Chitownproperty

This piece in the Sun-Times basically amounts to an extended marketing flyer for a home (we wish we could get that kind of press for our listings), but it features one of the most beautiful blocks in the city. The Jackson Boulevard Historic District, between Laflin and Ashland, just west of Whitney Young High School, is a gallery of Victorian row houses and mansions, built after the great Chicago fire in 1871 and leading up to the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, when the near west side was one of the most fashionable places to live in the city. The block feels as though it were transplanted from the more vintage, tree-lined streets of Lincoln Park, hidden among the mostly new condo developments of the West Loop. The home getting the full press treatment in the article is the jewel of the block, a red-brick Queen Anne mansion with coach house built on a corner lot, now fully restored and on sale for $2.25 million.

The Illinois House and Senate are making moves to compromise on legislation to extend the 7 percent property tax cap in Cook County. Earlier this year, the Senate had passed a bill increasing the Homeowner’s Exemption from $20,000 to $60,000, but House members introduced a competing bill that greatly reduced that amount. House leaders said the Senate plan was overly generous, but supporters of the Senate plan contend that the House bill will still allow property taxes to rise 40 percent over the next two years.

It had appeared that the two sides were at an impasse and the tax cap legislation would expire, but Sen. Terry Link (D-Waukegan), chief sponsor of the Senate bill, said yesterday they would be willing to pass the House version as long as it includes provisions for review each year.

The 2007 Historic Chicago Bungalow and Green Home Expo is coming to the Merchandise Mart on October 27. That somewhat cumbersome name refers to an expo where homeowners can visit 150 vendors and attend 15 seminars focued on historic renovation and green technology. The show isn’t just limited to historic bungalow owners though, there will be numberous exhibitors on hand to discuss window replacement, wiring and plumbing upgrades, and environmentally-friendly home improvements. For more information, visit the Chicago Bungalow Association’s website.

$1 million is a lot of money for a house, but what exactly does that get you? CNN/Money has a tour of $1 million homes around the country, incluing this woodframe single-family home near Wrigley Field. No offense to those Cubbie fans, but if we had a $1 million to spend, we’d take this floating home in Seattle.

Sometimes the trickiest part of buying a new home is timing the sale of your existing one. As this syndicated article from the Tribune points out, a good rule of thumb these days is to start marketing your home at least 90 days before you need to move, or more. That time may differ depending on your local market times, but you also have to allow time for packing, moving, and making repairs on your old place before the sale. Regardless, it’s always best to err on the side of selling your old home too soon, because at most you’d have to make a temporary move before your new home is ready. Living with Mom and Dad again for a few weeks may not seem like fun, but it’s better than carrying two mortgages.