Midwest Braces for the Worst Snowstorm this Season. Are You Prepared? - 01/31/11 04:43 PM
A "Blizzard Watch" is now in affect for the Chicagoland area with an accumulation of snow expected anywhere from 12 to 20 inches! The storm which is expected to start up on Tuesday evening will have the heaviest snowfall occurring during overnight Tuesday through 9:00 AM Wednesday morning.
Are you and your loved ones prepared?  You never know what to expect when snow paralyzes a city, town or village so it's best to take precautions before the initial storm begins.

Here is a list of things that you might want to check off in order to be safe and well … (0 comments)

Are Today's Home Buyers Suffering from MPS? - 01/25/11 10:37 AM
Literally translated MPS is a syndrome that shows up anytime and anywhere without warning.  It sets off a ripple effect much like throwing a pebble into a body of water.  It showed up in my life back in the late 1980s when my "wasband" (former husband) and I were getting ready to buy our first investment property.  We were happy and delighted with our decision and eagerly waiting for our real estate agent to go over some details before we set out looking at the properties he had selected for us. (We were living in Maryland at that time and I … (2 comments)

7 Homeowner Tax Advantages (and Yes, It's That Time of Year Again)! - 01/24/11 01:26 PM
Note from Linda:  This article was written last winter but it's contents are worth the read today.  So grab a cup of coffee, tea or hot coco, get comfortable and have a good read!
When you're evaluating how much home you can afford, make sure you factor in the tax advantages of homeownership.
Owning your home not only allows you to build wealth through appreciation, but it can also reduce the amount of income tax you pay every year.
Here are seven tax benefits for homeowners.
1. Homebuyer tax creditsIf you purchase your first home before April 30, 2010, you're entitled … (0 comments)

Oswego Illinois Real Estate Market Overview for December 2010 - 01/20/11 06:05 PM
If you live in Oswego or if you are thinking about making this great city your home, you might want to keep up-to-date on what's going on in the real estate market.  Are you looking for current information?  Are you looking to sell your home and can't decide whether this is the right time for you and your family?  Have you thought about purchasing a home but need more information?  Then this is the site for you! You will find helpful statistics that will open your eyes to the reality of what's sold and what is selling.

I have included some … (0 comments)

Lisle Illinois Real Estate Market Overview for December 2010 - 01/20/11 05:59 PM
If you live in Lisle or if you are thinking about making this great city your home, you might want to keep up-to-date on what's going on in the real estate market.  Are you looking for current information?  Are you looking to sell your home and can't decide whether this is the right time for you and your family?  Have you thought about purchasing a home but need more information?  Then this is the site for you! You will find helpful statistics that will open your eyes to the reality of what's sold and what is selling.
I have included some … (0 comments)

Bolingbrook Illinois Real Estate Market Overview for December 2010 - 01/19/11 01:21 PM
If you live in Bolingbrook or if you are thinking about making this great city your home, you might want to keep up-to-date on what's going on in the real estate market.  Are you looking for current information?  Are you looking to sell your home and can't decide whether this is the right time for you and your family?  Have you thought about purchasing a home but need more information?  Then this is the site for you! You will find helpful statistics that will open your eyes to the reality of what's sold and what is selling.
I have included some great … (0 comments)

Plainfield Illinois Real Estate Market Overview for December 2010 - 01/19/11 01:12 PM
If you live in Plainfield or if you are thinking about making this great city your home, you might want to keep up-to-date on what's going on in the real estate market.  Are you looking for current information?  Are you looking to sell your home and can't decide whether this is the right time for you and your family?  Have you thought about purchasing a home but need more information?  Then this is the site for you!  You will find helpful statistics that will open your eyes to the reality of what's sold and what is selling.
I have included some great … (0 comments)

Aurora Illinois Real Estate Market Overview for December 2010 - 01/18/11 06:04 PM
If you live in Aurora or if you are thinking about making this great city your home, you might want to keep up-to-date on what's going on in the real estate market.  Are you looking for current information?  Are you looking to sell your home and can't decide whether this is the right time for you and your family?  Have you thought about purchasing a home but need more information?  Then this is the site for you!  Then this is the site for you! You will find helpful statistics that will open your eyes to the reality of what's sold and … (0 comments)

Naperville Illinois Real Estate Market Overview for December 2010 - 01/18/11 05:55 PM
If you live in Naperville or if you are thinking about making this great city your home, you might want to keep up-to-date on what's going on in the real estate market.  Are you looking for current information?  Are you looking to sell your home and can't decide whether this is the right time for you and your family?  Have you thought about purchasing a home but need more information?  Then this is the site for you!  Then this is the site for you! You will find helpful statistics that will open your eyes to the reality of what's sold and … (0 comments)

A Financial Plan for Your Home - 01/17/11 09:43 PM
Your home is probably the biggest investment you'll ever make. Create a financial plan that takes into account repairs, upgrades, mortgages, insurance, and taxes.
You probably already have a financial plan for yourself in place. Most likely you sat down with an adviser at some point to set up a budget and diversify your investments. Or maybe you did it yourself online or at the dining room table.
But what about your home specifically, probably the biggest investment you'll ever make? Did you really take everything into account: repairs and upgrades, the mortgage, insurance, and taxes? Probably not.
You need a … (3 comments)

January 2011 Housing Trends eNewsletters Hot Off the Press! - 01/11/11 04:04 PM
Welcome to the most current Housing Trends eNewsletter. This eNewsletter is specially designed for you, with national and local housing information that you may find useful whether you're in the market for a home, thinking about selling your home, or just interested in homeowner issues in general.

Here is just a preview of what to expect in the January 2011 edition of the Housing Trends eNewsletter!
The Housing Trends eNewsletter contains the latest information from the National Association of REALTORS®, the U.S. Census Bureau and Realtor.org reports, videos, key market indicators and real estate sales statistics, a video message by … (0 comments)

5 Reasons for a Mortgage Refinance Other Than Lowering Your Payment - 01/10/11 09:20 AM
There's more to a mortgage refinance than lowering your monthly payments.
1. Change your mortgage termIf you decrease the term of your mortgage in a refinance by going from a 30-year to a 15-year, you'll pay a lower interest rate and shorten your total interest costs. You'll build home equity more quickly, and pay off your loan sooner, even though your monthly payments go up.
2. Move from an adjustable rate to a fixed rateARMs offer low introductory rates, but they also offer long periods of uncertainty that make it hard to budget. It makes sense in a mortgage refinance to … (2 comments)

Habitat for Humanity® ReStore Opens in Fox Valley - 01/05/11 06:44 PM
Most people across the country have heard of or been involved with Habitat for Humanity®.  Habitat for Humanity is a Christian ministry which believes strongly that every man, woman and child regardless of race, color or social status deserve safe and affordable housing.  They provide low-cost housing to families here in the United States and abroad regardless of their religious beliefs, if any at all. 
Habitat for Humanity now encompasses many youth and volunteer programs; including disaster relief wherever possible.  You can visit their website for more information at:  http://www.habitat.org/how/default.aspx.
The concept of ReStore was created to help generate funds to … (0 comments)

New Naperville Laws in Effect January 1, 2011! Do You Know What They Are? - 01/04/11 12:37 PM
A big thank you to the people over at Naperville Patch for keeping us in the loop.  If you live or work in Naperville, shop in Naperville, eat or ive in the Naperville area then you will want take a look at the laws in store for all of us starting the first of the year.  Here are some of the items that are covered:  "Sexting," and K2 or spice (AKA synthetic marijuana). 

This great article also covered many other new laws including state employee pensions and new retirement age, changes on how police departments issue tickets using red-light camera … (2 comments)

Tax Tips for Homeowners Looking Ahead to 2010 Returns - 01/03/11 12:14 PM
Although this article was written in February 2010, I thought it was worth repeating even though 2010 has already come to a close.  There might just be some tax benefits information included in its contents that consumers might not otherwise take advantage of.  It also contains great information if you own vacation property.  Either way, this article is worth a second printing.  Linda
From energy tax credits to vacation home deductions, check out these tax tips for homeowners looking ahead to 2010 returns.
Claim remaining energy tax creditsIt's time to get cracking if you didn't exhaust your full allotment of residential energy … (3 comments)