On Saturday April 18, Rep. Esther Golar and Neighborhood Housing Services will host a Housing Resource Fair at John Hope College Prep, 5515 S. Lowe. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and the event runs from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Aid for homeowners facing foreclosure and public safety responses to the growing number of vacant houses in the neighborhood will be discussed.
I heard recently that over 500 homes were lost to foreclosure in Back of the Yards in 2008.
To RSVP for the event, call Rep. Golar's district office at 773-925-6580.
Showing posts with label housing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label housing. Show all posts
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Cut Your Property Taxes
Yesterday's Chicago Tribune ran this story about a special window later this month in which property owners can appeal their assessments. My block was reassessed two years ago (if memory serves) and I fought it then. When I got my bill recently it looked OK to me, not like a crazy increase, but I may double-check since we have an opportunity and home prices are falling here.
"According to data provided by the Chicago Association of Realtors in the last two years, the sales prices of single-family homes in the Englewood community have decreased by 13 percent or more, in the Belmont-Cragin area by 6 percent or more," Mayor Daley said at a press conference Wednesday.
The realtor data shows the largest declines in the city, 2 percent or more, in Englewood, New City (our neighborhood) and others: Belmont-Cragin, West Englewood,
Chicago Lawn; Auburn Gresham; West Pullman; Roseland; South Chicago; Garfield Ridge; Dunning; Calumet Heights; Gage Park; South Shore; Norwood Park; and Portage Park.
The special appeal period is from March 17-31. If you think your assessment is inaccurate, you can call 311 and someone from City Hall will get back to you. Or go straight to the Cook County Board of Review for an application.
"According to data provided by the Chicago Association of Realtors in the last two years, the sales prices of single-family homes in the Englewood community have decreased by 13 percent or more, in the Belmont-Cragin area by 6 percent or more," Mayor Daley said at a press conference Wednesday.
The realtor data shows the largest declines in the city, 2 percent or more, in Englewood, New City (our neighborhood) and others: Belmont-Cragin, West Englewood,
Chicago Lawn; Auburn Gresham; West Pullman; Roseland; South Chicago; Garfield Ridge; Dunning; Calumet Heights; Gage Park; South Shore; Norwood Park; and Portage Park.
The special appeal period is from March 17-31. If you think your assessment is inaccurate, you can call 311 and someone from City Hall will get back to you. Or go straight to the Cook County Board of Review for an application.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Economics, Macro and Micro
I'm not going to bother linking to any of the dismal stories about the current state of the national economy. But I'll link to this piece from Crain's about how the credit crunch deep-sixed a Loop office building deal.
Meanwhile, here in the neighborhood, signals are mixed. The Goldblatt's renovation continues, Park Federal Savings Bank's new branch is almost finished, and there were plenty of shoppers at the Home Depot on 47th and Western last Saturday. More importantly, rumor had it the Farmer's Best grocery store at 47th and Bishop would close in the wake of a gang shooting there last fall. So far, they are still open and still drawing customers, so perhaps they were talked out of it.
But the Neighborhood Housing Services branch office on 47th is getting a lot of business, too, mostly from people trying to prevent their house from being foreclosed. Normally I would cheer for more NHS business, but I'd like to see that business in home purchase and rehab loans, not in foreclosure prevention. Frankly, by the time most people seek help, it's often too late to work out a deal with the bank.
To its credit, NHS has been in this business for a few years now. In 2002, NHS and the City of Chicago launched the Homeownership Preservation Initiative, or HOPI. HOPI's goals are to work with lenders and homeowners to avoid foreclosure where possible. If a house is foreclosed, NHS can acquire it through HOPI and resell it to a qualified first-time buyer, thus preserving housing stock and reducing vacant housing and the crime it draws. For more about HOPI and how it works, click here.
My hope is that because this neighborhood was one of the last to get on the economic boom, it'll also take a while for the bust to catch up with us. In real estate, I think bargain hunters will still be looking around here. There's a brand-new house nearby for sale; if you're looking, email marshfieldtattler@hotmail.com and I'll give you the number to call for more info.
My fear is that the slowdown in construction will dry up jobs that keep a lot of people here employed. To sound like Andy Rooney at the end of 60 Minutes, dja ever notice that economic slowdowns always seem to happen just when they are finally starting to help really poor people? Dja ever wonder why it works that way?
Meanwhile, here in the neighborhood, signals are mixed. The Goldblatt's renovation continues, Park Federal Savings Bank's new branch is almost finished, and there were plenty of shoppers at the Home Depot on 47th and Western last Saturday. More importantly, rumor had it the Farmer's Best grocery store at 47th and Bishop would close in the wake of a gang shooting there last fall. So far, they are still open and still drawing customers, so perhaps they were talked out of it.
But the Neighborhood Housing Services branch office on 47th is getting a lot of business, too, mostly from people trying to prevent their house from being foreclosed. Normally I would cheer for more NHS business, but I'd like to see that business in home purchase and rehab loans, not in foreclosure prevention. Frankly, by the time most people seek help, it's often too late to work out a deal with the bank.
To its credit, NHS has been in this business for a few years now. In 2002, NHS and the City of Chicago launched the Homeownership Preservation Initiative, or HOPI. HOPI's goals are to work with lenders and homeowners to avoid foreclosure where possible. If a house is foreclosed, NHS can acquire it through HOPI and resell it to a qualified first-time buyer, thus preserving housing stock and reducing vacant housing and the crime it draws. For more about HOPI and how it works, click here.
My hope is that because this neighborhood was one of the last to get on the economic boom, it'll also take a while for the bust to catch up with us. In real estate, I think bargain hunters will still be looking around here. There's a brand-new house nearby for sale; if you're looking, email marshfieldtattler@hotmail.com and I'll give you the number to call for more info.
My fear is that the slowdown in construction will dry up jobs that keep a lot of people here employed. To sound like Andy Rooney at the end of 60 Minutes, dja ever notice that economic slowdowns always seem to happen just when they are finally starting to help really poor people? Dja ever wonder why it works that way?
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