Finally . . . it's Superbowl Weekend, folks! Enjoy! What say you? Steelers? Cardinals (formerly, a long time ago, the CHICAGO Cardinals)? Here is our Team Member Jennifer Arcand's summary of Chicago Neighborhood News for this week. She explores the Chicago Neighborhoods of Lakeview, Uptown, Th...

01/30/2009

Lil' Buddy's Blog: Here's a Strange Turn - Banks Losing Revenue from Fewer Customer Service Fees!

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THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG! Man . . . I'm lost! You think perhaps I should ask for directions? Naaah! I'm a guy - too embarassing! If you read the business papers every day as I do, you would think that defaulting ho...

01/29/2009

On Loans They Have Acquired, FED To Modify Loan Terms for Some Distressed Borrowers!

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Good Morning! A blurb I read in yesterday's WSJ will not immediately turn the housing market around, but it's a small step in the right direction. It could set an important example as well. In one attempt to help many borrowers stave off foreclosure, the Federal Reserve Board has created a progr...

01/29/2009

STING OF DEFAULT Apparently More Painful for Those With, or Offering, Jumbo Home Loans!

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Good Evening, everyone! Couldn't let another cold winter night here in Chicago go by without posting one more time! It wasn't all that long ago, you know, when the biggest banks in the U.S. - J.P. Morgan Chase (and the since-Chase-acquired Washington Mutual), Bank of America, and Wells Fargo amon...

01/28/2009

CHICAGO HOME SALES SHOW ENCOURAGING BOUNCE IN DECEMBER!

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Morning, Folks! Want some good news? Well, actually, the news is mixed - but any good news we can glean on a Cold Chicago Winter Morning is welcome - yes? For the Chicago Real Estate Market, December sales actually increased versus November - 14.9% in the city, and over 8.2% around the Chicago A...

01/26/2009

IL GOVERNOR BLAGO - What Are You Thinking, Man!

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Yes, it's true! I live in Chicago. I'm a bit rough and tumble sometimes. Always honest, I like to think, but - hey, I know the angles as well as the next Guy from Chicago! And a life-long Dem to boot! Made my mind up when my mother and father stood up and spoke, for my little brother and me to...

01/26/2009

Chicago IL Market Statistics Update - January 26, 2009

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Good Morning! Here's the latest Stat Summary on the Chicago Real Estate Market, based on data pulled yesterday evening, January 25, 2009 - Active Listing Inventory again showed stability last week. Pending Sales up, and Closed Listings - but the total numbers are small, and may not be predicti...

01/25/2009

WHEN DISTRESSED HOME BORROWERS ARE AT THEIR WORST, Mortgage Scammers Often Pounce!

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This is a troubling story! It comes out of Florida, but can easily happen to well-meaning, but distressed homeowners here in Chicago. The come-on is oft repeated - on Cable and Broadcast TV. On the Internet. And in Urgent-Sounding Mailings. The scam involves companies that promise to "Stop You...

01/25/2009

DESPITE CHICAGO AND IL MORTGAGE RATE FALL, Skyrocketing Unemployment Leaves Many Here Hesitant to Buy!

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"Mortgage Rates Coming Down!" Headlines and TV ads shout out the good news here in Chicago. Home prices, due to high levels of inventory for sale and a nearly four out of ten short sale and foreclosure rate in some Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs, have fallen dramatically over the past year. ...

01/25/2009

HARDEST OBJECTION TO HANDLE - The "Hidden Objection" They Won't Tell You About! How Do You "Bring it Out"?

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Cold, cold, cold in Chicago today! Thirteen degrees! Warmer where you are? Hope so! Writing here to anyone in the sales profession - which, if you really think about it, touches just a about everyone. Doctors, who have to explain the benefits of their patient having a frightening procedure. ...

01/25/2009