2017 Will County Farmer's Markets

2017 Will County Farmer's Markets 

Each year I share current dates and info regarding the many Farmer's Markets held throughout Will County, IL.

Why?  

Well first, I have a very proud "farmer's daughter" for a wife.  We support family farmers at our house.

But eating fresh fruits and vegetables is good for us too.  Did you know that the average American eats less than 2 servings of vegetables per day though? That's almost 5 times less than the amount recommended by physicians. 

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables found at local Will County Farmer’s Markets is a simple and economic way to introduce healthy alternatives into your diet.  Here are 7 ways you'll benefit from doing so:  (From HeadtoHealth.com)

1. You get 10-20 times more fiber in your diet without really trying
2. All nutrients are available in their natural form
3. You consume a lot less sugar and salt if you eat the real thing.
4. You experience more energy and you get full faster
5. You don’t spike your blood sugar nearly as high as you would with fruit juice or vegetable juice
6. You don’t consume as much sodium
7. Children get about 10x fewer cavities when they consume only fresh fruit and vegetables

If we can support our local farmers and eat healthier at the same time ... sounds like a "win-win" to me. So below, you'll find my list of the many Will County communities hosting Farmer's Markets during 2017. 

Hope you take the opportunity to visit many over the next few months ...

2017 Farmer's Markets in Will County, IL

Lockport, IL Farmers Market

Central Square Building - 222 E 9th St, Lockport, IL

Days Open: June - August 

Mondays: 4 - 8:30 pm

For more info: 815-838-1183 

Runs tandem with “Cruisin’ Into Lockport” 

Classic Car Shows 

Frankfort, IL Country Market 

100 Kansas Street, Frankfort, IL

Summer Market Hours: 9 am – 2 pm 

(June 4 through August 27)

Fall Market Hours: 9 am – 1 pm 

(September 10 through October 29)

Dog Friendly

Info: 815.954.9788

Joliet City Center Farmers Market

116 N. Chicago Street, Joliet

Fridays: 8 am - 2 pm

Dates: June 14th - September 27th 

Crafts, Music, Food & Drink, Activities, More!

Joliet Junior College Farmers Market

1215 Houbolt Rd., Joliet, IL (Greenhouse Parking Lot)

Dates: May 25th - September 14th

Thursdays: 2 - 6 pm

SNAP/LINK program funds accepted 

For more info: 815.280.6622

Channahon Farmers Market

Channahon Park District (along Rt. 6) 

24856 W. Eames Street

Starts June to August 

Tuesdays: 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

For more info: 815-467-PARK (7275)

Plainfield Historic Downtown Farmers' Market

Rte. 59 & Fort Beggs Drive, Plainfield 

15025 Illinois @Village Parking Lot

Days Open:  June 4 - September 17th

Sundays: 12 pm – 4 pm

Bolingbrook Farmers Market

@ The Promenade - 631 Boughton Road

June 15 – August 17 & August 31st

Thursdays: 4 – 9 pm

August 24 - September 7

Thursdays: 4 - 8 pm

Crete European Market

Main and Exchange Streets

Days Open: May 20 - October 7

Saturdays: 8 am - 1 pm

For more info: 708.672.0729

Naperville Farmers Market

Location: 5th Avenue Station Parking Lot  

200 E. 5th Avenue, Naperville

Dates: June 3rd thru October 28th 

(Rain or Shine)

Saturday: 7 am – 12 Noon

This is a Pet-Free Market

Info: (630) 369-5638 - napervillesfm@gmail.com

New Lenox Farmers Market

1 Veterans Parkway, New Lenox

Saturdays: 9 am -1 pm

This Farmer's Market accepts credit cards

Tinley Park Farmers Market

17375 S. Oak Park Avenue, Tinley Park 

(Zabrocki Plaza)

Opens: June 3rd and runs to Mid-October

Saturdays

Begins at: 7:30 am 

Free crafts for kids at 9 am on 6/3 and every 

Saturday morning until Labor Day weekend.

Will County Farmers Market

Louis Joliet Mall parking lot in Joliet

Sundays, 10 am - 2 pm

June - August

Info:  Paul Ward, Sr. Services Center of Will County 

@ 815-740-4215

* Note:  As these events can sometimes be changed or canceled, please check your local listings or contact the individual community for up-to-date info prior to leaving home.

Attend a Farmers Market in Will County. You'll improve your diet and save money ... all while supporting your local farmers.

  * Looking to find what possibilities exist for you?  Hoping to Buy or Refinance a Home in New Lenox, Will County, or elsewhere in the Chicagoland area?  Contact me!  I'll put my 40+ years of Mortgage experience and expertise hard to work on your behalf.

I'm easily found at:

Gene Mundt

Mortgage Originator - nmls #216987 - IL Lic. 031.0006220 - WI Licensed

American Portfolio Mortgage Corp.

nmls #175656

Direct: 815.524.2280

Cell/Text: 708.921.6331

eFax: 815.524.2281

www.genemundt.com

gmundt@goapmc.com

 

              

       

Gene Mundt, Mortgage Originator, an Originator with 40+ years of mortgage experience, will offer you exemplary mortgage service and advice when seeking: 

Conventional, FHA, VA, Jumbo, USDA, and Portfolio Loans in Chicago and the 

greater Chicagoland region, including: 

The Lincoln-Way Area, Will County, (New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, 

Manhattan, Joliet, Shorewood, Crest Hill, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, 

Romeoville, Naperville, etc.), DuPage County, the City of Chicago, Cook County, 

and elsewhere within IL & WI.

Your Referrals are Always Appreciated and Welcomed!

Can You Be a "Daydream Believer" & Buy a Chicagoland Home?

Can You Be a "Daydream Believer"

& Buy a Chicagoland Home?

Do you dream of owning a home?

If so, you're not alone.  Home ownership has been an integral part of the "American Dream" ... some say the defining portion ... for a long long time.  

The term "American Dream" was first coined by historian James Truslow Adams back in 1931 in his book "The Epic of America".  Adams wrote in that book, "The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement."

But the "American Dream" has taken a bit of a hit as of late ... and is now deemed unattainable by many younger potential home buyers.  In a new report conducted by search site Apartment List, it was found that "80% of millennials in Chicago want to buy a home, but 70% are waiting because they can't afford one."  

Is that really true though?  Do home buying options exist, that when implemented, could assist young Chicagoans dreaming of home buying?  Help solve their downpayment woes?  Help them qualify for a mortgage sooner than they think possible?

The short answer to those questions is "yes" ... but as typical with mortgages and financing, there are criteria that must be met in order to flex those home financing muscles ...

There's one option for financing that's often overlooked by young buyers when considering financing.  It can help them home buyers purchase a home sooner than they dreamed.  

Consider this scenario:  There's a son/daughter hoping to buy a home somewhere in the Chicago/Chicagoland area. They've been trying to save a down payment for their home purchase, but it's going slowly.  

What they've discovered when doing some preliminary research on the area's housing is that a mixture of positives and negatives currently exist in many Chicagoland housing markets:  

     Some negatives for Chicagoland Buyers:

• Housing prices in many Chicagoland housing markets are rising 
• There is a shortage of homes currently available for sale in most Chicagoland housing markets  
• Home buyers face competition from other buyers when they bid on a home 

     Some positives for Chicagoland Buyers:  

• Housing prices are rising more slowly than in other areas of the U.S. 
• The average time for a home to remain on the market is down ... meaning Sellers are motivated to sell and price their homes correctly

These mixed signs for housing have them a bit confused and disheartened.  They realize they can't save a down payment as quickly as home prices are rising, even at the slower current rate.  

Is there still some way for them to buy a home?  Do options exist for home buyers with small/no down payment or limited financial resources? 

Again, the answer is yes ... and one way to successfully accomplish this is to consider having a Non-Occupying Borrower co-signing with them on their loan.

What is a Non-Occupying Borrower?  They're a mortgage applicant on a residential property transaction that:

• Will not occupy the Subject Property being financed
• Will have joint liability for the Note with the Borrower(s)
• Will sign the Mortgage along with the Borrower
• Can assist with a down payment  

Who can fulfill that role?  

• The Non-Occupying Borrower must be related to you by blood, marriage or law ... i.e. a Father/Mother, Grandfather/Grandmother, Uncle/Aunt, Brother/Sister.

The responsibilities of a Non-Occupying Borrower are:  They agree to co-sign and be on the loan, knowing that they will be equally obligated for the loan and its repayment.  They also understand that the monthly debt/obligation of that loan will also be counted as their debt, should they ever seek financing for their own home, a car, or other credit.

Depending on the type of loan in play: There are varying effects resulting from the use of Non-Occupying Borrowers.  FHA, Conventional Loans allow this type of co-borrower.  VA does not (in MOST cases).

In most cases:  A Non-Occupying Borrower is essentially treated the same as the primary or Occupying Borrower.  A Non-Occupying Borrower must qualify from a credit standpoint.  They must also meet the same employment and income requirements as the Occupying Borrower.

The Non-Occupying Borrower's debt is considered during the qualifying process for financing, just as though they were going to live in the home.  In fact, the only real difference between Co-Signer/Non-Occupying Borrower and primary/Occupying Borrower is that of residency and the fact that they will not live in the home financed.

It's parents that most often decide to help out in this manner.  They offer to be Co-Borrowers with sons or daughters who lack sufficient income to qualify for a loan on their own.  

Other scenarios seen utilizing Non-Occupying Borrowers are:  

• A primary Occupying Borrower is buying a higher-priced home than what they alone qualify for (Debt-to-Income qualifying ratios (DTI) are insufficient to qualify).   
• Home Buyers that are still attending college.  This is a buying scenario that is gaining in popularity. 

If interested in gaining more info regarding this financing option, how it can help you buy, or considering the use of a Co-Borrower or Non-Occupying Borrower financing scenario to buy anywhere in the Chicagoland area ... let's talk. 

This type of purchase and financing can be used to offset and leverage the cost of housing's rising prices and the difficulties of savings a large down payment.  Utilizing the buying power of Non-Occupying Borrowers can help you become a homeowner sooner ... or when it might not have been possible otherwise.

Turn your dream into a plan ... contact me today!

Also helpful:  Considering Helping Your Child Buy a Home in Will County or Chicagoland? What Parents and/or Co-Signors Need to Know

And:  The ABC's of FHA Loans     

* In need of financing and credit answers? Looking to see what home buying or refinancing options exist for you in New Lenox, Will County, or elsewhere in the Chicagoland area? Contact me! I'll put my 40 years of Mortgage experience and expertise hard to work on your behalf.
I'm easily found at:

Gene Mundt

Mortgage Originator - nmls #216987 - IL Lic. 031.0006220 - WI Licensed

American Portfolio Mortgage Corp.

nmls #175656

Direct: 815.524.2280

Cell/Text: 708.921.6331

eFax: 815.524.2281

www.genemundt.com

gmundt@goapmc.com

 

              

       

Gene Mundt, Mortgage Originator, an Originator with 40+ years of mortgage experience, will offer you exemplary mortgage service and advice when seeking: 

Conventional, FHA, VA, Jumbo, USDA, and Portfolio Loans in Chicago and the 

greater Chicagoland region, including: 

The Lincoln-Way Area, Will County, (New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, 

Manhattan, Joliet, Shorewood, Crest Hill, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, 

Romeoville, Naperville, etc.), DuPage County, the City of Chicago, Cook County, 

and elsewhere within IL & WI.

Your Referrals are Always Appreciated and Welcomed!

    

   

It's Graduation Time: Are Graduates Financially Ready for the Next Step?

It's Graduation Time:

Are Graduates Financially Ready for the Next Step?

My nephew, Trent, graduated from high school this week.  He's just one of the approximately 3.4 million graduates graduating from U.S. public and private high schools this year.

I think back to when my wife and I were celebrating our 2 boys graduations.  It was an unbelievably exciting time for them and us.  But as parents, we also worried a bit.  We knew what lay ahead could prove challenging.  

Little did we know when we sent them off to college just what the definition of "challenging" would really mean ...  

Both of our boys graduated from college (one from law school, as well), then stepped out into the world looking for employment, during the economic "downturn" of the mid-to-late 2000's.  Challenging to say the least.

Now here it is 10+ years later.  Both met the challenges they faced and are doing well.  Thankfully.  

But although improved, the U.S. economy and its job market remain challenging for many graduates, both high school, and college.  Today's parents worry, just as Marilyn and I did, if their child is well and fully-prepared for what lies ahead.

I can tell you from my many years of experience as a Mortgage Originator ... many are not. 

The number of mortgage applicants I've seen over the years with money and credit problems that could be traced back to the period following either their high school graduation or years in college is eye-opening.  

For many of my mortgage applicants, both those that were graduates of college and those having directly entered the work world, it was obvious from their credit history/reports, that during those times in their life they had:

• Little or no concept of budgeting or saving
• Not taken financial responsibilities seriously
• No grasp or understanding of Credit/Debt
• Poor financial habits
• If/When in college:  Made bad credit decisions (Opened too many credit cards, maxed out credit cards, not paid credit cards in a timely manner, mishandled debit cards, not paid utility payments and rent, etc.)
• Too many - too high Student Loans
• More ...

Years ago, I wrote an article entitled, "What's the Best Gift You Can Give a High School Graduate?"  The answer contained in that post has only grown in importance over the last decade ...  


The best gift, in my opinion?  It's the "Gift of Knowledge" ... 

As I wrote in that earlier post, parents, teachers, and guardians need to have multiple and ongoing discussions about financial issues with kids through every phase of their life.  Even toddlers are not too young.  They should also be candid about the pros, cons, and ramifications of their own money management skills.  

I firmly believe too, that parents should insist that every high school offer classes about money, credit, finances, savings, budgeting, and borrowing to their students.  We could prevent so much heartache and stress for them if they did.  (I reiterate my offer of assistance to local - Will County schools.)

We all have a responsibility to make sure the "gift of knowledge" is firmly put into place.  We must make sure that all our kids have the necessary "tools" at their disposal in order to learn ... then make ... sound financial decisions.  

The "gift of knowledge" is the best gift we can provide.  A gift that ensures our graduates are equipped to make sound financial decisions and avoid serious financial mistakes in the years ahead ...

*  In need of financing and credit answers? Looking to see what home buying or refinancing options exist for you in New Lenox, Will County, or elsewhere in the Chicagoland area? Contact me! I'll put my 40 years of Mortgage experience and expertise hard to work on your behalf.
I'm easily found at:

Gene Mundt

Mortgage Originator - nmls #216987 - IL Lic. 031.0006220 - WI Licensed

American Portfolio Mortgage Corp.

nmls #175656

Direct: 815.524.2280

Cell/Text: 708.921.6331

eFax: 815.524.2281

www.genemundt.com

gmundt@goapmc.com

 

              

       

Gene Mundt, Mortgage Originator, an Originator with 40+ years of mortgage experience, will offer you exemplary mortgage service and advice when seeking: 

Conventional, FHA, VA, Jumbo, USDA, and Portfolio Loans in Chicago and the 

greater Chicagoland region, including: 

The Lincoln-Way Area, Will County, (New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, 

Manhattan, Joliet, Shorewood, Crest Hill, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, 

Romeoville, Naperville, etc.), DuPage County, the City of Chicago, Cook County, 

and elsewhere within IL & WI.

Your Referrals are Always Appreciated and Welcomed!