Numbers may have been down in Chicagoland’s housing market in November, but it all is part of a larger plan. Home sales in the nine-county Chicagoland area were down 8.8 percent year-over-year in November, while median sales price was up

As the temperature falls, so have existing-home sales, but numbers still indicate a slow return to normalcy. The market peaked for 2014 in October, according to the National Association of Realtors recently released existing-home sales report. In November, existing-home

The Fed’s language on interest rates changed at its last meeting, throwing into question its future policies. It’s the big question on everyone’s mind – when will the Federal Reserve decide to raise interest rates? Indeed, there are few

The negative equity situation in Chicagoland has improved markedly, according to new research by Zillow. Here is some encouraging news for you to end the week with – here in the Chicagoland area, the share of mortgage properties in

Builder confidence remains high while home construction continues to trod along – what gives? Builder confidence this month fell just one point, according to the latest Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders. Finishing up 2014

We all want to think that an explosion is pending in Millennial homeownership, but the numbers to justify that are hardly cooperating. The last few months, we’ve reported consistently that the big problem facing housing (as well as the

It goes without saying that buyers looking to live close to Chicago’s downtown area will be limited to high-rise condominiums with high prices, but for those buyers willing to compromise by looking slightly further out, a selection of condos,

The headlines have been merciless regarding the latest new construction report, but was it truly that bad? We’ve seen the headlines too, and on the surface, they’re not pretty – per the latest numbers from the Census Bureau, housing

Report A Year Ago Current Builder Confidence 52 58 Construction Spending $140 M $392 M Existing-Home Sales 5,744 6,095 Housing Inventory 40,517 34,810 Housing Starts 0.900M 1.178M Interest Rates 3.69% 3.71% Pending Home Sales 108.3 109.1 Unemployment 6.9%

Everyone knows that mortgages and rents have ran in opposing directions, but the numbers are still jaw-dropping. For some time, we’ve been hearing two independent narratives in housing: one, that mortgage rates and payments were at an all-time low;

What should you know about home sellers, heading into the 2015 housing market? Our last few stories on NAR’s 2014 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers has focused on the buyer-side of the equation, but now we’re finally taking

New cash sales report says more of the same – we’re staying consistent. In September, cash sales increased slightly despite the autumnal slump, but remain at relatively low levels, according to a new report from CoreLogic. In recent months,

Of the many remodeling projects available to homeowners, which ones add the most value to homes in Chicagoland? One of the undeniable perks of homeownership is the opportunity to renovate your living space, to remodel and craft a residence that

With Fannie and Freddie’s new mortgage rules coming into effect, the industry questions the impact they’ll truly have. Earlier this month, new lending guidelines previously announced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac came into effect, and now the industry

What’s the deal with asking prices in our metro area? Asking prices in the Chicagoland area remained positive in November, though they seem to be showing signs of slowing down, according to the newly released Price Monitor from Trulia. Per

In an effort to tackle a housing affordability crisis, Chicago has fielded some bold recommendations from a special task force. The city of Chicago is considering a recommended change to its Affordable Requirements Ordinance, one that could usher in