News / Features

Bank of America Reports loss of $8.8 Billion

In the second quarter, Bank of America posted a $8.8 billion loss, following the $8.5 billion settlement with investors regarding troubled mortgage-backed

Newly Approved Agency Puts $100 Million Toward Helping Chicago’s Underwater Homeowners

On Friday, Illinois officials announced a not-for-profit agency which will modify home loans for underwater homeowners, or those with properties worth less than what owners owe on mortgages, according to Crain’s. The agency, which is starting out by targeting

Index Rises from 13 in June to 15 in July

July brings a modest increase in homebuilder confidence, with the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo sentiment index increasing to 15 (from 13 in June), according to Bloomberg

Millennials Deemed a Plausible Solution to Recovery

According to New Geography, approximately 64 percent of Millennials–those born between 1982-2003–are focused on the importance of owning a home, with 20 percent saying it is one of the most important priorities in life, followed by being a good

West Loop, Streeterville Top List of Most Expensive Rental Chicago Neighborhoods

RentJuice’s first quarterly comparison, Rent Index in Chicago, found that the average cost to rent a home in Chicago is $1,410, according to a press release on the analysis, released

Highest-Priced Home in U.S. Sells for $85 Million

Once regarded as the highest-priced home in the U.S. with a price tag of $150 million, the former Los Angeles County home of Candy Spelling has sold for a drastically reduced price of $85 million (43 percent less) after

How Many Properties are Marketed as Green Properties?

Several agents have said that buyers are interested in green homes and are becoming aware of the importance of energy efficient appliances. But how easy is it to search for energy efficient homes in the MLS? LeapRE found that

The Future of Green Building

                      By Logan Broyles It seems green building is all the rage these days. Everywhere you look there are new projects popping up, new sustainable technologies being designed, and

The Truth About the Chicago Condo Market

The error in the Illinois Association of Realtor’s (IAR) May 2011 data, and potentially years previous, has likely left many industry professionals wondering what data they can

Mortgage Rates Fall This Week: 30-year FRM Drops to 4.51 Percent

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) is down to 4.51 percent (with an average 0.7 point) this week and 15-year rates dropped to 3.65 percent (with an average 0.6 point), according to MarketWatch. While neither drop is incredibly drastic, it

Obama Administration Launches Strong Cities, Strong Communites Initiative

The Obama Administration started the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) initiative to strengthen local communities and their economies, as well as ensure that tax dollars are being used efficiently and wisely, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD)

Post-Bubble Homebuyers Tend to Overprice Homes

Zillow found that home sellers who bought their home after 2007’s housing bubble burst have a tendency to overprice their home by 14.1 percent more than those who bought a home during or before the bubble, said Agent

Canadian Luxury Sale Agent Disappearance Case Nearing Closure Months Later

Many are familiar with the case of the recent murder of Ashley Okland, the Des Moines, Iowa Realtor who was shot and killed at the open house she was showing. While the case (now active for three months) has

Construction Sector Proves Indestructable While Economy Requires Some Renovation

The job market for construction seems to be recovering; even as the entire economy experienced a 10 percent increase in layoffs, from May to June – to the highest level since August 2010 – construction hires and openings proved

Cook County Mediation Program Requesting $3.5 Million

Currently, 75,000 mortgage foreclosures are pending in Cook County, said the Chicago Tribune. In May, the county’s mediation program for foreclosures assisted 216 delinquent homeowners, preventing them from losing their properties to lenders, according to a report from the

Fannie Mae Survey Respondents Anticipate 3.9 Percent Increase in Home Rental Prices-Highest Recorded Expectation for Survey to Date

Fannie Mae released their monthly consumer attitudinal survey report, with results from June finding that Americans now expect a decline of 0.5 percent in home prices over the next year; this is slightly more optimistic than the beliefs measured

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