The Chicago 77

Have you read the latest news that home sales are down? Pretty much everyday, right? According to Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price Indices (PDF), released on Monday, Chicago experienced an 18.7% decline in home prices from April 2008 to April 2009, but did not experience a percentage change from the prior month, March 2009 [...]

1 July 2009 ? Bonds ended down yesterday by 34bps, which increased mortgage interest rates. When bonds are down, mortgage interest rates go up?when bonds are up mortgage rates go down! The Dow is up 99 and is enjoying a modest rally. This morning has been filled with news and we will start with China [...]

30 June 2009 ? Today Consumer Confidence and Case-Shiller are impacting bonds in different directions. For starters the Case-Shiller Home Index Reading is a report that measures the home prices in the 20 largest US cities. The report is from April and showed fewer negative readings than prior reports, a slowing pace of decline in [...]

In March 2008, Fannie Mae entered into an agreement with The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). This agreement was set up to adopt certain policies relating to appraisals for mortgages. Starting May 1st, 2009 the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) came into effect for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchased loans. HVCC Means Only [...]

26 June 2009 – Mortgage-backed bonds opened down 1 this morning and remain flat. The savings rate soared to 6.9%, which caught many by surprise; this is the highest level since 1993 and stocks are reacting negatively to this news that consumers are keeping their money in savings. This may impact the pace that the [...]

Here?s a question real estate agents are hearing lately??With so many short sales out there?does that mean the market is getting worse and should I be concerned about buying now verses later this year?? The answer, in a word, ?No.? Short sales certainly seem to be on the rise due to a variety of reasons: [...]

Take comfort home sellers! Celebrities are having the same problem as we common folk. Here are some celebs who can?t seem to sell their houses: Jon and Kate Gosselin, co-stars of the popular TLC show “Jon & Kate Plus 8,” have been trying for three months to sell their former home in Elizabethtown, Pa.

24 June 2009 ? Today we have news on both extremes concerning Chicago’s real estate market. On the very bad side…yesterday The Sun Times, Chicagoist, and many others reported Chicago has 4 of the most dangerous neighborhoods (in Chicago’s case they are actually sections of well defined neighborhoods) in the country. They are: #2 State [...]

I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. We can certainly see it in our showing activity and in the market. It’s still not an easy market or necessarily a fair market for all involved, but it is changing for the better. Statistics from Illinois Association of Realtors (IAR) definitely back up [...]

22 June 2009 ? Signs are appearing that both inventory and pricing in the housing market are starting to level. Banks modifying existing mortgages are keeping people in their homes who thought they would have to sell. A large number of foreclosure units will not be hitting the open market as reported in Friday?s Chicago [...]

Two reports yesterday seem to cast a shadow over recent good news in closings. Home Builders Not Predicting Increased Business The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reported yesterday that it’s nation-wide monthly sentiment index dropped by a point to 15. This is down from a score of 18 one year ago and an all-time [...]

The Up We are seeing the continuation of a trend that seems hopeful. According the Illinois Association of Realtors® home sales in Chicago for April 2009 were up when compared to March 2009 by 16.7 percent. There were 1,378 home sold in April as compared to 1,181 in March. This seems to reflect the time [...]

At a dinner On May 21, the Chicago Association of Realtors presented the 2009 Good Neighbor Award winners. As I saw the recipients walk to the podium to receive their awards, the words of the evening?s emcee kept running through my head. In his remarks, Brian Bernardoni the Government Affairs Director for the Association said, [...]