Manufacturing corporations' seasonally adjusted after-tax profits averaged 6.8 cents per dollar of sales for the third quarter of 2009, up 2.7 (+/- 0.1) cents from the after-tax profits average of 4.2 cents for the second quarter of 2009.

3rd Qtr 2009: +2.7 cents
2nd Qtr 2009: +1.3 cents

Ask a CEO to pick their favorite color and what they select will often be very different than what most people would pick.

Tonight - Snow. Snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches. Lows in the mid 20s. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 100 percent.

Winter Storm Warning for Cook County in effect until 12:00 PM CST on February 10, 2010

Dusan Tatomirovic found a steal when he bought a foreclosed condo just north of Monterey, Calif., last April for $130,000.

(Crain’s) — A lender has filed a $19.1-million foreclosure suit on a 56-unit residential development on the Near West Side after developers cancelled their sales contracts and converted the property to apartments. A venture that includes Chicago developer Steven Golovan and two Highland Park ...

(Crain’s) — The Chicago-area retail vacancy rate edged higher in the fourth quarter as demand for space remained weak and the few retailers looking for space were bargain-hunting. The vacancy rate rose to 11.9% from 11.7% in the third quarter and was up markedly from a year earlier, when the ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Chicago area in ...

Connecticut pulled off a coup when Starwood Hotels agreed to relocate its headquarters there. But now there are questions being raised over how the state sealed the deal.

February Newsletter
Hot off the press! - Our February newsletter

February Newsletter
Hot off the press! - Our February newsletter

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... EveryBlock is a new way to track news in your Chicago neighborhood, down to your city ...

Feb. 8, 2010. Millbrook Pointe, a development of luxurious townhomes and rowhomes in Wheeling is offering up to $60,000 savings through February. "Prices have been reduced to...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... EveryBlock is a new way to track news in your Chicago neighborhood, down to your city ...

DECATUR, IN- The 93,000-square-foot shopping center is anchored by a Scotts Grocery and was being foreclosed on by a life insurance company.

The Mortgage Bankers Association sold its 10-story headquarters building in Washington, D.C., for $41.3 million, well below the $79 million it paid in 2007.

Fewer write-downs and cancellations along with improved order rates are putting some lift into the depressed home construction market.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... an 18-year-old from Chicago, a 19-year-old from Harvey and a 25-year-old from Chicago ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... EveryBlock is a new way to track news in your Chicago neighborhood, down to your city ...

Ask a CEO to pick their favorite color and what they select will often be very different than what most people would pick.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... EveryBlock is a new way to track news in your Chicago neighborhood, down to your city ...

Home affordability has improved in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market and that has attracted substantial numbers of bargain hunters.

Special Weather Statement for Cook County in effect until 6:30 AM CST on February 07, 2010

Home affordability has improved in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market and that has attracted substantial numbers of bargain hunters. However, affordability is only one of the factors that should shape a buyer’s priorities. Another key concern is selecting a property that will best retain its value. (PRWeb Feb 7, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases ...

- Home affordability has improved in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market and that has attracted substantial numbers of bargain hunters. However, affordability is only one of the factors that should shape a buyer's priorities. Another key ...

- Home affordability has improved in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market and that has attracted substantial numbers of bargain hunters. However, affordability is only one of the factors that should shape a buyer's priorities. Another key ...

Home affordability has improved in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market and that has attracted substantial numbers of bargain hunters. However, affordability is only one of the factors that should shape a buyer’s priorities. Another key concern is selecting a property that will best retain its value.

Q : I became engaged over Christmas. Unfortunately, the big hurdle to combining our households is the sale of my house.

Q The tenants who lease my single-family home have become "ham radio" enthusiasts. Without asking me, they erected an antenna in the backyard. It's unsightly and, according to neighbors, emits an annoying noise that disrupts their sleep. The tenants claim that under federal law, they're entitled to erect what they need to get reception. Is this true?

I have become, again, the people I write about.

Homes sales transactions in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market bounced back strongly during the second half of 2009 as the general economy began showing signs of renewed growth, according to an analysis of Chicago-area housing sales data by the RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network.

RISMEDIA, February 6, 2010—Homes sales transactions in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market bounced back strongly during the second half of 2009 as the general economy began showing signs of renewed growth, according to an analysis of Chicago-area housing sales…

(Crain’s) — The owners of the popular Bull & Bear pub and a local diner plan to open new locations this year in River North. The firm that owns the Bull & Bear and Stone Lotus, Twilight Traffic Control LLC, leased 12,000 square feet on the ground level and basement at 400 N. State St. for an ...

Shidler to leave First Industrial board First Industrial Realty Trust Inc.’s cofounder and largest shareholder, Jay H. Shidler, 63, is retiring as a director of the Chicago-based real estate investment trust. The Wednesday announcement comes nearly 13 months after the REIT announced that Mr. ...

Below is information from a BOMA/Chicago news release announcing the winners of the Gold Circle and Office Building of the Year awards. See photos from the gala BOMA/Chicago’s inaugural Gold Circle Award winners: • Property Management Professional of the Year: Laura Bossert, ...

Public Notice
A Chicago Park District Public Meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Feb. 5, 2010. With today's low mortgage interest rates and an excellent selection of available new construction condominiums for sale in the Chicagoland area, now may be the ...

(Crain’s) — News that a new investor group bought the remaining units at the failed condo conversion at 222 E. Pearson St. from lender PrivateBank & Trust Co. was the most-viewed story in the past week at ChicagoRealEstateDaily.com. The top five as of Friday morning: New investors buy ...

Just a few years ago you could count on getting the bulk of your money back for almost any home-improvement project you took on. Today merely replacing a toilet seat can feel like throwing caution, and cash, to the wind. According to a study from Remodeling magazine, the average return on value for an upgrade declined from 87% in 2005 to 64% in 2009. But these six new rules will help you maximize your return on your remodeling investment.

ROMEOVILLE, IL-The senior living community includes more than 400,000 square feet of space, including 77 apartments for those living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Choose the right exterior features to make your home stand out

Nothing gives a home more character and curb appeal than a distinctive entryway. A stunning entrance with an arched stone surround, a hand-carved mahogany door, or porch columns can go a long way in setting the tone for your house.

Perfectly prepared homeowners save a sample of every material used on the house: paint, wallpaper, trim, shingles, you name it. And when someone drops a bowling ball on the tile floor it's no problem: you've got extras.

Builder coaches clients through decision-making process

Arvid Eiesland learned two things from his high-school trades classes, he jokes: How to pull off "builder tricks" like nailing people's helmets to the floor and that construction, not architecture, was his destiny.

It's difficult to be handy around the house when your supplies aren't handy. That's where a workshop comes in. Whether you're remodeling or buying new, it's easy to add a do-it-yourself workshop to help you work more efficiently.

Town takes no shortcuts on the road to livability

You must be a townie, says author Tracy Kidder in "Home Town," if "you don't shed identities. You accumulate them."

With the new year comes new opportunities for owners of historic Chicago Bungalows and others interested in home improvements to learn about rehab, preservation and energy efficiency.

Q I have a problem with my automatic garage door and I am hoping you can help me. The garage door is about 3 years old and I've not had a problem with it until recently.

The remaining 13 condominium units at Prairie Pointe at Central Station in Chicago will be auctioned March 14.

Many community associations these days are besieged by owners who are delinquent on their assessments. That's only one recessionary woe. Boards need to be extra alert for fraud and embezzlement.

With 2009 wrapped up — thankfully if you ask real estate agents — there are a slew of statistics out there to quantify just how dour the local real estate market was as well as predictions about what lies ahead for the next 11 months of 2010.

Q I own a rental town house in a local community. The board of directors of the homeowners association has put to a vote of homeowners a proposal that would forbid any owner from renting his or her unit once the current lease expires, thus forcing owners to sell the property in what is not only a depressed market but is in competition with many other properties for sale. Can this possibly be legal?

Lenders holding the $180 million mortgage on entertainment mogul Robert Sillerman's luxury resort in Anguilla have taken over the half-built project.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... EveryBlock is a new way to track news in your Chicago neighborhood, down to your city ...

(Crain’s) — A former chemist who helped launch NutraSweet has left a high-ranking post at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to run a start-up aiming to be Cabela’s for kids. Bill Colaianni is CEO of Wonder LLC, which plans to open its first store in November in a 135,000-square-foot former Great Indoors ...

(Crain’s) — Colliers Bennett & Kahnweiler Inc., a leader in local industrial brokerage, has set its sights on office building investment sales, snagging well-known broker Brian P. Nagle from rival Cushman & Wakefield Inc. Mr. Nagle, 55, joined Rosemont-based Colliers this week as an ...

(Crain’s) — A New York industrial real estate investment firm bought a vacant warehouse near O’Hare International Airport for just $9 million as the company looks to double its local portfolio to more than 10 million square feet. KTR Capital Partners last month bought a 205,540-square-foot ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... away, Nathan Marsili, a National Weather Service meteorologist told the Chicago Breaking ...

CHICAGO--Global international accounting and consulting firm Deloitte has shuffled up its executive ranks in a major way, appointing Robert T. O’Brien as the new head of its US real estate practice and vice chairman.

Gambling in Kansas comes with a twist—the state owns the casino and sets the rules, an unusual arrangement devised by the legislature.

Private-equity firms are stepping into the vacuum left by banks' flight from lending to small and midsize home builders.

(Reuters) — Equity Residential, the largest publicly traded apartment landlord, reported quarterly funds from operations that rose in part because of a gain on the early extinguishment of debt. The real estate investment trust (REIT) posted fourth-quarter FFO of $126.9 million, or 43 cents per ...

Luckily for banks, the commercial real estate time bomb just keeps on ticking.

Chicago Spire developer Garrett Kelleher's effort to build the nation's tallest building in Chicago is threatening the viability of one of his Ireland-based firms.

The WLS-Ch. 7 morning anchor bought a larger house after the birth of her fourth child

WLS-Ch. 7 morning news anchor Judy Hsu has sold her three-bedroom, farmhouse-style house in Hinsdale for $590,000.

(Crain's) — A Dublin-based affiliate of Chicago Spire developer Garrett Kelleher reported a $207.6-million annual loss, much of which is attributed to the stalled Spire project. Clarinabbey Ltd. says in an annual financial report filed last week in Ireland that the company took a loss ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... Madonna and model Jesus Luz have split, according to a new report out of the Chicago Sun ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... Madonna and model Jesus Luz have split, according to a new report out of the Chicago Sun ...

The commercial real-estate mess is clobbering investors. Few of them are reeling as much as the 27 owners of 1023 Cherry Road in Memphis, Tenn.

Feb. 3, 2010. Despite a stalled feeling in the housing market to some, work crews are out in force at Creekside Estates in Lockport and Misty Ridge in Romeoville. Constructio...

As terrible as it is to lose your house to foreclosure, at least it's a relief to put your biggest financial headache behind you, right?

(Crain’s) — Four more vendors have joined the Chicago French Market lineup, bringing the total number of shops at the indoor venue to 29. The 15,000-square-foot Chicago French Market at 131 N. Clinton St. opened on Dec. 3. It is a joint effort between developer U.S. Equities Realty, Metra, ...

Feb. 3, 2010. With this popular Town and Country Homes' townhome community nearing close-out, the timing is just right for buyers who want to take advantage of the federal ta...

Feb. 3, 2010. First-time buyers and others who are looking for the space and privacy of a detached single-family home, plus new special pricing starting at $195,995, should m...

Feb. 3, 2010. A varied selection of townhomes is still available at The Townes at Remington Pointe in northwest suburban Volo. Buyers can take advantage of generous incentiv...

Feb. 3, 2010. Like many first-time buyers, Marcos Guerrero and his wife Alice Sun had an incentive to buy their first home, the $8,000 tax credit offered by the federal gover...

CHICAGO-In 2009 the delivery of gross leasable area totaled 1.7 million square feet; a 53% decline from 2008, when GLA totaled 3.7 million square feet.

Chicago real estate company Dream Town is pleased to welcome Alan Candea to its team of residential specialists.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... school grounds and no threats to any students," said Weitzel, according to the Chicago ...

Feb. 2, 2010. Want to move up to your dream home in time to take advantage of the tax credit? Town and Country Homes is offering four luxurious Blackstone single-family mode...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... morning at many polling stations across Illinois, while it snowed steadily in Chicago.

Homeownership Rate (HR)
The homeownership rate in the fourth quarter 2009 (67.2 percent) was not statistically different from the fourth quarter 2008 rate (67.5 percent). In the South, the homeownership rate was lower than a year ago, while no other region showed any significant change from corresponding fourth quarter 2008 rates.

Rental Vacancy Rate (RVR)
The rental vacancy rate in fourth quarter 2009 (10.7 percent) was higher than the the fourth quarter 2008 rate (10.1 percent).

Homeowner Vacancy Rate (HVR)
The homeowner vacancy rate in fourth quarter 2009 (2.7 percent), was not statistically different from the fourth quarter 2008 rate (2.9 percent).

4th Qtr 2009
(HR): 67.2 percent
4th Qtr 2008
(HR): 67.5 percent

Feb. 2, 2010. One of Huntley's most popular new home communities, Cider Grove, is celebrating a Grand Reopening! Built by Town and Country Homes, the community will include a...

Before Monday, only 28 Chicago aldermen had been found guilty of various kinds of ... Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages

Feb. 1, 2010. Todd and Mariel Radell are recent newlyweds who wanted to purchase their first home. They researched the market and realized that with the low interest rates, p...

Total construction activity for December 2009 ($902.5 billion) was 1.2 percent below the revised November 2009 ($913.2 billion). Please see our web site for further details: http://www.census.gov/constructionspending

December 2009: -1.2 % change
November 2009: -1.2 % change

CHICAGO-Tryko Partners and ManagCare Inc. purchased the four-story, 313-bed facility with plans to increase occupancy.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... First Lady Michelle Obama — who grew up a few miles from Paris Woods' Chicago home ...

The Chicago housing market is still years away from a full recovery, as foreclosures, high unemployment and a tight lending climate hinder a comeback. Chicago-area existing-home sales will begin rising again in 2011, hitting about 95,000 units in 2013, according to a forecast by Irvine, ...

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today unveiled the Department's fiscal year 2011 budget proposal, following President Barack Obama's presentation of his Administration-wide budget. The HUD budget focuses on fiscal discipline, creating jobs and builds on the administration's first year accomplishments by proposing reform in HUD's housing and community development programs to make them more streamlined, efficient, and accountable.

Homes sales transactions in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market bounced back strongly during the second half of 2009 as the general economy began showing signs of renewed growth, according to an analysis of Chicago-area housing sales data by the RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network. (PRWeb Feb 1, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/chicago ...

Homes sales transactions in the metropolitan Chicago real estate market bounced back strongly during the second half of 2009 as the general economy began showing signs of renewed growth, according to an analysis of Chicago-area housing sales data by the RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... Crest Hill Police Chief Dwayne Wilkerson told Chicago Breaking News speed may have been ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... was asked by a top mayoral aide about questionable credit card expenses, the Chicago Sun ...

Q: We would appreciate your advice on a challenging real estate situation we're facing.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... to benefit Illinois,� acting Lottery Superintendent Jodie Winnett told the Chicago Sun ...

Cinderella Theatre Production
Bring the family to see "Cinderella", presented by Chase Park's Young Actor's program.

Organic Gardening Series
Register for the Winter Organic Gardening Workshops at Kilbourn Park & Organic Greenhouse.

Black History Month
View the many events offered in February for Black History Month.

Civic Free Concert Series
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is presenting a series of free concerts in the parks.

... us a running start into the second half of the year when we can't rely on government stimulus," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank in Chicago. "That ... from the troubled commercial real estate sector was offset by ...

SCHAUMBURG, IL-The FDIC will occupy the entire building here in the Woodfield Corporate Center.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary Sandra B. Henriquez today announced the three public housing agencies that will participate in HUD's Moving To Work Program (MTW). MTW allows housing agencies to design and test innovative housing strategies that assist lower income families living in public housing or who are assisted through HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Program.

SEATTLE - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced President Barack Obama's selection of Mary McBride to serve as HUD Regional Director for the four states in HUD's Northwest Region including Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska.

ATLANTA - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced President Barack Obama's selection of Edward L. Jennings, Jr. to serve as HUD Regional Director for the eight states in HUD's Southeast Region including Tennessee, Kentucky North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.

DENVER - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced President Barack Obama's selection of Denver City Councilman Rick Garcia to serve as HUD Regional Director for the six states in HUD's Rocky Mountain Region which includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah.

Your home repair center may be a basement stocked with every power tool on the market. In other households, it's a kitchen drawer with a few screwdrivers and stray nails. But for many people, a repair project starts with a search for that disappearing slip-joint pliers, or a trip to the home center for tools.

"Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness." Frank Gehry

Blackberry keeps clients' lifestyle in mind when remodeling

Most of Daryl Kemp's remodeling gigs are within 30 miles of his Elburn office. But his resources are nationwide.

Tax credit deadlines make finding the right agent crucial

The Super Bowl is a little more than a week away and in real estate circles, it's not just about the big game but the kick-off to the spring home buying season.

QThe 40-year-old white aluminum siding on my house is starting to peel off, showing gray underneath. Is there a special paint that can be applied to cover it?

Change could speed process for homeowners, servicers

Troubled homeowners seeking a mortgage loan modification are going to have to prove upfront that they qualify for one, rather than getting it first and verifying it later.

QMy husband and I built a townhouse in 1983 for $33,000. We lived there for a few years and then rented it out for 17 years, taking all the tax advantages such as depreciation, etc.

CHICAGO - A federal judge ordered Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon ... Gordon claimed in the suit filed in 2007 that he provided $1 million to Harmon as his share in a real estate investment. In his 10-page opinion, though, Kocoras said there had ...

Under fire for the low number of people receiving long-term mortgage help, the Treasury Department on Thursday announced new guidelines that will require applicants to provide all paperwork before getting a trial modification.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... EveryBlock is a new way to track news in your Chicago neighborhood, down to your city ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... EveryBlock is a new way to track news in your Chicago neighborhood, down to your city ...

CHICAGO-The firm is auctioning the newly renovated 20,000-square-foot building at 2248 S. Michigan Ave.

Sales of new one-family houses in December 2009 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 342,000. This is 7.6% below the revised November 2009 estimate of 370,000.

December 2009: -7.6 % change
November 2009: -9.3 % change

WASHINGTON - As part of the Administration's ongoing housing market stabilization plan, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released updated guidance for servicers participating in the Administration's mortgage modification program. This guidance refines the documentation requirements in order to expedite conversions of current trial modifications to permanent ones.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) today issued guidance on how to identify the presence of metal corrosion, as well as other indicators of problem drywall in homes. The guidance takes into account visual signs of metal corrosion, evidence of drywall installation in the relevant time period, and the identification of other corroborating evidence or characteristics.

Cities in the so-called Sand States dominated the foreclosure rankings in 2009, with the 20 worst-hit metro areas residing in Nevada, Florida, California and Arizona.

Autos: Real estate: Retail: Careers: Personal finance: Small business: Viewpoints ... Ford to add 1,200 jobs in Chicago . Morning Joe

Autos: Real estate: Retail: Careers: Personal finance: Small business: Viewpoints ... Ford to add 1,200 jobs in Chicago . Morning Joe

RISMEDIA, January 28, 2010—The RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network reports that its home sales on a year-over-year basis showed a substantial upturn during the final quarter of 2009, with much of that improvement due to stronger sales in the…

New home sales plunged to a 9-month low in December, according to a government report issued Wednesday.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

CHICAGO-Law firm Barnes & Thornburg has taken 83,000 square feet to expand its presence in Chicago.

Since the fall of 2009 demand has edged higher in the goods-producing, finance and real estate industries, while other sectors ... said William Strauss, a senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Respondents say they plan to spend ...

Ford to add 1,200 jobs at Chicago plant ... Huge NYC real estate deal goes sour

Ford to add 1,200 jobs at Chicago plant ... Huge NYC real estate deal goes sour

One roadblock slowing Obama's foreclosure prevention program seems to be clearing up. Bank of America, the nation's largest mortgage lender, announced Tuesday that it was the first lender to sign an agreement to lower or eliminate payments on second mortgages.

CHICAGO-GGP has brought 180 GGP subsidiary debtors and 96 assets out of bankruptcy, with another 16 loans about to be restructured.

Home prices fell in November for the first time in seven months, according to a industry report released Tuesday.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... highest month-to-month gains, on a seasonally adjusted basis, while New York and Chicago ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... highest month-to-month gains, on a seasonally adjusted basis, while New York and Chicago ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... highest month-to-month gains, on a seasonally adjusted basis, while New York and Chicago ...

Phoenix and San Francisco posted the highest month-to-month gains on a seasonally adjusted basis, while New York and Chicago had the largest declines. Recent price gains have been fueled by a federal tax credit for first-time homebuyers, who rushed ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. will add 1,200 jobs at its Chicago assembly plant later this ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. will add 1,200 jobs at its Chicago assembly plant later this ...

WASHINGTON - The Federal Housing Administration's Mortgagee Review Board (MRB) today announced that it is immediately and permanently withdrawing the FHA approval of three mortgage lenders and is suspending a fourth. The MRB withdrew the FHA approval of Strategic Mortgage Corporation (Strategic), ProMortgage Inc., and Americare Investment Group Inc. (doing business as Premier Capital Lending. Additionally, the MRB has suspended the FHA approval of Home Mortgage, Inc. (HMI) of Burr Ridge, Illinois.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. will add 1,200 jobs at its Chicago assembly plant later this ...

Jan. 25, 2010. Belgravia Group kicked off the 2010 by making it easier than ever to buy a home at 565 Quincy, a new tower combining elements of an authentic concrete loft buil...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... CHICAGO - A Chicago businessman accused of leading a double life as an international ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... CHICAGO - A Chicago businessman accused of leading a double life as an international ...

CHICAGO-The condo developer is asking the city to rezone a portion of Uptown and approve $40-million to $50-million tax-increment financing.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... LOUIS - Even while calling Chicago home, Laura Hawkins Grimes is a country bumpkin.

Existing home sales fell in December, the month after a federal tax credit was slated to expire, according to a real estate industry report issued Monday.

Obama to skip jury duty in Chicago suburbs ... MORE FROM REAL ESTATE

Obama to skip jury duty in Chicago suburbs ... the complexes, which have about 25,000 tenants, in 2006 at the height of the real estate ...

CHICAGO-Burlington Coat Factory's lease brings the 454,000-square-foot retail center to 90% occupied.

WASHINGTON - The Federal Housing Administration's Mortgagee Review Board (MRB) today immediately and permanently withdrew the FHA approval of Premium Capital Funding, LLC, a Jericho, New York-based lender doing business as TopDot Mortgage. Today's action prevents TopDot from participating in FHA programs and seeks a monetary penalty of $674,000.

City's Increasingly Trendy Near West Loop Area Scene of Continuing Loft Construction as Buyers Opt for Downtown Convenience. (PRWeb Jan 25, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/01/prweb3513054.htm

... convenience of downtown living is proving a catalyst for growth in at least one segment of the restive Chicago real estate market. The Near West Loop area along West Jackson Boulevard, once home to manufacturers that helped make Chicago an exports ...

City's Increasingly Trendy Near West Loop Area Scene of Continuing Loft Construction as Buyers Opt for Downtown Convenience.

Since the fall of 2009 demand has edged higher in the goods-producing, finance and real estate industries, while other sectors ... said William Strauss, a senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Respondents say they plan to spend ...

Since the fall of 2009 demand has edged higher in the goods-producing, finance and real estate industries, while other sectors ... said William Strauss, a senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Respondents say they plan to spend ...

Since the fall of 2009 demand has edged higher in the goods-producing, finance and real estate industries, while other sectors ... said William Strauss, a senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Respondents say they plan to spend ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... Obama was summoned for jury duty at the Bridgeview courthouse in suburban Chicago ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... new owners, the Ricketts family, last weekend at an annual Cubs convention in Chicago.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... prescription drug into a woman's drink at Jimmy's Carhouse in Buffalo Grove, the Chicago ...

Hundreds of thousands of troubled homeowners who are making lower mortgage payments on a trial basis are at risk of being kicked out of President Obama's foreclosure-prevention program.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $26.3 million to 98 fair housing organizations and other non-profit agencies in 37 states and the District of Columbia to assist people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination.

Struggling to pay your FHA mortgage? Now you no longer have to be late with your payments to get help.

WASHINGTON - Homeowners with FHA-insured mortgage loans who are experiencing financial hardship are now eligible for loss mitigation assistance before they fall behind on their mortgage payments. Previously, these homeowners were not eligible for such assistance until after they had missed payments.

LIBERTYVILLE, IL-The manufacturing and distribution facility will consolidate two other GFX locations.

Cut loan principal for borrowers whose homes are worth much less than their mortgages. Attack the problem of option adjustable rate mortgages. Cut down on red tape.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... Pavilonis, senior market strategist at Lind-Waldock, a retail brokerage firm, in Chicago

A top banking regulator said Wednesday that China will increase monitoring of banks as it tries to prevent speculative bubbles in areas like real estate. Last week ... Cook, senior market analyst at IG Markets in Chicago. Banks posted mixed results.

It's going to be harder to get a government-backed mortgage from now on.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... The first Uno's opened in 1943 in Chicago. Spencer, the current chairman, opened the ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... The first Uno's opened in 1943 in Chicago. Spencer, the current chairman, opened the ...

CHICAGO-JLL's Global Market report finds office rental rates are likely to decline further but investors are actively seeking purchases.

Home construction fell in December, government data showed Wednesday, while the number of building permits issued in the month rose.

The wealthy have money problems, too -- yeah they do.

Privately-owned housing starts in December 2009 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 557,000. This is 4.0 percent below the revised November 2009 estimate of 580,000.

December 2009: -4.0 % change
November 2009: +10.7 % change

CHICAGO-According to a new study the market's vacancy rate sits at 12.2% up from 10.3% in the fourth quarter 2008.

WASHINGTON - Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner David Stevens today announced a set of policy changes to strengthen the FHA's capital reserves, while enabling the agency to continue to fulfill its mission to provide access to homeownership for underserved communities. The changes announced today are the latest in a series of changes Stevens has enacted in order to better position the FHA to manage its risk while continuing to support the nation's housing market recovery.

Chicago, Ill. January 20, 2010 -- In just its tenth year in business, locally-owned Chicago real estate broker @properties has become the #1 residential real estate firm in the city of Chicago.

Locally-owned, independent Chicago real estate broker tops national franchises, industry stalwarts in posting largest market share gains in city and Northern Illinois region.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... EveryBlock is a new way to track news in your Chicago neighborhood, down to your city ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... any light at the end of the tunnel," Dan Strick, CEO of SouthStar Services, a Chicago ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... Katelyn Epperly was the first singer in Chicago to get the golden ticket to Hollywood ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... Katelyn Epperly was the first singer in Chicago to get the golden ticket to Hollywood ...

CHICAGO-The retailer is looking into locating in the former Carson Pirie Scott & Co. facility at 1 S. State St.

Winter Gardening Workshop 1/23
Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse offers Organic Vegetable Gardening Part II

Board Meeting Webcast
Click here at 4 PM on Wednesday, Jan 20, 2010 to view the Monthly Board Meeting.

In The Park With Civic 1/23
Music CORPS Chamber Concert at Kosciuszko Park

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... Court on Tuesday refused to order immediate closure of shipping locks near Chicago to ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... - A couple in the northwestern Chicago suburb of Wonder Lake are searching for a 13-year ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... - A couple in the northwestern Chicago suburb of Wonder Lake are searching for a 13-year ...

JOLIET, IL-The Wisconsin-based company has signed a long term lease and will relocate from its current Plainfield, IL location.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 18, 2010, will launch its first-ever National Fair Housing Collegiate Partnership on the campus of Tennessee State University (TSU) in Nashville.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... Duncan's spokesman, who followed him from Chicago to Washington, told the Chicago Tribune

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... that the dogs were afraid of her father because he had a loud voice, the Chicago Tribune ...

Chicago has a prohibition-era gangster tour, and another Los Angeles group ... About two years ago, she organized her own tour in the area for about 200 real estate agents and business representatives, resulting in the development of buildings with ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... EveryBlock is a new way to track news in your Chicago neighborhood, down to your city ...

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... Three robberies near the University of Illinois at Chicago campus have prompted police ...

Chicago has a prohibition-era gangster tour, and another Los Angeles group ... About two years ago, she organized her own tour in the area for about 200 real estate agents and business representatives, resulting in the development of buildings with ...

... on him to disclose more details about his dealings with Chicago real estate developer Tony Rezko, who is on trial for corruption. In an interview published Friday in the Chicago ...

Good news homebuyers: You can file for your $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit again.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... New Chicago Spa Goes the Michigan Mile and then Some

WASHINGTON - In an effort to stabilize home values and improve conditions in communities where foreclosure activity is high, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced a temporary policy that will expand access to FHA mortgage insurance and allow for the quick resale of foreclosed properties. The announcement is part of the Obama administration commitment to addressing foreclosure. Just yesterday, Secretary Donovan announced $2 billion in to local communities and nonprofit housing developers to combat the effects of vacant and abandoned homes.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released an update on the Administration's aggressive nationwide campaign to help borrowers in the trial phase of their modified mortgages convert to permanent modifications under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). The new December data demonstrates that there has been a significant acceleration in the rate at which borrowers are being approved for permanent modifications. As of December, more than 100,000 permanent modifications have been approved, including 66,000 that borrowers have accepted and the remainder awaiting only the borrower's signature. Under HAMP, more than 850,000 homeowners have had a median payment reduction exceeding $500.

CHICAGO-The company will purchase more than 5,000 units before year-end and is targeting acquisitions between $20 million to $50 million.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... CHICAGO - Two Chicago men were indicted Thursday on charges they planned a violent ...

CHICAGO-The Parkside at Old Town Square received $3.4 million of public subsidy early from the Daley administration.

Sweet Saturdays 2/6 & 2/13
Learn which sweet treats grow on trees @ Garfield Park Conservatory's Sweet Saturdays.

2010 Free Fitness Week Survey
If you participated in the Free Fitness week promotion, please fill out this survey.

U.S. retail and food service sales for December reached $353.0 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent (±0.5%) from the previous month.

December 2009: -0.3 % change
November 2009: +1.8 % change

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that HUD is awarding $2 billion in Recovery Act funding to states, local governments and non-profit housing developers, under HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), to spur economic development in hard-hit communities and create jobs. Nearly 60 grantees are receiving awards. A full list of grants awarded today can be found on HUD's Recovery Act website.

CHICAGO-Federal Home Loan Bank canceled its lease in the building to give Combined Insurance a full three floors at 111 East Wacker Dr.

... three buildings where the gaming operation will be located as early as March. Midwest Gaming, owned by Chicago real estate billionaire Neil Bluhm, plans to construct a 140,000 to 150,000 sq. ft. casino and 1,200-car parking garage on property ...

Factories in the Fed regions of Boston and Chicago said they were benefiting from rising demand from customers in Asia ... The commercial real-estate market remained soft across the nation, with vacancy rates rising and rents falling in most places.

DEERFIELD, IL- The deal, which give Walgreens 25 Snyder’s stores, will mean Snyder’s will no longer operate company-owned stores.

List of Contractors (updated)
List of vendors receiving $10,000 or more in any 12 month period over the past four years

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of the Treasury, together with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today announced the completion of all transactions under the recently-introduced state and local Housing Finance Agency (HFA) Initiative, a key element of the Obama Administration's Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan. With these transactions, the Obama Administration helps support low mortgage rates and expands resources for low and middle income borrowers to purchase or rent homes that are affordable over the long term. Government Sponsored Enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac played a central role in both Initiative design and transaction execution. The HFA Initiative is expected to come at no cost to taxpayers.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that nearly 200 apartment units in New York City will become more energy efficient as the result of $3.6 million in funding being awarded today to Jonathan Rose Companies, a New York-based property owner and developer.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Inspector General Kenneth M. Donohue and Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner David H. Stevens announced today an initiative focusing on mortgage companies with significant claim rates against the Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance program.

WASHINGTON - Two elderly sisters will continue living together under an agreement announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Lake County Housing Authority (LCHA) in Grayslake, Illinois.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $11,980,088 in grants to more than 200 public housing authorities across the U.S. to help public housing residents find jobs that lead them toward economic independence. For information on local funding amounts, visit HUD's website.

Real Estate/Rentals; Shopping; Sports; TV; Weather; White Pages; Wonderwall; Yellow Pages ... While the actual clock is housed at the Bulletin of Atomic Sciences offices in Chicago ...

The Daley administration is bailing out the developer of the high-profile Cabrini-Green redevelopment on the Near North Side, sidestepping a default on a $32-million construction loan that would be a punch in the gut to the ambitious plan to remake the city's public-housing projects. The ...

... the conversation at Crain's, the Tribune, the Sun-Times, TribLocal a ' and many other spots. Our popular Chicago Real Estate News feature links to the most informative articles from 100s of local, regional and national news sources and blogs. ...

... location will make it easy for agents affiliated with the office to serve clients in many parts of the Chicago real estate market. Elgin, IL, January 09, 2010 --( PR.com )-- RE/MAX Vision 212 has relocated to 1500 W. Chicago Ave. in the city's Noble ...

... gift, announced last year. Lurie was a pediatric nurse at Children's in 1973 before meeting her husband, Chicago real estate investor Robert H. Lurie, who died in 1990. The new facility will be bounded by Chicago Avenue on the north and Superior ...

... could work in the Spire's favor. Gail Lissner, vice president of Appraisal Research Counselors, a Chicago real estate consulting firm, said after next year - when 900 downtown condos are expected to be completed - and 2011, when 86 are slated to be ...

(AP) — Illinois is embracing a licensing database that officials say will help ensure the competency of mortgage loan professionals. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said it'll start to use the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System for license applications ...

With the new year comes the prospect of a new bubble in downtown Chicago real estate.

Download 2009-2010 Winter Brochure
We invite you to join us in celebrating the season.

Americans with Disabilities Act
ADA Complaint Reporting Procedure for Patrons and Visitors available here.

Polar Adventure Days
It's winter in Chicago, come out and enjoy it at the Polar Adventure Days event at Northerly Island.

Valentine's Day
Celebrate Valentine's Day in the Parks at one of these events.

... from the company's web site at www.DreamTown.com. Chicago, IL, December 19, 2009 --( PR.com )-- Chicago real estate brokerage Dream Town Realty has published an updated and enhanced version of its popular Chicago Neighborhoods Map, available only ...

Developers Michael Supera and Richard Zisook have taken title of the old Lincoln Park Hospital at 550 W Webster Ave and plan to redevelop the site with 170 units of senior housing, 120 condos, and 33,000 square feet of retail, according to Crain's Chicago Real Estate Daily .

Chicago real estate agent Stephanie Sullivan is welcomed to Dream Town Realty as one of two new consultants to join the brokerage last month.

2010-14 Capital Improvement Plan
The Chicago Park District's forecast for facility improvements over the next five years

This week's editorial cartoon by Roger Schillerstrom

In a shrunken local homebuilding market, the balance of power is shifting from independent Chicago-area builders to their stronger national rivals. Public companies including D. R. Horton Inc., Pulte Homes Inc. and Ryland Group Inc. now account for 43% of new-home sales around Chicago, up from ...

Adpoted 2010 Budget
2010 Budget Recommendations and Summary are now available for download

Across the Chicago area, local government officials are hearing increasingly from employers that maintaining homes affordable to their workers isn't a maybe — it's a must. One might be surprised to learn that, since 2005, leaders in Lake Forest, which ranks among Illinois' wealthiest ...

Downtown condominium developers limped through yet another quarter, but they have at least one reason to be thankful: The great condo building boom is coming to an end. For the past three years, downtown developers have built more condos than they have sold, the result of overexuberance and an ...

(Crain’s) — Bruce Gottschall, who helped start what has become the city’s largest housing counseling agency, is stepping down as its executive director after 35 years. Mr. Gottschall began Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago in 1975. He will retire on Dec. 15. “It feels like ...

(Crain’s) — Federal regulators have rejected Amcore Financial Inc.’s plan to raise capital, giving the troubled Rockford-based lender a month to raise the needed money or sell. Amcore has until Dec. 4 to submit a new plan to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency under ...

In the biggest downtown real estate deal of the year, a Miami developer has agreed to buy a Streeterville apartment tower for more than $80 million, despite a bleak job market that is expected to reduce the number of renters next year. Crescent Heights Inc. has a contract to buy Cityfront Place, ...

Last year, Chicago real estate agent Jen Sanders was felled for five days by the seasonal flu after forgoing a flu shot for the first time in a decade.

Last year, Chicago real estate agent Jen Sanders was felled for five days by the seasonal flu after forgoing a flu shot for the first time in a decade.

A majority of the units at their Lincoln Park condominium project were unsold when Beth and Forest Bahruth moved in more than 30 months ago. The couple said it felt strange to be among the only residents at the yet-to-be completed five-story building at Fullerton, Ashland and Clybourn avenues. ...

Crain's Monday publishes its annual list of the largest contractors in Chicago. Walsh Group Ltd. topped the list for the second straight year with $1.36 billion in local revenue in 2008. Bovis Lend Lease Inc., James McHugh Construction Co., Turner Construction Co. and Pepper Construction Group ...

In its nearly three years in existence, Lexington Homes LLC hasn't turned a profit, but the Chicago homebuilder can lay claim to something many of its peers cannot. At a time when well-known local builders such as Kimball Hill Inc., Kirk Inc. and Neumann Homes Inc. have gone belly up, Lexington's ...

SPOTLIGHT: JAMES KINNEY Job: Vice-president of luxury home sales, Baird & Warner Inc., a Chicago-based residential brokerage with more than 20 offices in the city and suburbs. Vitals: 59 years old; bachelor's degree in English, Northwestern University, 1972; various positions including assistant ...

It was typical of many developers during the tail end of the housing boom to offer an iPod, flat-screen TV or an even bigger goodie to lure buyers into new townhouses or condominiums. Today, those types of incentives are largely a thing of the past — much like the boom itself. But even in a ...

With the local housing market finally showing signs of improvement, the question is what, if anything, developers and real estate agents can do to win back the trust of the newly sober public.

(Reuters) — Building products maker USG Corp. reported a larger quarterly loss on Wednesday and said the near-term outlook remains weak, sending its shares down more than 8 percent. The result is another sign the housing construction industry has yet to fully right itself after collapsing ...

(Crain’s) — The veteran ShoreBank executive in charge of the lender’s signature loans to apartment rehabbers — the portfolio whose success largely created the community bank’s national reputation for profiting while lending in low-income neighborhoods — has left the bank. James ...

(AP) — The former northern Wisconsin hideout of Chicago mobster Al Capone has sold for $2.6 million to the bank that foreclosed on the property. Margie Schull of the Sawyer County Sheriff's Department says Chippewa Valley Bank was the only bidder during a five-minute sheriff's sale on the ...

(AP) — The former northern Wisconsin hideout of Chicago mobster Al Capone goes on the auction block Thursday. A bank foreclosed on the 407-acre wooded site and a sheriff's sale takes place on the steps of the Sawyer County Courthouse in Hayward. Chippewa Valley Bank says the starting bid ...

It's a lot tougher to get a mortgage for a new condo purchase these days, but at some projects, it seems like 2005 all over again. MB Financial Inc. is offering enticing loan deals at several local condominium developments, including ultra-low interest rates and 5% down payments for buyers who ...

Pay and Display
Learn about the new Multi-Space Parking Meters being installed over the next 8 months

(AP) — If Illinois had parents, they wouldn't be too happy with the state's economic grade card. An advocacy group, the Corporation for Enterprise Development, gave the state an overall 'C' grade in its annual assessment of financial stability in all 50 U.S. states. Illinois fared better ...

After decades of watching the size of new homes expand, people are thinking smaller these days.

Rate changes by the Fed can affect consumers' budgets. Here's how the Fed's announcement affects auto loan rates.

Rate changes by the Fed can affect consumers' budgets. Here's how the Fed's announcement affects credit card interest rates.

Rate changes by the Fed can affect consumers' budgets. Here's how the Fed's announcement affects home equity loans and lines of credit.

Rate changes by the Fed can affect consumers' budgets. Here's how the Fed's announcement affects mortgage shoppers and ARM holders.

(Crain’s) — The Civic Federation has come out with a report that generally supports Mayor Richard M. Daley’s bid for the 2016 Olympics — with the exception of the development of the Olympic Village. In a long-awaited report issued Wednesday, the tax policy group notes that the Olympic ...

Home equity products can be used to fund a car purchase. But there are risks for the homeowner.

Researchers say debt forgiveness is the only way to fix the housing crisis. But will it?

Here are the latest interest rates and commentary on five common consumer banking products from Bankrate.com's weekly national survey of large banks and thrifts.

(AP) — Signaling a housing recovery is under way in much of the country, sales of previously occupied homes rose for the third month in a row in June. The National Assn. of Realtors said Thursday that home sales rose 3.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.89 million last month, ...

Here are the latest interest rates and commentary on five common consumer banking products from Bankrate.com's weekly national survey of large banks and thrifts.

(Crain’s) — First-time homebuyers scrambling for a down payment can now get a financial boost from the state. The Illinois Housing Development Authority program rolled out its Illinois Home Start Loan Program Wednesday. It provides qualifying homebuyers with a 30-year fixed-rate FHA loan ...

With interest rates likely to rise, locking into a fixed-rate loan may make sense right now.

(Crain’s) — The Chicago Community Trust announced it surpassed a $1-million target to provide funds for shelters and pantries that have been overwhelmed by soaring demand. In an initiative launched late last year, the community foundation raised $1.3 million for its Unity Challenge ...

Mortgage rates have held fairly steady since the middle of last week.

A note, sent yesterday, from a reader named Matthew.

I have an article up today -- "Want to refinance? Know the details" -- in which I describe the Home Affordable Refinance program as confusing.

Here are the latest interest rates and commentary on five common consumer banking products from Bankrate.com's weekly national survey of large banks and thrifts.

A reader named Cindy asks: "Are mortgage rates predicted to go down next week? What things should I be considering before going ahead?"

In response to my blog post from last week, "Theodicy and mortgages," Michael Hilmen writes about artificially high home prices.

30 Year: null%, 15 Year: null%, 5 Year: null%, 1 Year: null%

(AP) — E*Trade Financial Corp. said Wednesday it plans to raise $400 million in common stock, with Citadel Investment Group purchasing up to $100 million of the offer.

(Crain’s) — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has sued a Chicago-based independent escrow company that went out of business in March without paying taxes on behalf of homeowner clients around the country. Ms. Madigan, working with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional ...

(Crain's) — Chicago-area home sales fell more than 22% in April compared with last year but increased over the previous month for the third straight time, according to the Illinois Assn. of Realtors. Mortgage rates at record lows and incentives such as the federal homebuyer tax credit aided ...

He took a state plane back to Chicago. He did, however, use his last day in office to grant clemency to a prominent Chicago real estate developer and a former drug dealer, just ...

Jan. 29: Chicago real estate 'slumlord' Tony Rezko's criminal troubles are now bringing renewed scrutiny to Barack Obama's 2005 real estate deal with him.

The trial, which started March 3, has been closely watched because Rezko, a Chicago real estate developer and fast-food entrepreneur, has been a fundraiser for Democratic ...

CHICAGO - Real estate magnate Sam Zell took control of newly private Tribune Co. on Thursday and began shaking up the newspaper and TV company the moment the $8.2 billion buyout he ...