Carisa Crawford Chappell

Michael Valente of Renovation Sells (r) , who specializes in preparing homes to sell, confers with general contractor John Bura, in a home he's working on at 21 E. Huron St., listed by Barbara Stone with the Lowe Group at Compass, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020.

‘They slap lipstick on a pig’: What Chicago real estate experts think of the HGTV effect and ‘Windy City Rehab’ woes

February 13, 2020 at 2:21 a.m.

The HGTV effect is nothing new, with real estate agents and renovators long grappling with sky-high expectations of buyers and sellers who assume outdated interiors can be fixed at the...

As the population ages, more families are opting to have multiple generations under one roof.

Making room for mom and dad: How Chicago homeowners are making multigenerational homes work

January 2, 2020 at 3:37 p.m.

Amy Decombaz wanted her senior mom to live with her, and after house shopping for a space to accommodate them both, she purchased a home in Logan Square. "I bought...

Homes with open floor plans, like this loft-style apartment, continue to be popular. But some homeowners are expressing a need for more private spaces.

Wishing for walls: Some buyers have had it with the ubiquitous open floor plan

November 20, 2019 at 2:25 p.m.

Over time the airy open floor plan has turned into the American dream. But could the tides be gradually changing? In this sometimes hectic, over-connected world, some buyers are now...

Chicago’s condos are turning into rentals. Here’s what’s driving the deconversion trend, and what it means for condo owners.

November 5, 2019 at 2:49 p.m.

Chicago apartment buildings can have many lives. "It used to be you bought an apartment building and converted it into condominiums," said Susan Tjarksen, a managing director in the Chicago...

Former Illinois resident, Huma Farook, sits outside of her Hammond home with her 2 1/2 year old daughter, Nafisa Lyons.

Miss the food, not the taxes: Chicagoans explain why they left for neighboring states

October 1, 2019 at 7:35 p.m.

Many Chicagoans wouldn't trade the city — its lakefront, skyline, energy and diversity — for the world. Others, after sticking it out for years or decades, opt to leave for...

‘The house found us’: A peek inside Chicago churches converted to homes, apartments and condos

June 12, 2019 at 1:41 p.m.

After living in a former 1920s-era hotel turned luxury apartment complex for almost three years, Betsy Bowman and her partner were in the market for another unique living experience. The...

All Stories