Friday, May 30, 2014

Fall in love, get married, buy a house.

On  May 27, 2014, Anne Miller of realtor.com  published an article titled " How Couples Can Buy a First Home Without Coming Unhitched" I found it interesting, so I decided to pass on the information. Her article states in part:

A home purchase can be one of the biggest decisions a couple makes, aside from getting married and having kids. You two will have to make a lot of choices, and differences will crop up. Learning to prioritize will help keep the home waters calm while you make this investment in your future. Here’s what to think about:

What You Want: She wants outdoor space for cookouts, he needs a quiet home office. Start your lists before looking and you will save precious time.

What You Don’t Want: Look around your current digs. What drives you nuts? Figuring out your biggest current peeves can identify your priorities.

Wants vs. Needs: The home office may be a deal breaker but is the cookout space really needed? Finding the perfect home with every tiny detail you both long for may be a fantasy. Take another look at that want list and decide what you can compromise on?

Budget: You will need to save for a down payment. Plus, you will have to factor in taxes, utilities and upkeep, not to mention new furnishings. What can you afford? How much debt are each of you comfortable with holding? How much are you willing to compromise on your bottom line? You two might have different answers. Better to reach an agreement now than face a surprising disagreement in the middle of negotiations with a seller. Or, even worse, surprises after you buy that you can’t afford.

Be realistic: The five-bedroom stunner in the best school district in town might bust your budget, but your hypothetical future children makes it a good investment, right? Not so fast. Those kids could still be years away, but your finances, and the time it takes to keep up such a large house are daily realities right now. A home investment for the future does not mean mortgaging the present, and you may not be able to predict what you will really need five or 10 years down the road.

Prepare to compromise: With your spouse, and with some aspect of your new home, be ready to give in to other perspectives and realities. Most of us have limits, and being able to find the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood for the ideal price might prove unrealistic. Understanding that you will likely need to compromise

Once you decide to purchase a home, Bradford Miller Law, P.C. can help you with your transaction at a very reasonable rate. Our experienced Real Estate Attorneys have been representing real estate clients for several years now and have earned membership in the Better Business Bureau. Please feel free to visit our website for information about our firm and information about buying a home. To discuss your pending or potential real estate transaction call us at 312-238-9298 for a Free 15-minute consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago leases, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago real estate closings, Chicago building code violations, Short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Chicago-area home prices are up

Good news if you are selling your property and with the low interest rates, it is also a good time for buyers.

Mary Ellen Podmolik, of the Chicago Tribune reported this morning that March home prices in the Chicago area were 11.5 percent higher than a year ago, the best annualized performance for the local housing market since December 1988, according to a widely watched home price index.

She reported that the monthly S&P/Case-Shiller home price index, released Tuesday, also showed that Chicago-area home prices rose 0.7 percent from February to March, reversing five consecutive months of declines. Also, condominium values in the Chicago area also recovered in March after four months of decreases. Prices rose 1.8 percent from February and were up 18.3 percent from March 2013.

Once you decide to sell or purchase a home, Bradford Miller Law can help you with your transaction at a very reasonable rate. Our experienced Real Estate Attorneys have been representing real estate clients for several years now and have earned membership in the Better Business Bureau. Please feel free to visit our website  for information about our firm and information about buying or selling a home. To discuss your pending or potential real estate transaction call us at 312-238-9298 for a Free 15-minute consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago leases, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago real estate closings, Chicago building code violations, Short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Mortgage rates near seven-month lows

Buying  property? If you want to save money on interest rates, now is the time to lock in low rates.

Mary Ellen Podmolik of the Chicago Tribune reported this morning that average fixed mortgage interest rates fell for the fourth straight week, edging closer to the 4 percent mark. She found that the average rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage was 4.14 percent this week, compared with 4.20 percent last week and 3.59 percent in the same week a year ago, according to Freddie Mac's rate survey. It was the lowest rate recorded in the agency's weekly survey since Oct. 31. Meanwhile, a 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage carried an average rate of 3.25 percent this week. That compared with 3.29 percent last week and 2.77 percent a year ago. She states that a greater-than-expected slip in the nation's industrial productivity in April, following two months of gains helped drive down rates this week.

Whether you are a first time buyer, seller, or a seasoned real estate investor we can handle your transaction in a smooth, efficient manner at a very reasonable rate. Our office is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. Being downtown we are close to many major title companies and have a firm ongoing relationship with them. Our knowledgeable attorneys are in tune with the market, emerging trends, evolving financing options and the strategies that best serve our clients' interests.

To discuss your pending or potential real estate transaction call us at 312-238-9298 for a Free 15-minute consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago leases, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago real estate closings, Chicago building code violations, Short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Lower priced homeowners are still struggling with 45% underwater on mortgages

On May 20, 2014, Mary Ellen Podmolik of the Chicago Tribune reported  that  fewer Chicago-area homeowners were underwater on mortgages, but those in lower-priced homes were still struggling with 45% of them being underwater. She states that more homeowners with mortgages are recovering equity in their homes that was lost during the housing crisis, but the low end of the local housing market remains in bad shape.

She stated that almost 45 percent of Chicago-area  homeowners with homes valued at less than $103,800 were underwater on their mortgages at the end of March, owing more on the loans than the current value of the property. Meanwhile, among homes valued at more than $330,800, only 13 percent of those with mortgages were underwater. Another 28 percent of mortgaged homes with values between $103,800 and $330,800 were underwater.

"The unfortunate reality is that housing markets look to be swimming with underwater borrowers for years to come," said Stan Humphries, Zillow's chief economist. "It's hard to overstate just how much of a drag on the housing market negative equity really is, especially at the lower end of the market."

Bradford Miller Law, P.C. can  help you get back on track. You have options and we at Bradford Miller Law can provide you with information about the Short Sale process. This option is not as damaging to a person's credit as a foreclosure or bankruptcy. We can can help you make an informed decision and legally guide you through the short sale process. Give us a call at (312) 238-9298 for a free 15-minute consultation. Our office has experience handling short sales in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
134 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298

http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago residential real estate attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago eviction attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planing Lawyer, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago building code violations, Chicago real estate attorney fees. This is intended to be advertising. Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.


Thursday, May 15, 2014

Some home prices almost back to peak

Dennis Rodkin of Chicago Real Estate Daily reported on April 29, 2014, that if you bought a house in the Chicago Lincoln Park neighborhood as the residential market was peaking in 2007, you just might be able to sell it this year for the price you paid, maybe even more.

He states that an index of single-family home prices in the 60614 zip code in the affluent North Side neighborhood was just 2.5 percent shy of its 2007 high water mark by the end of 2013, according to new data from CoreLogic Inc., an Irvine, Calif.-based firm that calculates the Case-Shiller home price index. Lincoln Park, Bucktown and Lakeview and the Near North Side led the list of zip codes in the Chicago area where prices are approaching their boom-era levels. The news about the broader Chicago-area market is good, too. In 2013, for the first time in seven years, prices rose  in all 235 Chicago-area zip codes that CoreLogic tracks.

Once you decide to sell or purchase a home, Bradford Miller Law can help you with your transaction at a very reasonable rate. Our experienced Real Estate Attorneys have been representing real estate clients for several years now and have earned membership in the Better Business Bureau. Please feel free to visit our website  for information about our firm and information about buying or selling a home. To discuss your pending or potential real estate transaction call us at 312-238-9298 for a Free 15-minute consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago leases, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago real estate closings, Chicago building code violations, Short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Over 50 million last year alone!

Bradford Miller Law helped our clients buy and sell real estate totaling over 50 million dollars last year alone! We wish to take this opportunity to thank our clients for their continued business and also for their confidence to refer their friends and families to us for their real estate transactions.

The legal team at Bradford Miller Law, P.C., is known to many in Chicago and its suburbs as a premier resource for matters across the spectrum of Illinois real estate law. Our attorneys' outstanding credentials and wide-ranging knowledge are invaluable assets for clients.

Whether you are a first time buyer, seller, or a seasoned real estate investor we can handle your transaction in a smooth, efficient manner at a very reasonable rate.

Our office is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. Being downtown we are close to many major title companies and have a firm ongoing relationship with them. Our knowledgeable attorneys are in tune with the market, emerging trends, evolving financing options and the strategies that best serve our clients' interests.

To discuss your pending or potential real estate transaction call us at 312-238-9298 for a Free 15-minute consultation.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298
http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago leases, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago real estate closings, Chicago building code violations, Short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Thank you for your Yelp reviews

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my clients for their great reviews of our law firm on Yelp. All the reviews were positive and I was happy to see that Bradford Miller Law, P.C., was given a 5 star rating from everyone. This is a huge accomplishment in my eyes. Once again thank you.

To see the reviews, visit our website at http://www.bradfordmillerlaw.com/ and simply click on the Yelp icon in the upper left corner or go directly to Yelp's website at http://www.yelp.com/biz/bradford-miller-law-pc-chicago

Our office is located on LaSalle Street in the heart of downtown Chicago, near many major title companies' offices. We accomplish as much as possible for our clients by telephone and electronic communications to minimize demands on their valuable time. To discuss your pending or potential real estate transaction, your ongoing legal needs as a property owner or landlord, or your estate planning concerns, call us at 312-238-9298 for a free 15-minute consultation.

Our website also has testimonials from our clients and professional peers. I encourage you to read them to learn more about our approach.

Posted by Bradford Miller Law, P.C.
Practicing in Real Estate Law, Landlord Tenant Law, and Estate Planning
134 N. LaSalle, Suite 1040
Chicago, IL 60602
312-238-9298

Offering free legal representation to homeowners seeking a short sale

Key words: Chicago short sale attorney, Chicago landlord tenant law attorney, Chicago estate planning attorney, Estate Planning Lawyer, Chicago leases, Chicago real estate attorney, Chicago real estate lawyer, Chicago real estate closings, Chicago building code violations, short sale attorney Chicago. This is intended to be advertising.  Please consult with an attorney before acting on any information given here.