"You've Caught the NET!"

THE CHICAGO REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG!

Hey, you dogs!  Happy New Year, 2011.  Another year, and I'm still a Lil' White Dog!  Can you believe it?

You know, as my Lil' Sister, Gracie Ella Moss, and I walk each morning through the South Edgebrook Neighborhood of Chicago, where we live. we're a little peeved at those who let their dogs walk off-leash.

That's against the law here in Chicago!  I know it.  You know it.  And the errant human dog owner knows it!

But, sadly, some persist!

The other day, some careless human's 65-pound Pit Bull Terrier nearly ate Gracie for breakfast!  Thankfully, her always-shrill bark kept that wolf at bay!  (As for me, I just ran behind the safety of my Human Daddy Dean's leg!)

As reported today in the Chicago Tribune by Reporter Jon Weigel, humans have to remember, no matter how cute and well-behaved we might be . . . we're still DOGS!  It just might be too tough to resist that squirrel running out in the street - and I, for one, do NOT want to be hit by a passing car!

What about those overly-friendly big, big dogs who put their paws over any human's shoulders when saying hello?  Or those unleashed dogs that, quite simply, aren't very sociable with us quiet, well-behaved dogs.  Indeed, a possible disaster in the making!

Those long, retractable leashes can be a tripping hazard, and some people just don't like being jumped on by canines they are not familiar with.

And don't forget the possible legal liability issues if one of us dogs accidental bites someone!   That could be lotsa trouble for the human owner who let their dog run free and unleashed.

Pet Behavior Expert Steve Dalerecommends taking your dog to a dog park - like Wiggly Field in the Lakeview Neighborhood of Chicago - to roam free.  Here, there is a better opportunity for control, and less neighborhood-wide roaming.

And, speaking for the dogs here in the South Edgebrook Neighborhood, on Mason and Marmora Avenues, we kind of like being attached to a leash.  They actually make us feel most connected to the humans we love.

So please, you dogs!  Get your humans to latch you up.  OK!

Be safe!

Please read my post today via BlogChicagoHomes.com.

YOUR ACE REPORTER ON FOUR PAWS,

BUDDY HOLLY MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO

For Home Buyers and Real Estate Practitioners alike, 2010 offered the opportunity to buy real estate, in Chicago and elsewhere, at prices not seen in ten years or more.  Mortgage Interest Rates, in some cases, down near 4%.

Here in Chicago, and in most Chicago Suburbs, home prices have declined by as much as 50% in some neighborhoods over the past three years.  Incredible values can be found, for those with good credit credentials, income, and solid down payment.

But many potential homebuyers are still very concerned about their chances for keeping their job, as unemployment here in IL has topped 10.5%.  They read the press, see predictions of home prices continuing to tumble, and wait on the sidelines.

Now, new Federal Regulations being finalized in Washington may make mortgage loan requirements even more stringent.  As reported by Chicago Tribune Reporter Mary Ellen Podmolik, yet-to-be-finalized provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, proposed requirements in the act will require mortgage lenders to hold at least five percent of the loans they originate, rather than selling the loans off entirely.

The objective here is to discourage risky investment practices.  But, as a practical matter, many experts fear new rules might quash mortgage lending to all but those with strong, solid down payments.  Some banks would call these high-down-payment loans "Qualified Residential Mortgages, or QRM's". 

If banks make loans not qualifying under the definition of QRM, they will likely impose higher fees and stricter underwriting guidelines.  And many first time homebuyers - those driving the Real Estate Market the last couple of years - may lack the funds to qualify.

Smaller community banks, who rely on local loans to many first time buyers may be most vulnerable to lost business - more vulnerable than larger banks with deeper pockets. 

If such smaller banks fail, less competition for mortgage loans could result in less of an ability by consumers to shop around, along with the possibility of higher fees for everyone.

Couple these stricter guidelines for conventional loans with proposed increases in fees for FHA Loans, and those backed by Giant U.S. Mortgage Investors and Guarantors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and new guidelines might just dampen a 2011 Housing Recovery, just at a time many are hoping such a recovery can continue.

Please see our post today via BlogChicagoHomes.com.

DEAN MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO

Saw an old rerun of Star Trek Enterprise the other night.  About 2AM - on some out-of-town cable channel.

Not talking about the content of the Enterprise episode itself - only the Theme Song, "Faith of the Heart," sung by a fellow named Russell Watson -

"It's Been A Long Time, Getting from There to Here.  It's Been a Long, Time . . . But My Time is Finally Near . . ."

2010 was a Crazy Year for me, my Chicago Real Estate Team, and my family.

• A somewhat-resurgent year for us in terms of Real Estate revenue, despite the Chicago Real Estate Market continuing downward!
• A re-committed Team, with a New Attitude, and Refined Goals!
• A successful recovery, from the brink of financial near-disaster!
• An incredible opportunity to Train and Mentor Others, as a new Associate Trainer for my Mentor Floyd Wickman, and his outstanding Team!
• And, thanks to the magic of Facebook and other Social Media, made important re-connections past friends and co-workers.  Indeed, these re-established connections have made an important, completely unexpected impact on my business, and my personal life!

Last year, for days - no, weeks - I would sit back taking it all in. Fearful of the changes.  Taking them all in, and, at times, being paralyzed by the negative side.  The pain of the uncertainty.

There were times, I now admit, it was difficult to focus on the positive.  Namely, how my experiences handling adversity have brought me renewed strength to stand up to new adversities to undoubtedly come.

But, indeed, I have come to realize that ANY OF US can survive the tough times. All you need is the gumption, the resilience, the persistence- and the Faith - to stay the course, keep your standards high, and work hard, sometimes what seems to be unbearably hard, toward your goals.

I started my career as a Real Estate Practitioner 17 years ago. Our Team has enjoyed the sweet taste of success during the good times, and the more bitter pill of the handling fewer, and far more difficult, transactions, in recent months.

But . . . WE'RE STILL HERE!  A bit tattered, but STILL HERE, while others have failed, and floundered, and fallen off the wagon!

Surviving adversity has given us the optimism to press onward.  And the courage to plan for success that often follows what often seems like failure.

Indeed, what hasn't killed us, has made us stronger.  Better!  Far more skillful!  And more prepared.

As I sit here - on 1-1-11 -  I feel more empowered than I have for a long while - a couple of years, at least.

Because I have Faith of the Heart!

Indeed, "My Time is Finally Near!"

Is yours?

C'mon . . . let us know!

Visit our Chicago Real Estate Blog via BlogChicagoHomes.com.

DEAN MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO