Reminder - Expo on Saturday, October 27

Historic Chicago Bungalow and Green Home Expo
Join the HCBA and the City of Chicago at this yearly event, which brings specialized vendors, educational workshops and services to homeowners and potential buyers. 10am-4pm at the Merchandise Mart.

Are you registered?

Yesterday I was out shooting what I hope are the final photos for our Talman Historic District nomination - bungalow garages. One owner was very nice about letting me into his back yard to shoot the pretty yard side of his garage, shown in photo.

I asked him if he had registered his place, and he said no, someone told him if you registered, the HCBA dictated what you could or couldn't do with your home. This is not true. The HCBA provides guidelines that they suggest you follow to preserve the integrity of your historic home, but there are no bungalow police who will swoop in if you decide to do a purple roof and put deer statuary in the front yard. Not that I recommend either of those things.

The HCBA website offers online registration, and once you've been certified you are eligible to apply for their various grants and loans. Yes, there are some requirements that need to be met to qualify for the money, but they are reasonable and practical and in the long run will make your home more attractive and energy efficient. All good things to work toward.