Abe Loper's (chicagoabe) Blog

As I write this, I'm struck with an accute awareness of my audience.  I already know that most of you are reading this blog looking to prove, once and for all, that I am, in fact, nuts.  I'll concede that point streight away, so let there be no more discussion of my sanity.  Instead, let's turn o...

As I was reading a blog (on a different site) recently, I made a comment that we should all keep in mind.  Ryan Dehler wrote a wonderfully inquisitive blog that questioned why we even teach others to do what we do, as it, more or less, creates competition for us.  Colin wrote a thorough and well ...

Ok, everyone, I'm gonna let you in on an amazing secret I recently discovered.  It's more or less a loop hole in the way banks lend money.  I know it sounds like I'm giving out fairy dust here, but I swear this makes sense.  Here's how it works. If you currently have a HELOC (home equity line of ...

As many of you may have seen, there has been a rash of ads for 1% home loans lately.  I just checked out one site in particular.  It's what we call an Option Arm.  They've got a really bad reputation, but aren't all that bad.  It just depends on what sort of investor you are.  Here's the skinny.I...

Hey, I was recently leaving a comment on a user's blog and realized that the information could be good for everyone.  So here it is."I recommend you start an LLC for EACH of your investment properties.  For example, you would have one called "123 Main St. LLC".  And another called "8910 Washingto...

I'm gonna try to make this quick, as it seems that spending all day reading blogs might not be the best use of our collective time.  But, I think this is important to know.  Fellow investors, especially those of you who are "buy and hold" investors, let me give you a quick tip.  1) If you live in...

  HB4050 is the short term for House Bill 4050, which was passed this past year in Illinois. The long and the short of it is this. In order to cut down on predatory lending and foreclosures, the state house thought that it would be a good idea to locate the 10 most victimized zip codes in the sta...

This is a true story about me, Abe, and my first buying experience.  Hopefully there will be someone on here that will benefit from this first-hand account of a predatory lender.   Back in 2003, at the age of 24, I decided to buy my own place.  I had been looking online at the market in Chicago a...

So, I've been getting into real estate investing these last few years and I've been blessed to have some incredibly wise men and women surround me in the process. One thing I've learned is the value of owning property of any sort. It's seriously a stewarship decision for me. I'd hate to be given ...