Good news, bad news

First, the good news. Ever since the summer of 2015, there's been a ton of new construction in my neighborhood. A new, two-tower apartment building is now open and leasing. The big, multi-use complex -- restaurants/stores/office space/parking* -- is more than half done. Then there's the humongous, 200+ unit apartment building (and Target store) that was proposed back in November. Apparently the developers got all the approvals and ground will be broken "soon."

This means jobs. Lots of jobs. Construction jobs. Then maintenance jobs and retail jobs. Yea! My community is enjoying a renaissance. And my condo, the most expensive thing I will ever purchase, has increased in value. Yea! (Thanks, Obama.)

Now, the bad news. I got my property tax assessment. As my neighborhood becomes hotter, the value of my home goes up. In 2017, I'm looking at an increase of 38%. Gulp. There are exemptions available. I must look into the application process. I want to pay my fair share -- it's the moral/karmic/intellectual cost of being a liberal -- but according to this letter from the Cook County Assessor, there may be ways to legally discount the amount I pay.

*Parking is a huge-ass big deal in my neighborhood! Most of the older apartment buildings and condos, built in the 1950s or before, only have one parking space per unit and most households now have more than one car.