How much does it cost to move cross-country?

With remote work on the rise and the high cost of housing, more Americans are moving long distances to find affordable homes. But relocating can be time-consuming and costly, depending on where you’re moving and what you need to move. So how much should you expect to budget if you plan to move faraway? Learn more about your choices and what effect they have on the cost of moving cross-country by reading my latest article for Rocket Mortgage, available here.

How soon can you refinance your mortgage loan?

Eager to pursue a mortgage refi? You may be able to pull the trigger right away, depending on your loan type. Some homeowners can refinance immediately with no waiting period, while others need to wait as little as six months, and rarely longer than a year.

To learn more, read my latest article for The Mortgage Reports, available here.

Midnight Terror reinvents its haunted house for all-new scares

 

Midnight Terror Haunted House in Oak Lawn – one of the PR clients I represent – wrote the book on how a Chicagoland haunted attraction can thoroughly terrify its audience when it opened 11 years ago. Now, in 2025, it’s ripped up those pages and created a whole new scare playbook after reworking its entire theme and introducing new characters and fresh thrills designed to frighten audiences anew.

Haunt owner and Marine veteran Justin Cerniuk of Oak Lawn spent the entire off-season reimagining Midnight Terror, aiming to amplify the fear factor and entertainment value for his customers.

“After a successful run of the same popular theme for several years, it was time for a new look, design, and approach to the way we scare,” he says. “We want our visitors to think of us as not just a haunted house but a major Halloween event: one that creates an unforgettable experience and an exceptional value for the price. So we adopted a completely new narrative that drives our characters. We incorporated classic monsters that everyone loves and associates with Halloween. And we gave our scare actors and makeup artists more creative freedom on how to inhabit those roles and frighten customers in more clever and innovative ways.”

Midnight Terror will continue to offer two impressive haunted attractions for the price of one. Now, you’ll first enter the dark industrial corridors of Shadowtek, a decrepit workshop where Dr. Shroud conducts illegal lab experiments on hapless factory workers, transforming them into malicious mutants programmed to terrorize the public. Next, your journey leads you through Black Oak Grove on All Hallows’ Eve, where an eerie fog blankets the streets, malevolent trick-or-treaters roam, and the OG fiends that populated your childhood nightmares – including vampires, werewolves, witches, and mummies – take shivery shape from out of the shadows. Then, to escape the haunt, you’ll have to brave an insane maze of killer clowns wielding rusty chainsaws.

Even the “Rotten Hollow” queue line will keep you on your toes, with costumed creatures, professional jugglers, stilt walkers, and street dancers providing free entertainment as you prepare to enter Midnight Terror.

The haunt will also be hosting four special events in 2025:
· “Lights On Trick-or-Treating” on Oct. 25 from noon to 2:30 p.m., during which parents can bring their younger kids to tour the haunt while the lights are on and “scary mode” is turned off; enjoy costume contests, candy, magicians, balloon artists, and carnival games (all-ages admission is $15 per person; all children must be accompanied by an adult).
· “Blackout” on Nov. 2 from 7-10 p.m., when all lights inside are turned off and visitors must rely on a glow stick to navigate the dark haunt (admission from $30).
· “Clown Takeover” on Nov. 8 from 7-10 p.m., when the haunt’s theme switches to a “carn-evil” swarming with killer clowns (admission from $30).
· “Christmas Fear” on Dec. 12, 13, and 14 from 7-10 p.m., which promises an unforgettable experience in Yuletide terror (admission from $20).

Additionally, 115 Bourbon Street in Merrionette Park is now offering a special Midnight Terror Burger for a limited time; bring your burger receipt to the on-site Midnight Terror ticket booth and your general admission tickets (two maximum) will automatically be upgraded to Fast Pass tickets – a $40 value. You can get details on other promotions and discounts by signing up for the haunt’s official email list, Nightmare Fuel, at MidnightTerror.com.

Ranked as one of the best haunted houses in Chicagoland by TimeOut, a top 10 haunted attraction by USA Today, a top 10 haunt by ScareFactor.com, and one of the 10 scariest haunted houses in America by ScaryOverload.com, Midnight Terror has been featured numerous times on Fox 32 and comes highly recommended by Thrillist, NBC, the Chicago Tribune, Patch.com, Haunted House Chicago, Illinois Haunted Houses, and others. The haunt has also received more than 1,200 five-star reviews from visitors on Google and Facebook.

Midnight Terror Haunted House is located at 5520 W. 111th St., Oak Lawn, Ill., 60453, just east of the intersection of Central Avenue and 111th Street. General admission per person starts at $30 online page down page down and $35 at the onsite ticket booth; Fast Pass admission per person, which places you in a line that’s three times faster than the general admission line, is $55. Or you can purchase immediate access ($75 per person), which guarantees instant entry into the haunt. Use the promo code Fear 20 online to get 20% off general admission or Fast Pass tickets, good on select dates.

Midnight Terror is wheelchair accessible and open, rain or shine, from:
7 p.m. to 11 p.m. most Fridays and Saturdays: Oct. 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, and 31
7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays and select days: Sept. 26-28, Oct. 3, 5, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 29, and 30, and Nov. 1, 2, and 8.

Visitors can park for no charge on-site or take a free shuttle to Midnight Terror; the shuttle departs from 9525 Tulley Ave., Oak Lawn, regularly during hours of operation (check the website for the latest shuttle schedules).

For more information, check out MidnightTerror.com or email info@midnightterror.com.

Cineversary podcast celebrates 50th anniversary of Dog Day Afternoon

In Cineversary podcast episode #86, host ⁠Erik Martin⁠ takes it to the bank as he commemorates the 50th anniversary of Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon. Joining him for this golden celebration is Maura Spiegel, a film studies professor at Columbia University and author of the book Sidney Lumet: A Life. Together, they examine how this film remains resonant and relevant, the impression it made another filmmakers, major themes, and much more.

Maura Spiegel

To listen to this episode, click here or click the "play" button on the embedded streaming player below. Or, you can stream, download, or subscribe to Cineversary wherever you get your podcasts, including
Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com.

Want to win that home bid? Write a letter to the home seller

In a tight market where you are competing with several buyers over the same home, it can be difficult to make your offer stand out. Even though you may believe you are the best candidate to purchase a particular property and the most passionate about winning the bid, the seller may end up choosing a rival offer. So how can you get a leg up on the competition and impress the seller? Including a letter to the seller of home with your offer can help establish an emotional connection and explain why you're the right buyer.

But it’s important to know how to structure it, as writing letters to home sellers requires careful consideration and wording. Learn more by reading my latest article for Better.com, available here.

How to pick the right credit card: A guide for college students

Whether you’re heading off to college for the first time or returning for another school year, getting a student credit card could help you reach some of your financial goals, especially as they relate to building credit. Cultivating consistent, positive credit-building habits with a student credit card that fits your needs will set you on the right track for future financial success.

But before you apply for just any card, you’ll need to consider a few factors to help you pick the right one. Read my latest article for Bankrate, available here, for step-by-step guidance to help you choose a student card that fits your needs.