A Place For Mom - a Great Resource for Seniors and their Families - 06/27/12 05:34 PM
 
     About a decade ago, my wife and I took part in a search for an Assisted-Living facility for my mother-in-law.  Mom had reached a point in her life where she just was no longer capable of taking care of herself physically within her own home. 
     Thankfully, after doing a mega-search, my oldest brother-in-law found a  wonderful facility  close to him in  Lombard  that soon became the new home for mom through the remaining days of her life.  And also ... thankfully ... my wife's family were single-minded in what direction to go with their mother.  It made a very emotional … (8 comments)

Naperville's Edward Hospital Offers New Travel Medicine Clinic - 06/26/12 08:05 AM
 
 
Naperville's Edward Hospital Offers New Travel Medicine Clinic                      Considering a trip out of the States to some international destination?  It's likely that you will need mandatory immunizations to enter that country.          The new  Edward Hospital Travel Medicine Clinic,  located in the Edward Occupational Health Clinic on the main floor near the Emergency Department of Edward Hospital, .can provide you the necessary vaccines for your travel.         It is recommended that all appointments for consultations and immunizations be conducted at the Clinic at minimum 6 weeks out from your travel … (2 comments)

The Benefits of Practicing "Appreciative Listening" - 06/25/12 10:26 AM
 
 
The Benefits of Practicing "Appreciative Listening"                   Do you practice ... "Appreciative Listening"?           "Appreciative Listening" was defined by Eleanor Blayney, co-founder of consulting company Directions for Women  and consumer advocate for the national Certified Financial Planner Board in a June 22nd,  Chicago Tribune  article,as:     "Full and careful attention to what the speaker is saying, their body language, etc.  Or it can refer to an organizational process where you solve problems not by focusing on what is wrong or broken ... but on what is working."        In other … (32 comments)

Commonwealth Edison Now Has 2-Way Text Messaging Capability With Customers Regarding Power Outages - 06/22/12 07:40 PM
 
 
Commonwealth Edison Now Has 2-Way Text Messaging Capabilities With Customers Regarding Power Outages                 If you're like me, you walked into your  Lockport, IL   home after work the other day and found that you had lost electrical power to your property at some point earlier in the day.        All the tell-tale signs were there.  Clocks needed to be re-set and things were blinking all over the place.  With the heat being in the mid-90's that day, I felt we were very lucky ... the electricity had already come back on.  And the A/C … (7 comments)

Well kept secret: VA Program that help Veterans and surviving Spouses - 06/21/12 11:20 AM
 
     This post by  Gwynn Teal Carpenter - Home and Hearth Realty, Austin, TX   ...  was so timely for me.  As I mentioned to Gwynn in my comment to her post, I have an aunt that is presently considering a move into an Assisted Living facility.  Her husband, now passed, was a WWII veteran and she would most certainly benefit from having the knowledge contained within Gwynn's post. 
     My mother is also a widow of a veteran, and although not considering a change in residence or circumstance at the present time ... you never know what the future … (6 comments)

"Hiring our Heroes" Job Fair to be Held July 26th @ College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL - 06/20/12 02:53 PM
 
 
"Hiring our Heroes" Job Fair to be Held July 26th, at College of Du Page in Glen Ellyn, IL                It was rather ironic that I read  two particular articles from today's news back to back.  The first was entitled,  "Veterans Return From War to Find Jobs Gone".             The second article was regarding the upcoming "Hiring our Heroes" Job Fair being held at the  College of Du Page  in  Glen Ellyn, IL.  The Job Fair, and the Pre-Job Fair Workshops also being offered, are aimed at helping our veterans returning from war … (12 comments)

Chicago and Chicagoland is HOTTTTT!! How and Where to Stay Cool, Healthy, and Safe in Extreme Hot Weather - 06/19/12 12:07 PM
 
 
Chicago and Chicagoland
is HOTTTTT!!
How and Where to Stay Cool, Healthy,
and Safe in Extreme Hot Weather
 
 
 
 
     Chicago's best-known weatherman,  Tom Skilling,  says Chicago and all of Chicagoland are on a "hot streak".   And there's no doubting it.
 
     Summer is arriving this year with a real fury ... bringing intense heat, scorching temperatures, and strong winds.   The sun's rays are as direct as they can be here in our region, and hitting as far north as they will get at any point during the year. 

     In other … (7 comments)

Enjoy Mid-Summer Nights @ NAPER Settlement. Naper Nights: Community Concert Series - 06/19/12 06:19 AM
 
 
Enjoy Mid-Summer Nights at NAPER Settlement ... Naper Nights: Community Concert Series            There is nothing that makes a beautiful summer night even more enjoyable than ...  
   
   
   
Great Music!                And  NAPER Settlement,  located in Naperville, IL  will once again be the place to head to hear the great sounds of summer, starting on June 22nd and continuing through August 25th, 2012.          The  Naper Nights: Community Concert Series  Entertainment Schedule for 2012 is:         Friday, June 22   American English   Hailed … (0 comments)

"Happy Father's Day" to the 2 men I love and admire most - 06/16/12 07:43 AM
 
 
"Happy Father's Day" to the 2 men I love and admire most                 Father's Day is this Sunday.  And I know that most will take the opportunity to honor their fathers, whether still alive or passed.        I want to do that as well ... as I was blessed when it came to fathers.  Not just once, with my own father, Ken Mundt ... but twice, as I was lucky enough to have had a wonderful father-in-law too, Fred Richards.       Each man was everything a father should be.   Loving, understanding, … (8 comments)

Enjoy Naperville's Ribfest June 29th thru July 3rd - 06/13/12 08:29 PM
 
 
Enjoy Naperville's Ribfest, June 29th thru July 3rd                           Naperville's Ribfest is back bigger and better this year on June 29th through July 3rd in Knoch Park.             Tickets are available for purchase online ... for admission and events both.  (NO tickets are available for purchase Jewel this year.)  NO refunds will be given.  Children 11 and under are FREE, every day, when accompanying a paying adult.               Ribfest is presented by the  Exchange Club of Naperville, in cooperation with the  City … (11 comments)

Know Your Terminology Regarding Mortgage Lenders. It's Very Important! - 06/12/12 02:24 PM
 
Know Your Terminology Regarding Mortgage Lenders. It's Very Important!              I've offered multiple posts about the importance of being familiar with frequently-used  mortgage terminology  prior to entering your mortgage processing.       With all the real estate and financing terminology or slang that can pop-up during a real estate transaction, it's just best to be prepared and educated about what you'll be hearing.  It's truly for your own benefit.        Over the last few years,  I have found that one piece of terminology, used frequently, is often incorrectly utilized by both professionals and clients alike.  That … (44 comments)

Donating Your Unused Items in Chicago & Chicagoland is Easy to Do with Donationtown.org - 06/08/12 02:22 PM
 
 
Donating Your Unused Items in Chicago & Chicagoland is Easy to Do With Donationtown.org                  When selling your home in Chicago or Chicagoland,  Home Stagers  and real estate professionals will tell you ... decluttering, then organizing your home prior to placing it on the market, is the #1 way you can impress the potential Buyer's coming to view your home.  Cluttered homes just don't sell well.        Summer also provides a great opportunity to clean-out the clutter that's accumulated in your home.       Kids closets and bedrooms that are full of outgrown … (9 comments)

Death and Credit: Some Things You Should Know - 06/06/12 08:05 AM
 
Death and Credit: Some Things You Should Know           Yesterday, I saw an infomercial starring  Joan Rivers  and her daughter, Melissa.  The aging comedian was confronting a difficult, often uncomfortable topic head-on  ...  that of death.  HER death.   Melissa was having a very hard time speaking of this topic with her mother ... even covering her ears at one point.       Now there can be debate about whether Joan Rivers is funny or not ...  but with this particular presentation, I thought she did a great job.       Even broaching the topic of death can … (4 comments)

FAQ ~ How Much Will I Make From Selling My House? Seller's Net Sheet - 06/05/12 12:38 PM
 
Mona Gersky, MoonDancer Realty, Western North Carolina, offered this great information within her post a couple of days ago ... and I just HAD to re-blog for my readers and clients' benefit.
Mona Gersky, MoonDancer Realty, is obviously a very thorough representative and advocate for her home sellers (and buyers).  This Seller's Net Sheet she provides her clients contains valuable information regarding offers for their home, ultimately making their decision-making much easier. 
I hope anyone in the Western North Carolina area (including Sylva, Bryson City, Cullowhee, Webster, Whittier, Waynesville, Dillsboro, NC) contact Mona Gersky of MoonDancer Realty when thinking … (5 comments)

Spreading Gossip ... One Person at a Time - 06/04/12 12:08 PM
 
 
Spreading Gossip, One Person at a Time                Yesterday, I wrote a blog entitled,  "Renters Growing More Optimistic About Buying ... "Here Comes the Sun".   It told of the growing confidence that Americans are once-again increasingly showing in becoming home owners.  The American Dream is still alive.        On one of the forums in which I  posted  this blog, many of those commenting stated that they just didn't think that potential home buyers knew of all the mortgage program options that exist for home buying currently ... especially those mortgage programs that exist … (49 comments)

Renters Grow More Optimistic About Home Buying: "Here Comes the Sun" - 06/03/12 05:08 PM
 
 
Renters Grow More Optimistic About
Home Buying ... "Here Comes the Sun"
 
 

 
 
      I just thought this song perfectly set the tone for my post's message today. Always a favorite song (and performer) of mine too.
          I feel, what better than the line ... "it's been a long, cold, lonely winter", to correctly describe exactly what the housing market has been suffering through these last few years??           But the timely, good news now being reported more and more often is this:  Many housing markets across the U.S. are … (14 comments)

Darien Direct Connect June 1 2012 - 06/03/12 09:10 AM
 
This post from  Joe Kenny, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Hinsdale, IL,  regarding the latest news and city services for  Darien, IL  is amazingly full of timely facts and information for those living and conducting business within that city.  It also provides proof that a local government can be a strong advocate on the behalf of its residents while also providing valuable services that influence the quality of their lives. 
Anyone that knows Joe Kenny will tell you that he's a strong advocate for the residents in the City of Darien, as well as all their surrounding neighbors too.  Joe's always offering support and assistance to those … (0 comments)

 

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