These are the Hottest Houseware Trends of 2019 directly from the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago. Which ones will you take home? As we walked the halls of the 2019 International Home and Housewares Show at McCormick Place earlier this month, we were surprised by how much hasn’t changed. Yes, we know this [...]
My neighbor's tree fell on my house - who pays for the damage? If it was due to natural causes, you may be footing the bill. Q: When I was reading your recent article on homeowners insurance, I thought I’d share what I was surprised to learn something last year. My son's neighbor's tree fell [...]
Q: We bought our current home six months ago but the pre-sale marketing photos and information are still available on many real estate sites, along with the final sale price. Is there any way to have those photos and information pulled down either by us or by the seller’s real estate agent? What Information About [...]
Is the condo board responsible for enforcing association rules? You’d expect your HOA to maintain the rules, but what happens when they make special arrangements for a new owner? Q: What is the condominium board's responsibility for enforcing our condo homeowner’s association's rules/regulations? For example, our association limits the number of dogs to no more [...]
Why are property taxes calculated differently by each town? This is a complicated question but boils down to what type of taxation approach your town decides to employ. Q: I live in a state where property taxes are calculated differently by each town. My question is why is the calculation a three-step approach rather than [...]
Can you sell your home if it’s held in a living trust? It all depends on how you set up the trust and what happened with the quitclaim deed. Q: In 2012, I set up a living trust, and at that time signed a quitclaim deed to my house and property over to my daughter. [...]
What type of homeowners insurance policy should I get? The answer depends on how much coverage you think you may need and the premium you’re willing to pay. Q: I read your recent column on insurance coverage. In the past, I had three house fires that I had to deal with. None of these fires [...]
An experienced insurance agent’s take on home insurance coverage raises questions on how much insurance companies raise rates and how often you should shop for coverage. We recently wrote a column on home insurance and how much coverage an insurance company may require a homeowner to have. We received several comments from readers that we’ll [...]
With the surge of residential real estate development in Chicago, is now the perfect time to buy? There are a few things you have to understand about the market before making the decision. Q: With all the residential development going on in Chicago for the near future, and the many high rises downtown going up, [...]
Will the home warranty company cover defective smoke detectors? You should call the home warranty company and ask but here are some other options to replace defective smoke detectors. Q: I bought a house last year and had it remodeled. I have a home warranty plan. The smoke detectors in my home were very old [...]
