It’s understandable – after finally selling your home, it can be tough to fork over the commission fee to a real estate agent. But before you fall into the FSBO trap, consider one very important thing: real estate agents can actually save you money.

While a commission is due at the end of the deal, the cost will pale in comparison to how much you can save through the process. Here are just a handful of ways how agents can save you cash when selling your home.

1. They’ll Price Your Home Right

Who wouldn’t want to list their home for millions of dollars, regardless of what it’s actually worth? Everyone wants to get as much money as possible for their property, but buyers aren’t dumb – they’re probably working with their own agents who are telling them what they should and shouldn’t offer on a property. There’s this little thing called ‘comparables’, and agents use them to gauge what homes are worth in a specific area. And while buyers’ agents are using these comps, so are sellers’ agents.

Here’s the rub – price your home too high, and you’ll send buyers running in the opposite direction. That leaves your home sitting on the market for weeks and even months without a bite. And the longer your home remains unsold, the more it costs you in the long run.

The other end of the spectrum is just as ugly – price your home too low, and you’re basically leaving a ton of cash on the table. The goal here is to make as much money as possible, which means you need to find that sweet spot as far as a listing price is concerned. With an experienced real estate agent on your side, you’ll have the expertise and tools necessary to price your home perfectly to get you the most money come sale time.

2. They Give You Awesome Staging Tips

The look of your home can be totally transformed with a few key pointers from your real estate agent. If you’ve had the same set-up and decor for years, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your home shows well to sellers. A seasoned agent will come in to your home and objectively gauge the space, then (nicely) tell you what’s working, and what’s not.

He or she will make suggestions about what you should get rid of and what you can keep, as well as how your present furniture should be arranged to maximize flow and functionality. Rearranging furniture to its optimal visual appeal will make your home more attractive to buyers.

Real estate agents can even bring in a professional home stager to make major changes to the space. These pros bring in their own furniture and accessories, and can make your home look like something that jumped out of a magazine. It’s a fact that homes that are well staged sell faster, and for more money compared to homes that are left as is. So it’s totally worth it to listen to staging tips from your real estate agent or stager if you want more money in your pocket at the end of the day.

3. They’ve Got Ties With Other Pros in the Industry

The savviest agents are the ones that have an arsenal of experts on the back burner to help you in all sorts of ways along the home selling journey.

Need a few repairs to your home before you put it up on the market? An agent can set you up with a contractor. Apprehensive about the mortgage process? Your agent can put you in touch with a trusted mortgage specialist. And what about all the legal stuff that comes along with selling a property and transferring title? Agents have a lawyer they can recommend to you.

Trying to find professionals such as these that are both experienced and trusted can be a full-time job. Luckily, that’s a hefty chore that you can strike off your list when you work with a competent real estate agent. Forget about throwing money in incapable hands – the experts you work with will come highly recommended, and maybe even with a discount.

4. They’ll Negotiate More Money on the Sale Price

The art of negotiation comes in really handy at the home selling table. Real estate agents are masters of this skill, and will pull all the stops to help you get the highest dollar for your home. The more money you make on your home, the more money goes into their pocket, so you can be sure that they’ll do their darnedest to squeeze every dollar out of the deal possible.

Whether the strategy is to sightly under-price the home to stimulate a bidding war, or to focus on super-motivated buyers that put up a sizeable deposit and offer a quick closing, agents are there to help put the most money in your pocket. And when it comes to deciding whether or not to accept an offer, counter it, negotiate the closing date, or change the contingencies, your agent is there to navigate these negotiations to get you the best deal.

5. They Save You Time

You’ve heard the saying before – time is money. Well, this phrase doesn’t ring any more true than during the selling process. Those who are inexperienced with the ins and outs of selling a property have no clue about how incredibly tedious and time-consuming it can be. It’s certainly not as simple as slapping up a For Sale sign, throw up a few photos online, allow the heards of buyers to flock, then accept the first offer that comes in.

There’s a lot more to it than that, and it can really suck the time out of your schedule. Who has time to take care of all the back-end stuff that comes along with successfully selling a home? Instead, leave it to a real estate agent to take care of all of that – after all, this is their full-time job, and they’re good at it.

Do yourself a favor – avoid the temptation to go the FSBO route in an effort to “save” some money. If you really want to save yourself some cash, work with an agent. Besides saving you money, real state agents will also save you a ton of hassle and headaches. That alone is well worth enlisting their services.

Merry holiday season to one and all! Welcome also to the season of travel, which is also upon us. 

Criss-crossing the country is commonplace these days. But before Midway and O’Hare International Airport, travel for the ordinary person or family was primarily by train, bus or car. While business  flights had been around since the mid-1920’s, it’s fair to say that the modern era of commercial flight in the United States started at O’Hare Airport.

Wait…that’s in Chicago?

O’Hare is situated at the farthest Northwest corner of the City of Chicago, between Bensenville and Rosemont, on land that was annexed from Western DuPage County and was largely fields prior to building O’Hare.

Beginnings…

During World War II, the land  was home to a Douglas aircraft assembly plant. Over 600 C-54s were built there during the war years and flown out to various deployments. After the war, the plant was torn down and renamed Orchard Field. Its code has remained ‘ORD’ in reference to its original name of Orchard. 

Up to that time, the world flew to and from Midway Airport on Chicago’s Southwest Side. But constraints on building out or adding additional runway spaces caused Chicago’s City Council to look elsewhere for expansion.

According to Wikipedia sources, O’Hare International Airport was the first major airport planned after World War II. In 1945, Chicago mayor Edward Kellyappointed a committee to choose and negotiate the rights to the land. In 1949, according to FlyChicago.com, the Chicago City Council renamed Orchard Field to honor naval aviator Lieutenant Commander Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare, a Medal of Honor recipient from Chicago. When O’Hare opened, it had just four intersecting concrete runways, and was primarily used by the Air Force during the Korean War. 

As Wikipedia tells it, architect Ralph H. Burke devised an airport master plan based on the pioneering idea of “split finger terminals”, allowing a terminal building to be attached to “airline wings” (concourses), each providing space for gates and planes. 

Burke’s design also included underground refueling, direct highway access to the front of terminals, and direct rail access from downtown, all of which are utilized at airports worldwide today.

In 1955, according to FlyChicago.com, O’Hare officially opened to commercial air traffic; the airport served 176,902 passengers in its first year. In 1957, a fifth parallel diagonal runway was added to the west side of the airfield.

O’Hare’s first international terminal opened in August 1958, and by April 1959 the airport had expanded to 7,200 acres with new hangars, terminals, parking and other facilities. 

Two factors contributed to its ability to surpass Midway:  1) Midway Airport could not handle the new Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8, and the expansion in the use of jets. 2)  The expressway link to downtown Chicago, now known as the Kennedy Expressway, was completed in 1960.  Simpleflying.com recounts that by 1961, it was the second busiest airport in the US, with 9.62 million passengers that year. 

Innovations

O’Hare’s innovative design pioneered concepts such as concourses, direct highway access to the terminal, jet bridges, and underground refueling systems.

Today 

O’Hare continues to be owned and operated by the City of Chicago. The airport is managed by the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and is of the busiest airport systems in the world.

United Airlines’ Terminal 1 (dubbed “The Terminal for Tomorrow”), was designed by architect Helmut Jahn, as Wikipedia tells it…it was built between 1985 and 1987, and is best known for its futuristic curved glass forms and its connecting tunnel,  illuminated with a neon installation titled ‘Sky’s the Limit (1987)’ by Canadian artist Michael Hayden, which plays an airy, slow-tempo version of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.’

While you await your flight, they’ve made sure that you’ll have a taste of Chicago as well. Local, well-known restaurants such as Frontera, Billy Goat Tavern, and the Publican provide travelers a sample of Chicago’s diverse food scene. 

O’Hare flies non-stop flights to 214 destinations in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, and the North Atlantic region as of November 2022, according to Wikipedia sources. As of 2023, O’Hare is considered the world’s “most connected” airport, and remains in the top five busiest airports internationally.

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

During the last century the average life span has increased from 50 to 80 years. A whopping 30-year difference! Better sanitation along with antibiotics, vaccines, and other advances allow us to survive diseases that killed many of us in childhood 100 years ago. Even with the covid pandemic reducing the span by 3 years we are still light years ahead of our forebears. Unfortunately, healthspans do not always match longevity. Healthspans are defined as the period of life that is free of chronic disease or disability. Right now, an American might expect that their last 15 years could be lived with a serious disease. Aging is a large risk factor for cancer and heart disease, not to mention Alzheimer’s and dementia. For years, we’ve been focused on treating specific diseases which can extend our life but not the quality of that life. Now, medicine is starting to focus on extending your healthy life not just the length of your life.

The pillars of aging include the aging of individual cells, stress responses, inflammation, and DNA damage. The variations in these can mostly be the result of environmental differences, but our genes play about 25%. Some people just age slower than others. Some who age faster will suffer more from disability and disease. Scientists are studying ways to clear out cells that no longer divide but linger in the body. These are called senescent cells. But these studies are years away from giving us any treatment, so what can we do in the meantime?

Of course, we all know the four basic steps to better health. They are nutrition, sleep, exercise, and social connections. All are equally important for good health. These steps alone can give you a healthier 10 years because they moderate the biology of aging,  similar to how regular moderate exercise can prevent type 2 diabetes and heart disease. But one of the best ways to extend our health span is through regular checkups. Think of it as preventative maintenance for your body! Watching cholesterol levels and blood pressure along with lean body mass and bone density can go a long way. So, there is no magic bullet but if you haven’t seen a doctor in more than a year it might be a good idea to make an appointment.

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago

One of Chicagoans’ favorite holidays is being celebrated this weekend with a host of Halloween parties that are not for the faint of heart.  In fact, all should be very, very afraid given Chicago’s haunted history!

Come experience a night of frightful thrills at Chicago’s biggest Halloween costume party, the Haunted Halloween Ball this Saturday (9 p.m.-2:30 a.m.) at the Congress Plaza Hotel (520 S. Michigan Ave.) in the South Loop.  This 122-year-old hotel, which has been classified as one of the most haunted hotels in the world, is being transformed into an abandoned hotel run by zombies in their massive 20,000 square foot ballrooms.  Guests will be entertained by world-renowned DJs and recording artists as well as the hotel’s zombie cocktail servers, the vampire bellmen, and performances by costumed go-go dancers.  Plus, costumed partygoers can enter the Ball’s costume contest and compete for the most outrageous, bizarre, and risqué costumes to win $2,000 in cash and prizes!

Come celebrate Halloween at the 2^nd annual Nightmare on Wacker Drive this Saturday (8 p.m.-12 a.m.) at LondonHouse Chicago (85 E. Wacker Dr.) in The Loop.  This lavish party offers partygoers a venture into a captivating, haunted carnival with three spectacular venues consisting of LH on 21 Lounge, the mystical Etoile Ballroom, and LH’s panoramic rooftop each offering a distinct carnival experience.  Plus, attendees can enjoy a premium open bar until 12 a.m. along with live DJs, and a costume contest at midnight where the 1^st place winner will walk away with an overnight stay and 2 NYE tickets with 2^nd place receiving 2 NYE tickets!

This Saturday (8 p.m.-3 a.m.) is your opportunity to step into the haunting world of a decaying mansion at the Godfrey Hotel’s Haunted Manor located at 127 W. Huron St. in the River North neighborhood.  The hotel’s fourth-floor rooftop is being transformed into a haunted manor filled with dark secrets, ghostly sights, eerie encounters, and more!

The world’s largest rooftop is transforming its expansive space for its Haunted Shipwreck this Saturday (8 p.m.-12 a.m.) at the Offshore Rooftop (1000 E. Grand Ave.) in the Streeterville neighborhood.  This haunted, sunken pirate ship offers its guests a four-hour premium open bar, passed appetizer bites, a costume contest, plenty of music and dancing, and a night filled with giveaways!  Are you brave enough to walk the plank and get shipwrecked for Halloween?

Have you ever attended a Japanese Horror Halloween party?  Well, Izakaya at Momotaro is back again with their annual Japanese Horror Halloween party this Saturday (7 p.m.-1 a.m.) located at 820 W. Lake St. in the West Loop.  Izakaya is transforming its space into a haunted cinema this year with spine-tingling vintage horror movies and featuring Izakaya bites, special cocktails paying homage to the classic films, and an array of hauntingly delicious desserts.  Don’t let this night of horrors slip through your grasp!

Don’t forget the 26^th annual Haunted Halloween Night Parade kicking off from Belmont Avenue and Halsted Street at 7:30 p.m. this coming Tuesday in the Lakeview neighborhood.  Here you will see some of the best Halloween costumes in the city, dancers performing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” and possibly partake in their spectacular costume contest with hundreds of entrants (sign up is free) vying for $4,000 in cash prizes!

Have a Spooktacular Halloween!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

Opened in 1999, Logan Square’s Lula Café predated the ‘farm to table’ movement in Chicago. And for 24 years, Co-owner/Executive Chef Jason Hammel and his wife, co-owner Amalea Tshild have building some pretty impressive street credibility. They’ve been twice-nominated as a finalist for a James Beard Award for Best Chef Great Lakes. 

They were at the top of my list for researching outstanding brunches in the city. 

Some of their moderately priced breakfast and brunch farm-to-table offerings include a SMOKED TROUT SCRAMBLE Arugula, dill, cream cheese, house potatoes, and toast. NUT AND DATE GRANOLA pairsseasonal fruit and  house-made yogurt. Their CLASSIC LULA BREAKFAST BURRITO hasavocado, tomato, potato, cheddar, green chile soffritto, and soft scrambled eggs. A SMOKED SALMON RILLETTE boastsaKlug farm apple, radish, boiled egg, and a seeded rye cracker. But the presentation defies these simple ingredients. Each plate seems artistically designed. Lula’s ROYALE” (LULA BREAKFAST SANDWICH SERIES) boasts a griddled pork loin, marcona almond romesco, arugula, paprika aioli, and a ‘sunny’ egg. 

Lunch items include THE “TINEKA” the classic Lula spicy peanut butter sandwich with lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, and sprouts. I would never have thought to put any of these ingredients together, but they work. Their CHICKPEA AND FENNEL TAGINE hasgreen harissa, golden raisin, preserved lemon, arugula, and grilled bread.

Dinner entrees include PASTA YIAYIA, withbucatini, feta, garlic, brown butter, and cinnamon, GRILLED WILD ATLANTIC MACKEREL with a confit rosette potato, and carmen pepper sott’olio. GLAZED DELICATA SQUASH has Italian black rice, Klug farm pears, black olive, and matsutake.

Google reviews were nearly perfect. 

“Fantastic gem of a place that stands out in spite of all the other amazing spots in the Logan square area,” wrote one.” The restaurant has a very cute ambiance and décor. Food and drinks were extraordinary. Very attentive service as well. We had to wait for over an hour for a Sunday brunch but our experience exceeded expectations.”

“Sometimes places are over-hyped. Lula is not one of those. The meals are well balanced, just right, and everything you want. I will be dreaming of this breakfast burrito for a while, crispy tortilla with cheesy eggs inside. The side sauces are incredible. French omelette was creamy and side salad was very fresh. The trout scramble was also insanely delicious. Not a crumb was left behind! Wait was 1.5hrs on Sat morning for a table of 5 at 10am. Wait on a Monday (holiday) at 9:30 for a table of 4 was 30min. They bring a super cute postcard with the check. Hostess was friendly and helpful, all staff was very attentive. They kept the coffee flowing and the food came very quickly.”

A note about their service fee…

Prices may be a bit lower on food for this reason: As their FAQ sheet notes, a 20% service charge is added “to pay employees a fair living wage and benefits. A service charge model helps us provide a consistent income for all members of our team in a way that the old tip system did not.”

Lula Café is located at 2537 N. Kedzie Boulevard. They are open Wednesday-Monday, 9am- 3pm for breakfast and lunch, then re-opened from 5pm-10pm for dinner. They are closed on Tuesdays. Reservations are only available at dinner. For more information, click here.

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago