The Census Bureau just released its massive tomb on housing data from 2000 to 2010, and as expected, the “Housing Characteristics” brief is a sweeping, detailed analysis of housing, offering both good and bad information on the embattled market.

In an ironic twist, Bank of America (BofA) is closing 40 mortgage offices and firing hundreds of workers at a time when mortgage interest rates are setting record lows. The firings come in the wake of recent news from

According to the most recent jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor, the economy added 103,000 jobs in September, and though markets reacted to the data in a lukewarm fashion, a true bright spot in the department’s findings

Mortgage rates have been on a steady decline the last couple months, and thanks to recent monetary action by the Federal Reserve, they hit all-time lows late last week, with the 30-year FRM shattering the 4 percent barrier and

Being FHA-insured is a big advantage in this housing market, but it seems most agents aren’t making that fact visible to consumers. There are about 14 percent of FHA properties in the MLS listings. However, only 1.8 percent of

By Christian J. Barron The Wall Street Journal/Real Trends 1000 is a compendium of the industry’s top selling agents year-to-year. However, upon closer examination, the data may have left some deserving agents off the list. To create its list

A: There is no argument that financing has become more of a challenge over the past few years; however, there are still some great options available to help people purchase homes. Private mortgage insurance (PMI) companies have expanded their

A quick rundown of the most savory real estate news from the week of Oct. 3 – Oct. 7, by the numbers: 3.94 – that’s the current percentage rate for the 30-year FRM; we’d call it a historical low, but

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was on Capital Hill yesterday testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, and during his testimony made several faint mentions of pending housing programs and revisions from the Treasury Department. “We expect to move

The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced yesterday $28 million in grants – $1.4 million of that due to Chicago organizations – to fight and investigate housing discrimination and promote equal housing opportunities. Funded through the Fair Housing

CoreLogic released its latest Home Price Index (HPI), showing a slight decline in August by 0.4 percent that represents the first decline in four months. A tracker of home prices and contemporary to Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller, the HPI

Lately, there hasn’t been much love for government loan mod programs. News has been swirling the past month that revisions are pending to the government’s underperforming loan modification programs, and sharp critiques have abound on the programs’ performance records.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the September edition of the White House’s “Housing Scorecard” yesterday, highlighting the positive trends in housing prices and refinancing options and other notable government initiatives. Raphael Bostic, a HUD

Mabel Guzman has been named the new broker associate for

On Aug. 18, 2011, Freddie Mac released the results of its latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS), reporting that 30-year fixed rate mortgages had reached a new low at 4.15 percent, surpassing the previous low of 4.17 percent from

In an effort to promote safety, force accountability and take a hefty bite out of crime, Chicago City Council members are considering an ordinance that would force owners of vacant properties within 1,000 yards of public schools to post