There are several reasons for remodeling your home.  Maybe you're getting ready for a home sale, maybe you're just moving in.  Maybe you're just tired of seeing "the same room" day after day.

Well, now that furniture bargains are available from retailers, it's left to us to use those new pieces to design our new spaces.

Thankfully, HGTV makes it simple with its interactive Room Planner. 

Using nothing but your Web browser, HGTV helps you shape, model and mold each room in your home into something spectacular -- without having to worry if "it's all going to fit". 

The Room Planner is intuitive and easy-to-use.  HGTV has thought of everything:

• Click-and-drag resizing of rooms
• Door, window, and lighting selections
• Space for wall accessories, floor clocks, and media stands

Then, when you're finished, you can send your design straight to a printer.

Cabrini-Green was a failed housing project for people of little or no means. A couple of years ago the city of Chicago decided to tear it down and rebuild the area. This project is the first step towards rebuilding that community. New 'green' technologies were used to improve financial sustainability.

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Helios Realty and Development

A few years ago, I attended an urban planning meeting in the Cabrini-Green community center where people from all walks of life had come together to discuss to potential demolition and rebuilding plans for the struggling neighborhood of Cabrini-Green. Local community leaders were very wary of the promises they were being given about the re-development; many questions were asked as to whether this area would truly be re-built to benefit those who would be displaced.

Time has passed, and the city seems to be keeping its promises… and then some.

An article posted in Green Source by David Sokol goes into great detail about how this development not only provides a great place for the poor to get their lives back together, but also a development that takes advantage of green technologies to cut down on expenses. Through the clever use of new technologies, the city of Chicago has found a way to get mother nature to chip in to pay the electric and water bill for the tenants.

Sokol’s article boasts that the innovative horizontal wind turbine system that currently meets 8 percent of the building’s electricity demand.

The graywater system is another innovation that makes the building eco friendly. Water drained from the showers and sinks are collected, filtered and treated to be re-purposed for use in the toilet system. It is estimated that this process will save 45,000 gallons of water from being pumped from Lake Michigan every year.

Interested in creating more than just a place to live, there is an in-house counseling system which helps those looking to better themselves stay on the right path. All and all, this is great news for Chicago, green developments and the past, present and future residents of the once-failed development Cabrini-Green.

John Marlow
Real Living Helios Realty
http://www.chicagoagentblog.com/
773/314-3020
jmar@reallivinghelios.com

Considering the market downtrend in 2007, I’m predicting a huge number of buyers hitting the market in Spring of 2008. It’s going to be a great time for every qualified buyer who has been holding out and renting for the past year. There is going to be significant supply of homes/condos and the prices are going to be very reasonable. If you are in this situation, here is a list of things you might want to consider to prepare for this spring:

- Speak with a qualified mortgage broker. My advice is to speak with more than one unless you are very familiar with them and the business they have done over the past few years. Considering the sub-prime mortgage crisis, you are going to want to make sure they are honest and hard working. The number one thing I tell my clients is to make sure you are comfortable with them and you are confident the money will be there at closing.

- Know your credit score. Everyone can obtain 1 free credit report every 12 months. Stay away from companies that will charge you for it. The lower your credit score, the higher rates and more fees you will pay at closing. Speak to your mortgage broker about ways to increase your score over the next few months. The earlier you start making steps in increasing your score, the happier you’ll be this Spring.

- Talk to a licensed realtor. Even if you are 4-5 months away from when you would consider closing, it is never too early to speak with a realtor. For the most part, each realtor is going to be able to send you the same properties. So when choosing one, make sure they are experienced in the areas you are considering and they are looking out for your best interest. If you know a realtor you trust and respect as a friend, it is usually your best option. When you sit down with them, identify all the locations you would consider living, the price range you want to stay within, and anything else that is important to you in a home/condo. Your realtor can set up a search and start sending you possibilities in your range. It never hurts to monitor what is on the market and what is in your price range.

- Hire a “REAL ESTATE” attorney. I always recommend my clients speak with a licensed REAL ESTATE attorney. It’s important to use one with real estate experience because there is no other deal that is similar to this and you want to make sure they have the right tools and knowledge about real estate contracts.

- Understand how realtors work. Make sure you ask them questions about how they get paid. Ask them to walk you through the entire process. From seeing your first option, to submitting an offer, to the inspection, all the way to closing. It’s important to know every step of the process so there are no surprises along the way.

- Have fun. Buying a home is going to be one of the biggest purchases of your life but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. If you are using a great realtor, mortgage broker, inspector, attorney, this process should be as stress free as possible. The only work you’ll have to do is looking at condos. You want to make sure the only stress you have along the way is picking out which flat screen you want in your living room after closing.

James Weber
jweb@reallivinghelios.com
http://www.condomenow.com/
Phone: 312/224-9109

As an investor in real estate, your ultimate goal is a profitable return. Profit is measured by the amount of time between obtaining the property and when you can realize a return on your investment by selling it or renting it. If properly planned a home can be evaluated, remodeled and sold in around 45 days. That’s allowing 30-45 days for marketing the property and 10 days to restore it. The evaluation period occurs while shopping for the right property. Once you choose a solid home you will be able to rehab it in 10 days.

To acquire a solid home, you will first need to find a home with good interior guts: plumbing, heating and electrical. Through the use of several licensed professionals you can determine the condition of the property. You should strive to develop a relationship with professionals in these fields. Many of them will do work on the side and you can save costs while getting a professional opinion. Piping problems or upgrading the electrical service and even the heating systems can be very expensive to fix as it correlates to the value returned to you upon resale. Buyers cannot see the value of these hidden and costly repairs. They are taken for granted when figuring the home’s assessment.

Next the professionals should be able to tell you the exterior condition including the roof, foundation and structure. If there is major damage in any one of these areas you will never be able to rehab it in 10 days. The cost would be too extensive and would take much more time. A great resource for details on what to look for when determining the strength of these core elements is the Top Ten List of Defects at www.inspectamerica.com.

Now with a strong basic home, you can assemble a good team of specialists to complete the final “facelift” of your investment. These tasks are inexpensive and best performed by those that know exactly what to do. Saves time and time is ultimately money.

Begin your 10 day project with the demolition of the home’s interior and fixtures. Order a dumpster and clear out everything. Once that is done it is easier for the painters to get inside. Painting adds a huge improvement to your project, according to real estate investor and author Dan Auito, “this is the biggest dollar-for-dollar return you can make.” He stresses the importance of using quality products to upgrade the home such as paint and fixtures. The cost is nearly the same; labor is where most of your cost comes in.

After painting the flooring guys come in and lay tile & carpet. Floors that gleam can really help to sell a home. Following that 2-3 days a handyman and plumber can replace everything in the home including but not limited to the cabinets, doors, fixtures, toilets, windows, etc. Don’t forget to manicure the lawn and landscaping and you will have a picture perfect project that will net you a lot more than the $10,000 you might have to put into it. The process is simple; once you find a solid investment give it a 10 day facelift.

Antoinette 'Toi' Rayburn
aray@reallivinghelios.com
www.ToiRayburn.com
ph: 312-224-9090