News / Features

Fannie/Freddie Delinquency Rates Operate with Inversion

The delinquency rates at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the GSEs that control more than half of the country’s mortgages, moved in opposite directions in September, with Fannie’s rate declining and Freddie’s increasing, according to a post by Calculated

Social Darwinism in the Chicago Home Building Industry

Who knew home construction and sociology could go together so well? In a radical display of “survival of the fittest,” publicly-traded home builders have all but seized the Chicago home construction market, making wild gains while local, private builders

Confusion Abounds for Some Potential Homebuyers

What is the typical rate of appreciation for home values? What does an appraisal do? What about an inspection? And is PMI always necessary? Those and other questions were featured on a recent survey by Zillow, the popular MLS

In the World of Financial Regulation, is Small Really Better?

Though credit unions and small community banks had little to no impact on the global financial crisis of 2008, representatives from the two banking sectors stated before the House Financial Services Committee today say that a maze of new

Legal Weaponry Could Lead to Write-Downs for Mortgages

Broad legislation stemming from 2010’s “robo signing” foreclosure scandal may lead to the first case of mortgage write-downs since the housing market declined in 2008. According to a report from Reuters, negotiations between state attorneys general, federal regulators and

Presidential Candidates Avoid Housing on Campaign Trail

The housing market is a grand, influential sector of the global economy, one that ebbs and flows with overall economic performance. But even though the message remains consistent – fix housing, fix the economy – very few of the

Realty Executives of Illinois Raise $7,000 for Make A Wish Foundation

On Wednesday, October 26, the Realty Executives of Illinois in Westmont hosted a charity event called “BOO-ing for Wishes,” which benefited the Illinois Chapter of the Make A Wish

Investments in Redfin Total $14.8 Million

Redfin, the online real estate brokerage based in Seattle, has raised $14.8 million this venture round, led by new investor Globespan Capital Partners. That brings the virtual brokerage’s total financing to roughly $46

Elgin Property Tax Revenue May Fall $10 Million

Kane County’s preliminary values for housing assessments this year warned officials that there may be a 20 percent decrease in the value of homes from last year. Coupled with an already tough budgeting season, the city of Elgin may

The Studio Gang’s “Reverse Effect: Renewing Chicago’s Waterways” Hits Bookstores Next Month

On November 7, architect Jeanne Gang’s new book, “Reverse Effect: Renewing Chicago’s Waterways,” will be released. The book, developed by Studio Gang Architects’ publications division and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), is expected to aid in the transformation

This Week in Real Estate: Data Galore, Visas, and Splurge

A quick rundown of stats from our real estate news for the week of Oct. 24 – Oct. 28, by the numbers (with a Halloween

Chicago RPI Was Up in August and Contrary to National Trends

The latest Residential Price Index from FNC Inc., released October 20th, indicates that U.S. residential home prices declined in August by a seasonally adjusted rate of 0.8 percent, despite high level of sales during the

Study Claims MERS Destroyed the Chain of Title and Consequently, the Housing Market

David Woolley, a California licensed land surveyor and certified fraud examiner, is leading a new study in tandem with the Harbinger Analytics Group Real Estate Fraud Experts on the recently disbanded company, Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS).  The topic

Holes in the TARP for Community Banks

The Troubled Asset Relief  Program, or TARP, was a $750 billion infusion of cash into the U.S. financial sector, namely to banks addled by derivatives and other financial products. The largest recipients of TARP – Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Wells

Three New Agents Added to Dream Town’s Dream Team

Three new agents were welcomed on to Chicago-based company, Dream Town Realty, real estate’s team this past September. The agents are Leo Kassin, a 20-year old Chicago Realtor; Carol Miller, a Realtor and designer; and Kerry Conroy-Jerger, who has

Challenges Await New CHA Chief Woodyard

Charles Woodyard, the new CEO of the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA), started his new post on Monday, taking over an organization facing considerable, immediate challenges. Woodyard is replacing disgraced former CEO Lewis Jordan, who resigned earlier this year after

New Subscribe

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.