Move UP to Naperville Blog #2

American Home Mortgage, a New York based lender, is broke. No money. And, it didn't fund its scheduled closings Monday or today. Reminds me of Sun Mortgage back in the '80's. They were advertising and funding loans at "low" rates...somewhere between 8 and 10 percent (that was low!). Comes an end...

You just have to wonder about our government at times.According to Sandra Braunstein, the Federal Reserve's director of consumer affairs, THE FED is writing rules to regulate prepayment penalties, escrow accounts and stated-income loans she reported this past week.D'uh? So, if I may inquire: What...

The old bromide: "I know it when I see it" is so apt when we talk about curb appeal.   So, what things can you do to get 'curb appeal?'   First, if your front lawn is brown and filled with weeds many buyers will not venture into the house. If you're still living in the home pay those higher water...

We've always purchased a home with a front porch. That's been a requirement. And, at first, I just didn't 'get it.'Now...I love my front porch!And here's where I go to read the morning paper with my first cuppa, before the day gets hectic or overwhelming, before the temperature gets too hot and h...

Naperville Single Family July, 2007  Stats As of  7/25/2007: Number of Active listings: 1343 Average list price: $675,709 Average days on market: 160The breakdown: There are 261   3 bedroom homes on the market;  average price: $404,252.      Market time: 128 daysThere are 900 4 bedroom homes on t...

While Harry Potter may be able to see the future, the CEO of Countrywide Mortgage, Angelo Mozilo, has cracked his crystal ball. He "thinks" that  the housing market will improve in 2009, as there is still too much inventory out there according to a report on TheStreet.com.   So at last, we're get...

The DuPage Opera Theatre, under the direction of Kirk Muspratt, (Little Orphan Annie's brother) and staged by Michael La Tour, presented an outstanding performance of La Boheme composed by Giacomo Puccini well over a hundred years ago.It's a love story. Boy meets Girl. They fall in love. Girl die...

Today was the perfect summer day...sunny with a cool breeze. Just perfect.And my eldest came over (with the girls) to take pictures of my garden. Shawna is http://www.thecasualgardner.com/ and she's had an interest in flowers for years. She used to paint them. Now she writes about them and is mak...

I just read an article that the next "hot button" for upscale homes will be a wine cellar.And, that's probably correct...as I recall seeing really nice rooms fitted out for storing wine in new construction homes and recently built homes. Some of these rooms would make a restaurant envious. Temper...

Ok...even we Muggles know that Friday is the BIG day. The last of the Harry books will be released.And, movie Number 5 just came out. It's fast-moving and has a darker tone throughout the film. And has a villian you'll love to hate who could be an advertisement for VS's PINK campaign. Just pictur...