Real Estate Information

Of course, Ravinia is no secret for our music lovers in Chicago North Shore. When summer makes its way here, it's accompanied by the world's best music! The experience of sitting down in your favorite lawn spot, listening to Tchaikovsky, Gershwin or John Legend, and gazing up at the stars is truly a bliss.

This summer, Ravinia will be hosting "An Evening with Diana Krall" on Saturday, June 27. Diana is a Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and singer with a deep, whispery voice that's alluring and perfect for a quiet evening.

Through July and August, there will be impressive performances by Lang-Lang and Yo-Yo Ma. For Ravinia's event calendar, please visit: http://www.ravinia.org/Calendar.aspx.

This boutique is an absolute gem. It's my favorite! Everywhere you look, you'll spot gorgeous clothing, jewelry and home accoutrements.

Rachel, the owner of Stella, looks for unusual items that have a one-of-a-kind feel and looks for items that are well-priced. She is attracted to items that have a whimsical or exotic look. 

The boutique is jampacked with treasures offering special gifts, interesting clothing and artisan jewlery and handbags. A real Bohemian feeling in the North Shore Suburbs.

Just give it a try. Tell Rachel that Marlene sent you!  Her store address is 2116 Central Street in Evanston and hours are Mon-Friday 10-6, Sat, 10-5 and Sundays 12-5. You won’t be disappointed!

Visit Stella's website: www.stellaevanston.com.

Want to know where the best hamburgers in North Shore are? If you want the best with proven record of having been the locals' favorite for years and years, make sure you go to Beinlich's or also known as Charlie Beinlich's Food and Tap, located on 290 Skokie Road in Northbrook.

The lines are always out the door and the restaurant is small. There are no tablecloths and the ambiance is classic and very lodge-like, but it has the BEST of foods, including gigantic shrimp cocktails, absolutely delicious hamburgers of every kind made to order.

There's no menu at Beinlich's except for the type set sign on the wall. The bar is constantly full and it's a "eat up, get up and get out" kind of place. When you look around, you'll notice why it's best not to linger because of all the people waiting.

Keep in mind, it's a MUST if you live in the North Shore of Chicago! It's also a great place to take your visiting friends and relatives for the real taste of Chicago all year-round.

What's your favorite item at Beinlich's? Feel free to share by leaving a comment!

It's a lovely Sunday afternoon and you decide to get some fresh air. As you're taking a stroll through your neighborhood, you admire houses with beautiful green lawns. It's just the right color--that deep, rich green and you would love to have that same color brushed across your lawn. It's time to send away those dry yellow patches.

The tips I want to give to you are how to best maintain the lawn that you currently have. "Lawn experts" will start from the type of grass, your area's climate, moisture level, analysis of the traffic over the lawn, etc, but honestly, not many of us have time to replace our entire lawn with a new type of grass, am I right?

I know many friends who struggle through the ups and downs of keeping a lush, green front lawn. So how can you save money without losing out on quality and beauty with the lawn you currently have? Below are some tips that I have learned through years of experience and researching.

• Reseeding: Reseeding is the easiest and least expensive way to revitalize your lawn. If your lawn has at least 50% healthy grass, then you could reap benefits from reseeding the troublesome spots.  By reseeding your lawn with a variety that is new and improved, you'll see thicker, greener grass. The best time to do this usually fall or spring; fall is preferred because it provides a better climate for the grass to grow. For step by step instructions, please visit here: Reseeding Your Lawn.

• Patching: If your lawn is generally healthy, but it suffers from bare spots or weedy patches, then all you have to do is patch the problem spots. This process will only take about 3-4 weeks and is like a small-scale version of reseeding. The most important thing is to discover why the bare spot appeared. Determine whether it's from over-fertilization, lack of water, insects, etc, in order to prevent the problem from happening again. For a great video that shows how to do patching, see this: Patching Video.

• Composting: This is a crucial step required to maintain a healthy lawn. Composting is recommended 2 to 3 times a year. As composting is an organic, safe method of fertilizing your lawn without harsh chemicals, it's a step you don't want to skip! For instructions and photos, visit here: Composting Instructions.

Hope you find this useful. Happy Spring!

As you start to hear more news about President Obama's Making Home Affordable Plan, you'll be wondering whether you qualify as a homeowner. Below is some of the key information to consider.

1. Who is the Making Home Affordable plan designed to help?

The Plan is designed to help families who've been affected by the sudden drop in housing prices. The Plan will give families access to low-cost refinancing or loan modification for lower monthly mortgages to slow the wave of foreclosures.

The Plan is restricted to owners of primary residences who are looking in good faith to restructure their mortgage payments. The Plan does not bail out speculators or house flippers.

2. Do I qualify?

Due to the Plan's complexity, the US Department of Treasury and Department of Housing and Urban Development launched the following website, which includes interactive self-assessment tools to determine if you qualify: www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov.

If you have any specific questions regarding your situation, please feel free to email me.

Home warranties are designed to insure the home against mechanical failures in plumbing, heating, electrical, and installed appliances.

How do they work? For an annual fee anywhere between $250 to $600, the warranty company hires local repair companies to provide service in case of mechanical failure when contacted by the homeowner. If the mechanical breakdown is covered in the warranty contract, then the homeowner pays a fee for the service visit, around $25-$75. 

There are several important points to remember when choosing a home warranty:

1. Carefully read the service agreement to be clear on what is and is not covered. Some contracts could intentionally have loopholes. 
2. Research the customer service track record of the company by looking on the internet for any customer reviews.
3. Check that the company has a solid financial history. How long has it been in business? How has it been performing for the past several years?

For more information on how to choose the right home warranty, I recommend this article from MSN Money.

When selling your home in the winter, the art of staging the inside becomes more important. 

Here are five simple tips that can help you sell your home even when the outside landscaping has faded:

• Keep your house warm.  In the winter people tend to turn the thermostat down to save money, however a warmer house is more welcoming to a potential buyer.
• Clear your walkways and driveways of any snow or ice.  Make it easy for buyers to get to your home.
• Clean the windows and blinds.  Letting in the natural light can brighten up a room and cheer up the home.  This also brings attention to the windows and blinds so make sure they are clean even during winter.  Dirty windows will make the home seem as those it's not well maintained.
• Background music played softly can completely change the atmosphere making the home seem cozy and keep potential buyers around longer.  Stick with classical music which can appeal to anyone.
• Leave the light on.  Before showing a home, make sure it's well lit.  A well lit home is more inviting.  If you're not home, consider setting up timers.

Following these simple tips can give your house that added boost in today's competitive market.

Want a great one-stop shop for your new home furnishing or remodeling needs at factory-direct prices? I would recommend DirectBuyCares.com. Don't forget to read the Design Ideas and Forums at the bottom of this site. 

What’s in store for 2009 is anyone’s guess, but...

Real estate professionals are betting on better days ahead!  And consumers would do well to recognize some rather important facts that might not normally be considered, and in contrast to what is frequently reported by the media...especially when considering buying or selling real estate in 2009 and [perhaps] beyond.  It’s anybody’s guess exactly how long it will take for the economic market to correct itself, although history proves that the economy, especially the real estate market, is cyclical...numbers go up, they go down...and eventually they will correct themselves.  ”What goes up must come down!”  Ring any bells?

It may help to remember a few of those important facts referred to in the latter paragraph if you assume that you couldn’t possibly expect to get as much from the sale of your home, right now, as you would like to; that it could take a long time to produce a buyer for your home; or, if you are a buyer who thinks that financing has become an impossibility.  I am always available to help put your mind at ease. And I share all types of real estate related information to clients on a regular basis, as part of my ongoing dedication to them...to help them at all times, not just during the times I’m working for them to help them buy or sell a home.

If I may present a good example of a [recent] positive happening in a negative market...in October [2008], I placed a new listing for the sellers of an exquisite single-family home.  We closed the sale of that home in 68 days, for 93% of their original list price.  In turn, I helped them find an equally [actually more] beautiful home in a fine neighborhood, for a great price!  Is that proof enough that this is a good time to be part of the current real estate market?  One should remember that any deficit a seller might recognize in the sale of one home, they can usually make it back in the purchase of another property that can be bought at a reasonable price.

Other facts to remember are 1) a financial “loss” on the sale of real estate might garner certain tax benefits*; 2) there is still a buyer for every home; 3) there are some pretty great deals to be made right now, considering current price reductions on so many homes; 4) numerous financing options are still available for qualified buyers; and 5) nothing is impossible if a knowledgeable REALTOR® is hired to assist.  And, finally, if you’re not actively engaged in the buying or selling process, you can’t hardly expect to reap any benefits!

Even though some consumers are feeling the current “crunch” more than others, not everybody is so “doomed”, considering the many positive opportunities there are in the real estate market.  So, when will the media finally give up on all their “gloom and doom” reporting?

I’d love to hear your comments and discuss any feedback you might have to offer.  Please feel free to share yours!  You can  either comment here, or email me at Marlene@MarleneDoesMore.com.

*It is highly recommended you seek the advice of a Certified Public Accountant about your personal tax structure.

In the Chicago North Shore, much of the drop in average sales price was due to the sharp decrease of demand in expensive neighborhoods such as Winnetka and Glencoe (NorthShoreInsider.com, 12-04-2008). Every neighborhood is experiencing a drop in prices, and it's certainly a rare buyer's market right now in the North Shore.

Taking a step back for a bigger perspective, the 2008 third quarter S&P/Case-Shiller home-price index reported an additional decline from the previous quarter. Among the 20 major metropolitan areas, home prices dropped an average 17.4% from the previous year and among the top areas that suffered were Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Miami. The Chicago area reported a 10.1% decrease in home-prices compared to the past year (S&P, 11-25-2008). The full Case-Shiller report is available right here.

I want to point out that overall, the Chicago housing market is not suffering as much as other major cities. I believe this is due to our widely-recognized, reputable schools, welcoming suburb neighborhoods, great family environment, abundance of parks and green space, and plenty of arts and entertainment facilities. Let's all remember that the Chicago North Shore is one of the best places for long-term investment, and I'm sure it will be one of the strongest to hold out valiantly through this economic downturn!

It's the time of year when family and friends gather together to share smiles, laughter, heart-warming conversations, and of course, great food! For that last finishing touch for the family gathering, here is a lovely, easy drink recipe that can be enjoyed by kids and grandparents alike. Best of all, it looks absolutely beautiful. I consider myself very lucky to have a wonderful virtual assistant who lives in California, to have shared this wonderful drink recipe that is her family favorite. Enjoy!

"Holiday Sparkle Punch"

Ingredients:
4 quarts, cold water
1 liter, Sprite
1/2 gallon orange sherbet
6 oz orange juice concentrate
6 oz pineapple juice concentrate
2 oranges
2 limes
2 lemons
1 pack of Mint leaves
Several ice cube trays

Directions:
1. Slice the oranges, limes, and lemons into very small pieces and scatter a little bit of each into your ice cube trays. Also put in mint leaves. Pour in water and put in the freezer.

2. Take a large punch bowl and mix in the remaining ingredients.

3. When the ice cubes are done, serve the punch in a clear cup with 1 or 2 ice cubes. Each ice cube will be glittering with bright orange, yellow, and green pieces of fruit and it'll be a delight for any drinker.