Great article from the Elmhurst Press about how rain gardens on your lot can help prevent Elmhurst-wide flooding in the future. I couldn’t agree more on the idea! Now, what’s a fair way to implement it?
Interesting calculations on how big a rain garden you need to compensate for your roof side.
What the heck is PITITUM???! PITI is a common mortgage term and stands for Principal, Interest, Taxes & Insurance. But I have started advising homeowners to get on the PITITUM bandwagon and get a more realistic handle on their budget, and what they can afford…
PITITUM = Principal + Interest + Taxes + Insurance + Transportation + Utilities + Maintenance
I [...]
The Wall Street Journal reported this weekend that home sales are looking down in May. The federal home buyer tax credit expired on April 30th. This is consistent with what I am seeing in the market. I am expecting a big drop in pending home sales for May and June. Disappointed?, yes. Surprised?, no.
Much like [...]
When I work with potential sellers I always go over what I call the “Moving Van” slide. Too often, sellers size up who they think it their competition – homes with a “for sale” sign. But I tell them, you don’t want to study those guys. Instead study the families who had a moving van [...]
On Earth Day, April 22nd, a new Federal law goes into effect requiring lead paint-safety precautions on most remodeling jobs for properties built before 1978. If this is the first time you are hearing about this, you are probably not alone. Many are grumbling about the EPA and their lack of publicity for the effort. So what does [...]
York Township recently completed hearings on tax assessment appeals for the current tax cycle. The next appeal cycle doesn’t open until the fall, but it’s a good time review how the appeal cycle works, and how I can help!
Before Thanksgiving the Township publishes new assessed values. Appeals are due within 30 days from the publish [...]
You know all those friends of yours who moved out to Aurora and bragged about how cheap their homes are? Well, the Center for Neighborhood Technology today released a way to look apples to apples at what it really costs you to live in any of 161,000 neighborhoods! The new study defines “affordability” from the standpoint of [...]
C’mon…admit it. Your current home is feeling a little cramped, you’re sure you want to stay in award-winning Sandburg school district and you’d buy…if you didn’t have to sell. So why sell? Why not trade-up instead? The seller at 400 S. Washington in Elmhurst will entertain offers that include a trade for your smaller home in Hawthorne or [...]
v2.0 of the detailed feature sheet for 250 N. Myrtle in Elmhurst was released today! A special green home deserves a special green marketing plan. And the website www.250NMyrtle.wordpress.com does just that. The site reduces paper-based marketing for Myrtle by 94%!
The improved site offers easier access to photos, videos and product links. It also provides one-click [...]
250 N. Myrtle is staged, with a great new price. The elegant home was carefully designed and finished to provide upscale and healthy living in a home that can actually cut your utility bills! The new price will be $788,500 and details and web updates will appear throughout the week. Besides the trend towards greener [...]