With the holiday season upon us here in Chicago, we’re in the period of historically high occurrences of home burglaries. With so many families away on vacation, unoccupied homes become a target for the thieves who can spot them.

If you’re heading out of town for the holiday, here are five simple steps you can take to avoid putting a bulls eye on your home for enterprising criminals.

Set several lights in your home on a timer. This is the simplest way to give your home the appearance of being occupied. Lights should be timed to turn on after dark and should be visible from all approaches to the home. Placing lights in common areas such as living rooms and bathrooms is also more plausible than having your bedrooms illuminated 24/7. A timed radio or CD player that is loud enough to hear from outside (without disturbing the neighbors!) is also helpful.

Arrange for someone to shovel your driveway and/or entryway. If every home on the block has been shoveled since last week’s snow - except yours - thieves might get the message that no one is around. Ask a neighbor or hire a local schoolchild or service to keep your place promptly shoveled.

Don’t let mail accumulate in your mailbox. A mailbox overflowing with letters and newspapers is a telltale sign to crooks that a home is unoccupied. You can have your mail and subscriptions put on hold, or, if you don’t want to give that information out, you can simply have a neighbor collect your mail for you.

Tell your neighbors of your plans. Neighbors will be less likely to notice suspicious activity at your home if they think you’re still there. Tell them of your plans so they can keep an eye out while you’re away.

Turn on your security system if you have one. Sound obvious? As a Realtor, I’m still surprised by how many homes I encounter that have security systems that are never used. If you have a system, put it to use and display the company’s decals prominently.

For more tips on keeping your home safe while away, visit this page on protection against home burglary. And while you’re at it, now is another good time to make sure your homes fire safety measures are up to date.

May all of you have a safe and happy holiday!

After a long interlude, I now have another guest post to share from one of my Team members. This post comes from John Costa, our team’s Director of Marketing. While John spends his days spearheading the print and online marketing of our client’s properties, today, he’s offering up some advice on how to make the most of Christmas in Chicago.

Christmas in Chicago

Lights on palmetto trees. Playing a quick nine holes of golf. Wearing shorts in December. While this was Christmas as usual for me when I lived in Charleston, South Carolina, it didn’t feel truly like the holiday season to a New Jersey native such as me. So, when I moved to Chicago two years ago, I looked forward to enjoying “Northern” Christmases once again.

With so many holiday offerings in the city, I thought it would be helpful to provide a short list of some of the best ways to take in the season in Chicago. Here’s my picks:

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If you have some last minute holiday shopping to do, especially for out-of-towners, why not get them a gift with some Chicago flair?

For years, the hardworking folks at the Chicagoist blog have made regular posts on this topic. Here are some of my favorite Windy City gift ideas they’ve come up with.

Chicago Christmas Cards

These adorable cards portray the Chicago flag with tinsel and ornaments and boast the slogan “Celebrate Early. Celebrate Often.” Very Chi-Town.

Intelligentsia Gift Box Set

A great Chicago coffee brand and a four-star-flag mug to drink it in - what more does one need?

Vienna Beef Chicago-Style Hotdog Kits

An excellent way to give loved ones a taste of Chicago - everything one needs for a great Chicago Dog, and of course, NO ketchup.

Lou Malnati’s Deep Dish Pizzas

If you’ve ever wanted to ship an authentic Chicago deep dish pizza directly to friends or family, Lou Malnati’s has you covered. Their selection is extensive, and they ship nationally.

CTA Gifts

If someone in your family owns a shower curtain that does not depict the Chicago Transit Authority rail network or has jewelry not set with vintage El tokens, the CTA gift shop can remedy the situation.

Chicago Neighborhoods Poster

Anyone who has lived in Chicago will appreciate this vintage poster of Chicago’s many neighborhoods.

The Dark Knight DVD

Not only is this a critically acclaimed film, but it was shot on location in good ol’ Chicago. See if your friends and family can spot the scenes set on LaSalle and Wacker Streets, Millennium Station, and Trump Tower.

Is there a great Chicago-style gift I forgot to include? Chime in with a comment and tell me what it is!

My listing at 2250 N. Ohio which is listed for sale as well as for rent at $4,750 a month.

I’d like to tip my hat to Jeff Kerr over at the ChiTown Living Blog for pointing out this informative article in the Chicago Tribune about what homeowners need to consider when renting out their homes.

As I’ve mentioned before, this is a conversation I have with my own clients from time to time. Of the 40 properties I have listed for sale at this time, five are also listed for rent.

There are a number of benefits to renting out your home, especially in the current market, but there are also some pitfalls to be considered.

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Most people don’t expect much innovation from their local governments, but two city services - the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and the Chicago Public Library - have been rolling out some pretty neat tech features.

In the case of the CTA, their new bus tracker system is a feature that many of us have long wished for while waiting at the bus stop. Now, with a web-enabled phone, we can find just when the next bus will arrive on many of the most popular routes. The service is available both in a text format (telling you how many minutes until the next bus arrives) and in a map format (showing you where the buses on the route currently are).

The Chicago Public Library’s contribution is the recent addition of downloadable movies to their online downloads service. This means that in addition to e-books and audio books, you can now download select films to your home computer or iPod from the CPL website. Any downloaded programs will be accessible for three weeks, after which they will automatically delete themselves. You can browse the library’s current selection of downloadable content here.

While you shouldn’t hold your breath to see any blockbuster titles like The Dark Knight or Quantum of Solace appear anytime soon, there are still a few gems to be had - plus all the historical documentaries and do-it-yourself tutorials you could ever hope to watch.

You’ll need a CPL library card to access the service which is free to Chicago residents and Chicago property tax payers. You can apply for one at any branch location.

These are two nice new services that are now available - and coincidently, they both mean less time exposed to the Chicago winter and more time enjoying ourselves in warmer settings. That’s never a bad thing.

It’s not every day you can see what $10 million will buy, but if you tuned into NBC 5 last Sunday morning, you had an opportunity to do just that!

I had the pleasure of showing my listing at 1524  N. Astor Street for LXTV’s new television series “OpenHouse Chicago.” You can view the three minute video piece here.

The one challenge with a show like this is that it’s merely a teaser. This one-of-a-kind Gold Coast home has been completely renovated throughout and offers exquisite Art Deco-inspired interior architecture. However, the segment does not afford enough time to cover all the cool details. For example, the koi pond with a running waterfall in the backyard didn’t make the cut!

Still, this home is one of my all-time favorites, and it’s located in an area that is near and dear to me. I lived as a child in a home just a few blocks away, and my grandparents lived two doors down from us.  Our family was friends of the prior owners of this home, and we enjoyed many a holiday party there. Still, it never looked this nice!

You can view our team’s full listing and brochure for 1524 Astor here.

These past few days, Chicago has enjoyed an “Indian Summer,” a period of unseasonably warm weather in autumn. In short order, we’ve gone from 50 degree weather last week to 60 and 70 degree temperatures these past few days. It’s heavenly!

This fair weather brings to mind the old “Injun Summer” cartoon from the famed Chicago Tribune cartoonist John T. McCutcheon. While McCutcheon’s verbiage is unfortunately politically incorrect in hindsight, his wonderfully drawn cartoon is a good reminder of just how long beautiful autumn weather like this has been appreciated.

One thing that isn’t politically incorrect, however, is voting, and today’s Election Day weather is ideal for that. Reports from the polls tell of long lines out the doors at some polling stations, but that’s almost a blessing on a day like this. Of course, many polling stations are moving much smoother. I voted myself today and made it in and out in ten minutes.

The rally in Grant Park tonight for Chicago’s native son, Barack Obama, had obtained permits to sell hot chocolate, but there may be little demand for that tonight. Back when it was chilly, Mayor Daley predicted a million attendees for the event. Who knows how big the crowds will be now?

Whatever your plans for these next couple days, be sure you get out and make the most of this Chicago Indian Summer.

Earlier this fall, Chicago attorney Peter Marx came to our weekly sales meeting at Coldwell Banker’s Gold Coast Office. He had been invited to speak to us about “short sales.”

Until this year, I had never been involved in a short sale. Now, I have good friends who purchased a condo in a conversion in 2005 and have since seen the interest rate on their loan reset to an excessive rate (over 9%) and the husband lose his job. My team and I at Coldwell Banker have been trying to help them sell their condo for a price in excess of their mortgage amount but have received no offers. So, just last week, we canceled and relisted their home at a price that is more than 10% below the principal balance on their mortgage. When we get a buyer, we will work with Peter to contact their lender and negotiate a short sale.

Given that short sales are becoming more frequent in our Chicago area residential market, I asked Peter if he would consider writing a guest post for the blog that I could share with our readers. If you’re considering a short sale yourself or are just curious about this arrangement that has been grabbing headlines, you will find Peter’s post very helpful. - Jenny

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One of the really cool things about living in Chicago is the incredible diversity of unique cultural offerings including great theatre, improv, music, dance, opera, and of course, cinema.

The world renowned Chicago International Film Festival is now in full swing. North America’s oldest competitive international film event, the Festival’s goals are to discover and present new filmmakers and to acknowledge and award them for their artistry.

The first Festival opened in 1965 at which time actress Bette Davis was honored for her contributions to American cinema. Since then, the Festival has grown to become a world-renowned annual event introducing innovative new directors like Martin Scorsese and Peter Weir, to name a few. However, unless your children are into films such as subtle Hong Kongese social commentaries in English-subtitled Mandarin, this may not be an ideal activity for families like mine with young children.

Fortunately, Chicago is also host to the world’s largest festival of films produced specifically for young audiences (children ages 3 to 16). The 2008 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival opens today and runs through November 2^nd. Over 200 animated and live action films from 44 countries will be shown. 25,000 children, adults, and educators are expected to attend. The event is also the only Academy Award-qualifying children’s film festival in the world.

Approximately 150 filmmakers will be on hand to host interactive question and answer sessions after their movies have been screened. In addition, the festival includes interactive Take One! Workshops designed to introduce children to various aspects of the filmmaking process.

To check out the schedule, purchase tickets (only $6 for children and $8 for adults per movie), or sign up for workshops, visit the official Chicago International Children’s Film Festival website. Enjoy!

If you have even a casual interest in historic architecture, you may be interested in this chance to tour the work of the greatest American architect of all time, Frank Lloyd Wright.

Just west of the Chicago city limits, Oak Park, Illinois is home to the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes in the world. With 25 homes and buildings constructed between 1889 and 1913, the town is a monument to his innovative Prairie-style design.

On Saturday, May 16, 2009, The Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust is hosting 2009 Wright Plus, a celebration of Frank Lloyd Wright including an all-day housewalk featuring eight privately owned Oak Park homes designed by Wright and his contemporaries. Other stops on the tour include Wright’s Home & Studio, the Unity Temple, and the Robie House.

This may seem like early notice, but tickets for Wright Plus events sell out well in advance, as architecture aficionados fly in from all over the world, and opportunities to experience an inside view of the homes Wright designed are rare.

Tickets are on sale here for $95 for non-members and $80 for members. If one day is not enough, you can register for “The Ultimate Plus Package” and enjoy four days of architectural activities as well as a three-night stay at a nearby Oak Park hotel.

I have had the opportunity to tour Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings at the SC Johnson campus in Racine, Wisconsin as well as The Unity Temple and Robie House in Oak Park. In addition, earlier in my career, I sold a Chicago area Wright-designed home to friends. All were truly inspiring sights to behold.

So, book your tickets now while the time is “Wright”!

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Jennifer Ames

(312) 440-7525

jenny@jenniferames.com

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Recently Written

• What You Need to Know About Trump’s Chicago Tower
• Five Ways to Protect Your Chicago Home from Holiday Burglars
• Guest Post: Christmas Activities in Chicago
• Last Minute Chicago Christmas Gifts
• Do Not Want to Sell in the Current Chicago Market? Rent!
• Helpful Chicago Tech
• What $10 Million Will Buy
• Indian Summer in Chicago
• Attorney Peter Marx Explains Short Sales
• Chicago International Childrens Film Festival Kicks Off Today

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