Articles filed under Real Estate

• Lovely old lamps can be dangerousApr 4, 2014 12:00 AM
  An old lamp may look beautiful, but it can be dangerous. Rewiring it to make it safer is fairly easy in most cases. Here is how to do it, and a few extra tips you can try, too:
  

   
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  Luxurious bathroom is this decade’s ‘it’ roomMar 31, 2014 12:00 AM
  Bathrooms have gone quite literally from an unmentionable to the most visited and celebrated room in some homes.
  

   

• Snowbirds leave condos chillyMar 29, 2014 12:00 AM
  Q. Many of our unit owners in our condominium association spend winters in Florida or Arizona. Each unit is served by its own HVAC system, and a lot of these snowbirds turn the heat off in their unit while away.
  

   
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  How to finance home constructionMar 29, 2014 12:00 AM
  If building a custom home or making an addition to your existing home is in your future, spend time on due diligence. Checking out your builder’s suppliers and know as exactly as possible what amenities you want to include before you take out a construction loan, advises John Callahan, senior vice president of Cornerstone National Bank and Trust in Palatine.
  

   
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  Contracts to buy U.S. homes fell in FebruaryMar 28, 2014 12:00 AM
  The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes fell for the eighth straight month in February, a sign of slow real estate sales over the next few months. The National Association of Realtors says its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index dropped 0.8 percent to 93.9.
  

   

• Make your glass cooktop shine againMar 28, 2014 12:00 AM
  Glass cooktops are very popular. When you first get them, they look sleek, shiny and very nice. But over time, they can lose their shine and get a buildup of burned food on them that is hard to clean off.
  

   

• Telltale signs that a roof is going kaputMar 28, 2014 12:00 AM
  No homeowner wants to pay to repair a worn-out roof, but fixing the problem now could save thousands of dollars later. Here is a telltale sign you may have a problem.
  

   

• An FHA retreat, with one hitchMar 28, 2014 12:00 AM
  Can you be charged interest on your mortgage even after you’ve fully paid it off? Can the meter keep running when you owe the bank nothing — your principal balance is zero?
  

   

• Debate over bedroom closets continues Mar 28, 2014 12:00 AM
  Q. In a recent article, you stated that a closet is not required in a bedroom. This was incorrect. As an ex-chief Appraiser for FHA, any bedroom without a closet is not considered a bedroom.
  

   
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  Home improvement tips learned the hard wayMar 26, 2014 12:00 AM
  ‘Tis the season for home improvement projects, and weekend warriors will soon be visiting home supply retailers to buy everything from paint to plywood. There are many advantages to making home improvements on your own, including the opportunity to test your mettle at projects big and small.
  

   
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  Sealing a driveway will extend its lifeMar 25, 2014 12:00 AM
  Installing an asphalt or a concrete driveway can be an expensive undertaking. To preserve the fresh, new look of the driveway, have the driveway sealed and then routinely seal it to keep it looking pristine.
  

   
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  Rosemont building demolitions could clear way for new retailersMar 24, 2014 12:00 AM
  Rosemont is planning to demolish four remaining buildings in a former light industrial section of town, with the prospect of redeveloping the area for retail use. In total, the village has purchased and razed about a dozen buildings over the course of the last five years south of Balmoral Avenue on both sides of Pearl Street.
  

   
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  Proportion, finishes key to balancing imaginative traditional roomsMar 23, 2014 12:00 AM
  Traditional interior design can mean a lot of different things depending on your audience. From whatever point of view you decorate your home, there are some common ground rules to be followed.
  

   

• Bathroom fans are creating a soggy mess in the atticMar 23, 2014 12:00 AM
  I have a two-story colonial built in the late 1970s in Shelburne, Vt. The two full baths upstairs have fans that just vent into the attic, which has blown insulation and a vent on each gable end.
  

   
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  Caution necessary when painting indoorsMar 22, 2014 12:00 AM
  Few people might think of potential safety hazards when planning to paint the interiors of their homes. Though every home improvement project can lead to injury if safety measures are not taken seriously, painting is widely considered a project where do-it-yourselfers are at minimal risk of injury.
  

   

• Who pays for the sewer?Mar 22, 2014 12:00 AM
  Q. I am considering the purchase of a small house. The house is not on a septic system but could hook up at a cost of $3,750. However there is also a sewer bond of $4,000 that is billed over the next 10 years at $400 per year in the tax bill. I feel that I should receive a credit at closing of $4,000
  

   

• Unmarried couples buying a house together may also be buying troubleMar 22, 2014 12:00 AM
  More and more couples, both mixed and same-sex, are electing to live together without getting married, and often this includes purchasing a home together. This is a major decision fraught with potential consequences if and when they decide to split.
  

   

• Don’t ignore legal requests by associationMar 22, 2014 12:00 AM
  Our association’s new management company has requested a copy of the lease if the home is being rented. Our home is being rented, but there is no lease.
  

   
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  Obama signs relief from flood insurance hikeMar 21, 2014 12:00 AM
  The new law caps flood insurance premium increases at 18 percent a year in most cases.
  

   
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  Move on to a better youMar 21, 2014 12:00 AM
  Most people hate the thought of moving — ugh! Items accumulated over years make moving seem an almost impossible and treacherous task. On the positive side, this is the time to take control and stock of what you have and need.