Chicago North/Northwest Suburban Real Estate Blog by Allyson Hoffman

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How to Look for the Most Affordable Mortgage

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES With lenders quoting a wide variety of interest rates and points, smart mortgage shoppers take a close look when comparing borrowing costs. Sometimes it turns out that the lowest interest rate isn’t necessarily the best buy. Here are some tips: Compare borrowing costs. Count the points. The simplest way to compare borrowing costs is to ask the lender for the actual annual percentage rate (APR) – the true interest on the loan. The APR consists of the simple interest rate, plus all other charges imposed by the lender. It’s not at all unusual for the APR to be substantially higher than the rate quoted by the lender. What’s more, a simple rate quoted by one lender, although higher than another lender’s advertised simple interest rate, may turn out to have the lower APR. For the shopper who wants to take into account the cost of points (each point is equal to 1% of the loan amount), an simplified ..(read more)

Mortgage Workouts, Tax-Free for Many Homeowners

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES There is now tax relief for struggling homeowners. If your mortgage debt is partly or entirely forgiven during 2007, 2008 or 2009 you may be able to claim special tax relief by filling out Form 982 and attaching it to your federal income tax return for that year. Normally, debt forgiveness results in taxable income. But under the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, you may be able to exclude from tax up to $2 million of debt forgiven on your principal residence. The limit is $1 million for a married person filing a separate return. Debt reduced through mortgage restructuring, as well as mortgage debt forgiven in connection with a foreclosure, may qualify for this relief. The debt must have been used to buy, build or substantially improve your principal residence and must have been secured by that residence. Debt used to refinance qualifying debt is also eligible for the exclusion, but only up to the amount of the old ..(read more)

Summer Tips for Your Home

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES It's that time of year when we have our air conditioners running and windows open to help make our homes a little bit more bearable during these warm summer months. As a result of trying to battle the extreme heat we tend to forget what we have heard, and learned about being energy efficient.

Here are a few summer tips for your home that will help keep you on track with an energy efficient plan.

For Outside
Longer days mean we don't need out outdoor lighting as much. Adjust your outdoor lighting timers accordingly and you'll save money and extend bulb life.

Try solar-powered outdoor lighting or garden lighting as an alternative. They are energy-efficient, inexpensive, safe and very easy to install.

Electric mowers are a recommended alternative to gas mowers as the electric models tend to pollute less and are much quieter.

..(read more)

Happy Fourth of July North Shore Chicago Suburbs - Events & Activities 2008

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES
Wishing you and your families a Happy Fourth of July.

Everyone is gearing up to spend time with family and friends this holiday weekend so grab your flags and head to one of the many events being held this year in the North Shore Chicago Suburbs.

Below are events, activities and fireworks display times in Deerfield, Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Northbrook, Northfield, Winnetka, and Skokie.

Deerfield
Deerfield Family Days
Date: Thursday, July 3 – Friday, July 4
Location: Thursday – Brickyards Park. Saturday – Jewett Park Community Center
Time: 5 p.m Thursday, 7:30 a.m. Friday Activities:
Friday – Pancake Breakfast, Parade, Arts and Crafts Show, Rides, Games, Dog Show, Petting Zoo and Ponies!
Evanston Fourth of July Parade & Fireworks
Date: Friday, July 4
Location: Central Street ..(read more)

Top Insider Secrets to Preparing Your House For Showing

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES Presentation is everything. Home buyers are attracted to clean, spacious and attractive houses. Your goal is to dazzle buyers. Brighten up the house and remove all clutter from counter tops, tables and rooms. Clean the house from top to bottom and make it sparkle. Simple aesthetic improvements such as trimming trees, planting flowers, fixing broken tiles, cleaning rugs and carpets and even repainting a faded room will greatly enhance the appeal of your house. Also make sure your house smells good. Clean out the cat box and light some mildly scented candles. Invite a trusted friend or neighbour to walk through your house as a buyer would, and get their opinion. In preparing your private property for sale, consider: • how much should I spend? • exterior and curb appeal • preparing the interior How much should I spend? In preparing your home for the market, spend as little money as possible. Buyers will be impressed by ..(read more)

Selling Your Home: 10 Tips for Choosing a Real Estate Agent

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES Before you sell, it's a good idea to interview at least two or three different real estate agents. Meet with them individually, and handle each meeting as if you were conducting a job interview (selling your home is an important job, after all!). This checklist will help you evaluate and compare the agents you meet: 1 --Professional Once you've established the basics (licensing status, etc.), look for other indications that the agent will handle your home sale professionally. Does he or she belong to any local real estate organizations? In Manhattan, for example, The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) tracks credentials and continuing education of its members, and provides many valuable resources for members, sellers, and home purchasers. What sort of training did the sales agent receive? You'll find that this may range from the minimum required for licensing, to a full-time company training program of six weeks or more. Also ask if ..(read more)

Buying a New Home: 10 Reasons to Use a Real Estate Agent

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES Why, then, should a buyer enlist the services of a real estate agent? Here are ten reasons that I think make a lot of sense. After reading them, see if you agree: 1 -- Experience Purchasing a new home may well be the largest expenditure that you ever make. So it simply makes good business sense to enlist all the help you can get. A seasoned real estate agent has completed more real estate transactions already this year than you'll likely make in your lifetime. That adds up to a whole lot of knowledge and experience. Experience that can help navigate you safely and securely through every aspect of the buying process. 2 -- Knows the Market A real estate agent will know what's happening in a particular area, or neighborhood, and help you decide if a home you find is a good value. Once you find a property that interests you, your agent will show you "comps" (comparable properties) of similar homes that have sold recently, as ..(read more)

Happy Father's Day

Today's Featured Properties Happy Father's Day A Dad is a person
who is loving and kind,
And often he knows
what you have on your mind.
He's someone who listens,
suggests, and defends.
A dad can be one
of your very best friends!
He's proud of your triumphs,
but when things go wrong,
A dad can be patient
and helpful and strong
In all that you do,
a dad's love plays a part.
There's always a place for him
deep in your heart.
And each year that passes,
you're even more glad,
More grateful and proud
just to call him your dad!
Thank you, Dad...
for listening and caring,
for giving and sharing,
but, especially, for just being you!
Happy Father's Day
Poem found at http://www.indianchild.com/fathers_day_poems.htm

Going Green At Home - A Home Recycling Plan

Everyday we hear of new reports and statistics regarding climate change and global warming. These reports indicate how imperative it is that we all do our part to help preserve this fragile planet we live on. Not everyone knows what they can do, or how to start.

The easiest place to start would be at home. Listed below are few simple things that all homeowners can do to kick start a home recycling plan. Don't feel like you have to do everything at once, unless you want to, which would be great. Implementing a home recycling program will change some of the current processes in your home, but it shouldn't take long to get use to these new ways of doing things and change your habits.

Curbside or Drop-off Recycling
According to Earth 911, curbside recycling is offered to half the U.S. population which provides homeowners a convenient way to recycle a variety of different materials such as, plastic, paper, aluminum cans, glass bottles and ..(read more)

Managing Asthma In the Home

TODAY'S FEATURES PROPERTIES Dust mites Mold Pollens Pets
Improving and maintaining good indoor air quality is key in asthma management and limiting the presence of irritants in the air in your home. Below are a few steps you can take to improve air quality in your home as found in the article Creating an Asthma-Safe Home by KidsHealth.

Improving Air Quality
Don’t allow smoking in your home. Quit or smoke outside. Use unscented or non-aerosol varieties of household cleaning products. Verify that all your gas appliances are properly vented outside. Run air conditioning when pollen or mold counts are high or when there are ozone or pollution warnings. Change air conditioning filter regularly. Reducing the Presence of Dust Mites Vacuum and dust regularly. Avoid the use of feather or down pillows or comforters. Wash your children’s bedding in hot ..(read more)

Chicago's North Shore Farmers' Markets

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES
It's that time of year when we all love the summer smells. the beauty of the trees and flowers in bloom and shopping for that perfect fruit or vegetable at the local farmers' market. The farmers' markets are preparing to open for the season and below is a list of a few great local markets to find the sweet tastes and smells of summer.

Evanston Farmer’s Market - Opens May 17th

When: Saturdays
Time: 7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: University Pl. and Oak Ave.

Highland Park Farmer’s Market - Opens June 6th

When: Fridays
Time: 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Port Clinton Square, 600 Central Ave.

Northfield Farmer’s Market - Opens June 7th

When: Saturdays
Time: 7:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Location: Happ Rd., across from New Trier’s freshman campus.
(read more)

The Best Gas Prices In Your Area

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES If you're trying to cut your gas expense, this site my help.
Just enter your zip code in the site below and it tells you which gas stations have the lowest and the highest gas prices in your zip code. It will even give you a map to show where they are. http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx

Happy Mother's Day

Growing up we have all had our mother's scold us or give us advice, that at the time may have not meant too much to us. Whether we like to admit it or not, those little pieces of advice and information have stuck with us and without a doubt had an impact on us as we grew up.

Below are a few phrases I am sure you heard as a kid, and may even have used them on your own children. It isn't until we are grown adults, that we realize that Mom was only saying these things out of love and concern for us.

Money does not grow on trees. Always change your underwear; you never know when you'll have an accident. What if everyone jumped off a bridge? Would you do it, too? Don't make that face or it'll freeze in that position. If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. Don't put that in your mouth; you don't know where it's been! Be careful what you wish for, it might come ..(read more)

Spring and Summer Cleaning Your Garage

TODAY'S FEATURED PROPERTIES It is the time of year when we all like to do a little Spring cleaning to ready ourselves for a beautiful summer. Most of us spend our time cleaning and organizing the inside of our homes, but does that extend to our garages?

Garages are a great place to store all those products, or household hazardous waste, we don't want inside our house. These products may include (and are not limited to) automotive fluids, paint and lawn care products.

Now is the time to spring clean and rid your garage of these household hazardous waste (HHW) products and, where available, replace them with more environmentally friendly products.

Motor Oil can be disposed of at dealerships or vehicle repair shops.

Fertilizer for lawn care can be replace with certified organic products. Ask your local garden center for any certified organic products they may carry.

Pesticides can be disposed of by ..(read more)