This weekend on HomesPlus we talked with Chicago Magazine's Dennis Rodkin about Chicago real estate trends in July. You'll have to check out the video to see what he said, but the basic theme was foreclosures (cue scary music).

But the news actually wasn't so scary. There are some great ways to find incredible deals these days and Dennis filled us in on a couple simple ways to find something in the neighborhood you desire.

First - Google maps has a new real estate feature. Just head to google, click on maps, enter the city of your choice and the words "real estate" in the search bar and the option to specialize a search will come up on the left (including an option for foreclosures), with the map of all of the listings that meet your criteria on the right. Pretty impressive...or sad depending on how you look at it.

Another easy search tool is to head to Chase Real Estate's website where you can search the foreclosure listings in specific areas and according to your desired search crieteria. The site also schools you in the ins and outs of buying foreclosures. It includes an informative blog, videos and various articles about financing.

Tune in to HomesPlus to get tips on the market, buying, selling and design every weekend on CLTV!