You may be wondering what you can afford to buy. CONDOChicago features two Financial Calculators to help you understand what monthly payment you can qualify for in a loan and what your monthly payments will be given certain variables. With rates as low as 5.875% for a 30 year loan and 4.5% for a 5/1 ARM, you can probably afford a lot more than you thought! Feel free to contact me to refer you to a mortgage professional for pre-qualification.

Take Control of your Real Estate Search
The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a powerful tool that Realtors use to share information about property. At CONDOChicago.com you can access these listings (over 60,000 in the Chicagoland area) and screen them for type of home, price range and area of the city or suburbs. You can save properties that interest you to a portfolio and configure the settings in User Services to email you when properties that meet your specifications become available. When you see something you like, call or email me. I will set an appointment for you to view the property. It's that simple.






Stacy Karel
(312) 278-8574- office
(312) 933-5819- cell

With April 15th just around the corner, the mere thought of preparing your income tax return may have you running for cover, but you gotta do it so get to it! Make this the year to free yourself from mental blocks and take the dread out of this annual chore.

Start by Starting
Resist the temptation to wait until the last minute. By racing to meet the filing deadline, you risk making costly errors. As you prepare your taxes this year, get organized for future years. Are your files in disarray? Take a few minutes today and establish one spot to keep all tax deductible and tax reporting items. Label separate envelopes or folders to hold receipts for each category or account.

If you are required to track mileage or other expenses, take a few minutes each month to add them up. You will be less likely to overlook an important deduction. The use of an electronic checkbook like Quicken or Money can also be useful. You can categorize your expenses paid by check and even establish other accounts such as Credit Card or Cash, to track expenses for items not paid by check.

Important Real Estate documents
Keep an eye out for IRS Form 1098 which reports your mortgage interest and real estate taxes paid for the year. If you bought or sold in 2002, your closing statement may indicate points and other deductions you may be entitled to.

The IRS is at your service
You can call the IRS tax help line at 1-800-829-1040 (and actually get a person) or check out their surprisingly user friendly website at www.irs.gov

However you file, by a CPA or tax preparation software, file early and use the E-file with direct deposit for a faster refund.