Columns

Last month we had the proverbial “brick wall”. To recap, I was helping my friend’s sister to trace her lineage beyond the grandparents who were all born in Italy. None of the records in Chicago listed the town of birth of any of them, and the family could not remember the names of the towns. All she knew was that her father’s parents were from Naples and the mother’s parents were from Sicily. None of the four grandparents became citizens so there was no naturalization petition to work with. So where do I go to find the birth towns if …

Many of our clients seek to stay home for as long as possible, without entering an assisted living facility. This is perfectly understandable, and we use our firm’s skills to allow them to accomplish this objective as long as they can remain safe in their home. However, sometimes in order to remain at home, seniors will look for in-home assistance. We see three circumstances in which this can be dangerous for the senior. First, not enough care is being delivered. Occasionally, a senior may believe they only need someone to do a little shopping, cooking, and cleaning for them. However, …

Purchasing a home can get a little intense, especially if you are a first-time buyer. Between looking at homes online and reading design magazines, you pretty much know what you want your next home to be like. But be careful what you wish for. You may just regret wanting it to begin with. Let’s start with size. Everyone wants a big beautiful home, but do you really need it? Remember, the bigger the home, the bigger the heating and cooling bills will be as well. Along with that, cleaning the place could take forever! Instead of extra bedrooms that you …

With summer right around the corner, the real estate and mortgage markets are enjoying volumes not seen since early in the last decade. All this could change soon if the Fed decided to raise rates at their upcoming meetings. The Fed has a dilemma on its hands. Either they raise rates and risk slowing down a very modest economic recovery or they keep the rates low and risk that they won’t be able to stimulate the market by lowering them again if we hit an economic downturn. Let’s face it, if our economy was doing great, mortgage rates would not …

The Friends of Pullman Annual Reunion Picnic will be taking place soon, and you’re invited. The event is open to former Pullmanites, Roselandites and Kensingtonians and their friends and family members. If you’ve ever told your children, grandchildren, friends or complete strangers about where you grew up and the great people you grew up with — this is your chance to show off. Over the past seven years, this picnic has grown into the single largest one-day event in Pullman. In the beginning, many visitors came by just to see what was happening. They showed up without any food or …

If you want to “fly under the radar” at an airport, I wouldn’t suggest you walk with rocker Jim Peterik. His signature look of bright purple hair, buckle-studded vinyl jacket and jeweled cowboy boots is an open invitation for folks to stare and approach. More often than not, he gets “You look like somebody … who are you?” But there are many more who know him from 50 years of performing, writing and recording in the music industry. We are sitting on a plane together as he and I were asked to co-host another PBS Television special, this time on …

Thanks to this column, and my “check-ins” on Facebook when I am out researching somewhere, my friends know to contact me if they have a question about their Chicago or Italian heritage. I received a call from the sister of one of those friends last week. She has been bitten by the genealogy bug, and despite her best efforts, she was unable to trace her ancestry back beyond her Italian immigrant grandparents. A friend of hers had an ancestor chart back to the early 1700s and she had a case of what we genealogists call “chart envy”! So she contacted …

Applying for Medicaid for long-term care in a nursing home is a complicated matter. This article will limit itself to describing the basic eligibility requirements. The eligibility requirements break down into four categories. Medical Eligibility First you have to demonstrate that you meet the Determination of Need score, also known as the DON score, which establishes whether or not someone actually requires long-term care in a nursing home. This assessment may be administered by Catholic Charities, nursing homes, and many other organizations. Income Eligibility The income eligibility requirement is to determine if your income exceeds the private cost of care. …

You walk into a home and instantly fall in love with it. But many times the shiny floors or marble countertops can distract you from major issues with the property. Remember, beauty is only skin deep. Be sure to hire a qualified inspector to check behind the walls. You should also bring in a qualified heating and cooling technician to make sure that the system is big enough for your square footage. But there’s plenty the average person can unearth if they look closely enough. Water damage can be a major issue, including possible mold contamination if it’s cleaned properly. …

Rates have dropped down to near historic lows. As of mid-April, the 30-year fixed was at 3.625 percent, the 20-year fixed was at 3.375 percent and the 15-year fixed was at 2.875 percent. Back in 2012, rates were actually lower by a quarter percent across the board, but real estate values were also lower at that time as the whole country was still struggling to recover from the financial crisis of 2008. In addition to seeing our fair share of refinancing, 2016 has brought many more borrowers to the market looking to sell their current home and upgrade to a …