| chicagotribune.com - Chicago Homes Absentee landlord refuses to repair storm drain Q. I have owned and lived in my house for 20-plus years. The duplex next door is a rental, and the owner lives in another town and doesn't do maintenance to the property until a tenant moves out or something breaks. Our homes are close together, and his paved driveway runs in between. The driveway covers his property from the side of his house to the property line. I have about 2 to 3 feet of space that is mostly plant beds. Merit Homes cuts prices on Libertyville homes Merit Homes has lowered pricing on two- to three-bedroom ranch and two-story homes at The Enclave at The Reserve at the Merit Club in Libertyville. FHA shifting gears on reverse mortgages The Federal Housing Administration isn't talking publicly about it, but the agency may be getting ready to lessen the upfront costs of reverse mortgages for some borrowers. Association survey shows upbeat mood Most folks are pretty happy with their community associations, according to a recent national survey from the Community Associations Institute. Quiet urban setting with rooftop deck Lexington Square rowhome appeals to newlyweds Manny and Luz Aguirre, who have been married for about a year, were casually beginning their new-home search late last summer when a co-worker pointed Luz in the direction of Lexington Square in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood. The couple called the community that same day, visited at 2 p.m. and by the end of the day had put a deposit down on a new home. Chicago home prices rise again but under cloud Economists worry about reports of dismal home sales, fear prices will plunge now that tax credit has expired Home prices in the Chicago area rose for the third straight month in June, raising them to a level equivalent to a year ago, according to data released Tuesday. Despite builder's bankrupty, board election can move forward Q. The builder of my condominium association went bankrupt before the association was turned over to the unit owners. We have a management company running things that is not answerable to anyone. The property manager tells us that we cannot form our own board until the bankruptcy proceedings are complete. Is this correct? 'We are a neighborhood of families' Archer Heights a close-knit, working-class community in convenient location Traffic flies by on Archer Avenue as if it were taking off from a runway at nearby Midway International Airport. The six lanes of concrete — two for parking and four for navigating one of the city's famous diagonal streets — resemble a runway. It's wide, straight and exudes an all-business attitude. Bring natural light into your home A change in season can make many people feel down or even depressed. Maybe we all just need to lighten up — literally. |