Thomas McCarey's Q&A

It isn't that granite is such a must, it's just that your kitchen upon your redo needs to be cohesive. I was with a client this afternoon who referred to a recent Consumer Reports issue that dealt exclusively with this issue - discussing the pluses and minuses of granite, quartz, corian, etc. as well as with appliances and how they grade out. That might be one place to start. The magazine section at Barnes and Noble is also a great place to start to get ideas. At the end of the day make the space user friendly for you without breaking the bank. I think if you go into this situation thinking that you will gain x dollars in value based on y dollars invested you will wind up disappointed.Good luck![content removed by moderator for being self promotional]

In the past six months there have been three closed transactions within one half mile of your building - and two of them were sold as short sales. Right now seven buildings are under contract - list prices ranged from $119k on the low side to $302k. With respect to currently listed and unsold properties - there are seven relevant ones with the low price being $130k and high price being $299k. These statistics are simply an overview with respect to location - a closer look at the specifics of your home would be necessary to determine true value.All the best,Thomas McCareyLuxury Home Marketing SpecialistAccredited Buyers RepresentativeThe Real Estate Lounge Chicago with @ properties