Let's be honest. Most buyers spend the first few minutes of a showing looking at the kitchen, imagining where the couch will go, or debating whether they can live with…
Sewer Scope Inspection: Is It Worth It? A normal home inspection checks a lot of things. Roof, furnace, outlets, windows, plumbing fixtures—the usual suspects. But there’s one very expensive part…
Do You Need a Radon Test in Illinois or Indiana? If you’re buying a home in Illinois or Indiana, sooner or later someone is going to say the word “radon.”…
What to Look for in Older Homes Older homes have a certain charm. The kind you don’t really get from newer construction. Solid wood, unique layouts, neighborhoods with actual trees…
looks nice” and “where do I sign?” That version of the market is gone. 2026 buyers are still out there, still buying, still serious—but they’re thinking differently, moving slower, and…
(because “we’re under contract” doesn’t mean you’re done) There’s a moment in every transaction where everyone relaxes a little too early - offer accepted; congrats all around; maybe even a…
(or: why your budget suddenly feels very different 45 minutes away) At some point in your home search, this happens. You tour something in Naperville and think, “Okay… this might…
(so you don’t fall in love with the wrong one) Most buyers start home tours the same way: open a few listings, pick the nicest photos, schedule a showing, and…
If you’ve been watching the real estate market in Illinois lately, you might have noticed a trend: some homeowners are packing up and heading east to Indiana. The main culprit?…
If you’ve ever wondered why a house on one street in Munster goes for $50k more than the one across town, you’re not imagining things. One huge factor? The school…
If you’re buying a home in Lake County, Indiana—or already own one—you’re in luck: Indiana offers a homestead deduction that can halve your property tax cap, making it an essential…
How do closing costs differ between Northwest Indiana and Chicago, IL in 2026? Here’s a data-backed breakdown for home buyers comparing both sides of the border. Understanding 2026 Closing Costs…
For the week of 4/4-4/11, Greater Chicago area residential real estate market: New listings are not catching up to previous year's numbers; available for-sale properties can not meet the high…
What’s included in a home inspection may not be as important as what isn’t.A home inspection may feel like a final exam, but it's not quite so clear cut. Your inspector's report…
You finally found a home that you’d like to offer, but you found out there are 4 other offers on this house already. Someone outbids you. Fine, let’s move on…
By: G. M. Filisko What's a rule of thumb to determine how much mortgage you can afford? There's no one rule, but these four tips will tell you. Home ownership should…
By: Leanne PottsTechnology and good-old-fashioned creativity are helping agents, buyers, and sellers abide by COVID-19 health and safety practices while getting deals done. Some buyers are touring houses virtually. Others visit…
Home inspections have its limitations. Better understand what you can and cannot expect from inspections when you buy a home.
An insider's take - Is your realtor contributing or detracting from your real estate buy or sale? How to tell the good ones from the bad?
We've gathered 12 easy home maintenance tasks for this fall. Follow them one by one to prepare for a comfortable and cozy winter!