"Arlington Heights is a great place to live because it has a fun downtown and you don't have to go to Chicago to get a great meal and cool ambiance." That's how Heidi Shouder describes one of the benefits of renting a residence at Central Park East Apartments in the northwestern suburb.

A growing family needs room. That's the thinking behind the move-up house. At first we buy what we can barely afford, then the family grows. Equity builds. OK, used to build.

Three historic home tours are scheduled for Sunday -- in Belmont Harbor and Beverly/Morgan Park in Chicago, and in west suburban Riverside.

Q. My property has a rear yard with a 6-foot wooden fence. Due to the layout of other properties, I have three neighbors whose properties abut mine. Two sections of the fence in my rear yard are falling down due to recent storms and needs repairing.

Home sales in the Chicago metropolitan area jumped 36.7 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, but prices fell 6.4 percent, the Illinois Association of Realtors said today as it spotlighted price improvements expected in coming months.

Chalkboard paint and wall tattoos are some of the creative tips for designing a playful kid's room, says a top designer.

A mature lush landscape, complete with a lake, pond and covered bridge, is all part of the Preserve at Carol Stream in the western suburb.