March 2007 
There are 6 blog entries for March 2007.
Chicago Cop Beats Up Petite Woman
Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 at 2:49pm. 550 Views, 0 Comments.
Sometimes you see something that gets you so enraged you just have to vent. I could not believe the violent attack made by a burly and drunken off-duty Chicago police officer on a petite female bartender. She must be a tough cookie because the video shows her getting pushed around violently, punched and kicked. I was surprised to see her actually get up to run to the phone.
I was also surprised that the couple of males that you could see on the video didn't step in. It sounds like they were screaming at the cop but they were obviously too afraid to hold him back. They watched as the beating went on.
Supposedly, the beating started because the bartender was doing her duty by refusing to serve the intoxicated cop more liquor. This
…Chicago Real Estate Transfer Tax
Tuesday, March 13th, 2007 at 8:13pm. 3976 Views, 1 Comments.
My prior post about earnest money was in response to the many "hits" I've received on my website in response to search queries being made. Another popular search question lately has been about real estate transfer taxes.
The state of Illinois has a transfer tax usually paid by sellers of $.50 per every $500.00 of the sales price. The Cook County transfer tax is $.25 per every $500.00 and is paid by the seller. Will County is the same as Cook County and although either party can pay it is usualy charged to the seller. For a list of transfer taxes in all counties click here. These fees are taken care of out of the seller's proceeds at closing.
Some towns also have their own transfer taxes. Some are paid by the buyer, some by the
…Average Earnest Money Amount
Thursday, March 8th, 2007 at 12:20am. 865 Views, 0 Comments.
There are some great tools for webmasters to check what web surfers are really searching for. With the busy spring 
season for real estate ahead of us, it seems like buyers and sellers are wondering what constitutes a low earnest money amount or if there is an average for Chicago Illinois.
Because Chicago, the suburbs and Cook County are so large there are really no earnest money rules. The southwest Chicago suburbs still get contracts with earnest money as low as $1,000. This is usually for purchases in the $100,000's. Once a buyer purchases a more expensive property, the expected earnest money is higher.
In Chicago's downtown and surrounding area I was surprised to find out that the average Chicago earnest money percent was around ten
…Popular Real Estate States for Baby Boomer's Second Homes
Tuesday, March 6th, 2007 at 10:04pm. 424 Views, 0 Comments.
Moving to Florida? Here's Some Tips
Moving to the "Sunshine State" is a dream come true for many retirees, families and singles. With tropical weather in most parts of this giant peninsula, and miles of sandy beaches, it's easy to daydream a new life in Paradise. As the fourth most populous state, the dream is a reality for more than 16 million residents. If you're wondering how to pick out your dream property in Florida, here's a few tips to keep in mind.
1. Be sure to research the different areas of Florida Real Estate to make sure you are selecting a development or town that has the atmosphere you are looking for. Miami life is completely different than life in Pensacola, which is more like a southern town. Gulf Coast towns and cities are
…Illinois Transfer Tax Increase Proposal
Monday, March 5th, 2007 at 3:48pm. 411 Views, 0 Comments.
The vote to increase real estate transfer taxes in Illinois will be held on Wednesday, March 7th, 2007. It is bill SB 445 and proposes almost a $99,000,000 increase with some of the extra money going towards affordable housing, open space and natural areas.
At first sight, many homeowners might not feel the impact of this proposed bill. The reason is that because the increase changes depending on the sales price of the property as shown below:
- Properties sold $500,000 or under would actually decrease from $1.00 per thousand to $.80 per thousand. For those many property owners falling into this group, they would probably welcome the break. Not much of a break at a savings of $100 for a $500,000 property.
- A property sold at a price over
Cook County Real Estate Taxes Due
Thursday, March 1st, 2007 at 9:43am. 1062 Views, 0 Comments.
Today is the due date for Cook County real estate taxes so don't forget to pay them if you handle this outside of your mortgage payment. If you think your taxes are too high, don't give the county more money in late fees.
Here's an interesting story that happened to me. I purchased a Hometown duplex in 1987. I remember seeing the words "sold in 1987" on the tax bill, I think towards the top of the bill. Since I purchased the home that year, I didn't think anything of it. I ended up selling that home in about 3 years and my lawyer said I was lucky I didn't hold onto it longer. It had been sold for back taxes the year I purchased it! My mortgage company was paying to the wrong pin number. They did correct everything and paid all the penalties
…