Soon, I’ll again be making my annual pilgrimage to the garden supply store. For as long as I can remember, I’ve spent Memorial Day, rain or shine, up to my elbows in dirt planting flowers and vegetables. As I’ve mentioned before, I spent my childhood summers on my father’s farm, and the tradition of growing our own produce is something I’ve made a point of continuing both for my sake and for that of my children.

While our city home has limited us largely to container gardening, for those who are more ambitious and want a true taste of what it’s like to work the land and turn a crop, hobby farms are one option.

As a residential agent specializing mostly in Chicago’s North Side, I never thought I would have a chance to list such a property. So, imagine my delight when I was approached to represent Salute! Farm and Vineyard in Woodstock, Illinois.

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The following article originally appeared in our Chicago real estate magazine, Live & Play Chicago.

We all know that you can’t judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to selling your home, buyers will definitely be judging your property on its presentation.

With that in mind, taking some time to ensure that your home shows well before putting it on the market can really pay off - both in terms of a better price and a quicker sale. Best of all, you can see these benefits without the need to remodel bathrooms or pursue major renovations.

Here are a few of the simple, inexpensive tips our Team gives clients when preparing their homes for sale:

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The launch of our Live & Play Chicago magazine was a huge success. 10,000 copies were delivered to Chicago area homeowners as well as business and community leaders. In an effort to make the magazine more widely available, it is now available in an online digital format here.

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There was a time when a home seller’s biggest challenge was getting a buyer to step up and make an offer with terms that the seller was willing to accept. In today’s market, however, getting an agreed upon purchase contract puts you only halfway toward your goal of selling your home. The process of getting from contract to closing is fraught with more challenges than ever, resulting in more sales falling apart long before the homeowner gets to the closing table. In Illinois, buyers can cancel their purchase contract during attorney and inspection review without providing a reason, meaning sellers sometimes never learn why their sale fell apart.

There are many factors that may cause a contract to unravel. Understanding what they are and how some can be avoided can help prevent disappointment down the road.

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Those of us with retirement accounts have probably noticed the upward trajectory of the stock market over the past several months, but it shouldn’t go unnoticed that some key numbers are up in the national and Chicago real estate markets as well.

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There are pros and cons to having your home on the market over the holidays. Typically, there are far fewer buyers actively looking this time of year, but the good news is that those who are out tend to be serious about finding a home. This means that if you must interrupt your holiday to show your property, it will likely be worth your time.

However, showing your home during the holidays can pose new challenges. While a little holiday ambiance can enhance a home’s presentation, too many decorations will cause it to feel crowded and turn off buyers. Here are some points to consider if you are trying to sell over the holidays.

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Are you thinking about buying your first home, or perhaps upgrading, downsizing or buying an investment property? Or maybe you’re searching for a home to buy or thinking about starting? If either case describes you, we invite you to join us for our two upcoming seminars on how to buy and sell a home in today’s market.

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The “Live and Play” brand is no longer just a blog. My Team and I will soon be releasing the very first edition of Live & Play Chicago, the magazine.

This 84-page full-color publication will include profiles of the homes we have listed for sale and rent, information about favorite neighborhood amenities, and articles on a variety of residential real estate topics including luxury home development, landscape architecture, staging, home security, the local and resort home markets, and Chicago’s Trump International Hotel and Tower.

We’ll release the magazine as a PDF document here when the time comes, but if you’d prefer to have a glossy copy of your own, contact us at (877) 440-3760 and we’ll send you one free of charge.

We hope you are as excited about the magazine as we are as we’ve put our heart and soul into its creation. Once you’ve had a peek, we would love to hear your feedback. You can comment here or send us an email at jenny@jenniferames.com. Enjoy!

I recently sat down at our Gold Coast office with the Joe Askins from YoChicago to talk on camera about developments in the residential market as well as my experience of starting and maintaining this blog. You can view our interviews below:

Five questions with Jennifer Ames

Creating and managing Live and Play in Chicago

Last Thursday I was featured along with one of my clients in a Crain’s Chicago Business video reporting on the recent rise in Chicago home sales.

I’d like to make one important correction.  The reporter states in the video that in September, I received three “offers” on the luxury properties I had listed for sale. Actually, I’ve had three multiple offers (i.e. buyers bidding against each other for the same property) plus additional offers on four more homes I have listed, for a total of ten offers so far in September.

The fact that there are once again multiple buyers vying for the same properties (in high price points, no less) is a major development. I am feeling very encouraged about our prospects for a healthy fall market.

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Recently Written

• See Some of Chicago’s Best Gardens at the 2010 Sheffield Garden Walk
• A Country Retreat at Salute! Farm and Vineyard
• Where to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2010 in Chicago
• How to Spend Your Valentine’s Day 2010 in Chicago
• How to Stage Your Home for Under $500
• 2010 Summer Day Camps in Chicago are Just Around the Corner
• Live & Play Chicago Magazine Available Online
• Enjoy Winter in Chicago (But Be Mindful)
• Help Make This Blog Even Better
• Getting Your Home Under Contract is Only Half the Battle

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