Stories about home flippers hiring Uber and Lyft drivers, more people taking on remodeling projects, the passage of a hero to homeowners and the importance of grocery stores to home sales all figure in this week’s national roundup.

When examining forward-looking data like pending home sales, new-construction activity and listing traffic, the news for the market overall isn’t stellar. But there are a few bright spots for Chicagoland real estate professionals in particular: The Midwest is proving to be more robust than other regions, and moderately priced homes are still in high demand.

Sterling Bay is planning an infill project made up of 30 affordable, factory-made three-flats; big companies relocating to the city are hurting high-end suburban properties; Lightfoot names a new CHA head and more in this week’s roundup.

The mortgage lending industry and its public referees have responded to short-term rentals with more accommodation than restriction, a positive development for homeowners who hope to earn income through a short-term rental platform. Not only is it possible for homeowners to potentially secure more favorable financing terms on their primary residences if they are renting them out — they also have the same opportunity to do so if they purchase a second home.

Whether you work in property management or your clients are looking for advice on how to capitalize on these opportunities, it’s important to consider the ways managing a short-term rental property differs from managing one for long-term tenants. Here are a few key factors to weigh before making a decision.

This glass house, built for Chicago’s 1933 World’s Fair, currently sits abandoned in Indiana. The house was built by George Fred Keck to represent the “house of the future,” and featured cutting-edge technology for the time, such as central

In an undisclosed location in Kansas, a former Atlas class missile silo has been turned into an underground, 15-floor condo building. Building amenities include nuclear, biological and chemical air filtration; hydroponic food production areas; and a workout facility complete

The Mueller probe leads to an indictment for Chicago bank CEO Stephen Calk; residential developers look to fill in a long-vacant 12-block site with townhouses, condos and houses; preservationists look to create a national park in Chicago and more in this week’s roundup of real estate news in Chicago.

Home renovations are getting more expensive due to tariffs, the real FHA problems beyond the to-do over REOs and Oreos, and the DOJ digs into buy-side competition: All items we’re monitoring in this week’s national news roundup.

Every year at their legislative meetings, the National Association of Realtors sends members and government affairs directors to meet with their representatives on the Hill to lobby for change, usually with a list of talking points that are important on a national level. But Chicagoland real estate professionals were on hand to bring local issues to to fore as well. Find out what topped the issue lists.

Nationally, existing-home sales finished the month of April some 0.4 percent below last month’s rate and 4.4 percent lower than April 2018. But those same figures looked brighter when researchers zeroed in on Chicagoland.

Ahead of her May 20 inauguration, we examined incoming Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s transition report, released Friday, to find the items that may impact the local real estate industry in Chicago.

In this week in Chicagoland real estate, industry pros address the idea of ripping off the property tax Band-Aid, a huge suburban development moves forward, 150 North Riverside gets some love and much more.

NAR announces President Trump will address Midyear attendees this Friday, RE/MAX breaks their agreement with Redfin, Zillow doubles down on iBuying and more in our national news roundup.

This home — built with parts taken from an old gold mine — features a rock-crusher fireplace, a crankshaft gateway, a tin roof and stair handrails made out of ore cart rails.

At 75 feet long, this new take on the classic houseboat boasts 4,350 square feet of living space and is able to float freely, be tied to a dock or stand up in the water courtesy of hydraulic legs.