Ever go to the store and ask the guy for a gallon of white paint, only to find that it looks horrible once you put it on your walls at home? Did it end up looking pink, yellow or green, …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of your …

Congratulations! Your home is officially ready to sell (and we’ve got a glass of Pinot with your name on it)! You’ve painted the walls, deep cleaned every surface from top to bottom, and finally cleared all that unnecessary clutter. Even …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of your …

My friends at CityGrounds have a brand new menu to go with the newly outfitted patio! Comfy couches and chairs for coffee, breakfast and lunch alfresco. I’m hope to have the Wizard of Oz bean bag toss delivered by late …

Things I am considering as I downsize from a home to a condo Spring has finally arrived here in Chicago, and I am happy to say that I am halfway finished with a major move… my personal version of a …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of your …

Chicago is known for her architectural history, including several stunning residential buildings designed by Benjamin Marshall and Howard Van Doren Shaw in the early 1900’s.  Many of these elegant gems are under a form of ownership known as a ‘housing …

Don’t be fooled by poor quality home staging Home staging is in vogue to help homeowners sell their homes faster and for a better price. Professional home stagers work with sellers to make their homes as attractive to potential buyers …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of your …

Swapping out your incandescent lightbulbs for LEDs has several benefits. These include saving money on your electric bill, superior light quality, less impact on the environment and replacing bulbs once every decade or two instead of every few months. But …

With Valentines Day just around the corner, let’s get a design professional’s opinion on creating a more sexy and alluring bedroom retreat. Simple design changes can spice up the drama in your life… even if you’re single. Resist the urge …

With Spring just around the corner, you may be thinking about listing your home for sale. According to the Huffington Post, the best time of year to sell your house is between May 1 and May 15th, with home sales …

Color, paint quality, wall preparation and quality of  application all matter a great deal.  Do your homework when selecting paint finish (matte, eggshell, semi-gloss, high gloss, etc).  Same when getting estimates for the job.  Does the price include extensive wall …

Now that the holidays are over and all of the decorations are put away, you may look around at your interiors and think that they look a little sparse. Even with these gray days of late Winter, it isn’t too …

Download this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of your …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

Listen to an interview Debra gave recently to Business Innovators Radio Show host Keith Dougherty. Keith is #1 Best-Selling Author of Publish to Profit and Top Agent; founder of Authority Surge; and​ ​host of Real Estate Innovators Radio covering influencers, …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

Hot fun in the summertime! Sly and the Family Stone got it spot on. So get your groove on, enjoy Chicago at its finest and visit the super Farmer’s Markets to be found in almost every corner of the city… …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

One of Chicago’s best-known neighborhoods, Lincoln Park has some of the finest food and entertainment in the entire city. From 3-star Michelin restaurants to inexpensive burger joints, and from comedic improv at Second City to highbrow theater at the Steppenwolf …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

Flip through this data packed report for insights, trends and the general outlook on your local real estate market. If you want to dig a bit deeper give me a call to discuss how the trends impact the value of …

What are you up to this weekend? Nada? Bupkis? Reruns of Grey’s Anatomy (I love that show!)? Don’t despair! Your dance card is about to fill up! The Dobbs Team put their respective heads together to bring you this list …

Urgent call to action! If you want a last chance to get a reduction in the assessed value of your real estate please read this note and call Matt first thing Tuesday morning! Note from Matt: We had great success …

Beginning mid July my daughter picks White Christmas for our Sunday movie night selection; by mid December we’ve watched bits and pieces or the whole shebang at least a dozen times. And yet we never miss the big screen version …

November 28th is SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY! Hello Neighbors, The holiday season is upon us, bringing joy and a chance to support our local shops and restaurants in the 43rd Ward. Here are some of our newest additions: Armitage / Halsted / Webster    …

Join Matt Panush and Steven Pallotto at an informal gathering where they will tell us what to do to get a reduction in assessed value, the first step to a decrease in a property tax bill.  This is an important …

“Debra Dobbs is the REALTOR all buyers and sellers dream of finding. Born and raised in one of the 77 unique communities that comprise greater Chicagoland, Debra’s intimate knowledge of each neighborhood is frankly, unparalleled. Combine her detailed knowledge of …

Greetings! What’s so special about June? For me, June brings peonies (mine are just about to bloom in my tiny sliver of a garden) and my daughter’s birthday (Kat turned 18 on the 1st). For us Chicagoans, June 1 is …

May Day, celebrated on May 1, is an ancient, Northern Hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday. Dances, singing, and cake are usually part of the celebrations that the day includes. So in honor of May Day, and the …

Spring is here! What a crazy bunch of fun April brings. From bunnies to robots to love, with a bit of madness and a dash of gastronomy thrown in for good measure. Explore Chicago with my top picks for the …

Our Shop Hop event was a whopping success! Over 60 local businesses, food vendors, and bloggers joined in creating a festive mood to celebrate the holiday season and engage with everything local. We reconnected with old friends, new friendships were …

This Thursday, your favorite shops on Armitage, Halsted, and Webster streets partner up with local food vendors and interesting bloggers for an exciting shopping party.

Chicago is hot these days! So says the Summer Moving Trends Study from national moving company United Van Lines. The report tracks the destination of moving Americans and ranks Chicago as the number one metropolitan area for this summer. Scores …

Most people think that hockey is national sport of the Czech Republic but any Czech will tell you that it is mushroom hunting. From August to the end of October the season is in full swing. Czech forests look like …

While Labor Day may have come and gone, Chicago’s summer festivals are continuing in full force and these events are a great way to keep the summer fun going, especially with the gorgeous weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday. And …

“The luxury home market is creeping out from the traditional centers of Lincoln Park and the Gold Coast. What’s defining that movement is a group of buyers less interested in being in a neighborhood defined as  ‘luxury’ and more interested …

I have been honored and fortunate to work with a long-standing and loyal group of clients for the past 30 years, with several clients at my side since the mid 1980’s. Through their support and trust I have once again …

Come June 5 to enjoy Lincoln Park’s FIRST THURSDAY with neighborhood merchants and friends. Sample treats from local vendors and visit with local business owners over a cool drink as we (finally) celebrate the arrival of summer. This month’s FIRST …

I always thought I had a social kitchen… cooking with friends where 20 of us always end up in my tiny kitchen, Sunday Supper’s in homage to my grandparents and my labor of love for friends and family, the quick …

Explore a new neighborhood and enjoy an evening of music and art at the new Arts Incubator in Washington Park.  I’m looking forward to First Mondays Jazz Series, starting May 5 and featuring Marlene Rosenberg’s Quartet. And a martini at …

First Thursdays Community Open House at City Grounds in Lincoln Park is a great monthly event created by the neighbors for the neighbors. Join us next time, make friends, and taste what our neighborhood has to offer! Event features local independent businesses, snacks, …

Single family homes prices rose 16.8 percent over the same period in 2012, data from the DePaul Institute shows. Despite the gains, home buying opportunities are plentiful in neighborhoods still recovering from the market downturn and especially for consumers looking for …

DEBRA IN THE NEWS: The Chicago Association of Realtors (CAR) is among the largest and most respected realtor association boards in the country. Each year CAR recognizes its elite realtor members, the ‘best of the best’, by bestowing the Top …

Chicago Agent Magazine compiles each year a list of real estate agents with “exemplary leadership abilities, admirable work ethics and solid work experience in common — they also all are proud that every day, they help people to achieve the …

On average, home prices show signs of topping out but Chicago is poised for another gain.  Check out a related story  ‘Top 10 cities people are moving to’ and see Chicago is number 8. According to CNN Money, “… the …

A dwindling supply of homes available for purchase typically translates into rising prices and multiple offers.  Will the current downward trend have that impact, in the face of potentially rising interest rates?  Or might we see some equilibrium back in …

“Chicago remains central North America’s undisputed economic powerhouse.” This from PNC Bank in their 2013 3rd Quarter Economic Outlook.  We are a city to watch in 2014 and housing is at the top of the the list of economic drivers …

See the world from a new perspective this year! Let your imagination soar, let your heart fill with joy, laugh… a lot, and give more than you receive. Happy New Year, Debra