931 W. Leland #406- Top Floor Corner Unit in Lovely Recently Rehabbed Condo Conversion in Uptown!

TOP FLOOR CORNER UNIT IN LOVELY RECENTLY REHABBED CONDO CONVERSION IN UPTOWN. MANY UPGRADES FEATURING: HARDWOOD FLOORS THRU-OUT, KITCHEN WITH BEAUTIFUL GRANITE COUNTER TOPS & STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES,... [Read more about this property]

1050 W. Dakin #2E- Rehabbed Two Bedroom/Two Bath in Great Wrigleyville Location!

Rehabbed Two bedroom/Two Bath in Great Wrigleyville Location! Large living room with separate area for a dining room table. Huge kitchen, hardwood floors, gas fireplace, balcony, and brand new front-loading... [Read more about this property]

444 W. Fullerton #1909- Former 3 Bedroom Converted to Large 2 Bedroom with more Living Space!

ULTIMATE LINCOLN PARK LIFESTYLE! AMAZING, UNOBSTRUCTED NORTHWEST VIEWS! FORMER 3 BEDROOM CONVERTED TO LARGE 2 BEDROOM WITH MORE LIVING SPACE! 2 FULL BATHS, OAK HARDWOOD FLOORS, WASHER & DRYER IN-UNIT... [Read more about this property]

1528 W. Monroe #PH1- Top Floor,Luxury Penthouse with 2 elevators directly into your new home!

Top Floor,Luxury Penthouse with 2 elevators directly into your new home!! 16 ft ceilings w/ crown molding, Gourmet kitchen with Wolf stove, Subzero, wine fridge, & stone deck off the kitchen &... [Read more about this property]

August’s Fed Minutes Lead Mortgage Rates Higher

Home affordability took a slight hit this week after the Federal Reserve’s release of its August 10 meeting minutes. The “Fed Minutes” is a lengthy, detailed recap of a Federal Open Market Committee meeting, not unlike the minutes published after a corporate conference, or condo association gathering. The Federal Reserve publishes its meeting minutes 3 weeks after a FOMC get-together. The... [Read more]

Case-Shiller Posts 16th Straight Month Of Home Price Improvement

According to the Standard & Poors Case-Shiller Index, home values rose 5 percent in June versus the month prior, and 4 percent from a year earlier.  It’s the 16th consecutive month in which Case-Shiller reported an increase in home values and the third straight month of outstanding results. That said, homeowners and home buyers in Park Ridge would do well to temper Case-Shiller enthusiasm.... [Read more]

Mortgage Rates May Be Low, But They’re Tough To Pin Down — Especially This Week

Mortgage rates are low right now but pinning them down this week could be a challenge. As Labor Day Weekend nears and Wall Streeters take their head-start on the holiday, trading volume will fall, which will cause mortgage rates in Illinois to get jumpy. As mortgage rates change, so does the long-term cost of owning a home. Every 1/8 percent adjustment changes a household budget. Meanwhile, the relationship... [Read more]

How To Reduce Home Energy Costs By Sealing Air Leaks

With Labor Day looming, the autumn and winter months aren’t far behind. It’s a good time to reflect on your home’s heating and cooling costs, and take steps to lower your energy bills. Finding air leaks may be a perfect first project. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, up to 30 percent can be cut from a home’s energy costs just by reducing drafts. For example, a 1/16-inch... [Read more]

Home Affordability Rankings For 225 Metropolitan Statistical Areas

With home prices holding firm and mortgage rates still dropping, home affordability is reaching new heights. According to the quarterly Home Opportunity Index as published by the National Association of Home Builders, more than 72 percent of all new and existing homes sold between April-June 2010 were affordable to families earning the national median income. It’s a slightly higher reading... [Read more]

New Home Sales Drop In July — Just Like Existing Home Sales

One day after the National Association of Realtors released the softest Existing Home Sales report since 1995, the U.S. Census Bureau released a similarly-weak New Home Sales report. Americans bought just 276,000 newly-built homes in July. That marks the fewest units sold since the government started keeping records in 1963. In addition, although new home inventory actually dropped 2,000 units in... [Read more]

Existing Home Sales Plummet In July; Home Buyers Gain Leverage

The number of home resales plunged by 1.4 million units in July, according to the National Association of Realtors®’ Existing Home Sales report. It’s a drop of 27 percent from June; single-family home resales are at the report’s lowest levels since May 1999. Furthermore, because of the sharp drop in sales volume, home inventories are spiking. Homes for sale nationwide fell just... [Read more]

Bank Mortgage Lending Policies Appear To be Easing

The tightening in mortgage-lending policies that characterized the last 3 years appears to be slowing. According to the Federal Reserve’s quarterly survey of senior bank loan officers, roughly 1 in 10 lenders added mortgage qualification hurdles between April and June. It’s a huge departure from just 2 years ago when the mortgage industry was facing its first wave of challenges.  During... [Read more]

How To Re-Grout And Caulk Bathroom Tiles

Over time, the grout in a shower can become dirty and discolored, and start to separate from its grout lines. This is a potentially dangerous condition for a home because broken grout lines allow water to seep into the walls, which can then lead to the growth of mold spores. Fortunately, keeping your grout in tip-top shape is simple. In this 2-minute video, you’ll learn how to clean the existing... [Read more]

Mortgage Rates Make New Lows For The 9th Week In A Row

Another week, another new low for conforming mortgage rates.  In fact, this week marks the 9th time in a row it’s happened. Mortgage rates are (again) at their lowest levels in history. The data comes from the Freddie Mac, a government group and major loan securitizer for the U.S. mortgage market. Freddie Mac’s weekly survey is among the most widely-cited reports on mortgage rates... [Read more]