Real estate organizations, FIABCI and ICREA signed an agreement of alliance at last week’s ICREA board meetings in Berlin, seeking to “optimize the combined strength of the two groups and maximize the benefits for the professional real estate community

The Federal Housing Finance Agency raised conforming loan limits in February of 2008, but now they are expected to cut back; the agency is discussing reducing loan limits on mortgages guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in an

Chinatown developer, See Y. Wong of Wabash Development Group, recently acquired a warehouse on 2401 S. Archer Ave. The space will be cleared to make way for the first phase of Eastern Towers, a new $100 million mixed-use development

Alvia Baker of DuSable Realty and Appraisal won the $1,000 American Express gift certificate at a broker party held by The Columbian on May

According to Agent Genius, data from NAR shows the average real estate agent — residential and commercial — had eight transactions in 2010. Despite the number of transactions being less than one per month, the good news is this

The 2011 NAR Member Guide reports that nearly two thirds of all Realtors have had a website for at least five years. Of that number, half use social media and only 10 percent blog on a daily

A secret shopping effort from One Cavo and PCMS Consulting revealed that approximately 75 percent of web-based leads are either ignored or receiving late responses, resulting in lost leads, said RIS

Yesterday, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Fannie Mae announced Green Refinance Plus, a new program which will assist owners of existing affordable apartment buildings in paying for energy efficient

Condominium boards for two luxury downtown high-rises aim to market a controlled amount of available rentals, in an effort to maintain the value of the properties, according to

Chicago-based brokerage Dream Town Realty added five new agents to its residential sales team in

HousingWire.com reported the Department of Housing and Urban Development began a review of its regulations and will continue a periodic review for other rule changes as directed from an executive order from President

Kimberly Trimmel, associate broker at the Keller Williams Gold Coast office, has recently been appointed as the director of compliance for the Keller Williams Gold Coast

A new brokerage, RE/MAX Synergy opened at 15607 S. Harlem Ave., in Orland Park, Ill.; the franchise is owned by Renaud Biscarrat (pictured), with a team of 57 affiliated agents who are eager to serve clients in Chicago’s southwest

The Census Bureau released the “Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics” for Illinois last week, which included information and stats that reveal which Chicagoland areas were hit the hardest by

Yesterday, at a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing, National Association of Realtors President, Ron Phipps announced support of comprehensive reform, in order to alter the current model of the secondary mortgage market, said Gamut

State attorneys general announced Tuesday that if a settlement is not reached, some of the nation’s largest banks will face potential liability costs amounting to $17 billion; these potential civil lawsuits have been rendered in regard to improper foreclosure