National News

HUD plan to ease taxpayer burden by changing reverse mortgage program

Due to upcoming changes to the reverse mortgage program, most new homebuyers will soon face bigger upfront premiums, but lower rates over lifetime of the loan. The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a plan to increase the

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Rates of homeownership are still drawn upon racial lines, study finds

Buying a home remains a goal for many Americans. However, the road to homeownership is rockier for some than for others. A new Apartment List report reveals that the rate of homeownership in the United States varies greatly by

Housing demand drops from June record high, still up from last year

Redfin’s Housing Demand Index dropped 5 percent in July from June’s all-time high, but is still up almost 30 percent from last year. The index, which currently sits at 124, is based on Redfin customers’ home tour requests and

Pending home sales dip for fourth time in five months

With homes flying off the market and a dearth of new listings, pending home sales around the country dipped 0.8 percent in July from June, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors. While the slip

Housing affordability proves problematic for Chicago’s low-income renters

A new study by Zillow reveals that rent growth continues to eclipse income growth for Chicago’s lowest-income residents. The report – which considered both multifamily rent prices and U.S. Census data – concluded that even the cheapest apartments in

Realtor Safety Month: Tips for staying safe on the job

Now that August has passed and the real estate industry is recovering from a dizzyingly busy summer, it’s time for agents to brush up on industry fundamentals, such as safety. September marks the beginning of Realtor Safety Month from

Single women build less home equity over time than single men, report finds

A new Redfin report shows that since 2012 single women have earned about 92 cents for every dollar of home equity earned by single men. In an analysis of 79,517 homes purchased in 18 of the largest cities by

Report: Most first-time homebuyers in 2017 Q2 since 1999

Single-family homes were snatched up by 570,000 first-time homebuyers in the second quarter of 2017, up 36 percent from 426,000 in the same quarter last year, according to a new report from Genworth Mortgage Insurance. That number is the

New data shows national home prices jump to all-time high

The latest S&P Dow Jones Indices shows that in June 2017, home prices around the country continued to increase, marking a year of gains. Prices jumped 5.8 percent over May 2017, according to the data released Aug. 29. The

National Association of Realtors urges reauthorization of federal flood insurance program

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has created a petition encouraging members to support the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is set to expire Sept. 30. The NFIP was

Study: FSBOs sell for less than agent sales

  With ample technology available today, many homeowners who are looking to sell might think they can go it alone and still net the same price as they would when working with a real estate agent, but a recent

Foreclosure rates lowest in a decade

Are we seeing the light at the end of the tunnel? For the first time since February 2007, foreclosure inventory has fallen below 400,000. Black Knight Financial Services released a report showing that in July 2017 the number of

Millennial confidence in homebuying dipped to lowest point in 18 months

The millennial reputation is often one of rebelling against tradition. However, there appears to be at least one that is important to them. A recent survey shows that most millennials still want to buy and own a home —

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New co-living space hits Chicago

  Chicagoland’s rental market remains scorching hot. New luxury apartment buildings featuring high-class studio units are going up in neighborhoods close to the Loop, but renters who are looking for an affordable alternative to those places are being pushed

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Judge dismisses Zillow ‘Zestimates’ lawsuit

On Wednesday, a U.S. district court judge dismissed the Illinois lawsuit against Zillow’s Zestimate tool — a win for the Seattle-based real estate company. The original lawsuit was filed in May by a Glenview homeowner who claimed that the

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July new home sales dip after a successful June

According to new data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, sales of newly built, single-family homes in July fell 9.4 percent to a rate of 571,000. “The year-to-date growth shows that

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