Julia Nicoll Real Estate, KW Thrive

09/25/2026

Libby and I keep hearing stories about people who bought investment properties and thinking, “Wait. Were we supposed to be doing that?”

A colleague bought a condo in her 20s. When she got married, she kept it and rented it out. Twenty-three years later, she sold it and used the proceeds to help pay for her son’s college. Meanwhile, I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday, let alone make a 23-year plan but wow, that's a brilliant move.

My brother-in-law started buying properties in his 20s, too. The rental income helped support his family. He’s since sold them, retired, and now takes cruises with my sister. Frequently. I feel like that last part deserves further investigation. 🚢

So why haven’t Libby and I done this? Well, we have questions. Quite a few questions, actually.

If you do, too, join us for a short, informal conversation with a loan officer and financial advisor about the basics of investing in real estate. Let’s learn together. Cruise plans optional.

09/23/2026

This impressive young buyer has a bright future! He has purvhased a perfect place to call home in the 🧡 of downtown Mount Prospect. What an honor welcoming him to the 56!!

09/23/2026

No truer words have ever been spoken.

09/22/2026

What a complete pleasure from day one to today! The sellers were so deligent, thoughtful and earned this seemless transaction by taking exceptional care of their beloved home. Retirement brings them back to their home state. This neighborhood will miss them dearly!

09/21/2026

After the toturous Bears game, we needed something good to wash away the memory of that event. So we watched Don't Say Good Luck. 💕

This movie is so so good. 5⭐️ Rob liked it a lot too. Just absolute perfect movie. Bravo to Sunny Sandler who gave a heartbreakingly beautiful performance!!

Check out the Official Trailer for Don't Say Good Luck starring Sun...

09/16/2026

TIP O' the DAY!!

The Winter and Spring in Chicago is brown. Gray and brown. Mud.

Summer and Fall in Chicago is colorful. Green and yellow and red. Beauty.

If you plan to list anytime from January to May, the listing agent should have exterior photos taken this Fall. It's so much easier on the eyes. Right?

Backyards, flower beds, blooming trees, gardens....capture them all now while you can and THOSE can be the lovely photos buyers see on a cold, windy day in March.

09/15/2026

Getting on the real estate train takes some doing. Money, patience, commitment—and sometimes a pretty big leap of faith.

Rob and I scraped together a 5% down payment for our first house in 1998. We bought it for $178,000 and sold it four years later for $249,000. That increase helped us buy a bigger home that fit our family better. And that home helped us get to the next one.

That first purchase changed what was possible for us.

Now, renting has real perks. Flexibility? Wonderful. Calling the landlord when something breaks instead of opening your wallet? Also wonderful.

Buying isn’t the right move for everyone at every stage, and home values don’t always rise the way ours did. But when the timing and finances work, ownership can do something powerful: give you a place to live *and* help build equity for whatever comes next.

Sometimes the hardest part is getting on the train. 🚂

09/09/2026

The National Association of Realtors have really done it this time.

09/01/2026

When a Realtor advises on decluttering....just know, it's never personal. She's got her quirky stuff all over her own house!😉

08/26/2026

I know it's not easy to bid farewell to things you've lived with for 5 years or 50 years. Our house is FULL of things Rob loves, his dad loved, my grandma loved and on and on. Every week I ask my mom if we could go through her books. These are books that are dusty, read in the 80's, placed high on unreachable shelves. She does NOT want to do it. I am quite sure it's not about the books,
I get it. But...... Stay tuned.

🏡 One of the biggest mistakes people make when downsizing? Waiting until they’re ready to move to start decluttering.

Instead, start now—one small project at a time.

A great place to begin is with all things paper. Go room by room and gather old bills, magazines, manuals, greeting cards, and stacks of mail. Sort everything into three piles:
🗂️ Keep
🗑️ Shred
♻️ Recycle

Paper clutter is often easier to tackle than sentimental belongings and seeing quick progress can build the momentum you need to keep going.

Remember: downsizing is a marathon, not a sprint. Small wins today can make a future move much less overwhelming.