If you're buying a house, you know all about the "must have" list. You know, the list of items you just can't live without; the deal breakers of your new home. While my husband and I were home hunting we had about a dozen things on our list that we refused to budge on...then my car got towed from a meter in River North during rush hour (his fault, not mine of course) and a deeded parking spot shot to the top of our list, knocking most of our "must haves" off the list altogether. But I managed to hang on to the one thing that was my only non-negotiable from day one: decked out closets.

If your new year's resolution for 2009 is to spruce up your home, but your budget (or lack of it) is already getting in your way that doesn't mean you have to rule out hiring a professional designer. It just means you need to be a bit more selective about how you work it. Here are a few tips when you're considering bringing in a pro to tackle a home that's more shabby than chic.

Home warranty provider, American Home Shield, is hosting a contest to see who can come up with the best promotional spot highlighting the importance of changing your home air filters. To participate, contestants must create up to a 90-second video demonstrating entertaining ideas, tips and/or facts about changing your HVAC filter. Anyone can do this - you can even shoot it from your cell phone and upload it for submission!

The deadline for submissions is February 17th. If you beat out the competition, you could be the happy recipient of one year of free home warranty coverage - and who couldn't use free anything these days?? Plus, second and third place winners get Visa gift cards. Contest details after the jump-

30-year fixed rate mortgages are now down to 5.01 percent, according to Freddie Mac's most recent Primary Mortgage Market Survey. That's down from just last week when it averaged 5.10 percent. This is the lowest it's been since Freddie Mac began conducting the survey in 1971.

More info after the jump...

Green power can be produced in any number of ways; wind or solar power, hydro power and many more. The trick is finding out how to get it from your local provider. But with the Department of Energy's Green Power Network, it's now easier than ever.

Find green power in your area after the jump...

Winter brings cold temperatures, ice and frozen pipes (remind me again why I haven't fled south yet?), but no matter how careful we are, accidents can happen. So, why not bone-up on your winter weather know-how to avoid any unfortunate winter incidents at home? The Tribune posted some cold-weather tips for playing it safe this season, here's a few:

Tips after the jump...

Attention all Facebook users! HomesPlus now has a Facebook page so that you can become a fan and get all the latest updates on what's going on with real estate in Chicagoland! You'll find fresh video, behind the scenes pictures and you'll be able to meet up with other fans to share ideas and experiences you've had buying and selling in Chicago.

Town & Country is getting back to basics - build the home of your dreams and spend the rest of your life in a house that's all yours, building memories that will last a lifetime! Take a look at two of their Chicagoland communities that allow you to do that...

And if Town & Country considers you an "everyday hero" then you're in luck! Town and Country Homes is offering everyday heroes $5,000 off a new home in any one of their communities.

So, how does one know if one is, in fact, an everyday hero? Easy. Just go to their website and see if your profession qualifies you! Doctors, teachers, firefighters and at least a dozen other professions made the cut!

If 2009 is the year you see yourself in a new home, now's the time to start thinking about getting your home ready to sell. You may be thinking "What?! Christmas is barely over, I haven't even made my new year's resolutions yet!" and you're right. Kind of. It is early, but perhaps you've heard of a little thing called a "buyer's market." And if you're going to sell, then you need to be prepared for what you're getting into.

It's been a rough winter so far and it's only January. Not to be Debbie Downer, but I don't think I'm telling you anything you haven't already figured out for yourself - we have a long couple of months ahead of us! As each new sub-zero spell sets in, we're all looking for better ways to stay warm - without breaking the bank. One simple way to keep the heat in on those frigid nights is with blackout curtains.

More info after the jump...

Occasionally, my job takes me to homes that have so much space I could fit my entire city condo into the master bedroom. It's depressing and thrilling at the same time - so much space to play with! ...and none of it belongs to me.

But, it could belong to you if you're looking for a home right now. A couple of weeks ago, we visited a community in Oswego - Churchill Club, by Town & Country Homes - and the model was pretty incredible. But I really started getting the move-to-the-suburbs pangs when I discovered the bonus room. Aptly named because there was already a room for everything in this house, and this was just, well...a bonus.

More after the jump...

Trendy isn't just for the runway. Every year, the "experts" declare the hottest colors for the home and the predictions for 2009 are in. And not only will these colors make your walls pop; they just may affect your mood as well.

Read on for this year's shades and what they mean...

If you're a Chicago Magazine fan, then this weekend's HomesPlus will be a special treat for you. I'll be checking in with the windy city mag's Deal Estate writer, Dennis Rodkin, to get the latest news in Chicago area real estate.

How often do you change your pillow? It's probably not something you think about too much. But every year, millions of pillows are tossed into landfills, taking up lots of space and taking a lot of time to break down. Something to keep in mind the next time you replace your pillow and find yourself with one to toss. There's really no good way to throw an old pillow out, but there are plenty of ways to repurpose them.

Check out how after the jump...