Home Improvements – Return on Investment

If you are looking to do some home improvements, but not sure where to get the best return on investment, this video should be helpful.  Kitchens and bathrooms generally have the best return – getting back 100% or more on your cost of the upgrades once you sell your home.  If you live in the Chicagoland area and would like some advice on what future buyers may want to see upgraded in your home, please contact me anytime!  I will even give you the “green” tips on any updates you plan on making to your home.

Megan@OmRealtyGroup.com

Rotary

Rotary has been a part of my life since I was 17 years old, when I went on my first Rotary-sponsored Youth Exchange year in Belgium.  Since then, I’ve stayed active and have just finished my year as the Club President.  If you are looking to join a volunteer/service organization I highly recommend that you look into Rotary.  Check out the links below and feel free to contact me to attend one of our weekly lunches (every Thursday in the loop).

My club:  www.RotaryCFD.org

International website:  www.Rotary.org

Om Realty partners with HomeLifePerks.com!

I’m really excited to be able to offer this program!  I’ve partnered with HomeLifePerks.com so my network can take advantage of discounts and specials deals at local and national retailers…not to mention lots of cash back rewards.  I am not signing you up automatically – you’ve got to create your own log-in and password to access the site. If you don’t get an email from me with the invitation to HomeLifePerks.com in the next few days please let me know.

Some of the features:

-          Deals & Discounts:  Savings and discounts of up to 60% off from local and national retailers

-          Cash Back: Receive cash back from purchases (up to 20%) – I’ve already started you with $5 cash back in your personal account!  When you hit $25 you’ll receive a pre-paid gift card.

-          Friends & Family:  Invite your friends and family to save as well!  Just forward an invitation to them.

-          Monthly Newsletter:   You’ll continue to receive only 1 newsletter per month from me with timely information and the monthly retailer specials.

-          Local Merchants:  If you want to offer a deal from your company to my network, let me know and I’ll add you to my network of local merchants.

So…it’s free, it can save you money on purchases you’re already making, and even earn you cash back! You can use all the money you’re saving on the down payment for your next home!

I’m interested to find out what you think of the program so please contact me with any questions or general feedback.  Thanks!!

Your Realtor,
Megan

Oil Spill Media blackout!

To celebrate the 4^th of July, I was relaxing at the beach- enjoying the sunshine, the cool refreshing lake water, the (hot) sand under my feet.  I felt very lucky to be celebrating this beautiful city, country and planet that I live in.  Many people now, near the gulf, won’t be able to experience that due to the oil spill.  They may not enjoy the natural beauty for years or decades to come- we don’t know how large or long the impact of the spill will be on our beaches, or the plant and wildlife in the gulf (and the entire ocean for that matter).

In all honesty, I feel helpless and somewhat hopeless when I think about this horrible disaster.  I don’t know what I can do to help, but I do know that it starts with asking questions, getting information,  making informed decisions and letting our voice be heard.  Right now, it seems that we are not getting that first piece that we need- information.

My brother and a friend are down in Florida right now, trying to film and share the experience of the oil spill in the gulf.   (Please take a minute to join his Facebook page – Liquid Love, and watch a few videos.)

As I watch his videos and hear about the media blackout that’s happening, it can only confirm that this spill is far worse than any of us can imagine.  The Coast Guard and BP are not allowing anyone to come within 65 feet of the beaches…they’ve made it a class D felony!   You can watch Anderson Cooper’s video about the situation.

I am overwhelmed with the task that lay ahead of us.  We are going to have to come together as a people, a country, and a world, to clean up and to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.  But, that starts with getting information about the situation and not looking away because it’s too painful to think about (which is what I had been doing).  Thanks for taking a minute to read this message, join his Facebook group Liquid Love and share this with your friends around the world.

I truly believe that together we can make a difference.

Megan

Good News: Housing Affordability is up!

The graph below shows the Housing Affordability Index…and the news is good!  The graph is based off of 3 variables:

- Interest Rates

- Housing Prices

- Family Income

(Click on the graph to enlarge)

Homes are as affordable as they have ever been- good news if you are a buyer!  Also, if you are a current homeowner it’s worth it to look into refinancing your home.  If you can lower the interest by 3/4 of a point or more, it’s possible that you can save quite a bit on your monthly payments and over the life of the loan.  The government also has many programs available to make your home payments more affordable.  Please contact me anytime if you’d like a referral for a lender or if you’d like to talk about purchasing a home.    Megan@OmRealtyGroup.com

Helpful links:

- http://makinghomeaffordable.gov

- http://www.freddiemac.com/creditsmart/

West Loop Penthouse Condo!

Great Loft Condo at 1001 W. Madison, #705 – new to the market!

Listed at $335,000 plus $30K for garage parking

- 2 bed/2 bath
- Hardwood throughout (newly refinished)
- Fully  enclosed master bedroom
- Upgrades throughout the condo

This is a fantastic loft condo in the heart of the West Loop.  Watch the video for more information and contact me anytime for a showing or more information!  312.310.0689 or Megan@OmRealtyGroup.com

Sharing great feedback!

I just received a great testimonial from a recent client, and I thought I’d share it!  I just sold his condo in the West Loop at 1040 W. Adams. 

 

“We met Megan Bhatia of OM Realty Group while interviewing several real estate agents as I decided to sell my condo in Chicago. From the very beginning Megan impressed us with her professionalism and her nice personality. She presented a personalized detailed marketing plan, walked us through the process, and competently responded all our questions. Later, throughout the process, she maintained the same level of professionalism, enthusiasm, high energy, and competence.

Megan is very knowledgeable, organized, and reliable. She will go the extra mile to smooth out the process, and she was always available for us. These qualities were more relevant in our case, as I live in Massachusetts while selling the condo in Chicago. She took over the entire process, from aggressively advertizing the condo to dealing with the condominium association,  recommending a competent lawyer, assertively helping in negotiating the offer, and being present and aware of every step throughout the process.

I highly recommend Megan as your real estate agent.  In this difficult market her decisive enthusiasm coupled with her professionalism may really make the difference.  In my case I am convinced it did, as she sold our condo in just over 3 months, start to finish.  Thank you Megan for your great help!”

Thanks Eugene for such great feedback about your experience selling your condo!!  It was truly a pleasure to represent you in the process!

June in Chicago!

I’m so excited about Summer in the city…there’s always so much to do! Every year I try to go to at least a few festivals, parades and city events. Here’s your cheat sheet for June. I’ll do the same for July and August so check back again later:)

May Fest
Jun 3-6 | Free
Lincoln Square, Ravenswood

Do-Division Street Fest & Sidewalk Sale
Jun 5-6 | Free
Wicker Park, West Town (Division Av)

June Jam
Jun 5-6 | Free
Roscoe Village, North Center

Chicago Blues Festival
June 11-13
Grant Park

Ribfest Chicago 2010
Jun 11-13 | Free
Roscoe Village, North Center

Andersonville Midsommarfest
Jun 12-13
Andersonville

Wells Street/Old Town Art Festival
Jun 12-13 | Free
Old Town

Taste of Randolph Street
Jun 18-20 | Free
West Loop
Movies in the Park
Beginning June 18

Chicago Pride Fest
Jun 25-26 | Free (Parade on June 27th)
Boystown (Halsted av)

Green Music Fest
Jun 26, 2010 – Jun 27, 2010 | Free
Wicker Park, West Town

Taste of Chicago
June 25- July 4
Grant Park

If I missed one of your favorites, please let me know!  Share the info and website in the comments section.  Thanks for visiting the blog- come back again soon and let me know how the festivals are going:)

New Listing 2650 N. Lakeview

Check out this beautiful condo I am listing at 2650 N. Lakeview in Chicago. The views are incredible, and are complemented by the fantastic updates the owner has done. Please take a look at the video, and let me know what you think. And, if you are in the market, please contact me to setup a showing, list your home, or get started in the buying process.

Current Listing Price: $459,000

Want fresh veggies all Summer? Join a CSA!!

I am VERY excited to share some info about CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture)!!  I’ve always tried to get into the habit of buying fresh produce at the local farmer’s markets, but my schedule gets so busy on Saturdays that I never seemed to make it out.  So…this year, I’ve bought a half share in a CSA called Fat Blossom.  This means that I will get a variety of fresh veggies for 20 weeks (June-October) and will pick up at a location in the South Loop on Wednesdays.  The cost of their 1/2 share is $300 so it comes out to about $15 per week.   I’m excited to have my husband try out some new receipes with the weekly selection (yes, he does the cooking in our house!).  By purchasing this 1/2 share we are supporting a local organic farmer, eating well all Summer long, AND reducing the carbon footprint all at the same time!    It’s a win/win/win! 

If you want to see if there’s a CSA out there that fits for you, check out this helpful chart on the Local Beet website.  You can join CSA’s that provide veggies, eggs, honey, beef, chicken, etc…Some CSA’s require that you pick up at their farm, others have drop off points, and some will even deliver to your home for an extra charge.  The challenge for me was finding a CSA with a convenient Chicago pick-up that fit with my schedule. 

If you have joined a CSA before and want to share your experience, please comment below!  I will try to do an update everyonce in a while to let you know how my first “CSA experience” is going!