It’s been just over 11 years since we first wrote about the 30,000 square foot Burr Ridge monstrosity known as Villa Taj. At that time it was listed for sale for $25 MM and, supposedly, the seller was into it for $18 MM. Over the years we’ve written about it several times as the home flooded with 6 MM gallons of water and some squatter used it to seduce a woman. I summarized the history of Villa Taj in a November 2018 blog post when it was put back on the market for $7 MM, which is what the seller claimed to have invested in it. You should really check out that post because it gives some background information on the original owner, has a link to many of our older blog posts on the subject and it also has a nice slide show of the property.

Since that post the price was cut to $6 MM and finally to $5 MM in February 2020. It finally sold a week and a half ago for $3 MM, keeping up its long standing tradition of screwing the seller. It’s traded hands multiple times over the years and we don’t know all the prices it sold for so maybe somebody along the chain of title made a few bucks. However, the original owner definitely lost many millions and Dennis Rodkin pointed out that a lender lost at least $3 MM in the 2012 foreclosure sale.

At this point the bathrooms and the kitchen are all outdated with those earth tones so it’s not surprising that it had trouble selling. And the size is too daunting for someone to actually live there. It seems better suited for commercial use but Dennis’ article indicates that that required Burr Ridge approval. Nevertheless, someone actually did buy it in order to live in it.

#RealEstate #ExpensiveHomes #BurrRidge #BurrRidgeRealEstate

Gary Lucido is the President of Lucid Realty, the Chicago area’s full service real estate brokerage that offers home buyer rebates and discount commissions. If you want to keep up to date on the Chicago real estate market or get an insider’s view of the seamy underbelly of the real estate industry you can Subscribe to Getting Real by Email using the form below. Please be sure to verify your email address when you receive the verification notice.

Simon is a friendly, mellow, easy-going, sweet, and handsome, five-year-old, 21-pound, white male French Bulldog/Chihuahua-mix looking for a loving guardian.

Simon was sadly found a couple weeks ago when his human passed away. He was laying loyally by her side in bed. Unfortunately, he was covered with fleas and suffers from flea allergies. He has been treated, but it will take a few months for all his hair to grow back.

Simon lived with multiple cats and gets along with them beautifully. He’s more interested in their food. He has never lived with other canines, but does nicely going on walks with other dogs. Sometimes he’ll bark at other dogs he sees on leash.

He’s phenomenal on leashed walks, housebroken and quietly crate-trained.

Simon is now healthy, neutered, de-wormed, treated with flea preventative, up-to-date on rabies, distemper, and bordetella vaccines, heartworm-tested negative and on monthly preventative. His adoption fee of $400 benefits the rescued dogs of Friends of Petraits Rescue.

To meet and possibly adopt Simon please fill in an adoption application at https://friendsofpetraits.com/dog-cat-adoption-application/ and contact [email protected] for an appointment to meet him. He is being fostered in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood.

Whether it’s on your job, in a sport, parenting, or something else in your personal life, hopefully, you’ve had a mentor or someone to train you for the position you’re in now. No matter how great they are, a good mentor and leader will want you to be even better at the job than they were. Like every parent wants their children to be greater than them. Moreover, you should be greater! If you’re only going to be as good as and not better than those before you were, then all their hard work, trials and failures would have been in vain. Their wisdom, years of experience and expertise coupled with your innovative outlook, hunger and tenacity equips you to go further than they ever could have.

Avoid the same pitfalls and learn from past mistakes already made. Cut the process down so that it gets done sooner. Do more with less so that you’re more profitable. Surpass their records and set new ones. Do better and be greater!

A lot of people gave up on exercise months ago, but the Chicago Blackhawks haven’t stopped training for a second. Even as gyms and ice skating rinks closed their doors, these players continued to increase their gains at home and grow stronger as a team. Of course, since many of them didn’t have access to a rink or high-end equipment, players had to find new ways to stay fit.

Luckily, their home workouts are simple enough that anyone can do them — even you! So get up off the couch and get those gains!

Warm Up

Before the Blackhawks start blasting out burpees or pumping iron, they warm up with some light stretching. Doing so increases muscle and blood temperatures, allowing for maximum range of motion and less strain on the heart.

Strength and conditioning coach Paul Goodman likes to lead the players through a series of dynamic stretches like calf raises, pendulum swings, arm and hip circles and frog rocks. However, you might choose different stretches depending on what part of the body you want to work that day.

Bodyweight Exercises

Since many of the players don’t have access to weights and machines at home, Goodman also likes to incorporate bodyweight exercises into their training. Supermans, pushup crawls and planks are simple but effective movements that can build muscle without a single dumbbell.

He also includes more aerobic exercises to enhance their endurance and strength. His Workout Wednesday videos often involve moves like lateral lunges, cross behind jumps, impulse crossovers and high knees. Of course, you can always add jumping jacks, burpees and other dynamic movements to get your heart thumping and blood pumping.

In-Line Speed Skating

Ice skating requires loose hip flexors and strong quadriceps, hip abductors, hamstrings and calves. Of course, lacing up a pair of skates and getting out onto the ice is the best way to strengthen these muscles. However, since most players haven’t had access to a rink, many have had to find other ways to work their lower body.

One of the best ways to engage the muscles they need on the ice is by strapping on a pair of in-line skates and hitting the pavement. While there’s a significant difference in starting and stopping techniques, forward movements are practically the same.

Plus, in-line skating works all the same muscles as ice skating and strengthens the knee by increasing the flow of synovial fluid to the knee joint.

Zoom Classes

While gyms have reopened in recent weeks, some are content to continue working out with Zoom fitness classes. While the players quarantined for three months, Goodman held hour-long Zoom workout sessions three days a week. He also recorded meetings, made videos and planned workouts to send to players who couldn’t attend live streaming sessions.

If you don’t feel comfortable going to the gym or want to train like a Blackhawk in quarantine, you might want to try a few virtual workouts, too. Many trainers are still offering classes in yoga, strength and conditioning, resistance training and more so you can find a style that suits you and your fitness goals.

Find a buddy with whom you can attend classes so you can hold each other accountable and fully commit yourselves to a program.

Cool Down Stretches

Cooling down after an intense workout is just as important as warming up. At the end of his virtual classes, Goodman likes to walk players through a series of static stretches like downward dog, upward facing dog and forward fold. These longer holds allow the limbs to cool down while the joints are still warm and reduce lactic acid buildup, which can cause muscle cramps and stiffness.

Set aside 5 to 10 minutes at the end of your workout to stretch as well. Depending on what part of the body you worked the most, you may include shoulder stretches or side body stretches, or take a more relaxed approach with seated forward folds and spinal twists. Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds and don’t forget to breathe deep as you twist and bend.

Use What You Have

As the second wave of the pandemic sweeps across the U.S., many gyms and fitness centers will likely shut their doors again. When shutdowns occur, remember that you can always take your workouts online and cultivate strength even in the absence of weights and other equipment.

Use your stairs, water jugs, roller skates and other items you already have to pump up those muscles and stay fit through quarantine, just like the Blackhawks!