Articles filed under Real Estate

• Super handyman: Protecting your home from water damage May 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  We get a lot of questions about problems that often are caused by drainage issues around the outside of your home. So many times, you can do a little inexpensive advance work and prevent a lot of costly damage to your home. Here is some advice.
  

   

• Home inspector: new homebuyer afraid of gas appliances May 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. As a first-time homebuyer, I'm worried about gas appliances. All the houses I've looked at have gas stoves, gas water heaters, and gas furnaces. The house I'm renting has all-electric appliances. I've heard lots of horror stories about safety problems with natural gas — everything from fires to explosions. Are gas appliances safe, or should I stick with electrical ones?
  

   

• How to make a home relocation easier on pets May 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  Many buyers and sellers who struck deals at the start of the prime spring home-buying season are now ready to move. The two-thirds of those who have pets have special concerns.
  

   

• The rise of ‘pocket listings’ may be costly to sellers May 10, 2013 12:00 AM
  How hot is hot when it comes to housing markets across the country right now? Crazy hot: There are growing numbers of houses that sell even before they formally hit the market — sold through a controversial technique known as "pocket listings."
  

   

• Choosing the right pot to grow herbs May 9, 2013 12:00 AM
  A 14-inch-diameter pot is the optimal size for a collection of herbs — large enough to do the job without becoming a major production in weight, cost and soil volume.
  

   
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  Home builders need workers to keep up with demand May 9, 2013 12:00 AM
  The resurgent U.S. housing market has sent builders calling again for Richard Vap, who owns a drywall installation company. Vap would love to help. And he would — if he could hire enough qualified people. “There is a shortage of manpower,” says Vap, owner of South Valley Drywall in Littleton, Colo. “We're probably only hiring about 75 or 80 percent of what we actually need.”
  

   
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  Record profit signals healthier Fannie Mae May 9, 2013 12:00 AM
  Fannie Mae said something Thursday that would have been unthinkable a few years ago: It earned a record $58.7 billion profit in the January-March quarter.
  

   
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  Ask the plumber: New kitchen sparks ‘Battle of the Bowls’ May 5, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. We're going to remodel our outdated kitchen and plan to install a cast-iron kitchen sink. I want a single-bowl sink that will be open and large for me to work in. My husband wants a double-bowl sink. He says it will be better for the garbage disposer and, later on, for resale value. Can you help us solve this disagreement?
  

   

• Pair of old furnaces should be replaced soon May 5, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I have two 23-year-old, 100,000 BTU Carrier natural gas furnaces heating my 2,900-square-foot two-story home in the Chicago area. A few years ago, a service tech said furnace No. 2 has a small crack in the heat exchanger and needed to be monitored for carbon monoxide leakage.
  

   
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  Garden walls can come alive with ‘living pictures’ May 4, 2013 12:00 AM
  Looking for a fresh way to liven up your garden walls? Think plants, not paintings. Living pictures — cuttings of assorted succulents woven together in everything from picture frames to pallet boxes — have caught on among garden designers and landscapers this spring as an easy, modern way to add color and texture to an outdoor space.
  

   

• What to ask when selecting a real estate agent May 4, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. We are going to sell our condo this spring and intend to follow your advice and interview three realtors. We are not sure what probing questions to ask. Can you please advise us?
  

   

• Despite new rules, borrowers still vulnerable to discrimination May 4, 2013 12:00 AM
  In an effort to eliminate discriminatory pricing of home mortgage loans, the federal government now imposes a raft of regulations on how mortgage brokers can price loans and charge for their services. The new rules have not eliminated discriminatory pricing, but they probably have raised mortgage broker fees.
  

   

• New home’s high real estate taxes seem too high May 3, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. My husband and I recently closed on our first home. We are very excited but are concerned about our real estate taxes. They seem very high. How can we check to see if we are where we should be and what can we do to reduce our taxes if they are too high?
  

   

• Super handyman: Service AC unit before the weather heats up May 3, 2013 12:00 AM
  Chances are you probably haven't fired up the old air conditioning just yet, but you really should. It's a good idea to test it before you really need it. But before you try it, you should do a little light maintenance first. This could head off any problems that are likely to show up at the beginning of the season. If you don't want to do it yourself, find a reputable air conditioning serviceperson to do them for you.
  

   

• The nation’s housing: Some zero-down successes May 3, 2013 12:00 AM
  WASHINGTON — Who says lenders need to charge you a cash down payment when you take out a mortgage in this era of hyper-strict underwriting?
  

   

• Finishing a basement or attic may require building permit May 3, 2013 12:00 AM
  Simply painting or paneling a basement or attic usually doesn't require the building department's permission, but upgrading the electrical system or adding plumbing is an entirely different matter.
  

   
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  Will new-look Freedom Plaza earn Naperville's approval? May 3, 2013 12:00 AM
  A once-controversial development proposal will soon find its way back before Naperville City Council members, but without one major component. A new plan for Freedom Plaza has surfaced that would add a hotel, conference center and restaurants to Naperville's north side. Missing from the plan is the CRL Riverwalk Manor Alzheimer's assisted-living facility, once called the "linchpin" to the whole development.
  

   
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  U.S. rate on 15-year mortgage at record 2.56 pct. May 2, 2013 12:00 AM
  The average U.S. rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage fell to a new record low last week, and the rate on the 30-year fixed loan declined. Cheaper mortgages have encouraged more home-buying and refinancing.
  

   

• Home inspector: Tenant gets bedroom with no window May 2, 2013 12:00 AM
  Q. I just rented a bedroom in a 5-bedroom apartment. I initially put down a deposit for one of the larger bedrooms, one that had windows. But when I moved in, the only bedroom that hadn't been rented was the one with no window. I don't want to live there, but I can't afford to lose my deposit. Is it legal for someone to rent a room with no window?
  

   
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  Attorney: New Carol Stream Library board legitimate May 2, 2013 12:00 AM
  The Carol Stream Public Library's attorney said Thursday night the five elected trustees sworn in Wednesday are indeed properly seated members of the board of trustees. The 3-page written legal opinion by Stewart Diamond of the Ancel Glink law firm brings to resolution a pending legal question that left direction and oversight of the library in limbo for 24 hours.