March 2009 - Posts
With our recent economic downturn many folks have decided it's a great idea to grow their own vegetables. If you don't already have the tools it can get pricey. If you start small and are realistic in your goals, it can be both rewarding and money
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NEW BEACON SCORING MODEL COULD BETTER PREDICT LIKELIHOOD THAT BUYER WILL GO DELINQUENT! Credit scores! These three-digit numbers, and how high they are, often spell the difference between being able to buy a home, and not qualifying for one. Between getting
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Okay, I am definitely a Twitter addict. I have the ability to send notes from my cell phone. I use TweetDeck and am not ashamed to say I also enjoy the new capabilities of feeding Facebook in there too. So imagine my surprise when I just read about this.
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Good Morning! An old scam is beginning to target a new group - "Reluctant Landlords." These are home or condo owners who unsuccessfully tried to sell their property, and then turn to trying to rent it. Unfortunately, Internet scammers are using
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CHECK-CASHING SCAM PROMISES LEASE IN EXCHANGE FOR "CASHING" A BIG CHECK! You have seen coming over the Internet before? Into your email Inbox -yes? Nigerian businessman seeking investors. Well-known banks asking for account number or social
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COST-CONSCIOUS CONSUMERS, LURED BY LOWER ONLINE COST, CAN SAVE $300 IN INTERNET COSTS! Remember dial-up Internet? That often-slow, noisy-buzz login? The slow download times? The searching for a local dial-up number compatible with your ISP? As reported
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SERIES BASED, SHOT HERE SINCE ITS DEBUT IN SEPTEMBER, 1994! Since the hit TV Series ER began its trend setting run nearly 15 years ago, the producers and cast have come to Chicago three to four times each year for seasonal shots - 54 visits in all. Although
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College Trail, Grayslake - This “bargain priced” two-story contemporary home, in an incredible neighborhood, features three large bedrooms, an eat-in kitchen with great cabinets and counter space, and 1 ½ baths. Huge yard with patio
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Looking for something "new" to do this weekend in Chicago? Well, you're in luck! Several new restaurants have recently opened their doors, in fact, some just these past few days. So, if you're adventuresome, or just plain bored, get
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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, hey, you dogs! A show of paws, please! How many of you dogs are careful drivers? You know what I mean - you slow up when you see humans crossing
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TREASURY WOULD INVEST UP TO $100 BILLION TO LURE PRIVATE INVESTORS TO BUY UP TO $1 TRILLION IN BANKS' "TOXIC ASSETS"! Representing Billions and Billions of dollars in devalued assets, banks in IL and across the U.S. are holding defaulted
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NEW HOME SALES RISE - BUT AT A FAR LOWER MEDIAN PRICE! SALES STILL LOW COMPARED TO YEAR-AGO! Across the U.S., it appears that sales of new homes is on the rise! In February , sales of new homes rose 4.7% versus January, to an annualized rate of 337,000
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WRIGLEYVILLE Wrigley Field is set to officially announce a new restaurant concept that will be attached to the park via a turnstile for those who have a ticket to the game. Local residents are unsure they like the concept but the reality is that the Cubs
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FLORIDA-BASED RATINGS COMPANY IDENTIFIES ITS TOP-RATED IL BANKS! Don't believe all the doom and gloom! Despite a shifting Real Estate Market here in Chicago and across Illinois , many banks across the state still receive high rankings. According to
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It's time to get outside and get the lawn and garden ready for the summer season! First let's tackle the lawn . If you want to make a really big difference in your lawn you can power rake . This is probably the most important thing you can do
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CITY OF CHICAGO HOME SALES DOWN 40.4% IN FEBRUARY, 2009 VERSUS FEBRUARY, 2008! MEDIAN HOME PRICE OFF 27.4%! Amid some encouraging news at the national level, local home sales numbers seem to paint a far different picture. According to the National Association
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First let me say that is strictly rumor. I found a statistic that states this is rumor number 5,432,938. Yes, iPhone does like to share information that just does not come to fruition, but this one appears to be relevant and true. Some of the better rumors
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Good Morning! Are Average 30-Year Fixed Home Mortgage Rates heading below 5% long-term? According to many experts - Not Likely! Please read our post from Sunday at BlogChicagoHomes.com to find out why not. Here's our updated Chicago IL Real Estate
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UNTIL RECENTLY, SUB-5% MORTGAGE LOANS HAVEN'T BEEN SEEN SINCE THE 1950'S! Have you noticed? Home Mortgage Interest Rates are down! Way down! For those with the best credit scores and high down payments or equity, quoted rates touched 4.75% last
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AS MANY AS 9,000 CONDO UNITS ADDED TO LOOP, SOUTH LOOP HOUSING MARKET BY END OF 2009 - MANY NOT SELLING! It's a dilemma faced by the builders and developers of many new and converted condos in the Chicago Loop and South Loop. Faced by an inventory
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Albany Park, Chicago - Near Ravenswood Manor - Sun-filled 2BR Rehab Condo! Large top-floor unit INCLUDES AVAILABLE GARAGE SPACE, steps from the building! Gourmet Eat-in Kitchen features Granite Counters, 42” Maple Cabinets, Premium Stainless Appliances,
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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! Or, should I say, in the words of immortal old Chicago Cubs Broadcaster Jack Brickhouse, "Hey, Hey!" Have you seen what's
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Things are a little quiet this weekend here in Chicago while we recover from last weekend's St. Patrick's Day festivities. However, if you're still green, I suggest you see a doctor! Anyway, if you're a big fan of NCAA basketball then
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NEW 75-YEAR METER PRIVATIZATION PROGRAM LEAVES DRIVERS CONFUSED! An incredible sum - $1.2 Billion , up front - with a portion going to bridge the City of Chicago budget gap right away. But the transition of roughly 36,000 Chicago Parking Meters from municipal
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PORTAGE PARK Early voting for Rahm Emanuel's seat in Congress started March 16 th . The early voting goes through April 2 nd with the special election occurring on April 7 th . The current runners for this position are Democrat Mike Quigley , Republican
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Good Morning! ( ED. NOTE: We apologize for the delay in posting this week's Chicago IL Market Stats. I was knocked out of commission earlier this week with a bad cold! Normal Chicago Stats Posting Schedule - every Monday Morning - resumes next week!)
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THOUSANDS OF POTHOLES LINE CHICAGO STREETS - BUT WINNING THE POTHOLE BATTLE TOUGH, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE! Potholes! Bone-rattling, brain-jarring, tire-flattening potholes! Every Spring in Chicago, the seemingly-endless Freeze-Thaw Cycle endemic to our weather,
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"SACRED" MORTGAGE INTEREST DEDUCTION UNLIKELY TO GO AWAY! Against a backdrop of mounting Federal Debt are plans to reduce the deficit through new taxes to certain high-income tax payers. The Obama Administration has proposed tax increases, along
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INCOME TAX RATE WOULD JUMP 50% - TO 4.5% FOR INDIVIDUALS, 7.2% FOR CORPORATIONS! Taxes! Typically, they don't fall, on a regular basis, anyway. Here in IL , to close a projected $10.5 Billion projected budget shortfall by 2010 , a hefty 50% income
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Painting is the one do-it-yourself project where a modest investment can get you the same high quality tools that the professionals use. Brushes You can buy a brush that can last you forever. Look for a natural bristle brush from a good manufacturer.
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Yes, it's another social networking site, but my job is to keep you informed. This one takes a unique twist on an old concept . The name of the network is called Blellow . The main premise behind this application is to help freelancers find work,
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This weekend in Chicago is sure to bring out the Irish in you, if only for a few days. The City, as usual, will be hosting a variety of traditional events in honor of St. Patrick's Day , which happens to officially fall on Tuesday, March 17 th . One
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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 about the delayed post, you dogs! You see, Team Leader Dean and I just completed the Floyd Wickman School of Speaking and Training in the
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PORTAGE PARK On March 28th, the Monkeys and More Exotic Animal Rescue is hosting a fund-raiser at the Portage Theatre located at 4050 N. Milwaukee. Owners, Annette and Ed Parzygnat, offered to bring "Lisa Marie, our chimpanzee, if it would help to
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ACROSS IL, EMPLOYERS TRIM ANOTHER 29,300 WORKERS IN JANUARY! Rising Unemployment, and its continued negative ramifications for the Real Estate Market in Chicago and Across Illinois , appears unabated, according to figures released yesterday by the Illinois
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WITH BENCHMARK FED FUNDS RATE NEAR ZERO, WHAT NEW ACTION CAN FED TAKE TO REVIVE THE ECONOMY? Mortgage Interest Rates are among the lowest they have been in decades. Yet, still, the U.S. Economy is faltering, Federal Debt is growing, and the U.S.Credit
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Paint is the most inexpensive way to spruce up a room . New colors can give a dark room a new lease on life. Today we are going to talk about trends new to décor and other choices for us to make when deciding what direction we want to go in. Next
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I have to admit that I have not used this particular device as yet. I get some great deals emailed to me every week from Costco and I've seen the Peek on there now for the past two weeks. I decided before I even look into purchasing this device, it
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Good Morning! Despite an over-$1 Trillion infusion of Federal Money in recent months, U.S. Credit Markets still appear frozen to many Businesses and Consumers. The result: less money for mortgages, business loans, and consumer installment loans. Thus,
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EQUITY INSURANCE WOULD COMPENSATE HOMEOWNERS SHOULD PROPERTY VALUES TUMBLE - TO A CERTAIN POINT! Potential Home Buyers sitting on the fence! Have you seen it? We in the Real Estate Business have - time and time again, over the past couple of years. Many
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CONCERN ABOUT GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM KEEPING MONEY TIGHT! Since last fall, the U.S. Government has earmarked Billions, perhaps over One Trillion Dollars to shore up our Credit Markets , and hopefully jump start business, consumer, and mortgage lending.
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This weekend in Chicago will continue to keep you in the warm-weather mode. While our 50 to 60 degree temperatures will be leaving us, there will be several flower shows in town. The 2009 Chicago Flower and Garden Show opens this Saturday, March 7 th
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THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Am I wiped today, you dogs! Gracie and I, we both got GROOMED! Sure tires a dog out, yes? But we both smell like Vanilla Musk, and are each wearing
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FOR SELECTED BORROWERS NOW UNEMPLOYED, CITIGROUP MAY REDUCE MONTHLY PAYMENTS TO $500 FOR A THREE-MONTH PERIOD! In a novel move, major U.S. Lender Citigroup will reduce the monthly mortgage payments for many of its home borrowers who have lost their jobs.
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IN CHICAGO, MANY HOMEOWNERS HAVE SEEN THEIR VALUES FALL MORE THAN THE 5% VALUE THRESHOLD TO QUALIFY! On the surface, the President's new plan to help many homeowners at the doorsteps of foreclosure seems promising. Unfortunately, however, many more
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Dunning Neighborhood of Chicago! Dean's Team Chicago is proud to announce a NEW REDUCED PRICE on 4118 N. Pontiac Avenue , on the Far Northwest Side of Chicago. Immaculate Brick Georgian-Style Home - big yard, 2-car garage! Near Shopping, CTA, Parks,
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LINCOLN PARK We commuters know the importance of the CTA here in Chicago and how well it gets us from Point A to Point B in a timely manner. A couple years ago, the Chicago Transit Authority started the Brown Line expansion project to accommodate the
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ECONOMIC DOWNTURN MAY HAVE SOME MALLS SCALING BACK THIS YEAR! Shortened Shopping Hours! Lower Temperatures! Fewer Seasonal Plants Outside! Energy-Efficient Lighting! Even Scaled- Back Christmas Decorations! In a bid to trim expenses in the face of one
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SIX-FIGURE DEAL WOULD HAVE BLAGO WRITE ABOUT "THE DARK SIDE OF POLITICS"! I have lived in Illinois , and in the Chicago Area , my entire life. But, this story about disgraced ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich has me scratching my head. Again! According
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Lemon juice is a wonderful deodorizer and cleaner. Squeeze on stains on the countertop, let sit for ½ an hour. It has a natural bleaching action. The acid in the lemon will gently fade stains . It's also great for keeping cut fruits and vegetables
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A lot of times when I'm trying to set up a time to meet with friends or clients, I have to run through two to three different windows to get to my Outlook Calendar. It's more annoying than anything for me, but I recently found this application
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Good Morning! According to an Associated Press/GfK Poll conducted last month, consumer anxiety over possible job loss, loss of retirement income, and the inability to pay ongoing bills, has begun to predominate their lives. Many fear it will be a while
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SHORT SALES. FORECLOSURES. DEBT CONSOLIDATION. FORBEARANCE. HOW LONG WILL THESE CONTINUE TO DOMINATE A REALTOR'S DAY? Real Estate seems to have changed quite a bit since 2005! Back then, here in Chicago , encouraging conversations of selling your
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NEARLY HALF OF THOSE SURVEYED IN ASSOCIATED PRESS-GFK POLL FEAR THEY WILL LOSE THEIR JOB! A long time ago - back in the 1970's or so - growing up on the North Side of Chicago , my brother Randy and I had a way to greet each other, as well as our friends
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