For the broader Chicagoland area, the median sales price rose 12.2% annually in December to $266,000. It took sellers just 25 days (median) to sell a home, compared to 54 days (median) one year ago. Closed sales were up a whopping 33.1% and the number of homes for sale dwindled 34.7% to 19,882. For the [...] The post Chicago Real Estate Market Update – December 2020 appeared first on Z Chicago – Compass ..read more

For many, if not most people, the purchase or sale of a home is one of the most significant and consequential transactions of their lives. Where and how you’ll spend years or decades, your quality of life, your financial future – all of these things and more are on the line when you decide to [...] The post How to Interview a Real Estate Agent in Chicago appeared first on Z Chicago – Compass ..read more

When a seller lists their house, a buyer makes an offer, or a lender approves a mortgage or refinance, they don’t just pull numbers out of a hat. The value of the home as reflected in those decisions is a product of the art and science of appraisal. A home appraisal is a fundamental and [...] The post What Is A Home Appraisal? appeared first on Z Chicago – Compass ..read more

Just like you can’t judge a book by its cover, you can’t truly judge a home you’re considering purchasing by looking at photos, attending an open house, or doing a walk-through. So much about a house lies behind drywall, under concrete, or in other places that aren’t readily apparent. Under the surface of a dream [...] The post What To Expect At A Home Inspection appeared first on Z Chicago – Compass ..read more

There are a thousand things to love about living in Chicago, but our notoriously brutal winters are not among them. No one waxes nostalgic about standing on an L platform in subzero temperatures in the middle of February. But that’s what makes us Chicagoans; that and a heavy jacket, hat, scarf, gloves, and all the [...] The post How to Prepare Your Home For Winter appeared first on Z Chicago – Compass ..read more

The holiday season comes with a lot of traditions. But when it comes to decking the halls, not everyone is beholden to traditional holiday decorations. Some folks see holiday decorating as an opportunity to express themselves and flex their creative muscles rather than simply putting up the same old tree, the same old lights, and [...] The post Easy and Stylish Holiday Decorating Ideas appeared first on Z Chicago – Compass ..read more

Over the course of this long year, we have all become acutely aware of what can travel in the air we breathe, especially when we’re indoors. But airborne viruses aren’t the only potential problems with the air that circulates in our homes. Plenty of other pollutants, particulates, and allergens can cause a wide range of [...] The post How to Improve Your Home’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) appeared first on Z Chicago – Compass ..read more

Even in a year as difficult and tumultuous as 2020, we all still have reasons to be thankful. But there is no escaping the fact that the annual late November celebration of gratitude will be different this year. Many of us who would typically travel or get together with extended family and friends are keeping [...] The post Top Chicago Restaurants Offering Thanksgiving Takeout appeared first on Z Chicago – Compass ..read more

All homeowners want to see the value of their home increase as the years go by. How much a home appreciates over time, and whether its resale value rises at all, depends on many factors. Some of the things that increase a property’s worth are in the owner’s control, such as home improvements and other [...] The post 10 Factors That Increase Home Value appeared first on Z Chicago – Compass ..read more

Things look and feel different in the fall. Sweater weather, leaf raking, pumpkin carving – all of the rituals of autumn can put folks in a unique mood and state of mind. If those folks happen to be prospective home buyers, houses that reflect that fall feeling may appear more appealing to them than they [...] The post 4 Fall Home Staging Tips appeared first on Z Chicago – Compass ..read more