Chicago Center for Green Technology: Free Educational Programs Offered!

From Alderman Brendan Reilly’s office:

The Chicago Center for Green Technology (CCGT), a program of the Chicago Department of Environment offers FREE educational programs regarding green technology, energy efficiency, environmentally responsible business, green homes and gardens, green building techniques and sustainable living.
January 2010 Programs:

• Greening New and Old: Two Chicago Examples of Sustainable Design

February 2010 Programs:

• Designing Natural Areas That Work
• Demystifying LEED for Homes
• Permaculture V: Community
• Historic Preservation and Sustainability: A Generational Approach to Green
• Native Landscapes and Natural Areas Management
• Green Materials for Creators and Consumers
• Chicago Green Homes Program Case Study: 2237 N. Campbell
• Selling Solar
• Ecology of Design

Copies of the Winter/Spring 2010 Program Schedule, which includes information on all the programs offered, are available for pick up in Alderman Reilly’s Constituent Office, located at 325 W. Huron St., Ste. 510, or click here to view it online.

For more information about the CCGT or if you have questions about any of the programs offered, please call 312-746-9642 or email greentech@cityofchicago.org.

Chicago: It’s a SMART real estate buy!

For people who want to own a home, the premium to buy—the spread between what they’d spend to rent and what they’d pay for a mortgage—is much lower than the 15-year average in many cities.

To determine what cities are smart buys, Forbes magazine computed the premium and also identified locales where economists predict home prices will go up the most over the next five years.

Here are the top 10 cities the magazine chose as the best places to buy right now.

1. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Mass.
2. Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, N.C.-S.C.
3. Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill.-Ind.-Wis.
4. Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.
5. Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colo
6. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minn.-Wis.
7. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md.
8. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Ore.-Wash.
9. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif.
10. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.V.

Source: Forbes, Francesca Levy (01/21/2010)

Condo Association and Board Training Seminar Schedule for Condo Owners

From Alderman Brendan Reilly’s office:

Lakeside CDC, a nonprofit housing organization, will be holding seminars for condo owners and boards.  The cost is $25 per participant and advanced registration is required.  Space is limited, so if you are interested, please RSVP by calling 773-381-5253 or email condo@lakesidecdc.org.

Collections, Liens and Foreclosures

Learn the process for filling a collections action, how to work with outside counsel, and the purpose of a lien. Learn about the impact of foreclosures, how to protect the association’s interest during a foreclosure, and how to avoid forcing a unit owner into foreclosure through collections activity.

Presented by Kelly C. Elmore, Attorney, Penland & Hartwell, LLC
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Roosevelt Chicago Public Library
1101 W. Taylor St.

Condominium Association and Board Training Basics Webinar

It is a great opportunity to learn the basic rights and responsibilities of condominium owners, and how to build a sense of community, while establishing a consistent communication system and avoiding conflict in a condominium association.

Presented by Lakeside Community Development Corporation
Thursday, January 28, 2010
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Please contact Lakeside CDC for further details

Roles and Responsibilities for Boards and Owners

Learn the differences among governing documents and the roles/responsibilities of condominium owners and board members.

Presented by Kerry T. Bartell, Attorney, Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit, P.C.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Edgewater Chicago Public Library
1210 W. Elmdale Ave.

These seminars are presented with the support from the Chicago Department of Community Development.  For more information please visit the Lakeside CDC website at http://www.lakesidecdc.org

How to score a real estate touchdown in early 2010?

The Spring real estate market in Chicago historically has always begun on Super Bowl Sunday. That’s February 7 this year.    With that in mind, some of my colleagues from Prudential Rubloff offered the following observations:

From one of the company principals:  “With listing inventory down 17.7% over the same time last year, I think pent up demand inventory will be large coming on market.  The later (sellers wait to list) I believe the more inventory.”  Everybody is shooting for a listing date of Super Bowl Sunday.  But YOU can get ahead of the pack — and make your property stand out — by listing now.

Are you planning to list a property with a lower price point?  Think about listing NOW.  The extended home buyer’s tax credit makes your property more attractive to first-time buyers who typically look for lower-priced properties when making their first home acquisition.

Are you ready to list?  Are you looking for a great property to buy?  Drop me a line and we’ll talk about how to achieve your real estate goals in the New Year!

Would you be their neighbor?

From the December 30 issue of REALTOR Magazine:

Americans Want to Be Obama’s Neighbor

The neighbor most Americans would choose is the Obama family, according to the annual Zillow Celebrity Neighbor Survey, which asked more than 2,000 U.S. adults to choose who they’d most like to see across the fence.

The most desirable neighbors for 2010 are:

• The Obamas
• Ellen DeGeneres and Portia DeRossi
• Sarah Palin
• Taylor Swift
• Oprah Winfrey
• Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen
• Tiger Woods
• Robert Pattinson

The least desirable neighbors are:

• Nayda Suleman (also known as “Octomom”)
• Jon and Kate Gosselin
• Sara Palin
• Richard and Mayumi Heene (parents of balloon boy)
• Kanye West
• Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt
• Britney Spears
• Tiger Woods

The Ugliest and the Best!

Two ingenious Crown Point, IN gentlemen have discovered a way to make the most of a truly inexplicable Christmas tradition.  Here’s a hint:  the photo above features one of the items for sale on their website.

Follow this link to see all the wonderful ways you can join in the reindeer games!  The hilarious product names are an added holiday bonus.

Condo Sales Stats: November 2008-2009

These numbers just in courtesy of Chicago Condos On-Line

Condo Market Indicators

Year Over Year (November 2009 – November 2008)

Category	November 2009	November 2008	Change
Closings	970	526	+84%
% Condo Closings	52%	48%	+8%
Median Sales Price	$252,500	$278,450	-9%
Avg. Days on Market	147	131	12%
New Listings	1,684	1,358	+24%
Supply	11.9 months	8.3 months	+43%
Total sales volume	$291 mil	$170 mil	+71%

Month Over Month (November 2009 – October 2009)

Category	November 2009	October 2009	Change
Closings	970	1037	-6%
% Condo Closings	52%	51%	+1%
Median Sales Price	$252,500	$255,000	-1%
Avg. Days on Market	147	130	+13%
New Listings	1,684	2,283	-26%
Supply	11.9 months	12.3 months	-4%
Total sales volume	$291 mil	$306 mil	-5%

Christkindl Market Chicago: Holiday Fun!

Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago takes on a German flavor for the holidays every year.  Food, drinks and entertainment are all here.  It will definitely put you in the mood to have a Fröhliches Weihnachten!

Find out more here:  Christkindl Market Chicago

Cold Changes: Time for Winter Parking Bans

It’s the morning-after nightmare that you hadn’t expected:  a gaping hole where you parked your car last night.

Yep, Chicago’s winter parking bans are now in effect.  The Parking Ticket Geek has a very comprehensive report on the what/when/how.  Here’s another super-handy guide from The Parking Ticket Geek.  What to do if your vehicle has been towed.

Hey, at least your trip to the pound today will be sunny and relatively warm.  …Just tryin’ to help you find the bright side in this annual Chicago tradition. 

On Tap This Week: Harbor Point, 155 N. Harbor Drive

I have clients who are strongly interested in seeing available properties in this wonderful lakefront highrise.  We’re seeing four units this week.

Harbor Point is a well-established residence highrise building, part of the Lakeshore East neighborhood at the north edge of Chicago’s Millennium Park. Frequently confused with “that other Lake Shore curvy highrise” to the north Lake Point Tower, HARBOR POINT is a well-managed, beautifully maintained building with amenities including:

• Indoor Pool
• Extensive Fitness Center
• Private Garden and Terrace
• Sunroom
• Bockwinkel’s Grocer

Oh yes, and some of the most magnificent lake views in the city.

How about you?  Are you in the market for  a wonderful, reasonably-priced lakefront home in a beautifully-managed building?  Drop me a line!  I’ll set up some showings!

Photo courtesy of A View on Cities.com