The Best Shortcut Streets in Chicago

           Living in Chicago, we all know the expressways are everything but express!!! Sometimes getting on the e-way will cause you to lose time, as opposed to street routes.  As a realtor in the city, I know Chicago like the back of my hand and I have found a few hidden shortcuts that I would like to share:

·        Loomis St. to Roosevelt Rd. [1400W, 1200S] (North to South)

·        Roosevelt Rd. to Sacramento Ave. [1200S, 3000W] (East to West)
 
·        Sacramento Ave. to Elston Ave.-ends near Belmont Ave. {3000W,3200N] (North to South)
 
·        State St. to Roosevelt Rd. [0E/W, 1200S] (South to North)
 
·        Indiana Ave. [200E] (Quick way to get from 69^th St to 95^th St. South)

·        South Chicago Ave. at 69^th St. to 95^th  St./Torrence Ave. [400E, 9500S/2634E] (quick way to get to Indiana)

·        California Blvd. to Montrose Dr. [2800W, 4400W] (North to South)

·        Racine Ave. to 95^th St. [1200W, 9500S] (South)

·        76^thSt.-Lakefront to Damen Ave. [7600S, 2000S] (South; East to West)
 
I hope these quick routes will be useful!  Be safe and Happy driving!!!

WEEK OF 01/21/13: LOWEST DAILY 30YR FIXED MORTGAGE RATE

01/21/13- Today’s lowest 30yr fixed home mortgage rate in Chicago: 3.46%

First time home buyers: What to expect

Are you considering buying your first home? Where do you start? What do you expect?  Here are the steps of  buying your first home:

·        Contact a Mortgage Loan officer to determine your credit worthiness and maximum home purchase price; You can also contact a Realtor, who can provide a small list of reputable mortgage lenders.

·        Once you have your pre-approval letter from your lender, you can start to view homes with your Realtor.
·        When you find your dream home, you will submit an offer to purchase (with the help of your Realtor), which can be accepted or countered by the seller.
·        After all parties have agreed on pricing and terms, you now have a fully executed contract!  Within the first 5 days after acceptance of offer, you must submit the Earnest Money (usually $1,000 via Certified Funds), conduct a home inspection with a licensed Home Inspector, and have your real estate attorney review the purchase contract to amend if needed.
·        Your mortgage lender will have you submit an application for mortgage financing, where you will gather financial information such as employment info, bank statements, w-2’s, etc.  Your home mortgage lender may also ask for appraisal fees upfront, at your expense.
·        Before closing, a final walk-thru will be performed on the home to make sure it’s in the same condition when inspected and broom cleaned.
·        Closing on the home will take roughly 45 days with financing, and 14 days for Cash deals.

I hope the steps above were helpful.  Please feel free to contact me for more information.

 

Happy house hunting!!!