Better House Chicago

Finding the recent polar vortex conditions a little uncomfortable?  You're not alone, most of Chicago's homeowners find themselves unprepared for multiple days below zero.  Wayne and Derek are joined by Special Guest Keon Medlock, who shares his knowledge about air sealing and insulation.  Keon has decades of experience make homes more comfortable and offers simple insights into how you can make your home better shelter in ultra cold weather.

Selling a house in 2024? Get insider secrets from expert Realtors Derek Walvoord and Wayne Beals on this no-nonsense podcast! Learn pricing strategies and staging tactics to attract buyers, identify market trends, learn how to use data to give you a crystal ball view and maximize offers, and secure your dream sale. Ditch the stress, dominate the market, and cash in on your biggest asset. 

From the outside, you wouldn't know it only cost $14 Dollar per month to heat, cool and power Tom Bassett-Dilley's Oak Park Bungalow. The unassuming building retains all of its character and fits perfectly into the backdrop of his quiet South East Oak Park community. He shares how he decarbonized without moving out, over time in phases, and on a very practical budget. Tom also shares his journey and the experiences that influenced him as he grew into a leading architect designing energy efficient and PHIUS (passive house) homes.  

One path to a great real estate deal is to buy a building nobody else wants to deal with, and Wayne & Derek have found a lot of them over the years.  But how do you buy a building when the bank doesn't want to give you a mortgage?  In this Episode, Wayne and Derek share their thoughts on finding the right place for you and using construction financing.  SPECIAL GUEST:  John Edel shares his extensive experience making unwanted buildings cool places to be.  He shares his experiences renovating a monster Brownstone in Bronzeville, reclaiming an abandoned varnish factory in Bridgeport with Santa Claus, and his success revitalizing a former meat packing building now called The Plant and with his Company Bubbly Dynamics.  Musical interludes by J. Davis Trio.

Induction Cooking, Heat Pump Water Heaters and Clothes Dryers, and Cold Climate Heat Pumps are popping up in appliance stores, homes centers and heating & cooling supply centers all over the Chicagoland Area.  Is our future an all-electric one? You bet, and it's exciting! Wayne & Derek discuss how these modern electric replacements for our old natural gas appliances are improving our lifestyles, comfort, safety and efficiency at home.  Special Guest:  Steven Vance, founder of chicagocityscape.com, shares his plans to electrify his Two Flat in the East Garfield Community.

So you want to be a landlord?  Maybe just need two living spaces?  The two flat may be right for you. Derek and Wayne dive into this Chicago Icon with two Iconic Chicago Guest Julio Davis and Sam Sharp, musicians from the J. Davis Trio.  In addition to their fame as musicians, Julio owns a two flat on the near west side and shares his experience and perspective and Sam, a rockstar lender from Guaranteed Rate, break down the ins and outs of financing a two flat and investment property.  Don't miss this entertaining and informative episode!

Derek and Wayne talk about a Chicago icon, The Chicago Bungalow.  We discuss how and why the Bungalow evolved to be one of the most popular house types.  We'll also talk about what it takes to bring the Bungalow into the new age of sustainability and electrification.