Expo spotlights Historic Chicago Bungalows
The Chicago Sun-Times, April 22, 2005

BY SALLY DUROS

"If you can't marry rich, marry handy," quipped Sue Cullnan, 47, who has lived in her certified Historic Chicago Bungalow in the South Side Beverly neighborhood for 25 years. Recently her husband, Dennis, 50, installed 32 replacement windows in their 4-bedroom house, which was built in 1927. She said the windows, which cost $10,000, were top of the line. "Getting the rebate was relatively easy and surprisingly quick," she said.

Because they spent more than $5,000, they also received a $1,000 voucher that could be used toward appliances. "I bought a $1,000 dishwasher. It's a Miele -- which is a nice brand!"

Cullnan received the rebates and special incentives through programs offered by the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association, whose Fourth Annual Historic Chicago Bungalow Expo 2005 takes place April 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Illinois Institute of Technology's Hermann Union Building, 3241 S. Federal.

About 9,000 owners, fans and wannabe owners of Chicago bungalows are expected to attend the expo, where they can find goods and services that will help preserve and add to their investment from more than 100 exhibitors. They can also choose from about 50 workshops on everything from kitchen design to financing a home purchase or rehab, to learning the building permit process. Admission and parking are free.

Owners who bring their documentation -- front and rear photos of the bungalow, and a completed application form -- will be able to certify their bungalow onsite within minutes. Certification as a Historic Chicago Bungalow is always free, and your bungalow must be certified to be eligible for the grants and special financing available from the HCBA.

The Expo is a joint project of the nonprofit HCBA and the Chicago Department of Housing. The Bungalow Initiative was launched by Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2000 to ensure the longevity of Chicago's historic bungalows. More than than 6,000 homeowners throughout the city have purchased, restored and modernized their bungalows with assistance from the HCBA since its inception.

"So far, the HCBA has provided more than $1.5 million in incentives to the owners of certified Historic Chicago Bungalows," said Charles Shanabruch, executive director of the HCBA. "Seniors take advantage of the program. It can be a real boost for larger families on restricted budgets."

Last year, 140 households took advantage of the low-income grants, with the average grant being about $4,300.

Bungalow owners who like the idea of rehabbing the old rather than buying new can take a lesson from Bob "The House Doctor" Yapp, on how to refurbish the original storms and screens of the Chicago Historic Bungalow. Also offering his unique blend of insight and advice is HGTV's Paul Duchscherer.

The Expo is an event that benefits bungalow owners of all stripes and incomes, who learn about HCBA incentives and programs there.
Shanabruch said Chicago's brand of historic preservation impresses preservationists from other cities, like San Francisco. "Chicago's is preservation of and for the people. In most towns, preservation is a kind of elitist thing," he said.

The comfortable but modest style of housing has withstood the rigors of the housing market. Snobs who turned up their noses to the 1-1/2 story, brick houses a few years ago might find themselves coveting their neighbor's lovingly restored and upgraded dwelling replete with stained and leaded glass, original wood floors and trim, and Arts and Crafts detail.
"Now people list their homes as Historic Chicago Bungalow," Shanabruch said. "There is a cachet in owning one. We had to reposition the bungalow in peoples' minds. The way we did it was to give it a history, convey a sense of its uniqueness among architecture.

And rising, along with its esteem, are its property values: Signature Historic Chicago Bungalows, which originally sold for as little as $5,000 when first constructed, can fetch $500,000 in some neighborhoods today. The current average list price for a typical Chicago bungalow is just under $400,000.

Shanabruch said the HCBA has just begun tracking the property values of bungalows. "We do not have current data," he said, but "the prices keep going up. The demand is high."

Inflation aside, this appreciation represents a marked increase from only a few years ago in many areas.

"Over the past two to three years, there has been a steady, consistent increase in the value of Chicago bungalows," said Julie Woodward-Trenker of the Lakeview Branch of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. "These homes have a 97 percent to 98 percent 'sale-price-to-list-price' ratio which is the strongest of any home on the market today."

Unveiled this year for the first time is information on reverse mortgages, which enable older, long-term homeowners to use the equity in their homes to garner cash for rehab, repair or other uses.

Homeowners can also learn about newly released patterns for "green" and "accessible" rehabs that cut through the red tape of the building permit process, and eliminate the cost of hiring an architect for making these types of home improvements.

A plethora of grants are available exclusively to owners of certified Historic Chicago Bungalows. These include HCBA energy grants that provide up to $2,000 to those who make their homes more energy efficient.

Restricted-income grants provide those with limited incomes with $3,000 to $5,000 grants, depending on the person's income, for home repair and energy conservation.

In addition, grants in the form of vouchers applicable toward the purchase of energy-efficient appliances from Abt, Home Depot and Sears are provided to anyone who buys a certified bungalow or who spends more than $5,000 on rehab and repair.

Those interested in taking advantage of the potential tax freeze available to homeowners located within a Bungalow Historic district, or in learning how to achieve the designation for their own neighborhoods, can attend a workshop outlining the process that communities need to pursue to obtain designation from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The expo is free and open to the public -- Chicago residents and nonresidents alike.

Parking is available on lots near U.S. Cellular Field, and attendees can either walk along 33rd Street or take a free shuttle service to the expo.
To learn more about the expo or HCBA, visit the HCBA Web site, www.chicagobungalow.org.

Sally Duros is a local free-lance writer.