Columns

Last month, we looked at the peculiar problems of finding the marriage dates and marriage records of our Italian relatives. Since we keep better track of birthdays than anniversaries, we don’t always have the paper trail among our own records and photos to find the wedding dates of our grandparents, aunts and uncles. The Italian records are quite complete, and for the most part couples married in the town where the bride’s father lived, so even if that wasn’t the birthplace, it wasn’t far away. But when you’re looking for the marriage of a couple in America, it’s not nearly …

As a young boy growing up in an urban environment, green space was always hard to come by, especially when our backyard looked like a vineyard and giardino that would make the Green Giant jealous. In the front of the house, we would play “Running Bases,” or get 20 kids from the neighborhood together for “Relievio,” during which we would play hide and seek with a jail set up on my stoop, and hope that the other team didn’t yell “Olly Olly Oxen Free Free Free” before the game would be called due to darkness. So when my parents wanted …

Ok, you can stop crying now. I know our emotional families cry at weddings. As a genealogist, I only cry when I can’t find a marriage date! It is one of the tricky pieces of information to unearth, with its own special brand of problems that we must be prepared to deal with. The three most basic pieces of genealogical information are the birth, marriage, and death dates. Birth and death are easier to find, because there are better clues. We remember celebrating birthdays with relatives. A milestone birthday party is usually very memorable, so our photo albums give us …

What’s happening in the mortgage market right now is equivalent to free money. In other words, interest rates are so low that a borrower who took out a 30-year loan years back can refinance into a 15-year and save tens of thousands in interest with little impact on monthly payments. Let’s say that, 5 years ago, you took out a $200,000 loan for 30 years at a rate of 6 percent. The payment would be $1,199. After five years, your balance would be $186,000 and the amount of remaining interest that you would have to pay over the remaining 25 …

As we are all painfully aware, life happens and life changes. The matters we discussed with our doctor at age 35 are quite different from the matters we discuss with our doctor at age 75. So too it is with your estate plan. Simply put, the estate plan that you created for yourself at age 35 should be substantially different than the estate plan you need at age 75. How so, you ask? There are three phases to planning for life and three types of planning to address those phases. TODAY (planning for the maturing years) — Estate planning, asset …

If you’re a first-time buyer or you’re upgrading to a new home, your motto should be “sooner rather than later.” It is never too early to start doing your research, whether it’s on the internet or taking that late night drive through a desired area. Some internet sites offer detailed information on school districts, taxes, dining, parks, and much, much more. To surround yourself with a knowledgeable team, you also have to do your research. That team should include a Realtor, loan officer, attorney and home inspector. A Realtor can assist you in finding homes along with pricing and recent …

Ber-wyn [bur-win] — noun, a city in NE Illinois that is conveniently located within one mile of two major transportation arteries, the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) to the north and the Stevenson Expressway (I-55) to the south. Berwyn’s northeast edge is less than a mile from Chicago’s western city limits and just minutes from the bustling Loop business and entertainment district. Berwyn has three convenient commuter rail stations, serviced by Metra along the BNSF Railway. Berwyn’s Metra stations provide tremendous customer potential and visibility for local business and offer Berwyn residents’ ready access to area jobs and attractions. Pace bus service …

Harp, which stands for the “Home affordable refinance program,” was put together by the federal government in March of 2009 to help homeowners whose property values had fallen “underwater,” in other words, below their current mortgage balance. The current program allows a customer to refinance a mortgage that is up to 125 percent of the value of the property. It also has easier credit restrictions and in some case easier income restrictions. The current program was projected to help 2 million borrowers, but to date has helped only 800,000, falling far short of expectations. The new Harp program, which is …

Illinois has adopted changes to the Power of Attorney Act, which raise the following questions: How does it fit into you senior estate planning and Elder Law needs? How does it fit into your asset protection plan for long-term care? Introduction In 2011, the Illinois legislature created major changes to the Power of Attorney Act. The changes took effect July 1, 2011. There are two types of powers of attorney, healthcare and property. Powers of attorney for healthcare and powers of attorney for property are written instructions that enable you to transfer decision-making authority from you (the principal) to a …

Thinking about buying a home can be a little intimidating, this being one of the largest purchases of your life. Looking at the big picture can help reduce that sense of intimidation. The first thing you have to do is make a list of “Must Haves” and “Plus Haves.” Your “Must Haves” might include three bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a fenced yard, etc., and your “Plus Haves” might include an attached garage, a finished basement or other things that you might be able to live without. The most important factor in your decision will be location. This often drives your search …