Despite a persistent urban legend about an act of God, the bottom line is that the law throughout Illinois encourages you – and in Chicago requires you – to shovel your sidewalk.

Nest, Ring, and similar home devices should be conveyed with the home because they are attached to your home. Plan ahead if you’d prefer to keep yours.

Cook County's senior freeze exemption can save homeowners thousands of dollars a year. But that windfall hides a big tax hit when you sell the property, because tax prorations on closing day are calculated without the exemption.

Even the most hard-core do-it-yourselfers understand that there’s more to a home sale than filling in the blanks on a pre-printed contract. I believe most FSBO sellers don’t seriously consider trying to complete the whole process without an attorney, but just in case you’re wondering what that extra few hundred bucks buys you, here are some things an attorney does for the seller in a real estate deal.