Columns

Some homeowners are willing to go to great lengths to save the environment, installing costly solar panels to replace traditional sources of electricity. But going green at home doesn’t have to involve spending an arm and a leg. There are many little things that you can do to lend Mother Nature a helping hand, and you can often save money in the bargain. Older refrigerators can use 10 to 50 percent more energy than the energy-efficient models that are available on the market today. Making that simple change could reduce your electrical usage by up to $150 a year. According …

While I was in St. Paul, I spent a lot of time at their state historical library. (Believe me, I wish I lived closer to Springfield in order to do a lot of work here in Illinois!) They have one of the best collections of Minnesota newspapers around, covering most major cities and some smaller towns throughout the state. So before I went up there, I made sure I had a complete list of everybody I wanted to find in those papers, particularly death notices. When preparing to work with newspapers, whether small town or big metropolis, you need to …

If only I had a dollar for every time someone said, “I wish we had our Roseland back,” I’d be a wealthy man. It should come as no surprise to Roselandites, but whenever I talk to Italian Americans from Taylor Street, Bridgeport, Melrose Park or Elmwood Park, the sentiment is the same: “I wish we had (insert neighborhood or town) back.” I don’t know if that’s any comfort, but it proves that change is unavoidable no matter where we’ve come from. “But, CJ, if the neighborhood hadn’t changed, it’d be the same.” Tell that to the Italian Americans who used …

  The 47th edition of the Giffoni Film Festival is now in the record books. Over the last week, the signature Blue Carpet has been graced with filmmakers who have come from all over the world to celebrate cinema dedicated to children and teens. The first edition of the Giffoni Film Festival took place in 1971 in its namesake city of Giffoni Valle Piana, which is located in the region of Campania. The festival has served not only as an event to watch films, but also as a place for youngsters to learn about the filmmaking process. The French master François Truffaut is …

If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you may be a little thrown off when you receive the closing statement from your loan officer or attorney. You immediately ask, “What am I paying for and why is it so much?” Let me walk you through them. Your earnest money is a “good faith” deposit that is given to the seller’s representation or a mutually agreed upon title company once the sales contract is signed by all parties. This “up front” amount is usually subtracted from the bottom line due at the closing table. The bulk of your closing costs will be on …

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 …

The 2017 edition of Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival is keeping with tradition in featuring a number of contemporary Italian films. The very first edition of the festival took place on August 23, 1946, with a screening of Giacomo Gentiloma’s “’O sole mio” on the lawn of the Grande Hotel. In the years that followed, programmers embraced the great movement of Italian Neo-Realism and today, the cinema of Italy continues to be a leading protagonist of the festival. This year’s Italian selections include Andrea Magnani’s “Easy,” the story of a depressed race car driver missing his days of glory; Marco Tullio Giordana’s …

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. …