It can be difficult to keep track of how the multitude of real estate reports and forecasts fit into the bigger picture of the housing market and U.S. economy. To help our readers put it all in context, we’ve

In our latest Real Data report, we’re setting our sights on November’s top closings Click on the tabs below to see the top single-family, condo and townhome closings in Chicagoland’s housing market in November: Single Family Condo Townhome Single Family

October was another month of declining foreclosures, both nationwide and in most major metropolitan areas, a CoreLogic report confirmed this week. Dropping by just over 21 percent year-over-year, the nation’s foreclosure inventory reached a 1.2 percent share this past October,

The economy continues to recover, but Americans’ finances are still stuck in the mud A surprisingly large share of Americans are in a precarious financial state, according to a new, detailed study from The Pew Charitable Trust. For its study,

Americans want their Cuban property. Since the 1960s, when Castro first seized power, that wanting has been a symptom most convinced themselves to ignore, despite filing claims against the country. However, when representatives of Cuba and the United States meet

Despite adding jobs, November offered more of the same for America’s economy The U.S. economy added 211,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate held steady at 5.0 percent, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. November’s

The housing market continues to struggle despite an increase in high-quality mortgages Even though houses are selling at their fastest rate since 2007, sub-700 credit score buyers are still at the same level they were mid-2010. According to a

In September, distressed sales accounted for 9.7 percent of total home sales nationwide; the culmination of declines that span the past few years, according to CoreLogic. Considering the current pace of distressed sale declines, CoreLogic researchers determined that the

The fall slump hasn’t hurt the market’s strength, as home prices across the country continued to climb in October, CoreLogic reported. The coupling of a healing economy and spotty but persistent inventory shortages are largely to thank (or blame,

Spending per dollar of equity is at its lowest level since the mid ’90s. Home equity has doubled to $12.1 trillion since the market bottomed out in 2011. Builder confidence has remained strong, despite a small, recent slip. New home

2015 has been a great year for new construction in Chicagoland Residential construction spending in the Chicagoland housing market totaled $735 million in October, a 36 percent increase from Oct. 2014, according to new numbers from Dodge Data & Analytics.

According to the National Association of Realtors, pending home sales were mostly unchanged in October, but shifted marginally higher after two straight months of declines. Gains in the Northeast and West were offset by declines in the Midwest and

Why do some consumers buy new homes, while others buy existing homes? NAR’s 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers provided the answer, and in our continuing coverage of NAR’s report, we’ve assembled the following graph on the topic:

New home sales are hot, but what are the larger market trends? Sales of new single-family houses rose 10.7 percent from September to October and 4.9 percent from Oct. 2014 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 495,000, according

Why did U.S. consumers decide to buy homes in 2015? That question was one of many that NAR’s 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers tackled, and the results were many and varied – especially when the consumers’ disposition

Continuing with our Real Data monthly reports, we’re reporting on the fastest-selling housing markets in Chicagoland, in terms of average days from listing to closing. Below, click on the tabs below to adjust between city and suburban markets, and see