All homeowners want to take measures to make sure their homes are secure and that all occupants within their homes are kept safe at all times. When it comes to condos, there is usually an added level of security in the form of a locked main entrance, security cameras, or 24-hour concierge. In secure buildings, visitors typically have to be buzzed in by a guard or an owner before they’re allowed in.

But as much as homeowners associations are responsible for making sure that their buildings are secure at all times, unit owners can take measures into their own hands as well to ramp up their own personal security.

Here are suggestions to take the level of security of your condo to the next level, whether or not your particular building is armed with 24-hour surveillance.

1. Consider Installing an Alarm For Your Unit

The building itself will come with its own security measures, but you might want to consider having your own security alarm installed in your unit. While you may have to get permission from your HOA to install an alarm, it can give you more peace of mind knowing that there’s another hurdle that thieves must go through in order to cause any amount of harm.

You might be even willing to take things a step further and have an alarm installed in your locker as well, especially if you’ve got valuables stashed away in there.

2. Never Lets Strangers in Behind You When You Enter the Building

Owners of the building are equipped either with a fob or a code that allows them to enter through main entrances of the building. Anyone else who doesn’t have either one of these things will need to be let in by someone who knows them. If you happen to be near the entrance and notice someone you’re not familiar asking to be buzzed in or trying to slip in behind you, resist the urge to be polite for a moment.

You don’t know who the person is, so you could be inadvertently allowing someone with bad intentions into the building. The person that they’re coming to see – if their visit is legitimate – should be the one to let them in. Even if the person is wearing a uniform, don’t allow them to enter unless they’re armed with appropriate identification.

3. Always Keep Your Balcony Doors Locked

Locking the door to your unit is a no-brainer, but are you guilty of leaving your balcony door unlocked from time to time? People with bad intentions will go to great lengths to break into units, including trying to go through balcony entrances.

Don’t underestimate what some people will do to gain entrance to other people’s homes, including climbing walls and making their way through any nook and cranny they can access, and balcony doors are one of them.

4. Block Windows and Install Bars if You’re on the First Floor

There are advantages to living on the first floor of a building; namely, not having to take an elevator every time you want to go in and out. But having a first-floor unit also comes with certain hazards that other unit owners on higher levels might not have to worry about, including being within easier access to criminals.

If you live on the main level, consider blocking out your windows. Thieves like to have a look inside where they plan to break into, and if they can’t see what’s inside, they may be less inclined to break in. You can do this either with blinds or even with frosted stick-ons.

Further, you might also want to install a bar across your balcony sliding doors to make it nearly impossible for bandits to pry the door open.

5. Get Familiar With the Residents of the Building

Knowing who lives in the building and what their regular routines are can help you get better acquainted with normal ongoings versus activities that seem out of the norm.

By paying attention and getting to know who lives in the building and what their routines are, you’ll be in a better position to spot suspicious activity. So get out there and don’t be afraid to mingle a little.

6. Make Sure the Door Closes Behind You After You Enter

When you enter your building, make sure to wait and verify that the door closes behind you so no one can slip in without anyone noticing.

The Bottom Line

Condo living is usually very secure. There are usually multiple layers of security that you can feel safe behind. But if you really want to ensure the ultimate in safety, consider adopting any one of the above tips. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with going the extra mile to ensure your safety and that of your family.

Do you have a restaurant that you’ve walked by a thousand times but have never been to? I sure do! And this week I finally went to mine. Cafe Orchid is an unassuming Turkish restaurant, located at the corner of Lincoln and Addison. We went in around 2 o’clock on a Friday afternoon and there were just a few tables. The atmosphere is very comfortable, with a small number of tables inside and a covered patio outside. We knew we wanted to start with an appetizer. We ordered Ezme: chopped, spicy roasted red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, olive oil, and parsley; served with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and warm pita bread. This was absolutely fantastic! It had a beautiful combination of sweet and savory flavors and the texture of the chopped walnuts was delightful.  We decided to share a few main dishes. We chose the Adana Shish Kebab: hand chopped ground lamb with red bell peppers, parsley, mint, oregano, black pepper, and garlic; served with green salad, hot and white sauce, and your choice of rice or bulgur (we chose rice). This was just delicious! The lamb was well prepared and was very juicy. I absolutely loved the hot red sauce on the side; it was wonderfully spicy and complemented the rich lamb. The veggies in the green salad were fresh and crisp as well. We also ordered the Falafel Special: falafel, hummus, babaganoush, and a green salad. Babaganoush is a grilled eggplant puree with tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. I really liked their take on babaganoush. At other restaurants, the texture of this dish is very similar to hummus, very creamy and smooth. Here, the eggplant was a little chunkier, giving the dish a great texture, as well as flavor. The hummus was really nice too. I enjoyed the falafel too! The outside was nice and crispy and the dipping sauce it came with was very tasty. The portions were very generous and there was plenty for all three of us. After our meal, our server brought us complimentary Turkish tea, served in a lovely glass teacup with a cube of sugar on the side. This is a traditional way to end a meal in Turkey and he wanted us to experience it as it was our first time at Cafe Orchid. The tea was delicious and this was such a lovely gesture and way to finish our meal.

Cafe Orchid is open Sundays through Thursdays from 11 am to 10 pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to 11 pm. Cafe Orchid has another location in Park Ridge. Both locations offer online ordering, as well as catering services. Check out their website for more information.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Sellers are obviously interested in knowing the value of their homes so they can figure out roughly how much they can potentially sell for. But buyers also want to know the value of homes they’re interested in and may put an offer on, as it will help them determine an appropriate and competitive offer.

Even homeowners who have no intention of selling may want to know how much their home is worth if they plan to refinance their mortgage.

In any case, having the home appraised by a professional is usually the best way to get the most accurate assessment of how much a property is worth according to current market conditions.

While homeowners can always hire an appraiser to assess their property’s value, appraisers usually work for lenders when a buyer applies for a mortgage.

Before final approval can take place, lenders typically send out an appraiser to find out whether the agreed-upon purchase price is an accurate reflection of the current market. This will help lenders determine an appropriate loan amount to approve a buyer for.

The question is, what exactly goes into an appraisal? How do appraisals come up with an accurate value of a particular piece of property?

The Standard Uniform Residential Appraisal Report

In order to take out as much subjectivity in the appraisal of a property, appraisers use what’s known as a Uniform Residential Appraisal Report (URAR), which is a standard report used to determine the overall value of a home. Appraisers must go through all the sections of the report to come up with a final value.

This form ensures that all appraisal reporting and analysis is standard across the board, regardless of the person doing the appraising.

Here are some of the major factors that appraisers look at when coming up with the value of a home.

Location

Location always plays a role in property values. The same home and lot in one location can be worth a lot more than the exact same property in another. As such, the exact zip code and neighborhood will be looked at.

Further, the exact location of the lot in the neighborhood will also be factored in. For example, a pie-shaped lot on a cul de sac will be worth more than a lot abutting the main road, even if they are within the same block.

Lot Size

The size of the property that the home sits on will be assessed. Generally speaking, larger lots are valued higher than smaller lots in the same neighborhood, though other factors will also have to be taken into consideration, such as slope or vegetation.

Square Footage

Not only is the size of the lot important, but so is the size of the home. The exact square footage of the subject property will be factored into the calculations to determine the overall value of the home.

Exterior Condition

The condition and style of the home’s exterior will be looked at. This includes the foundation, roof, and exterior walls to see what condition they’re in.

Interior Condition

Once the outside of the home has been looked at, the appraiser will scope out the interior of the home in great detail. Things such as the doors, windows, floors, ceilings, walls, plumbing system, electrical system, kitchen, and bathroom are all crucial components of a home and the state that they’re in plays a key role in the appraiser’s assessment of the property’s overall value.

Improvements

If any improvements to the home have been made, this will be considered. Many improvements increase the value of the home if they are done properly and use quality materials and finishes. New flooring, granite counters, appliances, windows, or HVAC system are all great examples of improvements that can boost the value of a home.

But some improvements can actually compromise the look and functionality of a home, and the appraiser will take that into consideration when determining its value.

Floor Plan

The functionality and flow of a home are determined by its floor plan. For instance, an open floor plan might be valued higher than a choppy layout that doesn’t make much sense. The appraiser will factor in the layout of the home and jot that down in the URAR form.

Number of Bedrooms and Bathrooms

A home with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, for instance, will likely be assigned a higher value than a home with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom in the same neighborhood, generally speaking.

Amenities

The types of amenities that make a home more comfortable and enjoyable will be accounted for. For instance, a pool, hot tub, master ensuite bathroom, finished basement, and heated flooring are all examples of amenities that can add extra value. The appraiser will make note of such amenities.

Current Market

Of course, the current market will play a key role in the value of a property. What a home may be worth today will be different than what it may have been worth only 6 months ago.

Methods of Assessing Value

On the URAR form, appraisers have three different ways to actually come up with the value of a home: the sales comparison approach, cost approach, and income approach.

Sales comparison approach – This is perhaps the most common way to come up with property values for residential properties. It basically involves comparing the subject property to other similar homes in the area that have recently sold. Ideally, the features of comparable homes should be as close in similarity to those of the subject property.

Cost approach – This approach factors in the cost of the land and construction of the home, minus any depreciation.

Income approach – This appraisal method involves estimating property value by dividing the net operating income of any rent collected by the capitalization rate. This is more suited for investment properties and not for owner-occupied residential homes.

The Bottom Line

No matter what side of the coin you happen to be on, knowing the value of a home is helpful. Sellers will want to know what they can list at, and buyers will want to make sure their offer price is fair. Homeowners may even want to know how much they can refinance at. Regardless, the job of an appraiser is an important one, and it helps to understand how they come up with their values.

There are a handful of important steps that should be taken when you list your home for sale, and staging is one of them. Prepping your home for the market is a crucial step to take, both for your listing photos and for in-person visits from potential buyers.

But in addition to traditional home staging, an innovative type of staging has been developed over the past few years thanks to digital technology.

“Virtual staging” is an exciting form of staging that can be a great compliment to staging vacant properties, and is surprisingly affordable.

Traditional staging involves adding or arranging furniture and accessories to spaces in a home to showcase the home’s best features. Staging can sell a lifestyle and show prospective buyers how the home can be used and enjoyed. It can also camouflage flaws and highlight a home’s best features while optimizing good flow and function.

It sounds like a lot of work, and it is. Hauling furniture in and out and rearranging or removing accessories requires a lot of time and elbow grease. But thanks to advancements in technology, there may be a way to do all that work virtually. And “virtual staging” is meant to do exactly that.

What Does Virtual Home Staging Involve?

Virtual home staging involves taking images of vacant or cluttered rooms in a home and touching it up using specialized photo-editing software. Furniture can be added or taken away, and accessories can be implemented to create a look that will entice buyers to want to book a visit.

Using this special software, virtual stagers can make any space – whether empty or completely cluttered – look tastefully staged. Such efforts can completely transform the look of an interior space and capture the attention of buyers looking at online listing photos.

What’s the Point of Virtual Staging?

The biggest reason why virtual stagers stage homes in this manner is to show prospective buyers what a home could potentially look like when properly furnished or decorated. It can be tough for buyers to visualize the potential of homes when they’re in disarray. But with virtual staging, buyers have the opportunity to get a true glimpse of the possibilities that a home may offer, even though it may not look so hot right now.

Using 3D virtual staging software, designers can create, personalize, and adjust the size of every item in the home to easily fit into the existing space to create amazing results.

Many sellers may use virtual staging as an alternative to traditional home staging in order to save time and money. While traditional home staging can cost upwards of $2,000 and up, virtual staging costs around $100-$150 per room.

Virtual staging also offers the benefit of being able to change things up for different buyers. While one buyer might have one idea for how they’d prefer the home to look, another may want something totally different. Using a software tool that can swap colors, furniture, and accessories on a dime, changing the look of a room is much easier.

Further, virtual home staging can help sellers change up the exact use of a room. For instance, a couple with a baby would appreciate seeing how a potential nursery would look in the home, which the virtual stager can easily create with this specialized software.

Virtual Staging Caveats

Obviously, staging a home “virtually” means the actual house doesn’t really look the way it does in the altered images. As such, some sellers might use virtual staging as a supplement to traditional staging.

It’s important to note that any images that are listed online should be marketed as virtual images in order to avoid false advertising. The last thing you want is to sell your home based on the altered images only for the buyer to find out that the home looks nothing like it did in the photos.

Besides, buyers will eventually visit the home in person, which is where things can get awkward when they realize they may have been duped.

Not only that, but it’s important not to go too crazy with the alterations made with this software. Certain changes may not actually be possible, such as removing load-bearing walls (though this may be done with major construction). Make sure you stay honest with your virtual staging so you don’t lose a buyer as quickly as you found them.

The Bottom Line

Virtual staging is basically meant to help buyers see the possibilities of your home. They may have even seen it in person already but may have been turned off by the way it looks right now. With virtual staging software, you can make the necessary changes that can greatly enhance the look of all the rooms in your home to help buyers visualize its potential and the way it can give the buyer the lifestyle they’re looking for.

I was majorly craving sushi this week! Luckily I happen to live around the corner from a sushi restaurant. Kai Sushi is located at 3819 N Southport. The restaurant is very intimate, with just a handful of tables and booths. There is a gorgeous sushi bar at the back of the space, lit with hanging industrial fixtures. Of course, they have beautiful fresh fish displayed in a glass case. The menu is small, but packed with delicious options. We started with an order of edamame. I love edamame and this didn’t disappoint! It was lightly salted and the beans were perfectly steamed. My mom isn’t generally a sushi fan, so she decided to order the ramen with tonkotsu broth. Tonkotsu is a pork bone based broth, so it has a very rich flavor. The ramen came topped with chashu (fatty slices of braised pork), nori (edible seaweed), a soft boiled egg, kamaboko (a cured, processed seafood product from Japan), scallions, menma (preserved bamboo shoots), bean sprouts, and of course, noodles. The broth was incredibly flavorful, perfect for a cold Chicago day. The pork was very tasty as well! I especially liked the bamboo shoots, they gave a lot of texture and a nice salty flavor to the dish. My dad ordered the Beef Yakiniku: steamed white rice topped with thinly sliced beef flank steak in a spicy/sweet sauce. This was fantastic! I immediately had food envy. The meat was so flavorful and the sauce perfectly coated the meat and rice, without being too heavy. I ordered the Citrus Salmon roll: fried shallots, jalapeño, red onion, and avocado topped with citrus ginger salmon and micro greens. I loved it! The texture of the fried shallots was amazing- I don’t think I’ve ever had them in a sushi roll before! The flavor of the salmon was marvelous. The marinade was very light, but really packed flavor into the fish. I would order this again in a heartbeat!

Kai Sushi is open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 am to 9 pm, Fridays from 11 am to 11 pm, Saturdays from 12 pm to 11 pm, and Sundays from 12 pm to 9 pm. Kai Sushi has another location in the South Loop, located at 1255 S. State St. Find more information on their website.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO