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May 2017
As you can see, we are using a different newsletter format. We hope you like it!  It allows us to make it more personal and we think it flows nicer for better readability. You might not see the entire newsletter in your e-mail - click the link in your e-mail provider to read it to the bottom.
 
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Win a Free $10 Coffee Card!


It's easy to win! Look for the quiz question further down in this newsletter (scroll or click your e-mail link to see more), then click the button to email your answer.  We will post the winner next month.

Featured Listings

770 Wildwood Dr, New Lenox
PRICE REDUCED!  4 bdrms, 3.5 baths, finished basement, big back yard, some new carpet. Great location.
6541 Oak Forest Ave, Tinley Park
NEW LISTING!  3 bdrm end unit townhouse with 2.5 baths, finished basement with storage & garage. 

From a Mother’s Point of View


Dan came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty juice boxes and food wrappers strewn around the garden.

The front door was open and there was no sign of the dog. Inside, Dan found a lamp knocked over, the rug piled against a wall, the TV blaring a cartoon, and the family room strewn with toys and clothing. In the kitchen dishes filled the sink. Cereal and juice were spilled on the floor.

Dan ran upstairs looking for his wife, worried that something had happened to her.

He stepped over piles of toys and a heap of toilet paper in the hallway and rushed to the bedroom. He found his wife curled up in her pajamas, reading a book. She looked up, smiled, and asked how his day went.

Dan cried out in disbelief, 'What happened here today?'

His wife smiled serenely and answered, 'You know every day when you come home from work, and you ask me sarcastically what in the world I do all day?'

'Yes,' was Dan’s startled reply.

His wife answered, 'Well, today, I didn't do it.'

Illinois Association of Realtors No Longer Providing Mold Disclosures

Read my take here & then click to view the video

Why Does Reheated Coffee Taste So Bad?


It has nothing to do with the microwave and everything to do with the volatility of aromas and chemicals in coffee.  Coffee is all about science. The drink has over 1,000 aroma compounds, plus a complex profile of proteins and acids.

Several studies point out that the intensity of the 'roasty-sulfury' odor of coffee plays a key role in how it tastes. The odor decreases rapidly after initial brewing as it loses those aromatics to evaporation, resulting in a loss of taste.

Also, some of the different compounds in coffee fall out of solution as it cools. Proteins tend to sink to the bottom while oils float to the top, leaving a skim of oil on top of old coffee. Also the acidity increases, and the taste becomes sourer.

Essentially, the flavor profile breaks apart and can't be put back together again—just like Humpty Dumpty.

Are You Thinking of Selling Your Home This Year?


Let’s talk about how and when to list your home, what to expect as it sells, and what you can do to boost your home's selling price. Call for an appointment: 708-536-8200

Dogs Speak Volumes with Their Tails


Scientists have discovered that dogs communicate far more information about their emotions to each other with their tails than was previously believed.

Research conducted by neuroscientists at the University of Trento, Italy, showed that dogs’ tails tend to move slightly more to the right if they are happy. If they are experiencing negative emotions, such as feeling threatened, then their tail will move slightly more to the left.

While the subtle bias in movement can be difficult for humans to detect, when video footage of the behavior is slowed down it becomes more obvious. Dogs, however, seem to be able to pick up on these signals just fine. The researchers found that dogs' heart rates increased and they showed signs of anxiety when they saw a strange dog with its tail wagging slightly to the left.

If the dog met a strange dog whose tail wagged slightly to the right, then the animals remained calm and showed a relaxed heart rate. Scientists attribute this to a similar function in human brains—the left/right bias of our brains to produce different emotions.
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What’s that Porch-thingy Called?


In case you've ever wondered what the difference is between all those appendages we stick to the outsides of our homes, here's a short glossary of terms:

Pergola. A cover made of slats with open gaps between the slats, intended for decoration and to support the growth of vines.
Porch. A covered shelter projecting from the front entrance of a house. It may be enclosed by walls, columns or screens.
Veranda. A roofed platform along the outside of a house, usually level with main floor of the house, and often extending across both the front and the sides of the house. Consider this to be a long porch.
Lanai. A type of roofed, open-sided veranda, patio, or porch originating in Hawaii. The sides are screened to allow air flow, but keep mosquitoes out.
Deck. A flat, usually roofless platform adjoining a house, typically elevated.
Outdoor Room. Can be a porch, veranda, or deck, but also a gazebo, garage, or shed, partially enclosed, with at least one wall open to the elements. The roof is water-tight so the room can be furnished as an extended living space.

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We're Obsessed with MidCentury Modern

According to an article by Laura Fenton in Curbed Magazine online, the midcentury modern "look" is everywhere. "If you dine in a contemporary restaurant, there's a chance you'll be seated in a chair that was designed in the 1950s."

The term "midcentury modern" stems from author Cara Greenberg, who says she simply made up the phrase for the title of her 1984 book, Midcentury Modern: Furniture of the 1950s.

The book sold more than 100,000 copies, and once people heard the term "midcentury modern," it made simple sense to them. Midcentury literally means the middle of the century, or the 1950s, so there was no explanation required. Furniture of that era had an iconic style, slightly Scandinavian, with slanted angles rather than straight up and down lines. Consumers today are attracted to those clean, organic lines, as opposed to the overstuffed look of furniture from the 1990s.

Fenton points out that midcentury design is by no means the only furniture style to have come back into vogue after its day. In the late 1960s, Art Deco became popular, and the term "art deco" was coined only after a later generation took an interest in the period.

While most of us can tell the difference between art deco and midcentury modern when we see it, few of us could properly describe the difference. It's that recognition and sense of “belonging” that attracts us to style and design, and drives us to live among the furnishings of a particular period.

Perhaps someday, "latecentury square" will describe the furnishings of the 1990s, and our Pottery Barn furniture will have become a collector's item.

Thank You Friends!


Thank you to all our clients & friends who've trusted us to help them and their friends, family, and co-workers. We want to remind you that even if someone is buying and/or selling in an area you don't think we work in, ask us first!  We handle a wide area.  Even out of state, we can find a great referral agent.  Call us at 708-536-8200.

Mid-Year Money Checkup


At the start of the year, many of us are more financially conscious than we are towards the middle. That's why financial advisors recommend a mid-year "consciousness-raising" financial checkup in these 5 areas:

1. Spending. Are you overspending on luxury items, such as subscriptions and dining out?
2. Savings. Are you putting a consistent amount away each month, and are you reaching your stretch goal?
3. Maintenance. Are you spending enough on maintenance that you avoid large costs from possible break-downs in cars, appliances, healthcare, etc.?
4. Earning. Are you earning enough to support your lifestyle? Do you need to take a side job to earn extra income?
5. Investing. Are you investing regularly for college, retirement, buying a home, etc.?

May Quiz Question

What year did Woodrow Wilson designate Mother's Day?
Click here to send your answer now!

 

What's the best way to pay my mortgage off earlier?


Paying your mortgage off faster makes you more secure, and saves you tens of thousands of dollars (possibly hundreds of thousands) in interest. If you could knock 5 or more years off your mortgage, that’s 5 years sooner you can retire, or 5 years’ worth of payments you can use to enjoy your retirement. Here are five common approaches to accelerating your mortgage. The one you choose depends on your financial situation.
  • Divide a single payment by 12. Add that amount to each monthly payment to make one extra payment a year.
  • Make an extra house payment quarterly to pay off a mortgage as much as 10 years earlier.
  • Pay half of your payment every two weeks, also known as bi-weekly payments.
  • Round up your payments so you’re paying at least a few extra dollars a month.
  • Increase your payment when you get a raise, bonus, or other windfall.
Call if you need a referral to a superior lender to discuss your options.
Copyright © 2017 The Judy Orr Team, All rights reserved.

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The Judy Orr Team
18305 Distinctive Dr
Orland Park, Illinois 60467

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