The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae, created in 1938) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac, established in 1970) are government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) in their eighth year of conservatorship under the FHA. That is an exceedingly

Our survey respondents shared their thoughts on the following question: “If you had the power to change the mortgage system, how would you change it? “Eliminate repeated requests for previously submitted documents. It should not require more than 30

Prior to the Great Depression, potential homebuyers’ options for financing housing were limited to private companies. The loan products available at the time – typically short-term renewable loans – featured short maturities, large balloon payments and high down payments.

As we prepare for a new administration, many wonder what lies in store for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Treasury, Steven Mnuchin – a former Goldman Sachs partner and hedge fund investor

“Real estate agent” is not an easily comparable occupation. It’s not a nine-to-five job. Agents are not employees. They do not receive quarterly evaluations, and there are no pay raises. Agents do not report to anyone else, and are

Writing up a real estate business plan is not difficult, but it is time consuming. To help you craft your business plan, we have broken it down into its individual parts:   Market Analysis Establish the facts of the

Our cover stories this year ran the gamut, covering issues as broad as managing brokers, top producers, and Chicago’s long, sad history of racist housing policies. Below, we’ve collected our most-view stories of the year: 10. 9. 8. 7.

There are more than 44 million immigrants living in the U.S. They account for about 13.6 percent of the total population, and together represent billions in annual real estate transactions – and Chicago is one of the eight cities best

In our Predictions issue last year, there were messages of cautious optimism. Our panel thought employment numbers would continue to improve, that consumer confidence would grow, and that demand for housing would rise. They told us that the recent

The art of negotiation in residential real estate is steadily falling by the wayside, according to Judy Greenberg, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Long Grove. “Many newer agents just wing it, because this is not a

  When asked “What is the most common mistake agents make when negotiating?”, respondents said: “Getting too personally or emotionally invested.” “Being rude and bossy. When there are multiple offers with similar purchase prices, I urge my clients to

In real estate, negotiating is an art – knowing when to move the bid, when to accept, what tone to take and what attitude to have. It requires confidence. It requires a full understanding of the process. But something

“C” personalities are accurate, precise and detail-oriented. “D” personality are direct and decisive. And “S” personalities are steady and stable. Those are three tenets of the famous DISC Personality Styles, which play an integral role in the real estate

Settling a deal between a buyer, seller and their respective agents often resembles a game of tug of war. The constant pull between both sides, coupled with the volleys of offers, counteroffers and terms, can prove daunting. Mario Greco,

Home pricing negotiations are seldom easy. Regardless of how well everyone at the negotiating table gets along, points of contention are bound to come up — and occasionally, you may find yourself between a rock and hard place, trying

The world of Chicagoland residential real estate has seen some high-profile moves between brokerages in 2016. As executives trade one acronym for another, new real estate groups form, and agents are enticed by commission splits and brokerage resources, affiliation