By Peter Ricci Real estate has undergone a radical change in the last 15 years, but perhaps no area of the industry has changed more dramatically than that of how prospective homebuyers search for properties. What used to be

By Peter Ricci A vacant lot for sale in Chicago’s Kenwood neighborhood would already be a instant draw, but this piece of real estate in one of the city’s most elite and desirable neighborhoods has one more thing going

By Peter Ricci Privately-owned housing starts in October rose 3.6 percent from September to an annual rate of 894,000, which is the highest rate since July 2008, according to new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. That total was

Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), Chicagoland’s multiple listing service, has reported that the October 2012 Supply of Inventory (MSI) was down to 4.3 months, while the number of properties under contract had skyrocketed to 10,364. The MSI figure is the

By Peter Ricci Home sales in the city of Chicago increased by stratospheric amounts in October, posting a 53.1 percent increase year-over-year with a median sale price jump of 8.0 percent, according to the latest numbers from the Illinois Association

By Natalie Terchek Real estate company Century 21 is returning to the Super Bowl’s marketing roster for the second year in a row. According to Beverly Thorne, Century 21’s CMO, the company is expected to air a 30-second commercial

By Natalie Terchek Inc. Magazine ranked the Chicago-based US Appraisal Group Number 319 on its annual Inc. 500, an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. It was also ranked the 11th fastest growing real estate company in the

By Peter Ricci Chicago real estate was well represented in the Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces of 2012, with both Baird & Warner and Guaranteed Rate earning high distinctions from the paper. The Top Workplaces is an exhaustive list that ranks

By Peter Ricci The Realtor Confidence Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) faltered a bit in September, with tight home lending standards stalling the index’s momentum. The index had been rising steadily through most of 2012, and

By Peter Ricci An open house theft in Highland Park has translated into a pending lawsuit for Winnetka-based Midwest Realty Ventures, a Prudential Rubloff affiliate that operates throughout the North Shore. According to a number of reports on the

By Peter Ricci Consumer sentiment towards the housing market has been gradually improving in Fannie Mae’s National Housing Surveys, and a new FindLaw survey has found that the situation is improving other notable ways. According to the FindLaw survey, which

By Peter Ricci The National Association of Realtors spends quite a bit of money advocating Realtor issues, and nowhere are its expenses more prominent than in the realm of politics. In 2012 alone, NAR contributed $2.92 million to political

By Peter Ricci Asking prices increased 0.7 percent from September to October in the latest Trulia Price Monitor, a survey of all the listings featured on the real estate syndication site. In addition, prices rose 2.9 percent from October

By Anne Hartnett I am in real estate media. I eat, sleep and live the topic. It’s what people corner me about at dinner parties, the gym and the dog park. Because of my work, I track several high-tech

By Natalie Terchek Today, Related Midwest held a ceremony commemorating the re-start of the construction of 111 West Wacker Drive. The site will become a 60-story tower with 504 luxury apartments and ground-level retail. The Silver LEED designed development

By Carlo Calma and Peter Ricci Michael Pierson, principal for Prudential Rubloff Properties, announced Tuesday, Oct. 30 that operations for the brokerage will not be affected by the recent acquisition of the Prudential and Real Living real estate franchises