Realtor.org Flickr Super Kitchens: Kitchens are no longer just for cooking; they are an entertainment space and the center of the home. Kitchens are now being built open to other rooms and islands are being used as a divider between rooms instead of walls. As kitchens are becoming more open, pantries
Continue readingDawn Dause Blog
Helpful and Informative information. Homes for sale, helpful real estate information, and also what is going on in the community. Information about Plainfield, Shorewood, Minooka, Lockport, Joliet, and other local areas.
Weekend Getaway Ideas
midwestliving Freedigitalphotos.net Bloomington-Normal, Illinois: Restored 1800’s buildings, farm to table restaurants, shopping, and live music venues. Lake Geneva, Wisconsin: This resort town has many hotels, restaurants, and resorts right along the beautiful lake shore. This gorgeous spot doesn’t just attract visitors in the summer; visit in February for the annual Winterfest. Rockford,
Continue readingCaring For Kitchen Appliances
Chicago Tribune Homes Flickr.com StoveAverage Life Span: 10-15 yearsCommon Repairs and Costs: Igniter cleaning or failure: $110-$200, broken control board: $260 or more, bake element problems: $160 or more.Tips: Keep your stove clean, but avoid getting water or cleaning solution into dials and switches since they are connected to electrical parts.Repair
Continue readingShould You Refinance?
Freedigitalphotos.net Benefits of refinancing Paying off your mortgage early: For example, if you go from a 30 year loan to a 15 year loan without a big increase in your monthly payment, you could save thousands of dollars in interest while quickly increasing the equity in your home. Increase cash flow: Obtaining
Continue reading15 Minute Home Makeovers
houselogic.com freerangestock.com Switch the plates: Update switch plate and outlet covers. Make touch ups: Touch up scratched baseboards, window and door trim, and marks on the wall that won’t go away. Change out hardware: Putting in new drawer pulls and knobs can give a room an inexpensive face lift. Home improvement stores have
Continue readingHome Improvement Apps And Websites
Flickr Dering Hall (deringhall.com): Assists homeowners in choosing an interior designer by allowing users to browse through hundreds of portfolios to help choose a firm. Users can also simply browse through picture galleries organized by room for inspiration. Porch (porch.com): Interactive maps are available on this site to assist you in
Continue readingFresh Tomato Recipe
Freerangestock.com With tomatoes in season, this is the perfect time to make your favorite tomato recipe or experiment and find a new fave. Here is a great recipe where both fresh tomatoes and corn come together to create a delicious pasta salad: Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad Midwest Living Ingredients:
Continue readingBack To School Tips For Parents
Freedigitalphotos.net Meet the new teacher: Take advantage of any back to school nights or meet and greet sessions with your child’s new teacher. If face to face contact is not available, try to find the teacher’s picture on the school website so that your child can place a face with a
Continue readingTips For Moving With Pets
Redfin Freedigitalphotos.net Traveling By Car Before making the move, have new dog tags made with your new address and your phone number and email address. Keep both the new tags and the old tags with you during the move and make sure you have a recent picture of your pet
Continue readingReal Estate Ad Terms And Lingo
Freerangestock.com 4B/2B: 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms Assum.fin.: assumable financing Closing costs: The entire package of expenses paid by the buyer and the seller when the real estate deal closes. These costs include the brokerage commission, mortgage-related fees, escrow or attorney’s settlement charges, transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance, etc.
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