Chicago Magazine's April Issue: Boost Your Home's Value

CHICAGO, March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The real-estate market may be in the doldrums, but now is the best time in years to make home improvements. Whether it's adding a new deck, converting the attic to a bedroom, or using one of the tips for ratcheting up curb appeal, Chicago magazine's April issue provides smart strategies for all homeowners—and organizes them in a useful timeline for those looking to sell this summer, in a few years, or in a decade-plus. 

The April cover story, Boost Your Home's Value, offers 29 home improvement options that deliver the biggest bang for the buck. In addition to expert advice, the story includes an incredibly handy guide to which improvements will yield the biggest payoff—and what that payoff could be—when it comes time to sell. The cover story also brings readers the latest data on home values in 70 neighborhoods and 198 suburbs, plus comparisons on how the market is performing compared to last year and its 2006 peak.

In Green Awards: Entrepreneur Edition, the magazine honors five green business owners with big ideas on how to grow the local sustainable economy. We all know that green entrepreneurship has been championed for its potential to create jobs and slow the pace of global warming. But is it really possible to save the planet and make money? Chicago magazine asked its 2012 winners that question—and more—in a candid roundtable about the ins and outs of starting and running a green business in Chicago. The 2012 list of honorees includes Cassie Green, founder and owner of Green Grocer (a forward-thinking neighborhood grocery); Deborah Sawyer, president and CEO of Environmental Design International (a green engineering firm that transforms unusable city land); Said Al-Hallaj, cofounder and CEO of AllCell Technologies (a remarkable renewable energy company); Elise Zelechowski, founder of ReBuilding Exchange (building materials resale); and Brian Levin, founding partner of Carbon Day Automotive (electric vehicle charging stations).

Also in the April issue of Chicago:

• Can This Woman Fix Gary? – Karen Freemen-Wilson, Gary's Harvard-educated new mayor, is drawing national attention with her out-of-the-box ideas on how to turn Chicago's most notorious neighbor back into a thriving city. If she succeeds, Gary could become a model for other failing towns. No pressure.
• The Nation's Greenest House (Three Years Later) – In 2009, the Chicago home that Michael Yannell moved into was heralded as the most energy smart in the country. But not all of the features turned out as planned. Here's what worked—and what didn't.
• Politics – Columnist Carol Felsenthal gauges the impact of senator Mark Kirk's absence—now and after November.
• Where to Bust a Gut in the Funniest City in the World –The Laugh Factory finally opened in Lake View, and it's only the latest addition to Chicago's expanding—and improving—comedy universe. The sheer volume of comedic choices can be paralyzing. Chicago magazine reporters compiled this comprehensive guide to the city's top talent and best venues.

Chicago magazine's editor-in-chief Elizabeth Fenner, and other members of the magazine staff, are available for on-air interviews about stories in the April issue. Contact Natalie Marquez at 312-832-6765 to schedule an interview.

About Chicago magazine
Chicago magazine is the largest monthly city magazine in the country, with a circulation of more than 150,000. In addition, the company publishes Chicago Home + Garden magazine.

About Chicago Tribune Media Group
Chicago Tribune Media Group publishes the Pulitzer Prize-winning Chicago Tribune as well as related print and interactive media serving Chicagoland such as RedEye, Hoy, Triblocal, TheMash, chicagotribune.com, triblocal.com and metromix.com.

For more information, visit www.chicagomag.com/press

SOURCE Chicago magazine