Bring beneficial bees, butterflies and birds to your garden by growing flowers and plants that they love. We have all heard about the disappearance of some bee and butterfly species. These are necessary for food production in the world. We can do our own small part to provide plants that will feed and shelter these wonderful species.

Native plants are the best to attract pollinators. Use annuals and perennials to provide blooms and seeds all throughout the season. They need more than flowers though so provide a mix of shrubs, trees, grasses and vines too. These provide shelter as well as food. Practice organic gardening and never use chemicals on plants meant for butterflies, bees and birds.

Butterflies are very color orientated. They prefer purple, yellow, pink, orange and red. Plant in bunches to be found easily. They like tubular cluster and flat top blooms. You will need to also provide the caterpillars shelter. You may end up with some tattered leaves from hungry caterpillars but it’s worth it for some beautiful and useful butterflies. Plant extras to hide the damage if necessary. If you can leave a weedy patch or two. Monarch caterpillars only feed on milkweed plants, others eat grass, thistle, clover and leaves.

Bees like areas that are natural, overgrown and even weedy, so let it go! Resist the urge to have everything perfectly neat. Native species are again the best choice for bees. Color preferences are yellows, purple and blues. As with butterflies have ever blooming plants to ensure season long nectar and pollen.

Birds are excellent pollinators and carry pollen on their heads and wings to spread around the garden. You can attract birds with good quality seed mix. Planting nut and seed producers also bring the birds to your yard. Don’t deadhead everything. Let some go to seed, especially in the fall to provide food over winter.

All pollinators appreciate fresh water year round. Keep the birdbath clean and always filled with fresh water. A few flat rocks in a sunny spot provide a place for butterflies to bask in the sun. Flowers that are very fragrant and white or pale yellow will attract night-feeding moths.

KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Photo by: betto rodrigues / Shutterstock.com

This week from June 20 through June 26, technology entrepreneurs can participate in the week-long festival Techweek. The event was founded five years ago in Chicago to showcase the talent available in the Chicagoland area.

The original focus was to be in markets that have an opportunity to spread technology entrepreneurship. Since the inception of the Chicago chapter, Techweek is transitioning to a Benefit Corporation. “Transitioning to a Benefit Corporation creates the fiduciary framework to enable mission-driven companies like Techweek to meet higher standards for community engagement, technical performance, accountability and transparency,” said Amanda Signorelli, new CEO of Techweek. For 2016, Techweek will add Dallas and Toronto as locations for their events.

Go to the event this week where you can be part of the Fest, Entrepreneur Expo, Summit, Founder’s House, Launch and Awards events.  The fest is all the events that serve the tech and entrepreneur community. You can visit a hall of companies at the Entrepreneur Expo geared specifically to startups and entrepreneurs. At the Summit, listen to the many speakers who discuss latest trends and topics. If competition is your thing, go to Launch where you’ll get to view the startup competition. You’ll need an invite to attend the Founder’s House VIP event. And the Awards ceremony will recognize both companies and individuals for their commitment in the technology sector.

If you can’t make it this week here in Chicago, there are still events scheduled for the remainder of the year in Toronto, Kansas City, New York, Dallas, Miami and Los Angeles.

CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

SOUTH LOOP

Today, Thursday 6/16, from 4:00p.m. to 8:00p.m. is the start of the South Loop Farmer Market in only its 2nd year. The Market will be held every Thursday from today through September at 1936 S. Michigan Ave. in the parking lot adjacent to the Second Presbyterian Church, which is one of the sponsors. Other sponsors include Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance, Central Station, and Friend of Historic Second Church. Up to 40 vendors may be on the scene selling produce, flowers, baked goods, meats and some prepared foods. Plus there will be activities for the kids and performances or cultural programs such as music, education and literacy within the sanctuary of the church.

LINCOLN PARK

Unfortunately it’s too late to register for Lincoln Park Zoo’s 2nd annual Brew to Be Wild tasting event for Saturday, 6/18. Saturday sold out quickly. However tickets are still available for tomorrow, Friday 6/17 from 6:00p.m. to 11:00p.m. Over 35 local and regional breweries will have more than 75 specialty brews for ticketholders to sample along the paths of the zoo where lawn games, food vendors, and DJ music will make for a memorable 21-and-over night of entertainment. General Admission ($49 for non-members, $44 for members) and VIP upgrades ($89) are available to sample 3 oz of each brew with a souvenir tasting glass. VIPs will also be allowed an extra hour of sampling starting at 5:00p.m., access to the private VIP lounge and restrooms, exclusive specialty samples, and complimentary snacks. There’s also Designated Driver Admission for only $20 so a responsible friend can attend for the entertainment and activities but abstain from sampling to ensure a safe ride once the festivities are over.

NORWOOD PARK

The weather forecast says it will be hot and sunny this weekend. Perfect weather for Norwood Park Historical Society’s annual Giant Yard Sale and Silent Auction at the Noble-Seymour-Crippen House (5624 N. Newark Ave.) this Saturday, 6/18, from 8:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. $2 per person admissions and proceeds from sales will benefit the Historical Society which contains a historical museum and multipurpose community center. In the meantime, do you have “unwanted items” you’d like to donate to the cause? No mattresses, clothing, shoes, large appliances, nor electronic equipment will be accepted but any other donation items may be left under the canopy by the garage in the rear of the Noble-Seymour Crippen House at any time. High-quality items may be used for the Silent Auction. You may even schedule a pick-up of larger donations, such as furniture, by calling 773-631-4633 or sending an email to info@norwoodparkhistoricalsociety.org. Also you may use these contact methods for more information or to volunteer for the event.

RAVENSWOOD

Ampersand Wine Bar at 4845 N. Damen Ave. will be celebrating its 1 year anniversary on Friday, 6/24, with a mini sidewalk street fest that will include its neighbors, Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits, Amy’s Candy Bar, Alapash New Home, Gallery 19, Groundswell Coffee Roasters, and One Key Yoga. Tickets to this 21-and-over event, called Amperbash, are $30 in advance or $35 at the door for wine tastings, some nibbles, storytelling, and live music.

EVANSTON

UberEats is expanding to include delivery to and from food service establishments in Evanston, as well as Wilmette and Kenilworth. Above is the website link for ordering and downloading the app to your cell phone. There’s a flat rate delivery charge of $4.99 which means you do not have to tip any further. According to EvanstonNow.com, North Shore residents can use promo code “NorthShoreEats” for $10 off their first order!

CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Each year TechCrunch hosts what they call Disrupt SF. This year it will be held from September 12-14 in San Francisco at Pier 48. This event will host its Hackathon, where teams will develop a product within 24 hours. You’ll also be able to go through Startup Alley where you can learn more about early stage companies, technology and talent.  The Thought Leadership area will discuss the many topics of influence currently in the technology sector.  And then finally we have Startup Battlefield which is the main purpose of Disrupt.

Startup Battlefield is a competition for $50,000 and as TechCrunch calls it, “the illustrious Disrupt Cup.” Being a participant in this particular competition will garner a lot of exposure as well as connections especially for those start-ups that are looking to make them.

Remembering this is a competition, the deadline for applications is June 23 at 9pm PST. There is no cost to participate, but there are requirements for those teams selected. The only other cost is to get you and your team members to and from the venue. Some recommendations for those who are applying include using a video to showcase your product. The video does not need to be perfect production quality, merely a use case that will highlight the benefits of your product. Finalists are notified approximately one month after the close of the application deadline. If you know you’ll be attending regardless, be sure to purchase your booth and/or tickets now.

Startup Battlefield has an impressive list of alumni. Some of the companies you may know are Mint, Dropbox, oDesk, Trello and more. You can view details on past alumni at the Startup Battlefield Hub.

CATHY MALLERS & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO

Can’t come up with 20% for a down payment? Be prepared to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI).

Borrowers who are applying for a conventional mortgage and aren’t able to come up with a sizeable down payment towards a home purchase will have this additional fee tacked onto their mortgage payments. This is in addition to others like interest, escrow and taxes.

PMI: Protecting the Lender

The more money you’re able to put towards the purchase price of a home, the less money you will have to borrow from your lender. The smaller that amount, the less risk you present to your lender in terms of defaulting on your mortgage.

On the other hand, the larger your loan, the higher of a perceived risk you’ll be to your lender. That’s where PMI comes into the picture: to protect the lender against any potential future loan defaults.

At the time of default, the lender will receive the difference between the market value of the property and the outstanding loan balance, up to a certain limit.

Used with conventional loans that are not backed by the government, PMI is arranged by your lender and offered by mortgage insurance companies. While it’s an added expense, it’s also a good thing for you if you can’t come up with at least 20% of the purchase price of your home through a down payment. Otherwise, you’d have a tough time qualifying for a conventional home loan.

How Much Does PMI Cost?

Just like all the other fees and expenses you need to cover when buying a home, you’ll need to factor in PMI costs in order to budget accordingly. But how much you pay will depend on a few factors, including the type of mortgage you’re applying for, the length of the loan, and the amount of your down payment. Generally speaking, you can expect to pay approximately 0.5% to 1% of the entire loan amount.

Let’s say the value of the home you buy is $300,000, for instance, and you put in a 10% down payment. Your PMI payments would be about $112.50 per month, assuming a 0.5% PMI fee. That’s not exactly chump change, especially when you factor in all the other fees you’ll be responsible for paying to operate your home.

It’s important to note that PMI payments don’t reduce your loan balance, nor are they tax-deductible like mortgage interest is.

PMI is Removed Once You Owe Less Than 80% of Your Home’s Value

The good news is, you won’t have to pay PMI forever, as long as you’re able to put enough money towards the principal to owe less than 80% of your property value. You’ll have to ask the lender to cancel PMI once you’ve reached this amount, as it’s not exactly automatically stopped. The PMI cancellation request needs to be made in writing, and you need to be current on your mortgage payments. Some home loans also have a minimum wait time – generally two years – before PMI can be canceled.

Once the loan balance drops to 78%, the lender is required to get rid of PMI. In fact, your lender is legally obligated to tell you at mortgage closing how many years and months it’ll take you to pay down your loan to have your mortgage insurance canceled.

But there are other ways to get rid of PMI. For starters, you could order a new appraisal if you believe your home’s value has increased to the point that you owe less than 80% of it’s worth. If you’ve made improvements to the property since buying it, you likely have increased its value. Keep in mind that appraisals will come at a cost of anywhere between $300 to $500.

You could also prepay on your loan, if your lender allows it. Even an extra $50 per month can translate into a significant reduction in your loan amount over time.

The Bottom Line

It’s easy to understand why lenders would want to protect themselves against the potential of loan defaults, especially when you consider what happened during the chaotic housing crisis in 2008. But you don’t have to be a slave to PMI. You can avoid it altogether if you can save up at least 20% of the purchase price of the home, or at least get rid of it some time in the future as your equity build ups. The sooner you can get it off the books, the more money you can free up to put towards paying down your mortgage principal.