April 2009 - Posts
THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Hey, you dogs! It's me, Daddy's Little Girl, Gracie Moss! Our Little White Dog, Buddy Holly Moss, is taking the night off tonight. Truth
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SOME GAIN, FORGIVEN DEBT MAY BE TAXABLE TO MANY SELLING SHORT! The concept of "Selling Short" in Real Estate merely involves netting less from the sale than the outstanding mortgage balance, or, in some cases, balances - PLURAL! For some, however,
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EXPERTS POINT TO HOUSING STOCK, NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITIES, PROXIMITY TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION! Here in the City of Chicago , the last housing boom turned many previously-lackluster neighborhoods into hotbeds of activity - and Real Estate Appreciation! The
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PORTAGE PARK AND NORWOOD PARK Believe it or not, Spring has finally sprung here in Chicago - thankfully!!! For most area residents, it's also a time to register for programs at their local parks. Now you can view and find all the programs currently
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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 with a bag of manure compost.
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I was joking around with a friend of mine last week about how I am not yet playing the trombone to read , but we both know that day is on the horizon. We decided to see if there was something out there for us IF that time comes. What we found was a cell
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Good Morning! Getting a Home Mortgage Loan today is never assured, as lenders have considerably tightened lending standards, even for those with previously-thought better-than-average credit scores, if they have less-than-20% down payments. Please read
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SPECIAL INSURANCE POLICIES WOULD CONTINUE CAR, HOUSE, OTHER PAYMENTS FOR A SHORT PERIOD IF YOU LOSE YOUR JOB! What's one of the biggest fears of potential buyers of big-ticket items, such as new cars, or a new home, these days in a tough U.S. Economy?
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TODAY, 10% DOWN - EVEN WITH A GOOD CREDIT SCORE - SOMETIMES WON'T CUT IT! A first-time home buyer! Dual-income household! No car payments! 719 FICO Credit Score! Stable, City of Chicago Employment! Back in the 1940's, a movie star like Jimmy Stewart
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JEWEL-OSCO TO DISCOUNT PRICES UP TO 20% ON THOUSANDS OF GROCERY ITEMS! Here in and around Chicago , the tough economy is impacting everyone. Wal-Mart and Target Stores have been offering discounted grocery products at their stores for some time now. Chicago
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Doesn't it just figure that when Chicago will be experiencing some gorgeous weather this weekend, the Cubs are on the road! By the way, they'll be in St. Louis. However, the Sox will be hosting Toronto this weekend for those of you who are interested.
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THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Good Morning, You Dogs! This is a sad story, one that is tied to the troubled U.S. Economy today. As job losses, late-paid bills, and the possible
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NEW POLICE STING TARGETS DRIVERS FAILING TO YIELD TO THOSE CROSSING ON FOOT! If you drive a car in the City of Chicago, you had better yield to those crossing the street, on foot, within marked crosswalks across the city. Not doing so could result in
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BIGGEST USERS OF FED BAILOUT FUNDS LENT 23% LESS IN FEBRUARY VERSUS LAST OCTOBER - U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT DATA! Has it worked? The objective of the original $750 Billion Troubled Asset Recovery Program , passed by Congress at the insistence of the Bush
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PORTAGE PARK In celebration of Earth Day, Portage Park is participating in Citywide Clean and Green Day. This Saturday, April 25 th , the Friends of Portage Park are hosting a rummage sale while they beautify the park. Participants are also encouraged
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Now is a great time to organize the garage before it gets too hot. If you're like me, you have so much junk in your garage that you can't even fit the car in anymore! You can tackle garage clutter much in the same way as closet cleaning. Take
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How would you like to pay a nominal lifetime fee to use your cell phone as your own personal WiFi spot? I just came across this service called WalkingHotSpot where you can use your cell phone to access the Internet. The difference is that this service
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Good Morning! There is a massive backlog in Cook County Chancery Court to deal with foreclosure cases. This backlog has the effect of giving many distressed home owners the opportunity to negotiate workout arrangements with their lenders. Please read
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UNPRECEDENTED CASE LOAD GIVES SOME BORROWERS MORE TIME TO MAKE LOAN WORKOUT ARRANGEMENTS WITH THEIR LENDERS! In Downtown Chicago, an ever-increasing number of home foreclosure cases is delaying foreclosure actions against certain homeowners - those who
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PROPOSALS WOULD LIMIT RATE INCREASES ON EXISTING BALANCES, AND FORCE ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURE! Credit card debt! Many experts say it is the next economic bubble to burst! Now, a new proposal by President Obama and his administration would could prevent credit
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Not sure what to do this weekend? Well, I don't either. So have a nice weekend and I'll be back next week! Just Kidding!! I bet you were getting all nervous. Actually, I was having a bit of difficulty on choosing what to write about, which led
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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! Here's a pose with me and my Human Grandma Felice Moss from a couple of summers ago. Ladies - I AM hot . . . aren't I? Those
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HIGH-SPEED RUNS TO DETROIT, MI AND MADISON, WI LIKELY WITHIN 5 YEARS! High-Speed Passenger Trains, whisking travelers at 200 MPH or more between major business centers. For many travelers, door-to-door transit times would rival that of medium-distance
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COOK COUNTY BOARD PRESIDENT TODD STROGER PROPOSES SALES TAX ROLLBACK! BUT WILL IT STICK? It's been just over a year since The County Board of Cook County IL - the county which includes the City of Chicago - passed a 75% Sales Tax Increase across the
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MANY SENIORS WHO REFINANCED ONLY TWO YEARS AGO ARE NEARING DEFAULT, OR HAVE ALREADY LOST THEIR HOMES! During the heyday of loosely-qualified, heavy-fee, quickly-adjusting mortgage loans, just a couple of years ago, any number of demographic groups may
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ROGERS PARK Rogers Park mourns the loss of noted labor historian and surrealist poet, Franklin Rosemont today. Rosemont, known for his amazing researched history specifically in the topics of labor history and surrealism, started the Chicago Surrealist
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Albany Park, Chicago - We've just Reduced the price on this Lovely 2BR Vintage Rehab Condo with In-Unit Equator Washer/Dryer located at 4 427 North Whipple Avenue, #3B. Includes Transferable Garage Parking Next to Building and just two blocks to Francisco
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College Trail, Grayslake - An incredible value for this 3BR/1.5BA home in the College Trail Subdivision of Grayslake . Top Location - Top Schools! Gleaming New Laminate Floors! Big Yard, Backing to Wetlands! Short Sale - Lender Approval Required, As-Is!
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Spring cleaning needs to be done outside too. If you have a deck or patio, a little sprucing up can turn it into a super family gathering space and a great place to entertain. 1. Remove everything on the deck. 2. Use a power washer to clean the surface
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AS BIG BANKS BALK AT LENDING TO SMALL BUSINESSES, OTHERS HAVE STEPPED TO THE RESCUE! Here in Chicago , there is much press about how mortgage money has dried up for many borrowers without strong credit credentials or sizable down payments. For many, FHA
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Tax time is always a stressful time in most people's lives. For a lot of people it means, going to the large bag or garbage bin full of expense receipts and going through them one by one. These people, of course, are the same ones who have no time
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Good Morning! Baseball, 2009 starts at Wrigley Field in Chicago today, as the Chicago Cubs meet the Colorado Rockies - weather permitting, of course. The Cubs are off to a strong, 4-2 start. Will it continue during the first home stand of the season?
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ENHANCED ID-VERIFICATION MEASURE AIMED AT REDUCING MORTGAGE FRAUD! In 2008 , Cook County IL - the county in which the City of Chicago is located, became one of the worst counties in the U.S. for incidence of mortgage fraud. According to the Mortgage Asset
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NEW, $8,000 FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER CREDIT SEEMED ALLURING AT FIRST - NOW, HARDLY NOTICED! Several weeks ago, after the new $8,000 credit for most first-time homebuyers was enacted into law, our Chicago Real Estate Team saw a surge of interest from qualified
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This holiday weekend, Chicago and its surrounding suburbs will be serving up "Bunches of Brunch Buffets" on Sunday, April 12 th - Easter ! A great time by the entire family, young and old alike, can be a real treat at these traditional brunches.
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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! As you see me in this picture, taken during the heat of last summer, you might assume my tongue hanging out due to the high temperatures.
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LIKELY NOT MUCH SAVINGS LIKELY IF PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY RE-FI MORTGAGE ON THEIR CHICAGO HOME! President Obama's family home, at the corner of Hyde Park Boulevard and Greenwood Avenue in the Kenwood Neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, is
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LATEST SCAMS TARGET THOSE STRUGGLING TO KEEP THEIR MORTGAGES CURRENT! Unfortunately, many scams victimize those least likely to defend themselves against them! This is nothing new! In light of today's sluggish housing market, however, here in Chicago
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ALBANY PARK Albany Park Community Center , a United Way agency member, has been in the community since 1975. Providing education and support of community members, the APCC is planning its next Ten-Pin Extravanganza. For a mere $30 you can bowl two games,
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WITH TODAY'S GLOBAL MARKETS FOR U.S. PRODUCTS, A PROTECTIONIST STANCE MIGHT ACTUALLY HURT THE ECONOMY AND STALL RECOVERY! When I was a guy in High School, and was thinking about my very first car, my dad insisted I would "Buy American!"
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IL SENATE BILL 2513 COULD DELAY FORECLOSURES! New IL Governor Pat Quinn gave final approval last Sunday to an important change to the IL Code of Civil Procedure that could forestall Home Foreclosure Actions in IL. From the Website of the Illinois Association
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The other day my husband asked me to get him a two inch screw. When I handed it to him he said that's a machine screw I need a wood screw. I realized many people like me don't know the difference between the many types of screws and their uses.
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I love when I happen upon something in my reading or research that is so unconventional as a product and so wonderful for the consumer. No it's not the ShamWow ! I'm talking about a service called Seat Guru . This is a service that is for those
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Good Morning! Welcome to the first day of the 2009 MLB Season, for both the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago White Sox - although the Sox Home Opener this afternoon has officially been postponed because of snow and cold weather! Around Chicago, many tony
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AT THE FAMED CHICAGO ART INSTITUTE, ENDOWMENTS DOWN 25% - ADMISSION FEE UP 50%! Despite the U.S. Economic Downturn, here in Chicago and Across the U.S., many prestigious museums of fine art are experiencing attendance growth - despite the fact that overall
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ABANDONED PROPERTIES IN DISTRESS CREATING EYE-SORES, LOWERING NEIGHBORING PROPERTY VALUES! The shame of a homeowner coming close to foreclosure, or actually losing his home to the foreclosure process, is generally not made public until the foreclosure
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Spring is here which means Easter is just around the corner! For those who will be hosting an Easter dinner next Sunday, and will not be able to participate in any Easter events around town next weekend, the Chicago Park District will be providing several
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T HE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Hey, you dogs! Sometimes, in life, you are the DRIVER. Sometimes, the PASSENGER. On this day, my Human Dad, Team Leader Dean, was giving me a ride!
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TOO MUCH DEBT - THE LEADING CAUSE OF FAMILY STRIFE EARLY IN MARRIAGE - COULD SCUTTLE THE RELATIONSHIP! Let's face it, folks - debt creates high levels of stress. Early in marriage - and, perhaps, years later as well, too high a debt burden can create
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[ • 1,800 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm apartment "Glenmoor Model" Dunning, Chicago - Largest Condo in Glenlake - Spacious Glenmoor Model! This nearly 1,800 square foot 2 Bedroom/2 Bath is a corner unit, south exposure, with tons of sunlight!
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LOWER AVERAGE EARNINGS, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT SUGGEST FURTHER CONTRACTION LIKELY! Year to year, according to the latest-available S&P/Case-Shiller Index of home prices, Chicago Home Prices fell over 16.4% , year over year between January, 2008 and this
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WEST ROGERS PARK Walgreens has taken a stand against the current economy and is now giving back to the community. Anyone who lost their job on Tuesday or anytime this year and does not have insurance need not worry. The Walgreens "Take Care"
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