There are endless ways to add a little something, to spice up a bland living space.  New homes offer many desirable characteristics but many times lack anything to distinguish themselves, from the rest of the pack.  A great way to solve the cookie cutter syndrome is to buy antique salvage.  Anything from the kitchen sink to an ornate vintage mantel can be found and easily installed.

I’m rather fond of AGA stoves.  This native kitchen appliance of the British Isles, has a long history in cottages and country homes.  AGA cookers or as we call them in North America, stoves, have begun to emerge in stylish living spaces across the US.  Favoured for their sturdy construction and multitude of colour choices, they have a vintage look that lends well to the brands versitility in a modern dwelling.  Apart from being bought new, the older ones are very collectible.  For more about AGA stoves, visit aga-ranges.com

A great source for a vast range of antique salvage is, Salvage One.  The company is located in Chicago and carries everything from lighting fixtures to Victorian door knobs.  Plan to spend several hours there, as they have three full floors of showroom.  For further details, click here.

Open House 6.7.09 from 2pm-4pm.  807 Davis Street #410, Evanston, Illinois.  Recent price reduction!

Bright 2br. 2bth. condo in the heart of downtown Evanston.  Live within steps of Evanston’s lake, restaurants, shops, public transportation and Northwestern University.  The condo offers several luxury upgrades and custom Italian lighting fixtures.  Large 1601sf floor plan with a private master suite, includes two walk-in closets, large second bedroom with wall to wall closet, separate laundry room and bright eastern exposure.  Come have a look, it offers everything you would want in a condo.  Click for more details.

Open house Sunday May 17th 2009 from 1pm-3pm, located at 807 Davis Street #410, Evanston, Illinois 60201.

Highly desirable 1,600 sq ft loft condo in downtown Evanston. This East facing luxury unit overlooks an inviting rooftop terrace garden. The floor plan provides an open kitchen and living room facing floor to ceiling windows. Separate dining room, laundry room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms all finished with top of the line fixtures and finishes. Spotless hardwood floors, stainless appliances and stone kitchen surfaces.  Reduced taxes for 2008. Please ask for more information.

For details, contact Rubloff Residential Properties, 1 847 512 2781 or click here.

Open House on March 22nd and March 29th 2009, 1-3pm. 807 Davis Street Unit 410, Evanston , Illinois 60201. On offer is a 2br. 2bath luxury loft condo, in the heart of downtown Evanston.  Bright eastern views over a rooftop garden terrace.  The unit features many custom upgrades, including Italian designed lighting fixtures.  There is a separate laundry room, two walk-in closets, private balcany, Stainless steal kitchen appliances, hardwood flooring, top of the line bathroom fixtures, private master suite, health club in building, shopping in building and parking.  It’s a spacious 1,600 sf oasis in the middle of everything Evanston has to offer.  

For more information, please click here or call 1 847 630 3102.

I really like the idea of being able to move a kitchen around at the drop of a hat. Bulthaup makes a fantastic kitchen which is ideal for loft and creative living spaces. Much of the System 20 kitchen line is on wheels and crafted of high quality stainless steel. Perfect for the individual looking for continual change of scenery and flexibility.

Part of the product line consists of a workstation with “all in one” functionality.  The workstation would be a nice addition to a home which requires an open feeling without the kitchen being a dominating feature. The designer has photographed this line in architecturally interesting and vintage spaces for a reason. The kitchens don’t take focus away from the greater space. This is a huge trend in many homes I’ve seen in Europe recently. I could see this design series in anything from a Chalet styled home in Aspen to a rustic Spanish Colonial home for a smart contrasting look.  It’s suitability for so many different types of living space make it incredibly attractive.  Here is a link to the Bulthaup site.

Open House Sunday May 4th 2008 from 1-3pm.  The address is 807 Church Street unit #201, Evanston. Truly a must see condo!  

Elegant downtown Evanston condo with 2br., 2bth, parking and top notch finishes. Located in the refurbished Marshall Fields building, which has landmark status and a stately feel.  Live in the heart of downtown Evanston.  Offered at $474,000.  For open house details, tel. 1 847 512 2700.

Antique sale. Open May 4th 2008. 1246 Hinman, Evanston Illinois.  Antiques located just off the alley behind Hinman on the west side and near Dempster. Definitely worth having a look.  I was not sure about specific hours but if you live near, stop by.  

It can be frightening when buying real estate for the first time. There are so many facets in a real estate transaction to learn in a short amount of time. Many first-time buyers tend to be shy about asking questions and then begin to panic when submitting their first offer.  My advise, don’t ever feel that a question is silly or trivial. Every question has a valid answer. The more knowledge you have, the easier it all seems.  

Submitting an offer and then following it through to a contract and then closing, is not easy. It’s a lot of hard work on behalf of the realtor, attorney, loan officer and of course, you.  

I always try to make the whole process seem easy and seamless. Often, I find myself working to the wee hours of 1am looking up listings and strategizing how to help my clients get what they want.  It’s important for a Realtor to walk you through the contract process and be available to answer any questions you have been pondering.  I try to make myself available at just about anytime of day by email or phone.  It makes all the difference when communication is strong and potential obstacles are clearly seen in a real estate transaction.  Below is a short list of steps to buying a home.  

1. Determine your budget and needs

2. Get pre-approved with a mortgage lender

3. View all potential properties that match your criteria

4. Make an offer and then negotiate a contract

5. Get a property inspection

6. Have an attorney review the contract

7. Complete the mortgage application process

8. Property appraisal by the lender and loan approval

9. Final property inspection and check list of negotiated items to added, fixed and etc.

10. Closing will be arranged to take place in a tittle company or brokerage office

11. The Home is finally yours.

For more details about Evanston, Chicago or North Shore property, click here.

For people relocating and unfamiliar with Chicago, Lincoln Park is one of the most exciting neighbourhoods to live in.  It’s Chicago’s Greenwich Village or Kensington. There are limitless dining, drinking and shopping options at your disposal.  A wonderful lakefront park offers a host of outdoor activities including cycling, rowing or a lazy day at the beach.  With easy to access public transportation and a relatively short commute time to downtown Chicago make it highly sought after.  Lincoln Park Real Estate comes in all shapes and sizes from High Rise Condos to classic Greystone Two Flats.  Most of the streets are lined with grand deciduous trees and vintage iron clad property fences. For more on area eating, drinking and entertainment options, here is a neighbourhood guide from Metromix Chicago.

Want to live in Lincoln Park?  Click here for real estate information.

The Evanston festival season begins in May but Summer really starts with the Custer Street Fair. The Fair opens on a Saturday morning and runs all weekend long.  It’s usually really hot and loads of fun to walk around and people watch while gulping down some icy drink. Venders from all over the country come to sell crafts, prints, art work and knockoff sunglasses.  There’s also music and a large choice of food options. Click here for more details. The City of Evanston site also has information on other Evanston festivals.   Click here for all of the city sponsored festivals. 

Evanston has a wealth of shopping districts and retail choice.  Most are near Metra, CTA train and bus stops. Along the train lines, Evanston’s retail districts can be broken down into Howard Street, Main Street, Dempster Street, Downtown (Davis Street), Noyes Street and Central Street. The Dodge/Dempster, Main/McCormick and Howard/McCormick retail districts are accessible by bus.

Evanston has a fantastic range of dining options.  You will find an established and sophisticated palette of culinary choices in several price ranges.  You can either eat in a very posh seafood restaurant or enjoy a fresh homestyle carryout.  Every imaginable option in between will also be available to you.  I will be reviewing some of my favourite restaurants.  Stay tuned.   

Evanston has a healthy array of small boutique shops ranging from antiques to shoes. The city also has the more common stores like Starbucks, Target, Sams Club, Barnes & Noble and Borders.  There are also two excellent full sized Whole Foods and many other supermarkets in every corner of the city including a World Market.  The city even has it’s very own chocolatier.  So many businesses that you will likely never tire exploring them.

 Here is a link to the Evanston Chamber of Commerce for a broader list of businesses.

There is growing popularity of using reclaimed wood in refurbishment projects and new construction. It’s a “green” product and doesn’t require cutting down a forest to make. Comparing it to distressed new wood, it looks better and has a rich patina. I always thought distressing new wood was a little strange considering you can buy authentic vintage wood antiques, flooring and etc.. I’ve seen it used in new home construction and in a couple of Lofts.  Reclaimed wood looks smart with a contemporary interior and a traditional decor alike. As demand grows, so will the distributors selling it. Here is a link to the Mountain Lumber Company, they sell Oak flooring from Guinness beer vats and sell it in North America. What a fantastic idea!!

Downtown Evanston has seen a boom of high rise towers with a growing population living in the clouds. The fantastic views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline add to it’s appeal.  The boom in high rise development all started about 8 years ago and has yet to really slow.  The city center has become a market of it’s own within Evanston’s greater real estate market.  

Many area residents feel that the level of density already created should signal a slowing point to large scale developments. Local roads and infrastructure can absorb the current increase in population density but probably wouldn’t be able to handle thousands of additional condo units without major road expansion, which is unlikely to happen. I’m glad to hear, “The Tower” has been downsized in the planning stages. It’s original design was really tacky and would have been an eyesore, viewable from miles away.

Whatever your opinion is on the aesthetics of Downtown Evanston’s future skyline, the growth has attracted people to a prosperous retail/residential district. It once suffered from lack of interest and focus.  It’s now fantastic and has a healthy balance of residential and commercial space. There is an exceptional array of  restaurants, retailers and new parking garages.  A tremendously diverse amount of housing stock is available offering anything from loft ceilings to lake views.  Downtown Evanston has not just become a destination point but rather a place to reside & dine.  It’s become vibrant but still charming like the old Evanston.  Here is an article written by the Chicago Tribune about the downtown Evanston transformation.

Along with favourable interest rates, property values have come down rather drastically over the last year.  The real estate market in several regions of the country has seen historic decline in value.  The market in the Chicago area has seen much less of the coastal extremes in value, but prices have steadily come down here too. Buyers have not had a better market to potentially profit from in recent memory.  There are so many incentives to buy, that holding out much longer might be a mistake.  Just remember to buy what you really want because, you can have it for much less than you would expect. So, whether you are looking for a multi-million dollar lake front property or a 1 bedroom condo, you can find a smart buy in this market. 

This is all encouraging news for buying a home, but what about selling a home?  It’s all about being priced competitively and how your home is presented.  It’s essential to be marketed in several ways including, a strong online presence, print media and making your property easily accessible to show buyers.  It’s also very important to hire a Real Estate Agent.  Going it alone is a big mistake for a seller in this market.  A Realtor has experience, marketing strategy, advertising, an established network, the MLS and a strong incentive to get the job done.  

An important aspect a seller can focus on to help a property get noticed is, presentation.  Fixing broken fixtures, painting, using neutral decorations and moving excess clutter into storage can help.  Consider putting all your furnishings and collections into a self-storage facility and hiring a staging company.  They have expertise in creating space that a buyer can visualize as their own and feel comfortable in.  Keeping a home clean and tidy can also make a world of difference in what a potential buyer will think of your home.  

A seller can have an emotional attachment to a home, therefore it can be hard to see what others might like or dislike.  A Realtor should give you an honest opinion of what he or she may think your house is worth and how it shows.  Remember, honesty is what will sell your home. 

Give me a call or send me an email, if you have any real estate related questions or have interest in viewing local property.  My contact details can be found under the “About Jason Hartong” tab.  

According to CNNMoney, it’s the best time in four years to purchase a home.  Click here for an article from CNNMoney.com.

Another sign warm weather is on the way, Evanston street cleaning starts once again on April 1st 2008.  Don’t be fooled into getting a ticket.  Most Evanston home and condo residents park on city streets which is a huge revenue source for the City of Evanston.  Play it safe and make sure to read the street signs and memorize the cleaning schedule for your neighbourhood. 

As Winter begins to release it’s grip on the Northern Hemisphere, the vegetation starts to show signs of life.  Here in the Chicago area Spring starts rather late, this makes it essential to think beyond your perennial beds.  Remember, plants are only part of the visual interest in a garden.  It’s important to consider hardscaping your property.  Many people overlook the potential for creating additional three season outdoor living space.  

Fortunately, awareness of the value in adding smart garden space to a home is catching on.  Aside from the esthetic qualities, a properly designed hardscape/landscape can create more usable square footage to a home.  Hardscaping/Landscaping will add significant value to a property.  It’s essential to have a landscape designed around the architecture of the home, making it an extension of the interior living space.  In a badly designed landscape, squiggly lines are found close to the home.  This makes the house look like it was dropped in from Space.  The garden should be a mirror of the house.  A home will usually have lots of straight lines, and so should the landscape directly around the architecture.  Hardscaping and terraces are to follow this same basic design rule.  The basic principal is to link the house with it’s surroundings. 

If you have a stately home with lots of property, a landscape can take on curved lines and more natural organic forms away from the home.  The Ravines of Glencoe, Highland Park and Lake Forest are perfect examples of where circular and organic line in a garden can be used.  Space is essential to successfully use curves and circles in Landscape Design.  If you have a small urban property, use lots of straight lines in the design to reflect the rectangular lot.  If you follow this basic design philosophy,  your garden (yard) should  take on an esthetically pleasing and timeless shape and provide years of enjoyment.

Consider hiring a professional Landscape Designer and have them work with your Landscaper and or Architect. For ideas, plan a local trip to the world class Chicago Botanic Garden or jump over the pond to the famous Chelsea Garden Show in London. 

Contact Watercolour Gardens by Hartong International about landscape design services.

Due to recent property value corrections, Cook County is reopening the assessments for home owners.  You will have from March 17th 2008 until March 31st 2008 to protest the assessed valuation of your home.  Condo owners should hire an attorney to protest taxes, due to the complexity of multi-unit properties.  You could save a substantial amount of money but you need to act quickly. 

According to BusinessWeek, property values in university towns are stable.  Many are prospering from local economies and transient populations. Encouraging news for Evanston and many areas of Chicago.  

ArcLinea kitchens look fantastic in a contemporary loft or a vintage refurbished condo with both modern and vintage touches.  I’ve sold several properties in Evanston with ArcLinea fixtures.  The designs work exceptionally well and are very durable.  The minimalist look is helped by a combination of ultra deep drawers for storing the All-clad or drawers with organizers for spices and smaller items.  The whole kitchen allows many storage options, so counter space can be used for tasks rather than display.  The philosophy, “less is more” works in ArcLinea’s design.