My husband, Dan, and I bought three homes in six years. As much as I’d like to pretend I’m Jennifer Lopez with a real estate portfolio sprawling across multiples states, we never owned more than one home at a time. Rather,…
Buying & Selling a House
Dan and I purchased our first home, a For Sale by Owner townhouse in Chicago, without any realtors involved. We then sold two homes by owner because we wanted to save on the realtor’s commissions. If you want to do…
Last week Robin Cook and Meagan Carmichael of Cook and Carmichael Redesign guided us through the initial steps of staging a house. Begin by knowing your audience, decluttering, cleaning, painting, and patching. Neutralize your home so you can start the next part of the process.…
According to the Real Estate Staging Association, staging a house before putting it on the market will help you sell your home 90% faster. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford to hire a staging company. However, we can work to…
On April 28, 2017, Marie Kondo took the stage at the Harris Theater in Chicago to share her decluttering tips. Hundreds of people waited outside the orchestra level doors to get front row seats in this 1,500 seat venue. We needed to…
Sandra and Chris worked hard to create their dream life. After countless years of school, they could finally reap the benefits. Working at two prestigious companies, Sandra and Chris bought their first townhouse in Chicago. They loved city living and…
It’s a well-kept secret in the real estate world. Forget staging your home or pricing it to sell. What you need to get your house sold is a St. Joseph statue. You may remember how we sold two homes For…
Rent. I could make this the shortest blog post ever because that’s all you need to know. You look like you need some convincing, though, so here goes. If you’re debating whether to rent or buy from out-of-state, please consider…
When you’re looking for a new place to live, you might consider factors like safety, schools, and resale value. You’ll want to add proximity to nature to your list. Research shows that it’ll make you happier. You can consider it…
Rebecca doesn’t want to move. She loves living in Chicago, but her husband accepted a position in Cleveland. So, off they go, like the millions of other Americans who relocate every year. The thing that’s stressing her out the most…
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