I heard a story from someone about a neighbor of theirs. For the sake of the story we'll just say the homeowners name is Sally. A few months after Sally moved into her new home she was out watering the front lawn. It was a nice warm day and two of her neighbors were walking by and stopped to introduce themselves. Tim and Marsha after introducing themselves told Sally how happy they were to finally see the nasty wallpaper taken down in Sally's living room. How creepy...We all may sneak a peek in our neighbors house while taking an evening walk with the dog. BUT, here's a tip...don't ever tell them or make comments on the changes they made. How nosey are your neighbors?

The wooded village of Sugar Grove, Illinois (located approximately 50 miles west of Chicago) has quite a history. Settlers stumbled upon this forested area in 1834. At the time it was an abandoned “Sin-Qua-Sip” camp (translation from the native Indian language, “Sugar Grove camp.”) In the early 1890’s, Kitty Lorah was the owner and proprietor of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, known to all the locals as the “Old Hotel.” It is said that she prepared Sunday dinners that were to die for, attracting folks from all over the region. Over time, as Sugar Grove grew and got it’s first train depot and added modern amenities like electricity, gas, water/sewer and phones, the Old Hotel was THE centralized hub for literally all of those aforementioned services. The House of Plenty was another hugely popular dining establishment and it’s still in operation today under the name of “the Fireside Grille,” located at Route 47 and Junction 30 (www.thefiresidegrillesugargrove.com).
 
Sugar Grove originally had a volunteer fire department (1942). In 1972, the village had 13 active firewomen and it was the very first department in the entire Midwest area to have active women on their fire squad.
 

(source: Illinois.gov)
For the first time in history the Illinois public can participate in the state’s budget process. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) launched www.budget.illinois.gov, a Web site that invites public feedback for shaping the state’s fiscal year 2011 budget. C.A.R. will monitor the site for real estate tax related ideas. 

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1.  On Sunday, March 14 2010 at 2 am, Spring Forward into Daylight Saving Time and move your clocks one hour ahead (aka..."lose" an hour).    2.  Check the batteries in your home smoke detectors and make sure they're working    3.  Make a photocopy of the front and back sides of all your credit cards and ID cards and keep these copies in a safe place at home, just in case your wallet or purse is ever lost or stolen. This way, you'll be able to quickly run through to make calls and cancel each card. As economy worsens, theft typically increases, so use this as a preventative measure.

On April 5, 2010, the U.S. government will implement the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program. Part of the Home Affordable Modification Program, HAFA helps homeowners who are unable to retain their home under HAMP by simplifying and streamlining the use of short sales and deeds-in-lieu of foreclosures. Homeowners must meet certain requirements to participate and incentive payments are provided to homeowners and servicers.

March is here and in Chicago that means our hopes are getting piqued for warmer days, greener scenery and an even greener Chicago River for St. Patty's Day. But did you know that March is also National Women's History Month? How are you going to celebrate?
Why not drop casually into conversation that it is women's history month? Read up a little about the women in the field you are most interested in. Love sports? Learn about women warriors in Japan. Have fervor for politics? Did you know Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to run for president in 1872? Like art? Check out Judy Chicago. Music? Learn up on Kathleen Hanna and how she changed rock. You don't have to have a pair of x chromosomes to want to enjoy and celebrate this observance, women's empowerment and strides help everyone. So save the mugs of beer and partying for later in March, and get a little cerebral with your celebrations, learning about the great women in our history as you get together with friends.

The National Association of Realtors approves applications of agents qualified
to help clients in short sale and foreclosure transactions, and less than 5% of
the licenced agents in the city of Chicago have this certification.  I am proud
to say that I am SFR Certified.  Please feel free to contact me with your real
estate questions or needs.
 
John Edfors, Realtor
SFR, CREN, CAR, IAR, NAR
SourceOne Realty
Printers Row
312-264-666 Anytime
jedfors@SourceOneRealty.com
 

 
IRS Tax Tip 2010-27
If you purchased a home in 2009 or early 2010, you may be eligible to claim the First-Time Homebuyer Credit, whether you are a first-time homebuyer or a long-time resident purchasing a new home.
Here are seven things the IRS wants you to know about claiming the credit:

Bueller? Bueller? The “Ben Rose” home on 370 Beech Street in Highland Park, IL is on the market, listed for sale. In the film, this was the home of Matthew Broderick’s friend Cameron (played by Alan Ruck). The home was featured in the unforgettable scene where the 1961 convertible 250 GT Ferrari went crashing through the glass into the ravine. A. James Speyer and David Haid were the architects of this famed North Shore property. Make the 4 bedroom, 4 bath home yours for only $1.8 million. It’s a piece of Hollywood history. Click to View Property Details http://www.sourceonerealty.com/Listings/161/07218797/IL/HIGHLAND-PARK/370-BEECH-STREET.aspx  or contact a SourceOne Realty associate today at 800-498-0967  info@SourceOneRealty.com