July 2009 - Posts
Buena Park, Chicago - Announcing a price reduction on Our Featured Listing at 4343 N. Clarendon Avenue , in the Buena Park Neighborhood of Chicago. Incredible Lake and City Views in this 13th-Floor, Open Floor Plan 1,100 square food., 2 Bedroom/2 Full
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As we transition from July into August here in Chicago, a fairly decent weekend is lined up for those of us who prefer to get out and enjoy this summer. However, I can't speak for the weather but I do hope it's as fairly decent as last weekend!
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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! Here I am, pulling Passenger Duty, in my Human Dad's Old Car a year or so ago! Team Leader Dean used to drive a fancy
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CHICAGO CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER SAYS INCREASING TAXES ON REAL ESTATE A "LAST RESORT!" It's a sad tale cities and smaller municipalities are facing across the U.S. - plummeting tax revenues, due to the economy! Consumers spend less money.
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NEARLY 1 IN 59 CHICAGO AREA HOMES ARE AT SOME STAGE OF THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS! The Chicago-Naperville-Joliet IL Metro Area shows the highest rate of foreclosure for any area in IL, for the First Half of 2009. As reported by the Associated Press in today's
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MLS® $237,400 Sunrise at Westlake, Glendale Heights - Immaculate Home on Winding Street -- Family-Perfect! Three Large Bedrooms, 1 1/2 Baths! Open Living Room, Separate Dining Room -- Vaulted Ceilings, Gleaming Laminate Floors -- Sunny & Bright!
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LINCOLN PARK So now that TV's "Bachelorette" is over and she's chosen Ed, the pair plan to move to Chicago. You may be seeing them running along Lake Shore Drive's bike path or in Lincoln Park. The duo have been making the rounds
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We're at the half-way point of the summer months. Here are some additional tips to keep your lawn and garden thriving and beautiful. Water your trees at the drip line . This is the line around the tree where the widest branches reach. Water at least
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Hey, who doesn't like pictures or video right? There's a digital camera for all sorts of needs. In fact, I would recommend you head over to Chicago Photography Center if you ever want to take a full course on your digital camera use. Anyway, two
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Good Morning! Here is the good news, then the bad news, here in Chicago: Outstanding levels of homes for sale have fallen! However, the average level of inventory for sale across the Chicago Metro Area is still a high 18-plus months , and the Unemployment
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IN APRIL, MAY . . . MOST LOANS CAME FROM MORTGAGE REFINANCES, RENEWING BUSINESS LINES OF CREDIT, NOT NEW LOANS! Those who thought the massive Fed Bailout of Banks by both the current and previous Presidential Administrations would cure all our lending
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CHICAGO REAL ESTATE MARKET IMPACTED BY HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, AND MANY DISTRESSED, VACANT PROPERTIES FOR SALE! Home Sales have rebounded in many of the largest markets across the U.S! Last month, home sales jumped sharply in Southern California, the San Francisco
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I can't believe it's the last weekend in July already! By the way, has anyone seen summer yet? Actually, I'm personally enjoying the cooler weather we're having. It's great to be outdoors and be able to enjoy the various Chicago events
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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! I'm lovin' Summer in the City - although it has been a bit cooler than usual this July! BTW . . . A big congrats to Chicago
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CHICAGO SALES TAX RATE, NOW A HEFTY 10.25%, WOULD FALL TO 9.75%! In these tough times economically, cities and counties across the U.S. are searching for new ways to bridge revenue gaps that often run into the millions of dollars. And how do County Officials
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BUT WILL NEW, TOUGHER DISCLOSURE RULES REALLY PREVENT A REPEAT OF THE MORTGAGE MELTDOWN OF 2008? Easy Money! That's how many Hind-sighted Critics blamed lax Lending and Loan Disclosure Policies for creating the most dramatic downturn in Real Estate
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MEDIAN PRICES RISE, MONTH-TO-MONTH . . . BUT STILL 18% BELOW JUNE, 2008 LEVEL! It appears as if the housing market is hopping once again in Chicago! Our Team is seeing it - especially with less-expensive properties catering mainly to first-time homebuyers
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SOUTH LOOP This week marked the 40 th anniversary of Apollo 11's landing on the moon when we heard those oft quoted words, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." In celebration of this auspicious event, the Adler Planetarium
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Falls are the leading cause of home injuries in the United States. Adults over age 65 and children under 5 are especially vulnerable to falls. Older adults experience 1.5 million nonfatal injuries each year, while falls are the leading cause of nonfatal
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Yep, you heard it right. Costco has teamed up with Gazelle to offer Costco Cash for any traded-in old gadget. It's a pretty simple process, actually. You go into the website here , enter the make and model of your gadget and the company tells you
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Good Morning! Is anyone's job truly "Recession Proof?" This economic downturn has left few socio-economic groups unscathed. Even the wealthy have felt the pinch - those with large Real Estate and Equity Holdings have been exposed to considerable
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HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS? MORTICIANS? ATTORNEYS? FEW PEOPLE COMPLETELY IMMUNE TO ECONOMIC DOWNTURN! Several of our Dean's Team Chicago clients are what many outsiders would consider "Immune to the Recession." Police Officers and Fire Fighters.
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FOCUS OF FIFTH-THIRD BANK COMMUNITY OUTREACH BUS HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS! Across the Chicago Area, in modest communities such as the Chicago Suburbs of Berwyn IL and Harvey IL, and in several City of Chicago Neighborhoods, OH-Based Fifth Third
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MLS® $177,400 - Fantastic Value! Garfield Ridge, Chicago - Ultra-Roomy 4 Bedroom English-Style Brick Home. Huge Eat-In Kitchen, Sunny Living Room, Large Bedrooms & Ample Closets - Hardwood Floors Under Carpet! Two Large Bedrooms with Great Closet
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I absolutely love our City of Chicago! Where else can you find such diversity weekend after weekend? And, this weekend is no exception. Take a look at this agenda - The Lincoln Square Block Party takes place this Saturday and Sunday in the Lincoln Square
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For years, my wife and Dean's Team Member Sue worked down at a major, world-renown building in Downtown Chicago - formerly known as The Sears Tower? Formerly, you say? Effective yesterday, the official name of that landmark structure has been changed,
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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! Sorry - I am bit tardy with my post this week. Last night, got home after a long day on the road, and just collapsed - in my little
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FORECLOSED HOMES - DRIVING DOWN SURROUNDING PRICES - MADE UP 43% OF HOMES SOLD IN COOK COUNTY IN PAST 90 DAYS - CLEAR CAPITAL RESEARCH! As a Real Estate Practitioner, applying an accurate Listing Price on a home has been like applying a price tag to the
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NORWOOD PARK A special congratulations to Norwood Park resident Erin Leyden who was honored at last night's All-Star game in St. Louis. The All-Stars Among Us campaign sponsored by People magazine and Major League Baseball honored two Illinois residents.
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By now you may have started to harvest early crops. I've already had some snap peas - a few minutes in the microwave, fresh and delicious. At planting time we add fertilizer or use garden soil with fertilizer included. It's now time to fertilize
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One of the items on my wish list for my birthday (coming in a couple months, hint, hint) is the Amazon Kindle . It's a wonderful way to read books in a compact design . It's powered by Amazon, has instant wireless acess to 115,000 books sold on
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Good Morning! Tighter lending rules, and record high inventories of condos for sale, seem to be hampering a true recovery in this part of the real estate market here. Indeed, loan underwriting guidelines are getting tighter, fees for condo purchasers
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CLOSING COSTS MAY TOTAL THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS - BUT FEW COMPLAIN AT CLOSING! JUST THE COST OF BUYING A HOME? I have been a Practicing Realtor in Chicago for over 15 years now, and one aspect of this business irks me every day - CLOSING COSTS! In any other
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CONDO SELLERS FIND IT IS TOUGHER TO SELL, SINCE MANY PROSPECTIVE BUYERS FAIL TO QUALIFY! The number is scary! Downright scary! In the City of Chicago, Condominium Unit Sales are down 56% , according to data from the Chicago Area MLS, Midwest Real Estate
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Buena Park, Chicago - Buena Park Neighborhood of Chicago! Sweeping Lake and City Views from Floor-to-Ceiling Windows in this 2BR/2BA Corner Unit, steps to The Lake and Lakefront Parks! Open Floor Plan Style – Large Living and Dining Rooms with Sunny
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Our summer here in Chicago just keeps on rockin' with the following planned weekend events. Hope you and yours have some time to kick back and have some fun! The Old St. Pat's World's Largest Block Party is this Friday and Saturday. Located
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Brookfield - Announcing a price reduction on 4145 S Prairie Avenue , a 2 bedroom Frame Bungalow, Extra Large Lot - in Convenient Brookfield. New Kitchen, Baths, Big Deck - Extra Large Double Lot, 2 1/2 Car Garage. Now ONLY $194,700! . Property informatio
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THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! That call . . . was it you? Far too often, it takes nearly half a day for my cell phone voice mail messages to be delivered! I hope I didn't
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BIG RETAILERS GAP, INC., WILLIAMS-SONOMA, ANN TAYLOR SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATING SIZABLE MALL RENT CONCESSIONS! As the economy continues weak in many parts of the U.S., and retail sales continue to slide downward, many of the largest retailers are using
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IL ONE OF 32 STATES WHERE 25% OR MORE OF ADULTS ARE SERIOUSLY OVERWEIGHT! It's a disturbing trend with long-ranging health implications - not only across the State of Illinois, but in the majority of other U.S. States as well. According to a study
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OLD TOWN Now I'm definitely one to really like my fun Chicago tours. So imagine my surprise and excitement at learning there will be a new tour of the city by none other than The Second City . The Neighborhood Tour will kick off on July 19 th with
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I received a great e-mail recently telling me all the ways you could use a dryer sheet around the house. Although some of them seemed far-fetched, like wiping off soap scum with a wet sheet, many sound like they would work. Most of the good ideas involve
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Good Morning! Simply walking away from your home and mortgage! This is often triggered by a severe drop in a home's market value, often leaving the owner considerably negative in home value versus outstanding mortgage amount. This process is often
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HIGHLAND PARK IL PROGRAM ALSO MAKES LOCAL HOUSING AFFORDABLE FOR SOME OF THOSE WHO WORK THERE! The Chicago Suburb of Highland Park IL. North Shore, along Lake Michigan. Some pretty expensive homes - Basketball Great Michael Jordan lives here! The median
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AVERAGE IL STATEWIDE INCREASE - 13%! Wages have gone down! Home Prices have gone down! Even the price of some groceries, especially at Jewel Food Stores across Chicago, have gone down! But homeowners insurance rates, across Illinois, are, on average,
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SHOULD THEIR HOME FALL IN VALUE TO 50% OF MORTGAGE BALANCE OR LESS, ONE IN SIX WOULD WALK AWAY - SURVEY! Is it ever simply OK to walk away from your home, and the responsibility of mortgage payments, if its value drops below the mortgage amount you owe?
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Yes Twitter is one of the most prolific sites out there these days. You can send short messages, similar to a text message from your cell phone, to keep those in your circle up to date on what's happening with you. Over the 4th of July holiday (July
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Here's a quick snapshot guide of some of this July 4 th Holiday Weekend's "goings on" around the Chicago land area. If you haven't had a chance yet to get over to the Taste of Chicago , it wraps up this Sunday over at 100 E. Congress
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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! These days, my own scan each morning of the Business Pages in The Chicago Tribune and The Wall Street Journal often reveal
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NEW REGULATION Z EARLY DISCLOSURE LAWS TAKE EFFECT JULY 30TH! Have you ever sat down at the closing table when buying your new home, and found that many of the mortgage loan terms - including your interest rate and fees - have increased from what you
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• Immaculate 1.5 bath, 2 bdrms - Only $207,400! Brookfield - Updated Home - Ultra-Convenient Location! Cook's Eat-In Kitchen - Prof Stainless Steel Appliances, Quartz Countertops, Tons of 42" Cabs! Sunny Living Room, New Baths, Lg Bdrms!
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Fourth of July in Chicago has a slew of events happening. We've chose a few favorites that really highlight not only the holiday but also the neighborhoods that celebrate them. NORWOOD PARK Sometimes finding independence has nothing to do with coming
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