Rental vacancies and the homeownership vacancy rate both fell in 2012’s first quarter, according to new data from the Census Bureau. For rentals, vacancies have been on a steady decline since 2010, when the rate was 10.6 percent in

By now, every agent has heard at least once how important the Internet is (heck, our entire last issue was devoted to it), but a new survey from HomeFinder.com has reaffirmed the continuing importance of real estate agents. In

Various condo buildings throughout Chicago are proposing and enacting new rental caps. While the intentions are to prevent property values, condo boards don’t consider the ramifications of the change, and restrictions that are too strict can have a negative

Few sectors of real estate were hit harder in the recession than new construction, but projections from noted economist suggest times may be changing. According to economists from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and other firms, a

The former President of Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Dean Rouso, has been awarded the Distinguished Service Award at a ceremony that took place during MRED’s Strategic Planning conference in downtown Chicago. Rouso, who is the

The Legacy at Millennium Park has been announced by the Chicago District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) as a 2012 Vision Awards finalist. The luxury high-rise development has been recognized for innovation, best practices and contributing to the

It’s no mystery to Illinois agents that all salesperson and broker licenses will expire on April 30, and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) is taking measures to assist agents in the

An acquisition that would merge the two largest commercial MLS services in the nation has come under fire from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for its anti-competitiveness. The merger, in which CoStar would purchase LoopNet, is an $860 million

Remarks made by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan have confirmed the Obama White House has no immediate plans to reform the country’s GSEs “anytime soon.” Though HousingWire, which reported on Donovan’s statement, highlighted the political nature of the policy –

The uptick in construction activity has been one of the major housing topics thus far in 2012, and new stats on orders for the first quarter are continuing that trend. According to the latest data, which was reported by

The National Association of Realtors and the United States Department of Treasury came together to put on an event on April 23 that offered aid to homeowners who are struggling to keep their homes and avoid foreclosure and to

Quarterly foreclosure activity increased in 2012’s first quarter for 114 of the 212 metropolitan areas followed by RealtyTrac, according to a new study by the research firm. The study, however, was not entirely negative. Though foreclosures did increase in

Month after month, data comes out affirming the rising demand for rental units, and like the wider world of real estate, fresh and unusual details often accompanies it. A recent Wall Street Journal piece on the rent/homeownership dichotomy has presented

The Pending Home Sales Index, a leading measure of future home sales activity from NAR, increased in March, contributing further to the new housing recovery. The index, which is based on contract signings, increased from 97.4 in February to

The new home sales data from earlier today confirms what we’ve been reporting for several weeks now – that a housing recovery is indeed in the works. There remains considerable debate, though, on the nature and extent of that recovery,

The 2010 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit was one of the Obama administration’s first big policies for housing, but its impact has been debated since its expiration. And now Dean Baker, a noted economist and researcher, has published a detailed