But you took the plunge anyway! You fell in love with a home, you decided to buy it, and you moved in as soon as you could. You were happy with your new home, and you wanted to make it your own immediately!

Unfortunately, you may have found the prospect of decorating your new home just as daunting as buying it. But don’t worry—that’s where we come in! In our regular feature, Decorating De-mystified, we’ll help you turn that house of yours into a real home!

This week we’ll be focusing on clearing your space of clutter…

Getting rid of junk isn’t easy. But you’ll need to learn how to toss out your old baseball cards and ticket stubs if you want to live in a clean, streamlined home.

Home design expert Peter Walsh offers these tips to home owners interested in living clutter-free:

• Tackle messes one room at a time.
• When you buy something new, practice the “in-out rule:” For every one new item, get rid of an old one.
• Create intimacy in the master bedroom. Remember that improvements in one room can spread to the rest of the house.
• Make cleaning up fun for your kids.
• Create a vision for the room you’re cleaning.
• Teach your kids how to sort.
• Use a hanger system to determine which clothes you wear most.
• Ask yourself if you really need something. If you hesitate, you don’t.
• Establish a “magic triangle” in your kitchen between the stove, refrigerator and the sink. Keep the items you use most in that area.
• Identify useful utensils with the cardboard box test.

To learn more about decorating your new home, check the CondoDomain blog next week for another edition of Decorating De-mystified. And, in the meantime, check out articles like this one!

But you took the plunge anyway! You fell in love with a home, you decided to buy it, and you moved in as soon as you could. You were happy with your new home, and you wanted to make it your own immediately!

Unfortunately, you may have found the prospect of decorating your new home just as daunting as buying it. But don’t worry—that’s where we come in! In our regular feature, Decorating De-mystified, we’ll help you turn that house of yours into a real home!

This week we’ll be focusing on decorating with color…

Designer Mark McCauley encourages home owners to follow these two simple tips when working with color:

Tip 1. Choose a color scheme from the largest pattern in the space.
If you’ve got patterned upholstery, an Oriental rug or large piece of artwork, pluck colors you like from the pattern. For a neutral wall paint color, look to the pattern’s whites and beiges.

Tip 1. Start with the formal areas of the house.
Specifically, the living room, dining room and entry way. Choose a color scheme for those areas first, then pull one color from the scheme. For example, take the red sofa and tone it down (say, to burgundy) for an accent in more private spaces such as the den, office or bedroom.

To learn more about decorating your new home, check the CondoDomain blog next week for another edition of Decorating De-mystified. And, in the meantime, check out articles like this one!

Among them are the thousands of people who turned out to participate in Open House Chicago, an architecture tour designed to appeal to nosy neighbors and potential home buyers throughout Chicago and abroad.

According to WBEZ, Open House Chicago “gave the public access to about 130 nooks and crannies that are normally off limits, such as the store windows at Macy’s. The Chicago Architecture Foundation estimates participants made about 100,000 site visits.”

These tour sites included chapel, Frank Lloyd Wright designed homes, historical society buildings, museums, office buildings, and—of course—single family homes and condos currently on the market.

“Paul Bluestone, who heads the Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society, says this mix was on purpose: ‘It’s a United Nations of Chicago. It’s one of the most diverse communities in the country. Having a tour which focused only on the architectural relevance of some of the buildings would kind of miss the point a little bit.’”

Bluestone went on to say that “I think it’s great for people to be looking in places they haven’t looked before and asking questions about buildings and history. It’s great to have curious people wandering around.”

And we certainly agree with Bluestone. Chicagoans interested in purchasing a home before the holidays ought to take advantage of this warm Chicago weather while they can and visit as many houses and condos as possibly.

In a single weekend, for instance, an interested home buyer could check out dozens of available homes in neighborhoods like Bucktown, Wicker Park, and Lincoln Park.

To find out more about Chicago’s wonderful neighborhoods, enter your information in the box on the right and a Rock Star Chicago Real Estate Agent will get in touch with you today!

Chicago , perhap more than most cities, a city of neighborhoods. From the broad boulevards of Lincoln Park, to the arty avenues of Pilsen, each and every neighborhood in this city possesses its own distinct energy and unique charm.  Each neighborhood is worth learning a little more about. So, every other week, we’ll be featuring another neighborhood on this section of the blog, and we’ll interview someone living in that neighborhood—Someone capable of giving us the inside scoop on their ‘hood!

This week I sat down with Joyce Dupler and talked to her about her experience living in Brozeville.

Q: How long have you been living in Bronzeville?

A: I’ve been living here for more than ten years—I moved here in February of 2001. It’s strange to think that I’ve been in the same place for over a decade!

Q: Do you own or rent?

A: I own. I haven’t relocated since I moved to my house in 2000—I love it too much!

Q: Why did you decide to settle down in Bronzeville?

A: I was looking for a reasonably priced place in a quiet neighborhood relatively close to downtown. My Bronzeville home fit the bill perfectly!

Q: What do you like most about the neighborhood?

A: I love the way it continues to grow on me. When I first bought my home here, I worried that I wouldn’t have much to do in the neighborhood and that I’d have to go elsewhere for shopping and nightlife. Over the years, though, I’ve discovered so many cute cafes and restaurants and boutiques—it’s been great.

Q: Would you encourage others to purchase a house or condo of their own in the neighborhood?

A: Definitely. I really enjoy my neighborhood, and I love my home.

For more information about Chicago and its vibrant neighborhoods as well as it’s many available condos enter your information in the box to your right and a rock star real estate agent will get in touch with you to answer all your questions

The Goodman Theater is actually across the street from the building, so definitely enjoy some of the great plays that they host throughout the year. Then take in some shopping or eating on nearby Michigan Avenue.

However, the surrounding area is only part of the beauty of this former apartment complex that has been around since 1989, but has been re-developed in order to fit residents’ needs in the area more effectively.

Some of this 47-story building’s new amenities include: an indoor swimming pool, fitness center, and terrace. Also available is a party room and on-site laundry facilities. It is like having a city within a city at your disposal.

Maintenance service and 24-hour doormen, along with indoor parking, ensure that your needs are met throughout the day.

The cherry on top is the pricing. Some of these units are over half off their previous prices from a few years ago. With all of the amenities in the unit, and the surrounding area’s restaurants, shows, shopping, and more you definitely get your value out of these properties.

If you need some additional information about these properties, please contact CondoDomain today.

There is so much great architecture in Chicago that it can sometimes be hard to appreciate all of the architectural beauty of the buildings in Chicago.

For that reason, we’ve decided to feature a few of our favorite architectural triumphs on our blog. This week, we’ll be taking a closer look at the architectural triumph that is The Aqua Tower.

The Aqua Tower is one of Chicago’s most striking skyscrapers. It features 86 stories of mixed-used residential space. It’s located in the Lakeshore East development of downtown Chicago, and it’s close to other landmark buildings, like Trump Tower and the Hancock Tower.

The tower was designed by world-renowned architect Jeanne Gang, and is the tallest building in the world designed by a woman. It contains  an 82,550 square foot terrace complete with gardens, gazebos, several pools, multiple hot tubs, and a track perfect for indoor walking and running. It’s one of Chicago’s sleekest, best designed skyscrapers, and it was named the 2009 skyscraper of the year by the Emporis Skyscraper Award. It was also shortlisted for the International Highrise Award in 2010.

Locals and tourists alike appreciate the Aqua Tower’s clean lines and curvilinear forms, and no trip to Chicago would be complete without at least a glimpse of it.

To find out more about Chicago’s wonderful architecture, enter your information in the box on the right and a Rock Star Chicago Real Estate Agent will get in touch with you today!

You grew up in Massachusetts, didn’t you?

Yes, I grew up in western Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The Berkshires are actually much closer to New York State than they are to Boston.

Why did you decide to leave Massachusetts?

I was 18, and I wanted to experience something new, so I chose to apply to colleges exclusively in New York. I was accepted at Bard College, in upstate New York, and I moved to New York City when I graduated.

Rent in New York most have been expensive…

Oh yes! I lived in Brooklyn, rather than Manhattan, but the rent was still pretty steep.

How did you end up in L.A.?

I was offered a dream job at a non-profit organization in L.A. I wasn’t thrilled about moving away from all of my friends, but I wanted the job, so off to L.A. I went!

And now you’re in Chicago! How does it compare to the other cities?

I absolutely love Chicago. The homes here are more affordable, which I appreciate, but more than that, the overall atmosphere in this city seems more welcoming and laid back than the atmosphere in other cities I’ve lived in. I really enjoy it, and I hope I won’t be moving away from here any time soon!

For more information about Chicago and its unique charms check out this article and if your interested in finding out about some awesome Chicago real estate just enter your information into the box on your right and an amazing real estate agent will get in touch with you ASAP!

As many Chicagoans already know, construction continues on the much-anticipated Lincoln Park 2520, a luxury high-rise featuring thirty nine residential floors and many more individual units. Construction has also begun on a Ritz-Carlton located along the north side of Michigan Avenue, a new hotel which will include eighty eight long-term residential units.

“The two high-rises share the notable distinction,” the Tribune reports “of being the only sizable Chicago condo buildings that will deliver units to buyers in the next year. Lincoln Park 2520 is scheduled to begin closing units toward the end of 2012′s second quarter, while the Ritz-Carlton plans to start deliveries late this year.”

“If those deliveries are delayed into 2012, 2011 will go down as the first year in the last fifteen years in which no new for-purchase units were added to the market, according to Appraisal Research Counselors. That compares with the peak year of 2007, when 4,800 condo units came online.”

“Strong demand for rental units is leading to rent increases downtown, while the for-purchase market has been stymied by a lack of financing, both for developers and buyers.”

News that renting continues to rule the roost in Chicago is certainly not new, but it is disappointing, nonetheless. Many city dwellers have started to hope that home sales would begin to climb again this year, and many construction companies have been eagerly awaiting new commissions. For the time being, though, it appears that construction activity will continue to lag, and those construction companies can only hope that the housing market will be a little more robust this time next year!

To learn more about luxury real estate developments in Chicago, enter your information into the box on your right and a rock star real estate agent will get in touch with you ASAP!

Image Credits: YoChicago.com

“In June,” Maidenberg writes, “Alderman Danny Solis, who represents the area in Chicago’s City Council, introduced an ordinance that calls for allowing “work-live units” in the buildings, where artists and small-scale producers would be able to collapse their home and professional lives into the same space.”

“It’s an idea he says is tied to the changing nature of Pilsen itself, a historically immigrant neighborhood that once helped form the core of Chicago’s industrial economy. Now, there are fashion stores and art galleries amidst the cement makers and light industry.”

Pilsen has become increasingly commercialized in recent years, but have the neighborhood’s residents welcomed this change? Or have they resented it? And how do they feel about this new development? We spoke with Jessie Winthrop, a long-time Pilsen resident, to get her take on the project:

How do you feel about these “work-live units”?

I have mixed feelings about them. On the one hand, I like to see young, artistic types moving into the neighborhood. On the other hand, I worry about how the units might affect Pilsen’s older population.

Do you think the units will displace some of Pilsen’s poorer residents?

Yes and no. The units seem to be designed to appeal to young, artistic types interested in inexpensive housing, and I don’t really think that a bunch of young bohemians are going to immediately displace Pilsen’s working class population. But they could certainly galvanize gentrification in the area, and that could ultimately drive up housing prices. So, as I said, yes and no.

Do you think that the artists who move into these units might be able to jumpstart Pilsen’s economy?

Quite possibly. I know from experience that the economy of East Pilsen has improved tremendously since Podmajersky put up a bunch of galleries in the area. So it’s definitely possible, and maybe even likely, that the same thing might happen in the area immediately surrounding these “work-live units.”

To learn more about Pilsen and its changing demographics, simply enter your information into the box on your right and an amazing Chicago real estate agent will get in touch with you ASAP!

Image Credits: Mark Susina

Part of Davie’s take on the question can be read here:

“This is a tricky question to answer,” Davies says, “because there are positive and negative aspects to both sides of the equation. Property prices have been declining, so from a first-timers point of view, that makes it an attractive time to buy.” Davies also notes, however, that “advantages to Gen Y in not buying include freeing up your cash flow for further study or other career development, giving you increased flexibility in terms of moving for work and being able to adapt the type of place you live in over time to suit your changing needs (because the space you need as a young single is hugely different to the space you need as a growing family). However, these advantages only exist if you actually use them. That is, if you’re not increasing your qualifications or developing your career, then it’s not so much an advantage as a wasted opportunity. “My personal philosophy,” Davies concludes, “is that it’s better to buy than rent, but only when you can afford to buy in an area where you genuinely want to live.”

To read the rest of Davie’s take on the rent-or-buy dilemma, check out the rest of the article here.

If you are paret of Gen Y and you’re thinking about buying in Chicago enter your information into the box on your right and a rock star real estate agent will get in touch with you ASAP!