Real Estate
-
Do large principal payments reduce monthly payments?Sep 03, 2016 6:00 am - On home mortgages, a large payment to principal reduces the loan balance, and with it the "fully-amortizing monthly payment," or FAMP. FAMP is the level monthly payment ...
-
Market rebound strongest on lower endSep 03, 2016 6:00 am - Denise Curry of Baird & Warner Real Estate in Palatine has been selling homes and properties for a decade so she has seen a lot of ups and downs in the market. It wa...
-
A new meaning to underwater homesSep 03, 2016 5:01 am - In recent years, we have become only too familiar with the term "underwater" - meaning homes with mortgages greater than their market value. Today, that term has a more ...
-
Lease or sale of condo can remain privateSep 03, 2016 5:00 am - Q. As a townhouse owner, am I entitled to see a list of the units that are rented in my association? I am concerned that too many units are being leased in the associati...
-
Candlewick Lake in neighborhood profileSep 02, 2016 6:00 am - The Candlewick Lake community features resort-style living with amenities galore, lots of activities and the best fishing around. The gated community northeast of Rockfo...
-
Buddist-inspiried ikebana is a contemplative artSep 02, 2016 6:00 am - Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arranging. It's a tradition that goes back centuries, and its design principles are governed by specific rules and techniques. But ...
-
To understand your soil, learn to read your weedsSep 02, 2016 6:00 am - Last year, a section of our lawn was neglected, and it turned into a flower garden. Amid the tall, unmown grass appeared bright spots of orange and yellow hawkweed, whit...
-
How to finding a qualified home inspectorSep 02, 2016 5:00 am - Q. I was speaking with a home inspector last week and happened to mention your column. He said some of your articles make problems for home inspectors. This made me feel...
-
Understand the difference between decorating and stagingSep 02, 2016 5:00 am - A few weeks ago a reader wrote in with what she called a rant - an account of the "grief" she and her husband felt after their real estate broker staged their longtime h...
-
Appeal of McMansions shrinks nationwideSep 02, 2016 5:00 am - WASHINGTON - Goodbye big fat McMansions. Your boom time is over. Hello townhouses and smaller homes - you're where the action is headed. Reversing years of ballooning ho...