Chicago has a very definitive sense of that mid-western down-to-earthness mixed in with the perfect amount of cutting-edge. The city is steeped in history and for the most part, there's an interesting back-story to go along with any neighborhood you happen to find yourself in. The architecture is impressive, the lakefront is a gem and the skyline is in a class of its own. It's like a cleaner, friendlier New York (no offense, Manhattan, I happen to love you too, but it's true). But does Chicago have a true distictive style?

Frustrated trying to sell your home in this real estate market? Maybe you need to freshen things up a bit and have your home professionally staged. Many of the models you see on HomesPlus have been staged. Now we have some tips from an expert on how you can make your home staged, and it won't cost you much.

If the rising cost of gas and groceries is bringing you down and you find yourself sacrificing your home's style to pinch a penny - this blog's for you. Check out five easy ways to up the hip factor in your home for less than the price of filling up your compact's gas tank!

These days, we’re all so busy it’s hard to find time to hang a picture on the wall, let alone get your home ready to put on the market. But did you know that statistics show that a potential buyer decides whether or not they like a home within eight seconds of first seeing it? So, it's easy to see why as a seller, you should make sure your home has some serious curb appeal.

Okay, raise your hand if you remember seeing "The Money Pit" and thinking that while it certainly served up some fine Tom Hanks comedy ("Two weeks? Two weeks!") it also served as a great big red warning sign of what you're getting into when you decide to buy a fixer-upper. Okay, put your hands down. That movie and many, many horror stories like it (most of which were probably not nearly as funny) could be the reason that home buyers these days opt for the move-in ready variety.

In a recent survey, Coldwell Banker Real Estate found that just 7% of their brokers have first-time clients that are in the market for an older home that would require a little TLC (read: Time, Labor and Cha-ching!), while 81% report having clients that want their pad in tip-top shape on moving day.