Don't miss HomesPlus this Sunday. We have a number of great communities you will want to check out.
Want a preview? Check out the video after the jump.

HomesPlus reached a milestone this week. We turned 1-year-old. It's hard to believe that we've been bringing you the best in new homes and great design tips for 52 weeks.

The HomesPlus team thanks all of you for watching. We could not have had this much success without your help.

Okay, enough celebrating, it's time to shop. Spring will be here before you know it, and that means it's the perfect time to buy your dream home.

And one last thing, when you visit one of the sales centers, be sure to tell them - HomesPlus sent you.

Are you looking for a "green" community? William Ryan Homes has announced "The Great ReDesign" of their communities. Part of this new pledge is to make their homes and communities more eco-friendly. William Ryan surveyed hundreds of homeowners to see what they wanted in a home.

Chicago's West Loop is the perfect neighborhood to call home. You'll be near great restaurants, great shops and near Chicago's cultural hotspots.

You'll be impressed when you check out 33Six South Morgan -- the West Loop's newest condo building.

Check out the video after the jump ...

This weekend on HomesPlus we've got a number of great new communities for you to check out. One of the communities is located in Southwest Suburban Plainfield.

Check out the single-family homes at Impressions at the Streams after the jump ...

We've shown you a ton of model homes on HomesPlus, but unfortunately we don't ever have enough time to talk in detail about some of the great new home features we see. And that's why we've created a great new video segment that's exclusive to our website.

Melissa and Jane will now take you inside some of these models and show you some of their favorite features. For example, Melissa will show you two great master suites and Jane will show you a cool wet bar that's part of the master suite.

You can see one of the clips after the jump or in the video player. Just search for "Inside the Models" or scroll over the "more" tab in the upper right corner of the video player and click on "Inside the Models" for a complete listing.

The Bush Administration today announced a plan to help homeowners who are about to lose their homes. You can read the full story about "Project Lifeline" at chicagotribune.com

If you're looking for a new home that is close to shopping, dining and public transportation in the suburbs, then you'll want to check out Kenar's great new community -- Ashton Pointe.

And currently they have some great incentives on quick-delivery homes. You could be in your dream home this spring!!!

For more information check out Kenar's website.

There has been a lot of news lately about the current credit crisis and the steps the Federal Reserve and the Bush Administration are taking to try and ease it.

And whether you agree or not with the decisions made over the past few weeks, there's one thing for certain -- the news is having an affect on mortgage rates.

Bankrate.com says the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate stands at about 5.96%, according to their latest survey. This is up from just a few weeks ago, but is still below the average from a year ago.

So what's this mean for refinancing your home loan? Or getting a loan for your new home?

Click here for more analysis from Bankrate.com

So where is your laundry room located in your home? According to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders, your preference may tell your age.

Younger home buyers prefer a laundry room near the bedrooms. Older home buyers, meanwhile, prefer their laundry room on the mail level of the home -- near the kitchen.

So where do you prefer your laundry room?

More info after the jump ...

In the past month, there's been a mix of economic indicators that has economists debating whether inflation or a recession is the biggest issue in regards to moving the U.S. economy forward.

And all of this talk has sent mortgage rates higher for one reason or another. Back in mid-January mortgage rates hit a 4-year-low based partly on fears the U.S. economy was headed into or already in a recession.

Looking for a hip place to live in an historic part of Chicago? Then you'll want to check out Rainbo Village by Metropolitan Development. Located in the Uptown neighborhood, this new community sits where the historic Rainbo Room, Kinetic Playground and Rainbo Roller Rink once stood. Check out the video after the jump ...

HomesPlus is headed to The Home Show in Palatine ...