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Every Italian student starts by speaking only in the present tense — that is, about what is happening in the “here and now.”  But what if we want to refer back to an event that has happened in the recent past, such as this morning, yesterday, or last year?  Well, then, will have to learn how to form the passato prossimo past tense! The passato prossimo translates into English as the present perfect tense and the simple past tense; in effect, when we learn this one type of past tense in Italian, we can substitute it for two types of …

It’s an exciting time when you’re starting the home-buying process. One of the big questions most buyers ask at this point is, “How much do I need for a down payment?” There are a handful of options to choose from. Options for first-time homebuyers vary from state to state and it’s always good to check with a licensed mortgage broker. People who have owned homes before and are looking to relocate are still able to qualify for an FHA loan with a down payment as little as 3.5 percent of the purchase price. However, for this type of loan, the …

This is definitely that time of year when winter has dragged on for too long and we’re anxiously awaiting spring. It’s also a time when we can look back on what’s taken place over the winter and ahead to what might be coming up. First and foremost is the celebrated publishing of my book, which is a compilation of the best of 10 years of my column: “Petals from Roseland: Fond Memories of Chicago’s Roseland, Pullman and Kensington Neighborhoods.” The book was in print by mid-December and became an instant hit as a Christmas gift around the world. I can …

January 20, 2020, marks the 100th birthday of Fellini. To celebrate the event, Cinecittà will present him with a gift, Felliniana – Ferretti dreams of Fellini. The exhibit is housed in Cinecittà studios within the historic “Palazzina Fellini.” The work bears the signature of Dante Ferretti, the Oscar-winning scenographer who for Fellini was one of the magical architects of his visions, an artist-craftsman capable of giving shape to his dreams, and Francesca Lo Schiavo, a close associate of Ferretti, and an internationally acclaimed scenographer and set decorator. The exhibition offers full immersion into Fellini’s imagination as well as the dreamlike …

On any given day, the most commonly talked about activity is where one is going. We make plans, we go, we return, we talk about our activities along the way, and then we talk about where we went once again at the end of the day! To talk about where one has to go on a certain day seems easy at first. We learn about the Italian verb “to go,” which is andare, in every beginning course in Italian.  The Italian verb andare is a bit tricky to use, though, so let’s go through a few pointers. The first thing …

The Chicago Catholic has been reporting a lot lately that the Chicago Archdiocese is going through many changes, and we know that it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future due to the ever-changing demographics of Chicago and its suburbs. Parishes are being closed or consolidated a couple of times a year, sparking valiant rescue efforts by the affected parishioners. Roseland’s St. Anthony of Padua Parish has not been affected or mentioned in these announcements. Many Roselandites have wondered whether our St. Anthony’s has closed. These are usually former residents who haven’t been back to Roseland in 40 …

Has your property been on the market for what seems like forever? Many different factors can keep a home from selling, not the least of them being the asking price. More often than not, though, there are one or two reasons that your home is still on the market. Does your property have gorgeous hardwood floors that have been covered by that old pink carpet for 30 years? Remember in this business first impressions means everything! If a potential buyer does not like what they see in the photos, they will never come visit your home in person. My suggestion …

The Fed lowered rates three times the second half of 2019 trying to avert a potential slowdown in the economy. So far, they’ve done a good job. At the end of 2019, the unemployment rate stood at 3.5 percent and all three equity indices stood at near or all-time highs. Mortgage rates stood at near historic lows with the 30-year at 3.5 to 3.875, the 20-year at 3.375 to 3.750 and the 15-year at 3.125 to 3.375. Where are mortgage rates headed from here? According to economists from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, mortgage rates should slightly trend down in …

Talking about the concept of email in Italian is tricky.  For one thing, the word “email” is an English abbreviation for “electronic mail,” and this abbreviation is not easily translated into Italian. For another thing, the way English speakers and Italians talk about email has evolved with each technological advancement in communication, and will probably continue to change in the future.  We may find that the terms we use in this blog today have been abandoned for different terms tomorrow! But, let’s try anyway to talk about email the way Italians do — at least for now and hopefully into the …

One of the downsides of selling an investment property is the capital gains tax that the IRS requires you to pay. But the IRS also provides you with an out know as the 1031 exchange. This method allows you to defer capital gains tax liability when selling an investment property by purchasing another like-kind property with the profit gained by the sale of the first. There are guidelines that must be followed and conditions that must be met in order to qualify, and that process starts with filling out the necessary paperwork providing information about the properties you’re looking to …