Alan May, Coldwell Banker Evanston Realtor, North Shore Realtor

Okay all. As the weather begins to turn toward Winter, here in the Midwest, I thought it might be an appropriate time to remind agents how to view/show their homes during the colder months. A few reminders of things that are important to note during the winter months.

As the Listing Agent:

1) If you use a lock box, please make sure that the lock box is "protected" from the elements... so that they don't "Freeze". Placed on the door knob is okay, if protected by a storm door. Placed outside on the water spigot (where drips of water will encase it in a coffin of ice) is not.

And please make sure that the promised key is actually IN the lockbox! Check it occasionally.

2) If your property is vacant...

a) check your property frequently... make sure that mail is collected

b) make sure the walk is clear of snow/ice (have your seller pay to hire a neighborhood kid, if necessary)

c) provide a nice mat in the foyer for wet shoes/boots. It will serve as a 2nd reminder (aside from the note that says "kindly remove your shoes") to remove their dirty/wet shoes and boots.

d) make sure that the temperature in the house is sufficient to prevent pipes from bursting, and pleasant enough for buyer's comfort.

e) keep property clean / neat ... vacant houses tend to collect dirt in the foyer, and dust bunnies throughout...

f) make sure there are enough lights in each room to view, if viewed later in the evening.

g) protect your property from vandals and thieves by using a few timed-lights to mimic someone is at home

3) Make sure there are plenty of printed materials (listings, flyers) in the house to provide the buyer's agent with good sources of information. You want to make your listings sales-pitch "idiot-proof"... cause you and I both know... that there will be some "idiots" showing your property. Even though they've opted not to be informed... you can supply them with all the information they need to sell your listing through flyers, and well-positioned note cards.

4) Make sure the key/remote for the garage is available, and clearly visible

As the Buyer's Agent:

1) If the weather outside is "frightful" (rain / snow)... please, please, please, remove your shoes/boots, whether asked to or not.

2) Please make sure to leave the lights, as you've found them. If they were on when you arrived, leave them on. If they were off when you arrived, return them to the off position.

3) Do not mess with lights that are on a timer.

4) Please leave the window blinds/drapes as you found them. If they were closed when you arrived, return them to closed. If they were open... well, you get the idea.

5) If the house is vacant, and you find a problem there (piles of magazines at the door, lots of dirty footprints in the foyer, or tracked through the house, the prior agent left the back door wide opened, or perhaps leaking water pipes...standing water in the basement... maybe a strong gas-odor in the house).. please make sure to track down the listing agent to let them know... immediately.

6) If you accessed the house with a lockbox key... please, please, please return the key to the lockbox as found. Do not leave the property with the key in your pocket. If by chance you DO leave the house with the key... return as soon as possible!! If you are called by the agent or their office... don't be rude and belligerent about returning the key... YOU were the one who screwed up... do whatever you can, as quickly as you can to make it better.

Above all, be courteous and thoughtful. You're in someone's home, whether it's occupied or not. Treat it as you would your own.

Those of you located below the frost-line, can sit back, relax and have some sweet-tea.

It's that time of the year again; time to set our clocks back an hour, return to standard time, and "gain" an extra hour. That means this Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 am, Daylight Saving Time officially ends until its return on the second Sunday in March, 2010.

Since 2007, Daylight Saving Time has actually been four weeks longer, thanks to the passage of the Energy Policy Act in 2005 (which my car hasn't yet caught onto). The Act extended Daylight Saving Time by four weeks in an attempt to save 10,000 barrels of oil each day through reduced use of power by businesses during daylight hours. Unfortunately, the Department of Energy (DOE) says that it's difficult to determine actual energy savings, if any, as a result of Daylight Saving Time. But, there are definitely some easy steps you can take to save significantly on your household energy bills.

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Did you know that water heating can account for 14%–25% of the energy consumed in your home, especially in the coming months? According to the DOE, it's true. With this in mind, I thought I'd share with you a few of the DOE's energy-efficient water heating strategies to help you save throughout the holiday season.

* Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
* Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120° F.
* Repair leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time.
* Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads. Select a shower head with a flow rate of less than 2.5 gpm (gallons per minute) for maximum water efficiency.
* Consider natural-gas on-demand or tankless water heaters. Researchers have found savings can be up to 30% compared with a standard natural-gas storage tank water heater.
* Consider installing a drain water waste heat recovery system. A recent DOE study showed energy savings of 25% to about 30% for water heating using such a system.
* Install heat traps on the hot and cold pipes at the water heater to prevent heat loss. Some new water heaters have built-in heat traps.
* Insulate the first 6 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.

Have a safe and happy Halloween – and enjoy your "extra hour" of standard time.

From our recent visit to the Art Institute of Chicago. I thought I'd share some of my favourites from the 3rd floor of the new wing.

(Left) Lyonel Feininger, 1871-1956
Carnival in Arcueil, 1911.

I love the colours and the motion... the surreal vista, with the aquaduct and curious yellow row homes... What a fun scene.

right: Mrs. Elvis admiring a colourful painting. She's very bit as much of a piece of art, as

the canvas she's viewing.

Left
Pierre Bonnard
1867-1947

Earthly Paradise, 1916-1920

Muted pastels, sleepy, dreamy... unabashed nakedness, ahh... such is the life...

Henri Matisse
1869 - 1954

Interior at Nice 1919

A little snapshot in the time of a life... no?

Henri Matisse
1869 - 1954

Seated Nude 1925-1929

Strong, impactful... beautiful...

Y'all know this one.

Pablo Picasso
1881 - 1973

Mother and Child 1921

It really is different seeing it in person.

On my recent trip to downtown Chicago... we walked Millenium Park.

Our walk brought me to this vantage of the Millennium Park bandshell... the Pritzker Pavilion.

It's an impressive site... designed by world renowned artist / architect Frank Gehry.

Millennium Park has come to be as much of a symbol of Chicago as the former Picasso statue, and is the showpiece of downtown Chicago.

If you get a chance, come see it. As you can see, there are speakers suspended over the entire grassy area, where people can sit on blankets to experience any of the concerts. Because the speakers are spread throughout the park, attendees get a singularly wonderful audio experience, along with the beauty of the pavilion itself.

Located right in the heart of downtown Chicago... with some of the most impressive architecture as a backdrop, the Pritzker Pavilion and Millennium Park are well worth the experience.

Over the weekend, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit the new wing of the Art Insitute of Chicago.

We first walked through Millenium Park, where we encountered a lovely young couple... freshly engaged and excited... we crossed the bridge from the park directly into the new wing.

We started on the third floor, which contained a phenomenal collection of masters.

Sometimes, when visiting an art museum, one piece of art generates a visceral response. You find yourself drawn to it, for an unknown reason. All roads lead there.

While this was a quick visit, this one image held my attention. It was Marc Chagall's 'White Crucifixion' (1938). I was a student at the Art Institute back in the early 70's, and had seen this image before... but it didn't hold my attention then, as it did now. I did a little research on this painting, wondering what lead to it's painting, and why it would demand my attention today.

As typical, in a Chagall painting, there were floating images around a central theme. In this case Jesus crucified on a "t-shaped" crucifix, surrounded by images of Jews being treated poorly. Jesus himself dominates the center of the canvas, hanging on the cross modestly covered by a Jewish prayer shawl (A tallit). He calls our attention to the fact that Jesus is/was Jewish, and being painted by a Jewish artist. Yes, the same Jesus that the Christians revere. Floating over his head, the Hebrew mocking reads "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews", his head surrounded by a halo... an image we've become used to seeing.

In the upper left, we see the Russian army... coming to save Jesus?? or to participate in additional persecution of the King of the Jews and his people? Marc Chagall was a supporter of the 1917 revolution in Russia, hoping that the revolution would bring Peace and justice to a thoroughly oppressed Soviet/Jewish population. But that didn't occur, and the oppression continued, so we can presume that this band of Russian army no-goodnicks, is not there for support.

In the top right corner we see a Jewish synagogue burning while the German flag flies, and a brown-shirt with swastika armband calls for more flames. The year this was painted, was the infamous year (1938) of the Nazi Kristallnacht, when mobs burned down synagogues, and torched Jewish homes and businesses. Shops were ransacked, their windows broken (Kristalnach... crystal night... the sound of broken glass), homes and businesses ransacked, Jewish cemeteries desecrated and Jewish families dragged out into the streets to be publicly humiliated. Subsequently many Jews were arrested and deported to concentration camps. Even though Marc Chagall was then living in Paris, this painting clearly reflects his knowledge of what was occurring in Nazi Germany.

At the bottom right of the image, we see a Torah (the five books of Moses) in a pose that shows it absorbing all that's happening... and a transient Jew gathering up the Torah, and miscellaneous holy books lying around on the ground, so that their wisdom and reverence will not be lost to the ages.

And at the bottom left, a boat filled with Jewish refugees makes its way to Palestine in an effort to begin again. They are calling for help, their homes (above their heads) aflame at the hands of the Russian army. The unusual angles of the homes representing the clear turmoil they feel.

Above Jesus, a collection of hovering Jewish figures float and talk about what's going on... are these Rabbis discussing the events historically... are these patriarchs lamenting the current situation... does this represent the diaspora (Jews worldwide) discussing current events... we don't know.

This painting raises more questions, than providing answers... but it's clearly angst-filled and passionate. This is one of Chagall's masterworks... and it sits not far from one of his better known works (shown to the right) the "praying Jew", painted earlier in 1923. Two powerful pieces, in the same gallery (part of the Art Institute's permanent collection)

(btw... please forgive the colour distortion of the close up images... we were allowed to take photographs, but only without flash, therefore the large variation in color... the top image is much closer to the true colour)