Sunday, November 26, 2006

Chicago real estate weekend round up... Stories I read and you should too

It's been a nice break... although, I was never truly away. The office decided to change our email system for the better. But, we had all our files dumped into our in box. Not cool. Between digging out of that, putting up the tree, cleaning our basement and enjoying Lincoln Square I managed to read quite a bit...

Developers advised to stand out (Chicago Tribune)
Story discusses the South Loop condo market mainly. For those of you who felt it was not "neighborhoody" enough a couple years ago. Well.. there is like a billion people living there now. And the retail is pouring in. I still reccomend re-sale units for the best deals, but new is cool and there is plenty of it.

Getting busy at home
Do-it-yourself repairs can save--if you know what you're doing (Chicago Tribune)
This is a pretty fluffy article, but raises an issue that weighs heavy on the hearts of a lot of us... do I do it or get a professional? From custom blinds, to painting, to closets to faucets... do you do it? How long will it take? It might look terrible and need redoing. How do you get practice when each project is generally a first timer? Is it worth losing time from your family or your career? In my case, a simple job could take a whole day. How many clients could I have developed and consulted that day? What's it worth to you?

PAST & PRESENT
Living in a historic structure may provide perfect touch of home (Chicago Tribune)
Do you think the re-sale value is better in a historic, existing building or a recent new construction... Ceteris paribus

Economists Say the Worst Of Housing Bust Is Over (Real Estate Journal)
Chicago prices saw an average gain of 1.6%, outpacing most of the midwest.

Gen X Buyers
30% of my clients this past year were Generation X single female buyers and sellers.

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