Marla Schneider - Move with Marla

Yes, dinosaurs have come to the Brookfield Zoo and would like everyone from Wilmette, Glenview, Northbrook and the North Shore to come for a visit.

Now through October, 2009, Dinosaurs Alive! is open in its outdoor forest setting at the Brookfield Zoo, adjacent to the Children's Zoo. Featuring a life-size Stegosaurus, Pteranodon, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex, complete with a natural fleshy feeling, there are 18 prehistoric creatures in all. They even make sounds, from roars to chirps, for all to hear.

Four of these dinosaurs, a baby Apatosaurus, a Baryonyx, a Dilophosaurus, and a Parasaurolophus, can even be manipulated by visitors from remote control consoles. There is also a model of Zigong, China's Danshanpa Quarry, complete with a replica of a portion of a Mamenchisaurus skeleton. Wow!

For kids who want to take home a piece of history, visit the interactive dig site where they can dig up their own replica fossil or have a picture taken with a friendly Protoceratops. Sandwiches (no tyrannosaurus burgers though) and ice cream items are available at the TRex Grill and there's also a gift shop full of dinosaur memorabilia.

Admission to the Brookfield Zoo is $12 for adults and $8 for kids 3-11 and seniors 65 and over.

Admission to Dinosaur Alive! is $5 for adults or $2.50 for adult Zoo Members and $3 for kids 3-11 and seniors 65 and over or $1.50 for children and Senior Zoo Members.

Also be sure to ask about the All-in-One ticket which is at a discounted price and includes general admission and admission to Dinosaur Alive! as well as other zoo attractions.

Wee ones under 2 are free.

If you're interested in dinosaurs and other animals be sure to check out the Brookfield Zoo, but if it's a new home in Glenview, Wilmette, Northbrook or on the North Shore that you're looking for, visit the Marla Schneider Team. You can also learn other local info here as well.

Is your little Yorkie feeling low because he or she is inside all week long while other family members are at work? Does your poodle need a new place to poo? Too many bagels making your beagle a bit fluffy and in need of a good run?

Then it's time to put Poochie in the car and head on over to Marine Drive and Lawrence, near Margate Park, to one of the best dog parks on Chicago's north side. Many pups even leave their toys in the grass for others to use so if you forget to bring your doggy's toys, no problem!

Since this park is fenced and has a double-gate system so pups and parents can feel secure, Poochie can even be off-leash if Mom and Dad agree. Your dog can play and run and romp and let the wind blow through his flapping ears. And when he needs a drink, there's water ready and waiting. And if he needs to do some mystery business and whoa! Mom and Dad forgot to bring the baggies, not to worry. There are baggies there for every dog's convenience.

While the dogs rock and roll, doggy parents can sit on the benches that are provided and have a mini-vacation. Take off your shoes and tan your toes, tell the other dog owners about some of your pup's antics, or read a book. Don't you wish every vacation could be this relaxing?

Aren't you glad you live in Wilmette or Glenview? What, you don't? Well, you should! See the Marla Schneider Team and let Marla and her associates help you move near this great doggy park and all the other great events and places to go near Northbrook or the North Shore.

Our previous four tips on projects to help sell your home are Remodeling the Bathroom, Updating the Landscaping, Updating the Kitchen, and Updating the Exterior. But what if your home just doesn't have quite enough rooms? Let's talk about that today.

Sometimes an existing home just needs another room to make it complete. Using the space in the attic may be the perfect solution. By refurbishing existing space, you'll save money over adding a completely new addition from the ground up. Plus, if there's really not enough room on your lot, building "up" may be the only option.

To redo the attic and make it into a liveable room complete with a bath and shower, a closet, and a dormer for extra headroom and light, you'll probably spend at least $40,000. Returns on attic redo's often depend on where you're located. In the west, the return may be as much as 105% while in the midwest, it may be as low as 82%. So be sure to take this into consideration, especially for those in our midwestern Glenview area.

There may be some hidden costs that need to be addressed when considering this update as well. First, will your existing heating and air conditioning unit be able to handle the added space? Next, will a new stairway have to be built to make access to the new room easier? Both of these items can drastically change the amount you'll be investing.

If you do decide to go ahead with your attic redo, consider putting in a solar-powered attic fan to help cool the whole house using free solar power. Of course, the fan won't be free, but once it's in there, it can help save on utility costs for years to come.

One word of caution. Refurbish the attic or build a room for you and your family - not just to sell it. While there is a great rate of return on this type of renovation, a great outlay of money is required to do a good job. If you need to sell your home and have limited funds to make it buyer-ready, sweep up the attic and call it a day.

When you decide to put your Glenview, Wilmette, Northbrook or North Shore home on the market, be sure to contact the Marla Schneider Team to help you sell it. Also see my website for other great information to help you sell or buy a new home.

Our first three tips in this series included Remodeling the Bathroom, Updating the Landscaping, and Updating the Kitchen. Today, we're moving outside of the house and working on an exterior redo.

First, let's look at the home's siding as it is one of the most noticeable things about the outside of your home. Vinyl siding, especially the older type, can fade with age, or become cracked, warped or loose, so having new vinyl siding installed can dramatically improve the looks of the outside of your home. This might even be a good time to change the color. White is always a good choice in Northbrook as it can go with any color of shutters, brick, or painted trim.

The national average cost for installing 1,250 square feet of vinyl siding is $7,239, while four to five gallons of paint can cover up to the same area for much less, so if the siding is in good condition and merely faded or not the color of choice, or if cost is a large consideration, think about painting. And yes, vinyl siding can be repainted.

If the home is already painted and you decide to repaint, be sure that any old paint (before 1978) doesn't contain lead before you start scraping it off.

Another alternative for outside home coverings is fiber-cement siding. It will probably cost around $10,400 but you're more likely to get back up to 103% of your siding investment when the house sells as opposed to only 95.5% of the cost of replacing with vinyl siding.

Moving on around the house, if you have older awnings, consider removing them for a more updated look. This trick will also let more light into the inside of your home, making it seem larger and more inviting. For porches with wrought iron railings or sides, removing this dated material and replacing it with wood can really make your home take on an updated look.

If the porch is just a bare "stoop", adding a small roof with supporting columns will give the whole house a facelift. To save money, scavenge local salvage yards for unique columns that are in good condition. They can be repainted to match the rest of the house or in colors that will accent your new siding.

Once your house is in sales-ready condition, contact the Marla Schneider Team to help you sell this house as well as find a new one. We have many homes to show you in Wilmette, Glenview, Northbrook or on the North Shore, as well as other resources to help you sell or buy in today's market.

Our first post in this series was on Remodeling the Bathroom, and last week's post concerned Updating the Landscaping. This time around, we've moved on and the kitchen is getting the makeover.

Now is probably not the time to spend enough money on your Wilmette home to create a whole new floor plan in the kitchen. Even refacing the cabinets, adding a new wall oven and cooktop, putting in a new sink and fixtures, and installing laminate countertops and resilient flooring can cost around $15,000. If you're planning on staying in the home for a while, this might be necessary to get the place the way you want it.

What if you are upgrading with the idea of selling within the next year or two? Statistics show you'll probably recoup about 98.5% of what you spend on this remodel, but $15,000 is a lot of out-of-pocket cash. A better idea at this point may be to do some cosmetic work, maybe upgrade old appliances, and leave the big stuff for the new owner.

So what to do? Painting the cabinets is something you can do yourself if you're so inclined. It does take some work, but it is not expensive. Go to your local Home Depot or Lowe's and let them show you the perfect primer and paint. Get a small spongelike roller, some small sponge brushes and you're on your way. After a good cleaning, light sanding may be necessary to smooth out bumps, nicks, and any grease spots from cooking. Replacing the door and drawer handles is another great way to add lots of zip at a very nominal cost, probably less than $3 per handle.

You'll probably want to have new countertops installed if the old ones are stained or have small cuts in them. In many North Shore areas, granite counters are a desirable (in fact, almost mandatory) upgrade. Paint or wallpaper the walls and you'll hardly recognize the place. Add new curtains in a co-ordinating pattern and paint the window moldings or even change them out for new ones. (Given the federal energy credits available for adding new windows, this might even be a good time to replace the kitchen windows.) Laminate floors can go right over the old flooring, eliminating the need and cost of removing it.

Now ask yourself, do I really want to move and leave behind this lovely kitchen? Of course you do and the Marla Schneider Team can help you sell this one and find a new house to fit your family in just the right neighborhood. Have a look at some of my beautiful listings in Wilmette, Glenview, Northbrook and on the North Shore.