Living Smaller

Owners are cleverly doing more with the decreased square footage they have.

Although the average square footage of a new house is still double what it was in 1960, in the last year, it decreased slightly to 2,215 square feet from a high of 2,277.

Storage Smarts
They're coming out with wonderful furniture with storage built right in. There are storage ottomans, end tables - even chairs with places to store your remote. Don't forget "found" storage, or space that isn't obvious. Home owners can install bed risers, which safely lift a bed five or six inches to create storage underneath. Another example: spice risers for kitchen cupboards. The bleacher- like devices create three times the space of a single cabinet. Many companies now offer heavy-duty shelving that attaches to the ceiling in garages, basements, and laundry rooms.

Stashed Away
Small closets call for big ideas when it comes to maximizing space. Some are simple and relatively inexpensive, such as adding a second hanging rod, storing off-season clothes under the bed, adding a shelf or two above the rods, hooks on the back of doors and bedside tables with lots of drawers.

10 Big-Impact, Low-Cost Remodeling Projects

1. Tidy up kitchen cabinets. Home owners can add rollout organizing trays so when buyers peek in, they fell like there's lots of room for their stuff.

2. Add or replace tile. By retiling very inexpensively, you make a room look way cleaner than it was.

3. Add a  breakfast bar. When a wall seperates a kitchen from a family room, suggest cutting out an opening to create a breakfast bar.

4. Install granite tile instead of a slab. Everybody is hot for granite kitchen counter-tops, but that can be a $5,000 upgrade. Instead, home owners can put in 12-inch granite tiles for about $200 in materials and get very high impact for little money.

5. Freshen up a bathroom without retiling. I recommend putting in a new medicine cabinet for $100 to $150, light fixtures for about $100, a faucet for $50 to $75, and a vanity for $200 to $300. Also, install glass shower doors. A french door adds a lot of panache and elegance for $250.

6. Freshen up the basement. Have a contractor fill in cracks with hydraulic cement and then paint with waterproofing paint. Then add a top coat to add color. They can also paint the basement floor with a good floor paint, which spiffs it up.

7. Add a room. Look for large spaces that can be enclosed to create a new bedroom for just the price of creating a wall.

8. Spruce up cabinet fronts. Update tired-looking kitchen cabinets. Reconditinoing is the least expensive. For $1,500 to $4,000, owners can replace the cabinet doors and drawer fronts, and for $4,000 to $12,000, they can have all the cabinets refaced.

9. Replace light fixtures. In a foyer and in bathrooms and kitchens replacing overhead light fixtures provides a lot of pop for a little money.

10. Tech-up the garage. Replace the garage door opener with a remote touch-pad entry system.

Want to check out an electric copy of the chart in the Cost Vs. Value Report that appeared in the January issue of REALTOR Magazine.The chart was featured in "Help Clients Stretch Their Remodeling Dollars". REALTOR Magazine helped collect the data, Remodeling magazine owns the copyright. To access the full report online, visit www.costvsvalue.com. You can view data for each project and download a city report.

Keep Trees Watered During Dry Spell

We have had a relatively dry growing season, and it might stay that way for awhile. So until it begins to rain again, our plants are depending upon us to keep them alive.

• WATER WEEKLY. Tree leaves are "transpiring" or "exhaling" moisture which needs to be replenished, especially in times of high heat and little rainfall. Large, established trees should be watered every 2 to 3 weeks in dry periods.
• Check new plants frequently. Water into the rood ball area. Plants should receive up to one-inch of water weekly.

The Morton Arboretum recommends watering within the drip line of a tree, from the trunk out to the end of the branches, to reach the roots most effectively.

Summer Energy Efficiency Tips...

FOR YOUR REFRIGERATOR!!

Because your refrigerator runs continuously to keep food and beverages cold, it can be a major consumer of energy. To reduce the amount of electricity your refrigerator uses, and lower your electricity bill, consider these simple and smart ideas:

• Clean your refrigerator coils on a regular basis.
• Maintain your refrigerator temperature at 35 degrees to 38 degrees.

If you have a second, working fridge or freezer, did you know that it could be costing you up to $150 a year in electricity? ComEd's Fridge and Freezer Recycle Rewards will pick up that extra appliance for FREE, recycle it and mail you a check for $35 per appliance.

Check out ComEd.com/ApplianceRecycling

HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICITY AN APPLIANCE USES?
ComEd's Smart Ideas, "An Energy Usage Guide" can help you identify how much electricity your individual appliances use each month. To download a copy, visit Customer Service > Brochures & Forms at ComEd.com

Tax Law Maintains Real Estate Status Quo

The massive tax-extension law that President Obama signed  at the end of 2010 keeps tax brackets and the capital gains rate at existing levels for two more years and maintains other key real estate provisions such as the 15-year cost recovery period for leasehold improvements, 25 percent depreciation recapture rate, and the deductibility of expenses related to brownfields remediation, The law also extends some energy efficiency tax benefits.

Cook County Real Estate Taxes

Cook County reassessments are done at the Cook County level by Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios every three years. The real estate taxes collected in your community is determined by ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, such as municipality, school, park, and library districts.

Residential properties are assessed as of Jan. 1 of the current year, using three to five years of prior sales information with similar characteristics. Homeowners are encouraged to review their property's assessment in comparison to similar properties.

Check the Cook County Assessor's website schedule for residents appeal date period at http://www.cookcountyassessor.com/. Taxpayers can also appeal their assessments with The Board of Review at http://www.cookcountyboardofreview.com/.

Senior exemptions
Last year was the first time that seniors had to apply for the senior exemption. There are three exemptions that seniors may be eligible for: Homeowner Exemption, Senior Exemption, and Senior Freeze. If any of these exemptions are missing on your second installment of your property tax bill, it can be corrected by filing a Certificate of Error.

Annual Roof Inspections

Owners should inspect their roof annually for signs of wear.

Early signs of trouble include:

• Dark areas on ceilings
• Peeling paint on the underside of roof overhangs
• Damp spots alongside fireplaces
• Water stains on pipes venting the water heater or furnace

Read more at http://www.houselogic.com/

Don't Let Food-Borne Illness Spoil Your Summer Fun!

Following some simple steps can help keep you from becoming sick due to contaminated or undercooked food.

• Wash your hands before, while and after preparing food.
• Keep coolers cool. Food should stay 40 degrees or below.
• Keep raw meat away from ready-to-eat foods.

Barbecue Basics
Harmful bacteria such as E.coli and salmonella can lurk in undercooked meat.

• Use hot, soapy water to scrub the grill and rinse it well before and after cooking.
• Marinate food in a refrigerator or cooler.
• Use a thermometer to check temperatures inside meat as you cook. Hamburgers should be up to 160 degrees and chicken breasts to 165 degrees. Cuts of meat such as steaks and lamb or pork chops should be cooked to 145 degrees.
• Don't place cooked meat on platters that held raw meat.