Trends

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Existing-Home Sales Up 6.5% in July, Inventory Stabilizes

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 11 Most Common Ways that Buyers Fund Their Downpayment

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

Chicagoland Home Sales Skyrocket 36.1 Percent in July

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

How Affordable, Really, is Chicagoland’s Housing Market?

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

Who are Chicagoland’s Top 10 Homebuilders in 2013?

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

Census Bureau: Housing Starts Up Nearly 21 Percent in July

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

4 Reasons that Home Price Growth Will Slow Down

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 in August at Highest Point in Nearly 8 Years

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

Housing Inventory in Chicago Down 26.2 Percent in July

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,

How Healthy Are Chicagoland’s Mortgage Markets?

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,

Trulia Confronts ‘End of Suburbia’ Meme with New Study

One of the more common housing memes, as of late, has been the end of suburbia: that because of the housing boom, and all the rampant suburban speculation that drove it, prospective homebuyers are opting for smaller units in

Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae Post Huge Q2 Incomes – Casts Doubts on Reform?

The second quarter was a spectacular one for Freddie and Freddie, but are such successes problematic for the government’s reform efforts? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had mighty good second quarters – not only did the GSEs post respective

MBA: Delinquency Rate Now At Lowest Level Since 2008

The nation’s mortgage markets continued to improve in 2013’s second quarter, with the MBA’s report being one of its most positive. The mortgage markets improved in several notable ways in the second quarter, according to the latest National Delinquency

What are the Nation’s Busiest Housing Markets?

Is Chicago among the busiest housing markets in the U.S.? A new report from Redfin shows how the Windy City stacks up to the competition. What are the busiest housing markets in the U.S.? That question was at the

CoreLogic: Home Prices Up 11.9 Percent in June

June was yet another banner month for home prices in CoreLogic’s Home Price Index, but could home price gains be slowing down? Home prices continued their sterling performance in June, rising 11.9 percent year-over-year in the latest Home Price

Trulia: Asking Prices Up 11.3 Percent in Chicago in July

Asking prices in Chicago were up 11.3 percent in July, though that activity came amidst a slowing housing market. Asking prices in July were up 11.3 percent year-over-year in Chicago in the latest Trulia Price Monitor, a leading measure

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