How do the housing markets compare among Chicagoland’s top-performing schools? And how do those scores look when the schools are separated by the home prices of their respective markets? Courtesy of a detailed analysis from RealtyTrac, we have charted

Fannie Mae introduced its HomeReady mortgage last year as an inexpensive lending option that allows borrowers to come in with as little as 3 percent down. Now it’s making “enhancements” to that option, and that could mean more affordable financing

President Obama recently signed into law the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016, a bipartisan bill loaded with fixes to existing HUD programs. In February, the bill, which amended the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (among other HUD-modifying

Which Chicagoland agents have seen the biggest year-over-year gains in their business so far in 2016? We took a deeper look at the market trends and put together the following chart, which shows the 20 agents who rose the most in the

On June 23, 2016, citizens of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. In the wake of the decision, the British pound fell to a 31-year low against the U.S. dollar, the euro dropped one percent, and U.S.

Americans are deeply pessimistic about economic mobility. By an overwhelming margin, they believe it is harder today to secure a middle-class lifestyle than it was for past generations. And a large majority continue to see the housing market in

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today proposed new updates to TRID intended to formalize guidance in the rule, and provide clarity and certainty. The point is to help facilitate compliance within the mortgage industry. “The Bureau’s rules are designed

One of the minds that brought us Uber is trying to change the face of real estate through a mobile app. The app, called Haus, is for buyers, sellers, and agents, and focuses on the offer process rather than home search.

Lots of interesting things happened this week in the world of real estate. Notable stories this week included a new 140-unit multifamily project coming to Chicago’s ‘Hipster Highway,’ a map of the numerous developments in the West Loop, and

Home sellers in the Chicagoland housing market have seen some of the most modest returns in the nation, according to the Q2 2016 U.S. Home Sales Report from RealtyTrac. Basing its analysis on publicly recorded sales deeds from more than 900 counties

See our chart below for the top-selling Chicago neighborhoods in the first half of 2016, according to research from Redfin. To adjust between total home sales and the single-family/condo markets, click on the tabs. Total Home Sales Single-Family Home Sales

Guaranteed Rate announced today that Jim Linnane has joined the company as the new director of national sales. Linnane was recruited to focus on further expanding Guaranteed Rate’s sales force. “Jim has a proven track record of success in the

By the end of 2016, the Department of Energy estimates 1 million homes will be equipped with a solar energy system. And still there is no definitive way to value those systems in appraisals. A new report from the

See our chart below for the top-selling suburban housing markets in Chicagoland in the first half of 2016, according to research from Redfin. To adjust between total home sales and the single-family/condo markets, click on the tabs. Total Home

At 75 million strong, the Baby Boomer generation comprises just over a quarter of the U.S. population, and as such, it wields considerable sway on the direction of the country’s economy – particularly in the area of housing. Indeed,

In January, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a division of the Treasury Department, announced two Geographic Targeting Orders, or GTOs, to monitor all cash luxury transactions in both Manhattan and Miami. The purpose was to help authorities identify possible