Real Estate
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On homes and real estate: Lenders disclose different interest ratesOct 08, 2011 12:00 am - Q. I notice how many mortgage companies mention an interest rate and then an APR a bit higher. How is this annual percentage rate calculated? Is it simple or is it a...
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Buyers of new homes have many decisions to makeOct 07, 2011 11:00 am - A new house isn't a home until buyers select the finishing touches and make it their own. To ease the process, builders offer a variety of upgrade options that buyers ch...
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Super Handyman: Be safe when working with wiringOct 07, 2011 1:30 am - Electrical connections need to be made in a secure way so they will not fail or become a fire hazard. There are a variety of methods one can use, but some may work bette...
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Home inspector: Neighborhood nuisance was never disclosedOct 07, 2011 12:00 am - Q. Our home inspector was a gem and saved us a lot of money by finding defects that should have been disclosed by the sellers. But now we’ve realized a problem that ...
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The nation's housing: Green becoming a better betOct 07, 2011 12:00 am - WASHINGTON — Here's some good news for homeowners who've gone green and installed energy-saving features but haven't been sure whether appraisers will credit them with h...
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About Real Estate: Inspection contingency gives buyers leverage for needed repairsOct 07, 2011 12:00 am - Making a proposed purchase subject to a satisfactory inspection report provides a buyer with several options if the inspector then finds undisclosed problems. ...
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Two Palatine housing developments back on trackOct 06, 2011 12:00 am - While new home construction largely remains at a standstill, a couple of developments could indicate an upswing in Palatine's market. Lennar Homes this week received cou...
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Builder prefers home renovations that are better for environmentOct 02, 2011 6:00 am - Don't tell Brandon Weiss that renovating older structures into energy-efficient homes is expensive. He has the statistics to prove you wrong. Welcome to Illinois' first ...
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Refinancing? You need to understand appraisalsOct 02, 2011 5:00 am - NEW YORK — Mortgage rates are tantalizingly low. But for some homeowners, the opportunity to refinance could be scuttled by an appraisal. The process isn’t an exact scie...
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The Sensible Home: Backup electric power optionsOct 02, 2011 12:30 am - Q. We had two electric power outages from storms lately. It was very inconvenient, so I must find some type of backup electric power. What are my options that are no...