April 2008 - Posts
KEEPING IN LINE WITH THIS CRAZY WEATHER! Of course, we had to go with a more fall recipe today because of this crazy cool weather. Besides, Stilton is a type of cheese in case you were wondering. Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour
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CHICAGO PRICE INDEX DOWN 8.5% SINCE FEBRUARY, 2007, WHILE NATIONAL INDEX DOWN 12.5%! Usually, at the end of April, the vibrant Spring Real Estate Market is in full swing, in Chicago and elsewhere across the country. In many areas of the country, however,
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SPEND THOSE REFUND CHECKS AND GET MORE OUT OF YOUR HOME WHEN YOU SELL! Tax refund checks start coming out this week, and, of course, many of you will want to save or invest. But the purpose of giving out the rebates is to stimulate the economy so let's
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SOMETHING FOR THE BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS Sometimes in business we find that we need to share information and email just cannot handle the size of documents that need to be sent back and forth. Enter into the picture, Preezo . It's an open source software
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Good Morning, Everyone! More and more critics are saying "unfair" to lenders' proprietary lists of Metro Market Areas and Zip Codes they consider in decline. Those most vocal represent interests of minority and middle-income groups, whose
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PURCHASING A HOME IN AREA LISTED AS "DECLINING" BY LENDERS MAY REQUIRE HIGHER CREDIT SCORES, HIGHER MORTGAGE RATES, AND MORE DOWN PAYMENT! Under a precautionary program instituted last year by several large U.S. Mortgage Lenders, Zip Codes and
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CAN THE BEARS PUT TOGETHER A WINNING TEAM? As Bears fans wait in great anticipation, the Bears upper management team gets ready to see how they can address the many needs in this weekend's draft. Yes, a draft can make an immediate difference in a
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BUILDER LATEST CASUALTY OF REAL ESTATE MARKET WOES! Citing "challenges faced by the homebuilding industry," local builder Kimball Hill Homes has filed for bankruptcy protection here, but contends it will maintain normal operations while it restructures.
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Just last night while strolling down State Street, I was thinking what a beautiful evening it was. The weather was mild. The air was moist with the fragrance of spring rain, and the skyscrapers lit up my path. There is no better place to be than our fine
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SOME EXPERTS ESTIMATE LESS THAN ONE IN FIVE SHORT-SALES ACTUALLY CLOSE! Here in Chicago , and elsewhere across the country, there has been a lot of press coverage, and more than a few seminars, about how a real estate investor can make money, or a distressed
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THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Here's a picture of me during more affordable times - when Premium Gas in Chicago cost about $2.25/gallon! That seems like about a million years
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Portage Park, Chicago - REDUCED! Portage Park Bungalow is Roomy - 3 bedrooms + Office, 2 Full Baths, Large, Full Basement, Family Room. INCREDIBLE VALUE - Now Only $249,500! MLS ID 06781116 Property information
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ROGERS PARK Heather and her husband, Josh moved into their first home this winter. The new homestead came with a yard. Believe it or not but they had never owned a yard before. Even though it was small - this long rectangular strip behind their Rogers
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LENDERS, PRIVATE MORTGAGE INSURERS TIGHTEN GUIDELINES! Here in Chicago , and in most other parts of the country, it used to be nearly as easy to buy a condominium as to purchase a new single-family home. However, increased lender risk, brought on increased
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It's almost beach weather. Travel is in the air and it's time for picnics, graduations, etc. What better way to get ready for the season than to try a new shrimp recipe? D ifficulty: Easy Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Servings: unlimited
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IN CHICAGO, HOWEVER, MEDIAN PRICE ACTUALLY INCREASES YEAR OVER YEAR! According to data from the Illinois Association of Realtors , 8,509 single-family homes and condos were sold across the state, versus 12,075 in March, 2007 - a decrease of 29.5% year
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Can you feel the weather getting warmer and the days getting longer? Spring ! At our home, we're cleaning up the yard, fertilizing the grass and planting flowers. If you're a true plant person (you grow your plants from seeds), your plants have
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NEW SATELLITE PHONE TECHNOLOGY Have you seen the Lost drama on TV? Now think ahead 1-2 years down the road. The satellite/cellular phone seen on the show recently is definitely in our future. There is a new, hybrid satellite/cellular phone that works
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Good Morning, Everyone! Latest available Chicago Home Affordability Statistics indicate the median-priced home here still eludes many. In most neighborhoods and in many suburbs here, prices have fallen, attracting more potential buyers, but stricter standards
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CHICAGO AFFORDABILITY INCREASES, BUT MANY CANNOT AFFORD MEDIAN-PRICED HOME IN CITY, SUBURBS! Housing market analysts calculate housing affordability in a given area by comparing the median home price (50% of the homes priced higher, 50% lower than this
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WHO DOESN'T LOVE A CROSS-TOWN CLASSIC? C'mon, whether you're a Cubs or Sox fan, or maybe both, you have to wonder what it would be like if the two teams squared off in a World Series. Now, being a Cubs fan, I know I'm jumping the gun here
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LENDERS OFTEN EAGER TO WORK OUT ALTERNATE PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS TO AVOID FORECLOSURE ACTION! When homeowners get into financial trouble, and can't make mortgage payments, several different thought processes play out in their minds. Most initially deny
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OH YEAH! That 70-degree day sure felt good the other day and woke up the "summer" beast in me. It's about time. I say good riddance to the "winter" beast -- it's time for it to hibernate! With the start of baseball season --
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THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! The news story has been all over the country - all over the world! Even Jay Leno joked about it on The Tonight Show Tuesday night. Last Tuesday
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IN LINCOLN PARK SINCE 1988. CHICAGO'S FIRST BREW-PUB VICTIM OF RISING RENTS IN HIP NEIGHBORHOOD! Twenty years ago, in Chicago's North and Clybourn Neighborhood in which the original Goose Island Brewery is located, few thriving businesses existed.
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LINCOLN PARK Who likes a free yoga class? Apparently more people are interested in yoga these day than was thought. At Lululemon Athletica's free yoga class downtown on a recent Wednesday night-just minutes after it started - it was so crowded that
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With all the recent weather changes for the better, it was time to get out the latest Springtime recipes. Enjoy! D ifficulty: Easy Prep Time: 25 minutes Set Time: 30 minutes Servings: 8 Sauce: 2 cups Cool Whip 1 pint of strawberry Sorbet 1/ 2 cup cream
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AVERAGE ANNUAL OPERATING COST OF YOUR NEW CAR COULD NEAR $9,100 - LIKELY MORE - IN 2008! The recent surge in gas prices is no news to anyone, of course. The likelihood prices will drop anytime soon - remote. But the spike in the average annual operating
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NATIONALLY, FORECLOSURES JUMP 5% IN MARCH - UP 57% SINCE MARCH, 2007 - IL DOWN 1.5%! Across the U.S., foreclosure filings continue their climb - especially in California, Florida, Nevada, and Ohio. Figures from RealtyTrac.com identifies 234,685 properties
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Yes, the gutter pest is back. It is imperative that you keep your gutters clean and free flowing. Clogged gutters can cause water to splash up against the roof. This will cause damage to the shingles and cause the roof to leak. Use a ladder that extends
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ANOTHER VERY COOL SERVICE Of course I absolutely love finding new and free things on the web so this week we're going to talk about doing a "drop." Just recently I was told about this new site where you can literally drop any information
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Good Morning, Everyone! There seems to be a growing, disturbing trend among those delinquent in their mortgages, facing foreclosure. Some simply walk away from their home! Most of those who consider this radical step have negative equity in their property,
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NEW GUIDELINES COULD STOP FLEEING BORROWERS FROM OBTAINING A NEW MORTGAGE LOAN FOR FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS! There is a disturbing, fairly recent trend among those behind on their mortgages - especially where the balance of their mortgage greatly EXCEEDS today's
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CHICAGO MAYOR DALEY SUPPORTS 28 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS + ARTS CENTER, WHILE COMMUNITY GROUP DEMANDS MORE HOUSING! The Northwest Side Chicago Neighborhood of Logan Square has often been on the outskirts of housing development and renovation over the
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The First Ten Games or So Lands Both Chicago Teams in Second Place The first 10 games are complete for the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox are just one game shy having played nine games. Both teams find themselves in second place with the Sox just
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While the weather outside is wet and rainy, why not take in an indoor activity. This weekend Reptile Fest is being held at the University of Illinois at Chicago P.E. Building, 901 W. Roosevelt Road. From 10 am until 5 pm; this event will feature 40,00
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THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Sorry, I just missed your call! As you dogs all know - I'm an Equal Opportunity Dog! I very strongly feel we dogs should have the same rights
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LINCOLN SQUARE I call my Northwest Side neighborhood BungalOasis for a good reason, says Mazurka Wojciechowska, who has lived there for four years. As the nickname I gave the community implies, you can find many beautiful bungalows here. Some of these
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PROPOSED REVISED FORM WOULD MAKE LOAN TERMS EASIER TO UNDERSTAND, BEFORE YOU SIGN! If you've ever purchased a home, you know that you often have to use the ink in more than one pen, and exercise your wrists to build strength for the task. The mountain
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WE JUST NEED TO START GETTING READY FOR RAVINIA This recipe comes from my Aunt Sandy and can also been seen in her daughter's book "Greektown Chicago." D ifficulty: Easy Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Servings: 8 Salad Ingredients:
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GET THE GRASS READY TO GROW At last, at last, some beautiful weather this weekend! Now is a good time to get out in the yard. First rake all the old dead grass up. This is also a good time to augment the soil. Throw down a couple of bags of top soil mixed
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SPEED LIMIT ON ONE OF CHICAGO'S MOST SCENIC, MOST FAMOUS ROADWAYS TO REMAIN AT 40 MPH ALL SUMMER! Here on Chicago's Lake Front, Lake Shore Drive is one of the most scenic city drives anywhere. Famous Chicago Skyscrapers to the west. Beautiful
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Albany Park, Chicago - Stunningly Renovated top-floor 2 bedroom condo w/ Private Balcony - quiet courtyard setting! Custom eat-in kitchen, and sunny living room! Lotsa Storage! Great, Convenient Location! NEW PRICE: $152,400! MLS ID: 06824664 Property
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DIGITAL TV AND ITS IMPACT Sure it's getting lots of press right now, but wait until the holidays! There are many questions surrounding this change-over and how it will impact those of us with televisions that may not be older than dirt but still don't
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Good Morning, Everyone! Old-school methods of predicting responsible borrowing - including checking a prospective borrower's payment history on his utility bills, and his history writing bad checks - may play a larger part in evaluating creditworthiness.
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ALTERNATIVE CREDIT SCORING COULD HELP THOSE WITH LITTLE ESTABLISHED CREDIT, OR THOSE WITH BORDERLINE FICO SCORES! For several years now, lenders considering the qualifications of potential homebuyers simply reviewed their Fair-Isaac Credit Scores. These
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You're a Cub fan and already you're saying this can't be happening. The Cubs favored by many to win the NL Central Division find themselves in last place after four games, four games that they are playing at home. It seems like they're
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WORK ON EDENS EXPRESSWAY, TRI-STATE TOLLWAY TO CREATE SUMMERTIME HEADACHES TO NORTHSIDERS, NORTH SUBURBAN RESIDENTS THIS SUMMER! That old season about there being only TWO seasons in Chicago - that is, indeed, old - my father said it to me when I was
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LET THE GAMES BEGIN There doesn't appear to be much "doings & happenings" this weekend here in Chicago and its surrounding neighborhoods other than the usual of grabbing something to eat and going to the movies, unless of course, you're
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THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Hey, you dogs! You know, I have lived my entire life here in Chicago - with the exception of my first eight weeks as a pup. I was born in Joliet
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LINCOLN SQUARE T he only trouble with uncovering a secret spot to read in peace is of course the secret part. In any case, we wanted to share with you. One such local is the Book Cellar in Lincoln Square (4736 N. Lincoln Ave.). When you enter, turn left.
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SURGE IN FORECLOSURES PUT LENDERS IN ANOTHER BIND! At the end of 2007, banks nationwide owned about $12 Billion worth of foreclosed property - double the amount owned one year earlier. Of this, roughly $6.6 Billion is Residential Property between one
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With the summer months just kicking and screaming to get through, I thought I'd send out a great recipe for the change in the seasons. This recipe is adapted from the cookbook by Annie Roberts and Margrit Biever Mondavi. Bon appetit! Difficulty: Medium
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CRITICISM BY STATE REGULATORS, SMALL BANKS, LEGISLATORS MIGHT EQUAL LONG FIGNT AHEAD! Yesterday, at the Cash Room of the U.S. Treasury in Washington DC, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson presented the details of the Bush Administration's proposed changes
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Albany Park, Chicago - Newly Rennovated - stunning top floor 2 bedroom condo - quiet courtyard setting! Custom eat-in kitchen and sunny living and dining rooms! Now Only $157,400! MLS ID: 06824664 Property information
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Early Spring is a good time to check out the condition of the brick exterior on your home. Examine the mortar for cracks. These can be filled with mortar repair . This comes in a caulking tube available at hardware stores and home centers and is super
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