Special to the Tribune — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

One of Chicago's vintage hotels is getting a new lease on life.

Ex-White Sox slugger trades up in suburbs

By Bob Goldsborough, Special to the Tribune — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Although he no longer plays for the Chicago White Sox , slugger Jim Thome and his family have decided that they love the Chicago area so much that they want to make it their permanent home.

Special assessments require notification

Mark Pearlstein — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Q: Last month, owners received notice of a large special assessment to pay for a construction loan requested by our management firm and approved by our condominium board. The owners were never informed of the loan prior to receiving a bill for this special assessment. We were told by the board, and confirmed by their lawyer, that under Illinois legislation the board does not have to notify owners of the special assessment.

Agents turn to social media

By Kari Richardson, Special to the Tribune — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Your real estate agent wants to be your friend. Not your bowling or bridge partner, or a confidante to phone after a particularly tough day, but your social media buddy, a person who will keep you up-to-speed with newsy updates and insider information on the topsy-turvy world of real estate.

What it takes to buy a home

By Pat Mertz Esswein, Kiplinger's Personal Finance — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Tired of renting? It could be a great time to buy your first home.

A clean house is a best seller

By Lew Sichelman, United Feature Syndicate — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

When it comes to the little things that sellers do to make their homes stand out from the competition, a new splash of paint is usually at the top of the list. Sprucing up the front yard and removing the clutter you have learned to live with over the years also rank high.

Green building's day in the sun

Mary Umberger — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The green home is about to be upon us, in a big — or at least bigger — way.

44% of Cook County homes with a mortgage are underwater

By Mary Ellen Podmolik — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:35:00 GMT

Almost 667,000 homes with a mortgage in the seven-county Chicago area were underwater on their mortgages in March -- and 13 percent of those homeowners were also delinquent on their mortgage payments by three months or more.

Negative equity remains a drag on housing market

By Alejandro Lazo, Los Angeles Times — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Nearly 1 in 3 homeowners with a mortgage in L.A. County owes more than the property is worth, new data show. These underwater loans hinder mobility and hurt prices because they tend to stymie the important move-up market.

Even as a tentative housing recovery in the Southland appears underway, a big stumbling block remains: the vast number of underwater homeowners.

Taking the guesswork out of paint colors

By Mike McClintock, Special to Tribune Newspapers — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Picking a paint color is probably the most subjective of the hundreds of design and material choices you can make on a home remodeling project.

Break bad container-garden habits

By Judy Hevrdejs , Tribune Newspapers — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:04:00 GMT

Container glory starts by breaking some bad habits

For the dozens of years Barbara Wise has been gardening for herself and others as well as teaching and writing about gardening, she has watched plant lovers make the same mistakes.

Housing shows new activity

By Don Lee — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:46:00 GMT

WASHINGTON -- More green shoots are appearing in the nation's long-dormant housing market.

Going ultra-eco in traditional home

By Lisa Skolnik, Special to Tribune Newspapers — Sun, 20 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Going ultra-eco doesn't mean you have to give up the traditional style you love

"Nothing green." In 2008, that was a couple's caveat to architect Nate Kipnis when they hired him to renovate their Colonial home. "They thought it would look too high-tech or out-of-the box, and didn't understand environmentally sustainable design," he says.

Uptick in remodeling activity a sign of the times

Mary Ellen Podmolik — Sun, 20 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The weakest part of the housing industry is single-family home construction, but home remodelers are in line for an upbeat year.

Celebrity sellers have little effect on home prices

By Lauren Beale, Los Angeles Times — Sun, 20 May 2012 03:12:00 GMT

A famous name can boost buyer interest in a home, but it doesn't necessarily pump up the price.

Their internationally recognized names sell music and movie tickets. They promote perfumes and presidents. But when it comes to selling their own houses, celebrities often find that their cachet doesn't pull in the cash.

Construction systems help to speed building process

By Mike McClintock Special to Tribune Newspapers — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Home design and construction often struggles to combine old and new — detailed Colonial trim and sleek stainless steel, the patina of real wood and the convenience of synthetic laminates.

What sellers should know about time-share scams

Benny Kass — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

I frequently receive questions about how to get rid of a time share. I must admit that my response thus far has been less than satisfactory. I once suggested that the time share be donated to a church or a synagogue, but several priests wrote and asked that I stop making that recommendation, because the religious groups don't want the expense or the headaches of ownership.

The Ikea house myth

Mary Umberger — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Lots of devoted Ikea fans were exuberant recently when they heard the news that the iconic, multinational furniture retailer was also going to be selling prefabricated houses.

New floor plans debut at Mill Creek in Geneva

Fri, 18 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

ShoDeen Residential has rolled out new single-family home designs at three developments in Mill Creek, a master-planned golf course community in Geneva.

Pet-friendly policy seals condo deal

By Leslie Mann, Special to the Tribune — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Banks and Bo are the biggest reasons Della and Jack Campbell chose their new condo at the 60-unit Wolf Ridge Condominiums development in Northlake.

New tool prices home improvements

By Lew Sichelman, United Feature Syndicate — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

It is one of housing's age-old puzzles: What features can I add to increase the value of my property?

Families double up under one roof

By Leslie Mann, Special to the Tribune — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The way Maria Gisseler sees it, her extended-family living arrangement offers a nice payback for all the years her mother helped her growing up and with her two children after she married.