News / Features

Dimensions of a Housing Recovery

All week, we’ve been reporting on the different dimensions of the housing recovery. From housing’s relationship with the greater economic progression of 2012, to positive projections from Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, to the continually high interest from Americans

Karina Caulfield Joins Conlon

Less than two years after winning her own Sotheby’s franchise as part of a lawsuit settlement, Karina Caulfield has shut down her Lakeview residential real estate office to join forces with Conlon: A Real Estate

Legislators Move to Save Mortgage Debt Relief Act

New legislation proposed in the House of Representatives would extend the Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007, a federal provision that allows taxpayers to exclude from their income the debt reductions that resulted from mortgage restructuring or foreclosure settlements.

HARP 2.0 Program Automated but Constrained?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac last week finally integrated HARP 2.0 into their automation systems, and though refinancings are expected to increase dramatically, they could come with some strings attached that previous refinancings did not

Housing and the Economy Dance Cheek To Cheek

It’s long been one of the ultimate truisms in real estate that a robust economy, and all the positive employment and investment numbers that accompany it, is the finest contributor to a growing housing market, and agents, investors and

Freddie Predicts Reawakening for Housing

Freddie Mac Chief Economist Frank Nothaft is predicting a reawakening, of sorts, for the housing market in his March 2012 Economic Outlook in a fashion that could read like a sequel to “Sleeping Beauty.” Analyzing economic growth, construction data and

Toll Brothers the Latest Revitalized Builder

Toll Brothers has joined the league of revitalized builders, including Lennar and Hovnanian, if comments from the luxury builder’s CEO are any indication. In an interview with CNBC, CEO Douglas Yearley said his company has been experiencing some of

OCC Foreclosures Finished 2011 With a Sigh

Foreclosures launched by Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)-registered banks and servicers fell by 16 percent in the fourth quarter and by 17.9 percent year-over-year, according to the latest data from the agency, capping off an entire

Derrick Rose Closes Deal on Condo with Help of Top Producer Matt Silver

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose recently purchased a luxury condominium downtown at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, and he was represented by Matt Silver of Urban Real Estate. Silver believes that the purchase shows that Rose is dedicated

Housing Prices with a Dose of Reality

Standard & Poor’s released the latest Case-Shiller Indices yesterday, and as has been the trend the last few months, the research firm reported declines in price, specifically a 3.9 percent year-over-year drop in the 20-City Composite, which measures home

Environs Development Wins Big at America Living Awards

Chicago luxury homebuilding firm, Environs Development, was honored with six Best in American Living Awards (BALA)  at the 2012 International Home Builders Show held in Orlando, Fla. Founded in 1991, Environs Development is a full-service firm that specializes in architecture,

Homeowner Aspiration Remains High in Fannie Survey

Despite economic strife and continued difficulties in the housing market, Americans continue to see homeownership as preferable to renting, according to Fannie Mae’s latest National Housing Survey. A study involving 3,000 Americans that focuses on the state of homeownership aspirations in

MRED Help Desk In Top 20 U.S. Call Centers

Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), the Chicagoland multiple listing service (MLS), is pleased to announce that its Technical Help Desk has been identified as one of the top 20 call centers in the United States and Canada by BenchmarkPortal.

Principal Reduction Effort Gains Considerable Steam from Unlikely Sources

The principal reduction, and whether the GSEs will embrace it as a central policy for aiding distressed borrowers, is undoubtedly among the most contentious issues facing housing right now, as Acting FHFA Director Ed DeMarco has resisted repeated calls

Chicago Home Values Hit Post-Boom Low in New Case-Shiller

Home values in Chicago declined again in Standard & Poor’s latest Case-Shiller report, falling 1.9 percent from December to January and 6.6 percent from January 2011, reaching new post-bubble

Michael Parent Appointed President Elect of MORe

Michael Parent, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage broker/branch manager in St. Charles, has been appointed as president elect of the Mainstreet Organization of Realtors (MORe), the fourth largest association of Realtors in the U.S. with more than 14,000 members in

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