Ranks of underwater homeowners shrinking
Think you're still underwater on your mortgage? Maybe not. The percentage of homes in the Chicago area with a mortgage seriously underwater has fallen for four consecutive quarters, to 27...
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Mortgage rates head downward, again
Average fixed mortgage interest rates on the most popular home loan fell again this week, to a level not seen since early June 2013. The average rate on a 30-year,...
Teardowns transforming Chicago’s inner suburbs
Gentrification has long been associated with redevelopment within cities, but a former Chicago architect who's now an educator wonders whether there isn't suburban gentrification underway in some of Chicago's inner-ring...
Chicago-area home sales post third monthly decline
Existing-home sales in Chicago and its suburbs racked up another slow month in September, but once again, median sales prices continue to beat their year-ago comparisons. It was the third...
Fannie, Freddie to accept lower down payment mortgages
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are close to allowing consumers to buy a home with as little as a 3 percent down payment and still have the mortgages backed by...
Suburban Chicago homebuilders talking about land again
Dirt is starting to catch the attention of suburban homebuilders again. With their 2014 construction season winding down, the area's large builders continue to pick up the lots of fallen...
Rehab plan for Sears’ old West Side HQ takes shape
On Chicago's West Side, massive structures that once housed Sears, Roebuck & Co.'s headquarters remain reasonably well-preserved but empty since redevelopment efforts a decade ago fell victim to the housing...
Mortgage rates drop below 4 percent
Average fixed mortgage rates hit a new low for the year this week, dropping to below 4 percent. Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average interest rate on a 30-year,...
Rollout is slow for FICO’s new credit scoring model
The unveiling of a new FICO credit scoring formula that could make it easier for some consumers to buy a home was heartily greeted by the real estate industry, but...
Real estate group wants FAA drone exemption
Look, up in the sky. It's a bird. It's a plane. No, it's a drone taking a picture of your house, your yard, your street. Aerial photos and videos of...