Better House Chicago

Send us Fan Mail Has your shower suddenly gone ice cold? Today on Better House Chicago, we are talking all things water heaters. We cover why waiting for an emergency replacement is the most expensive mistake you can make, and how upgrading to a new heat pump water heater operating at 385 percent efficiency could save you thousands of dollars. Let's dive in!

Send us Fan Mail Are new condo loan rules complicating your path to homeownership? You aren't alone. Recent changes to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines have made condo warrantability a major hurdle, with strict reviews on life and safety projects stalling everyday deals. But what if the best solution is to bypass the condo entirely and buy the whole building?    In this episode of Better...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to a brand new season of Better House Chicago! Hosts Wayne and Derek are catching up on a crazy, weather-beaten summer and diving deep into a real estate market that has officially flipped on its head. With Chicago's appreciation rates blowing past the national average, buyers and sellers are navigating a highly competitive landscape that feels like a tale of two...

Send us Fan Mail Jeff and his partner wanted an all electric home on the North Side of Chicago on a budget...a tall order.  In this episode, we tell his story with guest experts Craig Matteson from ARC Insulation , and Christopher Muhhamad from Going Green HVAC , who helped Jeff transform his mid century Sauganash home. Got a topic you want to hear us cover?  Connect with Derek and Wayne at Better...

Send us Fan Mail All electric homes are growing in popularity, and that's in no small part to the work of Sophia Seol, Electrification Researcher at Slipstream.  Sophia has been helping developers and homeowners go all electric since 2020 by helping to administer the Com Ed All Electric Homes Incentive Program.  This program is especially timely with the city of Chicago considering the Clean...

Send us Fan Mail 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 insig...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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. To...

Send us Fan Mail 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:  Jo...

Send us Fan Mail 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 a...

Send us Fan Mail 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...

Send us Fan Mail 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.