Category: Housing trends
Trends affecting prices, architecture, locations, financing and other elements of Chicago houses, townhomes, condominiums, high-rises and single-family homes.
Why buy a condo on a busy commercial street? Why not?
Yesterday's post on the monster balconies / terraces at 2852 N Halsted St drew some groans, including this comment from "Bad Kroupa" (copied verbati [...]
2nd-home choices abound within 2 hours of Chicago
In this month's New Homes Magazine, writer Joel Hoglund hits the road to check out vacation towns within two hours of the city, from Miller Beach, I [...]
Sox fans take note – South Side lofts on the rise
When Tandem Developers sold out Union Lofts, at 941 W 35th St, in Bridgeport, back in 2004, it was the first loft condo development to be completed [...]
Many kinds of second-home buyers in Chicago
We've been talking a lot lately about second-home buyers and investors in Chicago. Slower appreciation and daunting market times lead some investors [...]
Lifestyle buyers take over second-home market as speculators flee
Last week we looked at a suburban couple that bought a condo in Chicago just for the fun of it, and those "lifestyle" buyers are powering the market [...]
The bonfire of the builders
A match setting fire to a house of cards illustrates the cover story of the current Business Week on the troubles in the homebuilding industry.
Imagi [...]
Are $100,000 showers the next ultra-luxury trend?
The Great Lakes hold 20 percent of the world's fresh water, and we'll need every bit of it if the $100,000 shower ever catches on in Chicago. We've [...]
Crain's releases residential real estate data
Crain's Chicago Business yesterday released Market Facts 2007. Among the data included in the section on residential real estate (pdf) :
97 percent [...]
Short-term rentals – prohibited, but common
The Declaration for almost every Chicago condo prohibits short-term rentals. Many condo decs require 30 days notice to the condo board for any rental. [...]
Market times declining in West Loop, though higher than city overall
Attached homes in the West Loop have been staying on the market longer than their citywide counterparts, according to Multiple Listing Service of Nort [...]
One housing index is up 30 percent
Mortgage fraud increased 30% in 2006 over 2005, according to a report released today by the Mortgage Bankers Association (pdf file).
The report shows [...]
We like to watch: ceramic on steroids at 1349 South Wabash
Construction on 1349 South Wabash, a 15-story development with 78 condos, will begin in August or September, according to Judy Walton, of Wabash Prop [...]
The Real Estate Curmudgeon – appliances, appliances, appliances!
Remember when real estate was all about location, location and location?
YoChicago's Real Estate Curmudgeon does, and he has a few thoughts on buye [...]
Quote of the day: the condo-ization of Chicago
"When I walk home from the train and see apartments that are now condos, I didn't know how common that was. Now I do. The next question is, to what e [...]
LV Lofts in Chicago's Lake View neighborhood to release second phase
LV Lofts will release a second phase of five units tomorrow, according to Liz Muscare of Rooney Realty, the brokerage marketing the 24-unit developm [...]
Why are women and whites bailing on Chicago?
Accoding to U.S. Census data available at Metro Chicago Information Center (MCIC), Chicago's female population will drop from 1,490,909 in 2000 to 1,3 [...]
Kendall whups Cook: population spikes in 'burbs, shrinks in city
Suburban Kendall County was the second-fastest growing county in the nation between 2000 and 2006, according to a Crain's story. Census data shows its [...]
Agent weighs in on Chatham housing market
Housing sales in Chatham are proceeding at a brisk pace despite misperceptions on the part of both sellers and buyers, says Cynthia Draper-Hill, an [...]
The Chatham housing market: a conversation with real estate agent Cynthia Draper-Hill
Chatham's diverse single-family home stock of well-kept bungalows, step ranches, Georgians and other styles has great appeal to young families, sing [...]
BusinessWeek.com rates top cities for artists – and Chicago doesn't make the cut
We were perplexed to see that Chicago isn't on BusinessWeek.com's list of top 10 places for artists to live, losing out to Carson City, Nev., and Nass [...]