There are currently several new condominium projects under construction around the region. Many are starting to see the first occupancies while others move ahead as planned.

The Winthrop Club Condos, located at 1576 Maple Street, is one of the most widely anticipated developments to come to Evanston. The development offers a total of 99 units, and sales are just below the 30 percent mark. These one to three-bedroom condominiums start in the mid $300s. Delivery is set for spring of 2009.

Main Street Station Condos, another large development planned for downtown Evanston, is offering huge incentives for the next 15 buyers. The first five buyers will receive $5,000 in upgrades and a year of free maintenance. The next ten buyers will get $2,500 in free upgrades and either a year or six months of free maintenance. Floor plans range from one to two bedrooms plus den.

One Evanston condo project set to open this year is the Grand Bend at Green Bay. These condos are over 40 percent sold, and the first new residents should be moving in sometime in the fall.

Browse through the best North Shore Chicago Condos and find the home of your dreams today.

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Kimball Hill Inc., one of the largest homebuilders in the Chicago region has received a reprieve on loans due to lenders. A group of lenders has agreed to give the company until at least March to pay back some of the more than $500 million the company owes.

The amount due in March would be about $10 million to keep creditors from turning to the courts to recover loans made to the company. These creditors are often the first to receive payment after a bankruptcy.

However, creditors may be concerned about the effects of several bankrupties in the housing sector and an increase in foreclosures around the region that could lower the value of assets owned by Kimball Hill. For now, creditors seem content to allow the company to get back on its feet.

Kimball Hill has expanded across the nation. As a result has been hit hard by the downturn in sales not just in Chicago, but particularly in markets such as California and Florida, which were among the hardest hit by the downturn in the real estate market.

Keep up to date with the latest Chicago Real Estate news and stay on top of market conditions in the area.

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Having had to put our precious Snowshoe kitty, Cleo, to sleep earlier this month, I thought it would be a very, very long time before I was ready to have another pet. Making that decision to end a pet’s life is a tough one, even if it’s the right one. So color me surprised that as of this weekend, I’ve got two little furballs running underfoot.

I couldn’t help it – I found myself wandering over to Petfinder.com just to peek to see what was available locally. Not that I was going to get anything, right? I was just looking. But then, I came across this:

Argh! How can you even think of looking away from such cuteness? North Shore, meet Moo. Of course, Moo had a buddy:

Oh, but is this little guy is a LOVER. How could I resist a kitty named Comet? After much sitting-on-pins-and-needles waiting, I finally got the call - we could come pick up these little guys!

We found them through a Petfinder.com link to Adopt-A-Pet, a Mount Prospect-based foster care organization for animals in need of a new home. You simply complete an application, then let them know if there’s an available pet that has struck a chord with you. Be warned - they check references - both the ones I had listed told me they got a call. This organization loves their animals, and want to make sure they are going to a “forever” home. When the kids and I went to get Moo and Comet, we were greeted by a foster mom with 14 cats in her home, only a couple of which were staying with her forever. (Gosh, I hope someone goes to get Jonah! Adorable!)

Seriously – while I don’t discount the allure of owning a purebred – we did, too – what an awesome way to bring a lot of love into your home, while doing something so beneficial. These cats and dogs are just as loving and adorable as purebreds, and need a good home! Check them out - I am SO glad we did!

Technorati Tags: Adopt-A-Pet, Mount Prospect Adopt-A-Pet, North Shore pet adoptions, North Shore Chicago pet adoptions, North Shore Chicago cat adoptions, North Shore Chicago dog adoptions, Glenview area cat adoptions, Evanston area cat adoptions, Northbrook area cat adoptions, Skokie area cat adoptions