north shore real estate: What You Need to Know About Credit Scoring
- 08/24/10 04:45 AM
We hear conflicting information about how our credit is affected by different scenarios. Here's an excellent synopsis of how they build those numbers, by Larry Bettag of Cherry Creek Mortgage.
Pay attention, now, it's important stuff.
Credit is one of THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES IN getting a loan today. Time and time again, I'm called by a client who says "I PAY MY BILLS ON TIME, BUT MY PEOPLE SAY MY CREDIT STINKS....
Maybe I'll just pay off my credit cards today..... No, No, No, No Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!" Truthfully, there is more to a credit score than just making your payments on … (2 comments)
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north shore real estate: O Realtor, my Realtor!
- 07/26/09 08:25 AM
with full apologies to Walt Whitman
O REALTOR! my Realtor! our fearful trip is done; The car has travell'd every road, the house we sought is found; My bladder's full, and bells I hear, my children all are grumbling, My breath could cause the paint to peel, my keys I am afumbling: But O Realtor! Realtor! Realtor! O the gooey drips of nougat, Where on the street my Realtor lies, Passed out cold and dead.
O REALTOR! my Realtor! rise up and hear the bells;Rise up-for you the supra's flung-for you the Sentrilock trills;For you contracts and offers wreaths-for you … (11 comments)
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north shore real estate: tube steak instructions for memorial day and Chicago
- 05/25/09 08:19 AM
This is a public service announcement:
For those of you who need instructions, here is how to build a property Chicago-Style hot dog. And just in time for memorial Day.
The bun must be fresh, and must be poppy-seeded. (Plain is acceptable, too... but you will be made fun of) Rosen's is a good choice... but we'll settle for Jewel or Dominicks'.
The hot dog can be grilled or boiled, but it must include Tomatoes (wedged)... pickle slice (also wedged... may be kosher, garlic or dill)... a MUST have... Celery Salt... (for those who have not had celery salt on a … (20 comments)
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north shore real estate: I've got your gun!
- 05/24/09 11:10 AM
Just came back from reviewing the latest (earliest??) in the Star Trek series at the Evanston Century Theatre. (I didn't really see it for myself... I saw it so that I could review it for my readers... oh, how I suffer for my art).
It did not disappoint. Nonstop action... James Tiberias Kirk was played with panache. Young spock was excellently acted, and casted.
Additionally the introduction to each of the time-honoured cast (Ohura, McCoy, Mr. Scott, Checkov) not only fit the personalities that we've learned to love, but the additional nuances they've revealed in this movie only enhanced that love … (5 comments)
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north shore real estate: the Memorial Day Order of 1868
- 05/24/09 03:29 AM
I. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but Posts and comrades will, in their own way, arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.
We are organized, Comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind … (2 comments)
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north shore real estate: on this day in history...
- 05/23/09 05:29 AM
On this day in history... in 1934 Bonnie & Clyde, notorious criminals and Robin Hood-esque bank robbers were gunned down on a Louisiana roadside while driving a stolen car. They were gunned down in a hail of 130 bullets, by Lousiana and Texas lawmen hiding in the bushes.
Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow met in Texas when she was 19. Shortly after, Barrow was put in jail for robbery. Parker visited every day, and smuggled a gun into prison to help him escape, but he was soon caught in Ohio and sent back to jail. When Barrow got out of jail … (20 comments)
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north shore real estate: Do you have a pool?
- 05/22/09 01:44 AM
"Do you have a pool?", the other agent asked me, knowing full-well that I don't, because we've discussed it before.
"No", I answered grudgingly.
"Well, I do" she said snottily "and it doesn't take 30 days to determine if a pool is leaking... if you have a leak, you'll know about it right away...[ insert 5 minute diatribe including how cheaply we've purchased the home, and how her poor, poor client will have to bring money to the table to close... here ] "
This was the other agent's attempt to "negotiate" with me. This was her method of getting us … (23 comments)
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north shore real estate: I want a credit for the ugly wallpaper... and is that a scratch on the floor??
- 05/21/09 03:47 AM
W. Paul Blakley wondered: "what I consider a legitimate inspection issue (#40)".
It caused me to wonder that myself. What DO I consider a legitimate inspection issue? I work in the northern suburbs of Chicago, and here our inspection clause in our contracts reads as follows:
<< The home inspection shall cover only major components of the Real Estate, including but not limited to, central heating system(s), central cooling system(s), plumbing and well system, roof, walls, windows, ceilings, floors, appliances and foundation. A major component shall be deemed to be in operating condition if it performs the function for which it … (18 comments)
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north shore real estate: Whoooooaaaahh!
- 05/20/09 01:12 PM
Okay, I was just sittin', watching television... minding my own business.
My wife was in the kitchen, and the telephone rang. Suddenly... there on my television screen appeared... THIS:
Do you see at the bottom?... the telephone call showed up... with the name of the caller, and their phone number (I know..the phone number isn't in the photo...but it WAS on my screen!).
Of course, there wasn't anybody in the room to witness this new development. wow.
We had recently switched to Comcast bundle, and bundled our telephone, broadband and cable together. We got a great price... but this was NOT … (23 comments)
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north shore real estate: Quality agents... yeah, that's the ticket!
- 05/20/09 04:04 AM
I accompanied my buyers in a recent inspection. It was a small, modest ranch-style home, with a full unfinished basement.
This was an estate sale, and the house was empty, not a stick of furniture, which was nice... so we could fully inspect every inch. The home was modest... 3 bedrooms, and a bath and a half. A "used to be nice" kitchen, Living Room/Dining Room "L"... a small yard, and a dilapidated 2-car garage. The home needs lots of work, but it's in a desirable neighborhood, so my clients are prepared to put the work into it.
The structure is … (48 comments)
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north shore real estate: Suez, we have a problem.
- 05/20/09 02:24 AM
This photo was taken (and downloaded) by the crew of the shuttle Atlantis on their way to repair the Hubble telescope this week.
You can see the Sinai peninsula in the center... the Suez Canal, Nile river and delta are visible a little further left... and the large landmass to the east is much of Saudi Arabia.
ALAN MAY, Realtor® Specializing in Evanston Real Estate and North Shore Real Estate ------------------------------- Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, 2929 Central Street, Evanston, IL 60201 847.425.3779 Cell: 847.924.3313 Email: Almay@aol.com
… (10 comments)
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north shore real estate: Ain't the world a bit strange?
- 05/19/09 09:29 AM
I just had a drive-by sign call, from someone inquiring about one of my co-ops. The woman at the end of the line, needed to know if DOGS were allowed. It didn't. She sounded very confused, very tentative and very young.
As our conversation progressed, I discovered that her family home had been sold out from under her, and she was required to move out in less than 10 days, and was truly searching for a rental. She was being bequeathed, however by the estate, enough money to use as a down payment... and we began speaking about potential purchases.
I … (17 comments)
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north shore real estate: Some days, you just have to indulge
- 05/13/09 06:17 AM
My wife reads this blog... so I have to apologize in advance. Some days, you just have to break down and have a hamburger and fries for lunch.
No salad... no turkey sandwich... just a greasy-ass burger, and some deep-fried, sizzling hot fries glistening with salt crystals.
If I was still 18, this would be my daily meal of choice. As I'm not... er.... no longer 18, it is seriously less frequent a choice.
Red meat is not a daily event at our house, and sometimes not even a weekly event. We try to have fresh fish, salads, pasta and other … (22 comments)
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north shore real estate: to Rent, or not to Rent, that is the question.
- 05/12/09 07:16 AM
In many condominium buildings they don't allow rentals... or they only allow a very limited number of rentals.
I understand the logic behind having 100% owner occupied buildings. It brings "pride of ownership", and helps assure that you won't be surrounded by college kids, playing loud music at all hours of the night.
But I've recently run into a couple of situations where the buyer for a condo that I've had on the market, has balked, because they want to know... somewhere down the line... that if they decide to... they'd be allowed to rent out their unit. Inadvertently, are owners … (14 comments)
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north shore real estate: 5 things I don't like about myself.
- 05/11/09 02:11 AM
Liz Moras posted an excellent article about the 5 things we "like" about ourselves. In that post many people chimed in to talk about all the good things they like about themselves.
Liz talked about her natural curiosity, her reflective nature, her Madonna-esque-ness in reinventing herself (wow, did i just coin a word?), the fact that she and Bert Lahr have much in common, and her passion... well, we all knew that she is passionate... about many subjects.
Rarely being a "joiner"... I had to take the flipside of the coin. C'mon... you knew someone was going to do it... it … (19 comments)
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north shore real estate: Your dog doesn't love you!
- 05/08/09 01:40 AM
There. Is that a cold-enough nose on your naked heinie in the morning. Enough to get a rise out of you?
In yesterday's Chicago Tribune, columnist Eric Zorn posits that "your dog doesn't love you". Yes, you dove into the frigid lake to save her... yes, you saved him from a shelter as he was about to be put to sleep... yes you paid for that $1,800.00 surgery and they stayed up with him all night, while he threw up all the expensive medication. But he doesn't love you.
He claims that author Jon Katz (funny last name for writing about … (12 comments)
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north shore real estate: Sentrilock Beta-mac
- 05/07/09 06:12 AM
I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Mac fanatic. I own several of them, and so do my children... (okay, okay... I purchased the Macs for them).
So when our area switched to Sentrilock from Supra... I was incredibly disappointed that Sentrilock was not compatible with Macintosh.
Supra only required seating it overnight in a cradle, which then communicated with "home" via an overnight telecommunication call. Sentrilock, however, requires a "card reader" that attaches to your computer to update... and since it was unable to update through a Mac, that became a problem for me, and meant that my two Sentrilock boxes were left lingering … (14 comments)
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north shore real estate: Let's hang on, to what we've got...
- 05/07/09 02:18 AM
Okay... I don't know where parade this was, nor when ... nor who the blonde is supposed to be... I recognize, of course) the guy with the wings and the halo... but the lady behind him?? It's obviously quite a crowd, and I image it could be from anywhere on the campaign trail. The question that I have is... where are her hands??? what is she holding on to??
Oh, wait... I think I know the answer... she's holding onto...
... his … (25 comments)
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north shore real estate: caught between the devil and the deep blue sea...
- 05/05/09 06:47 AM
Okay... I'm one of those guys who likes to know what phrases like those mean. Are you stuck between Beelzebub, and the ocean... and what does the devil have to do with all that water?
The "Devil" is a nautical term... describing the very, very narrow plank along the outer edge of a sailing ship. The Devil was often used by sailors as "footing" to walk along carefully... (as it was only inches wide)... hugging the side of the ship... in order to make repairs to the ship... or fill in gaps in the wood with pitch or caulking of other … (16 comments)
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north shore real estate: reblogged notification is back!! Yaaaaayy!
- 05/04/09 10:17 AM
I have been reblogged numerous times. I always consider it somewhat of an honour... it means they liked what I posted, and wanted to share it with their sphere of influence.
Prior to Active Rain's latest iteration, the only way I had to know about it was that big "arrow" that used to adorn the upper right corner of our blog with a "number" associated with it. The number indicated how many people had reblogged me, but to find out WHO... I had to perform a Google search.
With the new method of "dots"... now I can click on the dot, … (4 comments)
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