Historic Downtown Frankfort IL Hosts its 43rd Annual Fall Festival, September 3rd - 5th - 08/31/11 04:27 PM
 
     Growing-up, and then later raising a family in the  Lincoln-Way Community High School District  of Chicagoland, it was our (and many others) annual ritual to make a trek to the Fall Festival held in Frankfort, IL over Labor Day weekend.  It sortof "kicked-off" the school year and was a great place to meet friends and have fun.
     This year's Fall Festival is the 43rd Annual hosting of this event.  And Frankfort's expecting another great influx of visitors ... over 200,000 of them.
     Held in the historic downtown area of Frankfort, this Frankfort Chamber-sponsored event has plenty to … (6 comments)

Headline Reads: Police say mom stole daughter's identity ... - 08/30/11 06:42 PM
 
     While reading the paper this morning, my eyes caught an article headline that read ...
     "Police say mom stole daughter's identity, charged money".
     You can see why my attention was drawn to the article, can't you?  Nothing seems more low or appalling than the thought of a parent harming their own child, their child's future, and their credit ratings through identity theft .
     I have written of this subject before.  ("When the Identity Thief is Mom or Dad ... What Do You Do?)  And as much as we'd always like to think warm and fuzzy … (12 comments)

Schools are Back in Session. Are You Planning on Learning Anything New This Fall? - 08/29/11 04:53 PM
    
     Most kids across our nation are back in school now or heading back very shortly.  For most Americans, this annual ritual represents the beginning of Fall, no matter the temperatures outside.
     What lies ahead for our kids during their school year? Limitless chances to learn new things and experience new adventures.  They will discover new opportunities to grow ... spread their wings in the classroom and beyond.      Maybe as adults, we need to view Fall in the exact same manner for ourselves.  And with the same frame of mind.  We should continue to see Fall as … (4 comments)

Divorce 101 for your Finances, Credit, and Outstanding Mortgage ... - 08/28/11 09:53 AM
     Divorce can be devastating.  With U.S. divorce rates hovering right around 49%, it's obvious that divorce and its far-reaching consequences touch many lives.
     Add the present housing crisis into the upheaval experienced during divorce and you find many Americans presently experiencing a great need for accurate financial and legal guidance.  While going through a divorce is probably the worst time to expect anyone to make sound financial decisions.  Yet, that is exactly when the demand for these decisions are being made.
     Certain precautions and actions should be taken during and immediately after divorce proceedings to protect yourself ... … (31 comments)

New Veterans' Outpatient Clinic Announced. Expanded Medical Services for Joliet Area Veterans Coming Soon. - 08/25/11 06:12 PM
 
     Local, State, and U.S. members of Congress announced Wednesday, August 24th, that an agreement regarding the conversion of the Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet into a veterans' medical facility had been secured.
     This new agreement means that the present Emergency Room at Silver Cross Hospital's Joliet Campus, located at 1200 Maple Road in Joliet, will become a 60,000 square-foot Outpatient Clinic for local American veterans in the not-too-distant future. 
     Although not a full-service VA hospital, the new Outpatient Clinic will offer expanded medical services to area veterans, plus save them the time and inconvenience of driving … (3 comments)

Sorry, Charlie! You are ineligible to write that offer! - 08/25/11 12:04 PM
Extremely helpful and timely reminder fron Liz Lockhart, Century 21 Key Realty, Cape Girardeau, MO regarding HUD NAID (Name Address Identifier) expirations.
She provides a great tutorial for renewals ... easily followed and understood.
Hope it helps all those that handle the renewal process for their firm ...
Gene
Via Liz Lockhart,GRI, Cape Girardeau Real Estate (CENTURY 21 Key Realty, Cape Girardeau, MO):
HUD does NOT notify companies when their NAID number is expiring. The day you write an offer is NOT the time to discover that your firm's NAID (Name Address IDentifier) has expired. Any agent representing a client in the purchase … (5 comments)

The Changes in Housing Aren’t Just Revolutionary, They’re Evolutionary - 08/25/11 03:03 AM
Not much I can add to this message by  "Housing Guru", John Mulkey.  It's a message to take to heart and learn from no matter the employ you're in, but perhaps nowhere more applicable than to our real estate industry.
Adapt and learn new skills and methods ... or be left behind.  A harsh reality, but a reality none-the-less ...
A great read here ...
Gene
 
Via John Mulkey, Housing Guru (TheHousingGuru.com):
There’s nothing typical about the current housing market, but the changes in housing aren’t just revolutionary, they’re evolutionary too.  And it’s not limited to housing; the broader economy is being … (2 comments)

Zestimates/Shmestimates...Comparing Apples to Oranges - 08/23/11 02:13 PM
I'm re-blogging this post of  Howard and Susan Meyers of The Hudson Company, Winnetka and North Shore, for many reasons ...
First, appraisals are a huge and growing issue within mortgage processing and getting deals approved.  The more educated buyers, agents, and lenders are regarding the appraising process, the better. 
This is an extremely well-written example of the housing market as it exists in Chicagoland.  I'm sure it's representative of other regions of the country, as well.  The post spells out some of the "reasoning" powers that appraisers must call into play when performing their job. 
And lastly ... I'm a … (0 comments)

AARP Driver Safety Program Being Hosted by Mokena Community Public Library District, August 24th & 25th - 08/22/11 04:30 PM
 
     If you're the loved-one of a senior person, the topic of your senior's driving and safety probably weighs on your mind or has been a topic of discussion.
     The  AARP (American Association of Retired Persons)  helps seniors face those concerns.  They've developed an 8-hour refresher course that covers many important topics related to older drivers, such as:
     Learning Defensive Driving Techniques      Tuning-Up Driving Skills      Learning the Effects of Aging on Driving      How to Remain a Safe Driver      Dealing with Turns, Blind-Spots, and More      On Wednesday, August 24th and Thursday, August 25th ... … (4 comments)

I Am SO Diggin' Our New Social Media Feature Buttons! How Are You Utilizing Yours? - 08/22/11 12:48 PM
    
     I have got to say ... I am really diggin' these new Social Media buttons  across the top of ActiveRain blog posts.
     I've been "tweeting", "liking", "Google +1-ing", and "LinkedIn-ing" like crazy.  These new little tabs have made it so very easy to spread the word about great posts, information of all kinds, great bloggers, and more.  And I've been putting them to work just as much as possible.
     What a great way to help promote some of the wonderful professionals and information to be found here on AR and the internet.  What a great way to … (8 comments)

Earning Your Mortgage Business. It Starts With an Important Question ... Can I Have Your Business? - 08/19/11 02:45 PM
How do you earn someone's business?

       Something that often gets overlooked is simply asking for it.  I know that sounds very elementary.  Too simplistic.  But it's true.  Many businesses and business people (me included) forget that very important and basic step.  We simply forget to ASK for your business!        Now it's obvious that the asking needs to be tied into something valuable and concrete.  Like good service.  Great product.  An unique product.  Information.  Or all of those things together.  No, you don't get business by just wanting it.  It has to be earned.        I … (10 comments)

It's About Accessibility. Grade YOUR Mortgage Lender ... - 08/18/11 02:41 PM
   
     With it being "Back to School Time", I want you to think ...      What grade does your lender earn for accessibility??
       If that mortgage lender is me, I'm hoping you think an A+!  To keep-on earning that grade, I've started my own website, www.genemundt.com.  I have a blog there, but I contribute to other sites too.  All add to my accessibility.          For my clients' and referral partners' convenience, I have an email address. Easy one-click Contact Forms.  Personal eFax number.  Have my own QR code (very popular now).  I Skype.  Facebook chat … (12 comments)

Important and Timely News! A Growing Number of States are Requiring Credit and Financial Classes in Their Schools - 08/14/11 09:08 PM
 
     Anyone that has followed my blog for awhile knows ... I am a HUGE proponent of education. In particular, credit and financial education. Examples?         Here are two of my previous blogs concerning this topic: "Teaching Kids Good Money Habits. Sesame Street Can Help" ... and ... "Having 'That Talk' With Your Child. It's Time. It's Important".  Both encourage the taking of a pro-active stance on educating kids early regarding credit and finances.          So you can imagine how happy I was to see the article, "States start to require courses in financial literacy" on USAToday.com today. … (11 comments)

Finally! Good News for the State of Illinois. We're Ranked #26! - 08/09/11 03:24 PM
 
     As anyone that follows the news closely knows, the State of Illinois and Chicagoland has had it's fair share of troublesome press as of late. Oh heck ... the truth is we've had alot of troublesome press!  Whether about our former governors or financial/debt issues, the news has been rather negative (and frustrating) for our state.  Good news has definitely been in short supply.         But now ... there is some good news to report!          In a survey conducted by Bankrate.com, the State of Illinois was reported to rank #26 in results measuring mortgage "Closing Costs", … (12 comments)

Feeling Financial and Credit Stress? Return to Good Health Following These Suggestions ... - 08/07/11 05:55 PM
      Statistics told us, that prior to Christmas of last year, Americans were doing a pretty good job of decreasing their debt, especially on credit cards, plus they were in a savings mode too.        But according to statistics recently released by the Federal Reserve, revolving debt (mostly credit cards) is up 5.1%. It is the biggest increase seen in this type of debt in over 3 years.       That isn't completely bad news, as it signals a loosening of credit to some extent, a return to spending to some degree, and a return to marketing by retailers/businesses. More are actively … (39 comments)

Help ME Help YOU! The Importance of Current and Correct Information ... - 08/04/11 02:01 PM
 
     Just like when housecleaning, I need to attack the "dust bunnies and fritzels" in my databases once in awhile.  Clean 'em up, dust them off, freshen them, and then move them around to new and more current listings.  
     The act of doing this periodically helps me in a multitude of ways.  It serves to re-acquaint and freshen my memory regarding my contacts.  It spurs me to reach out, educate, inform, confirm, solidify, and freshen the relationships I have forged.  It also energizes me.  All good in my book!
     The act of database "housecleaning" also serves to alert me to the fact that I may … (2 comments)

Sometimes the Message IS Obvious and the Time to Buy IS Right ... - 08/02/11 09:34 PM
 
     In a recent blog, "My Best Summer Crop?  Potential Home Buyers with Newly-Approvable Credit", I wrote ...
     "So while some others, perhaps more immediately credit-worthy future home buyers, were eyeing-up the market ... playing the waiting game ... hoping that prices would drop further ... playing Russian-roulette with interest rates ... these "near miss" buying hopefuls were making pro-active strides to get their credit spruced-up and raise their credit scores".        Fence-sitting potential home buyers.  Is that you?        Fence-sitting potential home buyers.  If you're a real estate professional, do you recognize the description and have a few … (6 comments)

The BEST Summer Crop? Potential Home Buyers with Newly-APPROVABLE Credit! - 08/01/11 02:58 PM
 
                          My best Summer crop?  It's Also Good News!                  Potential Home Buyers with Newly-Approvable Credit ...          While going over my databases this last weekend, I unearthed exciting news not only for myself, but for my referral partners too.  I've been tracking the progress of many clients that were in a specific category of potential home buyer ... that being the "near miss" credit category.      What's a "near miss"?      When they first contacted me for mortgage information, these potential homeowners were close to being able to buy a home. They were on the target for loan-approvable credit, but just not a … (15 comments)

 

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