Columns

I’m in St. Paul, Minn., at an annual family reunion and I’m partly prepared but not 100 percent. I knew about this year’s family reunion year ago, so I had plenty of time to prepare for it. Or so I thought! There are a lot of genealogy issues you need to work on before leaving town for a big reunion such as the one I am at. You should plan to make time to visit the family, both during the larger reunion party, and if possible, before or after to get more one-on-one time with specific relatives that you need …

As summer winds down, we recall the events we’ve attended throughout the season. We’ve celebrated everything from baptisms, communions and confirmations to graduations and class reunions to picnics with family, friends and neighbors. All of these events constitute a “best use of summer” kind of life. We Midwesterners so look forward to summertime that you’re hard-pressed to find us at home. This month’s column salutes these best-use-of-summer events and the togetherness and camaraderie they bring. St. Anthony’s always signals the start of summer with its communion and confirmation celebrations welcoming new members into the fold of the Catholic Church. Of …

So you’re placing your home on the market. This can be an emotional time because your home is where your family memories were made. In your eyes, your home may be worth one number, but in the eyes of an appraiser, that number often differs. And that second number can have a powerful impact on the price your home actually sells for. One of the biggest misconceptions is that the appraiser works for the buyer. The truth of the matter is the appraiser is hired by and works for the mortgage company. They are sent out as an independent third …

Chaos in Washington is keeping a lid on mortgage rates, which contributes to affordability. The firing of FBI director Comey and the ongoing Russia probes have put pressure on the Trump administration, which in turn has added a touch of volatility to the market. Stocks suffered their worse one-day decline in May, dropping more than 300 points. The drop in equities has helped mortgage bonds/rates, which have ticked down to some of the best levels of 2017. Shortly after the election, the 30-year fixed rate moved up to approximately 4.5 percent, but now has moved down into the low 4s. …

When I’m not writing columns, I have a 9-5 job. Well, an 8-6 job. Some days it’s a 6-8 job! We’ve been through a lot of change in the past 18 months. Our parent company bought another company, and I worked 37 weekends to help get it up and running, only to have it sold in January. My role in the company has changed twice during this period, which means that after almost 24 years here, I’m still learning my new responsibilities. What does all this have to do with genealogy? Well, it means that despite earning four weeks paid …

Once again, it’s time to get your nostalgia on! The Annual Pullman Family Reunion Picnic is scheduled for Aug. 5. It’s time to come together to reminisce about Roseland’s good times. It’s another opportunity to visit with old friends that you haven’t seen since our beloved neighborhood went through major changes in the 1960s and 1970s. Throughout this past year I’ve attended six different events and each time I’ve met someone who knew of this column and appreciated the memories they brought forth. I’ve told every single person that they can continue that feeling and catch up with old friends …

Organizational growth, whether it be in a corporate setting or a volunteer, ethnically based one such as the JCCIA, can be challenging as we face competing interests, time constraints and the need to balance our work and family responsibilities. Somewhere in there, we want to stay in touch with our roots, but often cannot find the niche in which to do so. As the JCCIA has grown since its inception, it has seen the world change through the lens of new generations of Italian Americans who have taken the success they have found in this country and parlayed them into …

  The sale of your home is one of the biggest transactions most of you will make and the outcome can have a huge impact on your financial wellbeing. Problems with your home can significantly drive down the price, so wouldn’t it be better to find and fix the problem BEFORE you list your house? A presale inspection can save you thousands of dollars in lost asking price while only costing a few hundred dollars to conduct. A home inspector will help you unearth pre-existing conditions, allowing you to resolve them before buyers set foot in the door. A presale …

  Just when we think that higher mortgage rates are in the bag, we receive some game-changing news. Lackluster economic data, geopolitical disruptions and comments from President Trump regarding the Fed have us wondering what will come next. On the first Friday in April, the jobs report showed a disappointing 98,000 jobs created, far less than the 180,000 that were expected. Adding to that, the February and January jobs numbers were also revised down. The actual unemployment number came down from 4.7 to 4.5 percent, but those figures are the result of a household survey. I find the jobs-creation number …

The simplest questions sometimes have the most complicated answers. “Dan, can you print a family tree chart?” Fra Noi editor Paul Basile recently asked me. “Sure, what kind of chart would you like?” “Um, what kind do you have?” After looking at the software I use to keep my family tree (which is Family Tree Maker) I found out just how many different kinds of charts there are. Each of them has a purpose and conveys the information in a different way. I can’t speak for the other software programs, but all of them print family tree charts. Fortunately for …