Chicago Bungalow Autumn

A Forest Glen Halloween

 Geno Petro






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May Day Puppy Play

ELVIS IS IN THE CHICAGO HOUSE (Forest Glen)

Geno Petro








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Driven: Pure as the Chicago Snow

snOwMG 2011 Chicago

Bumper to bumper to bumper...on Diversey Parkway, headed west to Forest Glen, and home sweet home sweet home....


Geno Petro








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"It's Snowtime!" Chicago

She shoveled the road less traveled by...and that made all the difference.


(Oh, and if your phone has some smarts, then you can follow me on it as well.)

Geno Petro





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A Little Sweat Equity, Please...

No, I'm not tagging a building.  I'm re-painting my dining room from OMG, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing Red  to WTF, Victorian Green. What up with paint samples? They always look different once they're on the wall; darker and much harsher in true daylight (I guess it's just how they roll). The phenom is similar to what I hear occurs on Matchmaker.com. Sure am glad I re-married before Web 2.0 and Photoshop.

Anyway, a new color for a new Chicago Real Estate year. Just keeping the Forest Glen house fresh and showable in case we get the urge to shuffle off to Buffalo Grove for good. *COL!
Not sure painting does much for home equity these days but there is only so much dancing one guy can do. And ....it, no duh, makes the missus happy. Speaking of  showing houses and dancing etc, check out my latest post (along with all my BHB archived contributions) on Bloodhound Blog:


'Wheeere's Johnny?'


*(Crying Out Loud!)

(Oh, and if your phone has some smarts, then you can follow me on it as well.)

Geno Petro





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sneak photo by Mona Petro

Forest Glen Historical Neighborhood

Some walk around photos of the Carpenter-Builder vernacular of the late 19th Century in Chicago's Forest Glen neighborhood.  My own home (below) was built at the end of this period and although a circa 2000 gut rehab, it is architecturally similar to the example above. Both original frame  homes had adjacent horse stables on their grounds and once provided into-town transport for a Chicago-to-Milwaukee train depot stop. The tracks, still in use today, are currently shared by Metra, Amtrak, and various freight train roll bys. In other words, the presence of trains is pretty much a part of the background noise around here. Personally, I love it (but my wife still requires the aid of ear plugs, an eye mask, and the occasional diphenhydramine nightcap).

And as always, click  HERE  for free registration and 24 hour access to the Chicago MLS.


Geno Petro





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Forest Glen, Chicago

The spirit of Pop Pop, waiting for the hummingbirds to arrive in Chicago.

Geno Petro




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Looking Up in Chicago Real Estate

This festive snapshot caught my eye while strolling the hound down the sidewalks of Forest Glen today. Blue skies and bare trees (save a few ornamental stragglers) provide a clear shot upward; a beckoning metaphor for my Chicago real estate business in 2010. This I do believe.

I've already submitted six offers to date in January (no, and it's not the same offer six different times). All are Buy Side transactions. The Price Points range from low Six-Figure Short Sales to Upper Bracket Luxury. I am also gearing up for two Luxury Lincoln Park neighborhood Listings as we speak. While primarily a Buyer's Agent, I do perform all duties of a Realtor; i.e. the occasional Residential Listing. (Hey, I took the oath.)

Don't forget to 'Follow' me on Twitter and 'Friend' me on Facebook. (How did we ever communicate before Web 2.0? Oh yeah, that's right---newspaper advertising. ahem...)


And remember: It's only a buyer's market if you're actually buying.



Geno Petro




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Chicago Paydirt @ Hawthorne

Took a weekend off from the Chicago Real Estate biz to check out the ponies in Cicero. A bit chilly but profitable as my 39-1 placed in the third. Not exactly sure how that happened but now my wife Mona wants a racehorse. Guess I better start cleaning out the garage at the old Forest Glen homestead.

(lol)

Geno Petro




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A Forest Glen Thanksgiving 2009

November 26, 2009...in no particular order...




















Peace, Love, and Family.




Geno Petro




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HaLOLween Chicago!

Every hound in Forest Glen lifts it's leg on these four pumpkin heads during their daily strolls including...

ahem,

'You Know Who'

No, not me....!!! THEM ....!!!




ps...I also just updated my Geno From Chicago 'Best Of' Archives from around the internet.


Geno Petro




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Forest Glen October

My Scary Forest Glen 'Hood...

Prime Chicago Real Estate on the Great Northwest Side


Boo on you,

Geno Petro




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Small Town Chicago

Third Coast. Midwest. Small Town. Big City. Chicago.


Independence Day Rocks!



from our Forest Glen home to yours,



Geno Petro

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True Chicago Grid

In the early 1900s, Chicagoan Edward P. Brennan proposed a city street system that generally lays out as follows:

Every 8 Blocks equals 1 Mile and House Address Numbers are assigned at a rate of 800 per.

Every 4 Blocks is a major Secondary Street.

Even Numbered Addresses are on the West and North sides of each street.

Odd Numbered Addresses are on the East and South sides of each street.

The intersection of State (0) and Madison (1) is Ground Zero.

Several Diagonal Streets screw it all up.

See picture above. It was taken from my window as I landed into O'Hare last Saturday night.

My house is the one on the corner of 5078 West and 5300 North in the Forest Glen neighborhood of Chicago. (You do the math; I have a hard enough time with spelling.) If you look closely you'll notice a three story Victorian on the corner with a white lamp post in the front yard.

Hint: It's the one with the porch light on. Pretty cool, huh?

images taken from 'first class' seat 1a, somewhere too high in the sky en route to chicago from bloodhound unchained in phoenix. i have now exhausted all frequent flier miles and amex awards points. i guess its 'coach' the rest of the year for me, baby; peanuts, ice water, and wrinkled linen---among other inconveniences.



Geno Petro

April in Forest Glen...Balk

Yes, I awoke to a sheer blanket of snowy gauze on my side yard crocuses and granted, there was a bit of chill in the air, but cancelling the south side Chicago White Sox home opener? Come on yooz guys. Man up, howaboutit. Let's play some ball (or at least fill some potholes) so the Streets and San men can get put down the Italian beefs and get back to work and this windy city can get moving again. The freeze might be here but Spring training is over. Time for the real season to begin.

Geno Petro

$100,000 Loss in Value?

I'm sorry, but I refuse to believe my primary residence (pictured) in the Forest Glen/Sauganash area of Northwest Chicago has dropped $100,000 in value since the purchase in September of 2007. Say it ain't so, Joe.

Cut me some slack, Jack. I sold it to myself. I did the comps. I know my market. Hell, I even talked my wife into it. So, wassup with the Bank Appraisal?

Just so you know, my Lender is a little reticent about allowing us to refinance right now. Something about reduced LTV (Loan to Value), a Declining Market, Back End ratios and other sundry real estate talkspeak. Oh yeah, and the fact that I'm a Realtor. Ironic huh? I'm having my best year since 2006 but hey, The Ministry has spoken. Okay, fine. I'll play along for... another 12 months.

But I'm going on record now to my current Mortgage Holder---and you may or may not know who you are: When this whole credit crunch blows over.....it's HASTA LA VISTA, BABY. (and I won't be back.) No way, Jose...


ps...enjoy the extra $50,000,000,000 you just received from our favorite uncle Sammy. All I received was a letter from you saying....ah, forgetaboutit!

Geno Petro



pictured: 'our house, is a very very very fine house...'