Laraway Ridge, Homes for Sale in New Lenox Laraway Ridge Real Estate Statistics Average Home Size: 2220 Average Property Taxes: 6812 Homes Listed: 34 Homes Sold: 14 Average Number of Days To Sell: 76 The above statistics were compiled by www.teambowersrealtors.com based on homes listed for sale in Laraway Ridge, New Lenox, Illinois between August 2nd, 2012 and August 2nd, 2013. Homes for sale in Laraway Ridge Address Beds Total Baths Total Sqft Year Built List Price 2024 Cardinal Drive 4 2.1 2600 2013 $280,900 623 Bobwhite Lane 5 3.1 2800 2001 $240,000 2327 Cardinal Drive 4 2.1 2064 2010 $274,900 Sold Real Estate in Laraway Ridge - (May 4th, 2013 - August 2nd, 2013) Address Beds Total Baths Total Sold Price 651 Warbler Lane 4 2.1 $260,000 2100 Foxwood Drive 4 3 $224,000 2470 Peregrine ... 08/02/2013

2013 Music Boosters "SIAM Discount Book" on Sale in Lincoln-Way High School Communities      My wife and her siblings are all proud alumni of  Lincoln-Way High Schools' renowned music department.  All were members of the award-winning LWHS-Central "Knights" band while attending high school at Lincoln-Way years ago.          Anyone familiar with our area's high school district will tell you that the current LWHS-Central "Knights", as well as the other bands within the district's music departments (the East Griffins, the West Warriors, the North Phoenix) can brag of a long and glorious history of service and entertainment to all the Lincoln-Way School District communities.      The bands' thousands of music performances over the years in parades, concerts, football games, musicals,  compe... 07/29/2013

Bluestone Bay, New Lenox Homes for Sale Bluestone Bay Real Estate Statistics Average Home Size: 2043 Average Property Taxes: 6457 Homes Listed: 32 Homes Sold: 12 Average Number of Days To Sell: 101 The above statistics were compiled by Team Bowers Realtors based on homes listed for sale in Bluestone Bay, New Lenox, Illinois between July 18th, 2012 and July 18th, 2013. Homes for sale in Bluestone Bay Address Beds Total Baths Total Sqft Year Built List Price 664 Kristin Court 2 2.1 1500 2001 $224,000 2694 Gannet Lane 3 2 0 1999 $264,000 2624 Schooner 2 2.1 1689 2001 $219,900 2727 Genoa Drive 3 2.1 0 1999 $308,000 675 Kristin Court 2 2.1 1595 2000 $222,500 2657 Bluestone Bay Drive 4 2.1 2600 2002 $368,500 Sold Real Estate in Bluestone Bay - (April 19th, 2013 - July 18th, 2013) Address Bed... 07/18/2013

  New Lenox Community Park District's Proud American Days 2013  being held July 25th - 28th          Once again this year, the New Lenox Community Park District (New Lenox, IL) will be hosting its  "Proud American Days" 2013 ... Thursday, July 25th through Sunday, July 28th.      This year's festivities will be held in a new location at:  601 East Lincoln Highway  in New Lenox.  Event Map available  HERE.  (This is the development site for the Menards coming to New Lenox soon.)     Proud American Days 2013 activities will include something for every age group and every member of the family.  Activities being offered include: Carnival (Prices:  $1/each    Wristbands:  $20 w/unlimited rides) Sand Volleyball Tournament Bean Bag Tournaments Big Wheel Race Craft/Vendor Show Car Show Entertai... 07/18/2013

  It's Time to Overhaul the Definition of "online lender"        If you've performed any research regarding mortgages or have been looking for Chicagoland mortgage service, you've probably run across advertisements, read discussions regarding "online lenders" or found actual websites of  "online lenders".         Historically, an "online lender" has been thought of as a Mortgage Lender that markets and conducts business solely through an internet presence.  But as a Mortgage Lender that utilizes the benefits of technology and the internet myself, I think the time has come to revise and tweak that old definition some.  It's archaic.  It's time to overhaul the definition of "online lender".     I confess, I consider myself an "online lender" to a good extent these days.  A large portion o... 07/15/2013

Survey Says ... On Average Only 5 Hours of Research Devoted to Mortgage Search      In 2008, Zillow conducted a survey to find out what time expenditure was given by the average Home Buyer when researching mortgage financing.  Zillow had many reasons at the time for wanting this info, but were also interested in making a comparison between the hourly expenditure for mortgage financing and the time allotments given to other types of purchases.        What their survey found was that the average expenditure of time given for mortgage financing research was only  5 hours.  Mind boggling, to say the very least ...     Then the year 2010 rolled around, and Zillow once again ran much the same survey.  This time they hoped to see if the recent downturn and recession in housing and mortgage fin... 07/12/2013

  What's YOUR Great American Novel read like? The clues revealed within your Credit Report      We've all heard books referred to as a "great American novel".  Books often mentioned in that vein are "The Great Gatsby", "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", or "To Kill a Mockingbird" ... each most likely introduced to you in a high school English class.  The authors of these great books offer us riveting stories regarding the mindset and lives of their characters.     Much like the great novels referenced above, a  Credit Report  delivers much the same thing.  It reads much like a book ... a book that relates the daily habits of it's main character, their actions, their decision-making abilities and philosophies, and the highs and lows of their lives.     Think about it.  Your life is reveal... 06/27/2013

  An ALERT regarding current volatile Interest Rates and HOW they can effect your transactions         Last Friday, after an especially volatile couple of days in the market, I sent out an email to my referral agents, brokers, and others regarding what was taking place as it pertained to Interest Rates ... and how a rise in Interest Rates might effect their clients and transactions.        Here is my email, as it read last Friday (6/21/2013) ...          Interest Rates are RISING!      The markets have been especially volatile over the last few days.  Interest Rates, already heading up, appear to be rising even more at this time.        (See a KCM infographic regarding climbing rates HERE)        As you head into the weekend and the coming weeks, your new clients and those that have alr... 06/24/2013

  The Many Reasons to Find Your "ah-HAH" Moment      Once again last week while speaking with a potential Borrower, I was asked the question, "is it worth the hassle and time to Refinance my mortgage"?      I get similar questions touching upon the "hassle" and difficulty of obtaining a current mortgage fairly often.  As a result, I've addressed the issue in quite a few blog posts ... most recently in my post, "Is It Worth it?  A Reflection on the Current Chicagoland Mortgage Process".        In that post, I shared the many benefits that would be reaped by my clients through their Refinance.  All I felt more than justified the effort and expenditure of time that these clients were being called upon to make.  They came to agree.      But the fact that I get asked this question so frequen... 06/03/2013

Bluestone Bay, New Lenox, Illinois Bluestone Bay Real Estate Statistics Average Home Size: 2039 Average Property Taxes: 6463 Homes Listed: 35 Homes Sold: 13 Average Number of Days To Sell: 107 The above statistics were compiled by Team Bowers Realtors based on homes listed for sale in Bluestone Bay, New Lenox, Illinois between May 30th, 2012 and May 30th, 2013. Homes for sale in Bluestone Bay Address Beds Total Baths Total Sqft Year Built List Price 790 Laurel Bay 4 2.1 2000 2003 $281,300 2694 Gannet Lane 3 2 0 1999 $269,000 2860 Gannet Drive 4 3 2600 2003 $324,999 2857 Southwind Drive 4 3 0 2001 $302,000 664 Kristin Court 2 2.1 1500 2001 $224,000 826 Brigantine Drive 4 2.1 3000 2005 $344,808 675 Kristin Court 2 2.1 1595 2000 $224,000 2727 Genoa Drive 4 2.1 0 1999 $319,000 Sold Real Es... 05/30/2013

  3 New Paramedics Now Serve the New Lenox Fire Protection District      The Village of New Lenox, IL and its residents have much to be proud of.  It's schools, housing, churches, businesses, and much more make New Lenox a great place to live, do business, and raise a family.      But now, it can also celebrate and announce the addition of 3 new Paramedics within its  New Lenox Fire Protection District.  Firefighters Tim Mayotte, Brent Havener, and James Brown have attended the Kankakee Community College and Riverside Medical Center's EMS System Paramedic classes throughout the last year.       These 3 firefighters are now capable of providing advanced life support to those that become injured or fall critically ill within New Lenox.  Now that they are paramedics, they can offer or util... 05/22/2013

  Are YOU making your financial life harder than it needs to be?        Are YOU paying more for utilities, insurance(s), rent, and cell phone plans than your friends are?  You might want to take a look at your Credit ...      Seems I'm always compelled to write something on the topic of Credit.  Why it's important to have good Credit.  How to establish good Credit.  How to improve or repair your Credit.  How to keep good Credit Scores ... and much more.      It also seems there's good reason to be concerned about this topic too.  Personally, as a Chicagoland Mortgage Lender, I see people struggling with this issue on a daily basis.  Or they're just completely unaware of their credit or the impact it has on their lives.         My personal experiences are backed-up by fact too.  Just tod... 05/17/2013

  Is it Worth it? A Reflection on the Current Mortgage Process        The current mortgage process has a bad reputation ... let's face it.  You can't listen to newscasts or read the papers without seeing or hearing stories conveying that perception.        Although I understand that today's mortgage process is far more detailed than it was previously (and yes, sometimes even borders on silly), I think in many cases the current mortgage process is getting a bad rap.  And bad news makes for good copy and good ratings ...      A recent call from clients of mine presently in the mortgage process, is representative of what I say.  These clients called after I had requested updated banking statements from them.           A little bit of info/explanation for those that have not financed recent... 05/10/2013

    Village of New Lenox, IL:   "The Home of Proud Americans"      New Lenox, IL is known as "The Home of Proud Americans" ...        The  Village of New Lenox  is found approximately 36 miles southwest of the Chicago Loop, is located in the center of New Lenox Township and the east-central portion of  Will County.  It encompasses an area of 15.68 square miles and now showcases a population of approximately 24, 500 people within its midst.        New Lenox was incorporated as a Village in 1946. It remained a small community surrounded by vast amounts of farmland for many years.  But after the completion of the Interstate 80 interchange on its border in the early 1970's, the Village's population began rapid growth to its current size.      Contributing to the Village of New Lenox's popul... 05/07/2013

Fieldstone, New Lenox, Illinois About Fieldstone Fieldstone is a single family home subdivision built between the mid 1990's to mid 2010's. Fieldstone is located in New Lenox, Illinois east of Gougar Road and north of Haven Avenue. Average taxes in Fieldstone $0 Average association fees in Fieldstone $0 Average home size in Fieldstone 0 ft2 Average lot size in Fieldstone 0.00 acres Average year built in Fieldstone 0 Homes for sale in Fieldstone None Sales Summary for Fieldstone  (May 2, 2012 - May 2, 2013) # of Sales Average Days on Market Average List Average Sale Ratio% 6 110 $274,783 $256,333 93.3% Recent home sales in Fieldstone Address Beds Baths Sold 1821 Grand Prairie Dr. 3 2.1 $270,999 1941 Grand Prairie Dr. 3 2.0 $197,000 41 Brittany Dr. 3 3.1 $280,000 120 Wind Crest Ln. 4 2.1... 05/02/2013

  New Lenox Township's  "33rd Annual Township Wide Clean Up Day" to be held May 4th, 2013           New Lenox Township  (Village and Unincorporated Areas) will be hosting its  "33rd Annual Township Wide Clean Up Day" on May 4th this year.  Collection of items will begin at 6 am and run through 12 Noon on that day.       No hazardous waste items or materials will be collected during this Clean Up Day service.  Items that are acceptable for pick up are:      Appliances      Bedding      Small amounts of building materials (placed in containers)      Furniture      Carpeting      Most large household items      Acollection of additional items will be held at the New Lenox Township office/yard location at  1100 So. Cedar Road  in New Lenox.  Recyclable materials and items will be collected ... 04/29/2013

  A Mortgage Program is Just a Tool        My wife and I have become fans of the HBO series,  "Boardwalk Empire".  Set in Atlantic City during the Prohibition Era ... the action, plot, characters, and scenery within this series are rich, complicated, historic, entertaining, and sometimes downright brutal.       Now I bet you're wondering, "what does the "Boardwalk Empire" series have to do with Mortgage Lending?" Let me try to explain ...      Recently I wrote  a blog about 97% Conventional Financing  once again becoming an option for Buyers to consider when purchasing a new home.  An option that might be especially attractive to someone hoping to avoid FHA's  recent rise  in costs ... or  FHA rules  regarding Condominium projects.      The comments I received regarding my post were gen... 04/16/2013

  Things to Do in the Lincoln-Way Area  -  April 2013          What is known as the Lincoln-Way Area ... a 105-square mile region located within Will County, IL ... has 4 vibrant and very active communities within its borders:  Frankfort,  Manhattan, Mokena,  and  New Lenox.           Below you will find activities and events taking place within the Lincoln-Way Area during April, 2013: Things to Do during April in the Lincoln-Way Area:     Saturday, April 13th -  10:30 am Start Grand Opening of Fox Ridge Park Fox Ridge Park  -  19740 Telluride Lane, Mokena, IL FREE  -  ALL Ages Mokena Park District sponsoring: Flying 4 Kids Kite Fly immediately after the Grand Opening! Weather Permitting  -  1st 50 children receive a kite-making kit More Info:  Mokena Park District           Things to D... 04/09/2013

  What's the POINT of Points, Rate Locks, and Floating Your Interest Rate When Obtaining Mortgage Financing in Chicagoland?        Not too long ago, I wrote a post asking for input as to topics I should blog about.  Wow!  I need to be careful what I ask for in the future.  I got lots of great suggestions, and I'll be addressing some today and more in the future.      2 of the questions I received were from  ActiveRain Member Michael Setunsky,  Michael's Commercial, Northern Virginia.  They were: "When is it a good time to lock in a loan rate?"  and  ...    "Can you explain how points work?"           Both great questions, Michael!         Many of those I speak to are somewhat confused about both topics at the beginning of their mortgage process.  Because of the great low Interest Rates ... 04/04/2013

  Sending Wishes Your Way for a Very Happy Easter             Life gets busy ... especially around the holidays ...      So I wanted to make sure I wrote this blog early enough to have a chance to wish all of my ActiveRain friends a very Happy Easter and wonderful holiday weekend.      Marilyn and I will have our family together.  A real and too rare treat these days.      The little cutie you see to the right is our little grandbaby, Marilyn.  She will be in attendance along with her daddy, our son John and mommy, Sandi.       Her little cousin Henry will be in tow, as well .. along with his daddy, our son Tom and mommy, Jenny.  We're lucky to have my Mom celebrating the day with us too.  We've been gathering and making Easter goodies for weeks now.       No matter who you celebrate wi... 03/29/2013