By Peter Ricci Chicago home prices increased 0.7 percent from July to August in the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the economic measure from Standard & Poor’s (S&P) that is considered the authority on home prices in the U.S.

By Peter Ricci The mortgage markets have been bracing themselves for new regulations ever since the passing of the Dodd-Frank regulatory bill in 2010, and a new study from the American Action Forum on the qualified mortgage rule, Basel

By Peter Ricci “Boomerang buyers” are just like any other prospective homebuyer, except with one key difference – as the clever name would suggest, they are returning to the homeownership market after going through a foreclosure during the housing

By Peter Ricci According to a new survey jointly conducted by the Department of Psychology at the University of Central Florida (UCF) and technology firm Merge, 64 percent of agents said they update clients weekly or several times weekly. But this communications

Fifth Third Mortgage Company, a subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank, and the 13th largest originator in the country (Inside Mortgage Finance, Second Quarter 2012) continues to outpace the industry in permanent modifications in the government’s Home Affordable Modification Program

By Peter Ricci Real estate syndication site Zillow is making headlines with its decision to list 1.2 million “pre-market inventory” foreclosure properties on its site, a decision that is simultaneously satisfying the data needs of potential homebuyers and riling

David Dubin, developer and CEO of the Chicago-based Dubin Residential, has been ordered to pay more than $15 million to his lender after defaulting on loans tied to two planned projects on the South Side. Court records show that

By Peter Ricci Let’s face it – smartphones are more than mere mobile devices; rather, they’re precious, indispensable companions, ones that we use for our photography, scheduling, email, messaging and, of course, phone call needs, and in many cases exclusively. Therefore,

By Peter Ricci The Architecture Billings Index, a leading measure of growth in the commercial and multifamily sectors of real estate, grew at its fastest pace since 2010, rising from 50.2 in August to 51.6 in September. A measure

By Natalie Terchek Fannie Mae (NFMA/OTC) released a statement announcing enhancements on it’s HomePath properties, making the REO sales process easier and more efficient. Starting this week, real estate professionals may access Fannie Mae offer documents online through their

Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), Chicagoland’s MLS, has announced that the MLS Data Co-op, from CoreLogic, the provider of the Realist public records platform, has gone live with what will eventually become a major listing content

By Peter Ricci Just a day after the best new single-family home sales data in years, the National Association of Realtors is reporting another strong month for the Pending Home Sales Index, which rose 14.5 percent from September. From August to

By Peter Ricci The latest housing construction forecast from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is looking quite sunny, with both the single-family housing market and multifamily residencies expected to post strong numbers in the coming years. With

By Peter Ricci Earlier this year, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) received some criticism for an television advertisement on positive homeownership effects that connected homeownership with stronger communities, higher self-esteem and, perhaps most controversially, better test scores in

By Peter Ricci The next generation of potential homeowners are smart, savvy individuals with a unique understanding of both how homeownership works and the sacrifices it requires, according to a homebuyers survey by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate

By Peter Ricci New single-family home sales increased 27.1 percent year-over-year in September, according to the latest joint report from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition, sales were up 5.7 percent from