Home sellers have been tiptoeing back into the housing market throughout 2013, and we’ve collected the most important traits of those sellers. We’ve been covering the National Association of Realtors’ Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends report pretty extensively

We keep hearing that mortgage lending standards are unfairly tight, but does the data support that meme? One of the more prevailing memes in the housing recovery has been the relative tightness of lending standards on residential mortgages, and

Chicagoland’s housing market had a wonderful July, but what specific markets shined the brightest? July was a great month for the greater Chicagoland housing market, but more specifically, what were the busiest housing markets in the city and suburban

Not only were existing-home sales up by monthly and yearly measures in July, but housing inventory continued to stabilize as well. July was a rock solid month for existing-home sales, according to the latest data from the National Association

The downpayment remains the staple of most home financing; how are buyers, nowadays, funding their downpayments? Only 9 percent of homebuyers so far in 2013 have funded less than 50 percent of their home purchases with financing – which means

All across Chicagoland, the news was good for home sales, with both the city and suburban markets putting up smashing numbers. Home sales in the nine-county Chicago Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area (PMSA) rose 36.1 percent year-over-year in July, according to

Housing affordability has slipped a bit so far in 2013, but does Chicagoland’s housing stock remain affordable relative to other major cities? Housing affordability slipped a bit from the first quarter to the second quarter in 2013, according to

2013 has been a very good year for Chicagoland homebuilders, but so far this year, what builders have stood ahead of the pack? As we reported a couple of weeks ago, 2013 has, thus far, been a very encouraging

Residential construction posted great numbers in July, with housing starts, building permits and housing completions all in positive territory. July was a sterling month for residential construction, with all measured tracked by the Census Bureau posting positive numbers for

The rapid rise in home prices has been one of 2013’s major economic stories, but there’s mounting evidence that those increases will slow down – and soon. If there’s been a poster child for the housing recovery, it’s been

Builder confidence continued its upward trend in August, rising to its highest mark since 2005. August has proven another sterling month for homebuilders, with the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, the leading measure of builder

All of Chicagoland saw foreclosure filings plummet in 2013’s first half, though some areas improved more than others. Chicagoland’s mortgage markets put up some encouraging numbers in 2013’s first half, with foreclosure filings for the six-county region falling more

Housing inventory in Chicago was down by double-digit amounts in July; how do those declines compare with the rest of the nation? Housing inventory in July may have been down 26.2 percent year-over-year in Chicago and 16.2 percent nationally,

You just took on a new client, and are assisting them in the homebuying process; what parts of the process will they most need you for? We recently reported on consumers’ initial expectations for real estate agents, and the

The second quarter proved a boisterously good period for the nation’s mortgage markets, but did all that good cheer extend to our local marketplace? Last week, we reported on the latest National Delinquency Survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association,

Between the Internet, referrals and advertisements, consumers have many options for finding agents; what options, though, ultimately win them over? We are living in an age of overwhelming choice, and real estate is no exception. From the Internet, to