Any local familiar with Wendy Chaney will certainly concur that she is warm, friendly, full of energy, has an eye for fabulous design, and has been a part of the community for many years.

Chaney’s love of transforming homes started early in her life. She moved to Lake Forest from Glenview as a child. “I went from your Mayberry-type neighborhoods to this picturesque town and instantly became enamored of the wide-open spaces, the proximity of Lake Michigan, and the gorgeous architecture found throughout the area,” Chaney explains. Her parents instilled her love of architecture because she watched her parents build and renovate many houses, including their family home on Ahwahnee Road.

Together with her husband Pat, Chaney worked to build a successful advertising and design business while raising her three children. Along with the family business, the couple bought, renovated, and sold homes in town. Chaney appreciated the design and charm of the older homes they lived in and learned first-hand the construction process and how to visualize a home’s potential.

In 2014, Chaney decided residential real estate was a natural career path for her to use all the design, staging, and construction wisdom she’d learned during her past 25 years of renovating homes. The payoff has been rewarding for her; she was nominated “Suburban Rookie of the Year” by Chicago Agent Magazine to launch her career.

“I really appreciate the whole process of residential real estate,” she says. “I like walking into a home and seeing the  potential it has through staging, design changes, and creative renovation.” She acknowledges her established relationships within the community paired with her first-hand understanding of the North Shore market has been invaluable to her clients buying or listing their current homes.

Chaney makes her clients feel at ease, turning what has the potential to be stressful into an exciting process for both experienced and first-time buyers and sellers. “The majority of my business starts with client referrals,” Chaney says. “I work with many empty nesters ready to make a change and recently I’ve started to represent clients interested in investing in homes to renovate and sell,” she explains. Buying these homes, renovating them, and seeing them through to the sell phase has been exhilarating and challenging for Chaney. With the large inventory of homes currently listed on the market, these renovation projects are inspirational and keep Chaney working to design, renovate, and create a place for potential clients to call home.

It is apparent Chaney’s admiration for her surroundings are the driving force behind her real estate business. She appreciates the beauty of the North Shore: from the beach, to town, the architecture, and the people who make up the Lake Forest and Lake Bluff communities. When Chaney is not with a client, you may also find her teaching art classes at Gorton Community Center.

This post was sponsored by Wendy Chaney of  @Properties. Wendy Chaney of @properties can be reached at 847-814-5380, [email protected].