Chicago’s West Loop: Formerly a warehouse district with factories and businesses, Chicago’s West Loop now offers a trendy atmosphere with a multitude of spacious lofts — and has recently signaled new development activity. Jason Beckstrom, agent with Conlon: A Real Estate Company, and Barry Schwartz, mortgage advisor with PERL Mortgage, discuss real estate and financial trends in Chicago’s west loop neighborhood.

For more information on development in the West Loop, visit the West Loop Community Organization website at WestLoop.org.

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Retirement Planning for ages 55 and over: Planning for retirement is a primary goal for all Americans – and for those in the 55+ age range, the notion of planning for the future is becoming a fast reality. Bob Mecca, author and principal at Robert A. Mecca & Associates, joins Alex Margulis, Mortgage Advisor with PERL Mortgage, in the third in a series of podcasts about retirement planning.

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Retirement Planning for ages 36-55: Planning for retirement is a primary goal for all Americans – and for those in the 36-55 age range, the notion of planning for the future is becoming a fast reality. Bob Mecca, author and principal at Robert A. Mecca & Associates, joins Alex Margulis, Mortgage Advisor with PERL Mortgage, in the second in a series of podcasts about retirement planning.

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Behind the Buzz: We all know that interest rates are at historic lows, and that everyone’s touting “now” as the time to buy or sell a home. But what’s the real deal behind all the hype – and where can the real deals be found in the Chicagoland market? Ken Dooley, real estate agent with Conlon: A Real Estate Company, joins Ken Perlmutter, founder of PERL Mortgage to discuss buzzworthy “trends” — fact vs. fiction — in today’s market.

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The Secondary Market: By now, everyone’s heard of the secondary market, which provides liquidity to the primary mortgage market when mortgage bankers and investors team-up to sell and buy existing mortgages. But how do mortgage companies actually work with players in the secondary market? Jeremy Gannon, Secondary Marketing Manager at PERL Mortgage, discusses the concept of the secondary market.

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