The Economy
We Made the Offer - He Made Up His Mind - Trying to Buy a Chicago Condo
My clients asked me what to expect as we submitted our offer to buy a Chicago condo. But there’s no way I figured a seller would act like a petulant child and simply cancel his listing. I guess he wasn’t serious about selling his condo for what current market conditions indicate it is now worth. Oh well, my clients and I have other pieces of the Chicago real estate pie to consider.
Candy in the morning does not a breakfast make…
“Candy,” was the first word Jackson uttered this morning, remembering the gift bag from last night. And thus Chicago real estate expert Tom McCarey compares his two-year-old’s selective memory to aspects of the Chicago real estate market - from the seller to the buyer to the financial side of things. The best thing to do is oversee “selective memory” that is too shortsighted.
The Big Truth about Jumbo Loans in Chicago Real Estate Market
“Chicago isn’t considered a “high cost” real estate market? Tell that to home buyers looking in any of the neighborhoods where I concentrate my business,” says Chicago real estate professional Tom McCarey. HUD didn’t classify Chicago as “high cost,” costing the city and its home buyers the opportunity to have access to more jumbo loan providers. The result? Higher interest rates and fewer options.
How Long Has this Been on the Market?
Half a dozen of one, six of the other.
That might be the subtitle for the merging together of half of a box of a dozen frozen fish sticks found by an Ohio woman last week.
But instead of tossing the x-shaped trio on the frying pan, Victoria Landis tossed them on ebay where their Easter week appearance [...]
Hope Defines Me - Meeting Barack on a Sunday Afternoon
Lucas turned one last week. And the change is colossal.
He always was a bright child - but now I will wake in the morning to find him transliterating speeches of the aspiring presidential candidates into both Latin and Greek. Nonplussed by criticism of some naysayers that these so-called “dead” languages are pointless, Lucas laughs and utters [...]
The Rumored Demise - Another Home Sells in Chicago
The Chicago real estate market today? I can’t help but think of Mark Twain’s quote, “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
Yesterday my clients finalized negotiations of an offer for their home in West Town. Listed in the upper six figures, this residence attracted the prospective buyers back for three showings before they made [...]
The Tossing of Nader’s Hat - Things Relevant & Irrelevant in Chicago
Ralph Nader Sunday left the wintry hole that I think he shares with Puxatawny Phil somewhere in the Pennsylvanian hinterland. Upon emerging he saw his shadow and evidently that proved to be the deciding factor as he declared his intention to throw his hat into the presidential ring. All 157 of his supporters across the [...]
Debate # 19 - Looking for Hope on the tv in Chicago
My mind is made up. It has been for quite a while. But nonetheless I tuned into CNN tonight to watch the Democratic hopefuls square off as a prelude to the very important primaries next week in Texas and Ohio.
At the end of the night I don’t know that either of the candidates won. But by [...]
Will the Federal Tax Rebate Have an Impact?
I read the news today, oh boy…
And with the dulcet tones of the boys from Liverpool serving as a backdrop, I’d like to draw your attention to the plan to stimulate the economy adopted yesterday by Congress and to be signed by President George Bush next week.
Evidently 137 million Americans, give or take a few [...]
Real Estate Tax Increase - Chicago’s Elected Leaders Railroad Higher Surcharge
Selling your home just got a bit more expensive in Chicago.
The 50-member city council acquiesced to Mayor Richard Daley’s faulty logic and pressure from the goof balls in Springfield as they voted to increase the Chicago Real Estate Transfer Tax by $3 (from $7.50 per $1,000 to $10.50).
Before you dismiss this hike as simply a [...]
