Chicago Real Estate Blog - February, 2013

Four Chicago Restaurants Earn Coveted AAA 5-Diamond Designations

You can’t do much better than the coveted AAA Five Diamond designation if you’re a restaurant or hotel, and now, four Chicago restaurants have earned the prestigious awards. With these ratings, Chicago is now home to the second-highest number of AAA Five Diamond restaurants behind New York City. The AAA Five Diamond award is the travel authority's highest and most exclusive rating.

Adds Brad Roeber, regional president of AAA Chicago, "Illinois' eight Five Diamond establishments all offer exemplary surroundings and service and reflect the characteristics of ultimate luxury and experience.” And none of them are new to the designation.

This is the seventh year in a row that Alinea has taken the top honors, while Arun's has earned it 11 years in a row,…

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Chicago Real Estate Investment Market Continues to Heat Up

The Chicago real estate market is on the rise, especially if you’re talking about investment properties. As the stock market continues to fluctuate and news of the Fiscal Cliff went from bad to worse to finalized, many cash-rich investors have been looking for a place to put their money. Couple these factors with historically-low mortgage rates, and it’s easy to see why so many people are on the hunt for investment properties in Chicago.

After the downturn in the economy, many people have been forced to rent, giving investors an even larger incentive to purchase Chicago homes. They can rent them out, increase the return on their investment on a monthly basis while more and more interested buyers return to the market. In fact, so many people have flooded the…

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2012’s Biggest Billionaire Home Sales

Across the board, the housing market in America has been steadily gathering steam. Nowhere has this been more apparent than with the super high-end home market. Around the country, 2012 saw some of the largest, record-breaking home sales to date, and the Chicago luxury real estate market was no exception.

While the east and west coasts have been a haven for real estate transactions, Chicago luxury real estate saw some impressive deals too. Take for example the Park Tower’s 66th floor penthouse that was purchased in November by Citadel founder Ken Griffin. He jumped on the home the day it was put on the market, and is now the owner of the 7,900-square foot unit with three bedrooms, four full baths, and five half baths. The penthouse also features a private…

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Chicago Among Cities Boosting Layover Luxury For Travelers

 People would probably not angle to get stuck at an airport, but as more and more airports add to the luxury amenities they offer travelers, suddenly, the thought is not so gut-wrenching. Chicago O’Hare is one such airport that is packed with first-class amenities like luxury shopping, superior restaurants with celebrity chef menus, exceptional designs, and more.

Traveler Marty Rapp at Chicago O’Hare’s Ice Bar notes, "It's classy, it's very classy...it makes you feel good about the layover." Rapp was imbibing in a large glass of red wine under the bar’s ice-crystal chandeliers, the bar’s namesake. Here, the decor is classy and refined, with softly reflective decor that gives sitting travelers the illusion that they’re in an igloo.

And O’Hare is not alone…

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