Aldermen seek transfer fees from financial institutions that take a home through foreclosure

Chicago voters would be asked to decide whether the city should make banks pay transfer taxes when they take a home through foreclosure under a proposal approved Wednesday by a key City Council committee.

It was the second straight monthly increase, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index of 20 U.S. cities, but experts warn it is not likely to last. Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco are among the gainers.

Home prices posted strong gains in May as a federal stimulus program boosted sales. But many experts predict the housing market to soften this year as the effects of government support wane.

Unable to keep tabs on every vacant, untended building within Chicago, the city may be getting ready to ask neighborhood residents for help, and they'll get paid for their efforts.

Programmed perfection a goal with thermostats

Thermostats used to be mechanical. When you turned the dial, parts moved inside, including a glass vial holding a blob of mercury. The almost Rube Goldberg on-off switch worked, but digital controls and circuit boards provide more options — sometimes too many.

The legal workings of a community association are confounding, and professional help is expensive. Attendees at the recent annual conference of the Association of Condominium, Townhouse and Homeowners Associations had their questions answered during the popular "Ask An Attorney" session. Let's listen in:

Two former executives of Pulte Homes, who happen to be husband and wife, are teaming up with a privately held real estate investment firm to get back into the homebuilding business.

Q: I am fed up with paying taxes to our greedy and burdensome governments who rob the masses. If I can find somebody I trust and we both don't have liens, can I sell my property for a minuscule amount and the second party sell his to me for a minuscule amount to reduce property taxes. In a year or less, we sell back to each other. Is this legal?

Q. Are there any restrictions on a management company or board on performing ongoing collection activity on a delinquent unit owner's account? If the unit owner is in bankruptcy, does this have any affect on collection activity?

First-time buyers, empty-nesters and others seeking affordable single-family homes with freedom from exterior maintenance should check out the new Park Series at West Point Gardens.

Nicholas Pritzker, CEO and chairman of the Hyatt Development Corp., has placed his mansion in Covert, Mich., on the market for $4.95 million.

Professional sitter provides pets with creature comforts

Because she boards her American Saddlebred, ZuZu, at a stable, Sally Kazanis understands how devoted people are to their pets. This, she explains, is what makes her a thoughtful pet-sitter.

Pressure and stress are natural byproducts of the mile-a-minute world in which we live. Ringing phones, traffic jams and last-minute deadlines jangle our nerves, put us on edge, and leave us yearning for peace and quiet.

Q. I'm thinking about buying a foreclosure in my old neighborhood. I've been renting an apartment for a year.

Planned community on Near West Side transforms historic area

"Gypsies, pickpockets and even a man walking around with a chicken on his head. This was an edgy neighborhood back then. It was not for everybody," said Bill Lavicka, rehabber and preservationist.

Q: In a recent article, a reader wanted to know whether it is better to make extra monthly mortgage payments or pay a larger sum at the end of the year. I suggest monthly payments. However, you failed to advise the reader to check to make sure there is no prepayment penalty in the contract.

It's something most homeowners and do-it-yourselfers have faced: You need a specific tool for a project, but it's not one you own. You can buy one, but that can cost big bucks for something you may never use again. Or you can rent one at considerably less expense, but it's still money out of your pocket.

Q We have three gas fireplaces (two chimneys), about 8 years old and all currently serviced and in formerly wood-burning fireplaces. The house was built about nine years ago.

Leather floors are hot. Will they find a home in your house?

Do you believe in reincarnation? It's possible that your discarded leather belts from a few seasons ago could find new life under your feet. Leather products of all sorts are being repurposed into sleek, exotic flooring. Both tiles and planks can be fashioned from recycled cowhide after it's completed its life cycle as a shoe, handbag or belt. Even the leather seating from old BMWs has found its way into elegant tiles from EcoDomo, a five-year-old leather tile designer and developer based in Rockville, Md.

Garden flags are easy to make with lightweight nylon fabric. Decorative motifs inspired by your garden can be cut out and appliqued.

In the dog days of summer, nothing is quite so welcome as an afternoon breeze. Gardeners appreciate the wind not just as a respite from the heat but also for the way it moves their plants, adding a whole other aesthetic dimension to their handiwork. Some of the best plants for catching the breeze are ornamental grasses.

Repair techniniques could save you the expense of re-siding

House siding is like tree bark — a tough exterior skin that takes a beating to protect thinner-skinned materials inside.