The Agent's Perspective

Very tactfully! Actually, most suburban agents would rather refer business to a qualified city Realtor than navigate the unknown waters of neighborhoods and negotiation etiquette. And likewise with us to them. There are several referral fee schedules in place for such situations depending on the level of participation of all licensed parties.

(Read More…)

After purchasing a property, but before moving in, the buyer should research the local utility companies and sign up for new service at the new location, or transfer old service to their new address. The seller will transfer the utilities at the property out of his name, so it should be easy for the buyer to have them put in his or her name before moving in. We provide a list of local utility companies and contact information to make the transition easier for new buyers.

This is the first in a continuing series of blog essays focusing on the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. I happen to reside in this historic lakefront community and while a good portion of my real estate business is also conducted here, the purpose of this project is to simply provide an insider’s ’sidewalk’ perspective of this ever evolving Chicago ‘North Side’ demographic. Each essay will focus on a specific neighborhood theme. For instance, Lincoln Park has several ‘mini-neighborhoods’ within its boundries including Lincoln Park West, DePaul and Wrightwood Neighborhoods to name a few–each unique in its own way and with its own personal story.

(Read More…)

Unfortunately, the laws that govern my profession do not allow me to address this question. A great resource for that kind of information is the City of Chicago Police Department website. They maintain the appropriate statistics to best answer such a question.

Wicker Park, named for the triangular park at its center, was once the western border of Chicago, and is now a hip neighborhood with great boutiques and restaurants specializing in cuisine from South America to France. And it’s no wonder; Wicker Park has a long history of diversity from the various ethnic groups that settled the area in the 1800s to the artists and musicians that populated the area in the 1980s.

(Read More…)

Lofts are typically thought of as converted industrial spaces, timber beams, exposed brick, open floor plans, and timber columns. The soft loft has been introduced by developers as a blend between traditional lofts and traditional home elements – the loft meets the condo. Soft lofts are still open floor plans with the exposed brick, but the ceilings don’t have the timber beams or the timber columns. They still achieve the open feel because the walls do not reach the ceiling.

What a great Chicago neighborhood! Well, I am a little biased since I live off Wells Street and North Avenue -heart of Old Town, Chicago.

(Read More…)

For those of you who are looking for things to do in Lakeview - why not go see a play or improv show? You have a lot of options for both.

(Read More…)

I was speaking with one of my veteran agents this morning when the subject of our “early days” in the business came up. I mentioned that when I first started out almost ten years ago I would often go to a restaurant and just have a cup of coffee while my grade school son (at the time!) ate his breakfast. I was on a mission (my new real estate career) but I was at the same time on a budget as money had not yet started coming in on a regular basis.

(Read More…)