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

What good are low mortgage rates if nobody can take advantage of them? That’s the main question of a recent piece by Derek Kravitz, an Associated Press economics writer. Though rates are at historical lows, underwater homeowners – a quarter

Though the Pending Home Sales Index declined in September,  activity remains above a year ago, according to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). A forward-looking indicator that is based on contract signings, the index fell 4.6 percent

On November 16, beginning at 5:30 p.m., the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Illinois Chapter’s North/Northwest Suburban Branch will be hosting a presentation on the residential green real estate

In the past, with home prices rising and assessments lagging behind, outdated home assessments have often worked to the benefit of the homeowner; however, with home prices falling from year to year, this is not always the case anymore.

The Bipartisan Policy Center has announced a new, bipartisan Housing Commission tasked with conducting a top-down analysis of the U.S. housing market and its long term trends. Co-chaired by two former U.S. Senators and two former heads of the

It all looks so nice – there were 8,515 foreclosure auctions in Chicago in the first half of 2011, a 51 percent decline from 2010’s 17,331. On top of that, auctions decreased 27 percent from the first quarter of

Chicago-based Fifield Companies, and national developer, Wood Partners, announced they will begin construction on the K Station development’s fifth and final apartment building this month, K2 – seven years after ground broke on the first apartment tower in the

Media officials will be given the first opportunity to tour the “better, not bigger” housing design promoted by Sarah Susanka, FAIA, architect and best-selling author of the “Not So Big House” series. The preview event will take place on

Doug Fox was named managing broker of the Lincoln Park Halsted and South Loop offices of Prudential Rubloff Properties, company principals Chris Eigel and Michael Pierson announced. “We are very pleased to announce [his] promotion,” Pierson said. “Doug is

After four straight months of declines, new single-family home sales in September were up 5.7 percent from August, an increase from 296,000 units to 316,000 units, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) 2011 Leadership Team is hosting an online Town Hall meeting for Realtors this week, giving Realtors a chance to speak their mind on industry related topics and gain insightful updates on current events

Two senators are proposing a remarkably simple idea to foreigners to spur housing investment – buy a house, get a visa. It may seem coy, but the proposal by Sens. Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Mike Lee (R., Utah) really does

In a late hour vote, the Senate approved by a 60-38 margin a measure to expand federal loan limits and return government-backed loans to the $729,750 that had been in effect the last three

The Brookforest Plaza shopping center, located in Shorewood, will become home to the newest RE/MAX Ultimate Professionals office. Opening the office will be Kathy Dames, a veteran of Illinois real estate who has worked in the industry for the

Chicago and other Midwest cities are reporting particularly strong returns in the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Indices, the monthly report by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) that is the leading measure of U.S. home prices. The newest report, which surveys home prices for