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

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

  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

We asked local agents a few questions about recruiting in Chicagoland real estate. Here’s what they told us: Of those agents who selected “other,” here’s a sampling of the responses they wrote in: “Culture” “I was unhappy with leadership.”

Phillip Schwartz is a successful real estate broker in Chicago, and he has been for 13 years. So when he gets calls from recruiters, he does not find it particularly surprising or flattering. There are some calls, though, that

Juggling the responsibilities of selling with growing a real estate team is no easy feat, especially for high-powered agents who handle much of their team’s lead generation and sales activities. Melanie Giglio-Vakos, a real estate professional with Jameson Sotheby’s

In 2007, Hiroshi Horiike, a multimillionaire from Hong Kong, plunked down $12.25 million in cash for a beautiful mansion in Malibu, one that overlooked the Pacific Ocean and featured numerous amenities. Except there was a problem. In 2009, when

Agents work for their listings. They put in the time and the effort, the blood, sweat and tears. But no matter how hard they work, agents do not technically own their listings: their brokerage does. Most agents in this

No real estate agent is infallible, and that’s why they have Errors and Omissions Insurance (E&O). Brokerages require their agents to be covered by E&O Insurance, and for good reason – it can protect agents and their offices from

We asked agents what the biggest legal gray area is that they encounter in their day-to-day business. Of the responses we received, “Agency,” “Dual Agency,” “Disclosure” and “Procuring Cause” were the most common, but we received many other interesting

When Karen Yarbrough became the Cook County recorder of deeds in 2012, she brought with her a unique set of skills and experiences. An entrepreneur and Realtor, Yarbrough was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2000, where

When President Obama entered office, he inherited a fractured economy. The housing market’s crash and gradual recovery affected millions, and were key issues in national political discourse. While the massive wave of mortgage defaults and foreclosures has passed, the