Home and Garden
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Recent questions in my mailbox about mortgage shoppingApr 28, 2018 6:00 am - Q. How many price quotes should I get in refinancing my mortgage? A. As many valid quotes as possible. Two or three valid ones help, 10 phony ones are worthless, or wors...
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First-time buyers dig deep and find old real estate bookApr 28, 2018 6:00 am - Q. Is there a way for us to access your recent article on financing for first-time homeowners? We enjoy your column and thank you for any information you can provide. A....
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The friends and family planApr 27, 2018 7:00 am - Not sure where to find a worthy agent? Ask comrades and kin for referrals, say the experts. "Word-of-mouth is far more powerful than a handful of Zillow reviews," says R...
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Why your real estate agent is the MVP of your home-buying teamApr 27, 2018 7:00 am - In basketball, every position on your starting five plays a major role. Your point guard sets up the offense. Your center serves as a pivot and low post threat. And your...
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'iBuyer' internet model expanding for quicker sale of homesApr 27, 2018 6:00 am - WASHINGTON - It's the oldest fix-and-flip pitch in American real estate: "We'll buy your home, guaranteed, no matter what its condition, and we'll pay you quick cash wit...
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Maintaining smoke detectors in rental unitsApr 27, 2018 6:00 am - Q. As the owner of a twelve-unit apartment building, I encourage my tenants to maintain the batteries in their smoke alarms. But when apartments become vacant, I often f...
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How to succeed as a first-time buyer in a seller's marketApr 27, 2018 6:00 am - You've been saving like a diligent squirrel gathering nuts for the winter. You're fairly confident your financials will land you a low fixed interest rate on a mortgage....
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Mundelein students help plant tree for Arbor DayApr 27, 2018 1:00 am - To make Arbor Day more exciting, Mundelein village arborist Adam Schmidt let the Washington Early Learning Center second grade students decide which trees to plant at th...
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Kane County Master Gardeners set 2018 help desk hoursApr 26, 2018 11:00 pm - The real spring weather will be on its way, which means it is time for the 2018 Kane County Master Gardener Help Desk. Each year, trained University of Illinois Extensio...
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Wet spring could bring more ants — here's how to fight themApr 26, 2018 5:30 am - The Chicago suburbs have seen plenty of precipitation this spring, and that's a good thing for lawns and gardens. But it could also mean trouble with ants. Ant colonies...