The Force Is Strong In These Chicago Real Estate Pros
It's here! After months of hype, Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters today and will undoubtedly set box office records. We asked to hear from the biggest Star Wars fans in Chicago real estate and you delivered.
As a major Star Wars fan, Oren Pickell Building Group COO Lisa Pickell was thrilled when her company built a home for IT professional Jim Howatt, who is an even bigger fan. One of the highlights of the construction was a Star Wars-themed home theater.
Jim told us he came upon the idea while watching one of the Star Wars films. Lisa said a room like this could run anywhere from $70k to $150k. What amazed her during the build-out was how the paneling and pipework makes the room look like an Imperial starship. Jim says the reaction from guests is always one of disbelief. "There's a big 'wow' factor when they enter the room," Jim says.
Here's Windy City RE principal Milan Rubenstein ready to vanquish stormtroopers with his lightsaber. Milan is active in the Chicago chapter of the Young Presidents Organization and arranged a private 3D screening of The Force Awakens at Navy Pier for 400 members of the group.
CBRE SVP Dan Lyne is also attending a private screening of The Force Awakens. Dan says he has a deep, dark relationship with the Force that is his story to tell, and his jedi status has been under review for decades, thanks to a small incident in 1985. Dan also cites this photo of him in full costume as Chewbacca, his wife as Princess Leia and child as Yoda as proof of his Star Wars bona fides.
Here's MRSA director of interiors Shawn Fawell with her two-week-old nephew in a Chewbacca onesie. Shawn and her husband are major-league Star Wars fans who've already planned to attend several screenings of The Force Awakens in Chicago and Madison over the next two weeks.
Although he's not in costume, Sperry Van Ness' Christian Peppler says he's the biggest Star Wars fan in Chicago. Christian bought tickets to see The Force Awakens weeks ago, watched the original and prequel trilogies (now that's fanaticism) to prepare, named his cat Luke, dressed his dog as a jedi for Halloween and owns tons of Star Wars memorabilia. His latest acquisition: the Millennium Falcon drone. That hunk of junk can make the SVN coffee run in 12 parsecs. Christian says he plans on naming his firstborn Anakin, if it's a boy, or Rey, if it's a girl.
