Bankrate’s 2011 Closing Costs Survey demonstrated that while home prices are tumbling, closing costs are still on the rise in most states–with an increase of 8.8 percent nationwide, compared to 2010. Nationwide, the average closing cost is now $4,070

Fifth Third Bank announced recently that Tim Perry, notable mortgage banker, has joined the bank’s mortgage team. Perry is a longtime resident of Park Ridge and has enjoyed a very successful career as a real estate lender throughout the

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage recently announced the merger of its Lincoln Park Plaza office with Akos Straub and Vince Milito and the Straub Milito

Members of Mainstreet Organization of Realtors (MORe) and the Realtor Association of Northwest Chicagoland (RANWC) approved the merger of the two associations after an overwhelming majority vote. The associations will officially join forces on October 1,

Today, NAR reported that home sales dropped 0.8 percent, to 4.77 million, this June–8.8 percent below June 2010’s sale of 5.23 million

Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC (MRED) updated their connectMLS system by adding more data fields to the search options giving agents the ability to narrow the

Home sales from June in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market showed data not consistent with year-to-year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                      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 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