Investors across the country are looking to cash in on skyrocketing house prices and rents, putting them in competition with new buyers trying to work their way to homeownership. Real estate investors bought a record 18% of the homes sold in the third quarter, according to a new Redfin report.

As home prices continue increasing, some areas in Chicagoland have seen especially significant appreciation — particularly in the suburbs.

“If I had to choose only one word to describe September 2021’s housing price data, the word would be ‘deceleration. Housing prices continued to show remarkable strength in September, though the pace of price increases declined slightly.” — S&P DJI managing director Craig Lazzara.

“Motivated by fast-rising rents and the anticipated increase in mortgage rates, consumers that are on strong financial footing are signing contracts to purchase a home sooner rather than later.” — NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun

While the housing market may be hotter than usual, the shift toward seasonal norms is starting to show and could benefit both buyers and renters. 

The demand for housing in the U.S. has reached a new all-time high since 2017, a rare occurrence for this time of year when the market typically slows. According to a Redfin report, a recovering economy and all-time low mortgage rates are critical factors in the current market. 

The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of September was 389,000, representing a supply of 6.3 months at the current sales rate, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported.

As the economy recovers from COVID and the housing market gains traction, homeownership is top of mind for Americans, according to the latest survey from Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has partnered with Panorama Travel Solutions to offer exclusive travel deals and discounts through the NAR Travel Club.

As dramatic rent prices impact states across the nation, renters are searching for more affordable places to call home. Nationally, the median rent price is up over 16% since January, with some cities seeing double that, according to a recent Apartment List report.

The new REALTORS® Confidence Index survey is here, and thousands of Realtors have weighed in to reveal the current shape of the housing market.

Demand for second homes was up 70% from pre-pandemic levels in October, according to a new report from Redfin. This outpaced August’s 48% gain but was below January’s record 91% growth.

Chicagoland housing inventory is at its lowest supply in a decade, according to Midwest Real Estate Data. In turn, sales are down and prices are high.

The U.S. housing market kept firing on all cylinders, as the demand for residential real estate drove prices higher for the 116th month in a row, marking the longest streak on record.

As of Sept. 30, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) had collected $229.6 in dues from its 1.542 million members, according to a RealTrends report.

It’s been a crazy year for real estate with bidding wars, record home prices and historically low inventory, but that may all come to an end in 2022.