The festive holiday, known for the coloring everything Green – from local beer to the Chicago River, is just around the corner. To get you in the Irish spirit, here are some fun facts about Saint Patrick’s Day that you might not be aware of, plus a yummy recipe for chocolate stout cupcakes to help you celebrate! While Saint Patrick’s Day commemorates the death of Saint Patrick, the patron Saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick wasn’t Irish. He was actually British, born to a wealthy Christian family. It wasn’t until he was kidnapped by Irish pirates at the age of 16 that he began the journey that he is now famously…

With so much happening on the national and international political front, our long running real estate recovery seems to be taking a back seat in news headlines these days. That said, there remain many important items of note that we need to keep our clients and friends aware of. Government agencies, and also our local MLS, report that existing home sales (closings) fell in January for the third straight month. We believe the main cause of this to be a function of low supply. A secondary, although far lesser cause, can likely be tied to the rise in interest rates we all experienced at the hands of the Federal Reserve…

If you’re preparing to buy a home, the first consideration you’ll likely make is how you will come up with your down payment. Some first time home buyers are fortunate enough to have family to borrow from, or might even qualify for a down payment assistance grant. However, if you’re like the majority of prospective home buyers, you will be saving for a while on your own for your down payment. Saving enough for a down payment on the average priced home can seem like a daunting task, so we’ve compiled some helpful tips that will help get you on your way to home ownership. Step One Take a second…

Most buyers start the house hunting process by making a list of their “must have” and “would like to have” features when it comes to their new home. Depending on how flexible (or realistic) these lists are, some buyers can be left frustrated by the process. Nothing can kill the excitement that accompanies buying a new home faster than being let down after every showing – it can feel like the right home will never come along. Consider the fact that we are also facing an inventory shortage in our current market, and these frustrations can turn into realities for some buyers. If you find yourself in this situation, you…

Welcome to the 21st century – the consumer-empowered, internet-fueled, DIY era, where people feel that they are able to tackle most of life’s obstacles on their own. Consumers are increasingly savvy and budget minded – something we see often in the real estate market. Any given neighborhood will surely have a few “For Sale By Owner” signs in yards – promising potential home buyers a friendly, easy, and inexpensive alternative to dealing with real estate agents and “red tape”. While we are all for the empowered consumers who can handle things on their own, remember that buying or selling a home is a tremendous financial transaction with real-world legal obligations…

Nothing says “love” like putting effort into something that you create yourself – remember how your Mom’s face lit up when you brought home your construction paper cut-out Valentines from school every year? Sadly, the bar raises as we get older, and your 8-year-old art projects are unlikely to win over many hearts as an adult – so put down the glue stick and make these amazing cookies instead! Everyone loves a classic chocolate chip cookie, and these come highly recommended – Chef Tim Love recreated his Mother’s cookie recipe for Food and Wine and it currently has almost five thousand five-star reviews online. These cookies are supposed to be…

Winter in Southern Wisconsin seems to have arrived with a bang this year, and our homes are working overtime to shield us from the elements. Make sure you’re taking precautions to keep you and your home safe while we weather winters worst (and dream of Spring). Safety First! Space Heaters – Make sure you have a newer model with an auto-shut off button on the bottom to prevent fires if it is tipped over by a pet or child. Keep space heaters a safe distance from furniture, drapes, or other flammable materials, and do not run them near water (like the bath tub). Never leave a running space heater unattended. Generators –…

Uncertainty seems to be the issue of the day. Are the current frigid temperatures just weather, or is it climate change? Will the Patriots bring home a 7th Lombardi trophy next year? Will the real estate market expand or contract in 2019? For the first two questions, we can only guess. And while prognosticating about the real estate market for the entire year of 2019 would also be little more than a guess, we may be able to offer a little more clarity with respect to the early spring market, which historically begins in the latter part of February each year. Today’s quick check of MLS reported sales closed sales…