Live and Play in Chicago

I love winter in Chicago. The city is full of tradition for young and old alike, especially where the holidays are concerned. My favorite childhood memories include watching the animated holiday displays in the store windows on State Street, getting my picture taken with Santa at Macy’s (then Mar...

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It used to be that a home seller’s biggest challenge was getting a buyer to simply make an offer with terms that the seller could accept. In today’s world, however, agreeing on a purchase contract gets you only halfway toward your goal of selling your home. The process of moving from contract to ...

Those of us with retirement accounts have likely noticed the upward trend in the stock market over the past several months, but it's also important to point out that some key figures are up in the national and Chicago real estate markets as well. Pending home sales - the sales that are under cont...

There are pros and cons to having your home on the market during the holidays. Typically, there are far fewer buyers actively looking this time of year, but the good news is that those who are out tend to be serious about finding a home. This means that if you must interrupt your holiday to show ...

I've written twice before about fire safety, once after a friend’s home sustained significant damage after an appliance caught fire and again after I took my children to a fire station for a tour and safety demonstration. Now, I want to let you know about an important new exhibit on fire safety a...