Buying a home in Illinois is one of the biggest decisions you’ll ever make. It’s no mistake that owning a home is part of the “American Dream.” Real estate is one of the best assets you, your family, and/or your business can own. Acquiring Illinois real estate creates a pathway toward generational wealth, so it’s imperative that you take a holistic approach. The fewer stones left unturned the better protected you Read More

We regularly work with clients to dispel myths and stigmas surrounding bankruptcy, but there’s no way around the fact that filing will set you back at least temporarily. In an ideal world, no American would be under so much debt that bankruptcy becomes the only option. In reality, there are numerous common mistakes that put people on a train headed right toward bankruptcy station. We want to explore some of the Read More

In buying or selling real estate, the contracts you sign make or break the deal. These documents detail exactly what is being sold to who for what, but the language in the contract is far more nuanced than that. One of the biggest reasons you need an experienced Illinois real estate attorney in your homebuying (or selling) process is to review the contract top to bottom to ensure common real estate contract Read More

Estate planning accomplishes a number of important goals for individuals, families, and businesses. Having a plan is imperative, but what that looks like will be different from person to person depending on the circumstances. Many people look at estate planning as a means to pass down assets and money earned over your lifetime. While this is true, it’s only one small piece of a much larger puzzle. An effective Read More

Working your way through the real estate market and finding the perfect home for you and your family is truly a dream. You and your loved ones have worked hard to get to this point and getting the keys to the home your family will live in for years to come can be one of the most fulfilling tasks in life. It’s important not to get ahead of yourself, however, as there are numerous aspects to the homebuying process Read More

When your financial circumstances have led you to the point of considering bankruptcy, it’s important to be aware of how the entire process works – even before you file. Bankruptcy courts are meticulous in scrutinizing filers to ensure nobody defrauds the process. The court will take an overview of a filer’s assets and income in order to decide whether they qualify for Chapter 7, Chapter 13, or neither. One way Read More

Have you heard of a Transfer on Death Instrument (TODI)? A lot of people in Illinois don’t actually know about these despite Illinois being one of the few states that actually allow them. A TODI is a tool that allows you to pass certain assets through your estate without having them go through probate. This means you can legally transfer assets to an individual or legal entity without having to spend the time and Read More

“Equity” has become a buzzword in recent years when talking about opportunities and wealth. A lot of people spend their time chasing equity as a means to build something worthwhile in their lifetime. One of the best and surest ways to build equity in your life is by becoming a homeowner. Rent is a 100% Interest Payment You are more than welcome to stick to renting and saving up money, but this is quite honestly Read More

You found your dream home. You work with the seller and secure a mortgage from the bank. Now you have the keys and a monthly mortgage payment – you’re all set, right? Not quite. We’ve found many homebuyers end up being completely unaware of some of the additional costs associated with buying a home. We won’t call them “hidden” costs because they’re a part of paying for homes across Illinois, but we want to make Read More

Okay, you may have seen that headline and raised an eyebrow a bit. There’s no “deadline” for filing for bankruptcy, right? Technically, no. There are no deadlines for filing for bankruptcy as a whole (there are deadlines embedded in the process, however). Still, if you’re considering filing for bankruptcy there are reasons you shouldn’t wait any longer. At Velazquez Consumer Law, LLC we’ve been working to make Read More