Gene's Bit of Blogging

Cook County

Information Available at the Tips of Your Fingers. Tapping Information Available Through Chicagoland County Websites

Gene Mundt, Sr. Vice President - Chicago Bancorp: Posted on Monday, January 30, 2012 3:14 PM

Information Available at the Tips of Your Fingers.

Tapping Information Available Through

Chicagoland County Websites

Why and How It's Important ...

I've written more than a few times, that I have a background of over 20+ years as a licensed IL Real Estate Appraiser. Back when I started in the mortgage business, it wasn't uncommon for mortgage lenders to have dual responsibilities within their companies like this.

Contact Services and Info from Gene Mundt, Chicago Bancorp mortgage lender

And of all the additional things I've studied, learned, and tackled within the framework of my years of mortgage services, I've found that my appraising education and experience has proven the most beneficial to me in conducting my services ... and my clients. It's just been immeasurable.

To say that "things have changed" somewhat over the years is an understatement. The amount of information now available to a professional Appraiser is almost mind-boggling.

One of the greatest advantages for Appraisers performing appraisals in Will County, IL can now be found through the County's Supervisor of Assessments' website. The Plats of Subdivision for the entire County of Will ... Township by Township ... Section by Section ... Acre by Acre ... Lot by Lot ... and Parcel by Parcel ... is now available just by "clicking" on the Supervisor of Assessments' site.

As a former Appraiser that had to lug and then search through huge mountainous books of information years ago, that fact alone is amazing to me. Those cumbersome books were unbelievably costly to possess too, I may add. Now? Click, click, click ... and that information is yours ... FREE. And whether a professional or a member of the general public. Rather impressive, I'd say.

The information contained within the Will County Supervisor of Assessments' website is accessed easily. The whole website is very "user-friendly". But the same can be said for the other County Departments regarding taxes, recordings, and more. I think Will County has done an exceptionally good job at making this information easily attainable for all that visit their sites. Much the same can be said for other Counties in the Chicagoland area.

Now, you must by this time be asking, "Why should I care about all of this"?

Contact to Gene Mundt, Chicago Bancorp Mortgage Lender

As a Realtor/Broker ... This valuable County information is available to you easily, as well. Research and verifications of tax bills, tax amounts, Assessor's records of recently transacted sales, Recorder's filings for deeds, mortgages, mortgage releases, and more ... are easily found, verified, and then utilized within your transactions. Click ... done! No more chasing down the info like in the past.

Mortgage Lenders ... must access and utilize the same information. Having it as accessible as it is now is fantastic. And that great benefit trickles down to home buying transactions too.

Within my own Mortgage Lending services, it's proven to be immensely beneficial when questions or issues regarding a potential purchased property itself has been raised ... even prior to actual mortgage application. Having the deep well of information contained within these websites has been an unbelievably wonderful asset and pool of information for me. It's assisted me in servicing my clients and referral partners' mortgage lending needs more quickly and thoroughly. It's saved my clients and referral partners time, money, AND frustration.

As a Resident or member of the Public ... the addition of this multitude of information to these Will County websites must not be overlooked. YOU now have simple and easy access to information that was once much harder for you to obtain. That YOUR County of Will (and others) has undertaken the task of making this information available to you, shows great commitment on their part. The task must have been staggering both in the amount of data to be entered and the time it took to complete it.

I've provided a listing below, of a few of the Illinois Counties within the Chicagoland area that are providing a wealth of real estate-related information within their County websites. Bookmark or save this blog. The information contained below is very useful and may benefit you immensely at some point in the future, whether for personal or business purposes.

As always, should you have any questions regarding the information you seek, please feel free to contact me. I'll provide whatever information or assistance that I can to help serve your needs.

Cook/Chicagoland

Counties' Websites & Info

Will County, IL:

Supervisor of Assessments Website: www.willcountysoa.com/

Will County Assessors Directory: www.willcountysoa.com/assessor-information.aspx

Will County Treasurer's Website: www.willcountytreasurer.com

Du Page County, IL:

Supervisor of Assessments Website: www.dupageco.org/soa

Du Page County Assessors Directory:

www.dupageco.org/SOA/1488

Du Page County Treasurer's Website: www.dupageco.org/treasurer

Kane County, IL:

Supervisor of Assessments Website: www.co.kane.il.us/soa

Kane County Assessors Directory:

www.co.kane.il.us/soa/assessorlist.htm

Kane County Treasurer's Website: www.kanecountytreasurer.org

Cook County, IL:

Supervisor of Assessments Website: cookcountyassessor.com

Cook County Assessors Directory: cookcountyassessor.com/townshipassessors.aspx

Cook County Treasurer's Website: www.cookcountytreasurer.com

Lake County, IL:

Supervisor of Assessments Website: www.lakecountyil.gov/Assessor/Pages/Default.aspx

Lake County Assessors Directory: www.lakecountyil.gov/Assessor/Townships/Pages/Default.aspx

Lake County Treasurer's Website: www.lakecountyil.gov/Treasurer/Pages/default.aspx

Grundy County, IL:

Supervisor of Assessors Website:

www.grundyco.org/assessor/assessor.shtml

Grundy County Municipalities & Townships: www.grundyco.org/communities/communities.shtml

Grundy County Treasurer's Website: www.grundyco.org/treasurer/treasurer.shtml

Kendall County, IL:

Supervisor of Assessors Website: www.co.kendall.il.us/assessors/index.htm

Kendall County Assessors Directory: www.co.kendall.il.us/assessors/township_assessors.htm

Kendall County Treasurer's Website: www.co.kendall.il.us/treasurer/index.htm

McHenry County, IL:

Supervisor of Assessors Website: www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/assessments/Pages/index.aspx

McHenry County Assessors Directory: www.co.mchenry.il.us/departments/assessments/Pages/AssmtInfo.aspx

McHenry County Treasurer's Website: www.mchenrytreasurer.org/common/countydpt/treas/default.aspx

* Thinking of buying a home ... or refinancing ... in Will County or neighboring Chicagoland counties? Let me put my 35 years of experience and expertise to work on your behalf. Contact me today. We'll work together to find you the best possible mortgage and mortgage terms available to you. Terms that will cement a brighter financial future.

I can be reached at any of the following:

Direct: 815.277.4036 Cell/Text: 708.921.6331

Email: gene@chicagobancorp.com

Website: www.genemundt.com

Skype: 630.219.1316

Click Here 4 a: NO Cost NO Obligation Mortgage Consultation

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Proving To Be a Hard Pill to Swallow. The Cheapening of a Chicago Iconic Site ...

Gene Mundt, Sr. Vice President - Chicago Bancorp: Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 10:31 AM

Proving To be a Hard Pill to Swallow.

The Cheapening of a Chicago Iconic Site ...

Before I even enter into this post, I want to state ... "I get it". I understand cities and local governments (especially in the State of IL) are having a rough time keeping their services going, meeting their bills.

And I know new and creative ways must be considered to address those issues .. to raise funds. I do understand that. I get it. The City of Chicago is no exception to this reality.

However, there are just some things that seem .... well, wrong. When done and seen, they just cheapen beyond acceptability. In my opinion, there are still ... even in this day and age ... some things that should just be considered off limits. Call me old-fashioned.

For those that live in the Chicagoland area, or that have visited our wonderful City of Chicago, you have no doubt seen and visited many of the beautiful and historical works of architecture our City has to offer. Many of those buildings and sites are also iconic and hold a special place in our memories and our hearts. The stately Chicago River bridge houses fall in this category.

These bridge houses have now fallen victim to modern realism ... ugly advertising signs. And to me, that fact is just made worse by the choice of advertiser they sold/allowed space to use these bridges as their billboard. It adds real bite to the blight.

Take a look at a picture of these Chicago River bridge houses as they stand today through December 12th. I wonder ... what's next???

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Chicago Toy and Game Fair to be Held November 19 and 20, 2011 at Navy Pier in Chicago

Gene Mundt, Sr. Vice President - Chciago Bancorp: Posted on Thursday, November 10, 2011 7:25 PM

Chicago Toy and Game Fair to be Held

November 19 and 20, 2011 at Navy Pier

Anyone that has kids to shop for during the Holidays knows ... toys and games aren't inexpensive. And the pressure to find just "THEE" right gift can be staggering for a gift-giver too.

So finding out that there is an opportunity to preview, try-out, and play with the latest and hottest toys and games PRIOR to purchasing them, sounds all too good to be true.

But it's not ...

On November 19th and 20th, Navy Pier Festival Hall B, located at Navy Pier in Chicago(600 East Grand Avenue), is hosting the annual Chicago Toy and Game Fair. Sometimes known as ChiTAG, this Fair is the largest toy and game fair open to the public in the US.

Attendees get to play to their hearts content amongst toys and games, old and new. They also have opportunities to meet some of the inventors of the games and find out how they came about being created.

Take a peek at what you can expect at this amazing Chicago Toy and Game Fair being held at Navy Pier on November 19th and 20th, 2011:

You need Flash Player in order to view this.

ChiTAG 2011 - Come Out & Play!

Scenes from the 2010 Chicago Toy and Game Fair. We can't wait to show you everything we have planned for ChiTAG 2011!

After browsing the Chicago Toy and Game Fair and trying-out toys and games, attendees also have a chance to get some Holiday Shopping done. 90% of the vendors and inventors sell directly from their booths. So bring that Holiday Shopping List of yours along.

Hours for the Chicago Toy and Game Fair are:

Saturday: 10 am to 6 pm

Sunday: 10 am to 5 pm

Cost to attend the Chicago Toy and Game Fair is:

Children: $ 5.00

Adults: $10.00

Click Here 4 a Coupon for $2 Off

Complimentary Admission:

Free Admission for the following groups and their immediate families is available. Please contact: info@chitag.com for further details.

Educators & Librarians (offline, tba)
Scouts in uniform (offline, tba)
Retail & Trade
Military (with ID)
Police Officers (with ID)
Firefighters (with ID)

Bring Your Grandparents Day

Sunday November 20th is Bring Your Grandparents Day! Children are invited to bring their grandparents to the Chicago Toy and Game Fair. Grandparents attend FREE that day.

All sorts of special events are planned throughout this two-day event. A Holiday Toy Drive to benefit the Metro Chicago YMCA and Kidz Korna is also taking place during the Fair, so please consider giving generously while in attendance.

The Chicago Toy and Game Fair, November 19th and November 20th, 2011 at Navy Pier ... don't miss it!

* And if you have another kind of Holiday Shopping in mind ... and that's shopping for a new Chicagoland home ... please contact me. With over 35 years of mortgage experience, knowledge, and expertise, I can guide your successfully through the pre-qualification and mortgage process to help you purchase your new home.

I can be contacted through any of the following means:

Direct: 815.277.4036 Cell/Text: 708.921.6331

Skype: 630.219.1316 Email: gene@chicagobancorp.com

Website: www.genemundt.com

Click Here 4 a: NO Cost NO Obligation Mortgage Consultation

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Cook County (IL) 2nd Installment Taxes Due November 1st, 2011. Cook County Treasurer's Office Makes Payment Convenient

Gene Mundt, Sr. Vice President - Chicago Bancorp: Posted on Wednesday, October 05, 2011 11:15 AM

Cook County (IL) tax bills were mailed as of October 1, 2011, on over 1.7 MILLION pieces of property owned within the county. That's a staggering amount of paperwork and accounting for the Cook County Treasurer's Office to handle.

Cook County (IL) Second installment tax payments of Cook County tax bills are due November 1, 2011. Any payments received AFTER that date, will incur a 1.5% penalty per month on unpaid balances.

The Treasurer's Office of Cook County wants to make payment of these bills as convenient and easy a process for property owners as possible. In order to accomplish that, Cook County and the Treasurer's Office provide multiple options for payment of Cook County taxes.

Cook County taxes can be paid at/by:

cookcountytreasurer.com - Website for convenient online payment of Cook County tax bills. You will be asked to reference your 14-digit Property Index Number (PIN) located at the top of your tax bill.
Any Chase Bank location - If paying at a Chase Bank location, you must have your original payment coupon in your possession. You will be asked to produce this payment coupon upon payment.
Pay by Mail - The original payment coupon must accompany your tax payment. Your check must have your 14-digit Property Index Number (PIN) written on it. To avoid late payment penalties, all tax payments must be POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 1, 2011.
Partial Payments are also accepted

The City of Chicago and Cook Countyare home to many of the world's nationalities. The Polish and Spanish communities represent two of the nationalities represented in largest numbers in the area.

As a service to the members of these two largest local communities, and to make communication and information exchanges more easy for their members, the Office of the Cook County Treasurer has established a telephone line providing general information regarding taxes and tax payments in the Polish and Spanish languages. That telephone number is: 312.443.5100.

Polish and Spanish-speaking callers may also visit cookcountytreasurer.com and read the same general information in their native language online.

The Office of the Cook County Treasurerreminds taxpayers that their office will be closed on October 10, 2011 in observance of Columbus Day. Chase Bank locations will be open and available to receive 2nd Installment tax payments that day.

As a property owner in Cook County, should you have questions, or be in need of any Cook County property tax-related forms (such as name/address change forms, duplicate/overpayment forms, etc.), please go to the Office of the Cook CountyTreasurer website and/or click on FORMS.

The mailing address of theOffice of the Cook County Treasurer is as follows:

Cook County Treasurer's Office

118 N. Clark St., Suite 112

Chicago, IL 60602

To email the Office of the Cook County Treasurer, please click HERE. A drop-down menu will be provided for your choice and selection of question-related/needs.

Please do not forget: 2nd Installment Payments of Cook County Tax Bills are due no later than November 1st, 2011!

Also: Should your Cook County taxes be paid through an escrow account ... remember to check that the payment has been made and made in the accurate amount.

* Should you be in need of a refinance or new home mortgage in Cook County, IL or the Chicagoland region, please contact me. I have over 35 years of successful mortgage experience and expertise with which to assist you and answer your questions.

I can be contacted through any of the following:

Direct: 815.277.4036 Cell/TEXT: 708.921.6331 Email: gene@chicagobancorp.com Website: www.genemundt.com Skype: 630.219.1316 Click: For a NO Cost NO Obligation Mortgage Consultation

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The "Giving Garden" Program. How to Donate or Participate in Kane, DuPage, McHenry, Cook, and Lake Counties, in Illinois

Gene Mundt, Sr. Vice President - Chicago Bancorp: Posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 10:43 AM

While reading the online Daily Herald today, I ran across information on the "Giving Garden" effort sponsored by the paper. Given I had just posted an article regarding Chicagoland Farmer's/French Markets recently on my own blog site, the colorful ad and article really caught my eye.

Every summer, the Daily Herald newspaper sponsors what they call the "Giving Garden" program. For those gardeners with green thumbs (and producing extra fruits and vegetables) in the Chicagoland counties of Kane, DuPage, Cook, McHenry, and Lake counties, in IL ... this program offers an opportunity to help their fellow residents suffering from the present economic downturn. For families having a hard time putting food on their table, this is a godsend program.

Many community organizations also take part in this annual sponsored program. Cub Scout Pack 1047 of Gilberts, IL has planted a "Giving Garden" again this year that will benefit this charitable annual summer effort. Through their efforts, the members of Cub Scout Park 1047 will grow, tend, and harvest well over 1000 vegetables for contribution. In past years, this Pack has donated all of their crops to the FISH food pantry in Carpentersville. Their efforts helped feed the 400+ families that turn to that organization for assistance.

This is definitely a "win-win" effort for all that take part. There is the obvious win for those receiving these healthy foods for their families. But it is a huge win for the contributors too. They know that the extra foods they produce will not go to waste and will find their way to good use.

The "Giving Garden" program sponsored by the Daily Herald newspaper runs now throughSeptember. The list of donation drop-off locations is plentiful and too long to print here ... but click on the following link to find the complete list of places where donations are accepted:

http://saxo.dailyherald.com/article/20110610/entlife/706139997/

Whether offering a donation of your gardening efforts ... or a recipient of someone's donation and generosity, consider participating in the wonderful "Giving Garden" program.

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Cook County

Information Available at the Tips of Your Fingers. Tapping Information Available Through Chicagoland County Websites

Proving To Be a Hard Pill to Swallow. The Cheapening of a Chicago Iconic Site ...

Chicago Toy and Game Fair to be Held November 19 and 20, 2011 at Navy Pier in Chicago

Cook County (IL) 2nd Installment Taxes Due November 1st, 2011. Cook County Treasurer's Office Makes Payment Convenient

The "Giving Garden" Program. How to Donate or Participate in Kane, DuPage, McHenry, Cook, and Lake Counties, in Illinois