How to Prepare for Mortgage Refinancing

how to prepare for mortgage refinancingWith rates bouncing into near historic lows, it might seem like a great time to look into mortgage refinancing. But with so much still unsettled in the economy and the coronavirus fallout still uncertain, experts expect rates – and processes – to fluctuate for weeks to come.

It’s a combination of factors that has left many lenders with a record number of re-finance applications and a diminished capacity for processing them. Lenders are taking two to three times longer to process loans, according to our mortgage expert.

At the same time, the mortgage secondary market – in which investors purchase packages of closed loans – is showing little interest in packages of loans with very low interest rates during a period of heightened economic risk.
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Cook County Assessor’s Office Opens Palatine Township for 2016 Property Tax Appeals

The Cook County Assessor’s Office has announced that assessment notices were mailed on April 7, 2016, for Palatine Township.Cook County Property Tax Appeal

The deadline to file a 2016 property tax appeal at the Cook County Assessor’s Office is May 9, 2016.

Palatine Township valuation statistics can be found here.

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Cook County Assessor Extends Deadline for 9 Townships

May 1stThe Cook County Assessor’s Office has extended the deadline for 2020 property tax appeals for nine Townships. The Assessor’s deadline to appeal your 2020 assessed value is now May 1st for the following townships:

  • Evanston
  • Norwood Park
  • Rogers Park
  • New Trier
  • Barrington
  • River Forest
  • Riverside
  • Oak Park
  • Palos

We recommend property owners review their assessments annually and appeal whenever there is a strong evidence based argument that your home may not be assessed fairly. Barrington, New Trier, Norwood Park, and Evanston Townships were reassessed in 2019 but even if you appealed last year you may appeal your assessment again this year. A successful appeal in 2020 may result in two years of savings, until Barrington, New Trier, Norwood Park, and Evanston are reassessed in 2022. Rogers Park Township’s next triennial reassessment is scheduled for 2021. River Forest, Riverside, Oak Park, and Palos triennial reassessments occurred between February and March of this year. Any savings received in 2020 for River Forest, Riverside, Oak Park, and Palos will last for 3 years, until the next triennial reassessment in 2023. The best way to ensure you never pay more than your fair share in property taxes is to review your assessment every year and appeal whenever you have a strong basis for an appeal argument, no matter where your township is at in the triennial reassessment cycle.
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Reassessment Hikes Hit Some Evanston Homeowners Hard

Reassessment Hikes Hit Some Evanston Homeowners HardSome Evanston homeowners seeing the results of the recently completed property tax reassessment are reeling from increases of more than 50 percent, according to news reports.

The reassessment, while conducted under a formula tweaked by a new tax assessor working to revamp the much-criticized processes under his predecessor, is not expected to bring much good news to the county’s northernmost townships, particularly for homeowners along the lakefront.

Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, who urged residents to appeal their assessments both to the assessor’s office and to the Cook County Board of Review, reported through his office that homeowners along the lake had median increases in assessed values of 50%, while those in Evanston’s south and southwest neighborhoods had median increases of between 6% and 9%.
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Could Being a “Sanctuary City” Increase Cook County Property Taxes?

Chicago & Cook County SanctuariesIn the US, a sanctuary city, county or state is one that limits cooperation with federal immigration officials regarding undocumented immigrants to help them avoid deportation.

This has recently drawn the ire of the Trump Administration, who has passed an executive order to withdraw federal funding for sanctuary cities.

This could amount to $27 billion of federal funding withdrawn from 106 sanctuary cities, according to a recent Forbes article.
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Palos Township 2019 Assessment Notices Mailed

Palos Township Image2019 property assessment notices were mailed by the Cook County Assessor’s office on Friday, April 5th to Palos Township property owners. The following towns are in Palos Township: Bridgeview (south ¼), Hickory Hills (south ¾), Orland Park (small northern part), Palos Heights (west ½), Palos Hills, Palos Park, Willow Springs (south portion), and Worth (west ¼). The 30 day window to appeal your 2019 assessed value is now open until the deadline of Monday, May 6th.

We believe homeowners should review their assessments annually and appeal each year if there is a strong argument that their home may not be assessed fairly. Palos Township’s next triennial reassessment will be in 2020. However, if you feel that your assessment is not fair there is no need to wait to appeal, you have the option to appeal every year at the Assessor’s office and at the Board of Review. If you’d like a second opinion on your assessed value as it compares to similar homes in your neighborhood contact us for a free, no obligation, review and analysis of your home.
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High Cost of Local Government Keeps Property Taxes High

Cook County Property Tax Appeals & High Cost of Local GovernmentMore than 140 Illinois local government employees earned more than the governor, according to an Open The Books analysis of 2017 Illinois local government payrolls.

From park district bosses who earn $239,000 a year to 89 small town and village administrators paid in excess of $190,000 a year – more than any governor in the United States – the organization identified a wide list of Illinois public employees whose compensation packages are generous, to say the least.

This is yet another reason why property taxes continue to increase, with appealing them as your only source of relief.
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Assessor’s Office Mails 2017 Palos Reassessment Notices

Palos Township ImageThe Cook County Assessor’s Office mailed the 2017 triennial reassessment notices for Palos Township on Monday April 3rd. If you live in Palos Township the deadline to appeal your assessment is Wednesday, May 3rd. The savings generated from a successful appeal may last until your next reassessment in 2020.

Cook County townships are divided into 3 groups for the purposes of reassessment within a triennial cycle. Palos Township is part of the south suburban group which was last reassessed in 2014 and is currently being reassessed in 2017. For complete Palos Township 2017 valuation statistics click here.

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Palos Township Assessment Notices Mailed

Palos Township ImageThe Cook County Assessor’s Office mailed assessment notices to Palos Township property owners on Tuesday, April 3rd. Homeowners in Palos Township have until the deadline of May 3rd to appeal their assessment at the Assessor’s Office. A second opportunity to appeal at the Board of Review will become available later in the year.

We recommend you review your assessment each year, even if you appealed and won last year, since it is possible to appeal every year and this may be the best way to ensure you don’t pay more than your fair share in property taxes. Others also recommend appealing twice per year, every year.
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