By John Michael Grafft The 2012 Real Estate Forum, which brings in the “Who’s Who” of local real estate, was one of the better events I attended this year. I was told attendance was approximately 64 percent higher this year with

Did you know that the guy behind the deli counter at your grocery store voted for the other guy? Want to know why it matters? It doesn’t. There are a lot of places where politics don’t matter. The deli

By Stephen Hnatow Entering the industry in 2007, I thought a declining market and number of sales would give everyone the opportunity to become a better resource and broker for their clientele, that it would push stronger agents to

By Sean O’Connor Real estate offices have so many things to worry about, from managing staff, to keeping pace with new listings, to marketing to attract new customers, and finally, to making a profit in today’s challenging economies. And

FHA-approved or not FHA-approved? That is the question. You’ve been there – looking up condo listings for a client who is FHA-approved, only to find out the overzealous list agent just marked every available sales option on the MLS.

In our market, remodeling a home has become part of our housing conversation, whether it is to make a necessary repair in order to sell or a total gut rehab. Hiring a reputable contractor is the beginning, though –

Most lenders would consider a conventional mortgage as a loan that conforms to the guidelines set forth by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the two government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that provide liquidity in the mortgage market. Technically speaking, a

With today’s housing environment and the volume of distressed properties on the market, buyers are seeing a surplus of affordable homes available for purchase. And while homes may be available, many are not “move-in ready,” or immediately suitable for

By Bob Corcoran The real estate business is full of acronyms. You’re familiar with many of them: CRS, GRE, NAR and globs of others. But there’s one that seems to be flying under the radar of a lot of

So you’ve read that rates are at historic lows.  You have paid your loan on time for many years straight, proving that you can afford to keep your home.  However, when you speak to a professional, they ask you

You may be familiar with the Latin phrase, “caveat emptor,” or “let the buyer beware.”  This is an expression in commerce that basically means that they buyer is taking on the risk of purchase, without warranty.  In today’s condo

By Paul Dincin and Richard Rappold Court-appointed receivership has emerged as the method of choice to manage and protect distressed property during a foreclosure. During the 18 months it can take for a final judgement of foreclosure to be

We have heard for years how the city of Chicago is going to streamline the permit process. If this is ever to happen, it would be very good for job creation. As it stands, many investors and developers have

By Greg Viti Are you considering buying/owning an investment property or building a portfolio of multi-unit/ mixed use properties? We have all heard of people and partnerships making great appreciation and building wealth through ownership. I am sure most

By Scott R. Maesel It seems as though short sales are becoming common transactions throughout the residential side of the business. Prominent residential real estate companies in Chicago now tout themselves as Short Sale specialists. Not that there is

By Jim Merrion The affordability of a classic single-family home has improved by 66 percent in the seven-county metropolitan Chicago real estate market over the last five years. In the third quarter of 2005, the affordability ratio in the