Existing-home sales in the Midwest increased 1.0 percent from March to April, according to the latest data from NAR, with a yearly increase of 14.4 percent. Nationally, sales were similarly strong, rising 3.4 percent from March and 10.0 percent

RE/MAX  surveyed 1,022 of its residential experts in its quarterly RE/MAX Market Insights, and it found numerous signs of a market recovery in real estate, from pricing data to sales activity. Here’s what we thought were six important takeaways from

Judicial and nonjudicial states have radically different approaches to foreclosure proceedings, and they may produce different recoveries in the appropriate states. Currently, few analysts argue that a housing recovery is not happening; debate still persists, though, on the particulars –

As the housing market progressively recovers in 2012, more and more analysts are noting the shift in consumer demand from single-family to multifamily units. The latest (and most detailed) example is “The Shifting Nature of U.S. Housing Demand,” a

Q. The Lending Process Has Become Extremely Detailed.  As an Agent, How Can I Better Serve my Client to Make the Loan Process Smoother? A. As a VP of mortgage lending, the goal when turning in a file is to

By Peter Ricci In tune with campaign season, President Obama is stepping up his populist rhetoric to drum up support for his home refinancing plan. Originally announced in January during his State of the Union address, the plan would

By Peter Ricci Builder confidence is one of the main areas of focus for real estate, and it will be particularly interesting how builders in Illinois react to a series of environmentally-conscious regulations currently working their way through the

Homebuilder confidence in the market for new single-family homes reached its highest level since 2007, according to the Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. At 29, the level is five points higher than last month’s downwardly revised

By Peter Ricci After a few difficult years, the income and business of Realtors grew in 2011, according to the 2012 National Association of Realtors Member Profile. A survey of 58,823 NAR members that yielded 6,245 usable responses, the

Which Chicago suburbs and neighborhoods have the most transactions? LeapRE examined all active residential units on the market from January 2012 through May 1, 2012 to find out. Aurora has the highest number of transactions, 608, but this number

Freddie Mac yesterday released the latest results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey, and it found what by now has become common – that average fixed mortgage rates hit record lows last week. The 30-year FRM averaged just 3.79

Fannie Mae bolstered its predictions for the U.S. housing market in its report from the latest Economic & Strategic Research Group. Housing, the report stated, showed considerable promise in the first quarter of 2012, growing at a rate that “substantially”

Matt Dollinger, the V.P. of strategic development with @properties, is leaving the Chicago brokerage for a new position at Internet real estate company Trulia. Dollinger will be the Head of Industry Relations for Trulia, a role in which he’ll oversee

Foreclosure filings, which encompass default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions, were the lowest in April in five years, according to the latest data from RealtyTrac. The 188,780 filings for April were a 5 percent decline from March and a

Local and national security measures have for many defined the 2012 NATO Summit at McCormick Place, and some of them are impacting the local real estate market in Chicago. Craig Hogan, the director of Coldwell Banker’s Previews luxury practice group

Inventory levels in the U.S. housing market are down 21 percent from last May, according to the newest statistics from Pro Teck Valuation Services. A real estate valuation firm based in Waltham, Mass., Pro Teck said many of the