Did you know? Between 2010 and 2017, homeowner equity in the United States  increased from $6.16 trillion to roughly #14.44 trillion, according to a report from Statista. In 2018, according to a report from CoreLogic and CNBC, homeowners saw their equity increase 12 percent – that translates to an average of $15,000 per homeowner, and a total gain of more than $900 billion. In short? Homeownership can really pay – if you’re willing to invest time, //READ MORE

Where do you live? OK, wait, sorry, that was way too forward, let’s go back and try again. Let’s try this: How would you describe where you live? After getting a question like this, most people would respond in a pretty similar way. They might describe their neighborhood – “oh, I live next door to a Jewel and two blocks up from the L.” They might talk about the features of their home – “red door, //READ MORE

Here in Illinois, there are some “unwritten rules” that are nevertheless taken pretty seriously. For instance, it’s taken for granted that the perfect hot dog comes with mustard, white onions, relish, dill pickle, tomato slices, sport peppers, and celery salt. It’s widely accepted that, if you’re taking an escalator, you stand on the right side of the stairs and allow people to pass you by on the left side. And it’s pretty much standard that, if //READ MORE