Generation Y, the 80 million or so Americans born between 1979 and 1995, are expected to reverse the last 60 years or so of housing policy in the U.S. One of the more persistent questions among housing analysts is

Rents for Downtown Chicago apartments hit a new high in 2013’s first quarter, though market trends suggest that such highs are only temporary. Rents in Chicago’s downtown market outdid themselves again in 2013’s first quarter, with the price per

The housing market cannot truly recover without a healthy mortgage market, but new research from LPS shines an optimistic light on the topic. Homes sales are up, inventory has stabilized, and by many accounts, new construction it putting up

The Census Bureau’s latest new construction numbers were a topsy turvy bunch, with housing starts plunging but building permits soaring. If the Census Bureau’s latest numbers are any indicator, April was a wild month for new housing construction in

What income is necessary to afford the typical house in Chicago? And how do those requirements compare with other major metro areas? “Housing affordability” is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit nowadays, and for good reason;

Builder confidence for both the general housing market and the 55+ market increased in May on the strength of homebuyer urgency. Builder confidence at all levels of the homebuilding industry showed some of its strongest numbers in years in

Along with its economic findings, NAR’s 2012 Member Profile also offered great insight into the demographics of today’s Realtors – including median age. The average Realtor is 57 years old, and only 2 percent of the entire Realtor class

Is it still tough to get a mortgage? New numbers from the Federal Reserve offer an enlightening perspective on the issue. It’s the question on everyone’s mind, now that the housing market is on a slow, sustainable path to

Inflation, housing demand and the Syrian opposition all have one thing in common; can you guess what it is? Mortgage rates for 15- and 30-year mortgage in the first week of May, according to the latest Primary Mortgage Market

For the second straight year, both the income and business activity for Realtors increased in 2012, with incomes jumping by 25 percent. 2012 was a good year for Realtors, with both business activity and income up for the second

The news was relatively good for Illinois’ foreclosure markets in April, with foreclosure activity down by double-digit amounts. RealtyTrac’s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for April was relatively kind to Illinois, showing the state’s foreclosure markets to be improving. Overall foreclosure

Qualified mortgage standards are back in the news, with the FHFA announcing that it is on track to adopt the standards’ “ability to repay” provisions. The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) has announced that beginning Jan. 10, 2014, Fannie

We often hear about how beneficial home sales are for the greater economy, but NAR has finally done the research and slapped a value on the whole process. Housing, the narrative goes, is among the most versatile and dextrous

American consumers are growing more and more confident with the housing recovery, according to Fannie Mae’s latest National Housing Survey. More than half of American consumers expect home prices to rise within the next year, according to the latest

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, those long beleaguered GSEs, put up some of the strongest incomes in their history in 2013’s first quarter. After putting up their most impressive numbers in years in the final months of 2012, both

Nationwide, asking prices outpaced rents in Trulia’s April Price Monitor, but the rental market only grew in strength in Chicago. The latest Trulia Price Monitor, which analyzed rental and single-family home listings on the syndication site, spelled a familiar