Some people still own typewriters. Many more have mastered the new-fangled intricacies of e-mail. There are folks who even continue to put pen to paper. And you could swear a rare few haven’t progressed beyond beating sticks and banging drums. Thus we communicate:
To: Steve Kerch
Your article ” `Sense of Place’ means Chicago is in top ranks” (Dec. 3) struck a nice chord but obviously it could go further. My example would be on the level of natural factors, nature connecting people with this place. Our environment, our Chicago Wilderness, helps give many of us a sense of place.
In Chicagoland, our prairies, savannas and oak forests are rich with nature. Many of these places, really more like 95 percent, are Forest Preserves. And we are getting some new green space.
Specifically, Cook County Forest Preserve President John Stroger has committed to acquiring 500 acres of natural areas and connecting greenway. This is in addition to a 200-acre “Walter Payton Greenway” in the Barrington area. This package is funded and the money is being spent.
Also, Mayor Daley and Gov. Ryan are committed to preserving vital natural lands in the Calumet area, and they announced a funding plan to do just that. Further, Orland Park passed a $20 million open space referendum. While this is a local effort, it will provide lands we all can enjoy.
I’d love to provide you with a short video entitled “This is Chicago Wilderness” if you could give me an address.
— John Sheerin, Friends of the Forest Preserves
I’m afraid the VCR in my house is pretty much tied up. If you could recut your video into something like “Rugrats 3: Adventure in the Chicago Wilderness,” I might be able to get it onto the Dynamic Daughter’s schedule.
Hi Steve
I found your Sunday (Jan. 7) article interesting, specifically regarding Internet growth. I live in a town home on Seven Bridges golf course in Lisle and am going to sell it. I feel my place will sell quite easily based on prior sales of similar homes on my street.
I want to try selling my home myself. I am in the title insurance business and am quite familiar with the entire closing process, etc.
Can you recommend any Web sites/services to help me market my home on the Internet without using a Realtor? Any other services that help people sell their home outside the traditional Realtor network would be appreciated also.
— Donald R. Benno
Not looking for a lot of referral work from the real estate community, huh? If you’re sure you want to go it alone, the latest For Sale by Owner Web site to cross my desk was list4free.com. Others abound: fsbo.net, soldbyowner.com, fsboconnection.com, fsbo-home.com and homeweb.com among them.
Dear Mr. Kerch,
I recently began reading your columns. I always have read the Real Estate section because I like to read the Upper Bracket column, but one article of yours caught my eye, and I’ve gotten hooked.
Because I, too, own an old house, I find your remodeling articles hilarious. I saved your window articles after reading most of them to my husband. (He hates when I do that.) Your end of the year article (Dec. 31) was so funny I almost fell off my chair.
I am a nut about boxing up items as well, and have bought numerous plastic tubs to store our accumulated stuff. I am most proud of my green and red tubs I recently bought for our Christmas items. Now I can find them easily instead of frantically searching through boxes of baby clothes.
Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I look forward to your columns and reach for the Real Estate section first, so I can start off my Sunday with a good laugh.
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— Amy Fazekas
You do realize that half the columns I write are supposed to be serious, don’t you? Don’t you?
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