News / Features

Gen Y Has Spoken: Amenities > Square Footage

You’ve read all about Gen Y already: they plan to eventually buy, are reshaping the multifamily market and have positive feelings toward the housing market, in general. But a new study found data that’s valuable to any agent with Gen

Shadow Housing Inventory Continues to Fall, Down 12.3 Percent in Oct

So far, news for 2013 is optimistic: shadow housing inventory continued to decline in the autumn months, falling by 12.3 percent year-over-year in October, according to the latest estimates from CoreLogic. In total, there were 2.3 million units in

Possible Change to LEED Rating System Proves Controversial

When the U.S. Green Building Council met to discuss changes to its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system in December, it was met with resistance and controversy from several manufacturers. In fact, the manufacturers formed a group,

Pending Home Sales Index Hits Highest Level Since April 2010

The Pending Home Sales Index showed considerable signs of life in November, increasing 9.8 percent year-over-year and hitting its highest level in more than two years, according to the latest readings by the National Association of

New Single-Family Home Sales Hit Two-Year High in November

New single-family home sales increased 4.4 percent from October to November, hitting their highest mark since April 2010, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban

Asking Prices Increase 5.1 Percent in December Trulia Price Monitor

Asking prices increased 0.7 percent from November to December and 5.1 percent year-over-year in the latest Trulia Price Monitor, which studied the asking prices of for-sale homes listed on Trulia in

Did the Housing Market Escape the Fiscal Cliff Unscathed?

We knew it would go down to the wire – after countless discussions, negotiations and stories by the media, Congress finally reached an agreement to avert the so-called “Fiscal Cliff,” and the housing market, upon initial impressions, seems to

Residential Construction Spending Up in November

Private residential construction spending increased again in November, rising 0.4 percent from October to November in what is shaping up to be an encouraging 2012 for residential construction, according to the latest data from the Census

5 Real Estate Trends to Watch For in 2013

Well, 2013 has finally arrived, and it brings with it a housing market that, in the view of every major real estate analysts – from the NAHB, to the Wall Street Journal, to CoreLogic – is on the path to

What’s Hot, What’s Not, for Housing Next Year

Like many in the industry, since it’s the end of 2012, industry professionals are making predictions for 2013. We asked local industry experts their thoughts in our last issue of the year, and Jed Kolko, chief economist at Trulia,

Top 10 Agent Snapshots of 2012

The Agent Snapshot is one of the most popular features on our site, and for good reason! It introduces our readers to the many talented, successful, smart, entertaining, driven and wonderful agents that make the Chicagoland area real estate

How Does Geography Influence Building Materials?

Have you ever wondered by chrome seems so common in New England homes? Or why the shiny, shimmering textures of bronze always pop up in Texas dwellings? The NAHB Research Center just combed through 15 years-worth of construction materials

Where are Home Prices Heading This Winter?

Well, it’s Christmas Eve, the time of mistletoe and yuletide and egg nog. But while visions of sugarplums may be dancing in the heads of most people tonight, we’ll be going to sleep with another, equally potent question on

FHA to Tighten Mortgage Standards in 2013

In an effort to shore up its struggling finances, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has announced that it will be tightening its mortgage standards and policies for certain homebuyers in 2013. The FHA’s finances have been called into question

Multifamily Housing Dominates November Architecture Billings Index

The multifamily housing market continued its dominant performance in the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Architecture Billings Index, a leading economic indicator of future construction activity that is based on the billings from the nation’s architectural firms. For November, the

NAR Gives A Great Xmas Present with its Existing-Home Sales Report

There was nothing but good tidings and cheer in the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) existing-home sales report for November, which found existing-home sales to have increased 5.9 percent from October to November and 14.5 percent from November 2011.

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