Chitownproperty

Editor’s note: This post was my daily entry today at Chicagoist. I’m not normally this lazy, but I cross-posted it here because it seemed especially relevant to our clients
Still waiting for that $100 refund from Peoples Energy? Yeah, so are we. And it seems that we’ll be waiting a little longer [...]

A quick rundown of this past weekend’s local real estate news sections:

Ever wonder how builders can work through all that snow? Contractors don’t slow down during winter months, but they do have to take special precautions to make sure concrete and masonry cures properly.
The cost of living in college dorms has risen so high [...]

A state law intended to curb predatory lending practices is set to go in effect Jan. 1, but some of its restrictions are causing confusion among lenders. The law seeks to lower the foreclosure rate in Cook County by tracking loans made in neighborhoods with high rates of defaulted loans. As it stands, [...]

The state of Illinois requires both mortgage brokerages and its individual employees to be licensed and registered with the state to prevent predatory lending. The state has also enacted strict laws prohibiting abusive lending practices. You can check the registration status of your mortgage broker by checking a web site run by the Illinois [...]

Illinois Gov. Blagojevich wants the Illinois Commerce Commission to demand that People’s Gas refund its customers $118 million, as recommended by the ICC two months ago. The refund is part of a settlement over alleged overcharging by People’s Gas in the winter of 2000-2001. The refund would come out to about $118 per [...]

Remember that scary story about how a Congressional commission recommended taking away tax breaks for mortgage interest and local property taxes? Well don’t get too scared yet. Illinois Rep. Jerry Weller (R), says he and six other Republicans have enough support to kill the proposal if it ever comes up for debate.

Chicago city officials have admitted that thousands of people overpaid their portion of the 50/50 Sidewalk improvement program, in which the city and resident were supposed to split the cost of sidewalk repairs. Senior citizens were supposed to get an even larger break from the city and pay just 25% of the costs. [...]